Chapter 14: line with translation of chapter title

He quickly returned to Su Liyan's home.

It is a very simple farmhouse courtyard, certainly incomparable to the city.

The houses are built of packed earth, the courtyard ground is also earth, with no blue stone bricks; if it rains, it becomes a muddy mess.

Fortunately, this family loves cleanliness and tidiness.

Everything in the courtyard is neatly arranged.

After arriving in the courtyard, the villagers also came along, everyone curiously asking Lu Yuan about city matters.

Lu Yuan then took out several packs of cigarettes from the pack on his horse and distributed them to the villagers.

This made Su Liyan beside him feel a pang of heartache.

Su Liyan had already considered herself Lu Yuan's wife; these cigarettes were expensive, and before long her husband had handed out several packs.

In the village, the men squatted on the ground smoking cigarettes.

Meanwhile, the women chirped and looked at Lu Yuan curiously, saying:

"Son-in-law of the Su family, how did you meet our Liyan?"

Lu Yuan stood in the courtyard and explained with a smile:

"I only met Liyan yesterday, but we fell in love at first sight, so today I came to propose."

After Lu Yuan finished speaking, those village women smacked their lips and laughed:

"Son-in-law, being from the city, you certainly speak well; love at first sight means you're practicing the latest trend of free love, huh?"

Lu Yuan was taken aback, then slightly nodded and said:

"Yes."

At that moment, Su Liyan took a small stool from the house, placed it behind Lu Yuan, and had him sit down.

Seeing this, several women couldn't help but glance at Su Liyan and tease:

"Still, our Liyan knows how to care for people—she fetched a stool for her man first, not for her own father."

Sometimes the villagers' words are deliberately meant to trip people up, barbed.

Likewise, Su Liyan's father, squatting nearby and happily holding the two packs of cigarettes just given by his son-in-law, couldn't help but stroke his beard and glare, saying:

"What's wrong with my son-in-law? I've been staying home all day and I'm not tired."

Those village women then chuckled:

"Yes, yes, yes—now Liyan is Lu Yuan's wife, she has nothing to do with you; according to city usage, shouldn't she now be called Lady Lu or Mrs. Lu?"

At that moment, Su's mother brought out a small table from the house, along with a teapot and cups, and brewed the little tea leaves left at home, thus offering hospitality to everyone.

Su's mother didn't take those people's words to heart.

"Just be jealous, just envy!"

"My Liyan has found a fine son-in-law!"

And those village women then asked curiously:

"Son-in-law, what do your parents do? Are they also artisans of the Forging Bureau? I've heard that in the Huangcheng, artisans can retire and still receive pay without working—is that true?"

Lu Yuan sat on the stool, just having placed a cigarette in his mouth, when Su Liyan beside him immediately struck a match and lit it for him.

After Lu Yuan took a puff, he then smiled and nodded:

"Yes, that's called a pension, but my parents don't have one, because they died in the war years ago, leaving me only two rooms."

Upon hearing this, the villagers—setting aside the men—these women were truly envious and jealous to the point of hatred.

"Which woman hasn't become a mother-in-law after enduring as a daughter-in-law?"

"When being a daughter-in-law, who hasn't been made things difficult by her mother-in-law?"

"Who hasn't felt wronged?"

"Think back to those days and nights when, feeling wronged, she would lie alone under the covers and shed tears..."

"For a moment, the village women were practically dying of jealousy."

"What kind of fate does Su Liyan have!!"

"She found such a wealthy young master, a person from the Huangcheng, handsome, with a stable job."

"After marrying him, it's just the two of them, with no mother-in-law above, so she needn't fear being mistreated or bullied."

"As long as she serves her husband well, they can discuss anything together."

"Going there would truly be enjoying blessings, great blessings!!"

"What does Su Liyan have to thank for!!"

"Just relying on that face, could she find such a son-in-law?"

"Indeed... Su Liyan is indeed pretty... she has been famous for her looks in the surrounding ten miles since childhood."

"But... aren't there any pretty women in the city?"

"Aren't there any pretty daughters-in-law in the city?"

"Is Su Liyan the only woman in the world who is pretty?"

"Instantly, these women felt a tightness in their chests, angered."

"The village women, feeling stifled, didn't really want to speak anymore."

"At that same moment, Su Changliang, who had tethered the horse, came up to Lu Yuan's side and curiously asked:"

"Brother-in-law, the things on the horse..."

"Lu Yuan was startled, then quickly replied:"

"Bring it over; those are the betrothal gifts."

"I almost forgot the main business."

"Su Changliang also nodded repeatedly and said:"

"Alright, brother-in-law."

Meanwhile, the surrounding villagers were somewhat curious, wondering what betrothal gifts to bring.

At this moment, Lu Yuan also stood up from his pocket, or more accurately, from his storage space.

He took out silver dollars wrapped in red paper.

In this society, men control the money, so Lu Yuan directly handed it to Su Liyan's father beside him.

"Dad, this is the betrothal gift."

Calling him Dad directly, it happened so quickly.

Meanwhile, seeing the silver dollars wrapped in red paper, everyone around was dumbfounded.

This??

This... this thick stack...... how much money is this??

While everyone still hadn't reacted to what was what, Su Changliang also brought over the sixty or seventy catties of stuff and said:

"Brother-in-law, should I put the things in the room for you?"

Lu Yuan then directly said:

"No need, just leave it here."

Afterwards, Su Changliang placed all the packages on the table.

Immediately, Lu Yuan opened a package and said:

"Dad, Mom, this is thirty catties of pork I bought for you."

That big slab of fat made the onlookers nearby drool.

They were thinking...... how much money would this cost......

That big slab of fat, thirty catties of pork??

Before the villagers could finish speaking, Lu Yuan opened another package and said:

"These are two jars of Duokang liquor; Dad, if you find the taste good, when I come back next time to hold a wedding feast, I'll bring you more jars."

Duokang liquor here is as famous as Maotai in the 'flower family'.

Who doesn't know about it?

As for Lu Yuan's words, the people muttered among themselves, 'This is Duokang liquor!'

It's brewed from pure grain!

This jar alone must be worth at least seven or eight silver dollars.

The taste is definitely good!!

Just smelling it is probably worth it.

Afterwards, Lu Yuan opened several more packages, containing a big pig head and shelled peanuts.

These items, everyone roughly calculated, amounted to at least forty or fifty silver dollars.

Adding to that the thick stack of betrothal gift that Lu Yuan gave, this...... this must be approaching a hundred silver dollars??

This Su Clan daughter...... is she really worth that much??

At this moment, Su Liyan beside him was also dumbfounded, '...... Yuan Ge bought all this stuff?'

Su Liyan had no idea about this before.

But now that she has come to her senses, she feels extremely happy, her man truly treats her as important and truly loves her.

At this moment, the people around felt a suffocating sensation in their hearts.

They couldn't bear to watch anymore, it really was unbearable to watch.

Whose daughter could be worth a hundred silver dollars?

What does Su Liyan have to deserve this!!

Everyone felt it was harder to endure than killing themselves.

(End of chapter)