We Do Not Approve of This Marriage

What Chen Liang had to deal with now was the village chief’s marriage.

Under his direction, everything proceeded in an orderly fashion, and soon the wedding day arrived.

The Village Chief’s home was decked out with lanterns and decorations, bathed in a sea of crimson.

Even the villagers of Xipo Village, whom the village chief usually treated harshly, had been invited to witness this grand wedding.

Village Chief Li Quan and Liu Cuihua were completely immersed in the joyous ceremony, their faces wreathed in smiles. They either did not care about—or, more accurately, had no time to notice—the strange looks from the surrounding villagers.

They were preparing to embark on a happy life together.

“First bow—to Heaven and Earth!”

“Second bow—”

Before the words could be finished, two thunderous shouts suddenly rang out from the hall, where there was not even a proper ancestral hall for the couple to bow to.

“Wait!”

“Stop!”

Like a huge stone hurled into a boiling lake, the entire hall erupted. Every guest turned to look, only to find two people standing at the entrance. No one knew when they had appeared.

A man and a woman, both quite old, dressed in plain, even shabby clothes patched in several places. The scent of earth still clung to them.

The villagers of Xipo Village knew these two very well.

Village Chief Li Quan and Liu Cuihua knew them equally well.

They were Liu Cuihua’s father and mother!

Neither of them had shown themselves before the wedding, yet they had suddenly appeared now. Of course the scene descended into chaos.

However, most—indeed, virtually all—of the villagers of Xipo Village were not the least bit angry that the joyous occasion had been disrupted. Their eyes were filled with delighted anticipation.

They’re here! They’re finally here!

Just as expected. Liu Cuihua’s parents were such honest, decent people—how could they possibly allow their daughter to marry an old man with one foot in the grave?

They had stayed away until now because they were saving some grand move for the right moment?

And whatever that move was, it was bound to be entertaining!

Very entertaining indeed!

But the spectacle the villagers were looking forward to made Village Chief Li Quan jolt. He immediately grabbed Chen Liang by the hand and said, “Chen Liang, didn’t you say you’d already taken care of Cuihua’s parents?”

“How…”

“How did they show up now?”

“Are they here to cause trouble?”

Liu Cuihua was anxious as well. “That’s right, Chen Liang! What are you doing? Do you still want to work under the master or not?”

“How can you fail to handle such a small matter?”

Chen Liang instantly put on an aggrieved expression. “I already tricked them into going to the city. But who could have imagined they’d come back?”

“Who tipped them off?”

“It must have been one of the villagers from Xipo Village.”

“I never thought there’d be bad people hiding among the masses.”

After saying this, Chen Liang turned to Village Chief Li Quan and Liu Cuihua.

“Master, Miss Cuihua, don’t worry too much. When the soldiers come, there are generals to meet them; when the water comes, there is earth to hold it back.”

“If we handle this properly, today’s uproar can probably be turned into a blessing.”

“Besides, you’d have to win her parents over sooner or later.”

“Since the date has already arrived, why not settle it today? It may not necessarily be a bad thing.”

“What do you say?”

Chen Liang was rather eloquent. He spoke with great feeling, and since he had already prepared them for the possibility, he managed to calm Village Chief Li Quan and Liu Cuihua.

Village Chief Li Quan even said, “That makes sense.”

Chen Liang immediately replied, “Master, just wait a moment. Today, I’ll definitely help you turn this farce into a happy occasion.”

He turned toward Cuihua’s father and mother.

“Cuihua’s father, Cuihua’s mother, have you returned from the city?”

“You’ve come back at just the right time.”

“You’ve arrived just in time for your daughter’s wedding.”

“Although Cuihua didn’t notify you about the wedding, she has always had you in her heart. Why don’t you sit down first?”

“We’ve just reached the second bow, to the parents. You two can sit over there and serve as witnesses. How does that sound?”

Chen Liang’s suggestion sounded quite reasonable.

But Cuihua’s father and mother exploded on the spot!

“We do not approve of this marriage!”

Cuihua’s father and mother shouted together, their voices shaking the heavens.

Chen Liang pretended to be confused.

“Why don’t you approve?”

“What’s wrong with this marriage?”

“Just look at Miss Cuihua. She’s beautiful, graceful, and dignified—the finest untouched maiden there is. And then look at Master Li Quan, the village chief. He’s handsome and refined, with an impressive bearing, a height of eight—er…”

“He’s loaded with money!”

“Wealthy!”

“Generous!”

“A perfect match!”

Cuihua’s mother shouted, “But—but the age difference is far too great! The village chief is older than your father and me. If my daughter marries him, is she supposed to call him her husband or her father?”

“Her own father isn’t even dead yet!”

Chen Liang shook his head and corrected her. “Cuihua’s mother, that’s where you’re mistaken. In the face of love, age is no obstacle.”

After a pause, he turned to Cuihua’s father.

“Cuihua’s father, as a proper man, you can’t possibly think a little extra age is a problem, can you?”

Cuihua’s father was clearly an honest man. His voice was not nearly as loud as Cuihua’s mother’s, but he still said, “Age… I-I suppose I can barely accept that, but—but…”

“Cuihua is perfectly fine as she is. Why does she have to become someone’s concubine?”

“Even if she truly had to become a concubine, we might have accepted it.”

“But for someone older than me to take her as a concubine?”

“No. I won’t agree.”

“The villagers will point fingers at us and curse us behind our backs.”

The more Cuihua’s father spoke, the more agitated he became, and his voice grew louder as well. Pointing at Liu Cuihua, he said, “Cuihua, today your mother and I are going to make this perfectly clear.”

“If you insist on marrying Li Quan today, then from this day forward, your mother and I will consider ourselves to have no daughter.”

Cuihua’s mother chimed in, “Let’s make it clear in front of the whole village. If you insist on marrying him as a concubine, then we will disown you.”

“No matter how foolishly you behaved in the past, you were still our daughter. Your father and I raised you. But this time, if you insist on making such a reckless choice, your father and I will no longer acknowledge you.”

The moment Cuihua’s father and mother made this declaration, the joyous atmosphere was utterly destroyed. Liu Cuihua’s face turned pale as well.

As a daughter, being reprimanded by her parents in front of everyone was deeply painful.

She could not help crying out anxiously, “Chen Liang, you—you have to fix this!”

Village Chief Li Quan shouted as well, “That’s right, Chen Liang! Hurry up and fix this!”

Chen Liang still looked completely confident. He even turned around and gave them a reassuring gesture before facing Cuihua’s father and mother again.

“All right. Since you’re unwilling to acknowledge Cuihua, then don’t.”

“After all, Cuihua is severing ties with you for the sake of love. Love is a magnificent thing. She has done nothing wrong—the ones in the wrong are you.”

“Of course, Miss Cuihua isn’t an ungrateful person. You did raise her, after all, so she ought to repay your kindness.”

“If you ask me…”

“Miss Cuihua should simply show her filial gratitude before the wedding with one thousand taels of silver, three large houses, twenty mu of farmland, a cow, and a whole flock of…”

“That should repay you for raising her.”

“From then on, Miss Cuihua can pursue her true love, and you… must never interfere in her affairs again.”

“What do you say? Is that acceptable?”

……