C29

Zhang Shi and Xiao Xiuer naturally knew that their own families were getting married today. Although they were happy, they still weren't sure.

Especially Xiao Xiuer, she felt that she was different from the girls in the village since a young age. Whether she had a pure white brain or learned everything quickly, she would not argue endlessly with the girls in the village over a handkerchief or even a head full of schemes.

Zhou Yanxing had seen it before, but he had not met it accidentally. Zhou Yanxing would not fall in love with her at first sight, and would not insist on marrying her regardless of his family's objections. Zhou Yanxing had an ordinary appearance and a petite figure, but all of these were nothing in front of his family, to the point that Xiao Xiuer felt that he was doing fine, a tall and robust man would cause people to be afraid.

The wedding date was set for next year's spring. Originally, everything was fine, but she was also slowly embroidering her dowry and waiting for it to start next year to get married, but she did not know what exactly happened.

Not mentioning Xiao Xiuer, the Zhang Clan had experienced a lot and thought about even more things. Before the date was set, people had to look for a date. Normally, they wouldn't easily change it. The Zhou family would usually get married in advance, so how could Zhang Lady Zhang not let her thoughts run wild?

No matter how Mrs Zhang looked at it, she felt that the dowry was a bit thin, not to mention that the man had even added a betrothal gift. Then her dowry should at least be a bit more! Forget about other things, just Dazong's daughter-in-law marrying into this world and bringing in two handfuls of dowry, no matter what, their own family would need to get two handfuls of dowry, in order to not look so shabby!

Seeing that her man did not make a sound, Mrs. Zhang asked: "Xiu Er's father, say something!"

"Xiu Er's father, I can listen to father and mother for anything, but this is a big matter of our Xiu Er. Go and ask father, why did the Zhou family change their wedding date so much, and why did they have to add more dowry? Our daughter should marry and live a good life, right?"

Xiao He did not make a sound, Zhang Shi looked at his man, and couldn't help but to sigh. He had heard from the matchmaker that of the three sons of the Zhou family, only Zhou Yanxing was unmarried. The two of them were sister-in-law, and the eldest sister-in-law was also from the town, and their family also had a shop open.

Only his family was a Military, and his position was already low. If the dowry was so shabby, how could Xiu Er hold his head up in the Zhou family in the future?

Mrs Zhang felt that she was already like this for the rest of her life. Her only wish was for her daughters to get married and have a good life. She did not have a son, so she did not have any face or say anything in front of her parents-in-law.

When Xiao He heard her mutter, his eyebrows knitted even more tightly. He became impatient and stood up and said: "If you're going to say it, then I'm not going to say it!"

Seeing her crying like that, Xiao Xiuer felt even worse, and quickly used a handkerchief to wipe her tears. Seeing her beautiful eldest daughter crying like she was made of jade, Xiao Xiuer's heart ached and he couldn't help but to hug Xiao Xiuer and cry.

Xiao Xiuer comforted Zhang Shi, but she kept sighing in her heart. Father felt that he was a cripple without a son. If it wasn't for father and mother and brothers taking care of him, how could he possibly live his life, so he never dared to say a "No" to Xiao Pao and Xiao Li's disease. Similarly, Father and mother felt that they were inferior to each other since they didn't have any sons.

But to marry into the Zhou family, Xiao Xiuer was unwilling!

A few days ago, she had asked Wang Daniu to send a letter to her family, but today, Wang Daniu had brought her the reply from his family, along with an exquisite silver hairpin.

Xu Hui looked at the letter and realized that it was a gift Xu Jingan had prepared for her. Originally, he wanted to bring her back to celebrate, but he didn't want to fight anymore. Guest House didn't allow anyone to enter, so he could only send someone over to bring gifts.

Xu Hui looked at the silver hairpin. Although it was made of hollow flowers and twigs, it was very exquisite and beautiful. She did not know where Xu Jingan got it from after much effort.

Thinking about Xu Jingan's handwritten letter, which contained a deep apology between the lines, Xu Hui's eyes couldn't help but turn red. For their children, their parents always wanted to give them the best. Even though they had done their best, they still felt that they had not done enough.

Thinking about the news that Wang Daniu had told her, Xu Hui bit her lips and secretly made a decision.

Xiao Xiuer patiently waited for a few days. She finished preparing her dowry quilt and painted the wooden chest a second time. It was not even ten days until the day of marriage.

Xiao Xiuer felt that she could no longer wait, she thought of what her sister Hua Er had told her. Yesterday, Third Uncle had bought a new inkstone from the town, although she did not know how much he had spent, she had heard Xue Wu say to Hua'er, "Even if I sell you, it will not be enough".

At this rate, all of the betrothal presents that the Zhou Family sent over would have all been spent by third uncle. Xiao Xiuer was panicking!

After eating dinner, Xiao Xiuer and her family sat inside the house while Zhang Shi sat at the window entrance. Before the light completely dimmed, she would sew and mend clothes; Xiao He lowered her head and wove the hemp thread while Xiao Huaer bent over to pick up the beans, preparing to make the bean bag in two days.

Xiao Xiuer looked at the embroidery work in her hands and sighed. Her family worked like this all year round, waking up before dawn to work every day, only able to lie down when it was dark. It was because her grandmother wanted her to light the lamp at night and work hard.

However, no matter how much they worked, all those delicious and useful things would all go to the Third Son's Family's room. The land in the house was planted by oneself, the work was done by one's own hands, and for what reason did the Third Son's Family have to pay for his betrothal gift? Xiao Xiuer only felt a surge of fury in her heart, and she couldn't help but put down the embroidery work in her hands, lower her head, put on her shoes, and walk out.

Zhang Shi saw her daughter suddenly walking out, and immediately asked: "Xiu Er, where are you going?"

She jumped off the brick bed and patted Xiao He who did not have time to react, and anxiously changed his tone: "Quickly, quickly, Xiu Er will go to the upper room to look for her grandpa!"

Xiao Huaer also quickly shouted, "Father, quickly go. If my sister angers my dummy, will she get beaten up?" Xiao Huaer had never gotten anything good from the main house before, and what she remembered the most was either scolding or beating them up.

Xiao He was startled, he put down the hemp rope in his hands and immediately rushed up to the house. Xiao Huaer supported Mrs Zhang and put on his shoes, causing his to become anxious and scared, her hands trembling incessantly: "Flower, your sister, your sister, won't I get beaten up by you?"

How could Xiao Huaer answer that? When she was young, she was insensible, and fought over food with Xiao Xuewu, so the bottom of her shoes hurt. Even until now, she still remembered it, but when she thought about Xiao Li's disease slapping her shoes with his eyebrows, Xiao Huaer couldn't help but shiver.

Her daughter, Xiao Xiuer, was standing right in front of her father and mother as she shouted, "The Zhou Family has given me sixty silver taels as betrothal gifts. I don't ask for much from my master's milk as a dowry, I just hope that your master's milk can prepare some things for me.

Before Xiao Xiuer could finish her words, she was interrupted by Xiao Li's disease's angry shout, "You're an unmarried daughter, yet you keep your mouth shut and don't care about your dowry, don't you have any shame?"

Xiao Xiuer's face flushed red, but she was unable to say a single word after turning over in her heart for a long time. Just as she was about to step into the room, he couldn't help but shrink back.

Just as Xiao Li's disease and Xiao Pao were about to sleep, they were suddenly startled by Xiao Xiuer who barged in. In a daze, when Xiao Xiuer said that no dowry would be needed, Xiao Li's disease was immediately furious, this mother and daughter who had a bad heart actually dared to scheme for the betrothal gift!

Seeing Xiao Xiuer's face turn completely red, Xiao Li's disease continued to curse: "All of you have a black heart and a rotten stomach, I'll control your food and clothes, and support you until you're old enough to get married. You don't know that, even before you've stepped out of the sect, you've already wholeheartedly gone to your in-laws' homes. A word of mouth is just two pieces of dowry, do you think our family's money came from the wind? "Which family do you think you are a daughter of? Let's see if you have the same fate as her!"

Xiao Xiuer's face was flushed red, blood dripped out, and her tears rolled in her eyes. Just as Zhang Shi arrived at the door, she saw her man cowering outside, with each of her mother-in-law's heart-wrenching words flowing in her ears, her ears were buzzing with anger, and even her throat felt sweet!

Xiao Li's disease's finger almost touched Zhang Shi's forehead: "Day by day, you are cheating and skinning right in front of my eyes. Now that your wings have hardened and are about to overturn the sky, are you not taking me seriously? Eat mine, drink mine, I'll feed you all for nothing, and you guys still want to drink my blood to skin me, and sell me to please the Zhou family, so don't take my things to sell. One or two, with an honest face and a malicious heart. Don't think that just because I'm old and can't see, I'll allow you to do as you please? After all these years, you didn't even give our Xiao family a single child. You didn't even make our second son give you up, you're a benevolent, ungrateful bastard of our Xiao family. If you don't want to stay in the Xiao family, then scram back to your home! "

Mrs Zhang burst into tears. All these years, she had been extremely cautious, afraid that she would say something wrong and take a wrong step. Her father-in-law didn't dare to go back on his words because he hadn't given birth to his son. Who would have thought that at the age when she was about to marry her daughter, her mother-in-law would divorce her just because of a single sentence from Xiu Er? How could she still have the face to live?

Seeing her crying like this, Xiao Xiuer and Xiao Huaer who had chased her in, couldn't help but hug their mother and cry as well!