Chapter 247: Chapter 247: Liu Family Meeting

“Hmm, alright, everyone go to bed early! Don’t sleep too deeply tonight, help Meng Niang take care of the child.”

After Mrs. Qi finished speaking, she left.

Qi Quanjin fetched some water and, after helping his wife with her washing, said, “Wife, what do you think Mother’s intentions are? How come she didn’t suggest inviting Brother Liu’s family over during dinner?”

Yi Meng hadn’t spoken up earlier, but she understood her mother-in-law’s intentions.

It was obvious that the little girl’s words had made an impression on her mother-in-law, and she wanted to find out more about the Liu Family’s girl!

Yi Meng kept her analysis to herself and did not tell her husband.

Qi Quanjin was shocked when he heard it: “Really, are they trying to pair up the two of them?”

“Regardless of pairing, we need to first see what kind of person the Liu family’s girl is. If she has already been promised, or if they never intended for her to marry into a farming family, then it’s all for nothing.”

As Yi Meng spoke, she picked up her son to feed him, burped him, and then laid him down beside her to sleep.

Qi Quanjin scratched his face, clicked his tongue twice, and mused, “If it really happens, Brother Liu and our family would become closer.”

“Closer is closer, but don’t think of using Brother Liu’s status for anything else.”

After lying down, Yi Meng warned with this sentence.

Qi Quanjin responded with a nod, quickly washed his hands, face, and feet, then washed the clothes he and his wife had changed out of. Lastly, he took the basin, with their son’s diaper in it, to the yard to wash.

This was a rule in the Qi Family, unless the men of the family were not at home, whoever’s wife had given birth would take care of things, and the child’s father would wash the diapers.

When Qi Quanjin had finished tidying up and returned indoors, his wife and little son were already asleep. He gently touched his son’s face and gave his wife a kiss before heading to bed satisfied.

Meanwhile, in the city, at the Liu Family’s home.

In the old master and old lady’s room, the whole family was gathered together.

On this hot day, they didn’t go to the yard, but crowded into one room to talk.

“Father, you’ve seen the situation in Yongping Village too. I believe their village will be promising in the future.”

Liu Qinghe was the first to speak.

Mr. Liu Sr. nodded after listening: “It’s quite good. But I’m not sure how the village’s homesteads are sold, and whether the farmland is for sale. If we really move our whole family to the village, we’d have to farm a few acres ourselves.”

Liu Qinghe laughed: “Qi Quanjin, though a humble farmer, is an honest man. He wouldn’t ask for an unreasonable price. Father, Mother, let’s first see how much land we need to buy, then I’ll go talk to him.”

Mr. Liu Sr. glanced at his wife without saying anything.

Mrs. Liu Sr. was sewing by candlelight, and when she stopped to listen, she looked at her husband before saying, “The family currently has fifty-two taels of silver. Twenty taels are for your father’s and my coffin, which cannot be touched. Of the remaining thirty-two taels, ten taels are for the eldest son’s bride price.”

“Keep two taels for the family’s daily expenses, leaving only twenty taels. You should see how much land we can buy with that.”

Mrs. Liu was in charge of the family’s finances, but she never hid how much they had stored or spent.

The daughters-in-law all had their own counts in their hearts, and upon hearing this, found they had calculated similarly, so they didn’t say much else.

If left to them, they certainly wouldn’t want to move out of the city.

But there’s no choice, the family’s population is growing, the children need to get married, and they can’t all live crammed together.

The courtyards in the city aren’t cheap. Even if they spent all fifty-plus taels, it’s not guaranteed they’d buy much space.

It wouldn’t be fair to allocate to one family or another, so they’ve tacitly agreed to buy land outside the city to build houses.

On the way to Yongping Village today, everyone was complaining about how far it was from the city.

But once they reached Yongping Village, they found it quite nice.

Though small, when that big golden plaque was hung at the village entrance, it seemed more impressive than most villages.

Mr. Liu Sr. looked around and saw that no one opposed, so he said, “The coffin fund doesn’t need so much, keep ten taels. With the remaining ten, plus that twenty, Qinghe, ask what land you can buy with thirty taels, and what kind of house you can build.”

“Alright, I’ll check back with you.”

Liu Qinghe readily agreed.

Mr. Liu Sr. then said, “Before this is settled, none of you should speak of it outside.”

“Yes!”

This time everyone responded in unison.

Living comfortably in the city and suddenly moving to a village wasn’t deemed respectable by anyone.

Even if Mr. Liu Sr. hadn’t mentioned it, they wouldn’t have talked about it.

After the families dispersed, Mrs. Liu Sr. called Liu Qinghe over: “Qinghe, stay behind, your mother needs to ask you something.”

Liu Qinghe didn’t suspect anything and immediately leaned in: “Mother, what is it?”

“Is that Qi Family really good?”

Mrs. Liu Sr. asked softly.

Liu Qinghe nodded: “I truly think their family is good. Didn’t you see today, that big courtyard of the Qi Family, those big houses, they’re ranked among the best even in the city.”

After a pause, Liu Qinghe glanced outside the window, making sure no one could hear, then said in a low voice, “Also, Mother, let me tell you, the Qi Family even has a house in the city, a double courtyard.”

“Is that true?”

Mrs. Liu Sr.’s eyes widened, even Mr. Liu Sr. couldn’t help but look over.

Liu Qinghe affirmed: “Back when they bought that house, I was the one who went with Qi Quanjin and his brothers to handle it. Now that house is in the name of the Qi Family’s old master, truly.”

“Wow, the Qi Family is indeed quite well-off.”

Mrs. Liu Sr. remarked, “If that’s really the case, next time you go back, see if they have any unmarried sons, for your little sister to consider.”

“Mother, you want to make a marriage alliance with the Qi Family?”

Liu Qinghe was taken aback.

He’s had quite a bit of interaction with the Qi Family and understands their family dynamics, but he never considered this angle.

Mrs. Liu Sr. rolled her eyes at him and said irritably: “Your little sister is already sixteen, if we don’t arrange something soon, she’ll be seventeen, do you want her to be an old maid?”

“No, Mother, I didn’t mean that.”

Liu Qinghe hurriedly explained, “I, I didn’t mean for little sister to become an old maid, it’s just, just…”

Saying this, Liu Qinghe’s expression became very troubled, “Mother, I have a good relationship with Qi Quanjin, and if the two families could form an alliance, I’d be pleased. But, you know the situation with my little sister, and if the Qi family finds out, I might not even be able to maintain my friendship with them!”

At these words, Mrs. Liu Sr.’s face turned ashen.

Alas, she knew this might happen, but thinking of her own daughter, as a mother, wanting her daughter to have a better life and suffer less isn’t wrong either!

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep