The more Auntie looked at Jiang Moli, the more she liked her, and she kept talking to Jiang Moli.
Xiao Jing, who was behind her, saw this and was very anxious.
But she was used to being silent and no longer knew how to communicate normally with people. When asked to speak up, she couldn't say anything and could only hide in the back and worry anxiously.
But one should not be afraid, because what you fear most is what will happen to you.
Jiang Moli suppressed the bitterness in her heart and flattered her third aunt in every word: "With a house, Xiaoqiang's marriage will no longer be a problem. Third Aunt, your good fortune is coming soon. You just need to wait for your daughter-in-law to enter the house, and then you can just enjoy the good life."
Third Aunt waved her hand: "What's there to enjoy? There's still Xiao Jing at home. She's introverted and very stubborn. I don't know how much I'll have to worry about her marriage in the future!"
“Xiao Jing is quick too, she herself…” Jiang Moli started to say, but suddenly realized something and quickly covered her mouth: “I…”
The smile on Auntie's face gradually disappeared, and her expression turned serious: "What did you say? What happened to Xiaojing?"
"No, it's nothing." Jiang Moli lowered her head guiltily.
"At this point, stop trying to cover for her!" Auntie glared at Xiaojing and continued to press, "Is she dating someone on her own?"
"Third Aunt, please, please don't ask me anymore. I promised Xiaojing I wouldn't tell."
Jiang Moli turned her head and saw Xiao Jing pouting, her eyes red-rimmed, looking like she was about to cry.
"Xiaojing, I... I'm sorry, I got carried away and said the wrong thing, I didn't mean to..."
Jiang Moli's words only made things worse. Xiao Jing burst into tears, covered her face, and ran back to the inner room to lie on the bed and cry.
"Cry, cry, all you do is cry!"
Auntie San said to Jiang Moli with exasperation, "Look at her useless attitude! It's normal for a daughter to date someone now that she's grown up. Is it really necessary to keep it a secret from the family? Am I supposed to scold her?"
Jiang Moli chuckled twice and advised, "Third Aunt, please calm down. It's normal for a young girl to be shy and embarrassed to tell her family."
"What's the situation with Xiaojing's boyfriend? Do you know? Tell me quickly," Auntie asked.
Jiang Moli waved her hand in refusal: "Third Aunt, I, I really can't tell you. I promised Xiaojing I would keep it a secret for her. You, you should ask Xiaojing yourself."
"If I could get the answer from her, I wouldn't have asked you," Auntie San sighed.
"Well, I can't tell you that either." Jiang Moli made a move to leave: "Third Aunt, it's almost noon, I, I have to go home to cook, I'll be going now."
"Hey, don't go! Have lunch at my house." Auntie San reached out and grabbed Jiang Moli's sleeve.
Jiang Moli waved her hand: "No, no."
She rushed out of her aunt's house in a panic, and as soon as she stepped out of the courtyard, the panicked look on her face vanished without a trace.
She glanced back, a hint of smugness creeping into her eyes and brows.
Jiang Moli was smug, but little did she know that Xiao Jing was practically crying her eyes out.
She couldn't understand how such a person could exist in the world.
He clearly promised to keep her secret, but he let it slip after only a few days?
No, she didn't just let it slip!
Her tone was unhurried and deliberate, clearly intentional!
She's deliberately trying to make a fool of herself!
Xiaojing cried bitterly, and her aunt was both angry and helpless: "Why are you crying? It's just dating someone. You're at the age where you should be thinking about marriage. I won't scold you. But you can't keep it from your mother. What are you doing keeping it from her?"
Xiao Jing shook her head, crying.
"What's the meaning of your shaking your head? Just say what you want to say. How will Mom know what you're thinking if you don't tell me?"
"I...I'll tell you later." Xiaojing started hiccuping as she cried, sniffling and choking out, "I...I haven't figured out what to do yet?"
"What do you mean, what to do? You've already started dating, the next step is obviously marriage! You can't just date without getting married, can you? That would be irresponsible and irresponsible!"
“He, he’s not, he’s fine…” Xiaojing cried again as she spoke.
It's her fault, it's all her fault.
She kept something from herself, afraid that she would be disliked if she told anyone.
"Then tell Mom who he is? If you're too embarrassed to talk about marriage, I'll go talk to him."
"No, no." Xiaojing shook her head: "I'll talk to him, I'll talk to him myself."
"Then you need to hurry up and not delay. Your brother Baidong will be leaving in half a month. You should discuss the wedding arrangements before then. With him there, your family can support you. Otherwise, we're just a widow and her child, and there's no one in charge of the family. We won't be able to let your future in-laws look down on us."
"He wouldn't," Xiaojing whispered in defense.
Auntie didn't hear clearly: "What did you say?"
Xiao Jing shook her head and wiped away her tears: "It's nothing, I will bring up marriage with him."
"Hurry up and get the wedding arrangements sorted out in the first month of the lunar calendar, otherwise you'll be busy with work from February until after the wheat harvest before you can find any free time," Auntie San instructed.
Xiao Jing responded listlessly, "Okay."
*
The next afternoon, my third aunt brought the three hundred yuan she had collected to our home.
Of the three hundred yuan, only half were ten-yuan notes; the other half consisted of five-yuan notes, two-yuan notes, one-yuan notes, and even some ten-yuan notes that were fifty cents.
From these scattered pieces of money, it's clear that Auntie probably borrowed from every relative she could to gather this sum.
Fang Qiao was worried that this large sum of money would drain her aunt's family's finances and disrupt their daily lives, so she quickly asked, "Aunt, you've given me all this money at once. Won't you run out of money for household expenses? It's okay if you owe me ten or so yuan."
"It's enough, it's enough. You gave me a cheap house, and we're not short of money, so how could I owe you any more money?" Auntie San waved her hands repeatedly, "Take it, and I'll ask you again if it's really not enough."
"Okay, if you ever need money, just let me know." Fang Qiao put the money into her pocket.
Auntie said cheerfully, "There's something else I need to tell you."
"You look so happy, is there some good news?" Fang Qiao replied with a smile.
"Yes, that's right." Auntie smiled. "Xiaojing's marriage is settled. She chose her own partner. I thought it through yesterday. These days, people value freedom of marriage. Let Xiaojing do what she wants. You can't force a relationship. No matter how good the partner I chose for her is, it's all for nothing if she doesn't want him. It doesn't matter what his family background is like. Even if he's poor, it doesn't matter. At least he likes her. If they're of the same mind, their future won't be bad."
Third Aunt's words make sense, and Fang Qiao agrees.
"Yes, marriage is ultimately a matter for two people. Choosing someone you like is better than anything else."
However, Fang Qiao felt that something was strange. If they had been dating, why did they keep it so secret?
Fang Qiao tentatively asked, "Third Aunt, which village is Xiao Jing's boyfriend from? I haven't heard anything about it before?"
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