Exile with Storage Space: Family Fortunes in the Barren Lands

Chapter 442 - 0423 - Let’s Meet (3)

Li Yuzhu nodded, "Yes, we should have a good discussion with Mr. Song."

Song Jinxiu was about to start the fire to brew tea, but Li Yuzhu persuaded her to discuss the matter first, saying it wouldn’t be too late to drink tea afterward.

She also mentioned that the main purpose of her visit today was to talk about this matter.

Song Jinxiu had no choice but to first go inside to find Mr. Song.

Mu Yuanxiu saw her enter the main room and made an excuse to find Li Yuzhu to ask about something, then went to the backyard.

Li Yuzhu glanced toward the main room and deliberately dragged Mu Yuanxiu to the outer backyard to admire the village scenery.

Leaving the space for the Song family’s grandfather and grandson.

Mr. Song was just playing chess with Mu Yuanxiu earlier. He glanced at the chessboard and asked Song Jinxiu, "Jinxiu, have you boiled the water for tea?"

Song Jinxiu said, "Grandpa, I’d like to tell you something first."

Mr. Song laughed heartily, "Go ahead, what is it?"

"Miss Li said, someone from Huang Village has taken a liking to me and wants to marry me. But that family is too far away, and... his appearance isn’t very good. I don’t know whether to agree or not, so I’m here to ask you, Grandpa."

Mr. Song was very pleased, "Huang Village? It’s indeed a bit far, but it’s alright. If taking a car, you can make several round trips in a day, so it’s not a big deal. It’s not a big deal at all. In our village, there are people who marry outside the county, and that’s really far, separated by two to three hundred miles."

Because he was a burden, people in the village were unwilling to marry his granddaughter. People from outside the village liked his granddaughter, but she always said it was too far.

His granddaughter will be seventeen in a few months. Girls her age are usually already married, yet she doesn’t even have a hint of a family-in-law. Mr. Song hoped to see Song Jinxiu get married before his passing, so he wouldn’t have to worry about her matters.

Today, Song Jinxiu brought up the issue of marriage again, and he was only too happy to not oppose.

Song Jinxiu pursed her lips and mentioned the situation of the Chen Family.

"Huang Village’s Chen Family?" Mr. Song taught for forty years. Although he didn’t often go outside, due to interacting with many children, he indirectly interacted with their family members, learning about the famous people and events in nearby villages from the children’s families.

A family like the Chen Family, wealthy in the village and adept at earning money, Mr. Song had heard from at least ten people.

The Chen Family sent out boats to rescue people, and it’s not unreasonable to charge money, but the fee is outrageously high and accused by many of making money with a black heart, saying the family would be unlucky.

Sure enough, as people predicted, the Chen Family never had grandchildren!

The eldest daughter-in-law consistently miscarried, failing to have children despite marrying for over ten years. Just a few months ago, she gave birth to a granddaughter, and nearly died during childbirth. The second son had an accident on his wedding day, injuring his manhood, leading the bride to annul the marriage immediately. Now, he married a widow who brought a child with her. The third son seemed normal, but he had a crooked mouth, nearing thirty years old without having a wife.

The affairs of the Chen Family were often a topic of conversation among the villagers.

Learning it was the third son of the Chen Family who had an interest in his granddaughter, Mr. Song fell silent.

"Jinxiu, Chen Sanlang is almost thirty and hasn’t married yet. This matter requires careful consideration," Mr. Song looked at his granddaughter with a serious expression, "Is it that he has been picky, delaying until now, or do the girls dislike him, resulting in no one marrying him? Though the result is the same, they stem from two entirely different personalities."

Song Jinxiu sighed, "Grandpa is right."

"Where is Miss Li? I’d like to ask her about it. Go boil some tea, and I’ll ask her about Chen’s situation," Mr. Song said.

Song Jinxiu responded, went to the backyard.

Li Yuzhu and Mu Yuanxiu were not in the backyard.

They were a hundred steps away from her backyard.

Mu Yuanxiu was sitting in a wild pear tree, plucking fruit and throwing it to Li Yuzhu, who caught it in her skirt below.

Song Jinxiu looked at them, smiling. She opened the gate and walked over, "Miss Li, my grandpa is looking to talk to you."

Li Yuzhu put the wild pears collected in her skirt into a cloth bag, patting her clothes with a smile, "Coming." She then said to Mu Yuanxiu in the tree, "Come down, let’s go back."

"I’ll chop this branch and take it back, you can pluck slowly later," Mu Yuanxiu took out the hatchet tucked in his waist, and chopped down two big branches.

Li Yuzhu and Song Jinxiu each dragged a branch back to the backyard.

Mu Yuanxiu chopped another two branches before returning.

Song Jinxiu went to the kitchen to brew tea, and Mu Yuanxiu sat on a small stool in the courtyard, plucking wild pears.

Li Yuzhu washed her hands and went into the main room.

"Mr. Song, you’re looking for me," she said with a smile.

Mr. Song’s expression was serious. He nodded slightly and said, "Miss Li, just now Jinxiu told me about Chen Sanlang proposing to marry her. I wanted to ask more about Chen Sanlang’s situation. Miss Li, in your opinion, what do you think of him? Can Jinxiu marry him?"

Li Yuzhu smiled, "Mr. Song, it’s hard for me to say. I have my opinion, but if Jinxiu disagrees? I’ve delivered a baby for Chen Sanlang’s sister-in-law, and only know him. His situation is only what I’ve heard, I’m not familiar with him. But I have an idea, Mr. Song can meet Chen Sanlang in person, whether he’s good or not, Mr. Song can see for himself?"

Mr. Song thought for a while, "Letting him come to my house might invite gossip if it gets out."

Li Yuzhu said, "Then come to my house. Chen Sanlang knows my third brother and Mu Yuanxiu. Let them bring him to speak with you, Mr. Song, how does that sound? My family is large, with all sorts of people coming daily, and we don’t have neighbors, being far from the village, so there won’t be any gossip."

She was stating a fact. The Li Family’s bamboo house is three miles away from the nearest household in Taohua River Village.

Li Family has people of all ages and genders. Whether seeking Prince Luling or the Li brothers, or Princess Consort Luling or Chai Eying, frequent visits to the Li Family don’t attract any gossip.

Mr. Song said, "That’s good, when should we go?"

Li Yuzhu thought of Chen the Third’s urgency and smiled, "Tomorrow, how about it? Are you free in the morning or afternoon?"

Mr. Song said, "Afternoon. Niuniu from the Niu Family needs to plow the fields in the morning, we can borrow his ox cart in the afternoon to go to your house."

Li Yuzhu laughed, "Then I’ll go back and arrange it."

After enjoying a cup of tea at Mr. Song’s house, Li Yuzhu and Mu Yuanxiu picked the wild pears off the tree branches and left Mr. Song’s house.

These wild pears are really good stuff.

They can stop dysentery, cure cholera with incessant vomiting and diarrhea, soothe the lungs to stop coughing, and treat vomiting food.

Fresh fruit soaked in wine can also cure excessive fatigue.

Her space is already stocked with quite a few, but you can never have too much medicine; they are saved for emergencies.

Their mule cart left the Song Family not far, when Chen the Third came chasing.

Mu Yuanxiu stopped the mule cart and joked, "Were you hiding nearby?"

Li Yuzhu also said, "I bet you were hiding in the backyard of the Song Family, right? Chen the Third?"

Chen the Third scratched his head, then chuckled sheepishly, "You guessed it."

Li Yuzhu knew they hadn’t just guessed correctly. She and Mu Yuanxiu had seen him.

Outside the Song Family’s backyard gate is a small slope, where wild grasses grow, with hay piled up, making it easy to hide someone.

Mu Yuanxiu had noticed someone there earlier and pretended to climb up the wild pear tree to pick fruit.

Standing high, he could see far and had seen Chen the Third hidden in the grass clearly.

Chen the Third had sat there quietly, so they hadn’t gone up to disturb him.

"What brings you looking for me again?" Li Yuzhu asked teasingly.

"Miss Li, did you talk to the Song Family about me?" Chen the Third asked hurriedly, wringing his hands nervously.

Li Yuzhu kept a straight face and said, "It might not be very successful." She couldn’t let Chen the Third become too smug, so had to suppress his arrogance for now, lest in the future he underestimates Song Jinxiu.

"Ah?" Chen the Third became more anxious, "Was it rejected?"

"Not exactly," Li Yuzhu replied, "Mr. Song said he wants to meet you in person and assess you."

Chen the Third deflated.

Having inquired earlier, Chen the Third knew Song Jinxiu’s grandfather is an old teacher who taught for forty years, a scholar, and if he’s to assess him, it would surely be academic.

Yet his academic knowledge stemmed from twenty years past, when he was hauled to school by his mother and forced to read for half a year.

Twenty years later, he had long forgotten those scholarly teachings.

"I guess I’m doomed," Chen the Third sighed, "Twenty years ago, I only studied for half a year, and knowledge has slipped away completely."

Li Yuzhu encouraged, "No academic skills? Then showcase your greatest abilities and make Old Master Song admire you."

Chen the Third blinked, "My skills? My skills are farming, sailing, fishing, and a bit of ironwork. Nothing else... nothing else."

These few aren’t anything teachers appreciate, Chen the Third felt more disheartened.

Li Yuzhu asked, "Are you willing to meet him? If not, I’ll go back and tell him."

"Ah, meet, meet, meet, perhaps the old man won’t dislike me?" Chen the Third said bravely, retreating before meeting is not his style after all.