"No need to entertain us, you go ahead with your own business!" Zhang Wenxue, after saying last time that he wouldn't meddle in his sons' affairs, seemed to have truly stopped asking Zhang Liunian for recipes.
Whether this was sincere or not, Zhang Wenxue should have realized that his objective would not be achieved by the entire village.
As long as Zhang Liunian did not agree, no one could snatch what belonged to him here.
In fact, Zhang Wenxue was truly learning to let go of his worries about his second son. Although it wasn't easy, he believed he could eventually.
"Then you take your time leaving. Come visit again when you have time."
Zhang Liunian replied casually without insistence. Just as he was about to return inside, he suddenly remembered his younger sister and quickly stopped. He said, "Youngest sister and Yaba are having their wedding banquet next month. I'll cover everything for it, and I'll also prepare her dowry. However, I'll need to borrow eldest brother's house as the place for my sister to get married. You all must come and have a drink at her wedding banquet then! Don't make it too unpleasant."
It wouldn't be good for his youngest sister if her parents didn't attend her wedding.
Zhang Liunian had thought very well of his sister, which deeply moved Zhang Xiaomei outside the courtyard. It also shocked Zhang Wenxue and his wife.
They had finally come.
Never mind, the children have grown up, and they are old. Let them do as they please.
"Your mother and I wanted to have Xiaomei come back before, considering your second brother's situation. Let's consider this matter past.
Now, Xiaomei wants to be with Yaba, and we won't object.
As for her wedding banquet, we will naturally be present and will also prepare her dowry.
However, it will be the same as before: a bed, two rosewood chests, four wooden basins, and two quilts.
This is what we, as parents, must do. You are her brother, whether you provide a dowry or not is up to you. You decide!"
Last time, Zhang Wenxue had personally called his second son. Besides saying he wouldn't interfere in their sibling matters, he also asked if their divorce would affect his work. His second son said there was no problem, and only then did he finally realize how incredibly wrong they had been before.
For this, they had almost caused their daughter's death. They felt immense guilt.
At this moment, hearing that his daughter was getting married, he had no other way but to prepare another dowry for her, hoping she would have a good life this time.
"I'll see to it," Zhang Liunian said, feeling a sense of relief when he saw his parents had truly changed their attitude.
After all, they were his parents who gave birth to him and raised him. It wouldn't look good if their relationship was too strained. Now that they could return to normal, it was a cause for celebration.
"Then we'll be going now." Zhang Wenxue was still a little awkward, not knowing how to face his youngest son.
Zhang Liunian bid farewell to his parents and turned back into the house to get the items he had bought for his wife, daughter, and younger sister.
"Xiaomei, this red cloth is for your wedding dress. Start on it as soon as you finish moving, and try to finish it as soon as possible." Zhang Liunian handed a roll of red cloth to Zhang Xiaomei. Her eyes were red as she looked at Zhang Liunian, repeatedly calling out "Third Brother, Third Brother..."
She had heard his conversation with their parents just now and was deeply touched, so much so that she didn't know what to say.
Zhang Liunian ruffled her hair. "You're my sister, no need to be so touched." After saying this, Zhang Liunian took out the things for his wife.
"Qingqing, this is a mirror I bought for you, and also some cold cream."
"Huabao, this is a small comb Dad bought for you. This comb is not to comb chicks, understand?"
Zhang Liunian handed the items to the three women one by one. Huabao cherished the small yellow comb, looking up at Zhang Liunian in her infantile voice, "Dad gave this to me, not for the chicks, because Dad is Huabao's dad, not a chick's, so they can't comb them, right?"
"..." Zhang Liunian, who had almost become a chicken dad, was speechless. After a moment, he smiled and ruffled his daughter's dark hair. "Huabao is so smart."
"Of course, because I'm Dad's daughter, not a stray child."
Huabao's offhand remark pierced Zhang Liunian's heart. He picked up his daughter and asked softly, "Why would Huabao say that? Did someone say you're a stray child?"
Huabao pouted, remembering what had just happened. Tears welled up in her dark eyes. "It was Datou. He said I'm a stray child and not Dad's daughter. Dad, why would he say that? How can I not be Dad's daughter?"
"Datou is talking nonsense, don't believe him. From now on, no matter who says it, don't believe it either. Because they all want to see you unhappy, understand?" Zhang Liunian kissed his daughter's little face tenderly and earnestly instructed.
Huabao burst into laughter through her tears, hugging Zhang Liunian's neck tightly, completely dependent on him. "Mhm, I only believe what Dad says, and I don't listen to others."
"Huabao is so good." Zhang Liunian doted on his daughter, kissing her and lifting her up. Within moments, Huabao was laughing heartily.
After playing with his daughter for a while, seeing that she had forgotten what had happened, Zhang Liunian finally put her down.
Jiang Qingqing, holding the mirror, stepped forward and blamed herself. "I didn't notice Datou said that to Huabao. Maybe Huabao met him when she went out earlier."
Zhang Liunian saw her self-reproach and embraced her. "Don't blame yourself. After tomorrow, it won't be easy for Datou to find Huabao and say anything."
Jiang Qingqing felt a pang of sadness. "Mhm, once our new house is built, I won't let Huabao go out alone anymore."
"You're also inconvenient with your pregnancy. How about I find someone to accompany Huabao?" By the time the new house was built, Jiang Qingqing would be over eight months pregnant, making it inconvenient to run around with Huabao. It would be better to find a young boy in the village as a bodyguard. And it couldn't be a grown man; it should be a young adolescent, so it wouldn't seem out of place.
"No need, I'm here!" Jiang Qingqing didn't want her husband to waste money.
Zhang Xiaomei, seeing her third brother and sister-in-law discussing the matter, chimed in, "Huabao can be left with me from now on. It was because I was bringing Huabao back that we met Datou on the road, and those words were said then. He cursed and ran away."
Zhang Liunian was taken aback. So it was something that had just happened. This Datou really hadn't changed his ways. However, handing his daughter over to his youngest sister temporarily might indeed be a good idea. "You still have a lot of work to do, how will you have time to take care of Huabao?"
"How about this, I'll help Third Brother with the braised meat from now on. I won't peel shrimp anymore. You can send two other people to take over tomorrow." The youngest sister didn't want her third brother to entrust his niece to others, as others were ultimately not as good as their own people.
Zhang Liunian thought about it and realized it could work. "This is acceptable. The salary will remain the same, and I'll trouble you more with Huabao from now on."
"Third Brother, don't be polite with me. I remember all your kindness to me. You don't need to pay me wages. Just looking after my niece is very easy for me, because Huabao is very sensible and obedient." Zhang Xiaomei kept in mind the kindness her third brother had shown her. For this kind of job of looking after a child for a salary, she felt it was acceptable even without wages.