BXBX NOVEL Chapter 112: Chu Family Village_l
As they were wrestling for control, an Elder of the Chu Family walked over and roughly reprimanded Chu Man, “Can’t you behave yourself for once!”
If she continued to be wild, the Chu family might completely fall out with the Jiang Family.
As for mending relations between the two families, they would be fortunate enough if they just avoided becoming enemies.
But Chu Man did not yield, she began to wail uncontrollably again, “Those are mine! All mine! I’m taking them all with me!”
The Elder raised his hand and punished her with a fierce ear twist, “You don’t need to take anything! Come back home with us now! ”
Chu Man was smacked again, this time by the strictest clan elder in the Chu clan, which instantly frightened her into submission. She didn’t dare to resist as the elder dragged her by the arm and walked out.
“My dear kinsman, I will take this troublemaker home today. On another day, I will certainly come to apologize in person,” The patriarch of the Chu Family said to Jiang Cheng’s father, cupping his hands in a gesture of respect, as he and Chu Man boarded the carriage.
Carriages were rare in the countryside, and only a few could afford one.
The patriarch did not utter a word along the journey, nor did he glance at his niece, who was huddled in the corner of the carriage, he just pretended to sleep.
Chu Village was about ten miles from Chen Village, and the quick carriage journey brought them there speedily.
Like Chen Village, the original Chu Village had been split into two villages, Chu Village, and Chu Mountain Village, as the population increased.
But there were few newcomers to these two villages. The majority of residents were descendants of the Chu Family.
The carriage came straight to the main entrance of Chu Village. The coachman first reigned in the horses, then helped the Patriarch and his two uncles dismount, and dragged Chu Man off the carriage. He didn’t care whether she fell to the ground or not, he just hurriedly drove the carriage away.
The first to rush out was Chu Man’s mother, from the Sun family. On seeing her daughter lying on the ground, she rushed over to help her up, “My child, are you hurt?”
Chu Man clung to her mother and sobbed, “Mother, the Jiang family bullied me, wuu wuu wuu, they hit me.”
“What? They hit you?” Hearing that, Sun family’s matriarch was heartbroken.
She held her daughter up and shouted, “The Jiang family not only bullied us, but they were the first to complain about it. Let’s go, we should go home and tell your father!”
The two women helped each other enter the courtyard, where the clan leader was standing with his back turned, lecturing the village leader.
“You’ve spoiled an otherwise good child. I think you are getting more and more muddle-headed! I’ve brought Manman back today. Restraining her from marrying into the Jiang family is done, I will choose a virtuous woman from the clan to marry the Jiang family’s child.”
As the clan leader of the entire Chu family, no one dared to dispute his words.
Upon hearing this, the village leader was displeased and said anxiously, “Uncle, this isn’t right. If you do this, what will become of Manman?”
The patriarch responded, “Manman is only sixteen. In two years, we can find another family for her to marry into. As for the Jiang family, they should be glad they didn’t file a complaint against Manman.”
“No, no!” the village leader shook his head, “It was just children playing around. Manman is young; she doesn’t know her own strength. How did it escalate to this level?”
One of the uncles scolded, “Shut up! That Jiang family child passed out and hasn’t woken up, which means he has suffered serious head injuries. He could die at any moment, and you’re still speaking like this? Aren’t you afraid that the Jiang family will go after your daughter’s life?”
At this, the village leader’s mouth hung open in shock.
Sun family’s matriarch, who was about to make a fuss, also beat a retreat, quickly leading her daughter inside the house.
“Manman, tell me what happened. Why did you end up hitting Jiang Cheng so hard?” Sun family’s matriarch asked softly.
Chu Man pouted, mumbling in a hush, “He…he was disgusting, he even…tried to take off my clothes…”
Sun family’s matriarch darkened her face, “Didn’t I tell you very clear at home? On the night of the wedding, you have to consummate the marriage.
You…you…”
Chu Man snorted, “I don’t want to consummate anything with him!”
Sun family’s matriarch sighed.
It was too late for anything now.
If the engagement is to be called off, so be it. If that Jiang family boy does die, at least her daughter can get out, she won’t have to take on the name of a widow.
It was just a shame that the eighty betrothal gifts would probably have to be returned.
Since the patriarch said he wanted to choose another girl to send over, these betrothal gifts would inevitably be given to that family. If her family didn’t take out the same amount, it probably wouldn’t suffice.
In the yard, the Clan Leader scolded his nephew for a while then returned home to talk with his two uncles.
After taking a sip of tea to wet his throat, he asked his two cousins, “Have you selected someone for the matter of the Jiang family?”
Both shook their heads.
The Clan Leader said, “Regardless of family background, can’t we pick a child based on their virtue? Older brother, is there really no one in your village?”
His second uncle was a cousin of the Clan Leader. When they were young, they parted ways from the main family, unfortunately getting relegated to Chu Mountain Village.
However, due to his older age, he and his fourth brother had become clan elders, and when anything big happened in the clan, they would discuss it together with the Clan Leader.
“There is one, but how do I approach her?” The second uncle said, “She’s a good girl, how can I knowingly push her into the fire pit?”
“Who’s throwing her into a fire pit?” The Clan Leader said unsatisfied. “You are too short-sighted, elder brother second!”
The second uncle huffed angrily and kept sipping his tea.
He and the fourth elder already disagreed with the idea of selecting another Chu girl to be sent over, but the Clan Leader persisted single-mindedly.
The Clan Leader angrily said, “Who am I doing this for? All of you think I have gone senile, is that it?”
He pulled out his hand that looked like a dried tree bark and slammed it on the table, “No wonder, our Chu family is getting worse with each generation, even the two of you have become muddle-headed!”
The fourth uncle couldn’t resist speaking up, “Brother, it shouldn’t be said like this, even if we do want to have a good relationship with the Jiang family and learn how to cultivate mushrooms, there is no need to sacrifice a girl from the Chu family for it.”
“What ‘sacrifice’? The Jiang family is prosperous with descendants and are booming with good fortune. Our Chu family’s child marrying into their family means a lifetime of comfort!”
The Clan Leader resisted the urge to hit someone, and taught them something in a word-by-word manner.
“No matter what you think, today, you must select a sharp and attractive girl for me, and I will send her to the Jiang family tomorrow!”
With these words, The Clan Leader even unceremoniously sent them away, “You two, stop idly chatting and go prepare! If you can’t handle this, you can postpone your grandchildren’s schooling for next year.”
The two elders were driven out by the old Clan Leader, they looked at each other and sighed deeply.
“Second brother, I think the daughter of that honest Chu family in your village is good. She is also fifteen or sixteen this year. Let’s go with her.” The fourth elder said casually.
The second uncle shook his head, “No way, that child has a red birthmark on her forehead. Once the Clan Leader sees it, he will surely scold us for not doing our job and the Jiang family surely wouldn’t want a girl with a blemish. That would be like deliberately slapping their face.”
Four elder said, “Although her forehead has a birthmark, it can be covered with her hair and couldn’t be seen, and besides this point, the girl is outstanding in all aspects. I think she is the most suitable. Or, should we go to the Chu’s honest family and ask a bit?”
“Alright.” There seemed to be no other choice.
The second uncle sighed, and he and the fourth uncle headed towards Chu Mountain Village.
Chu Mountain Village was next to Chu Village, separated by a dirt road.
Before long, the two old men arrived at the house of Chu the honest.
Three shabby huts with straw roofs, along with a small stove room, as poor as most of the village households.
It was spring planting time, and Chu the honest seemed not to be at home.
However, his youngest child, Qingqing, was squatting at the doorstep, playing with ants.
“Qingqing, where’s your father?” the second uncle asked as he approached..