Farm Tough Girl

Chapter 145 - 145 146 Looking for a Daughter-in-law_1

?Chapter 145: Chapter 146 Looking for a Daughter-in-law_1 Chapter 145: Chapter 146 Looking for a Daughter-in-law_1 But as Muniang turned around, she was startled. On the other side of the table, Jin Feng was cheerfully eating a skewer of candied haws, with several empty sticks laid before him. Muniang’s mouth twitched—had his brains been made silly by two taels as well?

In the evening, Muniang specially prepared a sumptuous dinner as a welcome for Madam Liu’s family.

“Muniang, you’re being so hospitable that I feel embarrassed,” Qiao Yuanming scratched his head, laughing sheepishly.

Mrs. Lin quickly served the dishes to everyone, “What’s there to feel shy about? Muniang naturally enjoys cooking delicious food. Even if you didn’t come, with that gluttonous Eryang at our house, Muniang wouldn’t skimp on the effort. You’re here now, it’s just an extra pair of chopsticks. Just make yourselves at home.”

“Ah, alright,” Qiao Yuanming chuckled heartily.

“Try this. It’s called Dongpo pork, a new dish my wife came up with. It would cost three taels of silver per plate at Dongxing Building. My wife’s cooking skills are even better than theirs,” Eryang boasted proudly.

After tasting a bite, Madam Liu really found it delicious. “Muniang’s mind is clever indeed, creating such tasty dishes seemingly effortlessly.”

The children, however, were too busy eating to pay attention to the adults’ conversation. Each visit to Muniang’s place left them with indigestion.

Jin Feng also joined in the meal. Though he felt his status was not on par with Eryang’s to share a table, the fact was he was Eryang’s elder cousin. Besides, Tupo Village had simple and honest customs, and it would be strange if he didn’t join the table. So he ate in silence. The rapid pace of his chopsticks showed that Qiao Muniang’s culinary skills were indeed impressive.

Suddenly, Madam Liu turned to appraise Jin Feng and smiled, “This is Eryang’s elder cousin, right? I’ve heard all about him from Muniang. The young man is quite handsome. Are you married yet?”

The person who had planned to eat quietly suddenly choked on his food, coughing for a long time before catching his breath, “No, not married.”

Madam Liu frowned, “You look like you’re also around twenty, aren’t you? Why haven’t you taken a wife yet?”

Jin Feng’s face flushed slightly. Having spent so many years in the military with no women around, where could he find a wife?

“It’s nothing, I just don’t want to get married.”

However, Madam Liu suddenly remembered Muniang mentioning that Jin Feng had fled to the village because of severe flooding at his hometown, and his family was probably too poor to afford a marriage before. She figured the young man was simply too shy to admit it, so she reassured him knowingly, “Now that you’ve come to Tupo Village, you can settle down here peacefully. If you can’t find a wife, let your aunt help you. It’s not a big deal.”

Jin Feng’s face turned even redder, “No need, I’m not in a hurry.”

Madam Liu chuckled disapprovingly, “This kid, so shy. Don’t worry, your aunt has a good eye. I’ll find you a lovely girl, and then you can settle down here.”

Jin Feng looked desperately at Eryang for help, but Eryang, oblivious, didn’t find anything amiss in Madam Liu’s words and was nodding along.

Jin Feng could only turn to Muniang. Muniang raised an eyebrow—was this young man really not interested in women? Not wanting to make it difficult for him, she diverted the conversation by pulling Madam Liu to another topic, “Auntie, are you planning to send Honghai and Hongde to private school next year? Have you chosen a school yet?”

Madam Liu’s excitement surged at the mention of this matter, immediately sidetracking from Jin Feng’s issue, “I’ve been thinking about it. As soon as I got the money, I started looking for private schools for the kids. I’ve heard that Qing Mountain Academy in town is good. I’m planning to send them there next spring. The older two are seven or eight years old, just the right age for schooling. Hongsheng is only four, still young. There’s no hurry; we can discuss it again in a couple of years.”

Muniang then said, “We can let a few children start with the basics, learning to recognize a few characters, so they won’t fall behind when they start school.”

At the mention of this, Madam Liu frowned, “Neither his father nor I can read, and the only one in the family who is literate, Qiao Yuanzhen, would hardly be willing to teach a few children how to read.”

Muniang was about to say she could teach them, but then she thought that she was not supposed to know how to read, and being too boastful wouldn’t be good, so she kept her mouth shut.

However, Madam Liu laughed, “That’s not a problem. When they go to school, they can learn the basics quickly if they study hard.”

Hongde and Honghai nodded, “We will study hard.”

“If you’re not diligent, if you don’t strive for progress, I won’t give you another chance at schooling,” Madam Liu said sternly.

Honghai and Hongde hurriedly said, “We understand.” They knew how hard their mother had worked to send them to school, and there were few opportunities for education in Tupo Village; how could they not cherish it?

Madam Liu’s house was starting to be built, right next to Muniang’s home, making the two families neighbors. It was convenient for visiting each other, and the celebration feast for the start of construction was held at Muniang’s place, and quite a lavish one at that.

After everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, they began the construction. Madam Liu, who now actually had several hundred taels of silver at her disposal, didn’t want to show off, so she simply aimed to build a modest tiled house with five bedrooms, a kitchen, and a main hall. Otherwise, if the old lady found out she was living in such a fine house, she would likely never stop nagging. It’s better to keep a low profile.

While one side bustled with activity, the Qiao family was enveloped in gloom. The old lady was livid upon hearing that Madam Liu would be moving next to Muniang and becoming her neighbor. She cursed and fumed in the house for a long time.

She called Madam Liu a wicked daughter-in-law who had no respect for her superiors and was openly defying her. She didn’t spare Muniang either, hurling every ugly accusation at them both.

Finally, Qiao Yuanzhen, fed up, yelled, “If you don’t stop the noise, I’ll move out too. Can’t you just keep it down!”

This frightened Madam Zhao so much she shuddered. That wouldn’t do at all; her youngest son was destined for success, and she needed to keep him close. Madam Zhao quickly shut up, “Yuanzhen, I just got carried away in my anger. How can you not feel for your mother when she is suffering so—”
Before she could finish, Qiao Yuanzhen interrupted, “Enough, what’s the use of talking about it now that they’ve moved? Clear out the west wing for my study.”

Madam Zhao hurriedly acquiesced, “Of course, my son’s studies are the most important thing. Now that they’re moving, it’ll free up space for you—”
Qiao Yuanzhen couldn’t even be bothered to listen to the end and turned around and walked out.

To Madam Zhao, this wasn’t a son she was raising; he was an ancestor she was worshipping.

Xia Bing had truly had enough these past few days. Qiao Lianhua was moody and never showed her a good face, treating her like a maid every day. She had never been treated like this in her life, and yet she had to keep smiling and ingratiate herself with her. And now, here she was again.

But just as Xia Bing had entered the courtyard and was about to knock on Qiao Lianhua’s door, she was suddenly yanked into another room with a strong force.

Xia Bing let out a soft cry but was immediately silenced by a hand covering her mouth.