The Eldest Daughter of a Rural Family
Chapter 100: Chosen Again (2)_1

Chapter 100: Chapter 100: Chosen Again (2)_1

Pei Qin walked out immediately.

The faces of the two women who came with Luo Jie turned sour instantly—they didn’t mind their family’s status and had come over for a match without mentioning the dowry, yet these people dared to look down on them. What on earth!

Seeing that the situation was going awry, Pei Houli quickly had Lady Fang express her position and accept, "The matter of children’s marriage relies on the parents’ command and the matchmaker’s word."

Lady Fang didn’t want to agree, but she was also worried about not finding someone suitable, that they might end up with someone like Qian Dog.

Si Ya glanced at Luo Jie, finding him not very appealing, but as the only son in his family and with over twenty acres of land, his prospects were really quite good. Her elder sister was even looking down on him—was she actually holding out for a rich man’s son?

At home, Pei Qin waited for Lady Fang to return. Without waiting for her to persuade, she began to urge her mother, "Mom, how much do we earn in a month?"

Lady Fang was taken aback, "I haven’t calculated it..."

"Then let me do the math for you!" Pei Qin sat cross-legged on the kang bed, counting with her fingers for Lady Fang, "Starting from the time we went up the mountain, we earned over 600 wen each time, sometimes over one tael, another time over two taels, and this last time over three taels. Plus the one tael and five pieces from the salted fish, that’s about how much silver we have, almost ten taels in total. We earn about ten taels a month, which makes it one hundred twenty a year. In two years, I’ll be barely sixteen. By then, let’s talk about marriage. Our family will have our own yard, cattle, a cart, fields, and perhaps even a stall to do business. I can read and do math; Pei Wendong is also sent to study. What kind of family are you planning to find for me?"

Lady Fang felt dazed, as if it wasn’t real. "Our family..." Can we really have it so good? Her eldest daughter’s dreams seemed too big.

San Ya was already filled with yearning, "Mom! Elder sister is really good at calculating, faster than the shopkeeper at the tavern!"

Lady Fang was somewhat skeptical, "You do the math!?"

"I’ve had a strong memory since I was little, just listening to the reading in the main house, I remembered it. Listening to others do the math, I also kept it in mind. When I was too hungry to bear it, I’d do the math, calculating how much we could earn in the future, how much we could spend," Pei Qin said with a face full of sincere nonsense.

Hearing that she had been so hungry, Lady Fang’s heart ached and felt sour, "It’s my fault; I’m not capable enough to give you a better life."

"It’s because the place we lived wasn’t good. Once we’re out, we’ll make our own money! That old woman has saved up over twenty taels over so many years; we can save it up in just two months!" Pei Qin beamed with a grin.

Si Ya couldn’t help but deflate her enthusiasm, "Talk is cheap, but the money you earned hasn’t been saved at all; it’s all been spent! Not to mention over two hundred taels in two years, even after two years, we won’t have saved much!"

Pei Qin turned her head to look at her.

Si Ya snorted softly, "Anyway, I think that Luo family is quite well off. It would be a stroke of luck if elder sister could marry into their family! Looking for a rich man’s son, she’d probably not even be wanted as a servant to wash feet!"

Lady Fang’s face darkened, and she scolded, "Si Ya!"

Seeing that she had actually become angry, Si Ya also panicked a bit, pursing her lips and speaking softly, "What if we miss out on this match, and can’t find a better one?"

Lady Fang was also worried about this, but if in one or two years it really was as Qinqin said, then she... would definitely find Qinqin a better family to marry into! Not necessarily much wealthier, but she couldn’t let her Qinqin suffer any longer!

At the old residence, Lady Zhu was also chattering non-stop, complaining about Pei Houli’s kind heart in finding Pei Qin a good match, even delaying his eldest grandson from studying to keep up appearances. Yet they still turned up their noses at him, "Even someone like Zhang Dalang isn’t good enough for them—I’d like to see what they could possibly find!"

Lady Chen, aware of how much Pei Houli fretted, knew it was all for that vile woman Fang Rong. After a few words, she thought about Luo Jie’s gaze on Pei Qin, and how Qian Dog had also taken a fancy to her at first sight. Indeed, the offspring of vile women are vixens, adept at seducing men! It was only today that she realized, that little wretch truly had a face!

With that thought, a glint flashed in Lady Chen’s eyes.