Chapter 1279: Chapter 1257: Explanation

Zhou SiLang walked up to Zhou Liulang, strolled around him for a bit, shook his head, then ladled a bowl of soup and called Daji over to the shop to eat flatbread.

Zhou Lijun followed Qiu Pei into the backyard of her house. Old Man Qiu and Mother Qiu were busy handling the sheep delivered that morning. Seeing their daughter enter with reddened eyes, they exclaimed in surprise, “What happened? Has someone bullied you?”

Qiu Pei suppressed her tears and said, “No.”

With that, she pushed the door open and went inside. Zhou Lijun followed her in, greeted the couple, and squeezed into the room as well.

The Qiu couple exchanged glances, and Old Man Qiu put down the knife, wiped his hands, and walked outside, while Mother Qiu quietly peeked through the crack in a window at what was going on inside. She could vaguely see Zhou Lijun sitting across from her daughter.

However, she caught their conversation.

Zhou Lijun pulled out a handkerchief to help Qiu Pei wipe her tears and asked, “Sister Qiu, did my Sixth Uncle say something that upset you?”

Qiu Pei turned her back, wiped her tears, then replied angrily, “If he doesn’t have the intention, then he shouldn’t come talk to me! It’s true I’m the only child in my family, but that doesn’t mean anyone can humiliate me as they please. What’s the meaning of what he said?”

Zhou Lijun became very curious about what her Sixth Uncle might have said.

So she moved to stand in front of Qiu Pei, asking, “Sister Qiu, tell me first, what exactly did my Sixth Uncle say to you?”

Qiu Pei’s expression shifted several times before she spat, “You go ask him yourself.”

“Oh, come on, why make me run back and forth? Just tell me—is it that my Sixth Uncle finally figured things out and proposed to you?”

Qiu Pei’s eyes reddened even more as tears began streaming uncontrollably. She sobbed while wiping her tears and choked out, “Hmph, propose to whom? Whether he’s proposing for himself or for someone else, he ought to approach my parents. What does talking to me about it mean?”

Zhou Lijun was utterly confused. “Besides himself, to whom else could my Sixth Uncle possibly propose? Oh, Sister Qiu, I’m not an outsider, so there’s no need to get so worked up. Don’t you have a say in your own marriage?”

Otherwise, why would she not be betrothed or married even now? It was just that the ones her parents approved of were not to her liking, and the ones she liked weren’t accepted by her parents, leaving her in limbo until now.

Qiu Pei wasn’t someone easily offended. She dried her tears and repeated what Zhou Liulang had said earlier, then asked Zhou Lijun, “Does he want to match me with some passing merchant, or was he suggesting eloping with me? What does ‘go anywhere, travel everywhere’ even mean?”

Zhou Lijun: …

Now she was certain of one thing—her Sixth Uncle had taken a liking to Qiu Pei. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have said something like that.

Thinking about her Sixth Uncle’s age, if he didn’t seriously discuss marriage soon, he might genuinely end up unable to find a bride.

So, she coughed lightly and said, “Sister Qiu, you’ve misunderstood my Sixth Uncle here. Of course, he’s partially to blame for not being able to express himself properly.”

She continued, “He actually didn’t mean anything bad. It’s just that his ambitions are a bit different from others. Do you know why my Sixth Uncle has never married?”

Qiu Pei, now calm, wiped her tears and asked, “Why?”

“Because he loves eating and making money. He dreams of traveling all over and sampling delicious food while learning new skills. He feels that getting married means he wouldn’t be able to venture out anymore,” Zhou Lijun explained meaningfully. “So, no matter how much my grandparents urged him, my Sixth Uncle stubbornly refused to talk about marriage. He wouldn’t propose unless he’s truly fond of someone.”

Qiu Pei’s face flushed red all over. But soon, the redness faded, leaving her somewhat pale. “But what about elderly parents? They can’t travel everywhere, right?”

Zhou Lijun replied, “That’s not hard to address. My grandparents have my elder uncles to depend on. My Sixth Uncle can return home when they’re old. As for your parents, that’s even easier—do you think my Sixth Uncle is someone who would just up and leave as he pleases? He doesn’t only want to roam freely and eat good food, but he also wants to gain a lot of skills. Even just the food here in the capital would keep him occupied for years.”

Qiu Pei couldn’t help but feel intrigued.

Zhou Lijun lightly bumped her shoulder and teased, “How about it, Sister Qiu? Should I start calling you Sixth Aunt-in-law?”

Qiu Pei’s face turned red. She spun around and chastised, “Stop calling me that. Nothing’s set in stone yet!”

“Then stop crying, or else Uncle Qiu might say my Sixth Uncle bullied you.”

Hearing Zhou Lijun’s choice of address, Qiu Pei couldn’t resist sighing, “Listen to your wording. Just yesterday, I heard your Sixth Uncle call my father ‘big brother,’ and yet I call him Sixth Brother Zhou. What’s the proper seniority ranking of this relationship?”

Zhou Lijun waved off her concern. “Once you’re engaged, it’ll naturally be straightened out.”

Qiu Pei’s face turned even redder, but she gripped her handkerchief and fell silent.

Zhou Lijun lowered her voice and asked her, “So will you agree or not?”

Qiu Pei also replied in hushed tones, “What difference does my agreement make? This has to go through parental consent and the matchmaker’s arrangements, doesn’t it?”

“My Fourth Uncle and Fifth Uncle are both here, though they can’t decide on behalf of my Sixth Uncle. But don’t worry, my little aunt has the authority to sway my grandparents.”

Qiu Pei also knew of Manbao and had met her several times. Being close with Zhou Lijun, she had heard her mention her little aunt’s remarkable abilities multiple times.

She pursed her lips and asked, “Will your little aunt like me?”

“Don’t worry. My little aunt is very kind. When she’s free someday, I’ll bring her to meet you…”

For now, the matter was set aside, while Mother Qiu discreetly slipped away from beneath the window. Late in the morning, while Qiu Pei was busy wiping the tables in the front, Mother Qiu recounted her eavesdropping to Old Man Qiu.

Then she said, “From what I overheard, Zhou Liulang might be someone who’ll frequently leave home.”

Old Man Qiu was simmering lamb meat. Hearing this, he replied, “What are you worrying about something so uncertain for? I think Lijun’s right—the capital alone has so much good food, plus the nearby county towns. He could spend years in those places alone without running out of options.”

“And what happens once he’s finished those places?”

“Ha, you dense blockhead! By that time, their children would already be born. Do you think he’d abandon his kids to roam everywhere? If we were to fall ill or need care, do you think our daughter would leave us?” Old Man Qiu found these hypothetical worries unimportant. He said, “Didn’t we choose Zhou Liulang in the first place because he’s filial, courteous, and steady? As long as his character’s intact, it’s fine.”

Mother Qiu sighed, “I think Pei herself seems quite willing.”

“Of course she’s willing,” Old Man Qiu remarked. “Forget about the entire street—among all the men she’s met over the years, who’s as handsome and courteous as him?”

Old Man Qiu paused before continuing, “Today, I saw his Fourth Brother. Let me tell you, he’s even more handsome than the others by two degrees. And looking at the younger ones in their household, all the Zhou Family’s kids are good-looking.”

Thinking about what his grandchildren might look like…

Old Man Qiu’s face brightened with delight, and he lowered his voice to say, “I chatted with Zhou SiLang earlier today. Guess what he said?”

“What did he say?”

“He said his wife just gave birth to another son. Now, in their family’s younger generation, they have three granddaughters but eight grandsons!”

Mother Qiu: …

Old Man Qiu sighed, “When something becomes overly abundant, it loses its value. The same applies to grandsons. So, I was thinking, I wouldn’t expect Zhou Liulang to marry into our family. If they have a son in the future, they can just let one take the Qiu surname.”