LGSLAW : Chapter 49 – Betrothal gift

Leading the visitors through the gate, Miao He escorted them towards the house.

At first, the two behind him were looking around and chatting. But soon enough, they both fell silent, closing their mouths in unison.

The sight before them had them awestruck. The neatly arranged and flourishing mulberry trees and fruit trees lining the path seemed so vibrant and well-maintained. They couldn’t believe that Miao He and his husband hadn’t spent a fortune to make their courtyard look so impressive.

Recalling the rumored green brick house, they thought, “My goodness, even the courtyard looks so grand and beautiful. How much money did they spend on this?”

The vegetable fields nearby, so large and thriving, also caught their attention.

People said that He Ge’er was selling vegetables to the Liang family, and seeing this, it must be true—they must be making quite a bit of money!

As they walked, a cat and four puppies played around them.

The village head couldn’t help but ask, “These dogs look quite special. They’re so energetic. Where did you get them?”

Miao He turned back and smiled, “I don’t really know. Liang Yuanwai gave them to us during the hot pot feast, saying they’d be perfect for guarding the yard when they grow up.”

The village head immediately felt a chill.

Today’s visit was definitely necessary!

As they approached the new house and the outline became clearer, both the village head and Zhang Mian swallowed hard.

It really was a magnificent green brick house!

It looked just like the houses of the wealthy families in town!

The village head had hoped that the talk of a green brick house was exaggerated, thinking maybe it was just a regular house with some green bricks. But looking at this well-constructed four-sided courtyard, with its beautiful tiles, intricate wooden windows, and grand redwood doors, his eyes practically hurt from the sight!

Once inside the main hall, the novel layout and perfectly arranged furniture left them both wide-eyed, assuming this must be the latest and most expensive trend in town. In fact, it wasn’t a misunderstanding because this style would indeed become popular soon.

They even noticed an exquisite porcelain vase on the low cabinet!

The sharp-eyed village head recognized it. He had only seen such things in upscale teahouses, and they cost a fortune! He Ge’er had even placed delicate yellow flowers in the valuable vase. It looked nice, but it was such a waste!

Zhang Mian’s eyes were also sparkling. Unable to suppress her impatience, she soon spoke up, “He Ge’er, how come you didn’t tell the family about your new house? Don’t you know how worried we’ve been? As your second aunt, I’m happy for you but also disappointed.”

Oh, here comes the drama.

“Aunt, why say that? Dalang and I invited you properly for the hot pot feast.”

Zhang Mian sneered slightly. She hadn’t planned to bring this up in front of the village head, but on second thought, it might be better. If the village head backed her up, it would be even more effective!

“Then let’s be frank. If Dalang can afford such a new house, he must be making good money, which is great. But He Ge’er, you have to remember that the family raised you, not lavishly but decently. When you married Dalang, we reduced the bride price (Betrothal gift) because his family was struggling. Now that you’re doing well, it’s only right to repay the kindness.”

Before Miao He could respond, Zhang Mian turned to the village head, speaking earnestly, “Village head, you’re here too. Am I being unreasonable?”

The village head… The village head, who had heard Zhang Mian mention the move, felt a chill and wished she would keep quiet! He quickly retorted, “Aunt Mian, did you tell He Ge’er’s mother about this visit?”

Zhang Mian replied immediately, “Of course I did! She had something to do, so I came. And He Ge’er’s grandmother agreed!”

The village head’s expression turned serious.

“Then why didn’t He Ge’er’s mother mention that Yang Dalang had already supplemented the bride price? Six taels of silver! There was even a written contract, signed in my presence, and the money was handed over! And now you’re bringing this up again. Are you trying to renege? I can’t endorse that as village head.”

Zhang Mian’s eyes widened in shock, “What did you say!? Six taels of bride price!? How is that possible!?”

Miao He was also slightly taken aback.

How had the village head changed his tune today and was actually speaking up for him!?

The village head nodded with authority, “Absolutely! There were three copies of the contract—one with Zhao, one with Dalang, and one with me. If you don’t believe it, He Ge’er can show you.”

“When did this happen!? When did she take the money!? He Ge’er, explain this to me!” Zhang Mian was furious.

Miao He finally had a chance to speak but was interrupted again by the village head, who sighed.

“I remember it was around the time Dalang was seriously injured in town. The six taels were supposed to be paid in installments, but for some reason, Dalang gave all the money to Zhao at once, even while he was still recovering. I reminded her back then that Dalang’s gesture was more than generous, and continuing to argue about it would only disgrace the family.”

Zhang Mian was dumbfounded, “But we didn’t know about this. How can it count…”

“Even if you didn’t know, you can’t ask for it twice. Asking for the bride price once was already out of line. Asking again would ruin your family’s reputation and make it hard for your other children to marry!” The village head spoke sternly. “Aunt Mian, you should go home and sort this out first! And remember, who gets the bride price is not Dalang and He Ge’er’s concern! If I had known this was why you came, I would have told you earlier.”

Half scolded and half urged by the village head, Zhang Mian had no choice but to leave, though she was fuming inside. She needed to go home and make that sharp-tongued sister-in-law hand over the money!

Seeing Zhang Mian ready to leave, the village head also didn’t intend to stay long. After all, it wasn’t appropriate for him to be here alone with He Ge’er. As he followed her out, he turned to Miao He with a kind smile.

“He Ge’er, let Dalang know that I’ll help him get justice. He doesn’t need to worry! And as for the land matter, let’s be understanding. Now that you’re living well, that’s the most important thing.”

Puzzled by the village head’s sudden change of heart, Miao He didn’t say much and saw them off.

That night, when Yang Dalang returned, Miao He recounted the day’s events, concluding, “The village head’s attitude is confusing and a bit scary.”

Yang Dalang, who had spent the day dealing with various people, from the curious to the envious, explained the commotion in the village. It was a strategic move now, but in the future, they would have to rely on their own strength.

Miao He shook his head. “The village head is like a fence-sitter. What’s he after?”

Yang Dalang changed the subject, “If I’m not around and Aunt Mian visits…”

Miao He rolled his eyes, “I did fine today. Having Aunt Mian around is really inconvenient.”

Yang Dalang firmly shook his head, “Having another person means more help.”

Seeing the worry in his eyes, Miao He didn’t argue. Besides, the miraculous soil had new uses!

“Alright, I’ll listen to you. By the way, the miraculous soil has grown another piece! It can even combine into a more powerful form! I didn’t have time to test it today. We should experiment tomorrow!” Miao He said excitedly.

Yang Dalang paused, his dark eyes locking onto Miao He.

Miao He immediately knew where his mind had gone, pouncing on him, “Don’t think too much. I’m still pregnant.”

Yang Dalang caught him in his arms, holding him tightly as if afraid he might disappear. “Yes.”

Feeling the tight embrace, Miao He didn’t find it funny this time but felt a pang of heartache.

Such uncertainty, such doubt, perhaps stemmed from deep-seated fear.

Fear that he might vanish at any moment; fear that all this was just a fleeting dream…

What kind of feeling was that?

Miao He wondered if he should reveal everything, if it would make things better.

But that night, all he could do was hold Yang Dalang’s head, kissing and nuzzling him, promising he would always be there.

Later, Miao He insisted that Yang Dalang cuddle him to sleep.

Meanwhile, back at Miao He’s maternal home, chaos reigned.

Zhang Mian immediately reported what had happened, and the old woman was furious. Miao He’s father, Miao Jian, who rarely opposed his wife, ordered her to kneel before his mother and apologize.

But Li Zhaodi, having been scolded all afternoon, finally snapped.

“What did I do wrong!? I just used the money to take care of Xiaobao! If you say the bride price should be shared, then why shouldn’t the money for raising Xiaobao come from the family? Xiaobao was so frail, and I couldn’t bear it, so I used the money! I can face my conscience; I didn’t wrong anyone!”

“Shut up! How dare you talk back to Mother!” Miao Jian yelled.

“I’m just telling the truth! Didn’t you say Xiaobao looked healthier recently? That’s because he’s been eating well! If you knew how poorly he was treated, you’d understand why I had to take care of him! You work hard in the fields, and your son can’t even eat properly. How can I bear that!?”

Zhang Mian sharply retorted, “Nonsense! Your son is weak because you gave birth to a weak child! Don’t blame the family for not feeding him properly!”

Li Zhaodi shot back, “Even if he’s weak, proper care can help! Ignoring his needs while indulging others—what’s that if not neglect? Anyway, I gave the money to the Luo family, ordered thirty chickens, and spent the entire six taels! So stop asking me for money because there’s none left!”

“You… you…” Zhang Mian sputtered, “I don’t believe you fed thirty chickens to your son! The Luo family, right? Fine, I’ll go and demand the money back!”

With that, Zhang Mian dragged her eldest son, Miao Quan, to the Luo family, and the old woman didn’t stop her, only turning to Miao Jian, “Teach your wife some sense! This concerns fairness among brothers, and I can’t play favorites! The money owed will come from your share!”

Li Zhaodi, hearing this, sneered inwardly. The old woman’s words sounded nice, but wasn’t she also greedy?

Letting Zhang Mian go to the Luo family so blatantly? What about the family’s reputation? When they first demanded the bride price back from Yang Dalang, they did it secretly, even getting the village head to warn them not to let the news spread and shame the family. 

Now, she didn’t mention it because Zhang Mian’s youngest son was the one about to get married.

As expected, when Zhang Mian went to the Luo family, she blurted out the origin of the money without thinking.

Facing the fierce Mrs. Luo, who stood with her hands on her hips and yelled, “Who cares where the money came from!? If it’s not stolen, it’s legit! Talking about supplementing the bride price—whoever heard of that!? If you paid, the deal is done; no refunds!”

Zhang Mian retorted angrily, “Why can’t it be supplemented!? It was indeed a bride price from Yang Dalang, six taels, all with your family! The village head can testify! If the chickens aren’t eaten, they should be refunded!”

“Bring the village head here then! Let’s see who’s right!”

“Fine, I will! Who’s afraid of whom!”

Thus, the village head was dragged into the mess again.

This time, a crowd gathered, whispering among themselves.

“So, Miao He’s family asked for the bride price back? Shameless!”

“Right? Setting such a bad example—who’d want to marry into our village?”

“The village head messed up! He should’ve stopped this!”

“Probably thought Yang Dalang was easy to bully, like with the land issue…”

The village head could only feel his mouth go dry with anxiety!

The villagers’ discussion brought up yet another instance of how they mistreated Yang Dalang’s family!

How could he resolve this?

If this got to Yang Dalang…

No! He had to smooth this over!

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