Reborn as the Blissful Wife in the countryside
Chapter 60 - 060 Refusal

Chapter 60: Chapter 060 Refusal

"Grandma Gu, Cuilan knows she shouldn’t come to beg you, but Cuilan really has no other choice. If possible, please, would you be so kind as to adopt Cuilan?"

"My entire family has run away, and I will never see them again in this life, so you need not worry about them coming to bother you."

"I can work hard, I’m not afraid of suffering, and I eat very, very little—just chewing on a handful of grass roots can keep me going for a whole day."

"When you and Grandpa Gu get older, I will take care of both of you, seeing you through to the end of your days!" Ma Cuilan knelt on the ground, her voice choked with sobs, her face stained with tears and the clear imprint of a hand slap.

Third Grandma hadn’t expected Ma Cuilan would come to beg her for adoption, and was taken aback for a moment before she came to her senses, stepping forward to help Ma Cuilan up: "Good girl, stand up first."

Ma Cuilan shook her head, her tearful eyes filled with affection and pleading: "Grandma Gu, I’m young. It’s fine for me to kneel for a while, please take me in."

After saying this, she kowtowed heavily to Third Grandma, and everyone could hear the sound of her forehead hitting the ground.

As soon as Ma Cuilan knelt down in front of Third Grandma, the surrounding disaster victims crowded around, surrounding the resting area of the Qin, Gu, and Luo families so tightly that water couldn’t seep through.

Gu Jinli was worried Third Grandma would be taken advantage of. Although he didn’t speak, he held a dagger tightly, standing guard beside her.

Mrs. Chen came running over excitedly. Seeing the pitiful sight of Ma Cuilan kneeling and begging Third Grandma for adoption, she just shook her head tsk-tsking, without uttering any provocative words.

Gu Yumei nearly got dragged away by Sister Liu’s bunch of deceivers. Having heard about Ma Cuilan’s situation a few days ago, she felt sorry for Ma Cuilan and said to Third Grandma: "Third Grandma, you don’t have any younger generations in your house, so why not adopt Sister Cuilan?"

No sooner had she finished speaking than Mrs. Chen fiercely slapped her on the back. Glaring at her, she said: "Have you lost your mind? Third Aunt is not related to her. Why should she adopt her? If you don’t understand, then keep your mouth shut and don’t cause more trouble."

Usually, childless families adopt boys from their own clan, and almost never adopt girls from outside their surname.

Furthermore, Ma Cuilan is a young woman ready for marriage. What use is there in adopting her? She can’t continue the family line, and they would have to spend silver coins to prepare a dowry for her.

Besides, all these families were fleeing the famine together. If Third Grandma adopted Ma Cuilan, they would have to share their food with her. When they themselves can’t have enough to eat, where would they find food to support a stranger?

Gu Yumei didn’t like Mrs. Chen, thinking her to be selfish. Seeing Mrs. Chen scolding her, she immediately retorted: "Third Grandma has no sons, and Aunt Fu’s family is gone. If Third Grandma and Third Grandpa adopt Sister Cuilan, it won’t only help Sister Cuilan, but also ensure someone will be there to take care of them in their old age. What a great opportunity, why not?"

Then, pointing at Ma Cuilan’s face, she continued: "Look at Sister Cuilan’s face, such a big handprint, surely she has been bullied. We can’t just stand by and watch someone die without helping."

Mrs. Chen was stunned by these words, then let out an "Aiyo" and prayed to the heavens: "If my elder sister-in-law has a spirit in heaven, please grant Sister Mei some brains, she’s too foolish."

Gu Yumei, as the granddaughter of the village chief, had always been upheld by the girls in the village, and thought herself very clever. Being called foolish by Mrs. Chen, she immediately got angry: "Mrs. Chen, shut your mouth."

"Sister Mei, hold your tongue!" Gu Dafu, who had just returned with food, heard Gu Yumei’s words and immediately shouted angrily: "How are you speaking to your second aunt? She is your close aunt, your elder. Have you no respect for the elder-younger hierarchy?"

Gu Dafu usually couldn’t bear to scold Gu Yumei and Gu Dexing, but now that his wife was gone and Sister Mei had grown up, they would rely on Mrs. Chen to arrange marriage prospects for her after settling down. How could Mrs. Chen be willing to help her wholeheartedly if she was so disrespectful to her?

Gu Yumei, scolded by Gu Dafu, didn’t dare to argue with Mrs. Chen anymore, but she still felt she was in the right, puffing up angrily as she turned her head away, ignoring Gu Dafu.

Third Grandpa returned with several other men from their foraging, pushing through the crowd of disaster victims surrounding their resting area. When he saw Ma Cuilan kneeling on the ground, his brows furrowed, and he asked Third Grandma, "Old woman, what’s going on here?"

Third Grandma was in a dilemma, but upon seeing Third Grandpa, her backbone, she hurriedly waved him over, "Old man, come here quickly. This child seems to have been bullied by someone, couldn’t stand it any longer, and has run to us seeking adoption."

The palm print on Ma Cuilan’s face was evident; anyone who saw it would believe she’d been bullied.

Upon hearing Third Grandma’s words, Third Grandpa’s expression darkened and looked quite displeased. After coming over, he pulled Third Grandma’s hand away from Ma Cuilan’s and drew her back a few steps, keeping a distance from Ma Cuilan.

Ma Cuilan’s heart sank, knowing that this old man surnamed Gu was not easy to fool. Fearing that speaking more would lead to more mistakes, she could only bow her head and sob softly.

"Old man." Third Grandma felt sorry for Ma Cuilan and wanted to adopt her, looking pleadingly at Third Grandpa.

Third Grandpa shook his head at her, then turned to Ma Cuilan and said, "Girl, we two elders are escaping this famine with the villagers. We ourselves rely on the care of the village’s younger relatives. How could we possibly have the means to adopt you?"

He glanced at the palm print on Ma Cuilan’s face and continued, "If you’ve been wronged, go find Village Chief Miao, Village Chief Ren, Scholar Zhong to deal with it. They are kind-hearted and more capable than an old man like me; they will surely stand up for you and sort out your affairs."

Previously, ten girls whose families had not come to retrieve them were taken care of by Village Chief Miao and others. After that incident, the disaster victims had great trust in Village Chief Miao and others, always turning to them for justice.

When Ma Cuilan heard this, she suddenly looked up at Third Grandpa and said, "But, that nephew of Village Chief Miao..."

She only spoke half a sentence before abruptly stopping, saying no more, just covering her face and sobbing.

The surrounding disaster victims were shocked to hear her implicating words. One of them said, "Miss Ma, has Village Chief Miao’s nephew bullied you?"

The palm print on Ma Cuilan’s face and the half-spoken sentence she had uttered almost seemed to blatantly tell everyone she had been bullied, and the perpetrator was Village Chief Miao’s nephew.

Village Chief Miao had two nephews whose wives had died on the road while fleeing the famine, and they were currently unwed. Ma Cuilan was very pretty; it was very likely that Village Chief Miao’s nephews could have taken a fancy to her.

Without speaking, Ma Cuilan just cried, and the disaster victims became even more convinced she had been bullied by Village Chief Miao’s nephew.

"The nephew of Village Chief Miao has gone too far, this can’t be left as is. Let’s all go find Village Chief Miao and get justice for Miss Ma!" said an angry disaster victim.

"Village Chief Miao, Village Chief Ren, Scholar Zhong have arrived, everyone, make way." The speaker was Gu Jin’an. As soon as he learned that Ma Cuilan had come to seek adoption from Third Grandma, he and Luo Wu, Qin San Lang, split up to find Village Chief Miao and the others. Now he had brought the three men with him.

On hearing the disaster victims’ words, Village Chief Miao’s face turned green. He loathed Ma Cuilan in his heart, for he knew this girl who refused to marry a widower was trouble.

But now that the matter involved his nephew, he couldn’t show his anger, only telling the villagers from Miao Family Gully, "Go bind Miao Liushun and Miao Siwang and bring them here!"

Miao Liushun and Miao Siwang were his only two single nephews. If any of his nephews had indeed bullied Ma Cuilan, it could only be them.

"Yes," responded the villagers from Miao Family Gully. A group of about a dozen people ran off in search of Miao Liushun and Miao Siwang.

It took less than a quarter of an hour to find Miao Liushun and Miao Siwang.

They weren’t tied up, but they had run over with the villagers from Miao Family Gully.

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