Su Cui Ping finally spoke her mind, letting out a sigh of relief. She turned to look at the man kneeling properly beside her. Leng San, as if telepathically connected, also looked up at her.
Their gazes met in mid-air, and both wore smiles, looking exceptionally sweet.
Everyone present could see the affection between them, and Madam Wang certainly could. “Good! Since you are willing, then Mother will support you.”
Madam Wang readily agreed. Before Leng San could feel any joy, he noticed Su Ming Hui’s expression was still somewhat peculiar. He subtly tugged at Madam Wang’s clothes, giving her a look to signal her to come to the back.
After pulling Madam Wang aside, Su Ming Hui whispered in her ear, “How could you agree so quickly? Have you forgotten Chen Xing’s third son?”
Madam Wang’s expression faltered for a moment before she remembered. Chen Zhi, the third son of the Chen family, to whom Su Cui Ping had been previously betrothed. How could she forget him!
It turned out that the Chen family, who had been engaged to Su Cui Ping, had also been recruited to Huaxia City. The two villages had met at the resettlement site and were coincidentally assigned to Zhengyi Village.
In the beginning, everyone was concerned about future housing and land, so no one brought up the marriage of their children. However, starting last month, the Chen family had been subtly inquiring about Su Cui Ping from Su Ming Hui.
Upon hearing that Su Ming Hui’s daughter was not yet engaged, they quickly expressed that Chen Zhi was also still single and had always held feelings for Su Cui Ping.
The Chen family had also explicitly stated their desire to re-engage with Su Ming Hui’s family. After all, the two children had been engaged once before, and if it worked out, it would mean they were truly destined for each other.
Although Su Ming Hui had not agreed outright, he was somewhat tempted. Chen Xing was someone he had personally chosen, and Chen Zhi was a young man who was honest, steady, and diligent.
The marriage between Su Cui Ping and Chen Zhi had been called off due to the drought, and also because he feared he would never see his daughter again if she married far away. Therefore, Su Ming Hui had a good impression of the Chen family.
Another important reason was that the Chen family had now been incorporated into Zhengyi Village, falling under his jurisdiction. If Su Cui Ping eventually married Chen Xing, she would still be within the village, allowing them to look out for each other. He also did not want his daughter to marry too far away.
Su Ming Hui found the matter difficult to decide, but Madam Wang quickly figured things out. “Why are you thinking so much? You haven’t clearly agreed to the Chen family’s proposal, and those few casual words during our chats don’t count. Besides, I think this third son of the Leng family is much better than the third son of the Chen family. He’s working for Master Lu and Sister Qing, so how could he mistreat your daughter in the future? And look at how your daughter gazes at that strong warrior, Leng Kui. If you mention the Chen family’s son to her, do you think she’ll agree?”
Before Su Ming Hui could speak, Su Cui Ping, who had overheard their conversation, exclaimed, “Father, I will not agree! I will marry Brother Leng San, and no one else!”
Seeing her determined expression, Su Ming Hui rubbed his forehead, thinking his eldest daughter truly had no shame. “I know, I know. Since you have already decided, Father will pretend he didn’t hear about that matter.”
Upon hearing that both her parents had agreed to their marriage, Su Cui Ping and Leng Kui were overjoyed. Leng San even kowtowed sincerely to them, leaving his forehead slightly bruised. Su Ming Hui and Madam Wang quickly stepped forward to help him up.
Watching their daughter and Leng San gaze lovingly at each other, Madam Wang nudged Su Ming Hui’s arm and said, “After lunch, you should inform the Chen family. Otherwise, if any rumors spread from their side, it might affect our daughter’s reputation.”
With such a good son-in-law, Su Ming Hui smiled happily and nodded repeatedly. “Alright, don’t worry, I’ll go say it later.”
At this moment, Su Mu Qing said to them, “Uncle, Aunt, I think it’s better not to specifically mention this matter. The Chen family hasn’t officially proposed yet, which means both sides only have the idea, and are still considering it. If you specifically mention this, those who don’t know will think you have already agreed but then went back on your word, which would be bad for Sister Cui Ping and yourselves.”
Su Ming Hui and Madam Wang thought about it carefully and realized it made sense. “Then what should we do? Should we not say anything? Or should I reject them the next time they bring it up?”
“How about this! During lunch, we will announce the engagement of these two in front of everyone. That way, the entire village will know, and the Chen family will also know.”
“Alright! That’s how we’ll do it!”
With the matter settled, everyone sat down to discuss the wedding date. For such matters, they naturally had to consult Master Tian Ji. He compared the birth dates and times of the two, stating that they were quite compatible in all aspects.
With this statement, everyone else felt relieved. They were afraid he would say their birth charts were incompatible, and the marriage still wouldn’t happen.
After calculating with his fingers, Master Tian Ji chose the best date: the eighth day of the first lunar month. According to their birth charts, this day was the most auspicious for both of them in the first half of the year.
If they couldn’t get married on this day, the next relatively good day would be in November of the latter half of the year, but it wouldn’t be as good as the eighth day of the first lunar month.
Su Ming Hui frowned upon hearing this. “The eighth day of the first lunar month? Is it that urgent? That only leaves a few days for preparation!”
Madam Wang also felt that the date was a bit rushed. “Master Tian Ji, are there no good dates in the middle of the year? Or perhaps a month or two later when the weather warms up a bit?”
Master Tian Ji stroked his beard and shook his head. “This old one has already calculated twice. This year, there is only this day that is good for both of them. Any other day would not be as good as this one.”
Hearing Master Tian Ji’s words, everyone understood that the date had to be set for the eighth day of the first lunar month.
“With only a few days left, I don’t know if we can finish making the wedding dress by tonight,” Madam Wang said, looking worried.
With the days slowly improving, and them having only one daughter, they felt that the wedding should have the proper ceremony. Therefore, the couple was truly reluctant to let Su Cui Ping get married so hastily.
However, the date in November was too far away. Especially after the new year, their daughter would be twenty by traditional reckoning. Would they really have to wait until she was an old maiden to get married?
Su Mu Qing stepped forward and held Madam Wang’s arm. “Uncle, Aunt, you just need to tell us what needs to be prepared for Sister Cui Ping’s wedding, and we’ll take care of the rest. We’ll make sure it’s all done perfectly.”
Madam Wang took Su Mu Qing’s hand and asked, “You also think the eighth day is a good date?”
Su Mu Qing nodded, then whispered in Madam Wang and Su Ming Hui’s ears, “Yes! Since Senior Tian Ji said so, the eighth day must be the best day. Let me tell you, Senior Tian Ji is an expert in this field. Many people with money are lining up to have him calculate dates, but they can’t get an appointment. He’s that authoritative. So, you can trust him completely!”
With Su Mu Qing’s assurance, Su Ming Hui felt like he had a reassurance. He directly decided, “Alright, then the date is set for the eighth day of the first lunar month!”
“That’s wonderful! The eighth day of the first lunar month, we’ll see Sister Cui Ping off!”
…
The people in the tent had discussed a major event.
At 11:28 AM, the banquet officially began. Under the makeshift canopy in the square, hundreds of men, women, and children stood, their eyes uniformly fixed on the people on the central stage.
Su Mu Qing went onto the stage and said a few words before yielding to others.
When it was Su Ming Hui’s turn, he first represented the entire village in expressing gratitude to Huaxia City and Su Mu Qing.
Su Ming Hui spoke emotionally about the hardships of the times, admonished the villagers to cherish the good days they now had, and then offered a few words of blessing.
“Everyone, on the eighth day of the first lunar month, my daughter will be married. My future son-in-law said that many of the elders here watched my daughter grow up. Therefore, the wedding banquet will be held in the village. I kindly invite everyone to grace us with your presence for a drink.”
“Oh! Village Chief Su, when did this happen? Whose son is the groom?”
“Village Chief Su, the village has just settled down, and your family is having a wedding. This is double happiness!”
“Yes! Don’t worry, we will definitely go early to help.”
“Yes! We will all help. You old man, make sure the new groom has enough wine, otherwise, it won’t be enough for us to drink.”
…
The villagers were discussing enthusiastically, while the Chen family standing below looked unhappy.
Su Ming Hui was marrying off his daughter! And they had even chosen a date. But their family knew nothing about it, which meant Su Cui Ping was not marrying into their Chen family anymore!
Chen Xing’s wife was very displeased. Previously, when her husband had discussed the matter of the two children with the village chief, Su Ming Hui had not explicitly refused. Their family naturally assumed there was still hope, but today it had suddenly changed.
Losing such a good marriage, the Chen family felt a great sense of loss. After all, the current Village Chief Su was very different from the Village Chief Su before.
The City Lord of Huaxia City was his niece, and their relationship was very close. Moreover, it was rumored that Su Cui Ping had also been working in the city, assisting the City Lord in managing supplies and finances.
If the two families could form a marital alliance, wouldn’t Su Ming Hui not promote and support his son-in-law? Even if he didn’t speak up, Su Cui Ping would definitely plan for her husband.
And with so much food and money under her control, could she really watch her in-laws live a poor life? If she let just a little bit slip through her fingers, it would be enough for their family to eat for three to five years.
As long as Su Ming Hui or Su Cui Ping helped the third son, and he became successful in the future, it would be natural for him to also help his two elder brothers. Then, would the Chen family still be afraid of not having a good life?
Originally, they had planned everything perfectly and were preparing to propose after the new year, but now it had all fallen through. How could the Chen family not regret and be annoyed!
In contrast to the Chen family’s churning emotions and mixed feelings, the other villagers present were extremely enthusiastic.
Who was Village Chief Su? He was the elder uncle of their City Lord. If his family was holding a wedding banquet, there would definitely be good food with fish and meat! Thinking of being able to eat a good meal, the villagers’ spirits were naturally high.
“Village Chief, after all this talk, who is your future son-in-law? He’s been hesitant to come on stage for everyone to see, is he perhaps shy?”
“I think he might have heard that we are all coming for the wedding feast and got scared?”
“Hahahaha! He certainly wouldn’t be scared. I say he’s just shy, come out quickly and let us see what a handsome young man he is!”
Hearing the teasing remarks from the audience, Su Ming Hui smiled brilliantly, beckoned Leng Kui, and then said to everyone, “This is my family’s son-in-law, Leng Kui. He often comes to help in the village, so you should all be familiar with him.”
Leng Kui strode onto the stage and stood a little behind Su Ming Hui. He raised his hand to greet everyone below. “Thank you all for coming, villagers. Please come without hesitation, and I guarantee good wine and good food to entertain everyone!”
“Oh my goodness! Village Chief Su’s future son-in-law is actually Warrior Kui! This is truly wonderful!”
“Yes, yes, I never thought Warrior Kui would become a son-in-law of our Zhengyi Village!”
“This Ping girl has truly found a good husband!”
“Indeed! Warrior Kui is a confidant of the Deputy City Lord, and also the general manager of Huaxia City’s Construction Bureau. This is truly a good marriage! It’s a shame my daughter is too young…”
“What are you worried about with your daughter being young? Aren’t there many confidants around the Deputy City Lord? I see that one isn’t very old. Any family with a daughter should hurry!”
“Get lost! You’re such a lecher…”
After Leng Kui made his appearance, everyone discussed him again. Most of the comments were blessings, and many envied Su Ming Hui’s family for gaining such a good son-in-law.
The Chen family had originally been waiting to see what kind of husband Su Cui Ping had found, perhaps they still had a chance to salvage the situation. But after Leng Kui went up, their already half-cooled hearts could only completely give up.
No wonder Su Ming Hui wanted to finalize it early. Leng Kui was a confidant of the City Lord’s mansion. How could ordinary families like theirs compete? Even Chen Xing himself wished he could marry his daughter to him!
Forget it, forget it? This matter seems to be hopeless.
At 11:48 AM, various large bowls of dishes were served. Under the canopy, people played finger guessing games, drank, ate, and laughed, creating a lively scene.
The small tent was for their own people. The two tables of people ate while casually chatting about some details of the wedding a few days later. As they chatted, the topic turned to Su Mu Qing and Lu Yuzhi.
The relationship between these two had already been made public. Now that Su Mu Qing was of an age where she could get married, shouldn’t these two also put their good news on the agenda?
After all, Lu Yuzhi was the same age as Leng San, and both of them were twenty-five by traditional reckoning this year. At this age, men in ancient times were usually already fathers.