Reborn as a Landlord-Chapter 1431 - 729: Bride Price (Part 2)
"Uncle, if we find a forty or fifty-year-old widow for my elder brother Shouren, it wouldn’t cost much silver coin, but then my elder brother Shouren would be at a loss. Uncle, just think about it, a young lady in her twenties marrying my elder brother Shouren, it would bring him great prestige. After entering the family, by the next year you could hold another grandson in your arms, and in three years, have two!" Woo Sangou said.
"That widow is just for making do with life, a bothersome situation. But this young lady is different; she’d put her heart and soul into living with my elder brother Shouren, without so much hassle." Woo Ergou said.
"She’s young, strong, and can take care of my elder brother Shouren into his old age, that’s only right." Woo Sangou added.
Old Master Lian also noticed the girl’s youth and her unmarried status. However, seventy taels of silver was far beyond his budget. Still, hearing what Woo Ergou and Woo Sangou said, he was a bit swayed.
Woo Ergou and Woo Sangou naturally noticed Old Master Lian’s change in attitude.
"Uncle, what kind of person is my elder brother Shouren? Right now, he’s just fallen on hard times, but looking at it, he’s different from us farmers. My elder brother Shouren is a born nobleman. It’s a pity he’s had so much misfortune. We can’t let my elder brother Shouren down." Woo Ergou continued.
"Seventy taels is absolutely impossible." Old Master Lian said, lowering his head.
"The two of us estimate that, with good negotiation, it would be at least fifty taels." Woo Ergou and Woo Sangou exchanged a glance and said.
"This is really starting high and lowering the price." After hearing Lian Yeye talk about Old Master Lian and the Woo Family Brothers haggling, Lian Manman couldn’t help but laugh.
Old Master Lian is indeed a former store manager, seeing his skilled and practiced use of feint and retreat against the Woo Family Brothers.
"Old Master probably doesn’t trust the Woo Family Brothers." Lady Zhang said, "Then why did he let the two of them chat, and even agree to let them be matchmakers?"
"Desperate times call for desperate measures." Lian Manman said, "Isn’t it just that there’s no one else willing to matchmake? My grandpa surely thinks, what if by a slim chance, the two brothers have a change of heart? What if they actually find someone decent?"
In fact, many people have such thinking. For example, seeing someone who is very good, very honest, and no one has ever noticed this person doing anything evil. Many people would think this is impossible; there must be some hidden evil deeds, or that this person won’t stay good forever and will eventually do evil. They observe this person closely, hoping to find even the smallest flaw.
And when facing another person who is very bad, never doing good deeds, only bad ones, many people still refuse to believe this person is completely bad. They too will observe closely, hoping to find even a small shining point.
Old Master Lian is such a person. He always holds onto the fantasy that the Woo Family Brothers, being so bad, must have some conscience since he has been so good to them. Somehow, someday, they will have a change of heart, even if just a bit, and that would be the prodigal son returning, a story worth singing about.
In the end, it’s Old Master Lian being hopeful, while also being on guard against the Woo Family Brothers.
And truly, when it comes to scheming, how could Woo Ergou and Woo Sangou be a match for Old Master Lian, Lian Manman thought.
"Did the negotiation come to a conclusion?" Lian Manman asked Lian Yeye.
"Fifty taels were still considered too much by our grandpa, and finally, Woo Ergou and Woo Sangou said forty taels, and no less. They promised that if the money was given to them, they’d have the girl sent over to get married within a few days." Lian Yeye said.
"Forty taels of silver to them? Who knows what those two will use the silver for. This isn’t matchmaking, it’s coming to the old house to scam money!" Lian Shouxin said, stomping his foot.
"Yeye, did your grandpa agree?" Lian Shouxin quickly asked Lian Yeye.
"No, he didn’t." Lian Yeye replied.
"Even if Old Master wanted to agree, it wouldn’t be possible, right? Wouldn’t the Second Master’s couple stop him?" Lady Zhang said.
"My Fourth Aunt is correct." Lian Yeye laughed.
These days, to keep an eye on Old Master Lian, Lian Shouyi and Lady He made sacrifices, no longer wandering around after meals like before. However, since they loved socializing, they cleverly adopted a shift system.
Today, Lady He was at home, listening in on Old Master Lian and the Woo Family Brothers while sending Liulang to fetch Lian Shouyi home.
Once Lian Shouyi came back, things got more complicated.
Lian Shouyi, Si Lang, and Liulang, along with Lady He, started loudly accusing Woo Ergou and Woo Sangou of being swindlers, intending to throw the two out.
"Were they thrown out?" Lian Manman asked, secretly regretting not being there to see the lively scene.
"No, our grandpa stopped it." Lian Yeye said.
The scene was quite lively; Lian Shouyi, Si Lang, Liulang, and Lady He against Woo Ergou and Woo Sangou, making it a fair match. Old Master Lian tried to stop it, but Lian Shouyi wouldn’t listen. Then, Lian Shouren, who hadn’t spoken, stepped in to mediate, showing clear bias.
They got into a scuffle, and Lian Shouren ended up crying out in pain, getting injured.
Old Master Lian and Lady Zhou couldn’t stop Lian Shouyi, and with his eldest son, Lian Shouren, injured, Old Master Lian joined the fray himself.
First, sending one more confession, and as it’s the end of the month, asking everyone for pink support, an update will come later. (To be continued. If you like this work, feel free to vote on Qidian (qidian.com), recommended or monthly votes are my biggest motivation.)
