Happiness Consists in Contentment

Chapter 44 Farmer’s Wife

 Qiu Yu nodded, “Yeah. Brother Han’s grandfather is indeed very old.”

Liu Fang smiled and said nothing.

Her impression of Han Dong was hardworking and taciturn, a very simple man. However, her family was not willing to talk about her marriage now, so she will not say much for the time being.

When they arrived in the town, they went to Liu Sheng’s bookstore for a stroll. Seeing that it was getting late, Liu Fang took two books that she thought were pretty good and was going to read them slowly when she got home.

When Liu Fang was about to leave the town, she saw Han Dong driving an ox cart and waiting by the main road at the gate of the town.

Liu Fang was taken aback for a moment, and when Han Dong saw Liu Fang coming out, his eyes lit up, he quickly got out of the carriage, walked over, and said.

“Miss Liu, I happened to have something to do in town. I thought you hadn’t gone back yet, so I waited. Unexpectedly, you really haven’t left yet…”

Liu Fang looked at him with a half-smile. His face slowly turned red, and he couldn’t speak anymore.

After a while, Han Dong thought that Liu Fang would refuse again, so he drooped his head and said, “I’m sorry, Miss Liu, I, I’m too…” 

Seeing his pitiful appearance, Liu Fang felt a little funny. A strong man over seven-foot-tall looks dejected, just like a husky, the contrast was too great.

After thinking about it, Liu Fang said casually: “Okay, then thank you, Brother Han.”

Han Dong raised his head in disbelief, looked at Liu Fang, and stammered: “Miss Liu, you, you are… …”

Liu Fang shook her head and laughed, and said: “Brother Han isn’t waiting for me?”

Han Dong nodded honestly and said: “Un, yes, I am waiting for you.”

After that, he scratched his head with some embarrassment.

Liu Fang nodded with a smile, “In that case, why don’t you send me home?”

Han Dong grinned stupidly, “Hey, Miss Liu, slow down!”

Liu Fang shook her head, sighing inwardly: This Han Dong was honest and simple.

After Han Dong sent Liu Fang home, he returned to Han’s house with a smile as if he had won a big prize.

Seeing his appearance, Grandpa Han couldn’t help asking: “Did you go to pick up Miss Liu?”

Han Dong nodded with a smile, and while he was busy in the kitchen, he said to Grandpa Han: “Yes, I’m picking up Miss Liu.”

Seeing the expression on his face, Grandpa Han knew that he was able to pick the person. He stood at the door of the kitchen and asked, “I saw Miss Liu today. She is really good-looking. Besides, she is very easy to get along with. She even gave me a salute. It can be seen that her upbringing is excellent.”

Han Dong smiled and nodded, “That’s natural. Master Liu used to be an official in the capital, so the upbringing of the family is naturally excellent.”

Grandpa Han looked at his appearance, he felt a little uncomfortable, but he still said slowly: “Since you know Miss Liu’s background, you should understand that such a person is not someone that people like us can think of.” 

Han Dong was silent for a moment, and then slowly said: “I know. But, I just want to help. When she gets married, I will, I will stop thinking about her.” 

In the end, he swallowed the lump in his throat and said hoarsely: “I’m only eighteen. I’ll wait for her for another two years.”

Grandpa Han sighed.”Forget it. This way.”

He took out the house’s land deed and banknotes from the secret compartment, looked at them, and counted them.

The Han family was actually not poor now.

There were 50 acres of paddy fields, 30 acres of mountain land, and a large yard that has just been built for two years. There were ten or twenty taels of bank notes. In Qingshan Village, this kind of family was really not poor, and they were already a wealthy family.

But Grandpa Han knew that these were nothing compared to the Liu family.

Not to mention anything else, how much the Liu family dotes on Liu Fang. In a large family, she was the only one with two maids serving her, and she also took in a tall and strong man with a fierce appearance as a disciple. Also, last year, she found 20 orphans and adopt them.

The Liu family actually followed her!

It can be seen from this that Liu Fang was really favored.

How could the Liu family casually let her marry? At least they have to find someone with the right family.

As for the Liu family, don’t talk about anything else, just say that they can casually spend one or two thousand taels to buy land and build a house, so you can know what kind of family they were in the past.

To be honest, if it weren’t for the fact that the Chen family was also a big family here, many people in the village really have ideas for the Liu family.

After all these things, Grandpa Han touched the money and land deed that they had finally saved and sighed: Alas…their family could not expect such a good girl to be their granddaughter-in-law.

In addition to the busy farming in early spring, there was also the imperial examination. The imperial examination was held once every three years, and the Juren Examination was also once every three years.

[举人 (ju ren) a successful candidate in the imperial examinations at the provincial level in the Ming and Qing dynasties]

It just so happens that this year Juren Examination was in early spring, not in autumn.

Scholar Yan was also a candidate for the Juren Examination.

Because the exam happened to be held in Linshan County this year, he didn’t need to go there too early, he can set off after the farming in the village was finished.

The Juren Examination here was only for three days, and the list was announced on the fourth day, so Qingshan Village soon learned that Scholar Yan passed the exam.

The Yan family was naturally overjoyed. Scholar Yan himself was proud of himself. Thinking of Liu Fang, he asked his mother, Madam Yan, to invite a matchmaker to the Liu family to propose marriage.

To be honest, Madam Yan doesn’t like the Liu family, nor does she like Liu Fang.

The best candidate for a daughter-in-law in her mind was her niece, the daughter of her eldest brother.

But it happened that Liu Fang had a charming face, which made her son fascinated, and made him would never forget her day and night.

It really made her very angry!

But she couldn’t talk to her son too much, fearing creating a rift between mother and son.

Madam Yan saw that her son was thinking of that Liu Fang, she secretly gritted her teeth with hatred but she didn’t dare to show the slightest bit on her face, she still nodded with a smile and said, “Okay, I’ll let someone invite the matchmaker to propose marriage. You go back to rest first, You’ve been tired all day.”

Only then did Scholar Yan remember that his mother was also very tired after entertaining guests for a whole day.

He stood up guiltily and saluted, “Mother is tired today, son has been bothering you. It really shouldn’t be. The son will resign now, and mother should also have a good rest. There is no rush to propose marriage.” 

After hearing this, Madam Yan felt relieved and comfortable, she smiled and said: “My son has a heart. Well, then you can go back and rest, and we will talk about the marriage proposal later.” 

“Yes, mother.” Yan Xiu just saluted and left. 

Madam Yan saw him leave, Immediately turned cold, and said lightly to the momo waiting beside her: “You find someone to propose marriage to the Liu family, and say it’s for that Han Dong of the Han family. Do you understand?” 

The nanny thought for a while, then nodded, “Yes. This slave understands.”

Just like that, Liu Mo met the matchmaker who came to propose marriage early in the morning, with a dazed look on his face.

He looked at the upright matchmaker in front of him, and said, “Who do you say is coming to propose marriage?”

The matchmaker smiled dignifiedly, and said, “It’s the Han family, the Han family of Qingshan Village, who live at the east end of the village. The first one after crossing the bridge. Don’t Sixth master know?”

Liu Mo: …

Of course, he knows which one it is, but, he always felt that Han Dong didn’t have the guts to invite someone to propose marriage.

At most, he came to the Liu family secretly to help out, and he didn’t even dare to meet Liu Fang in person.

What’s the situation now? Change of character? Or is Han Dong going all out? Is he going to give it a try?

But no matter what, Liu Mo will not agree immediately.

Father Liu and Madam Liu were still alive, and it was not up to him, the sixth elder brother, to decide.

“Madam didn’t go to my eldest brother’s house? My father and mother have their own regulations on this matter. Although I am the elder brother of Liu Fang, it is not easy to surpass.” 

The matchmaker smiled and said: “I have already visited, but Maste Liu and Madam Liu are not at home, so I took the liberty to disturb the sixth master’s house. I hope you will forgive me!”

Liu Mo nodded, “So, it is better for Madam to go back first, and it will not be too late when my father and mother come back.”

The matchmaker smiled, nodded, and got up, “That’s right, I will take my leave now. Farewell.”

Liu Mo personally sent the matchmaker away, stood at the door and thought for a while, then locked the door and went to the terraced fields. Liu Fang has always been there recently.

Liu Fang was sitting on the ridge of the field watching the twenty orphans punching, and Qiu Yun corrected their movements from time to time.

Liu Mo came over to her and said, “Fourth sister, do you plan to keep these children forever?”

Liu Fang thought for a while and said, “Maybe, but I don’t know yet. Why, Sixth Brother, do you have something to find me?”

Liu Mo said: “Today, my wife took elder sisters-in-law to the county seat, and a matchmaker came and said they were proposing marriage for you.” 

Liu Fang raised her eyebrows, “Sixth Brother, mean?” 

Liu Mo nodded, he was looking at the large terraced fields in front of him, and said: “After coming here, I realized that the so-called wealth and honor are just floating clouds, and living like this is actually quite good. It is quiet and peaceful, there are not so many disputes, and there are not so many uneasy.”

Liu Fang nodded, “Ordinary days have their own comfort, and rich and noble days also have their troubles, in fact, they are all the same.”

Liu Mo smiled, “If that’s the case, why do we still cling to the old rules?”

Liu Fang turned to look at him, Liu Mo smiled and said: “You are my sister from the same mother, and my only wish is to hope that you will have a worry-free life in the future. Fourth sister, don’t put everything on yourself, you still have us!”

Liu Fang’s eyes were slightly red, and she smiled, “So, sixth brother, who is here to propose marriage?”

Liu Mo said with a smile: “It’s the Han family, Han Dong invited someone to come here to propose marriage.”

It’s him? Liu Fang was taken aback for a moment and then smiled. If it’s really him, it seems pretty good.

He was simple, although he was a bit stubborn, but at least he does not have that much thought, he was also diligent, but he was not very good at talking. Stuttering or something, a little silly?

Well, Liu Fang thought for a while and said, “Sixth brother thinks he is reliable?”

Liu Mo nodded, “Well, although this person has no great talent or ability, he has a pure heart, clear eyes, and a rare sincere attitude. As an elder brother, I don’t ask much, I just hope that he can hold you and love you for the rest of his life, and that’s enough to keep you from suffering.” 

Liu Fang smiled when she thought about Han Dong’s eyes which looked like a husky. Indeed, this person is still very reliable.

It was rare that Liu Mo would speak up for him. Liu Fang felt that this person was capable.

But Liu Mo said: “I see that idiot sneaking up to water our fields every day, and I find it funny and helpless.” 

When Liu Fang heard this, she almost covered her stomach with laughter: “He really do this every day?”

Liu Mo said without a word: “Yeah, this idiot sneaked over every time, Qiao Zheng caught him several times, and once the tenant said to him: ‘Don’t come to water again, the seedlings will be drowned.’ This made Han Dong stop sneaking in.”

Liu Fang laughed so hard that her body trembled, Aiyoo, was he really this funny?

When Liu Mo said this, he still hated iron didn’t become steel, “But he is very cowardly. He never dared to run in front of you, only dared to hang around in front of us. Fourth sister, tell me, is this person stupid? He doesn’t want to please you, but he came to please our family’s fields. I really… don’t know what to say about him. “