With the new livestock purchased, some villagers were genuinely happy for Shen Qing, while others were envious, and naturally, some were downright jealous.

Not everyone in the village was kind, and not all were simple-hearted.

Sun Xiaomai’s tone was dripping with sarcasm as she said, “Buying five livestock at once? Is she planning to live extravagantly now? Typical of someone who suddenly got rich—does she even know her own worth?”

Wang Fugui stared straight at the five strong animals before shifting his gaze toward Shen Qing, his voice full of envy. “Brother Jiang was truly blessed to have married such a capable wife. Too bad he wasn’t fated to enjoy the good life—died too soon!”

Sun Xiaomai immediately scoffed with fiery mockery. “Oh? Wasn’t it you who used to say that Jiang’s wife was unlucky? That she brought bad luck to men and that whoever married her would suffer?

You even said that nothing mattered more for a man than choosing the right wife—otherwise, he might not even know how he died!

But now, what? Just a couple of years, and you’ve forgotten your own words?”

Wang Fugui’s face turned red and then pale. After a moment, he stiffened his neck and argued, “I’ve thought it over—it was Brother Jiang who wasn’t lucky enough! You can’t blame others for that!

If he had been strong enough, how could a woman bring him misfortune?”

Sun Xiaomai sneered in return. “Then I say a woman should only truly succeed once her husband dies!

Just look—when Jiang Da was alive, what kind of life did the Jiang family have? What kind of life did Shen Qing live?

Now, not even two years after his death, the Jiang family’s fortunes have soared!

So tell me—who was bringing bad luck to whom? If you ask me, the first step for a woman’s success is to get rid of her husband!”

“You—you—you—” Wang Fugui was so enraged that he nearly choked, his face turning deep red.

Sun Xiaomai cast a final glance at the five livestock, then disdainfully looked at her own useless husband before turning on her heel and leaving.

Wang Fugui’s chest heaved with fury, but with no one left to argue with, he had no choice but to swallow his frustration and head home in silence.

Among the crowd, Zhou Chuncao stared at the five robust animals, her eyes filled with deep regret.

Why had she lost her patience and fallen out with Shen Qing the night before?

No, she had to find a way to make amends!

Harvest season was just around the corner, and with five strong animals, transporting the wheat from the fields would be effortless—not to mention plowing the fields afterward.

She had to swallow her pride and coax Shen Qing back into a good mood.

…

Jiang Xiangdong was confused when he saw his mother suddenly buy so many livestock.

Their family didn’t need that many, did they?

But despite his confusion, he still followed her orders and built a thatched shelter near the vegetable garden.

“Mother, it’s fine now when the weather is warm, but will a thatched shed hold up in winter?”

“Big brother, are you dumb? By winter, won’t we already have built a big house? Maybe even a brick one!” Jiang Xiangnan said excitedly.

Jiang Xiangdong didn’t know how much money brush-making could bring in, but he did know that livestock were expensive.

Most families could support themselves with just one, yet their mother had bought five in one go.

That was probably more expensive than building a brick house!

He turned to look at their shabby thatched house, thinking that it really was time to build a better one.

Even if it wasn’t made of brick, even a mud-brick house would be better.

Preferably with a tiled roof—he was sick of replacing the thatched roof every year, and whenever it rained, the house would leak in patches, sometimes even soaking the bed. It was miserable!

With Jiang Xiangnan’s interruption, Shen Qing didn’t have to answer the question about winter.

After all, in just a few days, they wouldn’t be living in Qili Village anymore.

But where should they move to?

The current era was unstable—once natural disasters struck, relying on the government was out of the question. They could only depend on themselves.

Natural disasters were terrifying, but human disasters were even more despairing.

As common folk without power or influence, they had to plan ahead.

Fortunately, the marketplace had books available now—covering history, climate, maps, and local customs. It was the perfect opportunity to compare and find an ideal, peaceful place to settle down….

..

The next morning, after finishing breakfast, Shen Qing collected ten pounds of malt sugar from Jiang Ying, then carefully prepared the pastries, fabrics, and jewelry she had bought the day before.

She placed everything on the donkey cart, with Jiang Xiangxi driving it toward the Guan family.

Behind the cart followed their family members, along with the elders of the Jiang family—Jiang San and his wife, who sold tofu and would return just in time for lunch.

To liven up the occasion, Shen Qing also invited Jiang Ying and Zhou Yan to join them, since their own family members were more reserved.

During the farming off-season, especially in the mornings, villagers would either squat under eaves with their bowls, chat at doorways, or visit neighbors.

When they saw the red cloth covering the gifts, they immediately knew it was a joyous occasion, and their eyes widened in curiosity!

They hurriedly swallowed their food, some not even bothering to put their bowls down, and quickly followed behind the donkey cart.

“Is the Jiang family’s second son going to the Guan family for a marriage proposal?”

“That was fast! They waited for so long without any news, and now they suddenly decided to propose?”

“Ha! Having money is nice. But I wonder what’s under that red cloth?”

In a small village, even the purchase of a piece of meat could spread from one end of the village to the other in no time—let alone a major event like a wedding proposal.

In just a short while, almost everyone who hadn’t gone out that morning had gathered outside the Guan family’s courtyard to watch.

..

Guan Li and Guan Xiaoshan had been informed the day before that a proposal would be coming today, so they had dressed up early and were waiting at home.

Meanwhile, Guan Mujiang was busy running around.

As a widower without relatives in Qili Village, he would normally have invited some women to help, but to avoid gossip, he decided against it.

Similarly, the village chief should have been invited, but since he was from the groom’s side, he would naturally be arriving with them.

Luckily, his two children had been earning more money than him recently, allowing them to store up plenty of smoked meat, making meal preparations much easier!

He cut the smoked meat into large slices, filled a big bowl, and prepared wild garlic. When lunchtime came, he would stir-fry a massive portion of it with the meat.

He had slaughtered an old hen, now simmering in golden broth.

The chicken giblets were stir-fried with spicy pickled chilies.

In the morning, he had also bought a big fish from the Zhao family and exchanged some tofu with Jiang San’s family to make a hearty stew.

Chopped half a basin of chives, mixed them with a dozen duck eggs, and fried two plates of chive omelets.

With one more vegetable dish, the meal should be presentable.

Though the variety wasn’t vast, the portions were generous—enough for fifteen to twenty people.

He kept pacing between the kitchen and the yard, worried the food wouldn’t be enough but also feeling that the portions were sufficient.

Before he could overthink it, a lively commotion erupted outside, filled with joyful voices.

Guan Mujiang’s heart pounded, and his hands trembled even more.