Chapter 62 : Marriage

“Mom, why are you here?”

As soon as Zhao Cuihua arrived, she knew about it. With such a commotion, it was impossible not to notice. She had been hiding in her room for a while, and when she realized she couldn’t avoid it any longer, she mustered the courage to come out.

She had specifically asked for leave three days ago to clarify with her mother that Ma Xiuzhi was against this match. At that time, her mother had scolded her a bit, but that was it, and she thought the matter was settled.

Who would have thought that today, not only was her mother still bringing people, but it seemed like a coercive marriage proposal!

Now, her mother-in-law must hate her deeply. How could she ever live peacefully in the Liang family after this?

Did her mother never consider her feelings?

But if her mother had really considered her, she wouldn’t be Zhao Cuihua. After twenty years of not considering her daughter, how could she expect her to start now? In Zhao Cuihua’s mind, her own daughter probably wasn’t worth more than the fifty bucks in the bride price.

Huang Shumin swallowed her bitterness, quickly approaching Zhao Cuihua, and in a low voice asked, “Mom, let’s discuss this privately. What’s going on today?”

After speaking, Huang Shumin nervously glanced at Ma Xiuzhi, whose face was a stormy mess, and then at Liang Junqiang, who had followed Ma Xiuzhi out. Liang Junqiang’s face was filled with confusion, but he stood by Ma Xiuzhi’s side without hesitation.

The two groups had formed opposing sides, like enemies.

Huang Shumin was extremely anxious, instinctively taking a step back. Her breath quickened, feeling that if today’s matter wasn’t handled well, she might not be able to stay in the Liang family. Not to mention how Ma Xiuzhi might react in anger, even Liang Junqiang, who usually doted on her, might become distant.

She should have firmly rejected her mother’s absurd matchmaking attempt from the start. Now, she was caught in a situation where she was neither here nor there!

Honestly, Huang Shumin was not only resentful of her mother for not considering her feelings but also felt that Ma Xiuzhi was being unreasonable.

Though her mother’s approach was somewhat aggressive and pushy, her intention was to facilitate a good match. It might not be perfect, but it wasn’t entirely wrong either.

Huang Shumin still didn’t understand why Ma Xiuzhi rejected the marriage proposal outright. The conditions of the match were rare even in the city. If Liang Qingqing married him, she would move to the city, live in an apartment, have abundant food, and potentially have a child or two. Her status would be secure, making her a proper city person a chance that many people would seek but never find!

Moreover, having met the person today, her mother hadn’t been wrong, he might not be exceptionally handsome, but he was refined and clean, wearing a crisp white shirt, riding a bicycle, and sporting a Shanghai watch—quite impressive.

He was young and already a deputy manager, with a promising future.

The villagers were envious to the point of their eyes almost falling out. Yet, Ma Xiuzhi stubbornly wanted to suppress the matter and keep it hidden. Had she lost her mind?

If it weren’t for her mother, Liang Qingqing wouldn’t have had such a good match!

At first, Huang Shumin was skeptical and wondered if there was something fishy going on, but now that she had seen the man in person, all her doubts were dispelled. She felt that Ma Xiuzhi must be overly proud and might want to marry her daughter off to royalty.

“Didn’t I tell you? On this rest day, I bring the man over for a meeting, and if it’s a good match, finalize the date!” Zhao Cuihua shot Huang Shumin a look, internally cursing her as useless.

After raising a daughter for twenty years, she had barely been married a few months before starting to act like an outsider. It was as if she was indeed the “worthless” and “ungrateful” child people criticized. Her mother-in-law said what she wanted, and she didn’t consider the family’s situation. With her younger brother about to get married, every bit of money counted. If they didn’t get that fifty bucks, how would they marry off the bride and continue the Huang family line?

If it weren’t for her own cleverness in showing up unannounced today, that fifty bucks would have been completely wasted!

Huang Shumin felt a wave of panic. Her mother was really going to ruin her! Although she had known that her mother would bring the man over on this rest day, she had clearly informed her that Ma Xiuzhi was against the match. She hadn’t expected her to actually come to the Liang family.

Now, no matter how she explained, it wouldn’t make a difference! Her mother-in-law would definitely think she was being double-faced and had set the Liang family up.

Sure enough, the next moment, Ma Xiuzhi’s face darkened completely. “Shumin, why didn’t you tell me about this matter? Why was I kept in the dark?!”

“I…” Huang Shumin opened her mouth but couldn’t find the right words. After a long pause, she still couldn’t say anything. Her reluctance only made it seem like she was guilty, tacitly admitting to the situation. With Zhao Cuihua stoking the fire, Ma Xiuzhi’s anger erupted.

“Forget about the past, what’s important now is to finalize the kids’ marriage. Comrade Deng has already prepared two hundred yuan as the bride price and the ‘three turns and one ring’ (a set of essential household items). Once you agree, we can arrange the banquet.”

Zhao Cuihua curled her lips into a smile and looked around at the crowd that had gathered. “Isn’t that right, everyone? Today, we have a chance to come together and witness this union.”

“Two hundred yuan for the bride price? And ‘three turns and one ring’?”

Everyone inhaled sharply, their faces turning red. These days, in the countryside, not only is it rare to offer the “three turns and one ring,” but even bride prices are often just a few bags of grain.

How did the Liang family get so lucky? Their daughter is being exchanged for such valuable goods!

“Xueyong’s family, don’t get tangled up in trivial matters. It’s clear that your in-laws really want to introduce a good match for your Qingqing. I’m so envious.”

“Qingqing is truly fortunate. Hurry up and settle this, or you’ll regret it later.”

“Hey, I see they’re not too eager. Why not consider my daughter?”

“Shameless! Why are you trying to steal someone else’s suitor?”

“City folks are out of reach, so don’t even think about village folks. If you have a son, don’t embarrass yourself by coming to the Liang family!”

Once these words were spoken, everyone realized the implication and nodded in agreement.

The villagers’ voices were loud, and their remarks carried clearly on the wind, reaching every ear. The Liang family’s faces turned pale, being labeled as greedy and unrealistic. It would be extremely difficult for Qingqing to find another suitor in the village after this. Even if Qingqing wanted to marry far away, the commotion today would spread throughout the village in minutes. Any mention of the Liang family would bring this incident to mind, and the man would hear of it sooner or later.

Zhao Cuihua’s tactics were extremely vicious! She was forcing them into a corner!

The Liang family wasn’t stupid. If it were truly a coveted match as Zhao Cuihua claimed, they could have had a proper discussion. Instead, such underhanded methods were being used, clearly hiding some unknown ulterior motives, which is why they were being coerced.

“Good, good, it’s all very good!”

Ma Xiuzhi was trembling with anger, her eyes bloodshot and ghostly red. She glanced around quickly, then suddenly grabbed a broom from the yard and swung it at Zhao Cuihua. “Get the hell out of my house! Leave!”

“Even if Qingqing from our family can’t get married in the future, she will never marry someone as vicious as you. I will support my daughter for the rest of her life!”

Zhao Cuihua was caught off guard and was struck hard in the waist by the broom, causing her face to contort in pain. As she stumbled towards Huang Shumin, she yelled, “Crazy woman, how dare you hit someone? Are you out of your mind? You’re so ungrateful!”

Seeing Huang Shumin standing between them, Ma Xiuzhi hesitated, her broom suspended in mid-air. She couldn’t bring herself to hit Zhao Cuihua and was breathing heavily, “Shumin, move aside.”

“Mom, calm down, let’s talk this out. Don’t be violent,” Huang Shumin was trembling with fear. After so many years of marriage, this was the first time she had seen Ma Xiuzhi this furious, except for the incident with Ding Aixia. It was clear that Ma Xiuzhi was extremely angry.

But she had to muster the courage to mediate. If her mother-in-law and her own mother started fighting, the whole village would gossip about her! She needed to protect her reputation.

“I’ll say this one more time—move aside!” Ma Xiuzhi’s hand gripping the broom was straining, as if she might snap it in half any moment.

“Mom, she’s right. Put down the broom,” Liang Junqiang stepped forward, blocking Ma Xiuzhi. The latter looked incredulous. “Liang Junqiang?”

“Junqiang,” Huang Shumin sighed with relief, seeing that her husband was on her side. But before she could smile, Liang Junqiang’s cold voice cut through, “Give me the broom. I’ll handle them, so you don’t get hurt.”

“!”

Both Huang Shumin and Ma Xiuzhi were stunned. It wasn’t until the broom was taken from her that Ma Xiuzhi exhaled sharply, realizing that her son had indeed been worth raising, he knew how to distinguish the important matters at critical moments!

“I don’t hit women. Get out by yourself,” Liang Junqiang pointed towards the door, not even glancing at Huang Shumin. His expression was cold and resolute.

Seeing Liang Junqiang’s demeanor, Huang Shumin swayed, nearly collapsing.

It was over. Everything was over.

“You think someone like you can marry my sister? .”

Not hitting women didn’t mean he wouldn’t hit men.

Not hitting women doesn’t mean he won’t hit men.

Liang Junqiang was tall and had spent years doing physical labor, his muscles well-defined. Even the men in the village feared him, let alone Deng Weiping, who had never done heavy work in his life. Deng Weiping swallowed nervously but still tried to hold his ground, saying, “If you dare lay a hand on me, I’ll make sure you end up in jail. Do you believe it?”

“So what?”

Before Liang Junqiang could respond, a cold, sharp voice suddenly cut in. In an instant, Deng Weiping’s collar was grabbed. He looked up abruptly, meeting a pair of fiery, angry eyes.

The suppressed rage was evident, with veins bulging on his neck and his tightly clenched fists trembling slightly.

This man,

Deng Weiping had noticed him as soon as he entered. Though his attire was plain, his aura was striking—cold and noble, unlike any rural person. But now, he resembled a wild beast from the mountains, glaring at Deng Weiping with a fierce intensity, and the strength in his grip was astonishing.

Fan Yanxing didn’t have the patience to deal with this coward any longer. Seeing that he was so scared that he didn’t dare to fart, a sarcastic laugh escaped his lips. He exerted force with his hands, lifted the man up like a chicken, and suddenly walked towards the gate of the courtyard.

The people gathered at the door stepped back when they saw the evil god, leaving a semicircular space.

Fan Yanxing threw the person out like trash.

Deng Weiping felt as if his whole body was broken into pieces, pain emanating from his bones, and he couldn’t even get up. But before he could move, the majestic bicycle was thrown at his feet.

Whether it was intentional or not, the bicycle wheel landed right on Deng Weiping’s calf, causing him to cry out in pain. His face turned pale, and he no longer cared about his dignity, clutching his leg and wailing loudly.

Deng Zhaoxian, who had been acting like he was invisible, finally stepped forward to help move the bicycle.

“Cousin, are you okay?” Deng Zhaoxian pretended to be concerned but didn’t actually touch Deng Weiping, even taking a step back in distaste. Did he not know the situation in Deng Weiping’s family?

If it weren’t for securing a formal position at the pork factory, he wouldn’t have wanted to get involved in this rural mess!

Deng Weiping was in so much pain that he couldn’t speak, only continuing to clutch his leg and howl.

“Insane, absolutely insane!” Seeing her “benefactor” treated like this, Zhao Cuihua felt as if her fifty yuan had grown wings and flown away, leaving her fuming with anger.

She looked at the towering Fan Yanxing and Liang Junqiang, wanting to curse them but daring not to, so she turned her anger back to the thin and weak Ma Xiuzhi, pointing at her and shouting, “Ma Xiuzhi! If your daughter can’t marry a rich family because of you, I bet she’ll hate you for the rest of her life!”

“It’s all your fault, you foolish woman! You’ve blocked your daughter’s path to wealth with your stupidity. You think you’re doing good, but you’re just making things worse. You deserve to be bullied like this! Is there no justice? Relatives fighting each other—what a disgrace!”

Hearing this, Ma Xiuzhi’s face changed, and her heart pounded. Zhao Cuihua’s words hit her where it hurt. What she feared most was that Qingqing would find out and insist on marrying into the city, pursuing what she considered a better life.

If Qingqing learned that Ma Xiuzhi had single-handedly denied her the chance to become the city person she dreamed of, would she still recognize her as her mother? She might end up hating her for life, just as Zhao Cuihua had said.

Ma Xiuzhi’s breathing grew rapid, but she couldn’t find her voice. At that moment, a cold female voice interrupted Zhao Cuihua’s incessant cursing.

“Why would I hate my mother? I’m grateful to her!”

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