Afraid that his little sister might lose her feminine dignity by confessing or proposing marriage proactively, Liu Shouren earnestly lectured Shuzhen. Luckily, nowadays, people valued the new era and new customs, and movements were in full swing. Otherwise, with her big brother’s relentless enthusiasm, Shuzhen seriously suspected she would be educated with things like "Women’s Precepts," "Women’s Rules," and "Biographies of Virtuous Women."
She truly dodged a bullet, dodged a bullet!
Shuzhen patted her chest in relief, her eyes and eyebrows filled with smiles.
In their previous life, even under such difficult circumstances, Lianshan didn’t treat her wrongly in the slightest, let alone now when they both genuinely liked each other?
Although her big brother acted out of pure brotherly love, Shuzhen, with memories of her past life, had confidence in her husband. She didn’t believe that when she was foolish and silly in the past, she could be cherished like a treasure, and now, as a charming wife with no flaws wanting to live well with him, she couldn’t capture Lianshan’s heart!
With past life memories in mind, Shuzhen was full of confidence. Despite lacking reliance, she was still concerned about her big brother Liu Shouren being unable to rest assured, fearing the little sister might be hurt again.
The next morning, when they went to the hospital to see Little Lian Jie, his heart was always on the edge. He scrutinized every word and glance from the Lian brothers, Lianshan and Lian Hai, for any hint of disdain or neglect towards the little sister. He would rather be an evil brother who breaks up lovers than let the little sister be hurt again.
Lianshan just smiled and greeted him, called him big brother, and then focused all his attention on the little sister. Staring at her without blinking, caring for her in various ways with an overly eager attitude.
Lian Hai also smiled warmly and enthusiastically grabbed his hand without letting go. He kept saying how his big brother had worked hard for him and Lian Yue for so many years; 26 years old, looking toward 27, yet still not married. It worried him and Lian Yue a lot, fearing their big brother would become too old and hard to find a good wife the longer it dragged. Just thinking about it filled the siblings with guilt.
But finally, the big brother was getting married, and he was marrying Shuzhen, a beautiful, kind, skilled, and educated woman, a good sister-in-law. He was so happy he couldn’t sleep soundly the entire night. If it wasn’t unnecessary as Xiao Jie would be discharged tomorrow, he would’ve wanted to send a telegram overnight to let his wife and sister join the celebration.
The sincerity and authenticity in their eyes allowed Liu Shouren to finally put down much of his worries. Lian Hai then said that although the Lian family was poor, after the little sister married in, she would be the eldest daughter-in-law of the Lian family and the big sister-in-law of them all. For the face of the Lian family and Lianshan, he and his big brother would surely go all out for the wedding, leaving no room for others to belittle Shuzhen.
He even took full responsibility for the 200 yuan and 50 jin of ration coupons without hesitation.
With her abilities, Shuzhen didn’t think much of the 200 yuan and 50 jin of ration coupons. She just said they were all one family now, and talking about differences only seemed too distant. As long as it served its purpose and saved the child, it didn’t go against her original intention. What was there left to return? Did they expect her as a sister-in-law to hold onto hundreds of yuan and watch the younger brother’s family suffer to repay the debt, working so hard that sweat would fall, shattering on the ground?
But before she even finished speaking, she was firmly rebutted by Lian Hai: "Shuzhen, you got it wrong. So what about close brothers? Even close siblings need clear accounts! You saved Jiez’s life in a critical moment, and for that, the entire family is deeply grateful. Even if we won’t be able to repay the life-saving money twofold or tenfold in the future, we mustn’t be irresponsible!
Otherwise, what kind of person would I, Lian Hai, be considered?
Those who know would understand your generosity, prioritizing family bonds over money. Those who don’t, wouldn’t they criticize me for pushing my brother to marry you and then defaulting on the debt?"
Lian Hai puffed his cheeks and widened his eyes, full of reluctant gratitude: "Shuzhen, please show understanding and don’t let me shoulder this big black pot. Moreover, Jiez is my and Qiu Fang’s child. As his parents, it’s our duty to care for his illness and injuries. If you paid or big brother helped, and in the future, if our son became closer to his uncle and aunt than to us, his parents, what would we do?"
Shuzhen was dumbfounded: Was it because they had little contact in the previous life, that she hadn’t realized Lian Hai had such a humorous side? Looking at his pleading, bowing way, it must be what Yanzi referred to as acting silly!
Smiling, she was about to humbly say a few more words, but Lianshan decisively concluded: "Since Hai Zi thinks this way, Shuzhen, don’t refuse. Debts have to be repaid; that’s universally accepted. Besides, it’s irrational to use your private money for your nephew’s treatment. If you really can’t bear it, give them some time, don’t rush them, and let them pay back little by little at their own pace."
As soon as he said this, Lian Hai nodded vigorously like a pecking chick, repeatedly saying how wise the big brother was, promising to comply 100%.
After seeing that the brothers genuinely had no intention of defaulting on the debt, and weren’t just putting on a show in front of him, Liu Shouren finally felt at ease. His little sister wasn’t unrequited, and Lianshan was truly interested in this marriage. He didn’t mention the fact that she was getting remarried or talk about frugality. Instead, he wanted to do everything possible to give her a lively wedding.
The reaction from Lian Hai showed that the little sister’s proactive confession had not only been covered up, but also turned into Lianshan falling for her the moment he saved her from drowning. He mustered the courage to propose, hoping to fulfill his longing, even unaware that she only cared about character, not family or material conditions. This well-presented speech made Lian Hai’s eyes shine with gratitude and admiration when looking at the little sister.
What impressed Liu Shouren the most was Lian Hai taking the entire debt of 200 yuan and 50 jin of ration coupons as his responsibility, not evading or blaming Lianshan as well. With considerable wealth in hand, Liu Shouren naturally didn’t see the 200 yuan and 50 jin of ration coupons as a significant issue. The brothers’ attitude towards the money mattered much more.
After confirming that while Lianshan might not catch up to Dai Weiguo in terms of family background or personal prospects, his character and responsibility overwhelmingly surpassed that Chen Shimei by miles. Liu Shouren nodded with a smile, acknowledging the little sister’s rare visit to the provincial city to go shopping and bring back some small gifts for relatives. He even thoughtfully crafted an excuse, handing over the lovely opportunity to accompany the little sister on her shopping trip to Lianshan, the soon-to-be brother-in-law.