MTLNOVEL Chapter 384: 384. Shy
After a few days, the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law had secretly observed all the good girls in the village. They particularly took note of the ones they fancied. Whether it was the ones Jin'er mentioned or those introduced by the matchmaker Sun later, they were all good girls. This time, the two planned to make it simple; they wanted both children to get married at the same time.
After confirming the choice of girls in their hearts and communicating their decision with the matchmaker Granny Sun, during dinner, the old woman Hua announced the decision at the dinner table, especially focusing on the main subjects of this endeavor... their eldest and second grandsons.
The two boys blushed again at the mention of this. Upon hearing that as long as they had no objections, the process of meeting the girls would begin, they all just kept their heads down and shoveled food into their mouths, amusing Jin'er, who watched from the side.
"Grandma, it looks like Big Brother and Second Brother are shy!" She said this and then covered her mouth, laughing even more joyfully.
"Sister, what nonsense are you talking about? How could I be shy? That's something you girls like to do, and little kids shouldn't interfere with matters of adults."
The second brother, Hua Yunxiang, never had the same ability as the eldest to hold back his temper. Upon hearing his younger sister say this, he couldn't help but retort, especially since they were at home and he didn't want to hold back, thus breaking the awkwardness after Grandma's words. He spoke with an embarrassed and angry look. If their sister hadn't been sitting between Grandma and Grandpa, Hua Yunxiang would have definitely given her a taste of their brotherly love.
"I'm already an adult. Second Brother, don't you forget that I just had my coming-of-age ceremony. Do you need me to remind you?" As she spoke, Jin'er shook her wrist with a look of arrogant defiance. How adorable and irritating!
She was indeed adorable, making it impossible to really get mad at her.
This wasn't the end. After threatening her dear second brother, she turned around and pouted woefully at Grandpa and Grandma.
"Grandma, Grandpa, are you guys just going to let Second Brother bully me? I'm really just concerned for him, but he's twisting my words, bullying me, and saying I'm talking nonsense...boohoo..."
She didn't forget to reach for the handkerchief from her waist and pretend to wipe her eyes, making Hua Yunxiang's lips twitch uncontrollably.
Her acting was truly awkward, but... Hua Yunxiang saw the four pairs of eyes glaring at him, plus two more joining in, and suddenly, his instincts for self-preservation kicked in.
"Grandma, Grandpa, that's not what I meant; Sister misunderstood me. I only have this one sister; there's no way I would bully her..."
Just as he was speaking, he felt his sleeve being tugged, and Big Brother's voice whispered in his ear.
"Stop talking and just eat your food."
If you don't provoke Grandma, Grandpa, Dad, and Mom, maybe this could pass unnoticed, but if you bring it onto yourself, don't blame them for their mischievousness.
Indeed...
"Grandma, Grandpa, Second Brother is bullying me, and he's not even admitting it..."
Look at that, the little drama queen has taken the stage! Big Brother Hua gave Second Brother a look suggesting he was on his own, then went back to his meal, quietly.
"Second..." Old Man Hua's icy voice suddenly sounded, scaring Hua Yunxiang into a shiver, and a dreadful feeling immediately struck him.
"Grandpa, I was wrong." Admitting mistakes to family wasn't embarrassing, and he quickly turned to his sister, "Sister, Sister, Second Brother was wrong. Please don't be angry. Second Brother really didn't mean it. As punishment, if you need anything in the future, just tell Second Brother, and I will do it without a word."
Already grown, getting beaten would be too embarrassing; it was better to play nice with his little sister. Most importantly, she had a mild temper and would calm down quite quickly.
Old Man Hua glanced at the second grandson, admitting the kid reacted fast, then looked at the dear granddaughter. If she wasn't happy, there would be no mercy.
Old Man Hua's eyes gleamed with a hint of schadenfreude.
"Can I summon Second Brother at will?" Jin'er looked slyly at her second brother.
"Of course," Hua Yunxiang quickly nodded. With Grandpa's fiery gaze and Dad's malicious glances, he had to nod.
"In that case, I'll forgive Brother for now. It seems like the floor in my room is a bit dirty, and the furniture is covered in dust. Sigh, I don't know how, but my hands hurt a little after waking up, and I can't muster any strength!" Jin'er pretended to examine her hands, glancing teasingly at her second brother.
Watching this playful demeanor, Grandma Hua and Qi Shi struggled to hold back their laughter, thinking that their own daughter's antics were just too cute!
With Jin'er leading the way, the whole family followed her track, thoroughly forgetting the previous topic.
"Second Brother will sweep, and Second Brother will definitely clean it spotless," Hua Yunxiang quickly answered, pleasingly looking at his sister.
Seeing how well Second Brother was cooperating, Jin'er decided to restrain her mischievousness. After all, he was her brother.
"Grandpa, try this..." As she said this, Jin'er served Old Man Hua with her chopsticks, indicating with her actions that this incident was over. Her sidelong glance noted Grandpa and Dad's slight look of regret, and Jin'er held back a laugh.
Hua Yunxiang, having narrowly escaped trouble, finally breathed a sigh of relief, quietly minimizing his presence.
"Oh, by the way, do you two brothers have any thoughts about the matchmaking?" Grandma Hua finally remembered the business at hand and brought it up.
"No objections, Grandma, you decide."
The brothers quickly shook their heads, avoiding unnecessary words, just agreeing to whatever was decided.
Especially Hua Yunxiang, who had learned his lesson from earlier, chose not to speak at all.
"Alright, later, I'll discuss it with your Grandmother. It should be in the next couple of days, prepare yourselves."
As for what to prepare, no need to say, naturally, it's to be mentally ready for the matchmaking.
The brothers found themselves eating faster than ever, for although a man should marry and a girl should wed, when it's their own turn, it still felt somewhat embarrassing, especially under the attentive gaze of the whole family. They finished their meal at a speed several times faster than usual and left with, "I'm full, Grandma, enjoy your meal," quickly retreating to the second floor, pretending not to hear the laughter from the family, feeling like they were fleeing from the scene.
The next period was indeed busy for the Hua family. In just a few days, they attended several matchmaking meetings at Granny Sun's place.
Hua Yunao fancying Dayi wasn't much of a surprise to the family. After all, Dayi was truly remarkable, a very hardworking young girl, who was also on good terms with Jin'er. Having Jin'er as a close friend certainly helped smooth the way.
The surprise came when Hua Yunxiang was taken with Zhao Xiaoyun, who happens to be Zhao Wu's sister.
The Zhao family only had this pair of siblings left. Their parents had fallen ill and passed away when they were young, raised by their Grandpa and Grandma. Unfortunately, Grandma passed away a few years ago, and Grandpa's health had always been poor, passing away during the extreme cold.
Left with just the siblings, fortunately, they had already grown up and were not timid. Especially the sister, who was extremely bold and adept, managing everything inside and outside the house. She even practiced martial arts as proficiently as the boys, with a heroic appearance and some bright charm, she was indeed a likable girl.
Perhaps due to the absence of women at home, Zhao Xiaoyun had a very hearty personality, without the coyness of most women, and she spoke directly. After hearing the stories upon returning home, Jin'er almost burst into laughter during the two's first meeting.