Traveling Through Those Years Of Farming (Quick Transmigration) - Chapter 38

Lu Xiuyu has never been a timid person. The vast difference between her and the other party does not deter her from pursuing this relationship. She is confident she can be a woman deserving of anyone, even confident enough to make any man start to doubt whether he is worthy of her.

After Tang Xiuyuan’s impulsive confession, Lu Xiuyu begins to understand her earlier resistance. It isn’t that their fate isn’t wonderful enough; it is simply that it has come too late.

Unknowingly, she has developed feelings for this brother who is always chattering away, carefree and oblivious.

Tang Xiuyuan is more suitable for her than that marquis. With him, Lu Xiuyu feels completely at ease; he shares everything she wants to know, and even things she doesn’t want to know, in great detail.

If she is a person who holds herself to high standards and lives a tiring life, then Tang Xiuyuan is a silly boy who manages to enjoy every day without worry.

She imagines that if she were with that marquis, they would likely be equals, appreciating each other while continuously trying to outdo one another. However, being with Tang Xiuyuan would be like running forward with her head held high and, every time she looks back, finding someone smiling at her.

Lu Xiuyu feels her heart flutter for the latter scenario.

“Okay.”

“If you’re willing to marry me, I—”

“You—what did you say!”

Tang Xiuyuan is about to list his merits with his fingers when he is stunned by Lu Xiuyu’s simple “okay.”

“I—I’ll go find my parents and have them propose!”

Tang Xiuyuan is so overjoyed that he feels like flying home immediately to ask his parents to visit the Lu family to propose marriage.

As he rushes toward the door, Tang Xiuyuan suddenly stops, tilts his head, and leans into the house, his expression somewhat embarrassed.

“Xiu, Miss Xiu, I can’t call you Miss Xiu anymore, can I?”

When he runs to the door, Tang Xiuyuan suddenly stops, tilts his head, and leans into the house, asking with a somewhat embarrassed expression, “From now on, I have to call you my wife, and you… you have to call me your husband.”

Tang Xiuyuan covers his face and glances at Lu Xiuyu, who wears a strange expression. His courage wanes instantly, and he turns to run away.

In any case, she has agreed to marry him, so he will have to call her “my wife” from now on, instead of continuing to call her Miss Xiu.

It is true that she is a few years older than him, but she will be his woman in the future. He wants to be strong enough that his wife feels he is as sturdy as a mountain and as dependable as an ancient tree. He aspires to be a man who can protect her.

Tang Xiuyuan’s steps quicken, and he feels as if he is about to fly.

******

The two elders of the Tang family have different reactions when they learn that Tang Xiuyuan wants to marry the eldest daughter of the Lu family.

Master Tang is pleased with the prospect. He always thinks his eldest son is too naive; if the family business were handed over to him, he might be easily misled by others. Therefore, he has always wanted his son to marry a strong woman who can both discipline him and help manage the Tang family shop at the same time.

Lu Xiuyu meets all of Master Tang’s criteria and even exceeds his expectations.

Madam Tang has some reservations about Lu Xiuyu’s age, but after some persuasion from her husband and daughter, she agrees to the marriage.

As for the little fat girl of the Tang family, it is clear that ever since she and Lu Baoshu became pen pals, she has been daydreaming about the delicious foods Lu Baoshu describes. In her eyes, Lu Baoshu’s cousin, who can whip up many tasty dishes, will soon be her sister-in-law, and she is finally looking forward to the day she can tease that little brother.

She wishes she could take her elder brother’s place and marry the Lu family’s eldest daughter.

The next day, the Tang family sends a matchmaker to discuss the marriage. When Jiang Bai’e learns that the young master of the Tang family’s sugar water shop wants to marry her daughter, she is so overjoyed that she cries.

After Lu Xiuyu nods in agreement, Jiang Bai’e even proclaims that she would die without regrets, which is quite amusing.

In fact, nothing remains unchanged; changes have already begun since Lu Baobao came into this world.

With her presence, Tang Dingyuan inadvertently helps Tang Xiuyuan by buying gifts for her. In the original plot, Tang Xiuyuan doesn’t have much of a role; he serves more as a mob character, with his name surfacing only when others mention the Tang family’s dessert shop. His entanglement with Lu Xiuyue starts through the mediator, Tang Dingyuan.

Without Tang Xiuyuan’s involvement, Lu Xiuyue and the Marquis would transition from mutual admiration to pursuit and rivalry, ultimately leading to a deeper understanding and love. Along the way, they face numerous challenges due to the conflict in the plot.

Obviously, compared to the Marquis of Xinyang, Lu Xiuyu prefers a straightforward young man like Tang Xiuyuan. If she did not favor him, she wouldn’t ultimately choose him despite the story’s established trajectory.

Lu Baobao always feels that in her relationship with her cousin, her cousin contributes more to her, and her good deeds toward her cousin are initially motivated by self-interest. She doesn’t realize that her existence also provides ample rewards to her cousin.

In this life, her cousin will experience a happier and more relaxed love.

******

“Time flies so fast. In the blink of an eye, Baojin has started a family and now has children. The eldest and second girls have found their homes. The youngest, Baoshu, is already eight years old and has come to understand many things. I have discussed this with your father, and we have decided that it is time for our family to separate.”

That night, Lu Miao summons everyone in the family to their room to announce this decision.

“Separate the family?” Everyone exclaims, exchanging worried glances.

Lu Jiafu and his wife are not pleased. They feel that life will not be as good after the separation. The same sentiment is shared by Lu Jiafeng and his wife. Liu Lanhua feels a mix of happiness and sadness. Her sadness mirrors that of Lu Jiafu and his wife, but the thought of finally becoming the master of the household after the separation brings her some secret joy.

The only truly happy person present seems to be the eldest wife. For her, separation is indeed a positive development.

“Eldest, the shop at home will be left to you, while the second and third sons will receive more of the other assets. Do you have any objections?” Lu Miao turns to Eldest Brother Lu.

“What objection could I have?” Lu Jiafeng shakes his head.

“Second son, third son, this is the rule of our family. The most valuable meat stall must go to the eldest son. Don’t blame your eldest brother for this.” Lu Miao then looks at her two sons, Lu Jiafu and Lu Jiahou, who both shake their heads in unison.

Lu Miao and Old Butcher Lu carefully consider when and how to divide the family assets.

First, they set aside a portion of the silver to help the second and third households redeem their household registrations. After the division, their registrations are upgraded from the original lowly status to ordinary agricultural status. This allocation of silver is not included in the division of property. This is also the rule of the Lu family since ancient times.

Secondly, the expenses for Lu Baojin’s marriage are covered by the communal funds. Therefore, when dividing the family, the costs for the marriages of other children must also be itemized to ensure fairness.

Additionally, for Lu Baoshu and Lu Baotie, who are still studying, their school expenses before they turn fifteen are also taken out separately.

Aside from that, all the family assets are divided such that the eldest son receives two shares, while the second and third sons receive four shares each. Due to differences in land location and soil fertility, the elderly couple can only strive to make the land distribution as equal as possible.

In the end, Lu Jiafu and his wife end up with 15 acres of good paddy fields, 20 acres of high-quality land, and over 40 acres of medium and low-quality fields, along with more than 100 taels of cash.

It must be noted that, apart from the rich family assets passed down through generations in the Lu family, Lu Miao’s ability to save money over the years should not be underestimated.

Both Lu Jiafu and Lu Jiahou are clearly taken aback by the wealth they acquire.

With so many fields, even if they do nothing, the rent and interest they collect in the future will be enough to sustain them. Jiang Bai’e, who has been delighted that her husband finally inherits the butcher shop, cannot help but feel a twinge of jealousy at that moment.

Historically, the family division rules dictate that the eldest son should receive 60%, with the remainder divided equally among the other sons. It is clear that the two elders still favor the second son, making plans for him even now.

“Let’s divide it according to what our parents have in mind. I’m the eldest, so they can follow me to live out their days. The second and third can come to visit our parents anytime.” Lu Jiafeng speaks up before his wife can, fearing that she might say something unpleasant.

“There are elderly people in the village who live with their youngest sons, so there’s no rule stating that the elderly must live with the eldest son. I also want to care for my parents.” Lu Jiafu, having gained a significant advantage, is willing to play nice at this moment.

“Father and Mother, you can live with me and Jiao Niang, or you can stay with whoever you wish for a while. Is there anyone in our family who isn’t filial to their parents?”

Lu Jiafu shamelessly hugs his mother’s legs, resting his head on her knees.

“Jiaoniang and I don’t know anything; we want to have a good life, so we can’t leave our parents behind.”

This kid is mentally calculating; even if their parents live with the two of them, the eldest and third brothers will definitely not really let go of caring for them. When they obtain some good things, won’t they have to bring a share for their parents?

Moreover, their parents are still in good spirits; they can afford to be a bit lazy for a while longer.

“Good, good, good.”