"When people are poor, there’s really no way out. We aren’t those heartless people, like you, Old Lai, we know, you’re always a good person, you shouldn’t take it out on us."
"... If we can’t repay you in this life, we’ll be your ox and horse in the next life."
"Today, we’re here for two things: first, to kowtow and apologize to you, Old Master; second, to propose a marriage for Elder Brother Shouren, to repay your great kindness."
The brothers were crying bitterly, kowtowing, and slapping their own faces, saying on one hand that Old Master Lian was a great benefactor and on the other hand admitting their faults. Of course, what they did was out of desperation, all due to poverty, and so on.
Old Master Lian sighed deeply and then helped the brothers to their feet.
"Sit down, sit and talk in front of ." Old Master Lian invited the Woo Family Brothers to sit in front of him.
"Just like that, the past matters are written off with a clean slate?" Hearing Lian Yeye say this, Lian Manman couldn’t help but ask.
"Seems like it." Lian Yeye said helplessly.
"How can it be like this, how can we keep falling for the sa trick over and over!" Lian Manman lanted.
Old Master Lian had suffered losses at the hands of the Woo Family more than once or twice; how could he not learn his lesson? Such people should be chased out with a stick, how could he invite them to sit on the kang and have a nice chat with them?
"That’s just how Old Master is." Lian Shouxin pressed his hand to his forehead, speaking gloomily. "He always says this: ’A prodigal who returns is worth more than gold.’ The words of the Woo Family Brothers have touched his heart, it’s no wonder he softened."
Lian Manman felt a bit embarrassed but thinking back on Old Master Lian’s usual actions, and chewing over what Lian Shouxin said, she could roughly understand Old Master Lian’s mindset.
Old Master Lian truly believed in the words of the Woo Family Brothers; the bad things they did were forced by poverty. Old Master Lian believed that the Woo Family Brothers were good in nature. Or rather, he believed that under his tolerance and kindness, these brothers would surely turn from evil to good in the end.
Look, when he was at his wit’s end proposing marriage for Lian Shouren, weren’t these two brothers there to help!
His benevolence finally transford the Woo Family Brothers, what a story of good repute this would be! As long as there’s this mont of a prodigal’s return, everything he had given before was infinitely worth it, and the past misdeeds of the Woo Family Brothers would vanish into thin air.
Old Master Lian was fulfilled!
The saying ’character determines destiny’ truly is a nugget of wisdom, thought Lian Manman in disbelief. Old Master Lian’s personality ensured he would be deceived by the Woo Family over and over, and it also dictated his particular favoritism towards Lian Shouren and Lian Jizu.
But, this was simply outrageous.
’A prodigal who returns is worth more than gold,’ Lian Manman didn’t object to this saying. For people who are genuinely willing to reform, Lian Manman felt they should be given a chance. However, Old Master Lian took it too far. He focused exclusively, nurturing those ’prodigals’ like precious flowers, waiting for their return, while ignoring and disregarding those who lived quietly and dutifully. He was even more willing to sacrifice well-behaved children to coddle his ’prodigals.’
Lian Manman couldn’t think of the right words to describe this behavior, she was speechless.
"That Woo Family Brothers, which family did they propose to?" Lady Zhang ca to her senses first and asked Lian Yeye.
"They said it’s soone from the hotown of Wife of Woo Ergou, and they’re relatives..." Lian Yeye replied.
Woo Ergou and Woo Sangou proposed soone for Lian Shouren, a girl, twenty-five years old, never married. Speaking of it, this girl has to call Wife of Woo Ergou ’eldest aunt.’
"Which village is Wife of Woo Ergou from?" Lady Zhang then asked Lian Shouxin.
"How should I know?" Lian Shouxin shook his head, "I heard it’s quite far, but I don’t know the exact place."
"Still a girl, never married, already twenty-five, what’s wrong with her?" Lady Li asked.
In this era, they didn’t follow the concept of ’single aristocrats,’ girls were born to marry at a certain age. Normally, girls from typical families should marry by the age of seventeen or eighteen at the latest. A girl who was unmarried past twenty was rare. And in this day and age, a girl who was twenty-five and unmarried must have so reason.
There was a saying during this ti: ’There are leftover n, but no leftover won,’ aning a girl, regardless of her conditions, could always find a husband. Take Luo Xiaoyan, despite being older, soone was still willing to marry her on her terms.
But for this girl, being twenty-five and unmarried, it most likely indicated sothing was wrong with the girl herself.
"I heard from Yaya’s mother, my grandfather asked the sa question." Lian Yeye said.
"What did the Woo Family Brothers say?" Lady Zhang quickly asked.
"... They said there’s nothing wrong, just that the family is poor, and they’re asking for a lot of betrothal gifts. Their area is particularly remote, and people don’t have much money, so every ti they try to propose, it never works out, resulting in this delay." Lian Yeye explained, "They also said the girl is very filial, very sincere, she cares for her parents and brothers at ho. The betrothal gifts are to support her family. They said the girl is healthy and strong, really good at working, except her needlework isn’t great; she handles all the other chores inside and outside the house.... They also said she’s as good at farm work as a man."
"By those standards, she’s quite decent. Marrying her would be beneath us." Lady Zhang pondered.
"The main point is the betrothal gift." Lian Manman said calmly.
"It’s just that the betrothal gift is a bit much, but to find soone so young, and still a girl, it’s suitable." Lady Zhang said.
What Lady Zhang ant by suitable was not that Lian Shouren and the girl were a match, but that Lian Shouren was getting the better deal.
"Yeye, did the Woo Family Brothers say how much betrothal gift they wanted?" Lian Manman turned to ask Lian Yeye.
Sending a second update, asking for 1550 pink votes. (To be continued. If you like this work, welco to co to Qidian (qidian) to vote for the recomnded ticket, monthly ticket, your support is my greatest motivation.)
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