Chapter 187: Building Bridges for a Matchmaking Proposal
The murky river water surged, rolling toward the lowlands. The once rugged and uneven wilderness was gradually transforming into countless small lakes.
“At this rate, who even needs to dig a reservoir? Looks like we won’t be making any money from that job after all,” Yu Qiang said, his face slowly clouding with worry.
He had been hoping that, through the hard work of his family, they could earn at least a little income to improve their lives in this desolate place.
But this rain—if they were back in their hometown, many areas would already be flooded. The downpour was so heavy that it made farming, planting crops, and even doing labor for silver impossible, preventing them from improving their family’s condition.
“Father, don’t worry. We still have enough silver to buy a year’s worth of grain,” Yu Yongjun said, stepping to the cave entrance as he looked at the relentless rain outside.
He was anxious too, but all he could do was try to comfort his parents.
“We may have a few dozen taels left, but what if Haojie’s family also runs out of grain? I’m sure the prices in Feng City are much higher than what Haojie is selling to us. With the little silver we have, we might not even last a year.”
“Your father is right. Haojie is kind-hearted and generous to sell to us at such a low price, but if they themselves run out of food, how could we possibly have the nerve to keep buying from them? No matter what, we need to grow our own crops, harvest them season after season. Only then can we feel secure.”
Shu Suhua had been a farmer all her life. Like her husband, when they first arrived in this barren land, they didn’t dare complain about the poor soil.
They had hoped that through hard work, they could plant enough crops to sustain themselves, ensuring at least basic survival. But now, their reality was proving much harsher than they expected.
“Father, look over there! I think two people are heading this way!”
Seeing his parents’ worried faces, Yu Yongjun didn’t know what else to say. Just as he was struggling to find words of encouragement, he spotted two figures in the distance, braving the heavy rain.
Both were wearing straw raincoats and conical hats, using light-footed martial arts to traverse the flooded terrain toward their mountain cave.
Hearing Yu Yongjun’s alert, the couple raised their heads. Before they could react, the two figures had already landed just outside their cave entrance.
“Third Grandpa, Third Grandma, it’s me!”
Seeing the elderly couple standing warily at the cave entrance, Yu Luo quickly called out.
The moment they recognized her voice, the two elders immediately stepped aside, reaching out to pull her into the cave.
“Xiao Luo, when did you learn light-footwork martial arts?”
“I’ve always known, just never showed it before.”
“You’re asking the wrong questions,” Yu Qiang chided. “You know what kind of life Xiao Luo’s family had in the marquis’ estate. Why are you even questioning her about this?”
Scolded, Shu Suhua simply smiled kindly at Yu Luo, nodding in approval.
“Miss, I’ll head back to check in with my brothers first. I’ll return shortly,” Tao Ming said.
“Alright, no rush. Before I leave, I’ll stop by your stone house to meet your brothers. Just wait for me there.”
Tao Ming was puzzled as to why Yu Luo wanted to visit their stone house, but he was happy nonetheless and agreed without hesitation.
“What’s going on? Who’s that young man? Why is he addressing you as ‘Miss’? He looks unfamiliar.”
Before Shu Suhua could voice her curiosity, Wang Ying had already stepped forward, carrying a cup of hot water to offer to Yu Luo, signaling her to drink and warm herself.
Even with the rain gear, in such heavy rain, it was impossible to stay completely dry. And although Yu Luo had inner strength, she still felt the cold.
Grateful, Yu Luo accepted the cup while Wu Hongping thoughtfully helped her remove her soaked conical hat.
“That’s Tao Ming, one of the men who helped dig the reservoir in our vegetable garden.”
“Ah? So there were young men among them too? I thought they were all older fellows. He seems quite skilled in martial arts, and his appearance isn’t bad either. Xiao Luo, keep an eye on them and see if any of them have good character. We might be able to introduce one to Qiao’er as a husband.”
“Sister-in-law!”
The moment Wang Ying said that, Yu Qiao’er, who had been happily watching Yu Luo’s arrival, immediately stomped her foot and cried out in protest.
If the cave had separate rooms, she would have already hidden herself inside, too embarrassed to face everyone!
“What are you so shy about? Your sister-in-law is right. You’re at the age to be married. In a few months, you’ll be eighteen! If we were still in our hometown, the government would already be charging us extra tax for you being unmarried!”
Yu Qiao’er had a fiery personality, but even she couldn’t handle being suddenly bombarded with talk of marriage.
Hearing Shu Suhua’s words, she stopped blushing and became serious.
“Mother, are you worried I’ll be a burden to the family?”
“Nonsense! Who cares about the government here? You know that’s not what I mean.”
Yu Luo hadn’t expected that she’d be dragged into matchmaking the moment she arrived.
Still, seeing Yu Qiao’er’s flustered reaction was quite amusing.
“That’s right, Qiao’er. You know your sister-in-law and mother don’t mean it that way, so stop being so stubborn. I saw that young man just now—he’s tall, strong, and good-looking. And he knows martial arts!”
“Exactly! And not just any martial arts—light-footwork! He was flying through the air like it was nothing! Even your second brother is envious. You should consider it. If we were still back in the village, where would you even find someone like him? I say if Xiao Luo and your brother and sister-in-law can check his character and he’s decent, you should just marry him. If you miss this chance, you won’t find another!”
Yu Qiao’er glared at them all.
“Hmph! I’m not talking to you anymore!”
Blushing furiously, she stomped away to play with little Yu Xiaoqing at the far end of the cave, though the redness of her ears betrayed her lingering embarrassment.
Yu Qiang, as her father, simply chuckled cheerfully, refraining from teasing his daughter.
As her older brother, Yu Yongcai also chose to stay out of it, letting his wife take charge of such matters.
“Xiao Luo, keep an eye on this matter. Before, we thought those men helping you dig the reservoir were all older, scruffy fellows. We couldn’t even see their real faces through all that facial hair. But now that we’ve had a proper look, they’re actually quite decent!”
Shu Suhua, who hadn’t considered matchmaking before, was now showing genuine interest after her eldest daughter-in-law brought it up.
