Chapter 462 Finally Found a Chance for a Fight
Bai Da Jiūmā's smile deepened when she heard Xue Li's father being so cooperative. Luo Xue Li, on the other hand, was simply grinning, showing no shyness of a bride-to-be.
"I think the sixteenth of the third lunar month, five days from now, is a good day. Why don't we set the wedding for then? We'll have five days to prepare everything."
Nowadays, wedding preparations were mostly ready-made. Even if they needed to make new quilts, it would be quick. The most they'd need to prepare were some small items and the meat, candy, and wine for the banquet.
Luo Dad was thinking that the dowry he had sent in advance should have arrived by now, and it wouldn't delay his daughter's wedding.
"Alright, let it be that day. I can finally rest easy watching Xue Li get married."
Ye Shengge hadn't said a word the entire time, letting her husband's father serve her food. She could only sigh inwardly, marveling at Luo Xue Li's persistence and determination in capturing her elder cousin.
Zi Yisheng felt nothing special about all this. He was a rather aloof person, rarely involved in others' affairs, and merely served as a backdrop.
"Are you done eating?"
"Mm, I'm stuffed."
"We'll take a walk in the backyard later."
Although their voices were soft, Luo Dad, who had been paying attention, overheard them. He hadn't expected Leader Zi to have such a tender side. During meetings, he exuded an aura of immense pressure, leaving most attendees trembling.
But Luo Dad dared not say anything. He could only pretend that these people were strangers he'd never met before, and even had to keep secrets.
After dinner, Luo Dad was arranged to stay at the Bai family's home. Luo Xue Li also stayed behind, wanting to chat with her father in his room.
Luo Dad took out two large envelopes from his luggage and handed them to his daughter, his eyes filled with guilt and reluctance.
"Xue Li, this one is the two thousand yuan you sent back earlier. How could I possibly take your money? You can keep it or give it to Chu Fan. The other one is your dowry from me, also two thousand. I've kept some aside for your younger brother's wedding."
Luo Xue Li was surprised her father had given her so much money. She couldn't believe her mother would agree to give her so much.
"Dad, where did you get so much money? My mom would never..."
"Don't worry about her. I've taken over the household management from her before I came. She's been giving my hard-earned money to her family. Why can't I give it to my daughter?"
Luo Xue Li knew her mother too well. Her mother only cared about money, her son, and her maternal family. For her daughter, she was just a money-wasting burden.
Upon hearing this, Luo Xue Li didn't hesitate. Her father understood the situation much better than she did. Since it was given to her, she would accept it, lest it fall into the hands of her mother and two brothers. At worst, she would take care of her father in his old age.
"Okay, I'll take it. If my brothers are unwilling to support you in your old age, come find me. Remember, your daughter will always be more filial than them."
Luo Dad felt a pang of sadness when he thought of his two sons, who lacked any sibling affection. They were family, yet they disregarded kinship. He truly didn't want to rely on them in his old age.
"Truthfully, Dad, I might have to rely on my daughter when I'm old. Your brothers... forget it, let's not talk about them."
Luo Dad didn't want to speak ill of his sons in front of his daughter. They were already distant, and any more words would truly make them enemies.
Luo Xue Li rolled her eyes. She knew her brothers well without her father needing to say anything. Raised by her mother, they were selfish and only looked out for themselves, with little affection for each other.
"You should have thought of this sooner. When you're done with your job, pack up and come live in the countryside. You'll see, it's not bad here, and your daughter has quite a bit of money."
"Hahahaha, I know you have money, but your father won't trouble you until I can't walk. My sons, no matter what, must support me. I'm just afraid they'll abuse me when I can't walk anymore, and then I'll have to bother you."
Luo Xue Li suddenly felt her father was pitiful. In the end, he had gained nothing.
"Dad, you still have me. The Bai family are all sensible people. It's better for you to come and stay with me and not be angry with them."
"Don't worry about me. I can work for another twenty years. In the future, live well with Chu Fan and don't bother about your maternal family. Just take good care of yourself."
Neither father nor daughter mentioned the mother and her two sons again. Luo Dad didn't mention his intention to divorce Luo Mom. He had to get rid of this leech of a woman and ensure she never bothered his daughter again.
Luo Dad looked at his daughter's innocent expression and couldn't help but remind her.
"Xue Li, the Bai family is no ordinary family, and Zi Yisheng is even more extraordinary. You must not offend him easily."
Luo Xue Li tilted her head in confusion. She knew the Bai family was extraordinary, but what did Zi Yisheng have to do with it?
"What do you mean? My relationship with Shengge is quite good. After marrying Chu Fan, I'll be Shengge's elder cousin-in-law and have to call Zi Yisheng brother-in-law. How could I offend him?"
"How do I explain this to you... Anyway, just don't offend him. It would be even better if you could get along with your sister-in-law, but if not, just stay away from her."
Luo Xue Li was still confused, but she nodded obediently.
"I understand. You don't know how close the relationship is between these families. Ye Shengge is the only girl among them, and they cherish her like the apple of their eyes. Would your daughter be foolish enough to offend her? I can only dote on her and pamper her."
Luo Dad was surprised that his usually simple daughter had such insight. He nodded with satisfaction. He truly had nothing to worry about.
Ye Shengge was genuinely stuffed. At her maternal grandmother's house, just a few bites of food served by one person were enough for a meal, let alone having her husband also serving her food.
Zi Yisheng walked slowly in the backyard, holding their son in one arm and his wife's hand in the other.
"Luo Xue Li's father looked at you today like he'd seen a ghost."
"Nonsense. Would a ghost be as handsome as me? He must have seen me before."
"Hahahaha, look at how scared you made him. Were you always expressionless during your meetings?"
Ye Shengge clearly remembered that when she first met Zi Yisheng, he had a standard smile on his face and didn't seem very serious.
"That's because he's timid. I'm always known for being approachable."
Ye Shengge reached out and playfully tugged her husband's cheek, wanting to see how thick-skinned he could be.
"You've learned to praise yourself. 'Approachable,' you say? I've never heard A Can and the others praise you. They're always terrified of you."
Zi Yisheng bent down and stole a kiss on his wife's lips. He had finally waited until their son was two months old, and he was "unsealed" these past two days. He couldn't get enough of her. If his wife weren't so full right now, he would have already dragged her to exercise.
"Aren't you afraid of kidney deficiency!"
"I'm young and strong, what's there to be afraid of kidney deficiency? Don't you know how good my kidneys are!"
Zi Yisheng pulled his wife's hand and started walking back. Time was short and the task was urgent. He wanted to finish before their son woke up for a midnight feed.
After a bout of playful activity, Zi Yisheng contentedly stroked his wife's smooth, soft skin. Just as he closed his eyes, he heard their son's cries.
Resignedly, he withdrew his arm from under his wife's neck, picked up their son from the small bed, and placed him beside his wife. He bent down to help his son feed, and his wife hadn't opened her eyes the entire time.
Luo Xue Li was supposed to get married from the educated youth dormitory, but she had no real connections with the people there. It was enough if they didn't cause her trouble.
When Bai Da Jiūmā found out, she went to Ye Shengge. She thought it would be fine for the future daughter-in-law to get married from her cousin's home. She would only stay one night and be picked up early the next morning, avoiding any potential incidents at the educated youth dormitory.
Ye Shengge, of course, had no objections. Nowadays, her home had the most empty rooms.
For the past two days, Luo Dad had toured the entire Bai Rong Brigade, even venturing into the mountains. He even felt like he didn't want to be a factory director anymore and wanted to enjoy a leisurely life in the village. But thinking of the unmarried son at home, he had to suppress his thoughts.
Luo Dad's dowry arrived on the third day. Bai Chu Fan borrowed the village's mule cart to transport it back – a whole cartload of packages.
Many villagers knew that the new educated youth was getting married, and her father had even come and sent her dowry from afar. This was unprecedented among the educated youth, and it showed how much the father truly loved his daughter.
The dowry was directly sent to Ye Shengge's home, so she could leave with her dowry on the wedding day.
Luo Dad had people make four quilts for his daughter, none of them thick. In the southern region, they didn't need the heavy quilts of the north in winter.
There was also a thick blanket, two thin blankets, a radio, and even four sets of new clothes, along with two pairs of leather shoes.
It could be said that Luo Dad had done everything a mother would do. If the Bai family hadn't prepared so thoroughly, he would have insisted on buying his daughter a thermos and a washbasin again.
The Bai family had also prepared meticulously. Bai Chu Fan's room already had many things. The furniture and bed were rebuilt after the flood, and the quilts and bedsheets were all replaced with new ones. They also bought Luo Xue Li a vanity table.
In the countryside, this was about as much as they could add. The Bai family already had a bicycle, and to avoid drawing too much attention, they didn't buy a new one; one was enough. The rest was given as money, so the young couple could buy whatever they needed.
In Mingcheng, the Bai brothers lived separately, except for the eldest son's family who lived with the elders. Therefore, even after getting married, Bai Chu Fan could only live at home. The other five brothers could build new houses and live independently after marriage.
Ye Shengge also provided some household items, such as towels, bedsheets, and duvet covers, all from her hoard in the space.
The day before the wedding, Luo Dad and Luo Xue Li moved into Ye Shengge's home. Ye Shengge and Ye Mom also handed over the prepared betrothal gifts to Luo Xue Li. This was specifically instructed by Bai Chu Fan, who said that the family's money would be managed by his wife.
Ye Mom gave Luo Xue Li two thousand yuan and some jewelry. Ye Shengge also gave two thousand yuan.
Initially, Ye Shengge thought it was too little, but Ye Mom said it was already a lot, considering that houses and other things couldn't be priced at their past-life values. As long as they didn't lose money, it was fine.
Bai Da Jiūmā, apart from the two thousand for the engagement and ten thousand and one for the bride price, didn't give much more, only buying Luo Xue Li a few new sets of clothes and shoes. Their main branch hadn't divided the family yet, so they wouldn't give any more.
The other two aunts gave less than Ye Shengge. This was done in front of Da Jiūmā, indicating that they had discussed it and were afraid the new daughter-in-law would get carried away.
Luo Dad looked at the box of valuables his daughter had and fell silent. The pressure from the in-laws was too great. What he had saved his entire life was less than what one person from their side had given.
Luo Xue Li was only happy. She felt no pressure at all. What made her happiest was marrying the person she loved. Whether the money was a lot or a little didn't matter to her, as she wasn't marrying for money.
On the wedding day, early in the morning, Ye Mom, accompanied by the old village chief's wife, entered the room. Only the father from Luo Xue Li's maternal family had come. It wouldn't do to have no elder female relative, so they came to act as the bride's maternal family.
Ye Shengge and Chen Tangtang also arrived early at Luo Xue Li's room to help her dress and apply makeup. The weather was getting warmer, and they could wear short sleeves by noon. Like at Chen Tangtang's wedding, Ye Shengge gave her another red dress. She truly had many new clothes in her space.
Little Tiantian also sat in the room, curiously watching Ye Shengge paint Luo Xue Li's face.
Luo Xue Li looked at herself in the mirror after being fussed over for a long time. She looked like a different person. Her original appearance was only five parts beautiful, but now she looked like an eight.
"Is this still me?"
"Hahahaha, I said the same thing when I got married. Shengge's skills are amazing."
Chen Tangtang truly admired her friend's dexterity. She hadn't let them go to their weddings with red faces. With just a few simple strokes, she made them look like entirely different people.
Ye Shengge put away the "modified" makeup. She had gone to great lengths to use these items. Not only had she changed the packaging, but she had also altered the products themselves. The lipstick had been melted down and repackaged into small bottles.
Luo Dad had also changed into a new outfit, even styling his hair with wax. He looked energetic, his smile never fading.
"The groom is here to pick up the bride!"
Upon hearing this, Chen Tangtang immediately closed the door, using her body, which hadn't slimmed down yet, to block it.
"Hahaha, leave today to me. I'm experienced now."
A Sen and a few others were once again roped in to be the door-blockers, and the group once again faced the Bai family brothers, with Ye Mu'en leading the charge.
"Mu'en, I'll take you on this time."
A Can was the bravest this time. He wanted to show the other brothers his prowess.
Ye Mu'en curled his lips and crossed his arms.
"Add one more person, otherwise, you won't be able to stop me."
"Brother, aim to stop three. The rest will be handled by us six brothers."
The third brother, Bai Chumo, had self-awareness. He had deeply understood the power difference between the two sides in the previous two encounters.
"Hmph, who do you think you're looking down on? Brothers, let's go!"
Luo Dad's eyes were wide open, watching. They were picking up the bride like this, it looked like a real fight.
Ye Dad was assigned to accompany Luo Dad. Seeing his surprised expression, he patted his shoulder.
"It's fine, just treat it as lively entertainment. It's not often we get a chance for a fight."