Chapter 828 Discussing the Wedding Aunt Liu actually had a very important matter weighing on her mind when she returned this time.
After dinner, the sound of running water in the kitchen stopped, and the dishes and chopsticks were neatly put away.
While the adults were discussing important matters, on the other side, the half-grown Gou Dan was playing in the yard with his six- or seven-year-old sister, Liu Nian.
Gou Dan drew a few crooked squares on the floor with chalk and taught Liu Nian how to jump rope.
Liu Nian jumped carefully, her little braid swinging back and forth. Each time she successfully jumped a square, she looked up and smiled shyly at her brother.
Aunt Liu wiped her hands with her apron, walked to the outer room, looked at Liu Dong who was sitting at the table smoking, and Ma Hongxia who was sewing a book cover for Gou Dan, and cleared her throat.
"Dong, Hongxia, I have something important to discuss with you. The other day, Zhao Rui's mother came to see me specifically. She said that Zhao Rui graduated this summer and is of marriageable age. Their family wants to put Xiaohua's marriage on the agenda and wants to know what we think."
The curtain in the inner room swayed slightly, and Liu Xiaohua's figure could be vaguely seen flashing by, clearly listening intently.
Upon hearing this, Ma Hongxia put down her needlework and looked at Liu Dong.
Liu Dong stubbed out his cigarette on the sole of his shoe and pondered for a moment: "Zhao Rui is an excellent kid with a bright future. We can rest assured about entrusting Xiao Hua to him."
His words indicated his basic stance.
Ma Hongxia picked up the conversation, her tone more detailed: "Mom, what Dong said makes sense, but it's about the specifics... such as the engagement ceremony, where will the young couple live afterward? Will they live with the elders, or will they try to live separately? These are things we need to think about in advance."
Aunt Liu nodded: "Hongxia has thought things through. She follows the old customs and etiquette so that no one will look down on our granddaughter, but she's not too extravagant either. The key is that the two children will live well in the future. As for where they live... didn't Zhao Rui's family buy a small courtyard house a while ago? The two children can have their own lives."
Liu Dong nodded: "I'll have tea with Zhao Rui's father later and talk about this slowly. We need to make sure the kids are living comfortably."
Ma Hongxia called out to Xiaohua, who was eavesdropping outside, "Girl, come here. What are your thoughts?"
The curtain was gently lifted again, and Liu Xiaohua shuffled in, her cheeks flushed, the blush spreading all the way to her ears.
Ma Hongxia pulled over a stool, gesturing for her daughter to sit down. Her tone was gentle but firm: "Don't just hide inside and listen. This is a big deal for you. Tell me, what are your thoughts?"
Liu Xiaohua lowered her head even further, her voice barely audible: "I...I don't have any ideas...My parents think it's okay."
Looking at his daughter's expression, Liu Dong said, "You're going to spend your whole life with this person, how could you not have any thoughts?"
The question was so direct that Liu Xiaohua's neck turned bright red. After hesitating for a long time, she managed to hum in an almost inaudible voice, and then quickly added, "He... he's a very good person, and he's also... very good to me."
Ma Hongxia picked up the conversation and guided the question to be more specific: "So what about the future? I just discussed it with your grandma and your dad, and we're thinking about whether or not to let you two live alone. Would you rather live in the same courtyard as your in-laws, or would you like to set up your own household?"
When this was mentioned, Liu Xiaohua finally raised her head and nodded: "It's fine. Zhao Rui will continue his studies in the future. It would be more convenient if he lived with his mother and the others."
Ma Hongxia nodded, a look of understanding on her face: "That makes sense. Zhao Rui still needs to study hard in the future. If you live separately, you'll have to take care of everything inside and outside the house, which will be really hard. Living with the elders, at least your mother-in-law can lend a hand. When you have children in the future, there will be someone to help take care of them."
At this moment, Aunt Liu, who had been listening quietly, spoke up. She looked at her granddaughter and said with the concern and advice of an elder: "Living with the elderly has its advantages, but you also need to be polite and attentive. Don't rely on your mother-in-law for everything. Zhao Rui's studies are the most important thing. You need to be understanding and take good care of the household so that he can rest assured."
"I know, Grandma," Liu Xiaohua replied obediently.
Ma Hongxia chimed in, "Our Xiaohua is also very outstanding. She's busy with accounting work at several restaurants and earns quite a bit of money."
Aunt Liu smiled and said, "That's for sure. Grandma is wrong. You should also take care of yourself. Your own well-being is the most important thing."
Seeing that the important matters had been discussed and the atmosphere had eased, Ma Hongxia smiled and took her daughter's hand: "Alright, you have a plan now. Your father and I will discuss it further with Zhao Rui's family later. We also need to start preparing some things for ourselves. I still have some good material hidden away. I'll take it out in a couple of days, and we'll think about making two new quilts for you. Over the years, although we've spent a lot of money on buying a house, Qingyang has been kind and generous, letting us come to the new store. Our wages have increased, and we also get dividends. You'll definitely get less dowry money."
Over the years, Liu Xiaohua has been working, and her mother has never asked for her salary, so she has saved a considerable amount of money.
Gou Dan, who had been eavesdropping outside, immediately stood up and shouted, "Sister, I've also saved some money here for you as your dowry."
Ma Hongxia was amused by her son's sudden words, and gave him a reproachful look: "You little brat, what money do you have? Don't bother meddling here, go play somewhere else."
Dog Egg, however, was not convinced and ran back to the small house where he and Liu Nian lived. A little while later, he came running back carrying a heavy tin biscuit box.
He opened the box in front of everyone and found that there was indeed a lot of money neatly stacked inside, mainly small bills and cents, but there were also a few "large bills" of one or two yuan. At a glance, there were actually more than a hundred yuan.
"Look," Gou Dan puffed out his little chest, quite proudly, "I've saved this all up. I've accumulated so much from doing business."
This surprised even Liu Dong and Aunt Liu.
They never expected that this little one, who was usually so quiet, would have such a strong desire to save money and had accumulated such a "huge sum".
Looking at her younger brother's earnest little face and the box of gifts, neatly arranged yet substantial, Liu Xiaohua felt a lump in her throat and her eyes welled up with tears.
She walked over, gently closed the box, put it back in Gou Dan's arms, and patted his head: "Silly little guy, I know what you're thinking. Keep this money safe for yourself. When you grow up, you'll need it for school and getting married."
Dog Egg, still holding the box, seemed about to say something when Liu Xiaohua added with a smile, "When I'm ever really short of money in the future, I'll definitely ask you for it first, okay?"
Ma Hongxia felt both gratified and amused. She said to Gou Dan, "Did you hear that? Your sister has spoken. This money is your savings for getting married. You'd better keep it safe."
As she spoke, Liu Xiaohua took out two ten-yuan bills from her pocket and handed them to Gou Dan: "Take these to buy toys and share them with Niannian."
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