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

Looking at the excited yet fearful eyes of his family, Lu Qingshan already had a plan in mind.

He reached out and separated one of the four stacks of money.

"Dad, Mom, Grandpa, this four hundred yuan is our family's capital. We'll use it to buy New Year's goods, a banquet, and some good food. We'll save the rest."

He then set aside two hundred yuan and pushed it in front of Wang Guifen.

"Mom, this is pocket money for you and Dad. Buy whatever you want, don't be stingy."

Wang Guifen looked at the two thick stacks of money, her hands trembling like leaves, and she waved her hands repeatedly: "No, no, I don't want it, this money is for you to get married and build a house..."

"The money for getting married is here."

Lu Qingshan patted the remaining pile of money, his voice not loud, but it conveyed an undeniable determination.

"The money for building the house is also here."

Lu Changgui stammered, "Son...son, there are only a few people in our family. We'll just build a simple tiled house for you and Xiulan. 500 yuan is the most we can afford. This...this money is enough to build five houses! Enough to build a courtyard."

"Dad, who said I was going to build a house in the village?"

Lu Qingshan's words stunned the three people in the room.

"If we don't build it in the village, where will we build it?" Wang Guifen asked anxiously.

Lu Qingshan said, word by word, "Buy it in the city."

"What?! Buy a house in the city?" Lu Changgui was so shocked he almost fell off the bed. "How much will that cost? All our money will probably be gone in one go!"

Seeing his parents' shocked and distressed expressions, Lu Qingshan remained calm, but his hands, hidden in his sleeves, clenched slightly.

Today, while selling goods in the county town, he stood at the crossroads, looking at the low bungalows and the bustling crowds, and memories of his past life flooded his mind like a tide.

He knew all too well where things were headed. In this day and age, private houses and land in the city could still be bought and sold freely, making it the perfect time to buy.

In another ten years or so, once urbanization begins, no matter how beautifully the rural houses are built, they will inevitably fall into disrepair as young people move to the city, and they will be worth very little money.

But housing prices and land prices in the city will skyrocket, doubling in value.

Instead of spending money to build an empty shell in the village that will be uninhabited in a few years, and then having to go through the trouble of moving to the city later, it's better to just buy a house in the city and settle down directly.

Although it seems like a huge sum of money to spend several thousand dollars now, looking to the future, the returns from this investment will be more than just a few times; they will be tens or even hundreds of times the profit!

Thinking of this, Lu Qingshan's eyes grew even more determined. Looking at his father, he slowly explained, "Father, Mother, let me explain things to you..."

"Now, those small bungalows with yards in the city, ranging from 80 to 100 square meters, even if they're a bit old, can be bought for around 2,000. In good locations, they'll be at most 3,500."

"We'll spend 2,500 to buy a yard, and the remaining 1,500 will be enough to renovate the house beautifully."

He looked at his parents and grandfather and continued, "This way, when Xiulan marries into our family, she'll live in a new house in the city. Who wouldn't look up to her? Our family will also be proud."

"The most important thing is that our children can go to school in the city in the future. Are the schools in the city the same as those in the village?"

The last sentence struck Old Master Lu's heart like a heavy hammer.

He took a deep drag of his pipe, and the sparks inside flickered violently.

Yes, the next generation.

He suffered his whole life, and his son was honest and simple his whole life. Wasn't it because he was uneducated and couldn't leave this poor mountain village?

The next generation must not follow the same path!

"Let's do as Aoyama says!"

Grandpa Lu slammed his pipe heavily on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), signaling his decision.

"The marriage proposal will be tomorrow!"

……

The next morning, the entire Hongshitun village was in an uproar.

Leading the way was Lu Qingshan. He was dressed in a neat new outfit and rode his brand-new Forever brand bicycle with great spirit, the bicycle bell ringing crisply all the way.

Closely following behind him was Uncle Liu's oxcart, which he had specially hired.

Red ribbons were tied to the ox horns, and the cart was even more impressive—the sewing machine and radio were tied tightly with red ropes and stood upright in the center of the cart, with a large red "囍" character pasted on them.

These days, the "three turns and one sound" (referring to a watch, a revolving door, a radio, and a speaker) are exposed to everyone without any concealment.

Lu Qingshan deliberately didn't go directly to the Lin family's house. Instead, he rode his bicycle ahead to lead the way, guiding the oxcart, and made a grand procession around the entire Hongshi Village.

Behind him, Lu Changgui and several close villagers followed with their chests puffed out, their faces beaming with pride. Half the village poured out of their houses to watch the spectacle.

"Tsk tsk, look at their lavish lifestyle! How much did they spend on the bride price!"

"This is even more impressive than the village chief's wedding!"

The news spread like wildfire, reaching the Lin family long ago.

In the Lin family courtyard, Lin's father was squatting in the corner smoking a pipe, his brows furrowed, looking somewhat hesitant.

He tapped his pipe and muttered under his breath, "Old woman, we already agreed on the dowry amount. What if Lu Qingshan comes later and we have to add another hundred? What if he gets angry and refuses to marry her? Xiulan's reputation will be ruined, this..."

Before Lin's mother could speak, Lin Yaozu became agitated, stomped his foot, and yelled at the top of his lungs, "I don't care! If I don't get more money, how am I going to get married?"

"Dad, you're biased towards my older sister and don't care about me! If Lu Qingshan doesn't give me an extra hundred today, I'm not going to live!" As he spoke, he pretended to bang his head against the wall.

Lin's mother quickly hugged her precious son tightly, patting his back with heartache, and then turned to glare at Lin's father.

"Old man, are you confused? Lu Qingshan is making a fortune now; a hundred yuan is nothing to him."

"Didn't we have a hard time raising Xiulan? It's only right that we ask for a bigger dowry to help Yaozu get married! When Lu Qingshan arrives, don't say a word. I'll come with Yaozu and plead poverty. He cares about his reputation, so he'll definitely give in!"

Lin Yaozu's eyes lit up, and he nodded repeatedly.

Just then, a commotion arose outside the courtyard gate.

The Lin family looked up and their eyes widened in astonishment.

The gleaming bicycle, the brand-new sewing machine, and the stylish radio shone so brightly in the winter sun that they hurt their eyes.

Although they already knew Lu Qingshan was going to send "three turns and one sound" (a set of watches, a watch, a watch, and a watch), Lin's mother and Lin Yaozu's eyes were still glued to the pile of precious items, unable to look away. They wished they could touch them right now.

Lin's mother took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the greed in her eyes. Her face twitched, and she adopted the demeanor of a mother-in-law.

"cough!"

Lin's mother cleared her throat in a mocking manner and greeted them with a forced smile.

"Qingshan, you're here. This is certainly a presentable gift, but... there are some things we need to make clear to each other first."

Lu Qingshan pushed the cart into the yard, didn't say a word, and just looked at her coldly.

Seeing that he didn't speak, Lin's mother immediately raised her voice and spoke in a pretentious tone.

"You were engaged to our second daughter, Xiumei, though it didn't work out. Now you've taken a fancy to my eldest daughter, Xiulan. If word gets out, Xiumei will be looked down upon in her husband's family in the city! I won't make things difficult for you, but the agreed-upon dowry of sixty yuan will now be increased by one hundred!"

"Yes! We must add one hundred!"

Lin Yaozu chimed in eagerly, "Brother-in-law, if you give me an extra hundred yuan today, from now on in Hongxing Village, you'll be my brother-in-law! I'll be the first to object to anyone who dares to cause you trouble!"

"Mother! Yaozu! What are you doing?!"

Suddenly, the curtain was lifted, and Lin Xiulan rushed out with red eyes.

She blocked Lu Qingshan's path, trembling with anger, her voice trembling with tears.

"My sister broke off the engagement with Qingshan because she was materialistic and looked down on us. Our family wronged Qingshan first! Now that Qingshan is willing to forgive and forget and marry me, how can you demand a higher price? This is against the rules!"

Upon hearing this, Lin's mother's eyes widened instantly. She pointed a finger at Lin Xiulan's forehead and scolded, "You wretched girl! You're not even married yet, and you're already siding with outsiders? I raised you all these years, and you want a dowry for protection? How is that against the rules? You heartless ingrate!"

Lin Xiumei crossed her arms, leaned against the doorframe, and glanced at Lu Qingshan sideways, her eyes filled with jealousy and disdain. She sneered and mocked:

"Mother, don't waste your breath arguing with him. Lu Qingshan is just a peasant. Even if he's made a bit of money lately, after buying these three watches and a watch, he'll probably be penniless! He probably won't even have a penny left in his pocket, let alone a hundred yuan. Aren't you afraid he'll just flip the table and leave right here!"

As soon as Lin Xiumei finished speaking, the villagers watching immediately began to whisper among themselves.

"Xiumei's words, though rough, make a good point. A set of three turns and a radio can cost several hundred yuan! Qingshan used to be dirt poor, and even if he's made some money recently, how can he afford to spend like this?"

"That's right. In my opinion, the fact that he was able to bring all that stuff here means he must have taken out a loan from the credit union or borrowed from all his relatives and friends! He's probably penniless now."

"This is going to be interesting! If they can't come up with the money, the wedding might not be going to happen!"

Old Man Lin squatted in the corner, his head lowered even further, not daring to utter a sound.

Lin's mother and Lin Yaozu's expressions also changed, their hearts pounding with anxiety, fearing that they might really push Lu Qingshan to the edge.

The entire courtyard fell silent instantly, and everyone's eyes were on Lu Qingshan.