After the Scholar Rejected Me, I Married the Rogue and Got Rich - Chapter 31

He pondered for a moment, then said, “Mr. Lin, after a few days when the dockworks are temporarily suspended, I plan to go home and see my mother.”

Lin Sang nodded: “Of course, Auntie is home alone, and it’s cold outside, so we should go back and visit her more often.”

“Hmm,” Zhou Han looked at her, his tone becoming particularly serious, “When I go back this time, I will explain our situation to my mother and make her happy.” He paused, his ears turning slightly red again, his voice low but clear, “Also… I want to finalize our relationship as soon as possible. My mother’s sudden visit last time was a bit abrupt. This time, I want to be more formal, and… I also want to ask for your opinion.”

Lin Sang looked up at him and saw that his fists were clenched tightly with nervousness. She couldn’t help but smile and said softly, “These kinds of things are naturally decided by the elders. Once you’ve discussed it, just let me know in advance.”

Upon hearing this, Zhou Han felt a huge weight lifted from his heart, and a surge of joy welled up within him. He gave a heavy “Mmm” and promised, “Okay! I’ll have my mother prepare it as soon as I get back! Don’t worry, I won’t let you suffer!”

———

The Lin family made several trips to the town in a row, and even managed to establish a foothold at the dock. The news spread like wildfire throughout Linjia’ao and the surrounding villages.

Under the banyan tree at the village entrance, people were talking animatedly:

“Have you heard? The Lin family has set up a food stall at the dock!”

“The dock? That’s a great place! I heard it’s heavily guarded. How did they get in?”

“Who knows? Maybe they had some great luck and met a benefactor?”

“I think it’s Sang’s skill! Ever since she broke off that engagement with the Zhang family, that girl has become more and more assertive and capable!”

“That’s right! I heard they’re seeing cash every day now, and they even have to buy scallions and cilantro in the village. It’s clear they’re making money!”

“This is incredible! The Lin family is about to become rich…”

This rumor naturally reached the ears of Zhou Hanshi, the mother of Zhou Han from the neighboring village.

Although Aunt Zhou was disappointed when she shamelessly went to the Lin family to ask for a marriage proposal, she could understand why Wang Shi had politely refused.

Hearing the rumors of the Lin family’s increasing “prosperity,” Aunt Zhou felt even more disheartened. Sitting in the main room, she frowned and sighed intermittently, “Alas… there’s no hope now. They’re clearly on the rise, how could they possibly look at my good-for-nothing son… It’s truly a cruel twist of fate…”

When Zhou Han pushed open the door, he saw his mother looking worried and sighing.

“Mother, what’s wrong? Has someone come to the house to cause trouble?” Zhou Han’s tone immediately turned cold, and a hint of ferocity appeared between his brows.

Aunt Zhou was startled and quickly said, “No, no, no one’s causing trouble.”

“What’s wrong that’s making you so worried? Is it because you’re short of money at home?” Zhou Han’s tone softened slightly.

“Where is it?” Aunt Zhou sighed. “It’s the Lin family from Linjia’ao… It’s all over the village. They say they set up a stall at the town’s dock and earn a lot of money every day. They even buy the scallions and cilantro they use at home from outside.”

She looked at her son, “Didn’t you also work at the docks recently? Haven’t you seen his family’s stall?”

Upon hearing this, Zhou Han breathed a sigh of relief and said calmly, “I’ve met you.”

Aunt Zhou was even more worried: “This is terrible… They never liked you to begin with, and now that they’ve made it big, they’re even less likely to consider you. Sigh… I’ll go ask Matchmaker Wang again soon to see if anyone has a suitable girl, and I’ll try to find someone for you…”

Zhou Han interrupted her: “No need, Mother. You should find out the proper etiquette for a marriage proposal as soon as possible, and what you should prepare. After I’m done with my work, you can come with me to the Lin family to propose marriage.”

Aunt Zhou was still immersed in the grief of her daughter-in-law’s departure and didn’t react. She just numbly said “Oh”.

Zhou Han raised an eyebrow. That’s it? What was his mother’s reaction? “Mother, were you even listening to me?”

Aunt Zhou looked up in confusion: “Huh? Aren’t we preparing things?”

Zhou Han sighed and raised his voice: “These are the things we’re going to use to propose marriage to the Lin family!”

“A marriage proposal?!” This time, Aunt Zhou understood. Her voice suddenly rose eight octaves, and she almost jumped up from her chair. “Who did you propose to? When did this happen? Why did you propose? Have you been doing something outrageous lately? You wouldn’t be… you wouldn’t be…” Her face turned pale, and she dared not think any further. “…have you taken advantage of some good girl in town?”

Zhou Han was defeated by his mother’s imagination and said helplessly, “Mom! What are you thinking! Do you think I’m that kind of person?”

“Then… what happened?”

“It’s Lin Sang,” Zhou Han said with certainty. “Go and propose to Lin Sang.”

“Lin Sang?!” Aunt Zhou’s voice became even shriller. “No, no! She’s rich now. She didn’t like you before, and she’s even less interested now! Son, let’s be realistic and go look at other girls. You might like them, but they might not like you!”

Left with no other choice, Zhou Han briefly recounted his recent interactions with Lin Sang and the things Lin Sang had explicitly agreed to to his mother.

After hearing this, Aunt Zhou was stunned for a while, then overjoyed, she slapped her thigh and exclaimed, “Oh my! My good lad! You’re really something! You won over a wife without saying a word! And it’s such a good girl like Sang!” She excitedly spun around twice on the spot. “Don’t worry! This time, I’ll handle it properly, I guarantee it’ll be a great success! I won’t let Sang or her in-laws find anything wrong with it!” She clasped her hands together and prayed to the sky, “Buddha bless us! Buddha truly blesses us!” Then she asked impatiently, “When are we going?”

Seeing his mother’s overjoyed expression, Zhou Han’s lips curled up slightly: “There’s a lot of work at the dock lately. I’ll go back after I’m done with this busy period. We’ll decide on a specific date later.”

“Okay, I’ll go out and find out what we need to prepare for a marriage proposal. We can’t be rude or disrespectful to that good girl this time.” Aunt Zhou said, heading out.

“Mom! Don’t you see how dark it is? It’s time for dinner. Your son is still hungry. Don’t worry, I’m sure I’ll get a good wife this time,” Zhou Han joked with a smile.

“Oh dear, look at my brain, really! You sit down quickly, I’ll go prepare dinner for you right away,” Aunt Zhou quickly turned around and went to the kitchen.

“How many days are you planning to stay this time?” Aunt Zhou’s voice came from the kitchen.

“I’m going into the mountains tomorrow, and if all goes well, I’ll leave the day after tomorrow,” Zhou Han shouted from outside.

“The weather is so bad, you still want to go into the mountains. You must be careful.”

“Yes, Mother.”

A relaxed and joyful atmosphere seemed to permeate the air above the Zhou family’s house.