Wisps of smoke rose from the kitchen chimney, where the two wives were busy. One was boiling water to make tea for the guests.
One of them was preparing the meal.
We should invite our guests to have a simple lunch at noon.
Tea is a specialty of the south, and in the north, only wealthy families can afford to drink it.
The pinch of tea leaves that Old Master Lin brought was a gift from Old Man Shi.
He hadn't been willing to drink any of it except when entertaining the old man, but today was his granddaughter's big day, so he had to show it off.
The two worked quickly and efficiently while chatting.
Fourth sister-in-law Li said with a gossipy look, "Third sister-in-law, didn't Er Ya just come back the other day? How come she's already engaged? Were they already in a relationship before she got lost? Otherwise, it wouldn't have been so fast."
"Who knows?" The third daughter-in-law was the most astute of the three sisters-in-law, and she probably had some guesses in her mind.
Because of this slight speculation, he seemed somewhat unconvinced.
Just then, the two men in the kitchen suddenly heard a cry of surprise outside. They stopped what they were doing, exchanged a glance, and quickly pressed their ears to the window, trying to hear the conversation between the father and his two sons in the yard.
Just then, a commotion suddenly erupted at the main gate.
Immediately, the little kids came running in shouting, "They're here! They're here! People are here! Grandpa, Uncle, Dad, there are so many people outside!"
The people under the eaves beamed with joy.
"Alright, alright! Let's hurry out and greet them." Old Master Lin immediately stood up, calling to his son as he quickly went out to meet them.
Driven by boundless curiosity, Lin Chunsheng ran faster than his father.
Even Lin Musheng, who was unable to walk properly, used crutches to move with difficulty toward the gate.
The two sisters-in-law who had been eavesdropping found nothing, but completely lost their appetite for cooking. They left the kitchen one after the other and headed for the front door to verify the story with their own eyes.
*
In the side room.
Dressed up, Lin Momo sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), smiling as she spoke to Lin Sanya, who had come in to deliver a message.
Lin Taohua stared at her cousin, who was dressed like a young lady, and gradually became lost in thought.
I have a feeling that the person in front of me is not my second uncle's daughter.
Er Ya used to be so ugly. She was skin and bones, with a clump of straw-like hair on her head that looked like it hadn't been combed at all, and her fingers were always dirty, covered in the sap from freshly pulled grass.
I've never seen her wear a clean, well-fitting garment without patches...
These are Lin Taohua's stereotypes about her second uncle's cousin.
Influenced by the adults, the children from the other families looked down on the children from the second family to some extent and never played with them.
Now, my unremarkable cousin has suddenly risen to prominence. Not only is she more beautiful now, but she's also gained weight and is wearing such a gorgeous new dress. Her overall presence completely overshadows her sisters.
Who could stand this?
Luckily, my uncle's sister Hongmei didn't come today, otherwise she would have been furious.
However, I wonder which family this cousin is going to marry into.
"Second sister, I'm going out now!" Lin Sanya hadn't been inside for long before she rushed out.
She wanted to continue showing off her new clothes to her friends in the village.
She wasn't planning on going back to her room until she'd shown off enough.
Go!
Today, Lin Sanya finally looked somewhat like a child, which pleased Lin Momo.
Lin Sanya skipped and hopped away.
Then, the room fell silent.
Lin Momo turned her head and saw her cousin staring at her blankly.
Caught peeping, Lin Taohua gave an embarrassed smile and blurted out, "Er Ya, where did you get these clothes?"
She felt a pang of jealousy. Why did Er Ya, who was as delicate as a little cabbage, suddenly get new clothes to wear?
The marriage was arranged so hastily that it couldn't have been made on the spot; it must have been arranged before Er Ya went missing.
My second aunt is too lazy to be known throughout the village, so she definitely won't make it for her.
"Is it pretty?" Lin Momo spread her arms and looked over with a smile.
"Yes, it looks good."
Just then, a cry of surprise came from outside: "They're here! They're here!"
"Er Ya, I'll go see what that young man looks like for you." Lin Taohua didn't even care about her clothes anymore, she slid off the kang (a heated brick bed) and ran off to see what was going on.
Lin Momo knew that the time had come, so she jumped off the kang (a heated brick bed) and peered out through the hole in the window.
Before long, the courtyard was filled with laughter and chatter, as if a large number of people had suddenly squeezed in.
As the betrothal gifts were carried past her like a flowing stream, Lin Momo felt a pang of heartache.
Didn't we agree that just a token gesture would suffice?
Why did you bring so much stuff to our door?
No matter how much stuff is given, in the end it all benefits this family, and doesn't end up falling on her head.
Actually, this was all Shi Xiucai's idea.
The eldest grandson's wedding is a major event, so the betrothal gifts should not be too meager.
If there hadn't been such a rush of time and insufficient preparation, the betrothal gifts would have been much more generous.
Time cannot be stopped, and more importantly, it cannot be stopped even if you try.
Besides, he also wanted to give Lin Momo a grand engagement ceremony, so he let it go.
As he passed the side room where the two sisters lived, time slowed down, and he turned his head to gaze affectionately at the window, as if he knew that Lin Momo was watching him from behind the window.
The moment their eyes met, Lin Momo's heart fluttered, and her cheeks flushed.
......
The engagement ceremony on this day was lively, joyous, and incredibly glamorous.
It shocked many people and made many people envious.
*
In the afternoon, after seeing off the matchmaker and Shiguang, the villagers who had been watching gradually dispersed.
After sending his sons away, Old Master Lin looked at the dowry filling the room and felt quite emotional.
Unexpectedly, the verbal engagement from back then came to fruition. It was Shi Xiucai who was eager to marry him, which finally allowed him to vent his pent-up frustration of many years.
happy!
What a wonderful day!
Old Master Lin glanced at the gleaming silver ingots on the red lacquered tray, then his gaze swept over everyone present, finally settling on his son, Lin Musheng:
"The Shi family gave 110 taels of betrothal money, which shows they value our Lin family's daughter. We can't let them look down on us."
"But considering that your second wife has spent all her savings on medical treatment and is in debt, and Zhiqiang is going to arrange another marriage for you, I suggest that you keep fifty taels of silver and give the remaining sixty taels to Er Ya as a dowry."
"As for these betrothal gifts, Er Ya took most of them with her. Do you have any objections?"
Lin Momo immediately replied, "I'll do whatever you say, sir."
The fact that she was left with sixty taels of silver and some betrothal gifts was an unexpected delight for her.
"Then... I'll listen to Father." Lin Musheng hesitated before agreeing.
"No way! Why should we give her so much silver? There are so many places in the house where we need money, fifty taels isn't enough!"
Dissonant voices emerged again.
Upon hearing that so much silver would be given to Lin Momo, he felt as if he were cutting off a piece of Xu's flesh.
Lin Zhiqiang also chimed in, "Mother's right! This isn't enough! We need to keep it all!"
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