Tian Jing, about to catch up on sleep, looked speechlessly at the family of three wrestling their way into the room. She realized she was incompatible with the Tian family; ever since arriving, she hadn't had a good night's sleep and couldn't help but look forward to the day she could leave the Tian family.
Pulled back into the room, Tian Ping saw Tian Jing, who looked relaxed and scornful, her temper flared again, "Tell me, did you steal the thing?"
Seeing his own daughter ask for the second time, Tian Yongyi also began to suspect.
Tian Jing scoffed, "You blame others for your own foolish actions. Grandpa said he saw it the first night, and he'd seen it many times before without any issues. How could it be stolen only after you revealed the secret?"
"Instead of looking for the reason within yourself, you push it onto me. Isn't it just because you're used to bullying me?"
"Secrets are meant to be kept buried. Once spoken, they are no longer secrets and can harm both others and oneself. You'll see, you won't have a good outcome."
Tian Yongyi and his wife's faces were not good. Tian Jing's words were correct; Pingping marrying Lu Zhiqing was impossible. They had to quickly find someone for her to marry. Even if it wasn't within the Kushan mountains, they had to find someone quickly, as the Chen family had only given them two days. With the rumors of elopement circulating, finding a good match was impossible.
"Husband, I'll watch here. You go to the main hall and listen." Chen Yun wanted to know how her father-in-law would handle their daughter's situation.
"Alright." Tian Yongyi hurriedly left the west room.
In the main hall, after Tian Ping was taken away, Old Man Tian said to Lu Jianjun, "I don't have time to waste with you, and I won't force you to marry Pingping anymore. There's only one path now: take all your proof of identity, register your household registration and work matters, then sell your job, and move your household registration back to Zhangshan Production Team. You'll live and die on this land forever. This is all your own doing, so don't blame anyone else."
Seeing that Old Man Tian was serious, Lu Jianjun knew he couldn't delay any longer, or he would not only lose his job but also become a true farmer. "Old Man Tian, I really didn't see that jar. I suspect someone must have overheard me and Pingping's conversation and framed me. As unwilling as I am, I can only accept my misfortune. How about this: you stop pursuing the matter of my job. I'll pay three hundred yuan to settle today's incident, is that acceptable?"
Upon hearing this, Old Woman Tian, who felt sorry for her half-jar of gold bars, did not rejoice. She looked down at the only two gold bars left in her hand, unconcerned with her husband's plans.
The rest of the Tian family looked expectantly at Old Man Tian. The entire family, working together for a lifetime, might not be able to save so much money. In an era when rice and flour were only a little over a dime a jin, and pork only a little over seven dimes a jin, three hundred yuan was a colossal sum.
Old Man Tian flatly refused, "Three hundred yuan is the amount for the job. You've ruined Pingping's reputation; how do we settle that? Don't tell me you genuinely intended to elope with her."
Lu Jianjun's face darkened. Three hundred yuan was already his biggest concession, and he would have to shamelessly borrow it from everywhere. "Old Man, have you heard of a cornered dog jumping over the wall? If you push me too hard, at worst, it'll be a fight to the death."
Lu Jianjun was so angry he even cursed himself.
Old Man Tian did not back down. "If Tian Ping hadn't had this incident, finding a husband would have brought at least a hundred yuan in betrothal gifts. To appease the Chen family, we'll have to marry her off in a hurry, and the betrothal gifts definitely won't be much. She'll be looked down upon by her in-laws, so it's necessary for her to have some extra money for herself." Sudancan.com
As Tian Jing had guessed, Tian Yongyi, who had rushed to the main hall, heard his father's words and felt a pang in his heart. This tension wasn't because he was worried about his daughter, but because he was afraid of Tian Jing. Tian Jing had guessed her father's actions exactly, and the method of threatening Lu Zhiqing was also suggested by Tian Jing.
No wonder Tian Jing could negotiate terms with his father. No wonder she had been so troublesome these past two days, and his father had endured it. If he hadn't intervened and disciplined Tian Jing the morning before yesterday, not knowing the full story, his father wouldn't have told him the content of his negotiation with Tian Jing.
However, his father was protecting Pingping's reputation, even if it was just an excuse to extort more money, he felt a little relieved. Isn't there a saying that old ginger is spicier? His father was definitely more formidable than Tian Jing.
"I'll pay fifty more at most," Lu Jianjun gritted his teeth, "I'm not sure if I can borrow that much money."
"Fine," Old Man Tian agreed. He was also afraid of pushing the man too hard. "I'll continue to hold onto all your documents. After breakfast, you go and prepare. At the latest by noon tomorrow, if you don't show up, we'll take the documents and proceed with the registration in the afternoon."
"Good!" Lu Jianjun squeezed this "good" through his teeth. "I'll leave now."
The sky outside was just beginning to lighten. Old Man Tian waved his hand, "Then you'd better hurry."
As soon as Lu Jianjun left the Tian family, Old Man Tian immediately instructed the Tian family members, "Eldest daughter-in-law, hurry and find a match for Pingping. Marry her off within two days. It'll be the same day as Jing's wedding, which can serve as a cover. Third daughter-in-law, accompany your mother to town to buy wedding supplies. Old woman, remember to purchase the fabric needed for Jing's autumn and winter clothing, and get someone to make them as soon as you bring them back."
Seeing his wife's reluctance, he said, "Don't offend her too badly either. The method for dealing with Lu Jianjun was her idea. If Pingping hadn't been so talkative, Lu Jianjun would have definitely married Pingping, and they would have been married with a certificate that couldn't be easily discarded."
"Lu Jianjun readily agreed to marry Pingping before, and he must have planned to get through it and then find a way to escape. Tian Jing saw through this. I don't expect her to help the Tian family in the future, I only hope she doesn't oppose the Tian family. Don't create more enmity for the Tian family."
Old Woman Tian shivered. She then remembered the old man's secret warning: Jing had changed, becoming steady, capable, and scheming. The Tian family couldn't keep her, nor did they have any reason to. Her agreement to the exchange marriage to end her ties with the Tian family also saved the Tian family some expenses. She nodded and agreed, "Liwen's wife, Liwu's wife, the two of you hurry and make breakfast."
Tian Liwen's wife, Zhao Xiang, and Tian Liwu's wife, Wang Lan, quickly left the main hall. Only the genuine Tian family members remained inside. Old Man Tian called his sons and grandsons to guard the main hall, while he and his wife took the remaining two gold bars back to the east room.
The Tian family's children and grandchildren looked at each other, wanting to accuse the elderly couple of not hiding the valuables in their room earlier. But they dared not speak up. These two days were particularly hectic, and they decided to stay out of it. The thought of the original jar of gold bars now reduced to only two made their hearts ache terribly.
In the east room, Old Woman Tian also felt the pain. "So much stuff, and only these two left. My heart feels like it's being torn apart. If I had known, I wouldn't have given the leftover gold key parts to Uncle." She paused, "Speaking of the gold key, do you think it really wasn't Jing who took it? It was fine before, but something happened only when you took out that gold key to remove that red string?"