My sister broke off her engagement to marry someone richer? My older sister married me and became in

As the dust kicked up by the jeep dissipated, Zhao Laosan's wailing and howling also disappeared at the end of the village.

There was a deathly silence at the entrance of the Lu family compound.

All eyes were on Lu Qingshan and Lin Xiumei, their expressions incredibly complex.

Lin Xiumei's face was as white as paper. Looking into Lu Qingshan's calm eyes, she felt a chill run down her spine for no reason. The threat of those harsh words felt like small hammers hitting her heart.

She opened her mouth, but couldn't utter a single word. She grabbed Lin Yaozu and slunk away into the crowd.

Grandpa Lu tapped his pipe on a stone and let out a loud shout.

"Have you all seen enough? If you have, then everyone can leave and go do whatever you were doing!"

The villagers who had been watching seemed to wake up from a dream, and dispersed, whispering among themselves, but they couldn't help but look back even after they had walked a distance.

They all knew that from this day forward, the Lu family would no longer be the Lu family that anyone could trample on.

……

The atmosphere at the dinner table was cheerful and joyful.

"It smells so good! It smells amazing! Our son did such a great job today!"

Lu Changgui picked up a large piece of wild boar meat and put it in his mouth, chewing it until his mouth was full of oil, and his face beamed with joy.

Lu Changgui picked up a piece of pork with his chopsticks, put it in his bowl, and said earnestly, "Son, eat more. When Xiulan marries into our family, we can all live happily together. That's better than anything else!"

Lu Qingshan also revealed a happy smile.

Looking at her son's excited face, Wang Guifen's smile slowly faded. The once fragrant wild boar meat in her mouth suddenly lost its flavor.

She put down her chopsticks and sighed, "Qingshan, when are you planning to propose? Proposing requires a dowry, and the wedding requires building a house; all of that costs real money..."

Lu Changgui, who didn't manage the household affairs or know the accounts, waved his hand dismissively and said, "Why bother with accounts on such a joyous occasion?"

"You make it sound so easy. Money doesn't just fall from the sky." Wang Guifen's brows furrowed, and she felt as if a heavy stone was pressing on her chest.

A large pot of steaming hot wild boar stew with sauerkraut would normally be a dish she wouldn't even dare to dream of, but today, the more Wang Guifen thought about it, the less she wanted to eat it.

She held her chopsticks and counted on the table, one count at a time.

"A sewing machine is 170, a bicycle is 160, a watch is 120, a radio is 60... That adds up to more than 500."

"There's also polyester fabric; I bought two sets for Xiulan, and some fabric for your father and grandfather to make new clothes, plus soap, malted milk powder, and other odds and ends..."

With each word Wang Guifen uttered, Lu Changgui's brow furrowed more deeply.

"The money our family has saved over the years, plus the four hundred or so from selling pork, is almost all gone in one go."

She sighed, her chopsticks clattering against the rim of the bowl.

"You only have a few dozen yuan left. It's enough for the New Year, but what about your marriage to Xiulan...?"

The moment those words were spoken, the air in the room became heavy and oppressive.

Lu Changgui then realized, muttering to himself as he did some calculations: "Yes, the bride price has been paid, but what about the wedding banquet? And the red envelopes for relatives and friends? All of that costs money!"

"How about we put aside building the house for now and just hold the banquet first?" Wang Guifen asked tentatively.

Lu Changgui immediately shook his head vigorously, stammering, "That...that's for building the new house, we can't touch it! After we get married, we can't let Qingshan and Xiulan squeeze onto the same kang (heated brick bed) with us!"

Grandpa Lu tapped the rim of his bowl with his chopsticks: "We may appear glamorous in public, but suffer in private. We can't just look good in front of others during the day while struggling financially at home. This new house still needs to be built; we can't sacrifice substance for appearances!"

Lu Changgui nodded: "That makes sense, but we don't have enough money."

No matter how much I calculate, I still don't have enough money.

The triumphant feeling of having just sent someone to the police station was completely washed away by the harsh reality.

"Clatter."

Grandpa Lu took a puff of his pipe and slammed it heavily on the table leg, breaking the silence.

"If we don't have enough money, we'll go up the mountain and fight!"

His cloudy eyes gleamed with a sharp light, and his tone left no room for argument.

"I'm not so old that I can't move. It's none of your business to worry about a few dollars."

He glanced at Lu Qingshan, then changed the subject.

"Besides, you're going to the forest farm after the New Year, and that's no joke. The people there are fiercer than wolves in the mountains! Tomorrow, I'll take you up the mountain again and teach you some real skills, things to save your life!"

Upon hearing this, Wang Guifen's heart leaped into her throat again.

"Father! The mountains are blocked by heavy snow, and the animals inside are starving. It's too dangerous to go into the mountains now!"

Lu Changgui chimed in, "Yes, Dad, we're not short of time. We can wait until spring..."

"Wait my ass!"

Old Master Lu's eyes widened.

"When I was young, I spent all winter hiding in the mountains! If I hadn't been brave, how would I have been able to save up enough money to get you a wife?"

All the family's attempts to persuade him were thwarted by Old Master Lu's blunt words.

The room fell silent again, but Wang Guifen was still not giving up. She stomped hard on Lu Qingshan's foot under the table, her eyes filled with unspoken words.

Lu Qingshan naturally wanted to go up the mountain, so he pretended to be dead for a long time and only ate.

Since her mother had already given such a "hint," she had no choice but to put down her bowl and chopsticks.

"Master..."

Old Master Lu frowned: "You brat! If you dare say you won't go, I'll beat you to death!"

Lu Qingshan's voice boomed: "Sir, I'll go with you."

"I'm not afraid. I'll listen to you. We'll go up the mountain tomorrow."

After saying that, he gave his mother, Wang Guifen, a helpless look, and then lowered his head to eat his rice again.

His unwavering demeanor left Wang Guifen and Lu Changgui speechless, unable to utter a single word of dissuasion.

Looking at their son's young yet unusually calm face, they suddenly felt as if they had never truly understood him.

……

Late at night.

Lu Qingshan lay on the warm earthen bed, listening to the howling north wind outside.

His eyes were closed, but his mind was clearer than anything else.

In my past life, this winter, after the mountains were sealed off by heavy snow.

Several old hunters from the neighboring village struck it rich in "Blind Man's Gully," the deepest part of the village to the north.

They found a giant black bear that was badly injured; the beast had been fighting with other predators for territory, and its intestines were almost spilling out.

The hunters dealt with the bear without much effort.

What delighted them even more was that they dug up a wild ginseng of excellent quality next to the bear's den!

That ginseng later sold for an unimaginable astronomical price in the city.

Lu Qingshan slowly opened his eyes in the darkness, feeling the warmth of the bedding on his body.

The money for the wedding.

The money for building a new house.

And... the means to ensure that Xiulan never has to be subservient to others again and can live with her head held high.

He silently recited it in his mind.

We're all counting on you.

His real purpose in coming here was to seize this enormous wealth.

Just as his thoughts were racing, wondering how to persuade Old Master Lu to go to Blind Man's Gully tomorrow...

Two soft sounds suddenly came from the window paper.

"Tap, tap tap."

His muscles tensed instantly, and he sat up silently.

Who could it be at this time?