Li Qinghe poured the tea, then turned back to look at the woman behind her. She was about forty years old, with deep wrinkles between her eyebrows. Sitting on the side of a 13 or 14-year-old simple boy, after meeting her gaze, he hung his head down, his already dark face seems to be tinged with a layer of red.
After hearing that, Mrs. Yóu's face remained unchanged, glanced at her son’s expression, smiled from ear to ear, and said, “Uncle, ah, that’s not the case, the child's marriage is important, so it’s normal to feel anxious. My son is fourteen, if the marriage is decided now, next year after the New Year he will be fifteen, so it’s good to get married.”
“Our Qinghe is not in a hurry.” The village chief picked up his cup of tea and slowly drank his tea.
If that sentence is still considered subtle, this sentence was an explicit disagreement qto the marriage.
Mrs. Yóu stunned and looked at Zhao Wanwan in the corner, “Wanwan, where's your mother?”
Zhao Wanwan ran out in a hurry.
Mrs. Yóu was smiling, “This uncle, I think these two kids are a good match, the marriage should be taken care of, otherwise the good time will pass and all the good kids will be picked, won't that delay their children?”
The village chief frowned at these words as they put the marriage matter on the table.
Mrs. Yóu still hadn’t finished, continued, “Our son has been learning carpentry in the town for five years, and the master who took him said that he would be able to finish apprenticeship in another year or two. I'm not going to lie, the Yang family in town, asked someone to ask me.”
Li Qinghe glanced at Qian Laiman in surprise. The Yang family in the town, but Yang Lanrou's Yang family was the only one. She didn't expect that the two were almost involved.
“No, no.” Qian Laiman waved his hand helplessly and explained hurriedly, “My master and the Yang family are at odds, this marriage will never happen.”
Mrs. You stared at him, feeling resentful towards him for failing to meet expectations*, smugly said, “It's not just the Yang family, but many people from my mother’s side also asked people to ask if it wasn't for my sister, we...would have already settled it.”
(TN: literally to hate iron for not becoming steel)
Looking at Mrs. Yóu’s pretentious appearance, people will think that Li Qinghe has climbed higher*.
(TN: making friends or forming relatives with people whose social status is higher than one's own)
Currently, indeed many girls are willing to marry craftsmen, second only to the scholars, Mrs. Yóu ought to be pleased with herself. It’s just ...... Li Qinghe is not willing to marry high.
Since Mrs. Yóu was originally younger than Mrs. Qian, and Qian Laiman became an apprentice in the town, including food and housing. Not to mention, there was little pay, but Mrs. Yóu didn’t look very relaxed. On the contrary, she looked miserable. It can be seen that she usually suffers awful hardship to earn silver.
No amount of silver is enough for two people to study!
Li Qinghe smiled and said sincerely, “Then I hope that auntie will find a good daughter-in-law soon.”
The village chief could not refuse at this time, and Li Qinghe refused it by herself, so it was justified.
Mrs. Yóu’s complexion was not very good, so she immediately got up, pulled Qian Laiman, and went out. She walked too quickly and tripped over the threshold. She cursed, “You’re unable to understand the kindness of others, just take a knife and chop it up.”
When they got to the yard, they ran into Mrs. Qian who came out of the kitchen, but in the end, Mrs. Yóu somewhat took her anger out on Mrs. Qian, “Sister, we can't be in-laws.” After finished speaking, she ignored Mrs. Qian’s call, and hurriedly went out of the yard.
Mrs. Qian chased them to the door and watched them walk away. Turning and her reproaching eyes fell on Li Qinghe.
Li Qinghe raised her hand to stop her accusation, “Don't talk, you won't have to take care of my marriage from now on.”
The village chief is still there, Mrs. Qian's eyes immediately reddened, “Although you were sensible when I came, over the years I think I have not treated you unfairly, now I help you as a matchmaker ......”
Li Qinghe impatiently turned around and looked at the village chief, “Third grandpa, I'll send you back.”
The village chief did not move and asked, “Where is your father?”
Li Qinghe shook her head, but now it's time for the autumn harvest, “Maybe he went to see the crops in the field.”
The village chief grunted coldly, stepped out, and glared at Qian, “I'll come back in the evening and talk to him properly. You have to have your own ideas, you can't just listen to women's opinions.”
Li Qinghe turned around and entered the door.
Mrs. Qian's face was blue and white while Zhao Wanwan shrank in the corner and didn’t dare to speak. As a result, Mrs. Qian's anger was directed at Li Qinghe. For a while, she didn't care about her gentle image and asked loudly, “You didn't say yes to such a good man as Laiman. Do you really want to go to the Zhou family?”
Li Qinghe did not turn around, “It’s none of your business!” It was equivalent to acquiescence. The image that emerged before her eyes was Zhou Chengkang who couldn't afford to cry in front of her grave in her previous life.
There was a sound of a horse neighing behind her. Li Qinghe subconsciously turned around and saw a red-faced Zhou Chengkang on his horse, his face full of joy and a little bewildered, “I ...... I just came.” And added, “I didn't hear anything.”
Look at that look, clearly heard everything ah.
Li Qinghe: “......” In the last life, until she got married, she did not know what this person's thought of her. She had wanted to wait to see how long he could hold back. But what she said just now, it could not be considered a promise.
Meeting her gaze, Zhou Chengkang only felt that his face was about to burn, “I had already sent them home, it's not early, I'll return first.”
He pulled the horsewhip and quickly disappeared.
Li Qinghe, “......” Contrary to what she expected, the horse runs really fast! See how you will restrain it when you arrive.
Mrs. Qian frowned, no longer talking about marriage, and asked, “Just now there are guests at home, I haven’t asked you yet, where did you spend the silver?”
“It's none of your business.” Li Qinghe blocked her with a single sentence.
Mrs. Qian's face turned white with anger, “You live at home, don't you need to eat?”
“Oh, finally not pretending to be a doting mother?” Li Qinghe looked her up and down, her eyes full of curiosity, “Didn’t you treat me as your daughter, since I'm the same as Wanwan, how come I didn’t see you asking her for silver?”
Having heard what was said, Zhao Wanwan quickly slipped away.
Li Qinghe took a glance, Zhao Wanwan was a good girl, she did not mean to target her, and turned to ask, “This family cannot accommodate me, so you want me to marry out of it?”
Mrs. Qian's ashen face was unsightly, very ugly, so she looked away.
“If you don’t answer, then it’s the same as acquiescence.” Li Qinghe lifted her steps into the door and said idly, “Unfortunately, this is my home. If I don’t want to go, then no one can force me to leave.”