??Chapter 170: Chapter 171 Driving Oneself to Death_1
Chapter 170: Chapter 171 Driving Oneself to Death_1
Speaking of which, I could actually introduce her to my little niece. She’s my sister’s youngest daughter and an honest child too, hardworking without a complaint. She’ll turn fourteen next year, so it’s about ti to start talking about marriage,” Mrs. Du said cheerfully.
Muniang’s eyes lit up, “That’s wonderful! When can you bring her over to take a look? Just say she’s coming to your house to play for a couple of days. Then we can have a al together at my place, let the two et and see if they hit it off. If they feel a spark, we could help them along.”
Qinghe, however, said, “But isn’t she a bit young? She’ll only be fourteen next year, and my brother will already be twenty. That’s a six-year difference.”
Mrs. Du huffed, “What’s that got to do with anything? Around here, age doesn’t really matter—it’s just six years. Are you worried that people will talk, saying your brother is like an old cow eating tender grass? As long as the two can get on well and have a happy life together, it doesn’t matter even if the girl is six years older than the boy!”
Qinghe felt a little embarrassed, “It’s just that I’m afraid her youth might make her sowhat spoiled. My brother is so thick-skinned—he probably wouldn’t realize that a young girl’s feelings need to be considered all the ti. She might be upset for days, and he wouldn’t even know why. I just don’t want her to feel aggrieved if she marries into our family.”
Mrs. Du laughed, “That shouldn’t be a concern at all. Li Cheng’s temper is one of the best in our village. Though I’m old, my eyes are still sharp. And my little niece, despite her age, is quite mature for her years; she’s in charge of many things at ho. You can be at ease.”
Only then did Qinghe reply, “Well, that would be for the best.”
“We can talk all we want here, but it’s all for naught if the two of them aren’t willing. Li Cheng also doesn’t seem too concerned about getting married. If he doesn’t take a liking to her, forcing him into a marriage won’t do any good,” Muniang said.
Mrs. Du really hoped to make this match. She was confident about Li Cheng, praised his character, and knew that since he was so devoted to his sister, he would certainly cherish his wife in the future. Besides, with no in-laws to worry about, the girl wouldn’t have to suffer any grievances from a mother-in-law. Even with Qinghe as a sister-in-law, who had such a good temperant, there would likely be no trouble in getting along.
Looking ahead, Li Cheng’s hunting skills alone could earn more than the average family of farrs. Plus, with Li Qinghe’s savvy mind—she was one of the three bosses at Muniang’s Embroidery House—the siblings were admirable. Their future promised to be prosperous. Mrs. Du only regretted not having a daughter of the right age; missing out on such a good family connection would be a pity indeed.
Mrs. Du thought that if her niece could indeed marry into this family, it would be her good fortune.
But that would be up to her niece in the end, since a woman’s life for the latter half of her days was bound to her husband’s family. Naturally, Mrs. Du was determined to put enough thought into this for her niece’s sake.
“Alright then, she ntioned just a few days ago wanting to co over for a visit. I’ll have her co over in a few days to take a look,” Mrs. Du said happily.
With that, the matter seed to be settled. Qinghe felt a weight off her shoulders, only hoping that if this girl really was a good match, her brother wouldn’t miss out on the opportunity.
Suddenly, Mrs. Du said, “Speaking of happy occasions, it seems that Xia Bing from our village is about to get married. I heard her marriage is set for the beginning of next month. They say she wants to get married before the New Year to make it festive. Tupo Village is sure to liven up for the event.”
Muniang was taken aback; she had forgotten about this.
Mrs. Du clucked her tongue, “But if you ask , Xia Bing is a fine girl. Though her family’s circumstances weren’t the best, she was well raised, amiable and polite. A girl like that truly deserves a good fate. I’ve heard that her wedding is going to be the best our Tupo Village has seen. They say that Tofu Zhang alone gave twenty taels of silver as betrothal gifts. How generous!”
Muniang knew Mrs. Du had no idea of Xia Bing’s true nature and didn’t say much, but she inwardly comnded Xia Bing for not only being cunning but also for her exceptional endurance.
She had asked Qingya to investigate earlier and learned that ever since she deliberately spread the rumor about Xia Bing holding Qiao Lianhua up on a pedestal, Xia Bing suffered to the point of near death every ti she refused Qiao Lianhua. Surprisingly, she had actually endured so far. Her resilience was indeed not to be underestimated.
Thinking about the oppressive life Xia Bing had been living under Qiao Lianhua’s tornt these past few months, Muniang’s anger had subsided quite a bit. She no longer cared whom Xia Bing would marry, thinking it best to leave well enough alone. After all, others had worked so hard for their marriage; she ought not to ruin it.
But who knew, while Muniang wanted to leave Xia Bing a way out, Xia Bing had backed herself into a dead end.
With the wedding day not far away and the bridal gown already made, it was precisely at this ti that Xia Bing discovered sothing alarming—big trouble!
Today, Xia Bing had arranged to et Qiao Dalang in a small grove on the back hill. She sat sowhat anxiously on a large rock, waiting for him.
Suddenly, soone hugged her from behind and began to nibble on her neck ssily, mumbling incoherently as well, “Little temptress, thinking of
right before getting married? Are you afraid you’ll be lonely after marrying, afraid that Tofu Zhang won’t serve you as I can?”
Xia Bing pushed Qiao Dalang away with all her might, irritation written all over her face, “What are you doing, can’t you be serious for once?”
Qiao Dalang widened his eyes in shock, “What’s wrong? After sleeping together so many tis, you still play coy with ? Do you think I can’t deal with you just because you’re getting married?”
Xia Bing felt like crying out of frustration, “Get married? How can I get married now!”
“What’s wrong? What happened?” Qiao Dalang was completely confused.
“While I was eating yesterday, my stomach suddenly started to feel uncomfortable, and I just wanted to vomit. The acid reflux was so bad I couldn’t eat anything! I thought it was just upset stomach, but it’s been like this for several days now!”
Qiao Dalang glanced at her disinterestedly, “If you’re sick, see a doctor. What good is telling ?”
Xia Bing pinched him hard, “See a doctor? How can I dare to see one? If this matter of getting pregnant before marriage gets out, would I still have any face left?!”
Qiao Dalang jerked in fright, “What are you saying? How did you get pregnant so easily? It’s just a few bouts of vomiting, doesn’t an it’s that easy to happen. Maybe you really did just have a bad stomach.”
Xia Bing said angrily, “A bad stomach? Don’t I know my own body? I’ve never been ill from childhood, and my body has always been strong. My mother had exactly these symptoms when she was pregnant with my brother. If I can’t even recognize this, then I am the fool!”
Now Qiao Dalang was truly bewildered, “What are we going to do now?”
Xia Bing burst into tears, “It was you who forced
back then, if not for you, would there be so much trouble now? Look at what you’ve done, you’ve ruined !”
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