Lu Dahai beamed. “Son, I’d begun to think you’d never settle down! At last you’ve come to your senses. Quick, tell us whose daughter is she? Your mother and I will send a matchmaker at once.”
“She’s from the Su family in Lin Village. Her name is Su Ying.”
The smiles vanished from his parents’ faces, replaced instantly by gravity especially Zhao Yulan.
Before he could say more, she cut him off. “No. Son, you’re a company commander. From what you say, her parents are farmers, which makes her a farmer too. It’s not that I’m being snobbish but a wife should be someone who stands beside you, supports you, and walks through life with you. How long have you known her? Do you know anything about her family?”
As parents, they naturally hoped he would marry someone from a comparable background, someone with prospects. As the eldest son, his marriage mattered deeply to them. Lu Dahai had yet to speak, but Zhao Yulan was firmly opposed.
Lu Xiaofang chimed in, “Exactly, Big Brother what do you see in her? Is she beautiful? A hard worker? If you marry her, will she wash my clothes for me?”
Lu Dongsheng’s expression hardened. “Watch your tone. If we marry, she will be your sister‑in‑law and she may well be younger than you. Are your hands and feet broken, that you’d ask her to do your laundry? Imagine yourself in her place would you want your husband’s sister scheming against you before you’ve even crossed the threshold?”
“How dare she!” Xiaofang shouted. “Fine I’ll just stay unmarried then!”
Realizing she was being reprimanded, she flushed red, set her chopsticks down with a clatter, and pouted. “Mom look at him! He’s defending her already, and she’s not even here. I don’t care I won’t have some country bumpkin as my sister‑in‑law!”
Lu Dongsheng shook his head. His sister had grown spoiled and rude. “Choose your words carefully. A person’s worth isn’t decided by where they were born. You were raised in a worker’s family, yet where is your grace? You’ve barely started working and already you speak of ‘country people’ with contempt. Where is your upbringing?”
He spoke plainly he had always been direct, at home and in the army alike, and few could match him in an argument.
To Xiaofang, his words felt like a personal insult. Was this really her brother?
Sensing an argument brewing, Lu Wentao quickly stuffed a mouthful of meat to avoid getting drawn in. “I think… if Big Brother likes her, that’s enough,” he mumbled quietly. His older brother was his hero he planned to enlist as soon as he finished high school.
“What did you say?” Xiaofang rounded on him.
Lu Dahai slammed a hand on the table. The room fell silent.
“That’s enough!” he said. “Your brother’s marriage is a joyous occasion. Xiaofang, hold your tongue. Every family began farming somewhere are you too proud to remember that? Your grandparents on both sides were farmers.”
Rebuked, Zhao Yulan looked contrite. She did not despise farmers she worried her son would be tied to a family with no means, who would drain him dry. If they were capable, fine but if not…
“Old Lu,” she said, “you know I didn’t mean it quite that way.”
“I know,” Lu Dahai said gently. “We only want what’s best for him. But he must choose for himself. If he chooses someone he cares for, life’s burdens will be lighter shared together. Dongsheng, think carefully you must live with the choice you make.”
“I know you mean well,” Lu Dongsheng replied. “But there’s no guarantee she’ll say yes. I’d like to send a matchmaker first to ask properly.”
Lu Dahai looked concerned, but he knew his son’s resolve. “Very well. We’ll arrange for someone to call on them in the next few days.”
“Thank you, Dad.”
Zhao Yulan fretted. Her son was handsome, respected, an officer why marry a village girl? They seemed so ill‑suited. Youth, she thought he didn’t understand what lay ahead. If this went through, he would be the one to suffer. She glanced at Lu Dahai, but he gave no sign he hated shouting at the dinner table above all else.
Xiaofang remained pouting, glowering at her brother. If only he hadn’t come home… this stranger was already stealing his affection. Her brother was choosing a girl over his own sister where would she stand in this house? She huffed again; Zhao Yulan gave her a warning look, and she picked at her food reluctantly.
After dinner, Xiaofang crept to Wentao’s room and slipped inside. “Wentao do you really want him to marry that girl?”
Wentao jumped, pressing a letter to his chest. “Second Sister why didn’t you knock? Big Brother was right you’re getting impossible. Where do you walk so quietly?”
She reached for the letter, but he hid it behind him. “I asked you do you really want some hick for a sister‑in‑law?”
“Big Brother has his own mind,” Wentao said. “I’d steer clear if I were you.”
“Hmph coward. We’ll see. I’ll never accept her. Sister Miaomiao is the only one worthy of being our sister‑in‑law.”
She marched out humming the tune Honghu Water, Waves Rolling.
Meanwhile in Lin Village, Tian Cuifen stood over a chipped earthen bowl. She stirred powdered herbs into sugar and egg soup, a cruel glint in her eyes.