NOVPUB
Chapter 593: Chapter 593 Relatives Gathered Together
Guo Xinpei waved his hand, "Don’t stop me. I always strictly teach my children to be polite. They must be amiable and make good daughters-in-law after getting married. They can’t do things that show lack of family discipline. Although we are rural farmers, our family upbringing is not inferior to that of the wealthy people in big cities."
Tong Yao couldn’t stand Guo Xinpei’s pretentiousness any longer. Her eyes darted around, unwilling to continue the conversation.
Hongwei cleared his throat and said, "Uncle Guo, I can see that you are indeed very strict in your family discipline. Jinnian is well-educated under your guidance."
Guo Xinpei was very pleased by the praise. He patted Hongwei’s shoulder enthusiastically, saying, "Hongwei, we are about to become a family, there’s no need for you to be so polite. You can just call me ’dad’ like Jinnian. If Jinnian ever disrespects her in-laws or fails to take good care of you, just write to me and I’ll teach her a lesson."
The corners of Hongwei’s mouth twitched, he managed a nod but couldn’t get himself to say the word ’dad’.
Guo Xinpei mistook that for shyness and didn’t mind. He pointed at the pathway leading to the village and said, "This road is a bit hard to travel on when it’s raining. If it needs to be fixed, it might as well be paved all the way to the county town with tarmac. It’s a better, more convenient surface for driving. This would make it easier for you in your cars when you come back. It would be best if you could fix the one by our farmland too. There’s no need to worry about the others, just our own will do."
Before Hongwei could say anything, Guo Xinpei added, "Since we are spending money on the road, we can’t just let people pass by for free. I will set up a toll booth at the entrance. Both the bullock carts and bicycles have to pay. We won’t charge much, just one cent per passage."
Guo Xinpei’s words were utterly unexpected by Hongwei. Even Tong Yao, who was experienced and knowledgeable, was stunned by what he had just said.
Jinnian felt so embarrassed. She refused to acknowledge Guo Xinpei anymore and said to Tong Yao, "Yaoyao, it’s too cold here, let’s go back first!"
Tong Yao nodded in agreement. She was at a loss and couldn’t continue the conversation with Guo Xinpei. If they stayed and talked for a while longer, she suspected that Guo Xinpei would end up buying the whole Jiang City.
When the two women had left, Hongwei also wanted to leave, but was held back by Guo Xinpei. Guo Xinpei pulled Hongwei in and said, "Women always have more things to consider. They might be able to make small profit. But they will never have the big picture."
Hongwei frowned at Guo Xinpei’s dismissive remarks about women, but then Guo Xinpei mentioned, "Hongwei, does breeding make good money? I’m thinking of investing in some projects, but I don’t know which ones would be good. Our family may look poor, but I do have some savings. Among the villages nearby, our living standards are definitely among the top. Not as wealthy as your family of course, but around here, we are considered well-to-do. We even own a house in the city." 𝖓𝔬𝖛𝔭𝔲𝖇.𝔠𝔬𝖒
Hongwei cleared his throat, imitating the way Tong Yao previously boasted, and said, "Papa... er... Guo... Yes, breeding gives big returns. If you want to get involved in it, once Jinnian and I are married, I will lease two hills for you guys. You could start your breeding business right here. Then, all the poultry market supply in Jiang City would be yours."
After saying this earnestly, Hongwei suddenly realized that it wasn’t that hard to make such boastful promises.
Guo Xinpei didn’t expect Hongwei to agree to open a breeding farm for him. His laughter burst out, the joy in his heart was so intense that he couldn’t hide it. He kept patting Hongwei’s shoulder, cheering, "Good future son-in-law."
Hongwei’s expression soon relaxed, and they chatted for a little while. Just then, Miaomiao brought their aunts and uncles over, and Guo Xinpei started to introduce Hongwei to all of them.
Unlike Guo Xinpei, Jinnian’s aun and uncle were much more appropriate. Hearing what Hongwei said, they had some doubts about the sincerity of his words. However, given how sincere he sounded and the way he dressed, along with his acquaintance with Deng Qiuxia’s family, they decided to believe him seven or eight out of ten.
When they returned home, Uncle Guo and Second Uncle were also there. They were chatting in the yard, while Deng Qiuxia was busy alone in the kitchen. Aunt Guo hurried to help her upon seeing this.
Hearing Guo Xinpei loudly praising Hongwei outside, she couldn’t help but ask, "Third Sister-in-law, is Nian’s boyfriend really rich?"
Deng Qiuxia nodded with a smile, "Nian is lucky, she found a good family to marry into. No wonder she kept refusing to go on blind dates and get married. She been dating someone in the city. Hongwei is from Kyoto. They also know my family. We basically know each other very well, so I feel relieved about it."
Aunt Guo knew Guo Xinpei likes to brag, but she believed Deng Qiuxia very much.
Reassured by Deng Qiuxia’s words, Aunt Guo finally relaxed. She was genuinely happy for Jinnian, even though she felt a bit sour inside, "Third Sister-in-law, Nian is lucky, but she can’t forget about her family, right? If her husband is rich and successful, her parents-in-law certainly have many relatives. My daughter is not bad-looking, can Nian introduce someone to her?"
Although Deng Qiuxia is a Kyoto native, her parents live far away, and she herself is quite timid. When her mother-in-law was alive, Deng Qiuxia was often bullied by her. Aunt Guo also bullied her a lot when she was not married, and Aunt Guo’s relationships with her sisters-in-law were stronger than with Deng Qiuxia.
Now that she was doing well, they knew who to suck up to.
Deng Qiuxia smirked, "That might not be that easy. These rich families require their daughters-in-law to be cultured. They would not be interested in someone without an education."
Hearing this, Aunt Guo nodded thoughtfully and said, "What about my third daughter? She is now in fifth grade. I’m planning to let her go to college."
As long as she can marry a rich man, she doesn’t mind sending her daughter to college. She can recoup the money spent on the university with a large dowry.
Deng Qiuxia chuckles, "Attending university is not for everyone. One needs to have the ability. Besides, your third daughter started school quite late. She is 15 and only in fifth grade. By the time she finishes university, she will be quite old."
In the past, Aunt Guo often patronized her. Now it was her turn to mock Aunt Guo. Deng Qiuxia found it very satisfying.
As a timid person and with a non-supportive husband, she didn’t dare to confront others. But now that her daughter had found a good family, others were coming to her. She had the confidence now.
On hearing Deng Qiuxia’s words, Aunt Guo’s face fell. She wanted to retort, but held her tongue.
What did she mean by her daughter being old?
Even if her daughter was older after finishing college, she still wouldn’t be as old as Jinnian, right?
Aunt Guo felt unresigned. She put on a smile and said, "Since it’s hard to find a match for my daughter, then could you help her father find a job? Do they need people on the breeding farm? Maybe her father can go there and help out?"
