Chapter 53: Let's Go Propose Too

Lin Yu’s heart skipped a beat, as if an invisible hand had violently gripped his chest.

In this village, everyone followed old traditions. When proposing marriage, people usually brought two fish and a basket of eggs, which had practically become an unwritten rule. With his second uncle and second aunt making such a move, wasn’t it completely obvious? Could they really be going to propose to Erni on behalf of Xiaohai?

The more Lin Yu thought about it, the more panicked he became, and his expression darkened accordingly.

His mother, Wang Yufen, also knitted her brows. Seeing Lin Yu’s unsightly expression, a wave of ache washed over her heart. She quickly comforted him, "Don't get too excited, Xiaohai. They might not necessarily be going to propose; perhaps they have some other business. Don't let your imagination run wild and overthink it. They’re probably just dropping by for a casual visit."

"Mom, our family and Erni’s family don’t usually keep in touch much. For them to suddenly walk over carrying all those things out of the blue, what other business could they possibly have?" Lin Yu frowned deeply, his tone tinged with anxiety and unwillingness. His chest felt as heavy as if a massive boulder were blocking it.

Hearing this, Wang Yufen let out a helpless sigh. How could she possibly be unaware of what was really going on? She just saw how upset Lin Yu was and wanted to spin things in a more positive light.

Wang Yufen slowly began, "Erni is indeed a fine girl—pretty, with delicate eyebrows and bright eyes, looking just like someone stepped out of a painting. What's more, she is exceptionally capable around the house, deft and clever, keeping everything in order inside and out. Which young lad in these dozen or so surrounding villages wouldn't adore her, and who wouldn't want to take her as his wife? For your second uncle and second aunt to go propose, it’s only natural. After all, Xiaohai is about the same age as Erni, and in their eyes, that would be a well-matched match."

As she spoke, Wang Yufen monitored Lin Yu's expression, sighing inwardly. She knew Lin Yu had always held Erni close to his heart, but this wasn't something they could control.

The atmosphere in the room suddenly grew oppressive. Wang Dachun watched from the side, not knowing what to say, feeling anxious and helpless.

"Brother, if they’ve gone to propose, why don't we go propose too?" At that moment, Li Yao, who had been sitting quietly and coaxing Nannan, blinked her large eyes and spoke in a crisp, clear voice.

As soon as Lin Yao said these words, it made Lin Yu’s eyes light up instantly.

That was right! They could go propose too!

With this thought, the dim light in Lin Yu’s eyes rekindled. He rubbed Li Yao’s little face with both hands and said, "My little sister is still the smartest. Let’s do just that."

"Mom, get ready. We’re going to propose too. Even if the proposal doesn’t succeed today, we’ve got to mess it up and ruin Second Uncle’s plans!"

Mother Wang Yufen, however, immediately furrowed her brows, her face full of worry as she said, "Will that even work? How can our family's conditions compare to your second uncle's? Look at how prosperous your second uncle's household is—they have fields and land, and all their home furnishings are complete. Erni's parents will definitely choose your second uncle's family. Given our family's current situation, even if we go, it'll be useless, and we'll just end up getting rebuffed. How embarrassing would that be?"

Lin Yu didn't see it that way. He puffed out his chest and said with absolute confidence, "Mom, that's not necessarily true. Second Uncle and Second Aunt's family might have been better off than us in the past, but that was back then. Things aren't necessarily like that anymore. Let me ask you, in our village, whose family can afford to eat meat every day now?"

As he spoke, Lin Yu's gaze fell upon the two wild hares resting in the corner—the ones given by the mountain guardian uncle, which hadn't been stewed yet.

The more Lin Yu thought about it, the more confident he felt. He continued, "Mom, haven't those two wild hares been stewed yet? You carry them for me, and we'll head right over. Don't you want a daughter-in-law?"

Wang Dachun, who had been listening from the side, chimed in, "Xiaohai is right. Man proposes, God disposes. Even if the engagement doesn't work out this time, we can't let their family marry Erni. Xiaohai is such a down-to-earth and hardworking kid; his life in the future is only going to get more and more prosperous. Erni's parents aren't short-sighted people either; they'll definitely be able to see Xiaohai's good points."

"Fine, we'll listen to you all then." Wang Yufen hesitated for a moment, then made up her mind and nodded. "But you must behave yourselves. Don't start a fight with them when we get there."

Lin Yu smiled upon hearing this.

"Mom, we're going over to propose marriage, why would we pick a fight with them? Would that look appropriate? Hurry up and get ready, lest we arrive after they've already finished talking."

Hearing this, Wang Yufen grew anxious. She hurriedly got up to tidy things up, carrying not only the two wild hares but also a few blocks of freshly cured salted meat. With a brief cleanup, she headed off in the direction of Erni's house.

If too many people went over, it would look too noisy and disruptive. Moreover, the family's meals were still cooking in the pot, so someone had to keep an eye on them. In the end, Wang Dachun stayed behind to watch Li Yao and Nannan, while only Wang Yufen and Lin Yu went to Erni's house.

Meanwhile.

Second Uncle Lin Qiang and Second Aunt sat on the heated brick bed (kang) in Erni's house, their faces beaming with smiles. After exchanging a glance, Second Uncle got straight to the point. "Elder Brother, Elder Sister-in-law, you both know that Xiaohai is getting up there in age and it's time for him to settle down. My wife and I looked all around the village, and your Erni is simply the most radiant of them all. Not only is she pretty, but she's also the best at keeping a household and running things smoothly. Just looking at her makes our hearts melt. Our Xiaohai quite fancies this girl Erni too, so today the two of us boldly came over to ask you couple what your thoughts are on this matter."

Second Aunt Liu Guilan looked even more pleased with herself from the side. She tilted her head slightly, a trace of boastfulness hidden within her smile, and chimed in, "Exactly! We all live in the same village and know each other inside and out. Our family's standing in the village is second to none. The harvest from our fields is great, and we built a new house just a few years ago, fully equipped with everything. If your daughter marries into our family, she'll definitely be eating and drinking the best, without a single thing to worry about. She won't have to fear being bullied either—we'll surely cherish her just like our own biological daughter."

Erni's father, Liu Dafu, had small eyes that radiated a rustic and kind disposition. At this moment, his eyes were narrowed slightly as he listened to Second Uncle and Second Aunt while thoughtfully twisting the corner of his tunic.

Erni's mother, Zhang Cuilian, wore a smile on her face. When she smiled, crow's feet appeared at the corners of her eyes, revealing a hint of shrewdness.

Hearing the other party praise her daughter made her quite happy, and the smile on her face grew even more pronounced. However, she wasn't in a hurry to reply, pondering inwardly whether this arrangement was truly appropriate.

In truth, the moment Lin Qiang and his wife stepped through the door, she knew what their intentions were.

As for Lin Qiang's family background, there was truly nothing to fault; it was among the very best in the entire village, and one would likely hard-pressed to find a second family wealthier than theirs. Yet, she was well aware that Lin Qiang and his wife didn't have the greatest reputation.

Take Liu Guilan, for instance. She was a notorious shrew in the village.

Her usual demeanor was all about buttering people up when she needed something and discarding them afterward. Whenever she had a favor to ask, her smile could be sickeningly sweet, and she would shower you with endless sweet talk. But the moment the task was done, or if someone didn't follow her wishes, she would instantly flip her attitude. Making a scene and playing the shrew was a regular occurrence, and she could hurl the most vicious curses imaginable. Quite a few people in the village had been offended by her and whispered behind her back.

Even though she was sitting right there smiling so affectionately at that moment, wasn't it simply to smoothly marry her daughter back to their family?

Once her daughter truly married into that household, heaven only knows how much grievance she would have to endure in the future.

These days, a woman getting married was the biggest event of a lifetime. Not only did she need to find a reliable, dependable, and good man, but she also needed a family with good values and a reasonable, understanding mother-in-law.

How many women went into marriage full of eager anticipation, only to end up bullied with nowhere to seek justice simply because they ran into a nitpicking, callous mother-in-law, living lives full of suppressed bitterness?

She couldn't bear the thought of her precious daughter suffering through such torment. Therefore, no matter how well-off Lin Qiang's family was, this matter had to be considered with utmost caution, and she could never give her consent rashly.

With these thoughts, Li Cuilian silently weighed the pros and cons in her mind.

Then, she chuckled, wearing a courteous yet distant smile on her face, and quickly replied, "This matter requires us to think it over a bit more carefully. After all, this concerns Erni's lifelong happiness, and as parents, we can't be too hasty."

"What is there to think over?" Liu Guilan immediately grew anxious upon hearing this. The smile on her face froze for a fraction of a second, and she knitted her brows as she snapped, "Could it be that you still think our family's conditions aren't good enough? Our standing in the village is top-notch. Erni will undoubtedly be living a life of luxury once she marries over."

She was terribly anxious inside, terrified that this ready-made blessing would slip through her fingers, so she hurriedly pressed on, "Erni's mother, just state whatever conditions you have. As long as it's something we can manage, we won't hesitate. Our family will provide the 'three turns and one sound' completely furnished for you, and the betrothal gift is open for discussion—we'll definitely make you satisfied."

Upon hearing the phrase "three turns and one sound," Li Cuilian's eyes lit up instantly, a flash of pleasant surprise gleaming within them.

After all, in this day and age, families capable of providing the "three turns and one sound" were exceedingly rare. For an ordinary family, that constituted a remarkably generous outlay, sufficient to prove the groom's sincerity and the family's substantial wealth. She couldn't help but be tempted.

Seeing Li Cuilian's reaction, Liu Guilan knew she was hooked and struck while the iron was hot, "Of course it's true! With a girl as wonderful as Erni, we certainly wouldn't mistreat her, and the bride price definitely won't be lacking. Am I right, child's father?"

As she spoke, she gave Lin Qiang sitting beside her a subtle kick.

Lin Qiang had been somewhat lost in thought, but jolted by the kick, he finally snapped back to reality and hurriedly chimed in, "Yes, yes, yes. We certainly won't treat Erni poorly."

This alluring condition truly stirred up considerable ripples in Li Cuilian's heart. She thought to herself that if Erni could marry into that family and have these valuable assets as a backing, her future life would be stable and comfortable. Furthermore, since they lived in the same village, if Erni were ever bullied at their place, she wouldn't be entirely without support.

However, this wasn't something she could decide all by herself. She turned to look at Liu Dafu and asked, "Her father, what is your take on this? Speak up."

Liu Dafu was leisurely rolling a cigarette. Hearing his wife question him, his hands paused for a moment. He raised his head, exhaled a ring of smoke, and said slowly, "I actually view this marriage quite favorably. Lin Qiang's family conditions are indeed quite good, which we can all see for ourselves. But I'm just afraid that Erni herself might not agree. Our girl has a strong mind of her own; if she isn't willing in her heart, I reckon this matter won't go through."