C5 Gift

Fulai noticed a slight change in his demeanor and quickly pressed on, "I'm not joking. As long as you're willing, whether you're rich or poor, I'm ready to marry you."

"Fulai, I want to marry you. Please, don't sell yourself short or give up on yourself."

Haipeng felt a surge of frustration. His carefully laid plans had been thwarted by someone he considered a weakling. It was utterly embarrassing.

Yuanbo was hesitant, feeling a pang of guilt. He couldn't bring himself to marry and potentially ruin someone's life. With a heavy heart, he said, "I don't have money and probably never will. I only like women who are obedient, and I might bring you a lot of trouble, maybe even put you in danger."

"We can earn money together, and you can manage it all. I'll be obedient, and I don't fear trouble. I swear I can do it, and if I break my promise, may lightning strike me."

Fulai's humble plea and earnest vow moved Yuanbo deeply, making it impossible for him to refuse. He opened his mouth several times, but under her bright, hopeful gaze, he finally uttered, "Okay!"

"Dad, Yuanbo agreed to marry me, Dad!" Fulai exclaimed, smiling at her father.

Qingshan felt a whirlwind of emotions. His cherished daughter was choosing to marry a man like this. But it was her decision, and he held back his disapproval, managing a forced smile.

"Alright, since you both are willing to marry in front of all these townsfolk, I'll, as the town leader, pick a good day for the wedding."

Yuanbo, who had been hesitant before, now felt a sense of relief. "Thank you, sir."

"Well, well, town leader, your daughter is practically begging a man to marry her, and you're not stopping it? You must be really worried she won't find anyone, huh? Makes you wonder if there's something you're hiding."

As Qi Haipeng's mother spoke, she suspiciously eyed Zong Fulai's stomach.

Zong Qingshan was furious. This woman just wouldn't stop slandering his daughter.

"Qi family, if you're going to make accusations, be ready to back them up. If my daughter isn't innocent, I'll give you my head to use as a chair. But if she is, will you do the same?"

"Ha, I'm just talking. Why take it so seriously, Mr. Mayor? Besides, my son Haipeng saved your daughter's life. Is this how you treat the mother of a lifesaver?"

Qi Haipeng's mother wasn't foolish. Her son kept saying he wanted to marry someone, so how could she be anything less than perfect?

Some onlookers couldn't stand it anymore. The mayor's daughter was indeed bold today. If Ren Yuanbo hadn't agreed to marry her, the Qi family's relentless pestering and the unclear relationship would have been enough to cause trouble.

Accountant Zong tried to calm things down. "Qi family, let's keep it civil. We're all neighbors here."

"Neighbors, Accountant Zong? When she falsely accused my son, she didn't care about being neighbors. You should tell her that."

Even if she wouldn't marry such a lousy guy, she needed to be taught a lesson!

Qi Haipeng felt secretly pleased with his mother's words. Zong Fulai was such a fool, it made him furious.

In broad daylight, she dared to throw herself into another man's arms, begging him to marry her. And the guy was a weakling and unattractive. Even if marrying her had benefits, he wouldn't want her.

Accountant Zong felt a bit awkward after being rebuffed by Qi Haipeng's mother. Not wanting to confront her directly, he turned to Ren Yuanbo and said:

"Ren, even though you and Zong Fulai are engaged, remember to keep a proper distance until you're officially married."

"Thank you for the reminder, Accountant Zong. I'll make sure to stay within bounds," Ren Yuanbo replied confidently.

As the village chief and Zong Fulai's father, Zong Qingshan knew he had to address the situation with the Qi family and the team members.

"Comrade Qi Haipeng is a benefactor to my son Fulai, a model citizen who helps others and follows the example of our community's best. I want to express my sincere gratitude."

With the village chief taking such a stance, people felt obliged to show some respect, but was this really the end of the matter?

Qi Haipeng's mother smirked, "Well, isn't that just like a village chief, smooth-talking his way through. Is that all?"

Zong Fulai, relieved that his biggest worry had been resolved, was in a good mood and quickly responded.

"Aunt Qi, everyone knows my dad is fair. I admit I was wrong in this situation and would like to offer twenty pounds of rice as an apology and a thank you."

Her words caused a stir. Twenty pounds of rice was quite a generous gift, equivalent to a hundred eggs. In the village, where fine grains were scarce, each household only received about twenty pounds a year, making this gift something many envied.

"Helping out and saving a girl earns you twenty pounds of rice? Why didn't I get such luck?"

"Twenty whole pounds of rice! If my daughter wasted resources like that, she'd get a good scolding."

"If I'd known, I would have lent a hand too. Even three to five pounds would have made me happy."

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