Chapter 97:
What they care about is still Fourth Brother and Fifth Brother!
Old Li Tou saw Li Lei’s dark face, not very welcoming him, and felt a bit sad inside.
But he didn’t show it.
“Lei Wa, Dad brought you some freshly ground wheat flour from home today. It’s not easy living at your father-in-law’s house. Dumplings and flatbreads made from this fresh flour are so delicious!”
“Eat it together with your father-in-law and big brother-in-law’s family!”
“Mm.”
Li Lei made a sound from his nose.
You all still know how hard it is for him, Li Lei?
It’s precisely because parents like them don’t care about anything, don’t provide anything, and still take from him that he has such low status in this Chen family and lives so aggrieved! Looked down upon by others!
That’s why he has no choice but to think of all sorts of ways to make a living!
Old Li Tou glanced inside at Li Lei’s father-in-law, whose face didn’t seem too good, and didn’t even come out to greet him when he arrived.
He felt a bit uneasy inside. Last time the second daughter-in-law came back from home like that, who knows what Lei Wa’s old father-in-law thinks!
Is he angry? He hopes this bit of wheat flour can apologize to him and make him calm down!
Old Li Tou set down the bamboo basket, took out the wheat flour sack, placed it by the shop door, and said again: “Lei Wa, yesterday someone came to the house to arrange marriage for Zhenzhu, it’s a Master Zeng from this town. You’re familiar with the town, Dad wants to ask you to help out! Go inquire about it!”
Li Lei knew full well that with that dead girl’s behavior, you all still treat her like a treasure and are reluctant to marry her off. If not for him, could she find such a good family?
“Alright then, tell me about that person’s situation, and I’ll go inquire right away!”
“Hey!”
Old Li Tou told Li Lei everything he knew. “That Master Zeng of Zeng Manor is said to have just moved to town. You must inquire clearly, it concerns Zhenzhu’s future…”
“Got it, Dad!” Li Lei said vaguely, took the flour inside, greeted his father-in-law, and went outside.
Only then did that father-in-law act like he had just noticed Old Li Tou’s arrival, stepping out slowly with an air of superiority, and said disdainfully: “Lei Wa’s dad is here?”
“Sit inside!”
Then he walked away!
“Uh…”
He wanted to say something, oh, he wanted to thank him for raising his own Lei Wa, but the words didn’t come out…
Only Chen Pi and He Hua were left in the shop!
Old Li Tou felt awkward and restrained. The couple was busy greeting customers. Chen Pi told He Hua to pour a cup of tea, and He Hua did so hurriedly and clumsily.
Feeling bored, he took out the tobacco pouch from his waist to roll a cigarette, wanting to smoke to relieve his boredom.
He Hua hated him so much. “Uncle, what are you doing?”
“Uh… I just want to smoke.”
“Smoke? We’re selling cloth here. What if you set the shop on fire?”
“Hehe! I didn’t think that far. Sorry!”
The atmosphere was bad, and he also felt he couldn’t stay in their shop any longer, so he stood up and said he was going out for a walk!
He Hua wished he would leave early. The shop was only so big. How could they do business with a countryside old peasant staying inside smoking?
A bit of wheat flour counts for nothing, like giving alms to beggars! Their Old Chen Family raises the seed of their Old Li Family, and they hunt all year round, yet they’ve never seen them willing to send over a piece of meat!
Old Li Tou hunched over on the street, hands clasped behind his back, smoking, wandering outside for who knows how long.
Watching the people coming and going beside him, the lively bustle on the street, the carriages and horses, all had nothing to do with him!
They were all hurrying about for their own lives! He clearly has so many children and an old wife, so why does he feel like an orphan at this moment?
Looking back on this half lifetime, he’s been quite hardworking, so why hasn’t he lived that superior life?
Feeling it was about time, he went back to take a look…
By then Li Lei had already returned and was busy in the shop. Seeing his dad come back, he got angry: “Dad, where did you go? Why are you only coming back now?”
Old Li Tou didn’t expect him to be so angry and quickly explained:
“Dad went out for a stroll and got a bit lost for a moment! How did it go? Did you find out anything?”
Li Lei was displeased: You’re quite leisurely, even in the mood to wander around!
“Mm, I found out!”
“Then tell me quickly, how is it?”
“That Master Zeng of Zeng Manor, his manor is located on Xi Shui Street, he’s in the ceramics business.”
“Oh?”
A gleam of joy appeared in Old Li Tou’s eyes. There really is such a person!
Ceramics business, that’s big business!
“Then tell me quickly!”
“I just went to their manor gate. There were two big lion statues at the doorway, red lacquered door, and a butler guarding it!”
“I knocked on the door. The butler opened it. I roughly glanced inside, and my eyes nearly popped out—pavilions and towers, garden rockeries, young maids dressed as maids cleaning inside…”
Old Li Tou was extremely excited!
“How old is he? Does he truly have no children?”
Li Lei’s eyes flickered: “His age should be around forty-something! As for children, naturally he has none. If he did, he wouldn’t be looking for Zhenzhu!”
“Should be…?”
Old Li Tou found it strange. Why “should be” forty or fifty?
“Aiyo, Dad, why are you nitpicking over those words? You told me to go inquire, so I went. And now you’re complaining I didn’t inquire clearly enough?”
“No, no, Leiwa, Dad didn’t mean that!”
“Hmph! As for whether he has any concubines or whatever, since his main wife can’t bear children, of course he has some to have kids. Dad, you’re a man too—you can understand, right?”
“Which rich man doesn’t have three wives and four concubines? He’s just doing it to continue the family line and pass on the incense. Without fertility, she’s worthless in his eyes!”
Because not only in rural people’s old-fashioned thinking do they fear terribly that no one will tend the grave bags! They scheme for women to get pregnant again and again. Even rich people fear no one to inherit the incense!
Anyway, they don’t treat women as people!
“Believe me, once Zhenzhu goes in, she’ll definitely enter a golden nest and enjoy blessings!”
“Is that so? But… Dad already told Matchmaker Wan to back off. What are we going to do about this?”
“What? You told her to back off?”
Old Li Tou was filled with regret!
“How about Dad goes to beg her?”
Li Lei saw his greedy, regretful, and anxious look and felt a bit contemptuous.
He said awkwardly: “How about this? Since I’ve heard of Matchmaker Wan, Dad, I’ll go find someone to put in a good word. It’s just a matter of spending a few more silver taels at most!”
“What? More silver?”
Old Li Tou looked crestfallen. This old woman would curse him to death when he got back! It was clearly a surefire, no-loss deal, but he had to say some words of retreat and mess it up like this…
“What did you think? Matchmakers make money from this. To have her run around again and negotiate, she’ll definitely charge more silver! And me finding someone—that’s troubling them too. You think they won’t want any tea money?”
“Well, couldn’t we just go to Zeng Manor ourselves and talk?”
“Dad, what are you thinking? That wouldn’t be rushing to make Zhenzhu a concubine? Can you bring yourself to do that?”
“If word gets out, how can our Old Li Family still hold our heads up in the village? Besides, if they’ve already arranged marriage with a daughter from another family, would it do any good if you went to say something? We’d still need Matchmaker Wan’s clever tongue!”
“This… cough! It’s indeed a bit… that! Li Lei, you’re right!”
“Alright! For something that just costs a bit of silver, leave this matter to me. When the time comes, you can just wait to take Zhenzhu’s marriage certificate!”
“Eh! Eh!”
Old Li Tou was overjoyed!
Before it got dark in the afternoon, Old Li Tou got the marriage certificate signed by Matchmaker Wan, went to find Zhao Maogen, got on the ox cart, and prepared to return to the village!
He smiled so happily like a flower on his face, and Li Zhengxin’s wife even teased him, asking what good thing had made him so delighted?
What’s the matter? You’ll find out in a few days.
He gave a meaningful wink!
