Old Man Xiao led Xiao Dayong's family and Qu Xiaodie to hurriedly load the potatoes into the car and then rushed home.
Madam Liu had already prepared the meal. According to Old Madam Xiao's personality, she was originally unwilling to keep Qu Xiaodie for dinner. However, thinking that her daughter was about to get married and she wanted to show off to Qu Xiaodie, she decided to keep her for dinner.
Qu Xiaodie wasn't particularly interested in eating her meal, but seeing that Xiao Yuanhang had returned, she wanted to see if he was up to something again, so she decided to stay.
At the dinner table, Old Man Xiao asked
"What exactly happened that led to everyone being called back?"
Grandma Xiao raised her chin and eyebrows and said
"Oh my, this time I have some really good news to tell you!"
Our fourth son is quite successful. The wealthy Cao family in Nanwan Town wants to befriend him and even wants to become in-laws with us!
Their son is interested in marrying our Yanzi! They're offering a dowry of one hundred taels!
Their family owns a full 500 acres of fertile land and three shops in town. If I marry into their family, I'll be a young mistress!
That person was the fourth brother's classmate, someone the fourth brother had specifically kept an eye on! The conditions were unquestionable!
"What? Mother, are you serious? Fourth Brother, really?"
Xiao Yan asked incredulously, then burst into ecstasy.
"Fourth Brother is still the best to me! He always thinks of me!"
Xiao Yuanhang spoke smugly.
"Of course it's true!"
One hundred taels of silver is just the betrothal gift; there are also jewelry, silks, and other such items!
"I guarantee you'll be the most generous betrothal gift in the entire surrounding area!"
Oh my! It's not just in the surrounding villages, but in the whole town, there aren't many dowries of this amount! My youngest son is really successful, and my youngest daughter is destined to enjoy a life of luxury!
"From now on, your father and I will be enjoying our retirement! We can't count on those who toil in the mud!"
While praising Xiao Yuanhang and Xiao Yan, Grandma Xiao glanced at Xiao Dayong and his wife.
Xiao Dayong was already used to it and didn't take it seriously. Out of a sense of responsibility as an older brother, he asked a question.
"How old is that person? What's their character like? As long as they have enough money to eat and live on, that's fine. The key is that they have good character, so Yanzi won't suffer there!"
Grandma Xiao said with dissatisfaction.
"They're a wealthy family. If Yanzi marries into their family, she'll be a young mistress, living a life of luxury and wearing gold and silver. Why would she have to suffer?"
After hearing this, Xiao Yan still asked another question.
"Fourth Brother, what does that person look like? How old is he?"
"Although you're not as good-looking as your fourth brother, you're still decent-looking. You're twenty-three this year. But what's the use of being good-looking? In the village, there's a girl with big teeth and thick eyebrows. Would you be willing to marry her and live a life of hardship?"
"That's exactly right! Girl, don't be so foolish as to give up being a young mistress and become a village woman!"
Hearing about the hundred taels of silver betrothal gift, Xie Yujiao was envious and quickly added, "My fourth son is the scholar in the family. With so much betrothal gift, how could they possibly be shortchanged?"
Xiao Yan thought it made sense, but something still felt off!
Qu Xiaodie sipped her corn porridge in her bowl, then, ever the gossip, she opened her mouth.
"He's twenty-three and still unmarried, could he have some hidden illness?"
This made Xiao Yan turn pale, and she quickly looked at Xiao Yuanhang.
Xiao Yuanhang coughed awkwardly and said...
"Nonsense! What hidden illness! It's just that Brother Cao is unlucky; his wife got sick after he married her."
This only means that his wife, who married young, wasn't lucky enough to enjoy her good fortune!
"What? You're saying he's already married? Does that mean I'm going to be someone's second wife? He even left his child, right?! I don't want to be a stepmother!"
Old Man Xiao and Old Woman Xiao also frowned and hurriedly asked
"Just tell me exactly what happened!"
Xiao Yuanhang had no choice but to say
"I have a son, but he was born to my concubine, a son born out of wedlock. When he grows up, I'll just give him some things and he'll become successful. He won't interfere with my sister's enjoyment of life!"
"What? There's a concubine? I won't accept that!"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan slammed down her chopsticks and left!
Old Man Xiao and Old Lady Xiao sighed repeatedly! On one hand, they were reluctant to part with the money, and on the other hand, they were annoyed by their concubine and illegitimate son.
However, what they didn't know was that Cao Cheng'an not only had concubines and illegitimate sons, but also two maids who served him in his private quarters, and he also had lovers outside, and often went to brothels with Xiao Yuanhang.
It can only be said that Xiao Yuanhang would turn his back on even his closest relatives for money!
Grandma Xiao, who had originally intended to show off, lost interest and hastily ate the porridge in her bowl before going back to the house with Grandpa Xiao to discuss things.
Before leaving, he instructed Liu to tidy up the table and then go to work in the fields.
Qu Xiaodie thought she wouldn't be working today, but unexpectedly, Widow Liu replaced Old Man Xiao, and Qu Xiaodie went with Xiao Dayong, Li Shi and the others to haul potatoes for half a day.
Seeing Xiao Yan throw down her chopsticks and leave, Xiao Yuanhang cursed her inwardly for being ungrateful, then put down his rice bowl and followed the old couple into the house.
Anyway, he couldn't stomach this lousy corn porridge.
Xie Yujiao, on the other hand, doesn't care whether she likes to eat or not. She's pregnant and gets hungry easily, and she won't leave the table until she's full.
Looking at the worried faces of Old Man Xiao and Old Mrs. Xiao, Xiao Yuanhang patiently began to persuade them.
"It's not that I don't care about my sister, it's just that with her circumstances, it's hard to find someone better than this!"
Although Brother Cao is a bit older than Yanzi, he knows how to care for people! Besides, with a dowry of one hundred taels of silver, she'll live a life of luxury and be served by dedicated servants. Aren't these conditions enough to make up for her age?
Besides, in wealthy families, which one doesn't have a few concubines? Those who don't have concubines are all poor and can't afford to support them!
That's all I have to say. Think it over! If my sister really doesn't want to, then she should find someone with similar financial means to our family. After all, it's a lifelong commitment. My brother is right, whether we're poor or not, as long as we can eat our fill and not go hungry, that's fine!
Xiao Yuanhang had said all the right and wrong things, and then he went back to his room. Knowing his parents and sister as he did, he knew they couldn't resist the temptation of a hundred taels of silver!
After returning to the room, he spent some time cuddling with Xie Yujiao and gently coaxed her. The next morning, Xiao Yuanhang left again.
He left them with only one sentence: give them three days to consider. If they did not agree after three days, he would go to the Cao family and tell them that the matter was not going to work out, and that the Cao family should make other plans.
Xiao Yuanhang was in such a hurry to go back because the wild flowers are more fragrant than the flowers at home. Xie Yujiao wasn't the only one who had a child with him; there was also Qiu Hong outside!
However, Qiu Hong's pregnancy was two and a half months earlier than Xie Yujiao's. Xie Yujiao's baby was already four and a half months along and she was showing. Qiu Hong's pregnancy was only diagnosed a few days ago. It was less than two months along, which was a crucial time. It was clear that Xiao Yuanhang hadn't had a moment's rest!
To explain how Xiao Yuanhang was able to find Cao Cheng'an as a husband for Xiao Yan, we have to start from their visits to brothels. After Xiao Yuanhang "borrowed" money from Xie Yushu to go to the county school, he first paid five taels of silver for tuition. Then, every ten days he would have three days off, and he would go to Cuixiang Brothel with Cao Cheng'an and a few other playboys.
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