Chapter 61 [VIP]
Jiang Caixia is the daughter of Cao Kun's maternal uncle. Years ago, his mother intended to match the two together, but at that time the Cao family was poor, and the maternal uncle was unwilling to marry his daughter to them, so the matter was dropped.
Later, Cao Kun became the second-in-command of the porters' guild, bought a new house and a shop, and Jiang's cousin had another idea: to marry his daughter to him.
Cao Kun naturally wouldn't agree. His mother had also said that his cousin was a snob who loved the rich and disliked the poor, and that such a person shouldn't be married off. Why was it brought up again today?
"Mother, how could you say that about Lin Qiu? Has someone been gossiping about her behind her back?"
Jiang said, "Does anyone need to tell me? Why didn't you tell me his father was a scholar from the Lin family when you got engaged?"
"You...you knew?"
This story begins a few days ago.
Jiang was overjoyed that her son was getting married, and she went shopping every day these days.
We made sure to prepare melon seeds and candies for the guests, and also bought several boxes of tea, all so that we could treat our in-laws well when they came.
She went out as usual that day, and was stopped by a disheveled man as soon as she stepped onto the street.
Jiang was startled and quickly shook him off, saying, "Who are you!"
Lin Changbin said with a forced smile, "My dear in-law, you don't recognize me? I'm Lin Qiu's father. We'll be family soon!"
Jiang was taken aback. She had gone with her son when they made the deposit, and he had only mentioned that she had a mother and a younger brother. She had never heard of her having a father.
Are you sure you haven't mistaken me for someone else?
Lin Xiucai waved his hand, "I won't mistake him. Your son, Cao Kun, is the second-in-command in the porter's guild."
"Yes! So what is this...?"
Lin Changbin sighed, "This is a long story. If you don't mind, madam, why don't you go to the teahouse for a chat?"
The two arrived at the teahouse, where Lin Changbin began to fabricate stories, omitting any mention of his own disgraceful deeds and instead blaming Chen Rong for everything.
“Our family lives in the west alley. You might not know my in-laws. They were quite well-known in the past. I was also a scholar. Later, I married Lin Qiu’s mother. That woman didn’t know how to manage the household, and life got worse and worse.”
"Last year I arranged a marriage for Qiu'er, but her mother disliked that the man was a second wife and refused to agree. She even argued with me about divorce because of this."
Do you think a father would harm his child? Lin Qiu, just like his mother, doesn't even acknowledge me as his father anymore. Now he's getting married without telling me anything; I only found out from others that he's marrying you and Cao Kun.
Kun'er seems to have some misunderstandings about me; he doesn't acknowledge me as his father-in-law, which is why I came to my in-laws' house.
Jiang held her teacup, her heart filled with turmoil. Longquan County wasn't large, but any news from the county would spread quickly.
She had heard rumors about Lin Changbin's despicable deeds, but she had only heard about them as entertainment. She never expected that the scandal would fall on her own head, and that her son-in-law was actually his child. She immediately felt disgusted.
"What brings you here?"
"Alas, I'm getting old and can't earn much money anymore. Qiu'er is living a life of luxury with his mother. When he left, he took all the money from the house with him, leaving me alone with a young son to support. Life is very difficult, so I was thinking..."
Upon hearing this, Jiang immediately stood up and said, "I have some things to attend to at home, so I'll talk to you later." After saying that, she paid the money and left.
Lin Changbin called after her for a long time but couldn't stop her. He spat in anger, thinking he could get some money from the old woman, but she turned out to be a miser!
After returning home, Cao's mother began to have wild thoughts.
At the time, the son only said that Lin Qiu's parents had divorced and that he had returned to town with his mother, but he never mentioned that his father was Lin Xiucai.
If she had known earlier that Lin Qiu's father was this man, she definitely wouldn't have agreed to the marriage. But now that the betrothal gifts have been given and the wedding is imminent, it's too late to say anything. Her dissatisfaction grew stronger, which is why she didn't give her in-laws a good look today.
After understanding the whole story, Cao Kun pulled up a stool and sat down, saying, "Mother, you can't condemn A Qiu and his mother just because of Lin Changbin's shortcomings."
"Mother knows... but a child raised in such a family might just take after his father..."
“Lin Qiu is not like his father! Mother, do you remember the first time I mentioned him to you?”
Jiang nodded. Her son said he had seen a young man at the clinic who was getting stitches in his neck without making a sound, and he greatly admired him.
"His injuries were caused by his father. Lin Changbin forced him to marry Fang Erlang as a second wife. He refused and stabbed his neck with scissors."
"Oh my God..."
"How could such a fierce and resolute young man be compared to a coward like Lin Changbin?"
Jiang remained silent, though she was actually a little anxious. Her son was so old and still hadn't gotten married, while men his age already had children running around all over the place.
Now that she's finally getting married, she's afraid of marrying the wrong person, and unfortunately, she has no one to comfort her, which is why she's stuck in a rut.
"This is Mother's fault. Why don't I go and apologize to my in-laws?"
Cao Kun held her hand and said, "My mother-in-law didn't say anything, but you must not neglect them at the wedding the day after tomorrow. Qiu'er is the one I asked to marry. If she doesn't want to marry me, then I'll be a bachelor for life."
Jiang was so angry that she punched him, "Are you trying to scare your mother?!"
"Hehehe, how could my son dare?"
"You brat, you've forgotten your mother now that you have a husband."
"No, a son can forget anyone but his mother!"
Jiang reached out and straightened his clothes, saying, "Once you're married, you should prioritize your own family and your husband. I don't care about anything else. As long as you two live a good life, I'll be happier than anything else."
"Sigh, my son understands."
“After you get married, I will still live in the old courtyard. It’s not that I have a problem with Lin Qiu, it’s just that I’m used to living here. I’m familiar with the neighbors and I have someone to talk to when I come and go.”
"Alright, then your son will buy you a servant to serve you, and you can't refuse anymore."
Jiang tapped his forehead, "Your meager earnings aren't enough for you to be so cocky. Buy whatever you want, I don't care anymore."
Cao Kun was relieved once the misunderstanding was cleared up, but Lin Changbin's actions were truly disgusting. He actually went to his mother to spread rumors about Lin Qiu. It seemed that he hadn't taught him a lesson enough.
I went to the porter's shop this afternoon and found two reliable men to keep an eye on things at the Lin family's house. Make sure Lin Changbin doesn't cause any trouble during the wedding days. We'll settle accounts with him after the wedding!
In the evening, everyone went to a restaurant for dinner. The restaurant in the county town was much more impressive than the one in the town, and it was a two-story building.
The first floor is the lobby with four or five tables, and the second floor has private rooms, much like a modern restaurant.
Cao Kun arranged for the porters to stay on the first floor. These guys could drink, and when they got drunk, they would say whatever they wanted, so he just hoped they wouldn't offend his mother-in-law's relatives.
Lin Qiu and the others were seated in a private room on the second floor. Jiang Shi also arrived during the meal, and her attitude was much more lenient than in the morning. She took the initiative to speak to Chen Rong.
Seeing that the two were getting along well, Wang Ying was no longer worried and hoped that her cousin's wedding would go smoothly.
*
Before they knew it, the wedding day arrived. Before dawn, the Cao family's old courtyard was already brightly lit.
Lin Qiu barely slept a wink all night, feeling more nervous and reluctant than excited. After the wedding, he would be the husband of the Cao family, and people would no longer refer to him as the young master of the Lin family.
Chen Rong comforted her son, saying, "Everyone has to go through this day. Once Sui'er becomes a mother, you can rest assured."
"I don't want to leave you, Mother. Why don't you stay and live with me after you get married?"
“No, even if your mother-in-law doesn’t mind, the neighbors will talk. After a while, even the best-tempered person won’t be able to stand it. In the end, it will be you who suffer.”
Lin Qiu nestled in her arms, muffledly saying, "Then I won't get married. I can't bear to leave Mother..."
"Silly child, is this reasonable? The marriage is all arranged, how can you not marry him? Cao Kun is a good boy, and his feelings for you are rare. Don't let him down."
Chen Rong said, "Wash your face and change your clothes first. I'll have your second sister-in-law help you with the facial treatment later."
After changing into her wedding attire, Wang Ying led several children over, and the room immediately became lively.
Lin Sui and Qingyun circled around Lin Qiu, saying, "It looks so good. This outfit makes Big Brother look so handsome."
Qingsong whispered, "It's someone else's good looks. Your older brother will be picked up by someone else soon."
These words caused a huge commotion. Before the smile on Lin Sui's face had even faded, he burst into tears. The two brothers had grown up together and had never been separated. The thought of not being able to see his older brother often after he got married made him cry loudly.
Lin Qiu was also reluctant to part with his younger brother, and the two brothers hugged each other and cried bitterly, which brought tears to everyone's eyes.
Wang Ying tapped Qingsong on the head, "Don't talk nonsense."
Chen Qingsong stuck out his tongue and made a gesture as if he were sealing his mouth.
Standing beside her, Chen Ersaozi pulled her away and said, "You mustn't cry anymore. It's getting late, so we need to hurry up and get ready. The wedding procession will be here soon, so don't miss the auspicious time."
After much coaxing, the two brothers were finally calmed down. Chen Ersao then began to "open" their faces, which involved using a thin cotton rope to rub away the fine hairs and messy eyebrows.
This kind of work can only be done by people who are blessed. Chen Ersao has both a son and a daughter and both parents are alive, so she is considered a very blessed person. Many families in the town ask her for help.
After the facial treatment, I started applying rouge and then used cinnabar to dot the birthmark on my cheek. I immediately felt more energetic.
Finally, his hair was combed. The young man's hair ornaments were quite simple, just a silver hairpin inserted on the top of his head. As everything was ready, a noisy sound came from outside.
With a crackling sound of firecrackers, Cao Kun arrived on horseback, accompanied by a red ribbon!
Chen Qingyan and a group of children blocked the door. Because few people from her maternal family came, Jiang specially called a few good old neighbors to help block the door and ask for some lucky money.
Cao Kun had little formal education, so the door-blocking ritual didn't involve reciting poems or composing couplets. Instead, they set up a few bamboo poles for him to jump over little by little.
The first section was only one meter high, but the back section was more than a meter tall. Cao Kun rubbed his hands together and effortlessly flipped over each one, drawing cheers from the crowd.
Cao Kun smiled, cupped his hands in greeting, and scattered the prepared lucky money. People cheered and picked up the lucky money, making the atmosphere even more lively.
When he arrived at the main entrance, Wang Ying, along with Qingyun and Lin Sui, blocked the door, demanding that he move the three millstones placed at the entrance before he could enter the house.
The millstones were set up in advance. The lightest one weighed more than a stone, and the heaviest one weighed about three stones. Cao Kun rolled up his sleeves and worked hard to move them one by one.
Wang Ying gave a thumbs up, "Brother-in-law, you're really capable!"
Cao Kun chuckled foolishly as he rushed into the house, finally meeting his husband after being instructed by his mother-in-law and Li Shi.
Seeing the person sitting on the bed with a red veil covering their head, he picked them up in one go.
Lin Qiu exclaimed in surprise, "Brother Cao?"
"You should still call me Brother Cao, but you should start calling me 'Sir' now."
Lin Qiu's heart pounded with excitement. She put her arm around his shoulder, rested her head on his chest, and was carried into the sedan chair.
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