12dz Chapter 301 He's taken a liking to Liu Cai'er!
Chapter 301 He's taken a liking to Liu Cai'er!
Xiao Jiu was sitting in the yard reading a book. When he heard that it was time to eat, he reluctantly put down the book and went to join the others.
Wu Yu was straightforward. He pulled Xiao Jiu to sit next to him. Aunt Xiangqin had Xiao Jiu on her left and Liu Cai'er on her right. Originally, Xiao Tang was supposed to sit with her aunt, but when she saw that Uncle Shuisheng was still missing, she had a sudden idea and started thinking about Uncle Shuisheng and her aunt. She then lifted her foot and sat down next to Uncle Wu Yu.
Now there was only one seat left, which was next to Liu Cai'er. Shui Sheng immediately understood Lin Xiaotang's intention, and he sat down with a blush on his face.
Of the people gathered around the table, only Aunt Xiangqin was an elder. Before she could use her own chopsticks, she first enthusiastically served everyone food, and then said with a smile, "We're all family, don't be shy, come and try Cai'er's cooking."
Wu Yu said with a smile, "Sister Cai'er's cooking skills are beyond question. Since I came to our pig's trotter shop, I've gained weight. It's much better than what the chefs at Wanhe Restaurant make."
Liu Cai'er said somewhat embarrassedly, "You rascal, why are you exaggerating like that? A plate of food prepared by the chefs in restaurants costs several hundred coins, and some rare dishes cost several taels of silver. How can my simple home cooking compare?"
"I don't care, I just think Sister Cai'er's cooking is delicious."
"Haha, if you like it, eat more." Aunt Xiangqin put more food into Wu Yu's bowl.
Shui Sheng glanced silently at Wu Yu, then at Liu Cai'er. His heart skipped a beat, and he suddenly panicked.
He suddenly realized that Wu Yu was also not married yet, and Wu Yu was not much younger than him. If Wu Yu really had a crush on him, with Wu Yu's eloquence and knowledge, he would definitely have an advantage over him.
The main reason is that Wu Yu is fair-skinned and handsome, while I am tall, dark-skinned and thin, and am quite far inferior to Wu Yu.
He began to regret why he hadn't realized his own feelings sooner. In fact, Liu Cai'er was beautiful, had a good temper, was a good person, hardworking and capable, and was good to his mother and everyone else. Where could he find such a good woman?
So what if I've been married and had children?
Xiao Tang is right. Liu Cai'er married a heartless man. It wasn't her fault, it was Xie Laifu's fault. That beast didn't know how to cherish her and ruined Cai'er's life.
He turned to look at Liu Cai'er, having already made up his mind.
Shuisheng used his chopsticks to pick up two pieces of meat and put them in Liu Cai'er's bowl. For the first time, he wasn't shy. "You're too thin. Eat more meat to make up for it."
Liu Cai'er was slightly taken aback, not quite realizing that Shui Sheng was actually serving her food.
Isn't his behavior a bit unusual?
They all lived under the same roof, and this was the first time he had ever served her food; to be precise, it was the first time he had ever served food to someone else.
At this moment, everyone looked at Shui Sheng and Liu Cai'er. Wu Yu was puzzled for a moment, then suddenly realized, as if he had discovered some incredible and earth-shattering secret, and smiled with a hint of malice.
He said, "Yes, Sister Cai'er is too thin. She should eat more meat. Brother Shuisheng should help Sister Cai'er with chores more often so she won't be so tired and will gradually gain weight."
Aunt Xiangqin looked at her son and Liu Cai'er with disbelief. Her son had even taken the initiative to serve food to Liu Cai'er. What else did she not understand?
My son has taken a liking to Liu Cai'er!
To be honest, she also thought Liu Cai'er was perfect in every way. She was even prettier than Liu Shi, gentle and kind, hardworking, virtuous and capable. There was simply no fault in her.
The only problem is that Liu Cai'er has been married and had children, and she is a few years older than Shui Sheng. Even if marriage and being a few years older are not a big deal and can be barely accepted, what about the two sons she gave birth to?
If Shui Sheng and Liu Cai'er really get together, and Liu Cai'er contacts her ex-husband's family again in the future, what will happen if she uses her own money to subsidize her two sons?
Shuisheng is an honest man with no ulterior motives. He never hides his money. If the two of them really get together, Liu Cai'er can manage the accounts and use the money to subsidize her ex-husband's family without her son even knowing.
Ugh!
To be honest, if Liu Cai'er had never had children, even if she had been married, I could barely accept it by turning a blind eye. But now... I really can't accept it!
Actually, Aunt Xiangqin was terrified of living in poverty. Her son had finally turned his life around by doing business with Qingchuan and his wife, and had saved up some money. She was afraid that if her son married Liu Cai'er, Liu Cai'er would take the money her son had saved and give it to her ex-husband's two sons.
They chatted and laughed as usual, and Aunt Xiangqin didn't care who did more or less work. She was hardworking and could endure hardship, but she just didn't want her son to be raised by someone else.
Aunt Xiangqin wanted to be angry but dared not. She opened her mouth but didn't know what to say. She was so uncomfortable that she finally waited until everyone finished eating. When she saw her son get up, she immediately pulled him back to her room.
She stared straight at her son and asked, "Why did you put food on Cai'er's plate today?"
Shuisheng frowned. He didn't want to hide it from his mother. After all, he had already decided on his feelings. He just needed to find out if Liu Cai'er was also interested in him. Once he was sure that she felt the same way, he would ask Qingchuan and his wife to act as matchmakers, and the matter would be settled. It wouldn't take much time, so there was no need to hide it from his mother.
He told the truth, "Mother, I like Cai'er and want to marry her."
Aunt Xiangqin was so shocked that her eyes widened. Her face turned ashen, and her lips trembled as she said, "What did you say? You want to marry her? Do you know what you're saying? She's a woman who has given birth to two sons!"
Shuisheng disagreed and retorted, "Mother, why are you like those gossipy women? So what if she's given birth? Isn't it better that way? After we get married, she'll have children for me, and you won't have to worry about not being able to hold your grandchildren."
Aunt Xiangqin pointed at Shuisheng's head forcefully, looking quite disappointed in him.
"You child, why are you so honest? It's not that I dislike her because she has had children. I'm just worried that her troublesome ex-husband's family will cause trouble in the future. Those two sons are Cai'er's flesh and blood. What if they see that we are doing well in the future and come to bother us?"
"Your mother has been through this. No matter how good or bad her son is, he's still her son. And regardless of her husband's family's situation, she definitely wouldn't bear to abandon him. If she uses your savings to support her ex-husband's son in the future, can you accept that?"
Shuisheng couldn't listen to any of this. He pulled his mother to sit down and advised, "Mother, those are not things you should worry about. I earn money and save money, and Cai'er also gets paid. If she wants to support her ex-husband's son, she can use her own savings to help him. After we have children, her mind will be on our children, and she won't have time to care about her ex-husband's son. It's normal for her to help him out occasionally, and I can accept that."
Aunt Xiangqin was furious when she saw that her son wouldn't listen to her advice. She slapped him on the head and said angrily, "You child, how could you be so blind as to fall for Cai'er? She was just divorced by her husband's family a few months ago and has lost contact with her son. Can't you see what's good or bad about her? Once they get married and time goes by, she and her son will reconnect. Then you'll have your day!"
He is a living example. His wife passed away early, leaving him and his son to depend on each other. It wasn't that no one advised her to remarry, but her parents-in-law and husband had all passed away. If she remarried, she would have to take her son with her. Otherwise, her young son would starve and freeze to death without anyone to take care of him.
What man would marry a woman with a son?
People in the countryside are poor. There are few wealthy families in the surrounding villages. They can't even feed themselves. Who would want to marry a woman with a son to add another mouth to feed?
With a heavy heart, she decided to be a widow for life and raise her son alone!
Only the mother and son knew the hardships and scorn they had endured over the years. Finally, life became more comfortable, and she wanted to ask someone in the county to find a matchmaker for her son. But before she could find a matchmaker, her son fell in love with Cai'er.
How can this be good?
Shuisheng patted his mother's back to comfort her, "Mother, what do you think of Cai'er?"
Aunt Xiangqin paused and sighed, “Cai’er’s appearance and character are impeccable. Although she is a few years older than you, she has fair skin and delicate features. Compared to you, who is as dark as charcoal, I would believe she is younger than you. She is kind and virtuous, and her character is impeccable. In all these aspects, she is more than a match for you. But the problem is that she has been married and had children before.”
Sigh, which man wouldn't mind if his woman had been married and had children?
This world values a woman's chastity and purity, and emphasizes fidelity to one man!
The son is still excited and thinks Liu Cai'er is great in every way. He can accept that she has been married and has two sons. But if they really get married, as time goes by, the two of them will inevitably need to work things out. If they regret it then, it will be too late!
Seeing his mother lost in thought, Shuisheng smiled and said, "Mother, don't think about it. Children and grandchildren have their own blessings. I like Cai'er, but she might not even like me. Look at me, I'm not good-looking, and I don't even have my own home in this county. We all live with Brother Qingchuan and Sister-in-law. We can earn money thanks to Brother Qingchuan and Sister-in-law's family. Sister Cai'er is Sister-in-law's own sister. It's good enough that people don't say we're trying to climb the social ladder."
Aunt Xiangqin immediately objected, saying urgently, "What do you mean by climbing the social ladder? You were able to do business with Qingchuan and Feng'er back then because you and Qingchuan helped each other. He valued your brotherly relationship. You started doing business with Qingchuan first, and that's why Feng'er came. How can that be considered climbing the social ladder?"
Shui Sheng was just saying it casually, but who knew his mother would get so agitated and insist on arguing about who was right and wrong? He immediately said, "Alright, alright, Mother, I understand. It's just my brotherly bond with Qingchuan, not about trying to climb the social ladder."
Aunt Xiangqin finally breathed a sigh of relief, and her complexion improved.
She was just a country woman, illiterate and uneducated, and her son kept rambling on and on until she momentarily forgot what she wanted to say.
Seeing that his mother wasn't nagging anymore, Shuisheng rolled his eyes and said, "Mom, everyone's full. Go wash the dishes. I won't help you this time. Xiaotang and I have to hurry back to Guihua Village. I wonder how busy Qingchuan is all by himself."
When Aunt Xiangqin saw that her son didn't mention marrying Liu Feng'er again, she stopped there, waving her hand and saying, "If you're going, go quickly, don't come back after dark, it's not safe."
Shuisheng grinned and said, "Alright, Mom, I know. We're not children anymore, so don't worry. If you're done with your work and have nothing to do, help your sister-in-law hold the baby so she can have a proper postpartum period. That way, Brother Qingchuan will feel more at ease when he goes out."
Aunt Xiangqin pouted and said, "You little rascal, you're actually talking about your mother now."
"Oh dear, how dare I call myself a Daoist mother? You'd better hurry, or everyone will be fighting with you for it."
Aunt Xiangqin then got up, pouting, and went to the kitchen, where everyone was clearing away the dishes and carrying them in.
Liu Cai'er was rolling up her sleeves to wash the dishes when Aunt Xiangqin pushed her aside, saying, "Leave this to me. Go see if Feng'er has finished eating, bring her bowl over to wash together, and wash her and the child's dirty clothes while you're at it. After we're done with that, we still need to clean the pig's trotters."
Liu Cai'er noticed that Aunt Xiangqin seemed a little unhappy, but she didn't think much of it. She obediently went to fetch her younger sister's bowl of poached egg soup and then took the dirty clothes to the well.
Aunt Xiangqin looked out the window and saw Liu Cai'er squatting by the well, diligently washing clothes. She couldn't help but sigh.
Ugh!
Her daughter is a good daughter, and she likes Liu Cai'er's personality very much. She is gentle and gets along with everyone. Over time, there will be no friction between them. The only drawback is that she has two sons and wants to be her daughter-in-law, which she cannot accept.
Shui Sheng found Lin Xiaotang and asked, "Xiaotang, let's hurry up and pack up and leave. Or should we ask your Uncle Wu Yu to come along?"
Xiao Tang said, "We've all left, and there's no man in the shop. I'm worried about leaving. Uncle Wu Yu can stay home and clean the pig's trotters. If we all work together, it'll be easier for them."
“You’re right, I misunderstood. We’ll return the rented carriages. You can drive his carriage, I’ll drive Xiao Jiu’s, and together with the one your father took, that’ll be three carriages in total. That should be enough for today’s trip.”
"Well, it's okay if we can't finish. We can unload at the village head's house first, and then do it tomorrow."
Neither of their houses are allowed to be used for storing things. If no one is watching the houses at night, someone will definitely have designs on them.
So, after greeting everyone, the two took the silver and each drove a horse-drawn carriage back to Osmanthus Village.
When they entered Guihua Village, the villagers were lining up at the Lin family's house to sell turmeric.
Lin Qingchuan had already collected 5,000 catties of turmeric, and only had 10 taels of silver left. He could only buy another 500 catties, but more than ten households were lining up to sell. Only one household was selling less than 500 catties, but everyone was stopping the villager with the smaller quantity from getting special treatment.
Someone shouted, "Qingchuan, this is not fair of you. You've bought so many villagers' things, how come you don't have enough money when it comes to us?"
We agreed that as long as everyone was willing to plant and sell to you, you would buy it. Now that you're not buying it, what are we supposed to do? This isn't like dried grain that can be stored away and eaten slowly; if we pile it up, it will rot very quickly.”
"Yes, yes, if we can't sell these, everyone will have worked for nothing all season. Forget about making money, we won't even have enough food to eat."
"Sigh, if we had known it would turn out like this, we would have just stuck to growing rice."
"Who says otherwise? Look at the mess they've made!"