When Chiang Songhai heard Xu Lin mention this issue, Xu Lin’s expression turned somewhat grave, and he said with his head bowed low, "That matter fell through."
Chiang Songhai had dug up so many herbs in hopes of saving some money for the Xu Family, so Xu Lin’s engagement wouldn’t be delayed too much. However, he had not anticipated that Xu Lin’s engagement would already be broken off.
"Fell through? Is it because you’re still short on the bride price or what?"
Xu Lin shook his head and replied, "We had actually saved up enough money before, but with my mother’s health being poor, I went to discuss with her family if we could use the money for my mother’s treatment first and make up the bride price later. They didn’t agree."
It wasn’t just disagreement. The girl he was supposed to marry even said, "Who has ever used her marriage portion to treat a consumptive ghost? That is just too inauspicious. Besides, if his mother’s health is so poor, she will become a burden in the future. I need to think it over carefully. Unless they divide the family and let his parents live by themselves, they can’t become a burden on our small household in the future."
The moment Xu Lin heard these words, he became furious.
Even humans possess a measure of humility, and the bride price they demanded was already beyond his family’s means. Now, they even despised his mother and wanted their family to split.
He bluntly told them that if that was the case, it was best to call off the engagement.
However, they believed that the decision to call things off should come from them, which angered them. They caused a huge commotion, coming over to make a fuss every day, aggravating his mother’s condition further. Eventually, he had to concede out of fear that the constant trouble would cost his mother her life. They compensated the other party with a sum of money.
The rest of the funds, which had been intended for his mother’s treatment, were also spent in this period.
"So, it just fell through like that?" Chiang Songhai suddenly became worried when he heard this, possibly because Chiang Xiao was also betrothed now, and so he took such matters quite seriously. He also feared that he and his wife would become a burden to Chiang Xiao, and if the Meng Family deemed her undesirable, her engagement might also be broken off.
Xu Lin nodded his head and took a deep breath, saying, "Uncle, it’s alright. Anyway, if her family looks down on me, I look down on them now too. With that kind of character, if we truly became one family, I don’t know how much my father and mother would have to suffer."
Chiang Xiao strongly agreed with Xu Lin’s sentiment.
"Brother Lin Zi, I think your reasoning is correct. This incident shows the character of that family. If you had given in on this, who knows how many other things would require you to step aside. Discovering a difference in beliefs before marriage and ending it early is a good thing," she said.
Xu Lin looked up at Chiang Xiao, somewhat surprised. "Chiang Xiao, you think I did the right thing?"
Xu Lin felt a sudden pang in his nose.
After his engagement was broken off, his mother was somewhat resentful toward him, saying that it wasn’t easy to find a bride and surely other ladies would dislike his foot. She said her illness was nothing much and could be cured slowly. If they wanted to split the family, then split. It wasn’t as if he would cease to be her son after the split.
She also said that if he couldn’t find a bride in the future, her illness would certainly become worse.
These words made Xu Lin feel incredibly saddened. Seeing his mother’s spirits wane day by day, he began to doubt himself, wondering if he had done the wrong thing. His heart felt heavy, as if pressed down by a great weight, almost unable to breathe.
He had a slight limp. Although it wasn’t very noticeable when he walked slowly, it became apparent as soon as he picked up the pace. Struggling to find work, he had studied carpentry for several years, and although he had completed his apprenticeship, nobody had approached him for furniture-making just yet.