63: Chapter 63: Do Not Marry 63: Chapter 63: Do Not Marry After school that evening, it was already pitch-dark when I got home.
Dinner was on the table, and because our income had been poor recently, the food at home was still lacking oil and salt, but it was edible.
Bai Yanjiao took a couple of bites before she pushed her bowl and chopsticks away, standing up, “I’m not eating anymore, I’ll go back to my room first!”
“Yanjiao, sit down and eat some more, look how thin you’ve become from hunger!” Bai Xue’s heart ached for her daughter, no matter the quality of the food, she still had to eat something.
“Mom, eating these dishes every day, I’m so tired of them I could sprout wings!” Bai Yanjiao plopped down onto the stool with a huff.
“And who do you blame for that!” An Ping slammed his chopsticks down onto the bowl with dissatisfaction, “Your unreasonable uncle has been staying for so many days!
Just like a locust, he has eaten everything up, and now it’s already good that we have food to eat!
What are you even picking at!”
How can you talk to me !” Bai Yanjiao glared at An Ping, he never used to be before.
An Hao must have done something behind the scenes to cause such a quick change in An Ping these days.
Stop arguing!” An Shuchao, with a headache from their quarreling, shouted abruptly before raising his head to speak to Bai Xue, “Xue, if it doesn’t work out, we should find some work for Yanjiao to do.”
Bai Xue was taken aback upon hearing this; An Shuchao had never said things before.
It seemed that this fight had indeed caused some opinions about her and her daughter.
Seeing that Bai Xue looked a bit unhappy, An Shuchao sighed, “Xue, don’t overthink it!
Look, Yanjiao is already eighteen.
After the New Year, if there’s a suitable match, it’s time to talk about marriage.
Our home is too poor; we still need to save up some dowry for the child!
Now, while I still have the strength to work a bit more, and since Yanjiao has at least made it to junior high, if it doesn’t work out, she can find some work in town for now, and when I get back on my feet, she can come back!”
The moment Bai Yanjiao heard this, she immediately disagreed, tears welling up as she clung to Bai Xue’s hand, “Mom, I don’t want to get married so early!
Is Dad implying that I’m freeloading at home and that’s why he wants to drive me out?”
As her daughter began to cry, Bai Xue’s tears also started to flow, “Old An, are you looking down on the two of us mothers and daughters?”
“Look at you, why would you think that!
Getting married at eighteen is quite normal in our village, isn’t it?
Didn’t the Zhao Family’s daughter just get married?
I didn’t mean anything else!
If you really don’t want to work, then forget about it,” An Shuchao couldn’t bear to see Bai Yanjiao’s tears, being a stepfather is as difficult as being a stepmother, after all.
Hearing An Shuchao say this, Bai Yanjiao finally broke into a smile, “I knew Dad didn’t mean it that way.”
Even if he did mean it, she wouldn’t want to get married.
She already had someone she liked, Shen Zhihua—the son of Aunt Liu on the west side of the village, who was handsome and gentle, and every time she went to play with Shen Lianqing, she always enjoyed stealing glances at him.
She had once thought of marrying into a good family, but seeing a scholarly boy like Shen Zhihua stirred her heart.
To know that he was acknowledged as the smartest kid in the village, good at studying—marrying him would satisfy Bai Yanjiao fully.
As Bai Yanjiao was dreaming happily, she heard someone calling from the yard, “Is Aunt Bai home?”
The voice sounded familiar; it seemed to be Shen Zhihua’s voice indeed.
Bai Yanjiao’s eyes lit up instantly, and she got up to lift the curtain.
There stood Shen Zhihua in the yard, holding an enamel basin in his hands, bathed in the cool moonlight, his handsome face making her heart race even more.
“Brother Zhihua, what brings you here?” Bai Yanjiao’s little heart thumped rapidly.
Shen Zhiyuan smiled faintly, “My mom asked me to bring something over!
Also, I needed to discuss something with An Hao!”