“That, that we haven’t thought about.”
Elder Song answered truthfully.
The village chief exhaled a smoke ring, “Set up a few tables! It doesn’t have to be too generous, I’ll tell the people in the village that one person from each family will be fine, and ask him to bring more things over, to make sure you don’t suffer.”
“I’ll ask Si’er first, if he doesn’t want to, let’s not make too much noise.”
“What’s not to be publicised? Ask around the village, which village has produced a successful candidate? We have to make a splash! If you don’t have the money, I’ll ask the people in the village to come up with some money.
“No, we’ll do it, we’ll do it.”
Only then was the village chief satisfied, and after he had smoked the bag of cigarettes, he waited for Old Master Song to fill it up with some more, before he left with his hands behind his back.
……
“Grandfather, grandmother, father, mother, to tell you something.”
Seeing that the village chief had walked away, Song Wangyue spoke up.
The crowd was so engrossed in the joy of Song Si being able to make it to the top of the list that they had completely forgotten about the two of them going to the county town today to ransom the bracelet.
Song Wangyue pulled out the handkerchief wrapped in the jade bracelet fragment and opened it, “The jade bracelet was broken.”
The crowd froze, not understanding for a moment what she meant by that.
“It’s the Gu family’s jade bracelet, my elder brother and I had a bit of an accident when we went to redeem it today.”
“This, this, this ……”
Xu reacted first, staring at the jade bracelet fragment, opening her mouth to say something, but for a long time she only managed to say one word.
“How, how can this be?”
Grandma Song asked with a shaky voice.
Song Wangyue briefly sectioned out what had happened when Yuan Min broke the jade bracelet.
Without another word, Song Lin turned around and went to pick the machete hanging on the wall, “I’ll give them a fight!”
Without the bracelet, Yue would have to betroth Young Master Gu, although they are not repulsed by Gu Yi now, they do not want their daughter to marry a fool in the future.
“Boss, don’t be impulsive yet, maybe this isn’t the same bracelet that the Gu family gave.”
With a glimmer of hope, Grandma Song took a big stride over and picked up the fragment wrapped in the hand of Song Wan Yue and handed it to Song San Xiao who came over at the sound of her voice, shaking her voice, “Lao San, take a look, is this the Gu family’s bracelet?”
Only Song Wan Yue and Song San Xiao had seen that bracelet, if Song San wasn’t, the family would have to go to Yuan Ji Pawn Shop even if they risked their lives to make a scene, so that they could bring out the real bracelet.
Song Sanxiao took it with a stony face and sat down directly on the floor, laying the paddle flat and putting it together in small pieces.
The crowd held their breath as they watched him piece it together little by little. Even Song Si had a glimmer of hope, hoping that it was really Yue’er who was mistaken and that the bracelet broken by Yuan Min was not the one Yue pawned.
Although he had only seen it twice, he could clearly remember the colour of the jade bracelet and it was undoubtedly the one Yue’er had pawned.
Poof!
Song Lin fell to the ground.
Xu’s body also shook and Liu Cui Lan scrambled to hold him up.
She wanted to reprimand Song Si for not telling her and Song Shu a word about such a big deal at the market, but thought that the child was afraid that they would worry, so she swallowed her words of reprimand.
Grandma Song took a big step outside, “Old man, you come with me to the Gu family, sacrifice our two old faces and beg Master Gu, we’ll pay for the jade bracelet, even if we have to sell our pots and pans, we’ll pay for it.”
Old man Song did not hesitate to follow.
Song Wan Yue stopped in front of them, “Grandpa and Grandma, I am willing to be betrothed to Young Master Gu.”
Grandma Song’s footsteps jerked to a halt, “Yue’er, what are you saying?”
“I am willing to be betrothed to Young Master Gu.”
Song Wangyue said it again clearly, word by word.
The entire Song family froze.
“Although the young master of the Gu family has a poorer heart, he is kind-hearted and gives way to me in everything, Master Gu and Madam Gu are also good-tempered and have little prejudice against our family, such a family, even if I grow up in the future, I will not necessarily meet them.”
Song Lin stood up and took a few big steps in front of Song Wan Yue, staring into her eyes, “Yue’er, do you really think so?”
His daughter, he knew, was by no means a lover of money, and by saying this, she wanted to be betrothed to Gu Yi from the bottom of her heart, which meant that she had already put that brat in her heart.
Thinking of this, Song Lin felt even worse than hearing that the jade bracelet had been shattered and Yue had to be betrothed to Gu Yi – his precious daughter, whom he held in his heart, was going to be vaulted by that brat Gu Yi at such a young age.
“Yes.”
Song Lin ground up his back teeth, “That brat, I knew I shouldn’t have let him near you.”
“Yue’er ……
Xu came back to her senses and slowly walked over, stroking Song Wan Yue’s head, “Although you are young, as long as you make a decision, the family will definitely support you. But this matter is not trivial, you are still young, you don’t know what it means to be betrothed yet, let alone what it means to be betrothed to Young Master Gu?”
“I know.”
“You don’t know!” Xu’s tone became more urgent, “Young Master Gu is still young and may just see you as a good playmate, but when he grows up in a couple of years, he may not like you anymore, what if he backs out of the marriage with you then? What if he doesn’t back out of the marriage, but he’s a few years older than you, so he can’t just wait for you to grow up. As for the jade bracelet, as your grandmother said, let’s pay for it, even if we have to sell the iron. Also, put the blame on Mother for not agreeing to the betrothal, and say that Mother insists on refusing.
“I understand all of your worries, but have you ever thought that even if you don’t settle down, what if young master Gu comes to play with you? Throw him out?”
Xu opened her mouth, but did not answer.
“Since we can’t throw him out, if time goes by, not only my daughter’s reputation but also the reputation of my family will be affected. If that’s the case, we might as well settle the marriage, whether he comes to our house or we go to theirs, it’s all in good taste and no one can say anything.”
“But ……”
“Mother, don’t worry, my daughter knows what is good for me and what is bad for me. I am still young, betrothal is just a ceremony for me, nothing more. As for us, we also happen to take advantage of these few years to see if Young Master Gu is worthy of my marriage? If it’s not worth it, I’ll have to withdraw from the marriage even if the Gu family doesn’t.”
“You’ve really decided?”
Song Wangyue nodded solemnly.
Xu let out a deep sigh, not knowing whether to be happy or sad.
“I… I don’t agree.”
Song Shen’s weak voice rang out from the side.
The crowd looked over.
Song Shen said indignantly, “That brat has never treated me like a second brother, I won’t let him be my brother-in-law.”
The crowd, ……
