248 Broken Engagent
Whimpering, she began to sob, "It was who upset the little girl. She pushed in anger, and I fell, and a stone pierced my hand."
"Just then, my younger brother ca over and saw everything. He felt the little girl didn’t intend to harm anyone and thought an apology from her would suffice."
"But who would have thought this girl wouldn’t apologize? She even started yelling at , accusing of being a vixen who had seduced you! So, my brother, anxious to protect , grabbed her collar, just intending to scare her."
Sun Youcai quietly watched Zhou iniang. After she finished her lengthy account, he asked, "So, you’re saying that Tongtong not only pushed you but also yelled at you, is that right?"
Zhou iniang nodded, her face etched with grievance, yet she feigned understanding. "Brother Sun, please don’t be angry. Tongtong is just a child. It must have been sothing I did that upset her, causing her to act this way. Please, don’t punish the child. It was all my fault."
Listening to Zhou iniang’s words, Sun Youcai unconsciously frowned, feeling a sense of unease.
One could only say that the Sun Youcai of that ti was unaware of the later generation’s term ’green tea,’ used to describe a manipulative person. If he had known, he would have understood what Zhou iniang’s current behavior signified.
Sun Youcai didn’t ponder Zhou iniang’s words any further. Instead, he looked at Zhao Zhitong in his arms and asked, "Tongtong, did you push your sister and yell at her?"
Zhao Zhitong’s eyes were red. She shook her small head and pointed at Zhou Hai, who was still trying to get out of the ditch. "No! The big bad guy wanted to steal my necklace!"
Sun Youcai nodded; he had already made up his mind.
He said nothing more but gave Zhou iniang a look tinged with disappointnt, then turned to walk back.
That single glance threw Zhou iniang into a panic. She stood up and blocked Sun Youcai, saying in disbelief, "You believe a child’s words over mine?"
Sun Youcai calmly replied, "And why not? Should I disbelieve my niece and believe you instead?"
"I know my niece very well. She wouldn’t do the things you described."
"Furthermore, if Tongtong had actually done them, she would admit it, and there would certainly be a reason for her actions."
Having said his piece, he turned to leave.
At this mont, Zhou Hai finally managed to climb out of the ditch. Seeing only Zhou iniang standing there crying, he asked in exasperation, "Where are they! Sister, where are they!"
Zhou iniang glared at Zhou Hai, crying resentfully, "This is all your fault! Now the marriage is going to be called off! WAHHH!"
With that, she turned and ran back, sobbing.
By the ti she returned, Sun Youcai was already in his cart, preparing to leave.
Granny Zhou still didn’t know what had happened. She saw Sun Youcai about to depart right after returning, and then she saw her daughter co back with red, swollen eyes.
She simply assud her daughter had angered Sun Youcai by asking for jewelry. This made her instantly unhappy, and she thought, ’This future son-in-law is far too stingy.’
She imdiately asked, "Youcai, what’s all this? Why are you leaving already? Did our i Niang upset you?"
Sun Youcai forced a smile. "Not at all. It’s just that my niece can’t be away from her mother for too long. We’ll take our leave now, ha."
After saying this, without waiting for them to say anything more, he imdiately drove the cart away quickly.
Throughout the journey, Sun Youcai’s expression wasn’t very pleasant. Zhao Zhitong glanced at him once, then again, before asking, "Younger Uncle, are you unhappy?"
"No." Sun Youcai snapped back to reality, looked at Zhao Zhitong, and shook his head. "Your Younger Uncle was just thinking about sothing."
"Oh." Zhao Zhitong cupped her small face and watched Sun Youcai. After a while, she suddenly asked again, "Younger Uncle, are you still going to marry that sister from the Zhou Clan?"
Caught off guard by the question, Sun Youcai was stunned for a mont. He then looked at Zhao Zhitong and said, "You’re just a little girl. Don’t ddle in adult affairs."
Zhao Zhitong scooted her little bottom closer to Sun Youcai, her small hands grasping his arm, and said in a sweet, childlike voice, "I’m not ddling! Humph, Tongtong wants Younger Uncle to marry a good wife."
Her earnest little appearance successfully made Sun Youcai laugh. He said helplessly, "Still say you’re not ddling? Those are adult matters. Alright, sit tight now, Younger Uncle is going to speed up!"
「 」
Sun Youcai practically galloped all the way ho.
Upon reaching ho, his grandmother pulled Sun Youcai aside and asked probingly, "Fifth Son, I heard from your sister today that she saw the young lad from the Zhou Clan gambling in the county town. You know, once soone gets involved with gambling, it’s a scourge, a bottomless pit."
"Your brother-in-law happens to know soone from Zhou Family Village who can help inquire about the Zhou Clan’s situation. If..."
Before Zhao Guifen could finish, Sun Youcai interjected, "Mother, regarding my marriage with the Zhou Clan, which was arranged by parental command and the matchmaker’s introduction, please decide as you see fit."
His words stunned Zhao Guifen. Why did it seem her youngest son had lost his enthusiasm for the Zhou Clan’s young lady after just one visit?
She imdiately smiled in relief. "Alright, alright, Mother will investigate thoroughly for you."
After Sun Youcai left, she quickly pulled Zhao Zhitong aside and asked, "Tongtong, co, tell Grandmother, did anything happen when you and your Younger Uncle went to the Zhou Clan’s house today?"
Zhao Zhitong had been itching to tell her grandmother. Hearing the question, she eagerly began to complain indignantly, "Grandmother, that sister and brother from the Zhou Clan are really bad! They wanted to trick out of my necklace, but luckily, this clever girl, hehe, wasn’t fooled by them."
"Then, that bad man grabbed my collar to snatch my necklace, and then he lied to Younger Uncle and wrongly accused ..."
Zhao Zhitong recounted the events with vivid gestures, and her grandmother’s expression grew darker and darker as she listened.
She slapped her thigh and cursed angrily, "Pah! What a family of scoundrels! People like that must absolutely not enter our Sun Family’s gates!"
Zhao Guifen was already dissatisfied with the Zhou Clan’s young lady, though initially, it was only because the young lady seed too frail and weak.
She hadn’t expected her character to be so flawed, to the point of stooping to sothing as despicable as robbing a child!
It was only because her son, Old Fifth, had a good temper. If it were her, she wouldn’t have given them any face and would have had an open confrontation on the spot!
So, by the ti Zhao Dong returned to the county town, found the rchant, and went with gifts to visit Shopkeeper Zhou to inquire about Zhou iniang’s family, Zhao Guifen had already made up her mind.
Ultimately, at the cost of the initial small red envelope they had given, the marriage engagent between the Sun Family and the Zhou Clan was called off.
As for the Zhou Clan, upon learning the marriage wouldn’t proceed, they stopped pretending and instantly revealed their true colors, stubbornly refusing to return the red envelope. Granny Zhou even threw tantrums and made scenes, trying to extort more money from the Sun Family.
Fortunately, the Sun Family was not one to be trifled with, having many male mbers and being recognized as thriving. Moreover, Zhao Guifen in her youth was famously fierce throughout the entire street, so Granny Zhou didn’t manage to gain any advantage.
So, after returning ho, Granny Zhou started slandering the Sun Family all over the street. She said all sorts of nasty things about them—how they were stingy, how they only brought a worthless weed when visiting their future in-laws, and so on. There was no end to the vile things she said. Finally, to vent her anger, she even threw the peony flower Sun Youcai had gifted into the river.
Reviews
All reviews (0)