Chapter 169: Chapter 169: Talk about Relatives
Translator: 549690339
Zhuang Yuanren remained silent.
Seeing this, it became clear.
A hint of joy emerged from Zhuang Rumanâs brows. Zhuang Yuanren, who felt compelled to apologize at Zhuang Qingningâs door, revealed that Zhuang Qingning was in the wrong no matter how it was discussed.
âDid you not take a detour to visit your uncle, the village chief, to talk to him?â
Zhuang Ruman asked again, but the reply he received was still silence.
Now, it was Zhuang Rumanâs turn for silence.
Looking at Zhuang Yuanrenâs behavior, it seemed that when he went to Zhuang Jingyeâs house to discuss the matter, Zhuang Jingye didnât take it seriously and didnât treat him well, which was why Zhuang Yuanren appeared unhappy.
It looked like Zhuang Jingye truly intended not to give their family a chance, and didnât value Zhuang Yuanren, who was expected to be the future scholar.
If that was the case, there would be nothing in the entire village they could rely onâŠ
âFather.â After a long silence, Zhuang Yuanren spoke up: âIf you continue to act stubbornly and just want to cause difficulty for Zhuang Qingning and her sister, then I will never come back. Please treat it as if you donât have a son like meâŠâ
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With such parents, not only did he lose face in front of Zhuang Qingningâs sisters but was also looked down upon by Zhuang Jingye, he feared that he would have no face in the village in the future.
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It would be better not to haveâŠ
Zhuang Rumanâs heart sank further.
It seemed that his prediction was truthful, and in the future, they would only be able to live quietly, not daring to make any mistakes. Otherwise, there would be no benefits. They might even jeopardize Zhuang Yuanrenâs future prospects. If it comes to that, their family would completely lose all support.
Zhuang Ruman certainly did not want such a result.
For thirty years, fortunes turn and change. When Zhuang Yuanren succeeds, they could troubleshoot the two sisters.
âFrom your words, do you think Iâm incapable of understanding anything? From now on, Iâll listen to you. You just focus on your studies.â
Zhuang Ruman said.
âThank you, father.â Zhuang Yuanren paused and continued: âItâs getting late. Iâll return to school early, and father can recover from his injuries in peace. When I have a spare moment, Iâll come back to see you.â
âYouâre not even going to stay for dinner?â Zhuang Ruman struggled to prop up half of his body with his elbow: âItâs almost dark now, and the journey back to the town isnât easy. It would be better to leave tomorrow.â
âNo, I need to return early to talk to my teacher to avoid missing the opportunity to go to the government school.â Zhuang Yuanren answered.
âHmm, this is important. Itâs better to settle it early.â Zhuang Ruman nodded, called Mrs. Song into the room, took the money bag from the crack in the wall, counted out half of it, and gave it to Zhuang Yuanren.
âYou take this. Buy something for your teacher, and make sure youâre looked after. When youâre outside, donât hesitate to eat and dress well to avoid seeming poor. If you run out of money, you can always come back for more.â
âYou should quickly cook some eggs for Yuanren to take with him. He can eat them at school to build his strength.â
Mrs. Song rushed to get eggs and boiled them upon her husbandâs command.
She boiled all eight eggs in the bamboo basket, thought for a moment, and took a few more from the basket to add to the pot, adding more firewood to the stove.
âThank you, father, and thank you, mother.â Zhuang Yuanren thanked them, his eyes lowered, and his hands clutching the money bag tightly. He couldnât help but tremble at the corner of his mouth.
The money bag was light, yet they instructed him to eat and dress well, not to appear poor, and buy things for his teacherâŠ
Who could know that because his money was so limited, aside from buying stationery, he could hardly even eat a decent meal every day?
Others often went to restaurants, and they ate at least meat buns or noodles with shredded meat. He could only buy a sesame seed cake, taking a bite when no one was watching. Occasionally he would eat a meat bun, but he didnât dare to cat too much, for fear he would grow unaccustomed to the dry sesame cakes.
When people go home, they bring a lot of snacks and dried fruits with them. They share them with others as if the items were free, but he could only bring some ordinary eggs to school, which were not comparable to what others brought.
The gap between people was indeed vast.
Zhuang Yuanren sighed, put away his money, quickly packed some things, took the eggs that Mrs. Song had boiled, and hurriedly went to the town.
After Zhuang Yuanren left, Mrs. Song started preparing dinner.
Concerned that the money at home had decreased and the eggs meant for sale had been taken by Zhuang Yuanren, Mrs. Song decided to make steamed cornbread with sweet potato paste and cornmeal. She cooked tomato and mung bean but didnât dare to add many drops of oil.
Zhuang Ruman, who was eating the cornbread, looked a little green.
He too, of course, wanted to eat well.
âSpeaking of which, Qinghe is now quite old. As the mother, you need to do something since Iâm bedridden. Itâs time to help Qinghe find a suitable match.â âQinghe?â Mrs. Song clicked her tongue: âYuanren hasnât even mentioned his marriage yet, and you want to discuss Qingheâs potential marriage? It wouldnât sound right if it goes out. Besides, Qinghe is only thirteen years old. Is it too early to discuss marriage?â
âWhatâs wrong with that? If the elder child canât get married due to certain reasons, should the younger ones hold off on getting married too? Moreover, Yuanrenâs situation is different. He should wait until he passes the scholar examination before finding a wife.â
Zhuang Ruman continued: âThe age is not a factor. Itâs not uncommon to discuss marriage at the age of twelve or thirteen. And weâre just talking about arranging a match, not her getting married right now. Why fear that sheâs too young?â
âWe should take advantage of Qingheâs young age to find a good match. If sheâs older, she might become selective and end up an old maid. By then, even if Yuanren becomes a scholar, it will likely be too late.â
âTrue.â Mrs. Song nodded: âIn my spare time, I will find a suitable family.â
âWhether a family is suitable depends on its background. Our daughter and Yuanrenâs sister, cannot settle for a lower status or a family that lives hand to mouth.â
Zhuang Ruman took a sip of his cornmeal porridge before continuing: âAlso, the betrothal gift must not be too poor. If the family is rich but the betrothal gift is still small, it would seem that they are being stingy, and the relationship with the in-laws wouldnât be good. Qinghe could suffer when she goes to them.â
âAlright, Iâll listen to you.â Mrs. Song felt that Zhuang Rumanâs words made sense, so she decided to follow his advice.
Mrs. Song was always obedient, which satisfied Zhuang Ruman.
As long as Zhuang Qingheâs marriage could be arranged and they could quickly get hold of the betrothal gift, their family could live more comfortably..
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