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The news of the Song family breaking off the engagement circulated in the town for a few days, and then gradually no one mentioned it anymore.

After the neighbors finished gossiping, they had a new topic to discuss.

Widow Wang from the east end remarried, the pigs from the Li family in the west end ran out and destroyed the Zhao family's vegetable garden, and the oven at Zhang's pancake shop collapsed. One thing after another, who would still care about the Fan family's affairs?

The Fan family still had to live their lives, the butcher shop still had to keep running, Meng Lihua still got up before dawn every day to start a fire and cook, and Fan Erniu still went to slaughter pigs and sell meat as soon as it was light.

However, the couple's complexions were rather poor; Meng Lihua had lost weight, and Fan Erniu rarely smiled anymore.

After all, their enemies had already appeared, and the arrangements for their two daughters had not yet been made.

It would be a miracle if Fan Erniu and Meng Lihua could sleep well; this is probably a case of parents loving their children and planning far ahead for them.

However, after much deliberation, the couple decided to focus on their mysterious benefactor, Su Ning.

……

That evening, after dinner, Fan Erniu called Su Ning into the main room.

Meng Lihua poured him a bowl of water, placed it on the table, and then sat down beside him, looking as if she wanted to say something but hesitated.

Fan Changyu sat in the corner, head down, as if he also sensed that something big was about to happen today.

Although she didn't know what her father was going to say, she had a vague idea in her heart, and her heart was pounding and her face was a little hot.

Fan Erniu cleared his throat and spoke up, "Brother Su, I went to ask Constable Wang about the household registration matter again."

Su Ning nodded. "What did he say?"

Fan Erniu glanced at Meng Lihua, who gave him a wink, signaling him to speak quickly.

Fan Erniu gritted his teeth and said, "Officer Wang said that household registration is difficult to obtain. You have no roots or connections in this town, no relatives, no property, so you can't register your household. The imperial court has rules: to register your household, you either need to have relatives to rely on, or you need to have property here, or you need to have a family in the town. You don't meet any of these criteria, so he can't report it to the higher authorities."

Su Ning remained silent, waiting for him to continue.

Fan Erniu added, "But Chief Constable Wang also said there's a way to do it. As long as you can get married in town and start a family, you'll be considered settled in town. That way, your household registration will be legitimate, the yamen won't find fault with it, and it'll be easier to explain if the higher-ups ask. Once the household registration is done, the travel permit will follow, and you won't be afraid to go anywhere from now on."

"Old Fan, what do you mean?"

"Brother Su, what do you think of my son Changyu? Would it be suitable for her to marry you?"

"Old Fan, do you want me to marry into the Fan family?"

"Don't misunderstand! It's not about you marrying into the family, it's just about taking your wife as a bride."

After saying that, he looked at Su Ning nervously, his heart pounding with anxiety, afraid that Su Ning would refuse him outright.

I wonder how Suning will respond. What if they refuse? Wouldn't that be asking the impossible?

Suning never expected such a good thing to happen.

He glanced at Fan Changyu, who was sitting in the corner.

The girl had her head down, and the tips of her ears were so red they were almost bleeding.

Su Ning withdrew his gaze but did not answer immediately.

At this moment, Meng Lihua grew anxious and spoke up directly, "Brother Su, let me be frank. You've met my Yu'er. She's pretty, has a good temperament, is efficient, can cook, sew, and even butcher pigs. She's good at everything, both inside and outside the home. You know about what happened with the Song family; it was the Song family who were heartless, not Yu'er. If you're willing, marry Yu'er. If you're not, that's fine too; we'll think of another way. We won't force you."

The main room fell silent, so quiet that the crackling of the charcoal in the brazier could be heard.

Fan Changyu kept his head down, not daring to look at anyone, and didn't even dare to breathe loudly.

She was incredibly nervous, both scared and expectant, unsure whether to hope Su Ning would agree or not.

Su Ning looked at Fan Erniu and Meng Lihua, then at Fan Changyu.

These past few days, this girl has been bringing me meals, three meals a day, without fail, and never a minute late.

Fan Changyu took meticulous care of him, making him feel more comfortable than in any other world he had ever experienced before.

Even though he was trapped in this courtyard and couldn't get out, Fan Changyu would come to keep him company and talk to him every day to cheer him up. Although they only talked about trivial matters, he was definitely sincere.

Fan Erniu and Meng Lihua treated him well, like family, and never looked down on him for being an outsider.

They had no household registration or travel permit, yet they ate and slept at their home without uttering a single complaint.

If they were truly grateful for being saved, they had already done more than enough.

“Okay,” Su Ning said.

Fan Erniu was stunned, thinking he had misheard. "Okay?"

Su Ning nodded. "Okay. I'll marry Yu'er."

Meng Lihua was the first to react, slapping Fan Erniu on the back with a loud crack. "Did you hear that? Brother Su agreed! I knew Brother Su was a smart man!"

Fan Erniu grinned, then stopped halfway through, looked at Su Ning, and said seriously, "Brother Su, have you thought this through? This isn't coercion; it's consensual. If you have to compromise yourself because of your household registration, we won't be able to live with ourselves. You saved our lives, so it's only right that we help you with your household registration. We can't trade Yu'er's life for it."

Su Ning interrupted Fan Erniu, "It's not that I feel wronged. I'm genuinely willing. Yu'er is a good girl; I've seen that for myself these past few days."

Fan Changyu suddenly raised his head, staring at Su Ning with wide eyes.

Su Ning was also looking at her and smiled at her.

Her tears streamed down her face, and she quickly lowered her head, wiping them away vigorously with her sleeve.

Meng Lihua hugged Fan Changyu, laughing and crying at the same time. She wiped Fan Changyu's tears and said, "Silly girl, why are you crying? This is a happy occasion. You should be smiling."

Fan Changyu sobbed, "I didn't cry, I was just... just happy."

She cried again after saying that, which shows how nervous she was.

Fan Erniu couldn't stop smiling, then slapped his thigh and said, "Right, I'll go find Constable Wang! This matter needs to be handled quickly, lest things get complicated."

After saying that, he got up to get his cotton-padded coat, pulled it off the kang (heated brick bed), and put it on.

Meng Lihua called out from behind, "It's so late, Officer Wang should be asleep, right? Can't we go tomorrow?"

Fan Erniu didn't even turn his head, saying as he buttoned his shirt, "Even if he's asleep, I have to wake him up! This can't wait, what if he changes his mind tomorrow?"

Then he took out a few strings of money from his pocket, put them away, and pushed the door open to leave, without even closing it properly.

Meng Lihua chased after him to the door and called out, "Slow down, don't fall!"

"I know, I know!" Fan Erniu's voice echoed from the alley, fading into the distance.

……

The lights were still on in the town's eastern police station.

Officer Wang was sitting by the brazier, drinking a little wine. In front of him were a plate of peanuts and a plate of pig's head meat. His face was flushed from drinking.

Seeing Fan Erniu push the door open and come in, he was taken aback. "Fan Erniu? What brings you here so late at night? Why aren't you sleeping at home? What are you doing here?"

Fan Erniu put a few strings of coins on the table and, panting, told her about Su Ning's intention to marry Fan Changyu.

After listening, Officer Wang looked at the strings of coins, then at Fan Erniu, and laughed, revealing a set of yellow teeth. "Not bad! Fan Erniu, you're quick on your feet. Just a few days ago you were worrying about your household registration, and now you're going to be a father-in-law. You've got a sharp mind."

Fan Erniu chuckled and rubbed his hands together, saying, "This is all thanks to you. If you hadn't pointed out the way, I wouldn't have been able to come up with this idea."

Officer Wang pocketed the money, stuffed it into his sleeve, and pulled a notebook from a drawer, then took out pen and ink. As he ground the ink, he asked, "What was that young man's name?"

"Suning".

"Who is it?"

Fan Erniu thought for a moment, "I came from the mountain. I've been cultivating with my master on the mountain. After my master passed away, I came down the mountain to gain experience. I didn't ask which mountain it was, but it was definitely on a mountain."

Officer Wang nodded and made a few notes in his notebook. "Age?"

"She's in her early twenties. I didn't ask her exact age, but she looks about twenty-one or twenty-two."

"Where are the parents?"

"Gone. There was only one person left, and the master is gone too."

After finishing writing, Chief Constable Wang closed the book and took out another book, flipping through it. "Alright, I'll handle the household registration for you. I'll also process the travel permit at the same time, so you don't have to make another trip later. However..."

He glanced at Fan Erniu, put down his pen, and said, "Tell your prospective son-in-law not to rush out. Although the household registration has been processed, it still needs to be reported to higher authorities. Before it's approved, he's still considered an unregistered resident. If he's caught by the soldiers, things could get complicated. Once it's approved, he can wander around as he pleases, and nobody can stop him."

Fan Erniu nodded repeatedly, bending over. "Understood, understood. I'll have him stay home for now and not go anywhere until you've taken care of things here. Thank you, Officer Wang."

Officer Wang waved his hand, picked up his wine cup and took another sip, "Go on, go on, don't keep me from drinking. It's so cold, the wine's all cold."

"Hehe, Officer Wang, I'm sorry to have troubled you."

……

Fan Erniu returned home excitedly, and when he opened the door, Meng Lihua had already tidied up the west wing.

A new mattress was laid out, a new quilt cover was put on, and red paper double happiness symbols were pasted on the window. Meng Lihua cut them herself, and they looked very festive.

Su Ning stood at the door, staring at the paper-cut window decorations, and paused for a moment.

That's too fast.

Meng Lihua came out of the house, carrying a bowl of brown sugar and eggs. The steaming bowl filled the courtyard with the aroma of brown sugar.

She smiled and handed the bowl to Su Ning. "Brother Su, no, I should change my address. Su Ning, come, have a bowl of brown sugar and eggs. It's customary; once you're engaged, you have to eat this. It'll bring you sweetness and double happiness."

Suning took the bowl, and although he was a little confused, he still lowered his head and took a bite.

It was so sweet, so cloyingly sweet, that it made his teeth ache.

He glanced at Fan Changyu again. The girl was standing by the moon gate, her face flushed, and she had been secretly watching him.

Seeing that Su Ning was also looking at her, she quickly turned her head away, her ears turning red again, and her fingers began to twist the hem of her clothes.

Fan Erniu rubbed his hands together, grinning from ear to ear, "Su Ning, just stay here and relax. Once the household registration is done and things have calmed down, we'll have a big, lively wedding for you and Yu'er. We'll organize a proper celebration, invite a few tables of food and drink, and invite all the neighbors to come and have a good time."

Suning nodded. "Thank you."

Fan Erniu waved his hand, his face hardening. "And besides, you should change how you address me now. We're already engaged, what kind of talk is this, still calling each other brothers?"

Su Ning paused for a moment, opened her mouth, and felt a little awkward, "Dad?"

Fan Erniu's eyes narrowed into slits with a smile, and the wrinkles on his face stretched out as he laughed. "Hey! Good son-in-law!"

He patted Su Ning on the shoulder, rubbed his hands together, and was so happy he didn't know what to do.

Meng Lihua laughed and scolded from the side, "Look at you, so immature, like a child."

Fan Erniu retorted defiantly, "What's wrong with me? My daughter found a good son-in-law, I'm happy, I'm content! Is it any of your business?"

The couple bickered back and forth, making the main room as lively as if it were Chinese New Year.

Fan Changyu stood by the moon gate, listening to the lively laughter and chatter inside the main room, and watching Su Ning eat brown sugar eggs with a bowl in her hand. Her heart was pounding like a rabbit's, so much so that her chest ached.

She watched for a while, then turned and ran back to her room, closed the door, buried her face in the pillow, and couldn't hide the smile on her face.

The light in the west wing was still on. Su Ning sat on the kang (a heated brick bed), looking at the double happiness character on the window for a while, and then suddenly smiled.

This place is quite nice.

……

That evening, Meng Lihua sent Fan Changyu to Su Ning's west wing.

Unexpectedly, Fan Erniu and Meng Lihua were in such a hurry...

Su Ning couldn't help but think of the bandits he had encountered in Xishan last time. It was obvious that Fan Erniu and Meng Lihua were hiding a big secret.

Fan Erniu and Meng Lihua probably realized that the bandits were after them, so they made arrangements for their two daughters before they died.

Looking at Fan Changyu sitting on the edge of the bed, her beautiful and alluring appearance was particularly tempting.

At this moment, Su Ning suddenly looked at Fan Changyu sitting next to him, "Changyu."

"Mmm." Fan Changyu looked up at Su Ning with a shy expression.

"Did you marry me willingly?"

"Mmm." Fan Changyu nodded, her face glowing with beauty.

"No regrets?" Su Ning looked at Fan Changyu again and asked.

“Brother Su, Changyu is doing this willingly.”

"It's getting late! Let's get some rest."

"..."

Then Su Ning took Fan Changyu into his arms and they went into the bridal chamber together.

Fan Changyu was stunned; he hadn't expected to be in the bridal chamber so soon.

Just thinking about what might happen next made Fan Changyu feel uneasy.

However, Suning was particularly gentle, and it was very comfortable to be in Suning's arms. Soon, the anxiety in my heart was dispelled.

Nothing more was said that night, and Su Ning led Fan Changyu into another wonderful world.

She didn't know how much time had passed, but Fan Changyu lay contentedly in Su Ning's arms, saying, "Husband."

"Hmm?" Su Ning responded softly, in a pleasant mood.

Will you love Yu'er for the rest of your life?

"Of course! I will protect the safety of everyone in the Fan family."

"Thank you, my husband." Fan Changyu said to Su Ning with a face full of surprise.

"Yu'er, you've worked hard tonight, you should get some rest."

"Yes, Yu'er loves being in her husband's arms."

"So nice."

...(End of this chapter)