C12 Borrowing Gold Earrings

Miao Xiu heard the suggestion and quickly replied, "Then I won't sing. Can you still fall asleep?"

"I can," Sheng Nanzhen nodded quickly. After all, bringing up the incident of her almost drowning, there was no way Miao Xiu would refuse.

...

As Sheng Nanzhen got up to wash her face and brush her teeth, there was a commotion outside. Someone was knocking on their door.

Miao Xiu went to Sheng Zhenxi and asked, "Third Uncle, what's going on?"

"I heard you didn't take care of things properly."

Being confronted with such a question first thing in the morning?

Miao Xiu already had issues with Sheng Zhenxi, and now her face darkened. "Is it really appropriate for you to come to my house and say this so early?"

Previously, when her daughter had an accident and her son was in trouble, there was no one to help. Sheng Zhenbei had asked them for assistance, but no one was willing to come.

They insulted her daughter, saying she was doomed from the start, and even relatives didn't want to associate with them. Now they dared to come and question them?

Lin Ya, standing beside Sheng Zhenxi, added, "Sister-in-law, you know the customs of Azure Mountain Village. If someone doesn't live to a ripe old age, they don't get a proper burial. You can't blame us for that. Now that she's passed, if you don't take care of it, are you waiting for the whole village to laugh at you?"

Sheng Nanzhen couldn't believe that whether or not to bury her had become the morning's hot topic. She stepped out of the house wearing a deep blue cotton outfit.

"What is Third Aunt-in-law saying?"

"Ah..." Lin Ya jumped up and darted behind Sheng Zhenxi.

Sheng Nanzhen said, "In broad daylight, what's gotten into Third Aunt-in-law? Is she spooked?"

Only then did Lin Ya notice that Sheng Nanzhen had a shadow.

"What's going on with you?" Sheng Zhenxi asked.

Sheng Nanzhen replied, "I'm perfectly fine, so why do so many people wish I were dead?"

As soon as she said this, Miao Xiu couldn't take it anymore.

"If anyone dares to curse my Zhen, I'll tear them apart."

Lin Ya quickly changed his tone, "Oh, so everything's okay. That's good. Since that's settled, let's talk about something happy. Sheng Chu is engaged, but the bride's family is asking for quite a bit in terms of the dowry. So, we were hoping Fourth Uncle could help us out a little."

Miao Xiu looked at the couple in front of her. Their family had been through so much—losing a child, the eldest and second sons falling ill, the third having an accident, and the fourth and fifth also facing troubles. And what happened? None of these uncles or brothers wanted to come near, saying their family was cursed and bringing bad luck.

And now?

Talking about happy occasions?

Miao Xiu wasn't one to be easily swayed: "Third Sister-in-law, our family hasn't even caught a break yet."

Lin Ya said, "It's not about the money. Remember when Fourth Uncle married you, he gave you a pair of gold earrings? Could you lend them to us to help with the dowry? We'll return them once the wedding is over."

Is there really such a thing in this world? Borrowing gold from someone else to marry a wife? Can you even get it back once it's borrowed? Miao Xiu knew that giving anything to Lin Ya was like throwing a meat bun to a dog. Her gold earrings were meant to be her daughter's dowry.

"Third Aunt-in-law, you're overthinking this. Those are for my daughter Zhen's dowry. I can't lend them to you."

She had them, but she wasn't going to lend them. Just like how she didn't want to help out when their folks were around.

Lin Ya said, "It's just for a month or two. Once Sheng Chu gets his bride, we'll return it right away."

A dowry, huh? Who borrows things for a dowry?

Sheng Nanzhen added, "Third Aunt-in-law, don't let your future daughter-in-law hear this, or the engagement might be off."