He Ximei's ideas were also in vain.
If it weren't for Old Crook Su not agreeing, Xiaofeng, that girl, would have already become the bride of the Li Family's youngest son.
In other matters, she might be able to make decisions for Old Crook Su, but Xiaofeng was Old Crook Su's lifeblood; if he didn't nod his approval, she couldn't make decisions for Xiaofeng.
Although the kitchen was simple, He Ximei was diligent, keeping everything neat and tidy, which still looked quite acceptable. She originally came from a rural background, so cooking and starting a fire were no problem for her; she found some matches, lit a fire, and started washing the pot and cooking rice.
There happened to be a few unwashed sweet potatoes nearby, which she washed, chopped, and added to the pot with the rice to cook together.
"Sister," Su Peng barged in carelessly. "Are you making sweet potato porridge? It smells great."
"Brother, where are the eggs at home?" Previously, when Su Peng spoke to Su Xiaofeng, she wouldn't bother with him. The original host thought that Su Peng was up to something by being nice to her, she wouldn't speak a single word to Su Peng outside, and would ignore him at home whenever possible.
Hearing Xiaofeng calling him "Brother," Su Peng almost jumped for joy: "I'll go get them."
After the porridge was ready, Su Xiaofeng made some omelette pancakes with the rice flour at home, which smelled delicious. Su Peng sniffed the omelette pancakes and showed a big happy face. "It smells so good."
Su Xiaofeng took out a few bowls, served the pancakes and porridge on the table, and handed Su Peng a pair of chopsticks. "Eat."
"You eat too." Su Peng was pleasantly surprised, not expecting Xiaofeng to be so kind to him.
Su Xiaofeng was eager to fill her stomach at home and replenish her energy. Meanwhile, Lihua Village was fraught with nasty gossip and rumors.
"Whose child could it be if not Liu An's? It surely can't be that Su Xiaofeng got pregnant by herself."
"Tsk, tsk. Hard to believe that Su Xiaofeng is so brazen, juggling several men at the same time. Like mother, like daughter, huh?"
"This just means that the fool is lucking out. Not only does he get a beautiful bride for free, but he also gets to play proud father."
"Haha, probably just what He Ximei wanted. I heard that the fool not only had been sick but also injured. Whether he's fit for fatherhood is questionable."
"He's most likely unfit for fatherhood now. If he were, his dad wouldn't have kicked him out. He wasn't born a fool; he became one due to illness. If he were capable of fathering a child, the child certainly wouldn't be foolish," analyzed some villagers.
"Just watch and see how Old Crook Su handles this. His wife ran off and married someone else in the blink of an eye, and now his daughter is pregnant."
"If I were her, I'd have Su Xiaofeng abort the child no matter what, then find another man to marry off to, rather than letting her stay and disgrace the family."
"Exactly. If I had such a daughter, I'd have kicked her out a long time ago to fend for herself. Keeping her at home would just disgrace the family."
Villagers gossiped about Su Xiaofeng's pregnancy in private whenever they met, and the talks were filled with unpleasant words.
He Ximei originally wanted to go out and do more work in the fields, but, seeing the pointing fingers and judgmental glances of the neighbors, she swallowed her anger and returned home.
These nosy, overfed busybodies, none of them going out to work in the fields, just talking behind people's backs!
As soon as He Ximei came back, she saw Su Xiaofeng and Su Peng sitting at the table enjoying their porridge, which looked good and smelled nice.
"Mom, come have some porridge. My sister made it, and it's really delicious," said Su Peng, grinning as he saw He Ximei return.
"Don't even look at what's being said outside, and yet you still have the appetite to eat," He Ximei said gruffly, throwing down her hoe and casually gulping down half a bowl of water in the kitchen.
She needed to drink some cold water to cool down her temper.
Although Xiaofeng was not her biological daughter, she had raised her from a young age, and now, hearing the gossip from outside, she felt an urge to rush out and confront people.
Moreover, what did this have to do with Pengzi? Those idlers were clearly just too well-fed and bored.
Xiaofeng had finished eating, wiping her mouth leisurely.
He Ximei stood at the kitchen doorway, watching her movements and snorted coldly, she seemed to settle down as if nothing was wrong.
"Sis," He Yong beckoned her, "Come here, I have something to tell you."
"Why aren't you going back?"
"I didn't go back, instead I came here," He Yong glanced towards Xiaofeng and lowered his voice, "I heard that there's a man in the county who was injured before, and he lost both of his legs. His family announced that any woman willing to marry him could even bring her children along."
"Go away," He Ximei waved him off as soon as she heard, "What a rotten family to marry into. No way."
"Sis, think about it, you could talk to her, maybe she'd choose the younger brother from the Li Family after comparing. Sis, you need to figure out a way. How can you convince Xiaofeng to marry into the Li family without thinking it through? If Xiaofeng doesn't marry into it, when will Pengzi find a wife?" He Yong added.
He Ximei thought it made sense, "Alright, I'll ask her. Given her current situation, she's lucky if anyone wants her."
He Yong, seeing that his sister was convinced, left the village with a smile.
He Ximei discussed this with Old Su, and surprisingly, Old Su agreed.
"She wants to keep the child, right? Let her marry. Whether she can have a good life afterward is up to her."
"The man has no legs, marriage would indeed be difficult."
"Difficult? At least the child will have a father, and won't be subjected to pointing fingers. Unmarried pregnancy, an unknown father—what could be more humiliating in front of the villagers?"
"Xiaofeng will definitely not agree."
"If she wants to keep the child, I will tie her up and marry her off," Old Su's voice was quite loud.
Old Su's voice was loud, purposely raised quite a bit, making it difficult for Xiaofeng in the next room to ignore.
Hearing that Old Su planned to marry her off, Xiaofeng merely smiled, picking up the bronze mirror from the square table and looking at it.
The house looked desolate and the bronze mirror seemed exquisite, not something you would find at an ordinary stall. Trying to recall the origin of the bronze mirror, her mind flashed white, recalling nothing.
Early in the morning, she heard a woman's voice of contempt, "Old Su, so many years have passed, and you're still living in this rundown house. Tsk tsk, truly no progress at all."
"Exactly, otherwise some people wouldn't disdain my poverty and instantly cling to the wealthy," Old Su said while looking at the newcomer, picking up some rolling paper and tobacco.
"I'm glad I remarried; otherwise, I would still be living from hand to mouth with you." The speaking woman, dressed in well-fitting clothes, truly carried the air of wealth—it was Xiaofeng's biological mother, Luo Yuzhu.
"Get to the point," Old Su did not want to listen to her mocking.
"I came to tell you some good news," Luo Yuzhu didn't beat around the bush, "I've found a marriage prospect for Xiaofeng. The family is even wealthier than the Lins. If Xiaofeng marries into that family, she will enjoy endless wealth and honor."
Xiaofeng sneered. After years of no contact, her mother returned only to mention a supposedly good marriage prospect. How could she not be skeptical?