After being jilted, the entire neighboring village was filled with deep regret.

After returning home, Madam He immediately called Chunxiang into the room. After pondering for a while but unable to come up with a good answer, she simply asked bluntly, "What's going on between you and Dongfeng?"

Chunxiang, puzzled, honestly replied, "Everyone in the opera troupe has a partner. Dongfeng and I are paired together, and we work together quite well. Is there a problem?"

Mrs. He frowned, "If that's the case, who will they perform with in the future?"

"This..." Chunxiang also became worried.

In the opera troupe, everyone was in pairs: she and Dongfeng, Chunqin and Chunri, Chunxing and Dongchuan, and Dongshan usually played old women or clowns.

If she leaves the opera troupe, Dongfeng will most likely follow in Dongshan's footsteps, retiring from playing male dan roles and taking on minor ones.

Thinking of this, Chunxiang felt inexplicably sad.

"Mother, I don't know how Chunqin and the others arranged it. Maybe I should ask them again later and discuss it with them. Otherwise, it's too unfair to Dongfeng." Chunxiang said, somewhat annoyed.

Seeing how concerned she was about Dongfeng, Madam He felt more at ease and lowered her eyes to ask, "What do you think of Dongfeng?"

"He's a good person. He's thoughtful and considerate, and not the kind of person who talks a big game. He's always there when I need a helping hand. He also stands by my side when I have conflicts with Chunqin and the others." Chunxiang listed Dongfeng's good qualities one by one.

He Shi smiled and couldn't suppress it. "Alright, alright, I know. I'll talk to your father about it and have him talk to Dongfeng. If Dongfeng is willing to marry you and stay in our village, our family won't mind having another son-in-law who lives with us."

Chunxiang was shocked. "Mother, this isn't appropriate! My brothers and sisters-in-law will definitely object, and so will my sister."

He interrupted her, "I know what you're worried about. We've wronged you all these years. I just want you to be well. Now our family has the means to support you. If you don't think it's suitable, that's okay. Your father can help Dongfeng settle down in the village."

"When you marry him, you'll still live under your parents' noses, and we can help you out. Our village grows fruit; in just two or three years, things will definitely get better."

Chunxiang was indeed somewhat tempted, her pretty face blushing.

Upon seeing this, He understood everything perfectly.

After leaving Chunxiang, she immediately went to tell Shen Ying about it.

Shen Ying was not one to mince words. Since his wife's family didn't approve of his daughter, he would find her a reliable man himself and make their lives prosperous and happy, so they would be envious!
Just do it.

Shen Ying led Dongfeng to the riverbank and got straight to the point: "Young man, this old man thinks you're quite good. I want you to marry my Chunxiang. Do you agree?"

Dongfeng's pupils dilated, his mind went blank, and he asked in disbelief, "Uncle, you...you mean I should marry Chunxiang?"

"What? You don't want to?" Shen Ying frowned unhappily.

Dongfeng shook his head frantically, "No, that's not what I meant. Uncle, I'm penniless, I have nothing. How can I marry Chunxiang?"

He scratched his head in embarrassment.

He had thought about marrying Chunxiang before. At that time, he only had one thought: to run away with Chunxiang. He had even hinted at it to Chunxiang, but she disagreed, so he had to give up.

Before he could figure out what to do next, the opera troupe was gone, and Chunxiang had a family. He suddenly felt inferior and had been feeling lost for the past few days, unsure of what to do. Shen Ying, seeing his distressed state, knew that the young man had feelings for Chunxiang and teased, "Young man, don't be a coward! Just say what you think and don't miss your chance."

I'm just an old man, nothing special, just a small village chief. Luckily, there are ways to make money in our village. Even if you have nothing, I can still give you a hand, but you have to be hardworking, down-to-earth, and able to endure hardship.

"If you can save up enough money by next year, I'll marry Chunxiang to you, okay?"

Chunxiang is only fifteen years old now, and will be sixteen next year. It's not too early or too late for her to get married.

Dongfeng looked delighted and quickly nodded, "Uncle, I can do it. You teach me how to farm, give me a year, and I'm sure I can save money."

Shen Ying liked this kind of energetic and courageous young man, and immediately pondered, "There isn't much land in our village. I'll go ask Shen Yi's wife about the situation in the outskirts of Dahe Town. It's mostly wasteland near the river, and the price is cheap. It's just that clearing the land is quite hard work. I'll find more people to help you."

Dongfeng knelt down before Shen Ying with a thud and kowtowed three times, saying, "Uncle, you are my second parents, please accept my bow."

Shen Ying smiled and waved, then went back with Dongfeng.

Chunqin and the others were somewhat surprised when they learned that Dongfeng was going to stay in the village.

"Brother Dongfeng, are you really not planning to come with us? I can give you my spot so you can pair up with Chunqin," Dongri said anxiously.

These past few days they've been discussing the opera performance. Dongfeng's skills are better than Dongri's, but he's Chunqin's partner, which makes things difficult. Before they could come up with a good solution, Dongfeng made the decision first.

But without Dongfeng Opera Troupe, there won't be enough people.

Dongfeng blushed and stammered, "I...I promised the village chief that I would work hard to save money and marry Chunxiang in a year, so I can't go with you."

Everyone was stunned.

Chunqin's eyes showed a hint of envy, and she teased, "I thought Brother Dongfeng was unhappy because of the opera troupe's actors, but it turns out we were just being presumptuous. Since Brother Dongfeng is doing this for Chunxiang, we shouldn't try to persuade him anymore."

"Hehe, don't misunderstand, don't misunderstand. Although I'm not going with you, many of the brothers and sisters from the brothel are still homeless. If you really need help, you can ask them. There are definitely some who would be willing to sing with you," Dongfeng said seriously.

Although opera singers wander from place to place, their food and lodging are provided by their employers. They earn at least one or two taels of silver per performance. As long as their reputation grows, their earnings will only increase. If they can perform for half a month, they can easily earn fifteen taels of silver, which is enough for them to save money.

More importantly, you no longer have to worry about being beaten, scolded, or thrown into a brothel.

After Dongfeng explained things to everyone, Shen Ying went to Su Tai's house immediately to inquire about the wasteland in Dahe Town.

After listening carefully, Su Tai suggested, "Village Chief, I think you should help Dongfeng buy a house and land in Liujiazhuang. The two villages are close to each other, so it's easy to go there even when the weather is bad. If it's in Dahe Town, crossing the river would be a hassle."

Another point is that the Wei family in Liujiazhuang has a good relationship with us. They're the only ones in the whole village who grow strawberries and watermelons. Having Dongfeng stay there will allow them to look out for each other. After what happened with Rong Laosi, the township head has become even more polite to you, making it easier for you to buy land there.”

Shen Ying thought about it and realized that it made perfect sense. Of course, the most important thing was that their family didn't have a boat, so crossing the river was a hassle.

"Alright! I'll do as you say." (End of Chapter)