Chapter 49

"What's going on? Speak clearly!"

Su Qingxi was neither a child nor an adult, but she could tell that her sister and Pei Huaiye liked each other.

"Pei Huaiye bought a bicycle and a radio; I heard it's the wedding bride price. Li Cuiyan took the key this morning and opened the door to Pei Huaiye's house. Pei Fugui wants to take the items away, saying it's to prepare for their wedding."

Su Qingyue and Li Zilan exchanged a look. "Big Brother, you go with Brigade Captain Xiang to deliver the vegetables; my sister-in-law and I will go over and take a look."

Su Mingqiang sighed and followed them, while Su Zhuangzhuang trotted along behind his aunt on his short legs, huffing and puffing.

Su Qingyue knew that the bicycle and the radio were the bride price Pei Huaiye had bought for her.

Now Li Cuiyan and Pei Fugui were actually colluding to steal them, but what standing did she have to speak up once she got there?

Su Qingyue suddenly felt a wave of powerlessness, but she did not stop her steps.

The area in front of Pei Huaiye's thatched cottage was crowded with people pointing and whispering.

"Stealing things while their son is away—there are no parents like this in the world!"

"No wonder Pei Huaiye fights with his parents. Look at the thatched cottage Pei Huaiye lives in, while Pei Fugui's family lives in a big house. They clearly have a bicycle, and today they've come to steal from their son again!"

"That bicycle was bought by Pei Huaiye for Pei Huaigang's wedding. Why are they coming to snatch a new bicycle now?"

Chen Lianzhen sat on the ground and wailed, "What a sin! You are all slandering us! We went to the Li family to propose marriage yesterday. Before Huaiye left, he gave the key to Cuiyan. Cuiyan opened the door, and we two old folks went in to take out the bride price to prepare for our son's wedding—what's wrong with that? You are all wronging good people!"

Li Zilan supported Su Qingyue and suddenly asked, "Cuiyan, why did you open Pei Huaiye's door? Where did you get the key?"

Su Qingyue was also full of doubts, and together with the crowd, she looked at Li Cuiyan.

Li Cuiyan's face flushed red. She had accidentally picked up the key, but she absolutely could not admit it at this moment. "The key was... was given to me by Brother Pei. He said, he said he would marry me when he returned from his business trip."

Even though she knew this was most likely a lie, Su Qingyue felt her whole body stiffen and her palms sweat upon hearing it, while Li Zilan was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan.

Pei Fugui continued to move the bicycle out of the door. "You all heard it, right? Cuiyan and our Huaiye like each other, which is why he gave her the key. This bicycle belongs to our Pei family, and it has nothing to do with you outsiders!"

An urgent, irritable male voice rang out. "Li Cuiyan! What nonsense are you spouting? My Brother Pei doesn't like you at all; he doesn't even know your name!"

Yuan Guang parked his bicycle and, panting, blocked Pei Fugui. "And you! Put that stuff down! Don't even think about stealing my Brother Pei's bride price!"

Pei Fugui kicked Yuan Guang away. "Itinerant Physician Yuan, this bicycle and radio belong to my son. I am his father; what right do you have to meddle in other people's business!"

"I am Pei Huaiye's friend. The bicycle and radio were not for Li Cuiyan, and he never said you could take them!" Yuan Guang blocked the elder Pei firmly, snatched the bicycle, and held the radio tight, refusing to let go.

Zhang Dongmei smiled. "Itinerant Physician Yuan, you say this bride price isn't for Cuiyan, then why does Cuiyan have the key to my eldest brother's house? My parents-in-law went to the Li family to propose marriage yesterday. Now Cuiyan and Pei Huaiye are one family. The bride price will be used for the wedding sooner or later; why can't my parents-in-law take it to organize the wedding?"

Su Qianqian chimed in from the side, "Itinerant Physician Yuan, you may have a good relationship with Pei Huaiye, but he doesn't tell you everything. He and Cuiyan are in the same village, and Pei Huaiye even saved Cuiyan's life when they were children. Isn't it normal for them to like each other?"

Upon hearing this, Li Zilan could no longer stand still. What kind of person was this Pei Huaiye! He was completely unworthy of Su Qingyue.

Su Mingqiang felt the same way. Not to mention that Pei Huaiye's family affairs were too chaotic, he was now entangled with other women—it was truly detestable!

Yuan Guang didn't know that Pei Huaiye had saved Li Cuiyan, but he knew that apart from Su Qingyue, Brother Pei wouldn't give a second glance to any other woman. "Anyway, Brother Pei doesn't like Li Cuiyan! No one can take his things away. We'll wait for the Brigade Captain to come back and make the decision!"

Chen Lianzhen was so angry she used her cane to hit the Itinerant Physician. "This is our family business, none of your damn business!"

"I am his friend, why can't I manage it!"

Yuan Guang stared at Li Cuiyan. "Do you know that opening someone else's door without the owner's consent is against the law? If my Brother Pei pursues this, you'll be sent down to the farm!"

Pei Fugui pointed at Wang Juqin and Li Yongtie and shouted loudly, "In-laws, your Cuiyan and our Huaiye are in love, that's why Huaiye could give her the key. Her opening the door was discussed by both families. This bicycle and radio are both wedding bride prices; we are taking them back to prepare for the wedding."

Li Yongtie had spent the whole night disagreeing with this marriage, and he had been carrying the items early in the morning, ready to return them to Pei Fugui's family. But he hadn't expected Li Cuiyan to be so bold as to actually open Pei Huaiye's door.

Hearing Yuan Guang's words, he worried that his daughter would be sent down to the farm, and for a moment, the words of refusal he had prepared couldn't be spoken.

Wang Juqin, however, was clear-headed. Seeing the greed of Pei Fugui's family, she regretted it so much her guts turned green.

Wiping her tears, she said something ambiguous, "Cuiyan is still young and doesn't know the gravity of things. It's my fault as a mother for not teaching her well that she opened this door today!"

After saying this, Wang Juqin slapped Li Cuiyan hard, giving everyone a big shock. "I told you not to learn bad things! You shameless thing!"

Li Cuiyan covered her face and wailed, looking at her own mother with resentment.

Li Yongtie took the opportunity to speak up. "Pei Fugui, you don't need to call us in-laws. We didn't agree to the marriage proposal. It's a new era now, and we advocate for free love. The marriage will have to wait until Pei Huaiye returns to the village to be decided. As for the bride price, that's even further off; our family doesn't covet the bicycle or the radio."

After saying this, he placed the items Pei Fugui's family had taken yesterday on the ground, and with a cold face, he and Wang Juqin watched Li Cuiyan from left and right.

Pei Fugui was relentless and still wanted to take the bicycle and radio. "I don't care about that. Cuiyan herself said she wanted to be our daughter-in-law, that's why my old woman and I went to the Li family to propose. Cuiyan, you say it yourself, are you willing to marry Pei Huaiye!"

Li Cuiyan cried sadly, "Dad, Mom, I really like Pei Huaiye. I'm not afraid of his coldness and ruthlessness. I am willing to be filial to my parents-in-law, and I am willing to warm Pei Huaiye's cold heart. If I don't marry him in this life, I might as well just bump my head and die!"

As she spoke, she made a dash to bump her head against a large rock!

The crowd was so scared they retreated, but fortunately, Li Cuiyan's parents stopped her in time.

"I didn't expect Cuiyan to be so infatuated. Wang Juqin, you might as well just agree."

"Cuiyan is obsessed, but she's also a pitiful person. Pei Huaiye wouldn't lose out by marrying her."

"Cuiyan's parents are still reasonable. Since this matter is unclear now, we'll have to wait until Pei Huaiye returns to see."

Su Qingyue didn't expect things to develop into this situation. Her chest felt blocked by a large stone, neither up nor down; she felt stifled and uncomfortable, yet she had no standing to speak.

Su Qianqian looked at her pale face and displeased expression, and continued to fan the flames from the side. "What are you waiting for? Pei Huaiye even gave the key to Cuiyan, doesn't that explain everything? They just like each other and are in a free-love relationship!"

"That's right, Pei Huaiye has such a cold personality, I've never seen him be warm with anyone. Maybe he just likes Cuiyan and hasn't shown it."

Pei Fugui, with a covetous look, snatched the bicycle from Yuan Guang's hands. "That's right, my son just likes Li Cuiyan. Today, I will settle the marriage between Pei Huaiye and Li Cuiyan!"