Disaster Apocalypse: Farming, Family, and My Hidden Secret Space-Chapter 508: Considering a Lifelong Commitment

Chapter 508: Chapter 508: Considering a Lifelong Commitment

Being watched intently by the two people she loved the most, Hua Jin still wanted to resist a little.

"Well, Grandma, Mother, actually eighteen isn’t that old, really, I’m still young."

"You’re not young anymore, once this year is over you’ll be twenty, and in a few more years, you’ll be almost thirty. By then not only will your mother be old, but maybe your grandma won’t even be around. What’s young about that?"

What... how am I almost thirty? Isn’t this going a bit too fast? Hua Jin was dumbfounded looking at her grandma, if she let her grandmother continue talking, she’d soon imagine herself as an old woman.

Just thinking about it was frightening, Hua Jin shuddered.

"Grandma is right, the best years for a woman are just these few years. The family really doesn’t want to part with you and wants to keep you for a couple more years, but now is the time to consider lifelong matters."

Mrs. Qi didn’t want to marry off the precious daughter she had raised so carefully to someone else so soon, but her mother was right—they would all eventually grow old. Although she trusted her sons to take care of their sister, brothers, no matter how good, couldn’t be as considerate as a husband from their own family. Having no descendants to care for you further was even more daunting.

Hua Jin: "..."

It seemed she really couldn’t escape this, so she took a deep breath.

"Mother, Grandma, let me think about it carefully. By... no, in two days at most, I’ll give you an answer."

"You won’t just be evasive?" Grandma Hua raised her eyes to look at her granddaughter.

It’s not that she didn’t trust her own child; it’s that when it comes to personal issues, the child has a habit of joking and changing the subject.

"Absolutely not," Hua Jin quickly shook her head, looking very serious as she spoke.

Grandma Hua was satisfied, "Alright then, think it over. Grandma knows you have a steady mind, but as women, we ultimately need a good home. Having someone nearby who understands and cares for you makes life more fulfilling. Otherwise, wouldn’t you be pitied while others are in love and warmth, and you’re left all alone? Plus, you like children so much, don’t you want to have a baby of your own?"

It’s undeniable that the last point did touch Hua Jin.

Indeed, she wasn’t very interested in marriage, but the thought of having a child of her own did hold some appeal for Hua Jin.

Ah! It would be great if she were in modern times; as long as one was healthy, buying some whatnot and wanting a baby was very easy.

But here, the only way to have a child was to marry, unless you wanted your family to be gossiped about.

Speaking of which, the previous dynasty was even harsher on women. Unmarried women over eighteen would be forcibly matched by officials, and you wouldn’t have a say in who they paired you with. Even widows were encouraged to remarry, and there was no such thing as a chastity arch.

"Yes, yes, I’ll consider it carefully," this time Hua Jin was obviously more serious than the last, nodding heavily.

Seeing this, Grandma Hua and Mrs. Qi were genuinely relieved.

As long as she’s no longer dismissive and not rejecting the idea, it’s fine. Whether she marries or has a husband move in, they’ll follow the child’s wishes.

And so, the two of them smiled.

"Sleep now; Mother and Grandma are leaving," Mrs. Qi said softly, reverting to her gentle motherly demeanor.

After seeing them out, Hua Jin turned back inside.

With such a difficult problem left by Grandma and Mother, how could she feel sleepy?

Alright, time to get to work; once people are tired, they can’t think of anything else.

After all, she still had two days left, enough time for her to consider.

Hua Jin raised her hoe.

The two days passed in the blink of an eye, and facing the expectant eyes of her grandma and mother, Hua Jin nodded her head.

After all, she was in a society where women’s rights were low. Even noble ladies in high positions couldn’t do as they pleased, let alone common folk.

Unless one stood at the very top, wielding supreme power, but even then, it’s lonely at the top, and Hua Jin felt she wasn’t suited for that.

She had grown up surrounded by her family’s love, and at some point, past memories slowly faded away. Looking at her loving grandparents, parents, and brothers, suddenly enlightened, Hua Jin thought maybe she could give it a try.

If it didn’t work out, after having a baby, she could always leave the father, even if that’s not very responsible, but that’s what Hua Jin truly thought.

Seeing her nod, both Grandma Hua and Mrs. Qi’s eyes lit up, and without another glance at Hua Jin, they happily discussed with their daughter-in-law, choosing from the few good young men in the village.

Initially, they wanted to keep the child for a couple more years, let her enjoy the freedom of being a girl and the love from the family, but they forgot that good young men wouldn’t stay in place; they’ve already settled down with someone.

After screening, they realized that the choice pool was practically non-existent. Most of the good young men in Hua Village were already taken, and they wouldn’t even consider those from other villages.

If they weren’t willing to consider those they knew so well in their own village, they certainly wouldn’t consider outsiders.

Though there were some, apart from a couple of men a bit older than their daughter, the remaining ones were roughly the same age.

The eldest son of Hua Annai’s family might share the Hua surname, but he was from outside the fifth generation. He not only matched in age but was also decent-looking, strong and tall—a good young man.

There’s also the third son from Liu Wu’s family, another good young man, tall and sturdy, known for his skills among the village youths, though his looks were average.

But that’s not a problem; this young man has a bonus point: many brothers in the family, making entering the family a very real possibility. And speaking of marrying in, who in the village didn’t know the village chief’s family’s ways? Grandma Hua felt if her granddaughter was interested, their chances of success were high.

The third son from Meng Laotian’s family was nice too, liked by Hua Jin’s brothers, and often seen tagging along with the other boys. His only drawback was being slightly shorter, but he had a pretty face.

The Li family village’s former village chief’s little grandson was another good young man, proper in appearance, tall, and could read and write.

Sun Tu’s second son was also decent, an ambitious young man, but his troublesome mother made Grandma Hua and Mrs. Qi skip over him entirely.

Sun Si from the Sun doctor’s family was also good, not only educated but skilled in medicine. Since joining the Hua Village, he practiced martial arts with them and grew stronger. Grandma Hua thought highly of Sun Si, and the family was simple, just the doctor and a younger sister, with no troublesome in-laws. And the sister would eventually marry.

Finally, there was Qin Shu from the Qin Dagen family, who didn’t need much introduction. A well-read, hardworking, and responsible person with a good relationship with her brothers. Most importantly, familiar with Jin’er, seemingly holding a favorable impression from Jin’er too, but he was the eldest with two younger brothers—a lot of responsibility for a big sister-in-law.

The most satisfying was Luo Song. His family was simple, had enough servants, and was quite wealthy. Even though several years of disasters had passed, their stored goods were plentiful, and their shop remained fully stocked.

So, upon marrying into his family, hardship was out of the question, and there would be no complicated relationships with in-laws or sisters-in-law.

Crucially, this young man was entirely smitten with Jin’er. Although initially restrained, over the past year, apart from the slow-reacting Xiao Si, who in the family hadn’t noticed?