Chapter 185: Chapter 185 Discussing the Marriage Proposal

“This is great news, why are you being so shy?” Susu raised an eyebrow.

“Elder sister~”

Su Nian stomped her foot, covering her face which was flushed beyond belief.

“Alright, alright, my little girl has grown up,” Susu said, deeply moved.

Su Nian’s entire face turned crimson, her ears so red they could bleed, and after fumbling for a while, she pulled out a crumpled piece of paper.

“Elder sister, this is the birthdate information for me and Li Mingcheng.”

Susu accepted it with a smile, patting her chest, “Leave it to me, just you wait and relax.”

That very afternoon, the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law pair, along with the triplets, returned to the county, taking the chance to hide away and enjoy some peace.

When the uncles and aunties who came to visit after dinner discovered that only the grandfathers were home,

none of the three men were much for talking. Only Father Lu was usually eager to show off his grandsons and granddaughters; the father and son had even less to say.

The visiting uncles and aunties exchanged awkward glances before hastily making their exits.

County

Having settled the triplets in the marinated goods yard, the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law pair, carrying fine liquor and marinated meats, hastened to Old Blind Man’s place.

“Old Blind Man, can you help us see what the future holds for this marriage?” Mrs. Lu asked while unwrapping the marinated goods with a cheerful grin.

The tempting aroma wafted up, and Old Blind Man sniffed eagerly before he couldn’t resist cracking open a bottle to take a whiff.

“Delicious! Truly delicious!”

Old Blind Man couldn’t wait; he pinched a piece of marinated meat and popped it into his mouth, followed by a small sip of liquor.

“Mmm~ Not bad at all.”

Mrs. Lu asked, “Old Blind Man, can you see…?”

Without another word, Old Blind Man unfolded the crumpled piece of paper and began to calculate, murmuring incomprehensible things under his breath.

The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law exchanged glances—this was the first time they’d seen the Old Blind Man work with such… speed. It seemed the marinated meat and liquor from earlier had really pleased him.

Old Blind Man, his eyes half-closed, declared, “A match made in heaven. Do you want me to pick an auspicious date?”

“Yes, yes, yes.” Susu nodded vigorously.

The two women looked at the three dates on the paper and walked out of Old Blind Man’s house smiling.

“Ah, dear mother, finally they’ve left.”

Once Old Blind Man saw them leave, he immediately grabbed the marinated meat and liquor and ran to the main hall to grab a bun and feast.

“Delicious! Truly delicious…”

The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law pair enjoyed two more days of leisure before returning with the triplets on the third day.

Both families had communicated beforehand, and today the male party had arranged for Matchmaker Wang to come over for the marriage proposal.

Coincidentally, today was a day off.

“Oh my, your family really has some handsome folks, just look how pretty the kids are. Mr. Su and Mr. Lu both have a beautiful wife with a kind heart, and a ruggedly charming and capable husband.”

Matchmaker Wang looked at the aesthetically pleasing family and laughed until her eyes disappeared, “Brother Lu and elder sister must have been quite the handsome couple in their youth.”

Susu couldn’t help but marvel, no wonder people say—legs of a runner, mouth of a matchmaker—look how she made everyone in the family beam with delight.

“Aunt Wang, please have a seat and enjoy some seeds and dried goods, and here’s some brown sugar water for you,” Susu said with a smile as she handed a steaming bowl of brown sugar water to Aunt Wang.

“Oh my, thank you, Mr. Su.” Matchmaker Wang felt comforted and sipped the sweet brown sugar water with a smile before getting down to business.

“Mr. Su, I won’t beat around the bush. The Li Family has said that as long as Mr. Su agrees to the children’s marriage, the bride price can be easily settled.

You probably know the situation with the Li Family. Right now, the whole family relies on the bakery for a living, and just the men’s retirement pensions are enough to cover all the living expenses.

This means all the money earned from the bakery really goes straight into their hands. The business is usually good, not to mention during the holidays and festivals.”

Matchmaker Wang took another sip of brown sugar water and continued, “The Li Family has said that once the children get married, the bride price will be 500 yuan along with thirty-six ‘four big items’ all ready for the child at home.

As soon as the new bride enters, they’ll split the household, and thereafter, we’ll each manage our own little homes. The old couple is very busy usually and will contribute money later on whenever they can…”

Susu nodded. Without saying anything else, this arrangement was just fine – as a married couple, having their own place right from the start would save them from the potential friction of living under one roof over petty squabbles.

And so the two families settled the arrangement. They didn’t plan to have a big engagement party but decided to have both families dine together at a restaurant, where they would discuss the details further.

Sister Li came with her husband and children, which somewhat pleased Susu, showing that the Li Family took this matter seriously.

In total, seventeen people from both families, including the children, gathered, and the Li Family had booked a large private room.

Apart from the youngest girl, the four children of similar age were already playing together on the floor. Tianyu watched over his younger brothers and sisters with an eye of concern.

While waiting for the dishes, the adults began discussing the wedding arrangements.

“Nian Nian’s elder sister, our family will give the bride price we agreed upon when we first proposed. What do you think?”

Mother Li, a woman with a kind face, spoke, “Nian Nian’s elder sister, we’re hoping the children marry early, while they’re still young.”

Susu glanced at her sister, who was blushing, and nodded with a smile, mentioning that she had someone calculate the auspicious dates – there were three good ones if they wished to marry within the year.

“Auntie, I’ll speak frankly. I plan to give my sister a house as her dowry, as you know she works in my shop. The courtyard is near the clothing store and not far from your family’s bakery, so it would be convenient for the young couple to move in.”

The Li Family was taken aback, not expecting such a grand gesture from Su Nian’s elder sister – offering a house as a dowry. Considering that even the most modest houses in the Provincial City cost over a thousand yuan, not to mention those near the university which were far more valuable.

Feeling unsettled, Su Nian tugged at her elder sister’s clothes, “Sister…”

“It’s all right, your brother-in-law was the one who brought it up. Don’t worry.”

“But sister, I’m worried about Uncle Lu and Aunt Lu…”

“Don’t worry, they know about it.”

After quietly conferring with each other and considering their finances, Father Li and Mother Li decided to speak up.

“Here’s what we’ll do, Nian Nian’s elder sister. Your uncle and I just talked it over, and we’re thinking of looking around soon too, and we’ll buy the young couple a courtyard for their new home.

The young couple can live there if they want, or rent it out if they prefer.”

Surprised, Su Nian raised her eyebrows but noticed that Sister Li didn’t seem to have a strong reaction, which reassured her somewhat.

In the end, through negotiations, both families decided to hold the wedding feast in June.

After finishing their meal, the Li parents went straight to look for properties. Initially, they considered buying an apartment, but then, hearing Susu’s advice about the limited space in apartments and the better value of owning a courtyard, they decisively chose to purchase two, one for each son, both located conveniently nearby.

…

Sister Li was indifferent; after all, her family had their own home. When she got married, her parents had given her a substantial amount to set aside. Even the bride price was merely for formalities, all of it went with her.