The Lucky Farmgirl
Chapter 186 - 175: Pondering (Additional update for 30,000 recommendation votes on Qidian)

Chapter 186: Chapter 175: Pondering (Additional update for 30,000 recommendation votes on Qidian)

The 18-year-old young man’s face was tender, although he had become darker and thinner due to military service and reclaiming wasteland for individual fields recently, but he had recovered a bit during this period.

Like everyone else, Manbao wanted to put on some weight in winter, so she often used her private money to buy some meat, and with the chickens raised at home, some were also to be slaughtered, so the family had been eating well lately.

With good food and rest, and the new house having been completed recently, there was nothing to do every day other than delightfully taking the youngsters to play in the fields, either collecting bird eggs, catching sparrows, or fishing, which meant spirits were high.

So, when the aunts and sisters-in-law sized him up, hey, they were impressed: Zhou Silang had actually turned out quite handsome, quite the surprise considering he had been skinny and a gambler last year, and everyone had felt he was rather disreputable.

Zhou Silang was already sweating from pushing the millstone and now with so many eyes on him, he sweated even more. He considered himself to have thick skin, but at this moment, he couldn’t help but blush, his head almost buried into his chest.

The aunts and sisters-in-law were even more pleased, starting to ponder which nieces or grandnieces from their maternal homes might be suitable.

In reality, the conditions of the Zhou Family were quite good, especially after they built seven new blue-brick and big-tiled houses, which were top-notch in Qili Village.

Of course, barring Old Master Bai and Young Master Bai’s family.

Everyone’s minds got working; the Zhou Family might not be on par with the Village Chief’s family: though they had a good number of blue-brick and big-tiled houses, it was because they had many sons. The Village Chief’s house was likewise made of blue-brick and big-tiled, and they even had some to spare.

Though their base was not as strong, having many brothers was also a benefit; based on the six brothers born of the same mother in their family, who would dare bully the Zhou Family in the future?

And with the brothers being fairly united, as long as they were willing to help each other, their lives would surely get better and better. If the daughter’s married life was prosperous, naturally, her maternal family could also get some support.

Having considered their base, they next considered the man himself.

Well, Zhou Silang’s shortcomings were obvious: laziness, and gambling in his past, which were indeed major problems. But it seemed that he had reformed over the past year, and with the Zhou Family’s strict upbringing, he shouldn’t dare to revert back, right?

Many thought so, but were still hesitant and gave it up. None of them came from very affluent families, and the consequences of giving rise to a gambler were simply too great.

This was a high-risk investment.

Yet some, upon glancing at Zhou Silang’s face again, thought: Just fear that the young maidens, upon seeing his face, would be willing to overlook the fact he was a gambler, especially since he was naturally blessed with a silver tongue.

Zhou Silang’s laziness was well-known in the village too, not because he was infamous for being lazy in the village, but primarily because his brothers in the Zhou Family were all hardworking, especially the three older ones.

Let’s not talk about Zhou Dalang, the family’s Eldest, who began trying to handle everything in the fields as soon as he had Datou. He had become the very image of a seasoned farmer, going out early and coming back late, often still heading to the fields with a hoe after dinner to check the water, loosen the soil, or weed. In short, never resting for a moment.

Zhou Erlang was always busy as well, either chopping bamboo in the mountains or making bamboo crafts at home, or going to the market, always bustling like a spinning top.

And Zhou Sanlang went without saying, for not just in the Zhou Family, but throughout the entire Qili Village, he was known as an excellent farmer, and also willing to put in the hard work. Every year when Old Master Bai’s family needed to hire short-term workers, he was always the first one chosen, sometimes even getting an extra bun or two at meals.

So, by comparison, Zhou Silang ended up being labeled as extremely lazy. Unless the elders in the family assigned him chores, he wouldn’t even pick up a broom that fell in front of him.

This might be normal in other families but was abnormal in the Zhou Family.

Thus, those aunts and sisters-in-law who were initially quite favorable retreated a few steps, and those who had been just on the passing line buried their thoughts, feeling they needed to observe some more.

So when Manbao took advantage of a break between classes to join the commotion, she saw everyone was teasing Zhou Silang.

Because they had lost interest, the aunts and sisters-in-law teased Zhou Silang without mercy, causing him to be so embarrassed that he wished he could just drop the millstone and leave.

Zhou Dalang, who had no brotherly love, stood aside enjoying the scene; anyway, everyone went through this before getting married, as he had himself.

However, Manbao did not understand the situation, and seeing her fourth brother’s ears almost dripping blood, she hurriedly squeezed through the crowd, stood in front of him with her hands akimbo, and raised her little head to challenge, "Are you all bullying my fourth brother?"

"Oh, here comes Manbao," they acknowledged the little one, and noticing Young Master Bai following her into the crowd, they said with a smile, "We’re not bullying your fourth brother; we’re just asking what kind of girl he likes because he’s considering marriage. So we asked him about his taste in girls."

Upon hearing this, Manbao immediately lowered her hands, saying matter-of-factly, "Of course he likes beautiful ones."

"Oh dear, even Manbao knows you have to marry someone beautiful. Then tell us, what kind of girl do you think is beautiful?"

Having read many storybooks recently, Manbao felt she understood women quite well, so without hesitation she said, "Sisters-in-law like ours are very beautiful."

The other party was so delighted upon hearing this that she bent over laughing and lovingly hugged Manbao and Junior Ms. Qian, exclaiming, "What is it with your family’s upbringing? How did you manage to raise such a sweet child?"

Junior Ms. Qian glanced at Manbao and smiled, "It’s all thanks to mother-in-law’s teaching."

A voice emerged from the crowd, "It must be inherited. That mouth of hers, just like her father’s when he was young, as if compliments cost nothing at all."

The voice wasn’t loud, but Manbao and Bai Shanbao had sharp ears and heard it. Before they could ask, a young wife in the crowd exclaimed, "Uncle Jin was that impressive back then?"

This time, no one in the crowd answered, but one sister-in-law hugging Manbao said with laughter, "I didn’t see her yesterday, but how come after just one day she looks even more tender, chubbier, and whiter?"

Manbao puffed out her little chest proudly, "It must be from eating tofu."

Bai Shan said, "Maybe from eating loaches, because I often eat tofu and haven’t seen myself get whiter or fatter."

Manbao turned to look at him, sized him up, and replied, "You’ve obviously gotten fatter. Look, you even have fat rolls on your hands."

Bai Shan hated it when people called him fat. Annoyed, he retorted, "You’re the fat one, you’re the one with rolls."

But Manbao liked being chubby and happily showed off her plump hands, "My goal is to be as chubby as a lotus root section. The books say that’s the most beautiful and lovable."

Keke: ... You must have misunderstood the content of the books.

Contrary to expectations, this statement garnered support from the gathered adults who nodded, saying, "Being chubby is good; it looks better."

"Chubbiness looks prosperous."

"Look how beautiful Manbao is now; she used to be too thin and small."

"If Zhou Si got a little chubbier, he’d be even more handsome; when the maidens see him, there might be no need to propose, they’d probably come knocking on the door themselves."

The topic slowly turned back to Zhou SiLang.

With his sister’s arrival, Zhou SiLang’s flushed face had just begun to fade, but now it showed signs of reddening again.