After getting up, Old Mrs. Xiao was waiting for Li Shi and Xie Yushu to bring her money. However, when it was time to eat, not only did Xie Yushu not come, but Xiao Dayong's family was also nowhere to be seen. Old Mrs. Xiao was so angry that she didn't even eat and went to Xiao Yi's house.
Xie Yushu ate breakfast early and went up the mountain. Qu Xiaodie led Xiao Haitang and Xiao Jinyu to practice martial arts in the courtyard for a while. Soon after, Old Madam Xiao arrived with Xiao Yan, cursing and swearing.
"Xiao Yi, yesterday I didn't let Li tell you that Yanzi wanted to be married. Today we're going to town to buy clothes and jewelry."
We asked you two to give us the money, but you haven't done anything? Are you dead?
Where's the money?
And that Li woman, where did she go? Is she with you?
Xiao Yi, who was exercising with a cane, frowned upon hearing Old Madam Xiao's shout and said indifferently.
"I haven't seen my sister-in-law!"
"Where's the money? Take out one tael of silver and buy some jewelry for your sister!"
"No!"
"What about Madam Xie? Isn't she capable? Selling medicinal herbs and saving lives, buying carriages, donkeys, food, and clothes—doesn't she have money? I think you're just unfilial! You spend your money on yourself, forgetting your mother after getting married! Aren't you afraid of being struck by lightning!"
"We've spent all our money!"
"You! You unfilial son, I'll beat you to death! You heartless bastard!"
Grandma Xiao was so angry that she rushed up to Xiao Yi and slapped him twice across the face!
Xiao Yi continued to look at her coldly, neither dodging nor giving her any money.
Xiao Yan said with dissatisfaction
"I'm your sister, for goodness' sake! Can't you even buy me a piece of jewelry? Don't you have any humanity at all?!"
"Your sister-in-law has given you everything that was due!"
After saying that, Xiao Yi didn't even look at Xiao Yan, and turned around to practice walking.
Grandma Xiao was unwilling to give up, so she went back into the house to look for it herself, but unexpectedly, Xie Yushu's room was locked!
Grandma Xiao pushed and shoved, but still couldn't get in. She went into Xiao Yi's room, but still found nothing. She tried to go to Qu Xiaodie's room, but Qu Xiaodie was leaning against the door with her arms crossed.
"Aunt Xiao, trespassing is against the law! Be careful, or I'll report you to the authorities!"
Seeing Qu Xiaodie's attitude of "If you dare to break in, I'll make you regret it," Old Mrs. Xiao ultimately didn't dare to force her way in.
As for Xiao Haitang's room, it contained nothing but clothes and bedding!
Grandma Xiao got nothing, couldn't find anyone, and Xiao Yi was completely unresponsive. Knowing that Xiao Yuanhang would be back tomorrow to confirm the news, she could only grumble and hire Qu Xiaodie to leave.
Qu Xiaodie was in a terrible mood after listening to the scolding all morning, so she specially asked Old Madam Xiao for fifteen copper coins before she would go out to drive. Her reason was that she was half in charge of the car, and she would get thirty copper coins for each trip. Even if Xie Yushu didn't take her share, Qu Xiaodie would still have fifteen copper coins!
So not only did Grandma Xiao not get any money, she also had to pay fifteen copper coins for the carriage. With a heart full of pain, she took Xiao Yan to town!
Originally, I planned to buy Xiao Yan a nice dress and a silver hairpin, but neither Li Shi nor Xie Yushu showed up, and I didn't get the money. I only bought a pair of small silver cloves for five hundred copper coins, and a pair of silk flowers for thirty-odd copper coins, and then I came back.
The savings that Old Man Xiao and Old Lady Xiao had were taken from Xiao Yi last year. After spending them all, they only had two or three taels of silver left. Even counting the one tael that Old Man Xiao got from Xie Yushu, they only had a little over three taels left. How could they bear to spend it all on Xiao Yan? So, Old Lady Xiao's favoritism and generosity towards Xiao Yuanhang and Xiao Yan were achieved by exploiting the Xiao Dayong and Xiao Yi families!
When it's their turn to cut off their own flesh, it's not so pleasant either!
When Xiao Yuanhang returned and heard that Xiao Yan had agreed, he immediately went to inform the Cao family. The Cao family's idea was to take advantage of Cao Cheng'an and the others being on holiday at home to meet, so they set the date for three days later, just in time for the county school to start.
Grandma Xiao gave Xiao Dayong and his group a big task: to go into the mountains and hunt some pheasants and rabbits to entertain their guests.
Xiao Dayong would set up the chicken coop in the early morning and evening and then disappear for whole days, using the excuse of catching wild pheasants in the mountains to collect herbs. After a few days, they had saved up more than three hundred copper coins, which they now strung together with the copper coins from before and tied around the waists of the Li couple.
As for pheasants and rabbits, they were not easy to catch. By chance, he caught two pheasants and one rabbit. Xiao Dayong roasted them in the mountains and fed them to Li Shi and the three children. He only took the rabbit back with him!
Anyway, they won't even get a drop of soup when they get home, and they won't appreciate it. They might as well eat what they're supposed to eat!
The family had only boiled water and washed up the night before, in preparation for entertaining guests.
On the day of the matchmaking, Xiao Yan disliked Xiao Yi's limp and felt embarrassed, so she didn't invite Xiao Yi's family to come. Xie Yushu was even happier. Originally, she was too lazy to get involved in the old house's affairs. She had already collected almost all the medicinal herbs, so she went back to Xie Family Village with Qu Xiaodie!
Xie Baotian and his team had already harvested half of the potatoes. They planned to finish loading them in the afternoon and then see if Xie Yushu's car could come over, but they arrived in the morning instead.
The Xie family was united, and even Xie Yumin was in the fields. The whole family, along with Xie Yushu and Qu Xiaodie, finished harvesting the land in just two days.
Madam Lu mentioned to Xie Yushu that there was a matchmaker in the village who could arrange a marriage for Xie Tianlin. The girl in question was from Liujia Village, fifteen years old, the eldest in her family. She was said to be hardworking and sensible, and they were thinking of meeting her after the autumn harvest.
Xie Yushu didn't have much to say. Xie Tianlin was seventeen. People here usually get married young. If it weren't for the drought these past two years, he might already be a father. It's normal for Madam Lu to arrange blind dates for him now. She just told her that Xie Tianlin was the eldest son, and her future wife would be the eldest sister-in-law. She must marry a reasonable woman. If she married a troublesome and unreasonable woman, the younger ones would have a hard time!
Another point is that at this time, the whole family lives together, and the younger brothers' wives all look after the eldest sister-in-law. So the eldest sister-in-law also has a role model. If the eldest sister-in-law is not good, the younger ones will inevitably follow suit!
The Lu family and Xie Tianlin understood this principle, so they didn't require the person to be good-looking. They only asked that the person have good character. They also suggested that Xie Yushu come and take a look when they were looking for a match. Xie Yushu said that as long as Xie Tianlin and the Lu family liked the person, it didn't matter whether she came or not.
Anyway, they lived together, and Xie Yushu only went back a few times!
After helping the Xie family collect the land and returning home, Xiao Yan also finished her inspection. Both sides were very satisfied, and even the wedding date was set for the 29th of the 11th lunar month, which is two and a half months away, just in time for the county school to be on holiday.
A few days after the meeting, the Cao family sent betrothal gifts: one hundred taels of silver, six bolts of cloth, three bolts of fine cotton cloth, and three bolts of satin.
Sixty catties of cotton, six dan of corn, six jars of wine, six chickens and six ducks.
There was also a pair of silver bracelets and a pair of silver hairpins!
Such a display of wealth was the envy of many. It was considered a grand gesture in the village. Although they knew that Xiao Yan had married a widow, he was still relatively young, only in his early twenties, and his family was wealthy. So most people were realistically envious!
Some people said sourly
"You're still just someone's stepmother!" Xiao Yan retorted with a gleaming silver bracelet.
Only a few people who didn't care so much about money were worried about Xiao Yan, saying that life of marrying into a wealthy family wasn't easy, and it would be better to find someone who was kind and honest!
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