Reborn in Dunhuang, I am farming and doing business in the desert

Chapter 21 Regret on the Marriage
"I'd like to ask my brother-in-law to take the trouble to do this."

Cao Liang coughed lightly and said slowly: "It is better for you to go to the Shen family to negotiate than for my Cao family to do it ourselves."

Chen Qing was so angry that his beard stood up straight. He refused outright: "I won't go! If you really want to quit, go yourself! Don't pull me!"

Chen Qing was a roving patrolman in Anle Township. He had a good relationship with Shen Ang, and the two often ate and drank together.

The reason why he married his wife's brother Cao Liang's daughter to the Shen family was because he saw that Shen Xun was a child of good character and appearance. His father was also chivalrous and righteous, and was the head of a rural post station. He believed that it would definitely be a good match for his wife's niece to marry into the Shen family.

Unexpectedly, less than a month before the wedding, his wife's brother came to his house and made a fuss, demanding to cancel the engagement. Chen Qing was immediately very angry.

"Brother-in-law, you were the one who proposed this marriage, so it's up to you to cancel the engagement."

Cao Liang simply acted like a rogue: "Besides, the Shen family is just a poor family that looks good on the outside. When my brother-in-law proposed this marriage, he didn't even ask around, and let my daughter marry into such a hellhole!"

Chen Qing was so angry that his hands were shaking. He pointed at Cao Liang and said, "The Shen family is a hellhole? Why didn't you say this three years ago? If you had said this, I wouldn't have said anything about suggesting this marriage for your family!"

"Besides, if you want to cancel the engagement, you should return all the gifts you have received over the past three years, or just let your daughter marry him! No one's wealth comes from the wind.

Besides, you accept gifts of cloth, silk, chicken, mutton, fish and meat every year, but at the last minute you want to break off the engagement. There is no such good thing in the world!"

Cao Liang's face became even uglier when he heard his brother-in-law say this. He simply said, "It's only right for me to accept the gift money from his family. After all, Qianjun has been the fiancée of the Shen family kid for three years. How can I tarnish her reputation for nothing?"

Chen Qing: …

He had no idea that his wife's brother had such a shameless face.

His wife, Cao, was also shocked by her brother's words. She glared at Cao Liang and scolded him, "Ah Liang, what are you talking about? If outsiders knew about your behavior, would Qianjun still be able to get married?"

Cao Liang muttered quietly: "Don't bother with that."

"Don't worry about it?"

Cao was also angry, pointing at her brother and shouting, "Could it be that Qianjun has found a new employer?"

Cao Liang snorted, "Of course, they are much richer than the Shen family. They gave Qianjun five thousand coins as soon as they met."

When Chen Qing heard this, he rolled up his sleeves and was about to beat him, but was stopped by his wife.

"Oh! No wonder you came to my house in such a hurry that you couldn't even wait until dawn. It turns out you have found a high place!
"Okay, okay! Since they gave me a lot of money, I will return the three years of betrothal money to the Shen family in full. I will risk my reputation and break off the engagement for your family!"

"What? You want me to return the three years' gift money? That's impossible!"

Cao Liang stiffened his neck and glanced at his sister and brother-in-law: "Sister, Qianjun is also your niece, how can you side with outsiders?"

Cao sneered, "If I were to side with outsiders, I wouldn't have matched your daughter with the young man from the Shen family. Ah Liang, you should have a conscience and never burn bridges after crossing them.

Since you are determined to break off the engagement with the Shen family, you should return the gift money. Otherwise, the Shen family will sue you in the county government and trample the Cao family's reputation into the mud, and my sister and brother-in-law will be powerless to stop you."

Cao Liang's face gradually turned pale, but he was still reluctant to return the gift money to the Shen family.

Over the past three years, the Cao family has successively received six pieces of cloth, three sheep and six pig legs from the Shen family, as well as four pieces of cloth and some mutton, fish, pork, etc. during the engagement.

If calculated in terms of money, it would be about six or seven thousand coins, which is not a small amount.

But if I don't return the gift money, I'm really worried that Shen Ang will turn ruthless and sue the Cao family in court. Then not only will my family be embarrassed, but my daughter Qianjun will also be embarrassed. If she marries into the Gao family again in the future, she will probably be looked down upon.

Cao Liang rolled his eyes and came up with a compromise:

"How about this, I'll take three thousand coins first, and you take them to the Shen family, brother-in-law. I'll pay it back slowly after the marriage is cancelled. What do you think?"

By that time, the two families have already called off the engagement, and if you still don't have to pay back the remaining money, won't it be up to you?
Chen Qing saw through his brother-in-law's thoughts and sneered, "What? You want me to pay off the rest of the money for you?"

"How can I do that?" Cao Liang said with a smile, "It's just that I don't have that much money, so I have to do this for now."

Chen Qing took a sip of the tea his wife handed him and said coldly, "Didn't you say earlier that someone gave you five thousand coins the first time you met? What? Did you spend all that money?"

Cao Liang was stunned for a moment, then laughed and said, "My brother is just talking nonsense. Where is the five thousand coins?"

Chen Qing put the teacup on the tea table and waved his sleeves: "In that case, go ahead. I won't back out of this kiss!"

Anyway, the wedding date is only about twenty days away, and he doesn't believe that Cao Liang would dare to marry his daughter to another family ahead of time.

Seeing that his sister and brother-in-law were unwilling to help their relatives, and instead helped others to deal with him time and time again, Cao Liang became annoyed: "Well, since my brother-in-law is determined to help outsiders, I will not cancel the engagement. My daughter is going to marry into the Gao family anyway, so they can go to Yulixiang to make trouble if they want!"

After saying that, he flicked his sleeves and left.

Chen Qing ignored him and frowned and asked his wife: "Yu Lixiang Gao family? Does your brother want to marry his daughter to the village headman Gao Ting's family?

But Gao Ting's family doesn't have any young men of marriageable age, and the eldest daughter is only twelve or thirteen years old. Could it be that your brother wants to marry his daughter to Gao Ting's widower as his second wife?"

Cao also frowned and sighed, "Don't worry about who Qianjun marries for now. We have to tell the Shen family the whole story. If Aliang really marries his daughter secretly, you and I will have no chance of living here."

I have an unmarried daughter and an unmarried son. How can I let a black-hearted man like Cao Liang ruin their future?
Chen Qing thought about it, then suddenly stood up and walked out: "I'll go to the Shen family and tell them."

The reason why he was so anxious was not because he had a deep brotherly relationship with Shen Ang, but because Shen Ang was a bit of a scoundrel and had many bad friends, so he didn't dare to offend him easily.

Cao chased after him with an oil lamp in hand: "It's so late now, the Shen family must have gone to bed, right? Can't we go tomorrow?"

Chen Qing waved his hand: "That's perfect. It's hard to say what will happen tomorrow."

Only in this way can I show my sincerity and anxiety. If it comes to tomorrow, I really don’t know how to bring it up.

The Chen family also lived in Yanzeli, Anle Township, but was only two miles away from the Shen family.

"Dad! Let me go with you." Chen Qing's youngest son ran out with a torch in his hand.

Chen Qing glanced at his son, nodded, and walked forward in silence.

The youngest son followed closely behind him and suddenly said, "Dad, why don't you marry your cousin to Shen Xun? She will be fifteen next year and will be a good match for Shen Xun."

Chen Qing paused and turned to look at his son: "Your cousin is still in mourning, how can she be married to Shen Xun?"

My own younger brother just passed away last year, and his children must observe a three-year mourning period. It’s only the second year, so how can I arrange a marriage for him?
The youngest son scratched his head and said, "But my aunt has remarried, and there are only my cousins left at home. Even if my family takes care of her, my cousin will be fifteen next year. If she doesn't get married, she will have to pay a head tax of 600 coins."

Chen Qing:.
(End of this chapter)