Farm Tough Girl

Chapter 111: Chapter 112 Unacceptable_1 Chapter 111: Chapter 112 Unacceptable_1 Muniang was unsparing in her satire, and then she turned and entered her house without looking back. She didn’t have the slightest fondness for Qiao Lianhua—hadn’t Muniang suffered enough from her bullying in the past? Indeed, like mother, like daughter!

Qiao Lianhua was furious at the doorstep, stomping her feet. She had swallowed her pride to ask, and Muniang still dared to mock her! If it had been the past, she would have slapped her across the face long ago. In just these few days, Muniang had grown so bold!

Fuming, Qiao Lianhua stormed home where Mrs. Ji was already anxiously waiting, drenched in sweat, “Oh my dear daughter, why have you only just returned? I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”

Still angry, Qiao Lianhua snapped back, “What do you want with me? To sell me off to that tofu seller so you can live comfortably?”

“What are you talking about? Haven’t your father and I always had your best interests at heart? That Tofu Zhang might just be a tofu seller, but he’s got a decent foundation. He can produce twenty taels of silver, which shows he’s quite well-off. I’m thinking about your future.”

Thinking about Mr. Wu she had met that day, and then about Tofu Zhang, Qiao Lianhua couldn’t help feeling uneasy, “Don’t even think about it. I will never marry that tofu seller, unless, unless I’m dead!”

“Tsk, tsk, what are you saying? How can you curse yourself like that? Why would you do this? Could you possibly find a better match in our village? This marriage proposal is a favor your aunt secured because of my connections. Don’t let it slip through your fingers, or end up crying on your wedding day to some farmer.”

However, Qiao Lianhua retorted, “What, our village has no one else? I, I, I truly have taken a liking to someone!”

Mrs. Ji was startled upon hearing ‘Tupo Village,’ “Someone from our village? But everyone there is so poor. How can you be so clueless, child, willing to endure hardship with a poor lad for the rest of your life?”

“Mother, who said anything about a poor lad? I’m talking about the rich young master of the big manor house at the east end of our village. He’s far superior to Tofu Zhang, isn’t he?”

Upon hearing this, Mrs. Ji was momentarily taken aback, recalling the incident at the Wu Family’s gate over the affair between Qiao Yuanshan and Yuqin. She had glimpsed that young master; he was indeed handsome and came from a family with substantial roots, but she always felt something unsettling about his presence.

“How could our family ever match theirs? Such wealthy households would certainly seek an equal match.”

“What equal match? That young master is even close with the Muniang family,” Qiao Lianhua dismissively remarked.

Mrs. Ji’s eyes brightened, “He’s acquainted with Qiao Muniang?”

“Yes, just today at Muniang’s housewarming party, he went there in person. Mother, let’s improve our relationship with the Muniang family. Look how shrewd Auntie and her family are, clinging to Muniang’s coattails. They’re about to open an Embroidery House and their future is surely set. If we also got on good terms with the Muniang family, maybe we could start earning as well.”

But Mrs. Ji’s face darkened, “That heartless wretch would be willing to give me money? She probably wouldn’t part with a single cent! When I visited her home last time, thinking I might get a share of that Embroidery House, she had me thrown out!”

Mrs. Ji grew increasingly agitated as she thought about it.

Yet, Qiao Lianhua continued, “Even if we can’t get involved with the Embroidery House, we should at least ease our relationship, engage in some mutual visits. If I could stop by often, I’m sure to run into Mr. Wu frequently. If he took a fancy to me, the Wu Family doesn’t have an elder or the like, so wouldn’t he decide his own marriage matters? What does being well-matched have to do with it?”

Mrs. Ji’s eyes gleamed with interest, clearly tempted by the idea.

Qiao Lianhua continued, “If I become the young Lady of the Wu Family, would you still have to suffer through these difficult days? Wouldn’t we be enjoying delicacies from the mountains and seas every day? Even Qiao Muniang can’t compare to our family then.”

Mrs. Ji nodded repeatedly, “You’re making sense!” How could Mrs. Ji let slip such an opportunity to leap through the dragon’s gate?

Confidence gleamed in Qiao Lianhua’s eyes. As long as she had the chance to meet Mr. Wu, she was certain she could capture his heart.

Muniang had just finished tallying the casual gifts sent by the folks, all these were social obligations that needed to be returned one day, the question was just how much more or less to give back.

In the evening, Mrs. Lin inquired about the progress of the Embroidery House, and Muniang laughed, “Mother, what’s gotten into you today, showing interest in these matters? You weren’t even this concerned when I was buying wasteland and turning it into good farmland.”

Mrs. Lin sighed and said, “Isn’t it because I’m worried that your aunt’s business might fail and she could lose? With her four children, each one is a cause for worry, and they are not living an easy life. If we can help, we should. But she’s so proud, absolutely refusing to accept our money. If the Embroidery House fails, how will she manage?”

Understanding her concern, Muniang held Mrs. Lin’s hand and comforted her, “Mother, rest assured, if I were not confident, why would I get involved with aunt? The Embroidery House is bound to make a good profit. The couple of patterns that came out recently have been selling particularly well at the Golden Silk Embroidery House; don’t worry about it. Her children are lovely, and as their older cousin, I’m fond of them. How could I bear to see them suffer?”

Only then did Mrs. Lin feel relieved, yet she still scolded jokingly, “You child, when did you start being so confident?”

“Because your daughter is capable,” Muniang teased Mrs. Lin playfully.

Mrs. Lin then said, “A woman’s life cannot be complete with just capability, the key is to have children. In my opinion, you and Erlang—”
“Mother, it’s so late, why don’t you go rest? You’ve only just recovered from your illness, don’t overexert yourself.”

“Ah, my child, you cannot delay the consummation of your marriage—”
“Hong Luo, quickly, help my mother back to her room to rest. Staying up will just drain her energy.”

Mrs. Lin gave Muniang a sullen look, reluctantly leaving the room. Muniang hurriedly flashed a pleasing smile toward Mrs. Lin, but it still wasn’t enough to appease her completely. In Mrs. Lin’s view, the absence of offspring was the greatest filial failing; as a traditional person, she could not accept a woman’s failure to have children after marriage.

Muniang sighed with relief. Mrs. Lin could not accept the idea of being childless, but Muniang also couldn’t stomach the thought of haplessly sharing a bed with a man, right?

At the moment, Erlang’s mental maturity was equivalent to that of a five- or six-year-old. Muniang had indeed developed feelings for him, but had Erlang reciprocated? Perhaps he couldn’t even distinguish whether his feelings for her were dependence or love. If he remained foolish for the rest of his life, Muniang might be willing to slowly accept him over two or three years, but what if one day he came to his senses?

If a lucid Erlang was reluctant to spend his life with a country girl, unwilling to accept such a life, what then would she mean to him?

Muniang shook her head, feeling a sense of loss well up inside her.