Qingmu’s face flushed red. He looked on helplessly as the roomful of people laughed until they were practically falling over. ’Just you wait,’ he thought. ’Once we’re engaged, we’ll see if you’re still talking like this.’

Juhua also looked at Little Shitou with a smile and said, "Your mother must have been joking. You just copied what she said."

Little Shitou quickly said, "No, it wasn’t! It was my mom chatting with Second Aunt Li. She said our village is definitely going to prosper in the future, and everyone will want to marry their daughters into our village. All the boys in our village will be hot commodities! So, she said we have to act fast. ’The early bird gets the worm.’ Second Aunt Li also said that her Yan won’t marry outside the village in the future. She’ll find someone right here, since there are plenty of boys in the village anyway. Oh, and she also said that brother Yangzi is a great choice."

Seeing Zhang Yang’s stunned expression, the crowd burst into laughter once again.

Juhua was laughing so hard she couldn’t stop, completely forgetting the chaotic thoughts that had troubled her earlier. Liu Xiaomei and Jinxiang couldn’t hold back either. Before, they had been acting demure since they weren’t in their own home, but now they were laughing so hard they were bent over their laps, their composure completely gone.

Since they were sitting with the younger children, they kept glancing at Zhang Yang as they laughed.

Zhang Yang’s young face flushed crimson as he said to Little Shitou, "Well, did they say anything about you?"

Little Shitou’s dark eyes darted for a moment before he replied seriously, "They didn’t mention me. I’m younger than Sister Yan. It wouldn’t be appropriate."

Zhang Yang pouted in annoyance. "That’s nothing. Isn’t there a saying, ’A wife three years older brings a brick of gold’? She’s a few years older than you, so you’d be the one getting a good deal."

Before Shi Tou could even speak, Gou Dan was already shaking his head. "No way. Shi Tou, you absolutely cannot marry Yan, or you’ll be the one losing out."

Everyone stopped laughing and looked at him quizzically.

Liu Xiaomei asked innocently, "Why? Yan is quite pretty, and she’s hardworking too."

Gou Dan rolled his eyes. "You can tell just by looking at her braids. How much time do you think that takes? If you married her, she’d spend the whole morning just doing her hair. Where would she find the time to cook? Wouldn’t that just hold things up? You marry a wife to wash clothes and cook food, not to stare at her hair. Can staring at hair fill your belly?"

"HAHAHA..." The crowd was once again sent into fits of laughter by Gou Dan, and even Zheng Changhe was so amused he had to turn aside to hide his chuckles.

Juhua was laughing so hard she was clutching her hand warmer and bent at the waist, unable to straighten up for a long moment. She didn’t dare raise her head, knowing her face must look terribly contorted from holding it all in. Weren’t Liu Xiaomei and Jinxiang covering their own faces as they laughed?

Seeing the whole room laughing so boisterously, Yang Family didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

She saw Little Shitou about to argue back after hearing what Gou Dan said. Fearing the children had no filter and might say something else inappropriate that could damage Yan’s reputation, she quickly intervened.

She rushed forward and said to Gou Dan, "That’s enough. Shi Tou’s mother and Second Aunt Li were just joking around, and here you all are making a ruckus. Your mother will scold you if she finds out." Turning to the others, she changed the subject. "Is anyone feeling hungry? Should I heat something up to eat?"

Only then did everyone gradually stop laughing. They all said they had been snacking for a while and weren’t hungry, telling Yang Family not to go to any trouble.

Jinxiang, exhausted from laughing, said her goodbyes to Juhua, saying she was heading home to sleep.

Although Li Changyu really wanted to stay, it wasn’t proper for him to say so to his cousin, so he had no choice but to leave with them.

After them, Liu Xiaomei and Liu Sanshun also said their farewells.

Zhang Huai stood up as well. "It’s time to go," he said. "Uncle Zheng, come to my place for lunch tomorrow with Qingmu."

Zheng Changhe chuckled and said, "Alright! Tell your father to have plenty of wine ready." His words earned him an eye-roll from Yang Family.

Little Shitou reminded Juhua that he would come to get her tomorrow to see his little sister. Gou Dan also told Juhua that his older sister, Meizi, had invited her over to their house to play tomorrow.

Juhua agreed with a beaming smile.

After everyone had left, Juhua and Qingmu were sitting with their feet in the warming barrel. They hadn’t exchanged three sentences before they recalled Gou Dan’s description of Yan and burst out laughing again.

Yang Family just shook her head. "That child. He really has no filter."

Qingmu smiled, pressing his lips together. "He’s only a kid, what does he know? Besides, it’s Second Aunt Li’s fault for not being more careful talking in front of Shi Tou."

After a moment of laughter, Juhua said to Yang Family, "Mother, on the second day of the New Year, I want to go with Brother to pay respects to Grandmother." Hearing this, Qingmu, who was sitting beside her, blushed faintly.

Yang Family and Zheng Changhe were taken aback. They asked, "Why the sudden desire to visit your grandmother’s house? Don’t you usually dislike going there?"

Juhua smiled. "The weather seems nice, so I can get out for some fresh air. Besides, on the second day, Laicai and Second Aunt will have gone to visit *their* grandmother, so Uncle’s house will be quiet."