The shout startled the unprepared old lady Chen, but she quickly recovered and a kind smile appeared on her face.
"You are a straightforward child, not pretentious at all. This temperament suits your mother's taste very well, and your mother likes it."
As Grandma Chen praised the bride, she took one of her hands and gently patted it.
Looking at her hands, which were a whole set bigger than hers, Old Mrs. Chen couldn't stop smiling, and continued,
"Just look at these hands, I know you're a lucky child. Serve Zhancai well at home from now on, and your mother won't mistreat you. Let your mother see what you look like..."
Liu Fengjiao's sallow face was so pale it looked like it could drip water; her mother-in-law was clearly making veiled insults and mockery.
How come this simple-minded fool is so lucky? I really don't know when her mother-in-law went blind.
Hearing Old Mrs. Chen's praise, the bride's face, hidden behind her veil, was full of smiles.
The ladies at Chunfeng Tower all say that the scholar's mother is the most difficult to get along with, but it seems that's all just a rumor.
She was overjoyed, and before Old Mrs. Chen could even make a move, she ripped off the veil, grinning widely.
"Mother, I am your newlywed daughter-in-law, Ruhua."
When Old Mrs. Chen suddenly saw the bride's face, she was so frightened that she shivered and quickly withdrew her hands.
Old Chen was so surprised that his eyes almost popped out. He stood there dumbfounded, unable to utter a single word.
The children who had come with their parents to the banquet were gathered around the bridal sedan chair watching the excitement. When they saw the bride pull down her veil, they quickly shrank into their mothers' arms, covered their eyes, and dared not look any further.
"Mom, the bride is so ugly, she looks like a madwoman, I'm scared."
"Don't be afraid, don't be afraid, your mother is here. That's not Ma Gao'er, she just looks a bit like a man with a female body."
"What's that?"
"It's a woman's body with a man's face."
"Would she eat people?"
"Don't be afraid, she doesn't eat people."
The onlookers gasped in unison. The bride had thick eyebrows and big eyes; if she had a beard, she would look like a man.
Seeing this, Chen Qingqing thought of Ru Hua, the character who picked her nose in a classic movie. She tried hard to suppress her laughter, but her shoulders still trembled uncontrollably.
Although this Ru Hua is not the same as that Ru Hua, she is not much better. Apart from not having a beard, they do have some similarities.
Chen Zhancai has really strange tastes. Taking a second wife is one thing, but why did he bring back a woman like this?
It seems that Chen Zhancai is quite satisfied with her. I wonder what is so special about Ruhua that makes Chen Zhancai so infatuated with her that he wants to stick his eyes to her.
With such an unreliable man and having married such a strange woman, Liu Fengjiao's future days are probably going to be tough...
By this time, the onlookers had erupted in uproar.
"My goodness! This bride looks so masculine."
"Yeah, what a waste of such a nice name. 'Ru Hua' (meaning 'flower') is a better name than 'Big Winter Melon'."
"That's right! I was just envious of them, but now I feel nauseous. How can I bring myself to do it!"
"That's right, it seems the scholar has a rather unusual taste. What's the difference between him and a gentleman?"
"You can't say that. There's a big difference. Who knows what kind of special talent they might have!"
"Give me a break! If they really had to have special skills, they'd probably end up fighting!"
"Hehehe, you guys should be more serious. As the saying goes, everyone has their own taste. Even a turtle can't stand a green bean. This is exactly what the scholar likes. Why are you all meddling in this?"
......
It took Old Mrs. Chen a while to recover from her shock. She pointed at Ruhua and asked Chen Zhancai, "Son, who do you think this is?"
"Mother, what are you doing? Why are you so excited and confused? She's your new daughter-in-law, Ruhua!"
"This is your surprise? It's more of a shock!"
Old Mrs. Chen rubbed her hands and stamped her feet, pulled him closer, and said in a low voice...
“My good son, I don’t object to you taking a concubine, but you should at least choose someone decent. Why did you bring such an ugly woman home? Are you trying to scare a few people to death?”
Chen Zhancai's face immediately darkened. "Mother, why are you judging people by their appearance? Although Ruhua looks rough, she has a captivating charm. Never mind, you wouldn't understand even if I told you. Anyway, I like her."
“Son, I don’t know anything about this, but this girl really isn’t good-looking. To be honest, she’s even uglier than your father. We can’t act rashly. Listen to your mother, it’s settled then, you should send this girl away quickly!”
"I redeemed Ruhua from Chunfeng Tower. Where do you expect me to send her?" Chen Zhancai blurted out in his excitement.
Old Mrs. Chen was taken aback. "Redeemed? Where was it redeemed?"
Chen Zhancai dared not reveal the truth. If people knew that Ruhua had been redeemed from a brothel, it would not only dishonor his status as a scholar, but he would also be gossiped about and called a spendthrift who indulged in drinking, gambling, and whoring.
He hurriedly offered a haphazard explanation.
“Mother, what did you hear? I said that Ruhua has no relatives and grew up in her uncle’s house. Now that I have married her, this is her home.”
Old Mrs. Chen glanced at Ruhua, feeling annoyed no matter how she looked at her, and then earnestly advised her...
"My son, I don't care what charm Ru Hua has, but I know you've been bewitched by her. To prevent you from regretting it later, I, as your mother, must stop this marriage..."
"Alright, Mom, are you ever going to stop?"
Before Old Mrs. Chen could finish speaking, Chen Zhancai interrupted her impatiently.
"Everyone has their own taste. I think Ru Hua is as beautiful as an angel, and I like her just the way she is. So please stop worrying about it."
"How can you say your mother is worrying unnecessarily!"
Old Chen had somehow gotten close, and the man was so anxious he kept stamping his feet.
“Son, your mother is only doing this for your own good. We can’t accept a wife like this. Listen to what those villagers are saying. They’re saying you have a strange taste, that you’re like a turtle eyeing a mung bean. They’re all making fun of you!”
Chen Zhancai didn't care at all. "Alright, Dad, why are you adding to the trouble? Those people are just sour grapes. Who knows how envious they are of me!"
"What's so good about this girl? How did you end up marrying such a genderless thing?" Old Chen asked, looking utterly bewildered...
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