FID – Chapter 556

  Chapter 556: Never!

  ”But at the moment I think it’s still too early to think about retiring. My husband is focused on his career, and this may last for many years. Besides, our daughter is still unmarried, but she is not too young. We can’t stop worrying about her. We used to look for a partner for her, but she always disliked one or was dissatisfied with another. She is quite picky. Children are the debt of parents.”

  After sighing, Mrs. Kang changed the topic, “Speaking of which, your son is not too young either. Why hasn’t he married yet?”

  Du Juan immediately felt her hairs stand on end, as if a cold wind has swept by. Her senses stood on guard and answered more carefully to avoid stepping into a trap. “Our son is too opinionated, and he found all the matches our family found for him unsatisfactory. I’m afraid he wants to find his own beloved, the same as his elder brother. There is no way for us to deal with him at home, so we simply gave up forcing him. He can find whomever he likes, and maybe when his destiny comes knocking at the door, he will immediately get married.”

  Mrs. Kang smiled and nodded in response. “Find someone you like. Only when a young couple have feelings for each other can they live more harmoniously and go further.”

  ”Exactly. His father and I think the same way. Let him find his partner by himself. As long as our daughter-in-law is filial and sensible, and the husband and wife live in harmony, we won’t ask for anything. There is only one thing we asked of him. He must not find someone duplicitous or the kind who always kicks up a fuss, otherwise the entire household will not live in peace. Our family has always been harmonious, and we can’t afford such people.”

  At this time, the villagers already came out diligently to tend to their fields. A bunch of them emerged behind them, chatting and laughing. After hearing Du Juan’s words, they immediately roared in laughter and shouted, “Du Juan, is she trying to match Zhiqiu? That kid is totally disinterested, but most of the ladies are vying to marry him. The daughter of the store owner in town, the Wang family, for example, has secretly inquired about Zhiqiu from the villagers several times.”

  ”The Wang family’s daughter?” Du Juan bared her teeth in distaste. “Forget it. That lady is so delicate, and her ten fingers never touched spring water. She is not suitable for Zhiqiu. If she follows Zhiqiu to work in the fields, do you think her parents will be willing? Instead of ending up with in-laws, I’m thinking we will be gaining enemies.”

  The villagers laughed. “You should really let those girls hear what you said. Otherwise, everyone will keep thinking that they will be a young mistress after marriage.”

  Another villager pitched in, “Which lady in the village hasn’t approached for this matter? All eyes are on Zhiqiu. Everyone dared not answer, all because they were afraid of that. We’re just peasants. No matter how big the family business is, we can’t forget our roots. There is no one who doesn’t work in the field. Those who only want to enjoy themselves without doing anything practical are intolerable.”

  ”That’s exactly what I’m talking about.” Du Juan nodded.

  After the villagers passed by, Mrs. Kang massaged her forehead and forced a smile. “My head hurts after such a long walk. Let’s go back. The older we get, the worse off we are compared to younger people.”

  ”Then let’s go back. To be honest, there is really nothing to see in our countryside. Many people who are used to living in the city express their dislike when they come here. They despise the country for being dirty and poor. They even call us country people hillbillies.”

  Mrs. Kang’s smile was even more forced. Didn’t her own daughter scream the same words most recently?

  She just couldn’t tell whether the woman in front of her said it unintentionally, or she mentioned it to her on purpose.

  On the way back, Mrs. Kang didn’t mention the matter of the two young people again, and Du Juan secretly heaved a sigh of relief.

  After returning to the compound, she went into the kitchen again, sat next to Wei Hong, patted her chest and wiped her sweat. “Oh, my mother, talking to an official’s wife is really hard, like fighting a battle. Their thoughts are hidden deep, and if you are not careful, you will step in the ditch.”

  The muscles on Wei Hong’s face twitched, and she tried her best to hold back her smile. “Their goal was not achieved this time, but they won’t come again in the future.”

  At least Mrs. Kang would never come again.

  She has seen too many people of all kinds. Even though Mrs. Kang was proficient at disguise, she couldn’t hide from her eyes.

  She seemed easy-going, but her bearings deep in her bones were actually high. She has a sense of superiority in her speech, but because of the current status of the Liu family, she made no display of it.

  Such people would disdain stepping a foot in a rural place like this.

  Kang Shiming didn’t stay in the main courtyard for long. After his daughter and wife came back, he chatted with Liu Erling for a while longer, then got up to leave.

  After they left, Du Juan immediately asked her man, “Why did they leave so quickly? Did you promise them something?”

  He came with ulterior motives. How could they leave so quickly when their purpose went down the drain?

  Liu Erlin looked at her blankly. “No, what can I promise them? Lord Kang and I have been talking about how to grow medicinal materials.”

  ”…Good thing you chatted about that. There’s a great deal to learn about the cultivation of medicinal materials,” Du Juan praised him, yawned and went back to their room.

  Their afternoon nap was interrupted. Not having a nap could really tire and make someone lose their heads.

  On the carriage back to the county seat, the atmosphere inside the carriage was quite depressing.

  Kang Shiming pressed his eyes against the wall of the carriage, his face heavy with fatigue.

  Mrs. Kang leaned against the window and looked outside without a hint of a smile on her face.

  Only Kang Ziyu was a little restless after getting into the carriage, wavering whether to speak from time to time.

  She wanted to ask but was worried that after doing so, she would appear eager and shameless.

  ”Yu’er, don’t come to Liu’s compound in the future,” Mrs. Kang said calmly after a while.

  Kang Ziyu’s heart sank. She raised her head and asked, “Mother, what do you mean? Did Liu Zhiqiu’s mother tell you something that upset you?”

  ”Their family knows that the daughter-in-law their son wants to marry needs to be able to do farm work. She must also possess the three obediences and the four virtues, is sensible and filial. Their work is demanding. If you marry Liu Zhiqiu, can you go to the fields with him?”

  ”There are so many wineries in their family’s hands, and what they earn amounts to a mountain of gold and silver. Despite that, they still want to treat their daughter-in-law harshly and make her work? This is clearly a deliberate attempt to make things difficult for the lady!”

  Only then did Kang Shiming open his eyes. “What are you talking about? Did you come along this time to hit on Liu Zhiqiu?”

  ”What do you hit on him? Do I need to hit on a hillbilly like him?”

  ”Shut up!” Kang Shiming yelled angrily, feeling more and more powerless with his daughter, to the point where just hearing her voice gave him a headache.

  Worried that the father and daughter would be in a stalemate again, Mrs. Kang sighed and explained, “I did have that intention. Liu Zhiqiu is single, and our daughter is also unmarried, plus there is not much difference in their ages. You also know that their family’s style is commendable. If Yu’er can marry him, she will definitely fare well in the future, and we as parents can feel more at ease, right? That’s why I took the opportunity of accompanying you there to personally congratulate them and also to probe what the woman in their family has to say.”

  Speaking of this, Mrs. Kang smiled wryly, “It’s a pity that things didn’t work out. She said they can’t afford to have a lady whose skin never touches the sun.”

  She also mentioned someone who wasn’t fussy and scheming, but she skipped this.

  She knows her daughter’s nature, so there was no need to raise those shortcomings to her husband, lest he get angry.

  How could Kang Shiming not understand? If they could be in-laws with the Liu family, it would be their family’s blessing, but unfortunately, their daughter was not worthy of that young man.