Chapter 240: Engaged, that means we're one family

When Li Jianguo came to the Gu house again, he found the courtyard swept clean.

The tools for tying reed brooms, reed grass, poles, and wire that were originally placed in the courtyard had all been cleared away.

The old, worn-out items that were originally placed in the courtyard had also been put away.

Gu Bo Yuan was in the courtyard, holding an iron shovel, shoveling the grass growing in the corner of the wall.

The house in the Gu family's courtyard was the same as the Li family's, walls built with earth blocks, beams supported by wooden purlins and rafters, and then covered with a thick layer of reed bundles, with mud on top.

The walls weren't made of earth blocks, but were directly rammed earth. This house had been here for seven or eight years, the layer of mud on the wall had already fallen off, and quite a bit of soil had been brought in to fill the courtyard, also to prevent alkali, but now the corner of the wall had started to become alkaline again.

"Yo, the intellectual has become diligent." Li Jianguo teased Gu Bo Yuan, "Your place has always looked sloppy, this is the first time!"

"Hehe, you just have the advantage of having a good wife." Gu Bo Yuan pointed to the corner of the wall, "There's still a shovel there, hurry up and put your things down and work together."

"Hey, we aren't even in-laws yet, and you're starting to order me to work, is there anyone like you?"

Although he said this, Li Jianguo still put the meat on the shelf under the shed. He found a basin for the two fish, put them in, and poured some water. Seeing the fish swimming in it, only then did he pick up the iron shovel and follow Old Gu to work.

Li Jianguo was much more agile at this kind of work than Old Gu, and Old Gu himself had already cleared quite a bit. With Li Jianguo joining, they soon shoveled the grass clean, piled the broken soil, garbage, and grass shoveled down into a heap, and threw it into the corner of the vegetable garden shovel by shovel.

The place was large, so it was impossible to keep it as clean as the courtyards in the city or the interior; there was no time for that.

"This fish is actually quite good-looking." Gu Bo Yuan put down the iron shovel, looked at the two fish, and revealed a smile, "Xiao Long caught them last night?"

"Yeah. Set the nets yesterday, picked them up this morning." Li Jianguo also stood by the basin and said, "Whether the fish is delicious or not, it's beautiful to look at. Such a large carp is rare in this small lake."

"Xiao Long... not bad, he's changed quite a bit."

"That's for sure." Li Jianguo said proudly, "He married Xiaoxia, you, the father-in-law, will certainly be able to follow along and benefit..."

"I won't benefit from him." Gu Bo Yuan's face turned red immediately, "It's not like I can't live, besides I... why would I benefit from him?"

He didn't finish his sentence. Li Jianguo knew what he wanted to say. While taking out the iron tobacco box and rolling Mohe tobacco for himself, he smiled:

"If you dared to show off your college student status at the Education Bureau, then Xiao Long would certainly be able to benefit from you later. But, do you want to?"

"No." Gu Bo Yuan shook his head directly, "I'll just stay here honestly, there's food and drink here, land and a house, how good."

Although he said it was good, Gu Bo Yuan's expression was still quite complicated.

"It's good as long as you really think it's good." Li Jianguo didn't say much. He had a slight understanding of Gu Bo Yuan's past but hadn't asked about it. Some things, if the person involved hadn't figured it out or had already let go, it was best for others not to disturb them.

"You just brought this meat and fish?"

"It's not easy to store this meat and fish, so I brought it over for you first. Tomorrow is the big day, I'll bring the other cigarettes, alcohol, sugar, and tea over then. You can rest assured, the gifts will certainly be sufficient, and then we'll discuss what needs to be discussed... You also think about it, if you have any ideas, bring them up."

"What ideas could I have? I have no ideas." Gu Bo Yuan shook his head, "I've also watched for this half year, this kid Xiao Long was a bit jumpy before, but he has indeed been steady during this period and has grown up. Entrusting Xiaoxia to him, I'm at ease."

"Hmm, that's how it is. Then other..."

"I won't talk about my hometown." Gu Bo Yuan watched Li Jianguo roll the Mohe tobacco, directly snatched it over, pinched off the knot on the head, and then took out a lighter from Li Jianguo's pocket and lit it himself.

"You smoking is a waste!" Li Jianguo was very dissatisfied, "Like a donkey burning incense, what's the point of smoking."

"Donkey burning incense" refers to smoking without inhaling, sucking the smoke into the mouth, and then spitting it out directly.

"Can't I just satisfy my craving?" Gu Bo Yuan took a puff, spat out the smoke, and said, "We're about to become in-laws, what's wrong with smoking one of your cigarettes?"

"Fine, fine, fine, you're the landlord now, you have the final say." Li Jianguo didn't know he had inadvertently said a meme from later generations. Helplessly, he rolled another one for himself, and then reached out to Gu Bo Yuan:

"Give me the lighter, Xiao Long bought this for me yesterday."

"It's mine now." Gu Bo Yuan reached out and lit the cigarette for Li Jianguo, then put the lighter into his pocket, "This thing is just more convenient than matches."

"Why are you so shameless?" Li Jianguo laughed in anger, "Which part of this looks like something a scholar would do?"

"If I don't act shamelessly now, I won't have a chance." Gu Bo Yuan said, "I don't want a bride price, I believe Xiao Long can treat Xiaoxia well. Of course, if he doesn't treat Xiaoxia well, then don't treat me as a scholar, I can't compare to you hitting the three members of the Gu family, but cleaning up Xiao Long is no problem..."

"You can rest assured about this. We adults won't interfere in trivial matters. If Xiao Long treats Xiaoxia poorly, you won't need to do it, I'll directly take a big stick and clean him up!" Li Jianguo was guaranteeing this to Gu Bo Yuan. After all, Gu Xiaoxia had no mother, and when she was at home, Gu Bo Yuan hadn't let her suffer any grievances. If Li Long didn't treat Gu Xiaoxia well, Li Jianguo and his wife certainly wouldn't be biased toward Li Long.

"Fine, I believe you." Gu Bo Yuan nodded.

Li Jianguo's popularity and prestige in the village were built up day by day through his own actions.

"Old Gu, I think you should still ask for some bride price. Otherwise... I don't mind, but Xiaoxia will be talked about. We'll be staying here for the rest of our lives, Xiaoxia still has a long road ahead." Li Jianguo returned to that topic again.

"I remember when you married Wenyu, didn't the Old Liang family also not ask for a bride price?"

"They didn't ask, Juan's grandfather said they didn't sell their daughter. Actually, this bride price, it doesn't count as selling the daughter, it's a stance..." The tradition in Li's hometown had a bride price, but Liang Donglou considered himself an old-generation revolutionary and didn't recognize this.

Juan's second aunt actually found someone before, and when people came to talk, they mentioned the bride price and offered it voluntarily, but Liang Donglou got angry and drove them away.

When the older generation is stubborn, it's also quite speechless.

"That's right, I don't sell my daughter either..." Gu Bo Yuan held the cigarette between his fingers and looked at the fish, "I believe Xiaoxia doesn't care about this. Supposedly, if there were no Xiao Long, Xiaoxia wouldn't be able to go to middle school. Just based on this point, I recognize Xiao Long. Besides, even if there were no bride price, do you think the people in the team haven't talked about Xiaoxia?"

"That's true, there are many people jealous of her." Li Jianguo nodded, "When people are popular, there's trouble, who let her be the first child to go out to teach in middle school. According to Xiao Long's words, academic qualifications will become more and more important in the future. If Xiaoxia takes an exam for a TV university or something in the future, she might be able to go to the county, and then who knows how many people will talk about her behind her back."

Gu Bo Yuan nodded, and then said fiercely:

"If I don't hear it, I'll pretend nothing happened. If these words reach me, watch me not break those people's legs!"

"Hehe, we're getting engaged tomorrow, this is one family. You can rest assured, whether it's Xiao Long or our family, we will protect Xiaoxia. You should still think about the bride price matter, how to say it's a gesture, isn't it?"

"No need to think, I don't want it."

"Then Xiaoxia's side..."

"I know my daughter." Gu Bo Yuan spoke very magnanimously.

!.

After Li Jianguo left, Gu Bo Yuan turned back into the house and started tidying up.

In the afternoon, Gu Xiaoxia came back, and Gu Bo Yuan told her about not wanting the bride price.

"Hmm, I think so too." Gu Xiaoxia said, "It's just a formality..."

"As long as you aren't afraid of others talking about you, then it's settled." Gu Bo Yuan nodded and said, "I believe Xiao Long will treat you well."

"Hmm." Gu Xiaoxia lowered her head with a red face.

The next day after breakfast, the Li family "grandly" carried the things and came to the Gu house with Lu's sister-in-law.

Except for Li Juan and Li Qiang. These two were arranged to watch the house.

Although Li Qiang expressed strong dissatisfaction and protested, he was finally rejected.

Li Jianguo and the others not only brought other gifts, but Liang Wenyu also specially made two sets of clothes for Gu Xiaoxia.

This matter soon spread in the village.

The next week was Wu Shufen's wedding, and some people actually wanted to watch Li Long's excitement.

After all, everyone in the village knew that Li Long had been dumped by Wu Shufen. Now that Li Long had risen, some people laughed at Wu Shufen for having no eye for talent, while others were laughing at Li Long for not even being able to keep a girlfriend.

Although the matter of Li Long and Gu Xiaoxia dating had spread in the village, quite a few people had the same mindset as Gu's sister-in-law before, thinking how could Gu Xiaoxia, who ate commodity grain, always look down on Li Long?

Until today, when the Li family went to the Gu family to get engaged, these people in the village discovered that the two families, or rather, the two young people, had already reached this step!

When the Li family arrived at the Gu house, the tea on the table had already been set up.

Gu Xiaoxia followed behind Gu Bo Yuan, her gaze met Li Long's, and then she looked away; she was still very shy.

Gu's sister-in-law played the role of the atmosphere group throughout the process, talking about various things and chatting. Actually, both sides understood that the meaning had already been reached, and the engagement was just a formality.

Li Qing Xia had met Gu Xiaoxia, but it was Du Chunfang's first time. However, Li Long could see that the first time his mother looked at Gu Xiaoxia, the smile on her face didn't stop; obviously, she had taken a liking to her.

Liang Wenyu handed the clothes to Gu Xiaoxia and said with a smile:

"It was made a bit hurriedly, and I didn't measure the size well. Try it on, if it doesn't fit, I'll alter it."

"Okay." Gu Xiaoxia lowered her head and agreed.

The Gu family entertained the Li family for lunch. At this time, Li Juan brought Li Qiang over. This meal was actually helped by Liang Wenyu and Lu's sister-in-law, with Gu Xiaoxia helping out.

There wasn't enough room in the house, so others scattered in the courtyard chatting.

Li Long could see that people passed by outside the courtyard gate from time to time, walking very slowly, and specifically glancing inside, obviously wanting to see if the Li family and the Gu family getting married was true or false.

A meal was eaten like being watched in a zoo. Although not very accustomed to it, thinking it was a happy event, no one cared.

Gu Xiaoxia had to go to the dormitory in the afternoon, so Li Long said he would ride his bicycle to send her.

Gu Bo Yuan had no objections. On the dinner table, both parents had actually discussed it; they wouldn't get married in the short term, mainly because of Gu Xiaoxia's career problem. This was also the idea of the young people on both sides.

However, what they didn't expect was that the next day, another great piece of good news arrived.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 241 =====