The husband I snatched halfway through his life is strange.

Chapter 32 You're being presumptuous!

The snow fell heavily, bringing with it a chill that seeped into my body.

Hui Niang didn't know what to do and remained silent for a long time.

Wei Shouzhong was honest and kind, but he had his own ideas. He spoke up.

“Given Ah Lang’s current situation, which good girl would be willing to marry him? Unless we are willing to pay more for the dowry. But you know our family’s situation, how can we afford it?”

"In comparison, we can still afford to spend one or two taels of silver if we grit our teeth."

Hui Niang frowned deeply: "But we need to save the money we have for Ah Lang's medical treatment. We can postpone the marriage, but we can't wait to see a doctor."

She even spent entire nights worrying that the money was far from enough.

Wei Shouzhong comforted his wife.

“Now that the family has divided up the land, after the spring planting season, once things are settled in the fields, I will go to the county dock to move goods. I don’t have any special skills, but I am strong. I heard that they are recruiting miners in the west. I will go and inquire about it later.”

Upon hearing this, Hui Niang immediately became anxious: "No, those mines treat people like animals. Don't you know how many people died last year?"

"What will Ah Lang and I do if something happens to you?"

"Listen to me first, we haven't gone yet."

He wouldn't gamble with his life unless absolutely necessary.

Wei Shouzhong: "My uncles said last time that if we are short of money, they are willing to lend us some."

"Besides, we're not in a rush to settle things today. We need to see if those girls are any good and if they're willing to settle down and live a stable life together."

These words brought Hui Niang some comfort, and her mood calmed down a little.

“I think it’s safer for us to buy from the matchmaker. Not to mention others, just look at my stepmother’s sister-in-law, how many times has her family come to us to beg for money? It’s hard to find a reasonable in-law.”

Those girls were different.

They were sold by their families and were completely cut off from contact.

At this point, Wei Shouzhong let out a deep sigh.

There's something I've been keeping from you.

“Previously, our kitchen leaked, and several roof tiles fell off as a result.”

It crashed to the ground and broke into several pieces.

After they cleaned it up, they turned around and threw it in the corner.

Wei Shouzhong said in a heavy tone, "But Ah Lang took it while we weren't paying attention."

“I saw him make two gestures and then cut his neck.”

The tip of the tile was sharp; if he hadn't stopped it in time, who knows what might have happened!

Wei Shouzhong was scared!

He replaced the roof tiles with smooth stones.

Wei Zhao, however, kept his eyelids down, showing neither joy nor sorrow, his dark eyes devoid of any vitality. It was as if he had slit his throat and blood was spurting out, yet it was all just a minor incident.

Even after the tiles were taken away, Wei Zhao remained indifferent.

He wasn't persistent.

They don't care about anything, including life and death.

Even so, Wei Shouzhong became increasingly panicked, fear surged up his spine, and cold sweat soaked his back.

He could only speak in a trembling voice.

"Ah Lang, you can't."

But the old father was worried sick. Seeing that Wei Zhao disliked the stone, he had no choice but to smooth out the sharp edges of the tile and let Wei Zhao play with it.

However, Wei Zhao was not satisfied, because he didn't know where he had thrown the stones and tiles.

Hui Niang's face turned deathly pale; just hearing Wei Shouzhong say these things still made her feel lingering fear.

Wei Shouzhong closed his eyes: "Huiniang, we're getting old. How many more years can we stay with him? We can't watch over him every moment."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

inside the house.

Yu Tingwan was really angry! After all, she was genuinely poor!

The little girl couldn't understand how Wei Shen could say such a thing. He was going to ruin his parents!
Yu Tingwan kept a straight face and distanced herself from him: "You're being presumptuous."

Wei Zhao was listless.

There was silence for a moment, and the room was quiet.

When Hui Niang returned, her eyes were slightly red, and she seemed unusually absent-minded. Wei Shouzhong had gone out for a while. Not long after, he returned with a group of people.

The leader was a shrewd woman who looked around the courtyard as soon as she entered. Behind her followed a group of timid girls, all of them pale and thin, covered in dirt.

As Yu Tingwan was wondering, she saw Hui Niang walk up to Wei Shen.

"Don't worry, my son, I will definitely find you a good wife."

Hui Niang said gently to Wei Zhao, "But your wife is someone you'll live with. I'm afraid you won't like the woman I chose. Would you like to go out and take a look, my love?"

Hui Niang was used to Wei Zhaoxin not speaking.

She had no choice but to discuss it with him in a soft voice.

"Then tell your mother, what kind of girl do you like?"

Yu Tingwan really wanted to say something.

she knows.

Wei Shen likes white!

But she held back.

Some inappropriate images flashed before her eyes, making the little girl feel somewhat uncomfortable.

Wei Zhao had heard these kinds of words countless times.

The Duke of Shunguo had said this before his death.

"Guizhi, you've established yourself in your career; it's time to settle down and start a family."

The Duchess of Shunguo also said so.

"In the capital, Mother favors Princess Yong'an the most, and she also has feelings for you. What are your thoughts?"

"If you're willing, your mother will get it done for you. If you're not, your mother will choose another one."

At a banquet, the current emperor even declared that he could choose any of the noble ladies in the capital.

Wei Zhao, however, devoted himself entirely to the military camp.

Now he no longer misses the military.

After Hui Niang left, Yu Tingwan seemed to be deep in thought.

She could understand; with Wei Shen's mouth, not to mention Hui Niang, even she was worried that Wei Shen wouldn't be able to find a wife.

The little girl looked at Wei Zhao, utterly confused.

"How can you not care about such a joyous occasion?"

Wei Zhao:…

He's not Wei Shen.

What does it have to do with him?

The couple were entertaining guests outside. Hui Niang carried out stools and poured hot water for each of them.

Wei Shouzhong sat at the door of Wei Zhao's house, where he could hear the conversation in the courtyard and keep an eye on the people inside.

The woman was well-dressed, but her brows furrowed with worry. She drank some hot water, which soothed her frozen body somewhat.

Her eyes were filled with weariness. In this line of work, she was the most eloquent and persuasive person. She spoke to Hui Niang.

“My surname is Chen, and everyone around me calls me Granny Chen. I heard from Brother Wei that his family wanted to see a girl, so I brought my people here.”

"Don't worry, sister, they all come from respectable families."

"If it weren't for this accident and my tight finances, plus this awful weather, I would never have been in such a hurry to sell them. If these girls were raised and sent south, people would be willing to buy them for ten taels of silver, let alone one tael. You've gotten a good deal."

"I'm a straightforward person. As long as the girl pays enough, I'll keep her and give her the indenture as well."

After saying that, she sternly shouted at the girl behind her, "Why aren't you coming forward to show this girl!"

Throughout the journey, the girls were most afraid of Granny Chen. Upon hearing this, they hurriedly stepped forward, trembling.

Hui Niang saw this and couldn't bear it.

"Don't be afraid. Ultimately, this kind of thing requires mutual consent. If you are not willing, I will not force you."

She asked them to sit down again.

"There aren't many rules, so there's no need to be so formal."

“My family’s circumstances are what they are, as you can all see. Parents always have their own selfish motives. My son, Ah Lang, is not in good health, so I want to find someone with a good temper who can take care of him.”

(End of this chapter)