Chapter 8: Thanks a lot!

The old lady gave her sons and grandsons a look that said, "At least you still have a conscience," before turning to wink at Lingxi.

The old lady continued.

"Lingxi-er, Grandma knows you are sensible and kind, but you have to give them a chance to show it. Otherwise, they’ll feel guilty and owe you, and they won’t be able to rest easy in their hearts."

Finally, the old lady added, "Lingxi-er, you’re so kind, sensible, and thoughtful, you wouldn't deny them the chance to show their gratitude, would you?"

Lingxi opened her mouth, meeting the red-rimmed eyes of everyone in the room, meeting those pairs of eyes filled with nothing but affection, and feeling the genuine goodwill that permeated the house.

Ah, this...

She nodded, biting the bullet.

Should she say something?

She was completely thrown off.

"Finishing work" only meant the field labor was done; there was still plenty to do at home.

After checking on Lingxi and confirming that her fainting spell was likely due to heatstroke and that she had fully recovered, they didn't linger.

Second Aunt Pei and her daughter-in-law didn't need to cook today. After finishing work, they noticed the water celery growing well by the water's edge and simply cut some, which delayed them a bit.

Unexpectedly...

They had just returned when they ran into everyone coming out of Lingxi’s room.

At this moment, because of the old lady’s earlier words, Second Uncle Pei and the others were all thinking of their eldest brother and eldest uncle who had passed away early, and their emotions were showing, their eyes slightly red.

This familiar scene made the eldest daughter-in-law’s expression stiffen.

She glanced at Eldest Brother Pei, who was full of emotion, and then subconsciously looked at her son, Minghui. She saw little Minghui there with a look of, "Yes, yes, everything Grandma says is right, Little Aunt is too pitiful, we must all be good to Little Aunt."

Eldest Daughter-in-law: "..."

She didn't need to guess what had just happened!

What kind of sin did she commit in her past life?

How did she end up in such a family in this life!

Eldest Sister-in-law Pei had delicate features and spoke softly and gently; she didn't look like someone with much aggression.

Pei Jin greeted his mother, then turned his gaze to his wife. Pei Jin, already feeling emotional, saw his wife’s sour expression.

Thinking that his wife usually doted on Lingxi-er too, he immediately understood something.

He comforted her.

"Wife, don't get yourself worked up. Lingxi-er seems fine to me. Isn't that jar of vanishing cream I brought you last time still unused? Take it over to Lingxi-er later; applying some will make it harder for her to get sunburned."

Pei Jin felt he was being considerate of his wife. His wife had always said she wanted a sister as well-behaved as Lingxi-er, and that she treated Lingxi-er like her own sister.

He subconsciously assumed his wife didn't know what to do about today's situation, so he offered an idea.

Eldest Daughter-in-law: "..."

!!!

Thank you so much!

She squeezed out a smile: "I'll go get it right now."

She turned and left, not wanting to stay for even a second longer.

Back in the day, Pei Jin was a hot commodity in the matchmaking market.

He was handsome, tall, sturdy, steady, and reliable. His family was well-off, he knew how to cherish his sisters and be considerate, and he was the eldest grandson of the Pei family. Anyone who married him was guaranteed a good life.

The eldest daughter-in-law had defeated a crowd of rivals to end up with Pei Jin, entirely because after they met and interacted, she kept insisting that she would be exceptionally good to his younger siblings.

She said it, and Eldest Brother Pei believed it.

And even now, years later, he seemed to believe it firmly.

The eldest daughter-in-law had no choice but to bite the bullet and keep playing the role of the "good sister-in-law."

Others in the family had noticed a thing or two, but mostly didn't care. What the eldest daughter-in-law thought didn't matter; as long as she wanted to live a quiet and peaceful life in this house, she had to maintain that persona, even if it was just an act.

Second Aunt Pei had ordinary features but was neat and tidy. She had always managed everything inside and outside the house, and she was a bit thick-skinned; she hadn't noticed the eldest daughter-in-law's reluctance at all.

She only had three sons. The Pei family did have two daughters, but Pei Fuzhu was "God's own daughter," not someone a mortal like her could dote on, while Lingxi had been raised right under her nose since she was tiny.

She truly had some affection for Lingxi.

Therefore, her first reaction was worry. She rushed to check on Lingxi, and only after finding that Lingxi was really fine did she breathe a sigh of relief and return to the courtyard.

At this moment, only Second Uncle Pei, his three sons, and the old lady remained in the courtyard.

Second Aunt Pei took the wild vegetables the old lady had brought back and washed them with her, but she brought up what had happened in the fields earlier.

"Mother, I remember a few days ago, when Little Sister came back, she mentioned wanting to introduce a young man to our Lingxi-er.

The one from Gu Village, the one who eats government-supplied grain in the city. Do you remember?"

The old lady was stunned and nodded.

"Why bring that up now?"

It wasn't just the old lady; Second Uncle Pei, Pei Jin, and Pei Xuan all turned their heads as well.

That's right!

Wasn't it said before that they would wait until the busy double-harvest season was over to properly inquire about him?

It had only been a few days, why bring it up now!

It hadn't been many years since the founding of the country, and in the countryside, it was normal for fifteen or sixteen-year-old girls to get engaged or married. Families who doted on their daughters would keep them until eighteen, but once they passed twenty, people would whisper that they were "old maids."

That was why, when Lingxi’s little aunt met a good young man, she thought of Lingxi.

At the same time, in the room, Lingxi, who was struggling with whether she could go out, heard the keywords. Her little ears perked up instantly, and she secretly opened the window and poked her head out.

She was curious too!

Why on earth were they talking about this?

Could it be that Pei Fuzhu was so powerful that she was dreamt of in the morning and had already taken action by the afternoon?

"It's not that. It's just that today I heard Aunt Dahua talking about an idler in the next village, one surnamed Gu. I asked around, and it seems he is the biological brother of that young man, the youngest son of the old Gu family."

Second Aunt Pei’s expression was a bit sour: "I heard he never works in the fields, just wanders around all day, and doesn't come home until dark. He just relies on his parents and brothers to support him.

How could our Lingxi-er marry into a family like that!"

"Then there's no rush, we'll look slowly. How old is Lingxi-er? If it really comes to it, I can even have her take in a live-in son-in-law," Second Uncle Pei said first, his tone unhurried.

"Right, Mom, the second and third brothers haven't even taken wives yet!" Pei Jin interjected from the side.

Third Brother Pei, Pei Xuan, who hadn't taken a wife: "..."

"Ah, this... right!"

He didn't know what else to say, but his sister was still young, and not wanting to give her away just like that was a certainty.

Second Aunt Pei wasn't surprised by this at all. She glared at the father and three sons, "It's as if I'm so eager to give Lingxi-er away."

She was just reporting what she had heard as soon as she got back!

The old lady watched them like this and didn't pay them any mind.

Her Lingxi-er was just that lovable!

The old lady felt smug inside. After letting them bicker for a moment, she said slowly: "We'll see when the time comes. If that young man is truly good, and there are no other burdens in the family besides that brother, then it's nothing."