One update tonight. Tomorrow, there will be an update before dawn and another one around noon; my dear readers can look forward to it at 12 PM.
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"Since you’ve come all the way here, why don’t we settle the children’s marriage right now? What do you say?"
As soon as Old Master Zhou’s words were spoken, Chuxia’s heart leapt to her throat. Her gaze flitted over Zhou Mikang before resting anxiously on her own parents.
As someone from the 21st century, she had always tried to convince herself that there was nothing wrong with early marriage. But now that it was actually happening, she was struggling to accept it.
At that time, the law stipulated the legal marriage age to be twenty for men and eighteen for women. Her own eighteenth birthday was only a few months away, and considering Zhou Mikang’s age and achievements, she believed that registering a few months early wouldn’t be a problem. If only she were born a few years later, how much better would that be?
Well, she shouldn’t be so greedy. After all, she was five years younger than she originally was without any reason. There’s no such thing as a free lunch in the world. She ought to be content. She tried hard to persuade herself, but alas, why did her heart still feel so heavy and hard to bear?
Zhao Yulan and Lin Baohe had not expected Old Master Zhou to be so eager to propose. After exchanging glances, they looked at Zhao Yushan. The couple’s previous unreliability had been a serious headache for Yushan. Seeing them look his way, he frantically made gestures, urging them not to complicate matters further. This was a match hard to find even with a lantern–why hesitate?
Moreover, after the speech that Brother-in-law had made earlier, even an ordinary family might have turned the proposal down on the spot. But look at Old Master Zhou and Old Dad Zhou–they hadn’t rebuffed them with even a half-word of "no."
The reaction of Old Madam Zhou was somewhat more normal. Yes, Old Madam Zhou, who showed her displeasure, was regarded by Yushan as the only normal person there.
Zhao Yulan and Lin Baohe understood Zhao Yushan’s intention, but within their hearts, they were in turmoil. They were very satisfied with Zhou Mikang and had resolved to have their daughter marry him. Yet, when the moment of proposal came, all they felt was an overwhelming sense of loss.
When their daughter had no husband’s family, they hoped every day she would find a good one early. But now that it was actually happening, why did they feel such emptiness?
Looks like the couple’s feelings mirrored Chuxia’s.
The silence of the few made Old Master Zhou somewhat surprised. Ever since the Lin family members had entered the Zhou family home, their lack of confidence and worries of not being a match were evident, even if Lin Baohe’s vehement defense was just an effort to secure a better standing for his daughter in her future husband’s family.
He could understand Lin Baohe’s feelings as a father, so he didn’t show any displeasure at his impoliteness. However, his heart wasn’t completely without misgivings; otherwise, he wouldn’t have truly allowed his wife to miss the luncheon.
To be fair, Lin Chuxia marrying into the Zhou family really was marrying up. If it weren’t for his stubborn grandson, why would the Zhou family accept a girl of such background?
The Zhou family had let go of all considerations, yet Lin Baohe still sought to secure trifling benefits for his daughter. Even in an ordinary family, when you marry into it as a daughter-in-law, can you really expect to be as free as in your own parents’ house?
Alright, considering Lin Baohe had only this one daughter, he forgave him. But now that they had agreed to everything and conceded on all counts, why were they still hesitating?
Could it be that they wanted to demand more benefits?
With these thoughts, the friendly smile on Old Master Zhou’s face gradually faded away.
Zhou Jingping didn’t share the same view as Old Master Zhou. He felt that if Lin Baohe and his wife really agreed to the marriage proposal without any hesitation at this moment, then Lin Baohe’s earlier behavior would be questionable.
Seeing the change in Old Master Zhou’s expression, Jingping knew he was displeased. Fearful that Old Master Zhou would say something embarrassing for everyone, Jingping quickly turned to Lin Baohe and Zhao Yulan with a smile: "Brother Lin, sister-in-law, I can see that Chuxia is the apple of your eyes. Rest assured, once she marries into the Zhou family, she will become our treasure, and we definitely won’t treat her unfairly."
"Yes, indeed, Brother Lin, sister-in-law, once Chuxia becomes my daughter-in-law, she’ll be like my own daughter. If she does anything wrong, I will certainly speak up, but I will also love her as much as I love my own daughter." Lin Yanqiu followed up calmly. She was initially not pleased with Lin Baohe and Zhao Yulan’s hesitation, but after her husband’s words, she came to understand.