Chapter 43 Does Xiuer Want to Marry or Not?

“Xiuer, what are you doing? Have you gone silly? Hurry and bring the washed vegetables over.”

Liu Jincui was drenched in sweat from working. Seeing her daughter standing there absentmindedly, she could not help but scold her.

“Ah, yes, yes…”

Xu Xiuer snapped out of it as if waking from a dream and quickly brought over the vegetables she had washed.

“Hey, these aren’t even clean. There’s still mud on them. What’s wrong with you today? You can’t even handle such a small task? If you keep embarrassing yourself like this, go back home.”

Liu Jincui glanced at the vegetables and immediately grew angry, shooting Xu Xiuer a sharp look.

“I’ll… I’ll wash them again.”

Xu Xiuer hurried back to rinse them.

Only then did Liu Jincui realize something was wrong. Her daughter was not usually like this.

Taking a moment, she walked over and asked softly, “Xiuer, what’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”

“No, Mother, I’m fine.”

Xu Xiuer brushed her hair aside and shook her head quietly.

“I just saw Wan’er washing vegetables with you. Did she say something to you? You were perfectly fine before.”

Liu Jincui frowned.

Under her repeated questioning, Xu Xiuer could only tell the truth.

“Mother, Wan’er said Brother Chen has always had feelings for me too. I’m not married yet, so she told me to consider marrying into their household…”

By the time she finished speaking, Xu Xiuer’s face was flushed red. She lowered her head and kept washing the vegetables over and over.

She had washed so hard that the leaves were nearly gone, leaving only the stems.

“She really said that?”

Liu Jincui was stunned and subconsciously glanced toward Yu Qingwan.

Just then, Yu Qingwan happened to look over as well. She pressed her lips into a small smile, as if knowing exactly what Liu Jincui was thinking, gave a slight nod, and then returned to her work.

“She really did…”

Xu Xiuer murmured.

Liu Jincui remained silent for a long while before letting out a long breath. “She truly is a thoughtful and kind-hearted girl. Brother Chen is blessed to have married such a wife.”

Turning back to Xu Xiuer, she asked, “And you? What do you think?”

“Mother!”

Xu Xiuer was so embarrassed that it felt as though the heat rose from her heart to her face. She stamped her foot and twisted shyly.

But with eyes like spring water, even a stranger could tell that her feelings had long since stirred into surging waves.

“Alright. Mother understands your thoughts.”

Liu Jincui gently stroked her hair and sighed. “It’s just that if you marry in, you would be the second wife. Mother feels a bit sorry for you.”

“With Wan’er’s gentle nature, how could she divide between first and second?” Xu Xiuer immediately objected.

“Haha, look at you. So eager to marry? Have you no shame?”

Liu Jincui poked her forehead playfully.

“I… I’m not…”

Xu Xiuer flushed deeply and, carrying the basin of vegetables, hurried off like a gust of wind to help with cooking.

At that moment, several men had already brought out chopping boards and begun butchering the roe deer.

Li Chen kept the deer hides for himself. All the meat was distributed to the villagers.

After all, everyone had stood up for him and even given collective false testimony to protect him. Naturally, he would repay their loyalty.

When he finally found a spare moment, he sat down to rest.

Xu Jiang sat opposite him, along with several respected elders of the village.

Muer Village had been established only forty or fifty years ago. Most of the villagers had once fled from inside the passes to escape famine, so unlike older inland villages, there was no strong clan structure. The ones who managed village affairs were Xu Jiang and several elders widely regarded as virtuous and respected.

“Brother Chen, I discussed things with a few of the elders just now. We all feel that the matter with the Wu family of Baisha Village may bring trouble later,” Xu Jiang said with concern.

“The Wu family dominates Baisha Village. It’s said they have someone working at the county office in Pingyang County. No one knows exactly what he does, but the family is extremely arrogant. This time they lost seven young men. They will certainly explode with anger. Whether you did it or not, Zhou San’er has already pushed you into the fire. You must be prepared.”

“That’s right,” another elder added. “Those Wu family members, especially Wu Changqing, are ruthless. I’ve heard he used to be a bandit. He’s fierce and violent, and supposedly even killed someone in his own village before. But his relative at the county office smoothed things over. If he decides it was your doing, you must be careful.”

Li Chen clasped his hands respectfully and smiled. “There’s no need to worry. Nothing is greater than reason. Without evidence, they cannot arrest me. And if they dare to act against me in secret… we shall see whether they have the courage.”

“Brother Chen is truly brave.”

The group raised their thumbs in unison, their admiration for the young man deepening.

He had courage, strategy, and ability. The more they looked at him, the more they liked him.

The future of the village might truly depend on him.

“Time to eat!”

At Liu Jincui’s loud call, everyone began taking their seats.

The first few tables were filled with men, while the women sat at the tables behind them.

The children each carried a large bowl filled with rice, vegetables, and meat. They squatted wherever they found space and began eating, their little mouths glistening with oil, beaming with joy.

“Everyone, hear me!”

Xu Jiang stood up with half a bowl of rice wine in hand, his face flushed.

“Village Head, please speak!”

The men responded in unison.

“Two years of drought. No autumn harvest. Smoke of war everywhere. Refugees filling the land. Our village barely had enough to eat, on the brink of starvation. But since Brother Chen turned over a new leaf, in just five days we’ve eaten meat three times and drunk wine twice. He even distributed roe deer meat and hired us to collect firewood, giving us work and support. Now not only will we not starve, we have hope and a future. So tell me, what should we say?”

Xu Jiang raised his bowl and looked around at the villagers.

“Thank you, Brother Chen!”

All three hundred villagers shouted together.

“No, saying thanks with our mouths isn’t enough. We must show it in action. From now on, if Brother Chen has any matter…”

“It’s our matter!”

“If Brother Chen ever needs us…”

“We’re there!”

“That’s right!” Xu Jiang laughed loudly.

He raised his wine bowl toward Li Chen, who had stood up. “Brother Chen, thank you! A toast to you!”

“Thank you, Brother Chen! A toast to Brother Chen! Bottoms up!”

All the men raised their bowls. Even the children, swept up by the atmosphere, lifted their rice bowls.

“We’re one family. No need for separate words. Bottoms up!”

Li Chen raised his bowl and drank it down in one gulp.

The mood ignited instantly. The air itself seemed to boil.

Amid clinking bowls and overflowing laughter, the hearts of Muer Village gathered and fused together like never before.

And at the center of it all stood one man, the one they rallied around and protected.

Muer Village’s Brother Chen.