Wang Lihua nodded. “That’s worth noting, but they wouldn’t dare do anything during the day. I’ll be more alert at night from now on.”
Su Dabao looked around, then picked up a pair of fire tongs from nearby, weighing them in his hand. “I’ll sleep holding these from now on. If anyone dares come harm us, I’ll smash their head in!”
Wang Lihua watched Su Dabao waving the fire tongs around, wanting to say something but ultimately holding back.
Forget it. Let’s work together to get through this difficult time first; we can deal with other matters later.
Meanwhile, Old Mrs. Su was sitting in the main hall, warming herself by the fire and eating sweet potatoes. Su Dafu came out of his room, glanced around, then sat down beside her and spoke quietly.
“Mom, are we really just going to leave them alone over there?”
Old Mrs. Su lazily lifted her eyelids, her gaze drifting toward Third Grandpa’s house, and snorted lightly. “What’s the rush? Those old folks are still keeping an eye on things. We’ll talk about it when they let their guard down.”
Su Dafu quickly responded with an “Ah,” his face unconsciously revealing greed. “Mom, we’re going to town tomorrow to buy supplies. Do you want to come along?”
Old Mrs. Su could easily guess what he meant—he wanted her to provide the money.
But once money entered Li Fengying’s pocket, there was no chance of it coming back out.
“As for Xiao Wen’s betrothal gift, you and your wife figure it out yourselves. Don’t count on me.”
Old Mrs. Su’s eyes shifted. “But there is another way to avoid spending so much money.”
Hearing this, Su Dafu hurriedly stood up and began massaging her shoulders. “Mom, just tell me directly. You know I’ve never been as clever as my younger brother. I can only rely on you.”
Old Mrs. Su looked around to make sure no one was nearby, then whispered, “Why don’t you have Xiao Wen get Juanzi pregnant?”
“Once Juanzi is carrying our Su family’s child, how much betrothal gift we give will be entirely up to us, won’t it?”
The more Su Dafu listened, the brighter his eyes became. Right! Why hadn’t he thought of this method?
Once Liu Juanzi was pregnant, whether to give a betrothal gift and how much to give would be entirely up to their family.
If the Liu family dared to disagree, they could spread the news and see which man would still want Liu Juanzi.
“Ah! Mom! This is a great idea! Absolutely brilliant!”
“By then, we might not only avoid paying a single cent for the betrothal gift but also get three to five hundred yuan in dowry!”
Su Dafu was overjoyed. Old Mrs. Su smiled on the surface, but a flicker of disdain flashed in her eyes.
Her eldest son was ultimately too foolish, not as quick-witted as her younger son.
If Su Dagui were here, he wouldn’t even need her reminder to handle things perfectly.
After discussing the betrothal gift, Su Dafu suddenly realized something. “Does that mean the wedding has to be postponed?”
Hearing this, Old Mrs. Su finally couldn’t hold back and rolled her eyes.
“Are you stupid? The reason we were in such a hurry to have Xiao Wen marry was to get our hands on Wang Lihua’s 300 yuan. Now that the money is already ours, what’s the rush? You pig-brained fool!”
“Get out of here! Don’t stand in front of me and annoy me!”
Su Dafu shrank his neck at the scolding, not daring to provoke Old Mrs. Su further. He turned and left the courtyard for the second household.
The second household’s courtyard was intended as Su Wen’s new marital home. So, as soon as Wang Lihua left with the two children, Su Wen packed his things and moved in.
When Su Dafu arrived, Su Wen was lying on the bed reading a comic book.
Seeing Su Dafu approach, he tossed the comic aside and scrambled up from the bed.
“Dad, what brings you here? Did Grandma give you the money?”
Su Dafu shook his head, walked over to the bed, and pulled up a small stool to sit down.
Seeing that Su Dafu hadn’t managed to get the money, Su Wen’s face immediately fell, and he complained, “What’s Grandma’s problem? It was clearly agreed back then that the money would be used for my bride price. Now she’s holding onto it and won’t give it up—how am I supposed to explain this to Juanzi?”
Hearing him dare to complain about his own mother, Su Dafu slapped his arm, not too lightly but not too heavily either. “Watch your mouth! That’s your own grandmother!”
Su Wen pursed his lips, not wanting to say another word to his foolishly filial father.
Su Dafu knew his son was probably dissatisfied with the family, so he cleared his throat and explained the plan Old Mrs. Su had proposed.
Su Wen widened his eyes, feeling somewhat tempted but unable to make up his mind.
Given the Liu family’s situation, any bride price given would definitely not come back. Liu Juanzi had two younger brothers, and the 300 yuan bride price was meant for them.
Compared to giving away 300 yuan for nothing, Su Wen would rather spend less money.
It wasn’t that he had no feelings for Liu Juanzi, but when weighed against money, money was still more important.
After thinking for a moment, he hesitantly asked, “Then how can I… you know… with Juanzi…”
“The Liu family is keeping a close watch on her now. They won’t even let her leave the house.”
Su Dafu’s gaze swept around the room before he slowly spoke, “Isn’t there a ready-made reason right here?”
“Just tell her our family has prepared a new room for her and ask her to come over to see what needs rearranging.”
“As for those two brats, don’t worry. Have Pingzi and the others take them out to play. They’ll be gone for the whole afternoon—plenty of time for you two to get things done.”
Su Wen nodded repeatedly. He had been with Liu Juanzi for so long but had only held her hand twice. The thought of soon sharing a bed with her made his face flush with excitement.
“Alright, I’ll listen to you, Dad. I’ll go to the Liu family tomorrow!”
Su Dafu nodded, his expression full of confidence, and reminded him, “It probably won’t happen on the first try. Use this excuse to invite her over a few more times.”
“Once she’s pregnant, there’s nothing to worry about. The Liu family will be more anxious than we are by then.”
Su Wen agreed eagerly, wishing he could go to the Liu family right away to arrange the meeting.
Su Dafu rummaged in his cotton jacket pocket, counted out one yuan, and handed it over. “Don’t go empty-handed tomorrow. Otherwise, if the Liu family gets suspicious, they might not let her out.”
Su Wen took the money and stuffed it into his own pocket. “Got it, Dad. The Liu family trusts me completely. They won’t stop her.”
Meanwhile, Su Erbao bought a sewing machine on Pin-Xi-Xi. The System Mall sold clothes, but the colors and styles were too flashy. It was better to make her own.
When the sewing machine was brought out, it truly shocked Wang Lihua and Su Dabao.
They had thought the “immortal” would only give Su Erbao food and daily necessities, never expecting that even a sewing machine—one of the “Three Rounds and One Sound”—could be produced.
Looking at the sewing machine placed beneath the window, Wang Lihua was so excited she didn’t know where to put her hands. She reached out to touch it but pulled back halfway.
Su Erbao took her hand and placed it on the brand-new sewing machine. Seeing the joy welling up in her eyes, his lips also curved into a smile.
Afterward, he brought out the other fabrics he had bought, along with loose cotton and duck down. After a moment’s thought, he went to a shop specializing in sewing patterns and bought a thick stack of designs, covering styles for spring, summer, autumn, and winter.
Wang Lihua loved making clothes, but it wasn’t until many years later that Su Erbao finally realized it.