Chapter 20

“Meilan, look at what you said. We talked about this when we were dating. Since you can afford the betrothal gift, you don’t expect me to come back with you. My nephew has an allowance of more than 90 yuan a month, so he can afford to support a wife.”

Zhang Guifen was driving the cart in the front and whipped the horse without even turning his head.

“I have lived in Front Street for so many years, and I can see clearly what kind of life Baozhu has lived.”

“Child, don’t feel bad. My nephew Shen Xiao is very easy to get along with except that he is cold and quiet. After you get married, he will be responsible for making money outside, and you will stay at home to take care of him and give birth to children. The two of you will definitely live a prosperous life.”

Qiao Baozhu curled the corners of her mouth slightly and quickly scanned everyone’s expressions.

“We both have jobs. Although we don’t earn as much as he does, as long as we don’t waste money on this or that, we can save a lot every month.”

As for the betrothal gift, Qiao Baozhu was about to say that she had brought it back when she felt her back being twisted hard. She turned her head to meet the eyes of her adoptive mother Bao Huihua.

Bao Huihua winked at Qiao Baozhu and shook her head gently.

Qiao Baozhu instantly understood what her adoptive mother meant and obediently shut her mouth. She leaned on Bao Huihua’s shoulder and quietly looked at the scenery on both sides of the road without saying a word.

Qingyan Mountain is very large, but it is very neatly planned. The local villages are all built around the farm, and the Corps is 10 miles to the east.

As for the so-called corps family compounds, they are actually rows of houses built on the open space of a state-owned farm near the corps.

Because the two units were close to each other, some resources were shared, such as hospitals, service centers, guest houses, post offices, state-owned restaurants, and the farm’s sewing room and barber shop were also opened here.

Over time, this area has become a small commercial street. People from nearby villages would sell their own vegetables, eggs and other agricultural products here. The well-off educated youth or military cadres would buy them from them to improve their lives.

The group of little guards of the committee would never drive away the people who were selling vegetables in front of the service center. Their parents would beat them up without the leader giving any orders.

Because farmers are having the hardest time these days, the leaders of the Corps and the farms know this very well. As long as they don’t go too far, they will turn a blind eye to such things.

Liu Meihua sat next to Zhang Guifen. After Qiao Baozhu responded with a few words in a neutral tone, she remained silent.

She pushed Zhang Guifen, who was driving the cart, and pouted at Qiao Baozhu: “Look at what you are saying. Are you angry?”

Zhang Guifen frowned and said in an annoyed tone: “I didn’t say anything. It’s all the truth.”

“She obviously has a job, why are you still asking your nephew to support her? Where is your nephew? Why doesn’t he come to pick up his wife?”

Zhang Guifen smiled innocently, but she was nervous inside.

Why does it sound like there’s something else behind what San Ya said just now?

Zhang Guifen carefully recalled what Qiao Baozhu had just said, “As long as you don’t subsidize this or that, you can save a lot in a month.”

She was shocked: Could it be that this girl knew about the Wei family?

If they really knew that the Wei family were vampires, the couple would have a huge fight in the future.

Zhang Guifen was in a mess and had lost interest in chatting. She was only thinking about how to reveal the affairs of the Wei family’s mothers to Qiao Baozhu before Shen Xiao came back.

The mule carts in front were all quiet, each preoccupied with their own thoughts, while the mule carts at the back, with a few educated female youth getting married, were chattering non-stop.

“What a waste of Baozhu’s pretty face! This marriage is so bumpy!”

“It’s really not smooth. I thought I had found an officer and Baozhu’s luck had turned. Who could have thought that it would be such a coincidence that we would go to take action on the day of the bride’s wedding.”

“It is the duty of a soldier to obey orders. There is nothing we can do about it. I think Captain Shen is better than Zhao Haiyang.”

“I also think that Zhao Haiyang is not a good person. Hey… what’s in front? Look…”

A few female educated youth were talking when Fang Shan noticed something was wrong ahead.

A few people looked closely and saw a row of horse-drawn carriages parked on the main road in front of the gate of the family compound, each with a red flag hanging on it.

The main gate of the family compound faces the Corps Farm Service Center. There were already quite a few people here, and when a few eye-catching horse-drawn carriages appeared, many people came over to watch the fun.

“It’s my dad!”

Qiao Baozhu immediately spotted Qiao Changhai standing at the intersection, looking around. She patted Zhang Guifen’s shoulder excitedly and pointed at the carriages ahead.

“Second Aunt, let’s stop over there.”

Zhang Guifen and Liu Meilan also recognized Qiao Changhai at this time.

But neither of them thought about the carriages with red flags. When they saw Qiao Changhai wearing a sheepskin coat and covered in dust, they couldn’t help but feel disgusted.

“San Quezi, where have you been? Today is a good day for your daughter, don’t you know?”

“No wonder I couldn’t find anyone in or outside my yard. What are you doing here?”

Qiao Changhai raised his red face and was not angry because Liu Meilan called him by a nickname.

He scratched his head and smiled innocently: “I have to show my daughter the dowry. What if so much dowry is lost?”

Zhang Guifen was stunned, and she and Liu Meilan said in unison: “See the dowry?”

Qiao Changhai turned around and pointed: “My daughter’s dowry.”

Everyone looked in the direction where Qiao Changhai’s hand was and suddenly became uneasy.

A two-story maroon tiled kangqin, two half-tall wooden boxes, a large double-door wardrobe, a wooden washstand, a 1.6-meter-high bowl rack, pots, pans, and various farm tools filled four full cars.

The carriage at the back was loaded with eight satin quilts and various kinds of fabrics.

There was also a carriage filled with grain and autumn vegetables.

Not only were the onlookers dumbfounded, even Zhang Guifen herself gasped.

“San Quezi, you said these are all Baozhu’s dowry?”

Looking at Zhang Guifen’s incredible expression, Qiao Changhai nodded proudly.

The honest, wrinkled old face showed a bit of loneliness: “I can’t help it. The betrothal gift your family gave is too high. If I don’t give her some good things, I’m afraid my daughter will be bullied.”

“Let’s go, let’s go quickly, it’s windy here. Don’t let the child’s bedding get dirty.”

As he spoke, Qiao Changhai walked to the last carriage and took out the sack covering the bedding and cloth.

The whole journey was covered with sacks. When they arrived at the gate of the staff quarters, Qiao Changhai tore open a corner of the sack to let people see what was inside.

Qiao Changhai chose the right time and waited until Zhang Guifen drove over before he opened the sack and showed it to everyone.

Qiao Changhai winked at the driver in front, and the driver cracked the whip loudly.

The convoy of six dowry vehicles headed towards the family compound. Several escorting masters took out suona, trumpets, gongs, cymbals and other musical instruments and started playing music.

Bao Huihua quickly took out a red scarf from her pocket and covered Qiao Baozhu’s head with it. Then she quickly jumped off the cart, holding onto the mule cart and followed with a smile.

Zhang Guifen and Liu Meilan reacted and got off the car with a smile. Zhang Guifen was in front, pulling the mule cart slowly and quietly, while Liu Meilan smiled and threw candy at the children who came to watch the fun.

The family compound was in an uproar, and everyone ran out to watch the fun.

“It turns out that the carriage parked outside the gate is actually the new bride in our compound.”

“Which young wife is so wealthy? She brought six carts of dowry as a dowry.”

“It’s Captain Shen. Didn’t they say today is Captain Shen’s wedding day?”