Li Qinghe felt a little frustrated, “Mother, why did you come back?”
Mrs. Xu was very angry. Although she had a lot of dissatisfactions with the Zhou family, the marriage had already been agreed upon. She could not force her daughter to back out due to whatever reason, as it would ruin her daughter's reputation.
She grabbed Li Qinghe’s hand angrily, “Why didn’t you tell me when you decided to get engaged?”
Li Qinghe took out her hand from Mrs. Xu's grip and said, “It's just an engagement, and I know you never go out.”
“So you could have come to the town and tell me about it, and let me see who you are planning to marry before the ceremony?”
After that, she looked at Zhou Chengkang from top to bottom, “Are you the fourth child of the Zhou family?”
Zho Chengkang hurriedly smiled, “Aunt Xu, you have a good memory. You still remember me.”
Mrs. Xu raised her eyebrow, “I remember when you were running around the village like a mud monkey.”
Zhou Chengkang, “...” Your memory is indeed very good.
“We’ve been busy lately, Aunt Xu, and the engagement was indeed held in a rush. It was my fault.” Zho Chengkang admitted his mistake with an honest attitude.
“I assure you, it won't be this way when we get married. I'll take good care of Qinghe.”
Mrs. Xu hasn’t been in the village for a long time. She looked down on the Zhou family’s condition. In her view, it was better to marry in any other family rather than one from this village.
In the beginning, she looked for a job in the town for Li Qinghe that is fairly easy and doesn’t require her to work in the sun and wind. After all, a girl’s complexion was rather important. Secondly, she didn’t want to leave her daughter at home under Mrs. Qian’s care.
To get her daughter out of this village, she had taken the trouble to get her to the town. But she never expected that her daughter would choose a farmer to marry, and worse, one who is really poor.
However, seeing Zhou Chengkang, she didn’t experience much discomfort in her heart. The young man was tall and slender, and his outer appearance was handsome, but his complexion was a bit darker. Looking at his cautious behavior, it became clear that he has feelings for Li Qinghe.
Several people standing near the house entrance were quiet, but a carriage was parked outside the house. With this Mrs. Qian soon noticed Mrs. Xu’s arrival. Her expression turned a little embarrassed when she saw her, “Sister, you’re back? Please come inside and sit down.”
Her tone was one of greeting a guest.
After hearing this, Mrs. Xu opened the gate and stepped inside, scanning the yard left and right.
After Mrs. Xu left for the town, she never returned. Even if she had to send something to her daughter, she would have it sent by someone else. Being a concubine wasn't very convenient after all.
Mrs. Qian was uncomfortable, “Sister, sit inside the house, I will make you some tea.”
“There’s no need to treat me as a guest. I know this house better than you.” Mrs. Xu waved her hand and looked at Li Qinghe, “Let’s head inside quickly. I need to ask you something.”
Then she turned to Zhou Chengkang, who was standing near the gate, “You can go back now. When I go back to town, I will send some clothes for you.”
By saying this, she was showing that she consented to the marriage.
Zhou Chengkang relaxed immediately, “Thank you, Aunt Xu."
Inside the house, Xu looked at her daughter, who was almost as tall as she was, and said, “How can you choose to marry someone from the Zhou family. They are too poor.”
“I chose the person, not the family.” Li Qinghe said in a serious tone, “By the way, I purchased ten acres of barren land in the west and cultivated fish."
Mrs. Xu widened her eyes in surprise.
Li Qinghe spread her hands, “I’m indeed very busy. Father and Aunt Qian have been urging me to get engaged soon because Wanwan and the Hu family from the town are planning to get engaged soon. They told me several times I was delaying Wanwan’s marriage.”
Mrs. Xu immediately turned angry, “It’s outrageous.” She got up from her seat, evidently about to go out to look for someone to settle accounts.
Li Qinghe hurriedly grabbed her, “You don't have to do anything, you just live your own life. Don't worry about me."
Mrs. Xu sighed and did not sit down, instead took a few steps out the door, saying, “If you have time then come to Zhang's house to visit us. You and your brother share a deep bond and can help each other in the future.”
While going outside she saw Mrs. Qian who was coming over with the tea and smiled, “Sister, you sure have a lot more patience. You can sweet-talk with the man... but don't think of bullying my daughter again! In town, it's easier to find a spouse for Hu's family than for you. Just try it if you don't believe it!”
Mrs. Qian's face turned pale, “I’m not…”
“I’m leaving”, Mrs. Xu waved her hand, no longer wanting to listen to her explanations.
Li Qinghe watched her get into the carriage and leave with mixed feelings.
It was not true to say Mrs. Xu treated her badly; she had even helped her with her dowry in her previous life, but in her view, she isn’t the most important person.
“How long are you going to stand there?” Mrs. Qian’s mocking voice echoed behind her, “It’s a pity that your mother’s a concubine. She usually comes and goes back in a hurry every time.”
Li Qinghe turned her head as she looked at her. She understood Mrs. Qian’s gentle behavior towards her was not real, but only a pretense put on for Li Fu. When he's not around, she becomes mean. With a smile, she said, “My mother hasn’t gone very far yet. Do you want me to ask her to come back and talk to you?”
Mrs. Qian sneered and returned to the kitchen with the teacup in her hand.
Then Zhao Wanwan came out of the house and asked in a low voice, “Sister, I haven't done you any harm, have I?”
It's not true. The girl helped her wash her clothes and sometimes saved her meals. Li Qinghe nodded, “What’s the matter?”
Zhou Wanwan blushed, “Aunt Xu just said…”
“Not really.” Li Qinghe said casually, “My mother doesn’t have time to do that much.”
Zhao Wanwaw breathed a sigh of relief. She glanced at the kitchen and said, “Sister, what do you think the Hu’s family mean? They said they would come tomorrow but my mother says they might not show up.”
Li Qinghe walked inside and said, “The autumn harvest is just around the corner. Maybe they will come after that.”
Yes, the Autumn harvest is approaching.
Every family in the village was busy preparing for the autumn harvest, and the weather was perfect for the past two days. Li Fu returned a little later and told that autumn harvest would begin from the day after tomorrow, and instructed Li Qinghe, “You and Wanwan don't need to go to the field. Just clean up the house and prepare the meals. Your Aunt Qian and I will go to the field together."
After hearing the words, Mrs. Qian stopped talking and thought for a long while, “It is not convenient for me to work these two days, so let Wanwan go…”