After the Scholar Rejected Me, I Married the Rogue and Got Rich - Chapter 43

Upon hearing this, everyone perked up and straightened their clothes, preparing to greet them at the gate. Wang Shi pulled Lin Sang along with the others to the courtyard gate, looking towards the village entrance.

On the dirt road at the village entrance, a group of people were slowly walking towards them, with Zhou Han leading the way.

He had clearly dressed up carefully today, wearing a brand-new navy blue cotton robe that made his figure appear even more upright and robust. His hair was also neatly combed, and the scar on his brow bone seemed to have lost some of its ferocity in the sunlight, instead exuding a more rugged youthful charm.

Beside him was Aunt Zhou, who was also dressed in decent new clothes and had a slightly nervous smile, while on the other side was Matchmaker Wang, who was dressed festively and had a big smile on her face.

What’s most eye-catching is the cart behind them, pulled by a sturdy yellow ox! The cart has a sturdy canopy, and bright red flowers are tied to the ox’s horns and the cart shaft. The cart is piled high with gifts covered with red cloth.

“Wow! There’s even an oxcart!”

“That’s quite a spectacle!”

“Looks like this family has a solid financial foundation!”

“I wonder which family this young man belongs to? He’s so impressive!”

The villagers who were watching and the neighbors who came to help whispered among themselves, their faces showing surprise and envy. Most of them did not know who the groom was, but they felt that this was a very prestigious engagement in the village.

Meanwhile, Song Jinhua and Lin Jiao’er, who were in the corner, were first shocked when they saw the impressive oxcart and the generous gifts, and then curled their lips in disdain.

Song Jinhua thought sourly, “Hmph! What’s with the show of wealth! It’s probably ill-gotten gains from that Zhou scoundrel in a fight! Let’s see how long he can keep up this act!”

Lin Jiao’er secretly thought to herself, “So what if he’s rich? He’s still just a crude brute! How can he compare to Brother Mingyuan’s literary talent and refined manners!”

Zhou Han and his entourage finally arrived at the entrance of the Lin family compound. Aunt Zhou and Matchmaker Wang greeted Wang Shi and Lin Laoda with smiles, saying, “Mother-in-law, Brother Lin, we are really sorry. In principle, on such an auspicious day as today, our groom’s family should have more elders and relatives present to show respect. However… to be honest, our Zhou family is small, and we really… really can’t invite more elders to make an appearance. Please forgive us, in-laws.”

Upon hearing this, Wang immediately took Zhou’s hand, patted the back of her hand, and said in a cheerful and understanding voice, “Oh! Sister-in-law Zhou, what are you saying! Please don’t say that! When we become in-laws, we look at the children’s character and sincerity, and the character of you and your son! As for those empty formalities, let’s not talk about them!”

As she spoke, she stepped aside to make way and warmly invited, “Come on in, please come in and sit down! It’s cold outside, come in and have a cup of hot tea to warm yourself up!”

“Yes, yes, we don’t need to stand on ceremony, please come in, please come in,” the people behind them also warmly and politely invited the Zhou family inside.

Zhou Han’s gaze swept past everyone and landed directly on Lin Sang, who was being protected by Wang Shi. Seeing her unusually radiant appearance today, his eyes lit up, his ears turned slightly red, and his usually hard lips curled up uncontrollably.

After everyone entered the house and took their seats, Zhou Han respectfully clasped his hands in a fist and bowed deeply, his gaze first falling on Lin Laoda and Wang Shi, who were sitting at the front. His voice was loud and clear:

“Junior Zhou Han greets Uncle Lin and Aunt Lin.” His posture was respectful and his tone sincere, behaving exactly as a junior should.

Then, he turned to the clan elders and the Lin family grandparents sitting on the kang (a heated brick bed) and bowed solemnly once again:

“Junior Zhou Han greets all the clan elders, and pays respects to Grandpa Lin and Grandma Lin.” He was impeccably polite and meticulous.

His bowing was swift and decisive, and his greeting was steady and powerful. This demeanor earned him nods of approval from everyone present.

This young man seems to know his manners quite well!

However, after everyone realized his name, the entire hall and courtyard fell silent for a moment, followed by a burst of quiet discussion!

“Zhou Han?! That Zhou scoundrel?!”

“My God! It’s him!”

“How could the Lin family bear to marry their daughter to such a family!”

The elders and clan elders of the Lin family also had different expressions, and the atmosphere became somewhat awkward for a moment.

Seeing this, Matchmaker Wang instantly put on a professional smile, stepped forward, and in her distinctive, loud voice that could carry throughout the entire hall, loudly tried to smooth things over:

“Oh my! Look at our young master Zhou, he’s such a handsome and well-mannered man! Brother Lin, Sister-in-law Lin, and all the elders, this is the person we’re here to propose marriage to today, the only son of the Zhou family from the neighboring village—Zhou Han!”

He then cleared his throat and announced, “Today, Zhou Han, the son of the Zhou family from the neighboring village, admires the virtuous and kind-hearted Lin Sang, the daughter of the Lin family, and has prepared a small gift to propose marriage! Please all be witnesses!”

She paused, her gaze sweeping across the room, successfully diverting everyone’s attention. Even the people in the courtyard were standing on tiptoe to peek inside.

She pointed to the pile of gifts with red paper attached on the table and began to sing: “Sixteen taels of silver for the betrothal gifts! Four cans of top-quality tea, four kinds of auspicious dried fruits, two jars of aged wine, two pairs of fresh sacrificial animals, eight catties of exquisite betrothal cakes, and two bolts each of fine cotton cloth and fine cloth.”

As soon as she finished speaking, a chorus of low gasps rose from the crowd. Sixteen taels! That’s no small sum in a farming family; the Zhou family is really generous! However, this wasn’t the end of it; the matchmaker’s voice rang out again:

“All of the above are just the usual formalities! To show how much they value Miss Sangsang, Sister-in-law Zhou and her husband have specially prepared two special gifts they’ve prepared!”

As she spoke, she carefully picked up the small package wrapped in red cloth, gently opened it, and revealed a pair of exquisitely crafted, substantial silver bracelets inside, gleaming brightly in the sunlight.

“This first gift is a pair of fine silver bracelets, a family heirloom of the Zhou family! They have been treasured by Zhou’s sister-in-law for many years and are being given to her future daughter-in-law today, in the hope that she will enjoy good health and longevity. This is also a cherished memory and blessing passed down through generations of the Zhou family!”

“Wow! Silver bracelets!” Even the elders were moved, and Old Madam Lin stared intently at the bracelets, her lips moving slightly.

Immediately afterwards, Wang the matchmaker waved her arm, pointing directly at the oxcart adorned with large red flowers outside the courtyard gate, her voice booming, almost as if announcing:

“This second grand gift, and the only one of its kind today! Look outside the courtyard—a robust yellow ox, plus a covered cart! From today onwards, this ox and this cart will remain with the Lin family! Young Master Zhou said that with the freezing weather, it’s hard for his parents-in-law, Sangsang, and younger siblings to travel to and from town. This ox and cart is his way of showing filial piety in advance, making things easier for the family! May the Lin family prosper more and more, and may their lives move steadily forward, with each step marked by the cart’s wheels!”

“Whoosh—!”

As soon as Wang the matchmaker finished speaking, the entire Lin family courtyard was in an uproar, like boiling water!

An oxcart! They actually delivered the ox and the cart together!

This is an incredible amount of money… this is a huge undertaking!

My God, this week’s fierce… he’s really going all out!

It seems I really misjudged him before! You won’t find another person like him with this kind of sincerity for miles around!

Even Lin Sang, who was sitting next to Wang Shi, was surprised and opened her mouth slightly. She only found out today that Zhou Han had prepared so much! Could it be that he had emptied the Zhou family’s coffers? Thinking this, she scratched her head and looked at Zhou Han. Zhou Han nodded slightly to her to reassure her.

Wang was so excited that she gripped Lin Sang’s hand tightly. Her son-in-law had really made her proud! In the entire Linjia’ao area, Sang Sang was definitely the best! Forget about bad reputations or bad tempers, what other girl could have such grace!

All the shock, doubts, and prejudices that others had previously held because of the name “Zhou Han” were shattered at this moment by the sight of this substantial and unimaginably generous betrothal gift. Instead, they were replaced by immense awe, envy, and a complete change of heart.

Even the old man and woman Lin, who had originally looked the worst, were now staring blankly at the oxcart outside the courtyard, then at the gleaming silver bracelet and the generous betrothal gifts on the table. Finally, their gazes fell on Zhou Han, who, though silent, stood tall and had a calm look in his eyes. Their expressions were extremely complicated, but their initial resistance and anger had clearly been shaken by this great sincerity.

In the corner, Song Jinhua and Lin Jiao’er were already pale, their mouths agape, unable to utter a single word. The oxcart, the betrothal gifts, and the silver bracelet were like a heavy hammer, shattering all their mockery and sense of superiority, and completely destroying their pitiful sense of superiority.

Song Jinhua opened her mouth, but couldn’t utter a single word. She could only lower her head in embarrassment, trying to hide the awkwardness and jealousy on her face.

Matchmaker Wang looked at everyone’s reactions with satisfaction, and finally smiled and said to Lin Laoda and Wang Shi, “Brother Lin, Sister-in-law Lin, the Zhou family’s intention to propose marriage is truly sincere and weighty! Now we are just waiting for your two elders and the elders to say a word!”