"Sister Ziyan, I didn't mean anything else. I just saw him come back and wanted to ask if his business went smoothly," Huang Ying insisted.
Shen Ziyan smiled, "Alright, alright, I know. But you'll have to wait a bit. He'll come over on his own."
As she spoke, Liu Rumei was already waving to them. "Miss Shen, my brother Xiao Bei is here to deliver the betrothal gifts."
Shen Ziyan smiled and stepped forward to greet them. "Wonderful, wonderful! I am Huang Ying's elder sister, so I will accept them on her behalf."
Just as they were talking, hurried footsteps sounded from outside, and the Lotus Sect Leader also arrived. The Lotus Sect Leader was carrying two large bundles and was panting from exertion.
"Hey, hey, hey, where's Ziyan? What's the rush? I'm your senior sister, and this matter concerns me." She said this and quickly came up to Shen Ziyan, shoving one of the large bundles in front of her. "Go and distribute the peanuts and preserved fruits I bought in town to everyone."
In those days, there seemed to be no custom of distributing candy, and of course, there was no candy yet, so sharing dried fruits was a way to share joy. While Shen Ziyan was distributing peanuts, the Lotus Sect Leader stepped forward, took the reins from Chen Xiaobei's hand, and said with a smile, "Chen Xiaobei, you'd better treat my sister well. If you dare to bully her, don't blame me for being impolite."
Chen Xiaobei spread his hands helplessly, "Sect Leader, please speak with a clear conscience. I'm not strong enough to even hold a chicken..."
Before he could finish, the Lotus Sect Leader glared, "You're still calling me Sect Leader? I think you deserve a beating."
There was someone even more anxious here, so Chen Xiaobei changed his tune, "Alright, senior sister. I've got it. Don't worry. From now on, she's the one who'll hit me. I promise I won't lay a hand on her."
The Lotus Sect Leader looked at him, her smile disappearing, and her expression turned serious. "You mean this seriously, and you'll keep your word."
Chen Xiaobei nodded, his expression also becoming solemn. "I'm serious. I'm a man. What reason is there for a man to hit a woman? A man should only protect a woman."
These few words were spoken with great conviction, and everyone present applauded. Liu Rumei secretly sighed. Chen Xiaobei's actions were always surprising. She never expected him to say something like this, no wonder Cui Hongyu was so determined to find him a second wife.
The crowd busily helped Huang Ying tie up the four horse-drawn carriages before reluctantly leaving the schoolhouse. Seeing that Chen Xiaobei still didn't want to leave, the Lotus Sect Leader stomped her foot again, "Go, go! After the wedding, you can stay as long as you want, and no one will care. But not today. There's no use rushing."
Chen Xiaobei was speechless. He wasn't in a hurry. It was just that there were too many people, and he had to wait for them to leave before he could. He was, after all, still half a host.
When everyone had dispersed, a small head finally appeared. Chen Qiao'er had arrived. She quickly walked up to Chen Xiaobei and took a large piece of dried meat from her pocket, handing it to him. "Brother, brother, are you hungry? Eat quickly."
Her words brought tears to Chen Xiaobei's eyes. Everyone else was making a fuss, and only his sister cared if he was full. The child had no ill intentions; this was Qiao'er's genuine care for him. Chen Xiaobei hugged Chen Qiao'er and gently tapped her little nose. "I'm not hungry yet. Have you been good these past few days? You must listen to your sister-in-law."
Chen Qiao'er suddenly broke free from his embrace and ran to Huang Ying's side, taking Huang Ying's hand. "I listen to Sister Huang Ying."
Everyone present burst into laughter at her words. Liu Rumei also secretly marveled at how clever Chen Qiao'er was, despite her young age. She understood what she needed to understand. The crowd chatted and made noise until it was completely dark before they slowly dispersed.
Chen Xiaobei, accompanied by Cui Hongyu and holding Chen Qiao'er's hand, was about to head home for dinner when someone called out to him at the doorstep. It was his second aunt, Xiu Mei. "Xiaobei, you've been busy these past few days, so no need to cook. Come and eat at my place." Chen Xiaobei didn't stand on ceremony and nodded.
Upon entering Chen Dachun's home, Cui Hua had already prepared dinner with three or four dishes. The main course was military provisions brought back from the mountains: dried meat and dried fish. The dried meat and fish were soaked in water and then stewed. Although the texture was slightly different from fresh fish and meat, the taste was not much different, which brightened Chen Xiaobei's eyes. People in this era were already quite clever. This method of preserving food was both convenient and could extend its shelf life.
Chen Dachun poured Chen Xiaobei a cup of wine and said with a smile, "Brother Xiaobei, if it weren't for you, I would have been finished in this life." Chen Xiaobei naturally understood what Chen Dachun meant. He smiled and raised his cup, "Brother Dachun, everyone makes mistakes. It's all in the past." "From now on, Hetou Village will still depend on you." With that, the two men looked at each other and smiled, clinking their cups and drinking them dry.
Second Aunt Xiu Mei was exceptionally courteous, pulling Cui Hongyu aside to chat about New Year's matters. As he listened, Chen Xiaobei sensed something was amiss. Xiu Mei definitely had something on her mind. But since she was beating around the bush and not saying it directly, he didn't need to ask. He would see who could hold out longer.
Finally, Xiu Mei couldn't hold back and spoke first. "Xiaobei, I have something I want to discuss with you." "Ah, Second Aunt, just tell me what it is." "Xiaobei, it's like this. You are about to marry a second wife, and Dachun also wants to marry another."
Upon hearing this, Chen Dachun bashfully lowered his head, and Cui Hua remained silent beside him. Chen Xiaobei was very surprised. Although he was being forced by Cui Hongyu to take a second wife, he had the means; he had several thousand taels of silver. But what did Chen Dachun have?
Xiu Mei continued, "That family has agreed. She'll come here as a concubine, but the betrothal gift is ten taels of silver." "I was wondering if I could borrow it from you first. We'll repay the money slowly." Ten taels of silver was not much; for Chen Xiaobei, it was a piece of cake.
At this moment, Cui Hongyu smiled and said, "Oh, Second Aunt, what's the big deal? It's just ten taels of silver. I'll give it to you later." "Oh, that would be wonderful! Thank you, Miss Hongyu, thank you, Xiaobei, thank you, Xiaobei."
Just then, Cui Hua stood up with a flushed face. "I've finished eating. I'll go check outside." It was obvious that bringing this up in front of Cui Hua made her feel a bit uncomfortable.
Watching Cui Hua walk away, Second Aunt let out a disdainful snort. "What's the point of a hen that can't lay eggs still occupying the nest?" Her words struck Chen Xiaobei's heart, and even Cui Hongyu's eyes were filled with surprise. However, Chen Xiaobei thought about it and realized that in this era, having no offspring was considered the greatest lack of filial piety. He recalled that Chen Dachun had been married for two or three years.