"You two naughty boys, what nonsense are you spouting now? Zi’an is perfectly fine at home," Uncle Cai yelled as he stepped outside to reprimand the two young boys.
"Oh no, Uncle Cai, something terrible has happened," Yang Qingrui urgently tried to explain.
Uncle Cai retorted, "Cheeky brat, are you itching for a beating? Don’t I stand perfectly fine here?"
Upon hearing this, Yang Qingrui was momentarily taken aback, then hurriedly replied, "Oh no, Uncle Cai, don’t make things worse. Brother Zi’an, look over at my house, something bad happened. Auntie Li actually came to our house to propose a marriage for her son Anshun."
"Proposal?" Uncle Cai was stunned for a moment before reacting. He exclaimed incredulously, "A proposal? For whom? Your sister?"
Yang Qingtong also quickly chimed in, "Yes, yes, Uncle Cai, Brother Zi’an, Auntie Li brought many chests with her. She said it was a betrothal gift."
Following the brothers’ explanation, Uncle Cai and Ye Zi’an glanced over at Yang Chuxia’s house. They saw a crowd gathered at the front door.
Uncle Cai was furious, "This old woman is unbelievable, she knows perfectly well that Brother An and Xiaxia have an arranged marriage today. Yet, she still comes to propose. What kind of sick game is she playing? She’s shameless, utterly shameless! Is she picking on Brother An because he’s all by himself?"
With his eyes red from anger, Uncle Cai directed the group of young men behind him, "Go on, let’s help carry in the betrothal gifts. I want to see what this old woman from the Li family is up to."
Turning back to Ye Zi’an, he added, "Let’s go, Brother An. I’ll make sure to stand up for you today."
In contrast to Uncle Cai’s fiery anger, Ye Zi’an seemed far more composed. He said, "Uncle Cai, don’t get angry. My third uncle and aunt won’t agree to this. Even if they did, Xiaxia wouldn’t agree either. But, we should go over there now. It’s getting late."
Upon hearing Ye Zi’an’s words, Uncle Cai was momentarily stunned, then burst out laughing, "You’re right, that old woman is just inviting trouble."
As the group carried the gifts towards Yang Chuxia’s house, Auntie Li’s voice could be heard more clearly as they approached.
They heard her say, "Mother Xiaxia, while Brother An is not bad, he just can’t compare with my son Anshun. Anshun is fully grown and healthy, and he does good work with his father in town. Besides, in our rural village, siblings often have to support each other. Even if Brother An could offer more, it wouldn’t make a difference."
Auntie Li spoke with great enthusiasm, her words splattering saliva. She glanced at Ye Zi’an and his group, feeling slightly awkward as they arrived, but it was only for a moment.
Especially when she saw the chests carried by Ye Zi’an and his friends. She glanced at them, only six chests. Though there were more meat, fish, and liquor in their baskets than she had prepared, she had brought more chests. This thought made her even more smug.
She quickly turned to Ye Zi’an and said, "Ohohoh, Brother An, you came just in time. Do you think the match between my son Anshun and Xiaxia is good or not? Look at my son Anshun, he’s tall and strong and handsome as well. Your uncle works in town, that’s for the wealthy families. Look at the betrothal gifts I prepared for Xiaxia, there are ten chests... " implying that she had brought more than Ye Zi’an.
Before Auntie Li could finish, Uncle Cai interrupted, "You shameless old woman, even resorting to stealing other people’s fiancés so brazenly. We’re all from the same village, and you dare to do this, taking advantage of Brother An because he’s just a kid, right?"