Yang shi said repeatedly that it was only right; otherwise, a failed match could lead to bad blood. It was a great complint that Gou Dan’s mother had taken a liking to Qingmu.
So, they agreed that Grandma Huang would co back in the afternoon for an answer, and with that, she slowly headed back to the village.
When Zheng Changhe saw Yang shi approaching, he asked, "What did Aunt Huang co for?"
Yang shi told him that Gou Dan’s mother wanted to arrange a marriage.
Zheng Changhe laughed happily. "Ah! That’s wonderful news. izi is a good girl. But what if our Qingmu doesn’t want to get married?"
Yang shi sighed. "I’ll go ho and ask him. When the other matchmakers ca, I turned them down flat. To be honest, I just wasn’t interested in their candidates. But now that a good one has co along, I can’t bear to refuse."
Zheng Changhe nodded as well, agreeing that was indeed the case.
At noon, Yang shi went ho for lunch, but only Qingmu was there.
It turned out that Lanzi and Li Jinxiang also wanted to gather and pick so water bamboo shoots, so they asked izi and Liu Xiaoi to co along. Liu Xiaoi, in turn, invited Juhua.
Juhua thought the dish tasted quite good, so she ate lunch first. When her brother finished his studies for the day, she had him tell their parents before she headed into the village.
Back at the house, Yang shi told Qingmu what Grandma Huang had said while they ate, asking him if he was fond of izi.
Qingmu hadn’t expected that even after saying he didn’t want to discuss marriage, proposals would still co one after another.
If it were anyone else, he would have just refused. But izi really was a nice girl, and she got along well with his sister. While he wouldn’t agree to the match just to avoid offending soone, when he thought about it carefully, he really couldn’t find a reason to say no.
’But it’s not like I was just kidding about not wanting to get married,’ he thought. ’My mind really isn’t on that right now—Huai Zi and I have a lot we want to accomplish.’
’Then again, Mom is right. If I stick stubbornly to this, I might miss out on a good match when one cos along.’
He thought for a mont and said, "Then ask her family. If they’re willing to wait a few years, we can get engaged first. If they’re not willing to wait, then let’s forget it. I really don’t want to get married right now."
Hearing this, Yang shi’s face lit up with joy. "Gou Dan’s mother will be thrilled! She can’t bear for izi to get married off. Now her daughter’s marriage is settled, but she doesn’t have to leave ho right away. How perfect is that?"
Zheng Changhe was also grinning from ear to ear. Even though the wedding wasn’t happening right away, at least his future daughter-in-law had been chosen.
Seeing how happy they were, Qingmu couldn’t help but smile too.
He didn’t have any particular feelings for izi, but now that he had agreed to the match, things were naturally different. Thinking of her innocent and carefree manner, he couldn’t help but blush a little.
Suddenly, he rembered Juhua ntioning that Li Changxing had asked for izi’s hand on behalf of Li Changming. ’It seems Gou Dan’s mother must have refused,’ he thought. ’It has nothing to do with , anyway. It’s not like I’m the one who ruined their chances.’ With that, he put the matter out of his mind.
In the afternoon, when Grandma Huang arrived at the fields looking for Yang shi, Zheng Changhe quickly told her that Yang shi was at ho and invited her to go over.
She slowly made her way to the Zheng family’s ho. The mont she saw Yang shi greeting her with such a joyful smile, she knew the matter was settled.
So, she entered the house and sat on a small stool Yang shi brought for her. She listened as Yang shi explained Qingmu’s thoughts from beginning to end. Yang shi finished by saying, "Aunt Huang, please tell Gou Dan’s mother that Qingmu isn’t just being difficult. He genuinely doesn’t want to get married right now, but he also thinks izi is a wonderful girl, which is why he ca up with this solution. I think Gou Dan’s mother will be happy with it. Isn’t she reluctant to see izi marry and leave ho? We can get them engaged first, which lets izi stay with her for a couple more years. Once Qingmu has earned so money and can provide a good ho, he can marry izi in style. Wouldn’t that be wonderful!"
Grandma Huang also breathed a sigh of relief. "You’re right. Once they’re engaged, our families are officially connected. That sets the heart at ease, and there’s no need to keep looking for other matches. Gou Dan’s mother will certainly be happy to keep her daughter at ho for two more years."
Yang shi smiled. "Isn’t that the truth? It’s not easy to find a suitable family to marry into. With a girl like izi, whom we know through and through, I can rest easy. And Gou Dan’s mother has watched our Qingmu grow up, so she can rest easy too."
Seeing that she had successfully arranged a marriage, Grandma Huang was especially pleased. She wasn’t in a hurry to leave, so she chatted idly with Yang shi for a long ti before finally taking her leave and heading back.
When Juhua ca ho that evening, Yang shi excitedly told her that from now on, she would have to call izi "sister-in-law." Juhua’s face fell in dismay.
She couldn’t believe that Qingmu had actually agreed.
’He never seed to have any feelings for izi, so how could he have agreed? My brother has always said he doesn’t want to think about marriage right now.’
Juhua was incredibly frustrated.
’In my eyes, Qingmu is an exceptional person. Especially since he started studying, I can see how much he and Zhang Huai have grown beyond the norm. It would be so frustrating if he gets hurt because of this—doesn’t he deserve a girl who will be completely devoted to him?’
’But izi won’t be completely devoted to him.’
Juhua thought helplessly, ’How am I supposed to tell Mom, Dad, and my brother?’
’Should I just tell them that izi likes Li Changming? No, that’s not good. A person’s reputation is at stake. Even though they’re my own parents, it’s better not to say anything if I can help it.’
’But if I don’t say anything, this mistake will continue, and my brother and sister-in-law might end up as an unhappy couple.’
During dinner, seeing how happy her parents were, she couldn’t hold it in any longer. "Dad, Mom, Brother! I’m afraid this match isn’t right!"
Yang shi and Qingmu were both very surprised. They had thought Juhua would be happy. Why did she seem so reluctant?
Yang shi’s voice grew serious. "Juhua, do you know sothing?"
Juhua said, "It seems Brother Changming is also pursuing izi. Brother, you knew about this, didn’t you?"
Seeing her bring this up, Qingmu smiled faintly. "He can pursue her all he wants; it’s not like I played any dirty tricks. Since Grandma Huang ca to our door to propose the match, it must an Gou Dan’s mother was unwilling to marry izi to him. Just because he failed to marry her doesn’t an no one else can, right?"
Yang shi hadn’t known about this. After hearing Qingmu’s explanation, she nodded repeatedly and said, "They aren’t a good match anyway. Changming is a bit too old. Besides, with Granny Hua’s temperant, there’s no way Gou Dan’s mother would ever agree to marry izi to her son."
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