As soon as dawn broke, Yan Niang woke up from her dream, she hugged the quilt and looked out of the window, only to see a faint light falling in through the window, and the room was also a lot brighter. She sighed, got up and dressed quickly, and when she was tidy, she was ready to go to the stove to cook.

It was still early, the small courtyard of the Nie family was quiet, Yan Niang scooped a scoop of water from the tank first, washed her face comfortably, and the coolness came, and suddenly the whole person was a lot more sober.

Today, Nie's father and son applied for the construction of the river embankment, and the second brother Nie was going to the field to serve the crops, and Yan Niang cooked a big pot of sweet potato porridge for breakfast, steamed two baskets of white flour steamed buns and cold dishes of hot and sour cucumbers. The Nie family has a small income, and they are much more abundant than other families in the village in terms of food, at least the white-flour steamed buns that can only be eaten on the New Year's Festival in ordinary times, and the Nie family can eat them once every three or five days.

The fragrance of steamed buns came out of the stove, and the rest of the Nie family slowly got up. Nie's sister-in-law Liu couldn't care about her husband's obsession, so she hurriedly got up, and hurriedly went to the stove room after getting dressed. Seeing the busy figure of the sister-in-law in the stove room, he secretly said: I will be scolded by my mother-in-law again in a while.

She walked through the gap next to Liu's family, smiled and snatched the tongs from her sister-in-law's hand, and said, "Yan Niang, don't be busy, the Ling family will come to the door to propose marriage in a few days, and my mother has instructed you to stay in the house." ”

Hearing her say this, Yan Niang's face suddenly became hot, Yu Shi glanced at her, and couldn't help but be startled, only to see that the sister-in-law's white and fat face was covered with red marks, especially the cheeks and chin, as if she had knocked over a rouge box, it was really scary to look at.

Sister-in-law Liu also came in, saw Yan Niang's face, and hurriedly said, "Yan Niang, go to the house to rest for a while, I'll call you when the food is served." ”

Yu also chimed in.

Yan Niang couldn't resist them, so she had to take off her apron and go back to the room. As soon as she left, both Liu and Yu had sad faces on their faces.

"Sister-in-law, you said that Yan Niang's appearance, will the Ling family look at it?"

The Liu family was not sure, but she could only think on the bright side, "The Ling family is a family of cultivators and scholars, and Ling Erlang is a scholar, so he shouldn't do anything treacherous." ”

Yu's: "Yan Niang was married last year, why did she say that she wanted to propose marriage this year, I think eighty percent of them were forced to do so..."

As she was talking energetically, she saw a sturdy middle-aged woman appear at the door, stared at by her, and before she finished speaking, Yu's second half of the sentence was stuck in her throat, and the movements of her hands became a little flustered.

"Mother." Yu Shi shouted in a low voice.

Hearing this, Liu Shi turned around and hurriedly greeted his mother-in-law when he saw it. This middle-aged woman is none other than Nie Auntie, the official head of the Nie family, Yan Niang's mother-in-law, and Liu's and Yu's mother-in-law.

They were talking about the marriage of their sister-in-law behind their backs, and their mother-in-law listened to it, and both the Liu family and the Yu family were a little nervous. Fortunately, Aunt Nie just glared at them fiercely and did not reprimand them, and the two of them breathed a sigh of relief.

After returning to the room, Yan Niang sat on the edge of the bed for a while, and then heard Liu calling for herself to come out to eat. She answered and hurriedly walked towards the hall.

There are many Nie families, and there are two dining tables in the hall, one for the men and one for the women and children. When Yan Niang entered, the women and juniors of the Nie family were all seated. Yan Niang sat next to the two nieces of the eldest brother's family, and opposite was Aunt Nie.

Seeing her daughter's flushed face, she frowned, "Didn't you stay in the house, go to the stove room to make this ghost, don't you want to get married?" ”

Her tone was full of disgust, Yan Niang buried her head and drank porridge in small sips, seeing her like this, Aunt Nie became angry and said to the two daughters-in-law: "Can't you two get up early to get food, you have to marry the sister-in-law to serve a big family, are there any rules?" ”

Being scolded by their mother-in-law in front of their children, Liu and Yu were a little embarrassed, but due to the power of their mother-in-law, the two could only bear it obediently. They can endure it, but their children can't.

"Milk, my sister-in-law has always been diligent and capable, and the food she cooks is better than that made by my mother and second aunt, today my father and grandfather are going to repair the river embankment, and my second uncle is going to the field, and I have to have strength after eating the food made by my sister-in-law."

It was Nie Huan, the eldest of the Liu's twin daughters, who spoke, and she and her sister Nie Xi had always been loved by Aunt Nie, so they dared to talk to Aunt Nie like this.

Aunt Nie still had a calm face, and Nie Xi hurriedly answered: "My sister is right, milk, my sister-in-law is about to get married, and it will be difficult to eat the food she cooks in the future. ”

As soon as her words fell, the other little ones also begged, and Aunt Nie saw that her grandchildren had spoken, and her anger slowly dissipated. The two daughters-in-law have been married to the Nie family for more than ten years, and they have given birth to a dozen grandchildren for the Nie family, and they can't let them lose face.

After breakfast, the men of the Nie family went to work, went to work, went to work, Liu and Yu went to the stove to wash dishes, and the other juniors had their own things. Aunt Nie followed Yan Niang to her room, closed the door and counted her daughter down. Yan Niang didn't dare to say anything, burying her head and looking at the tips of her shoes.

Seeing this, Aunt Nie felt a sense of depression that hatred of iron could not be made of steel. Yan Niang is their old daughter, she was cute when she was a child, she and her husband have always been pampered, who knows that they are getting fatter and fatter, even if they are fat, after the age of thirteen, there is a pimple on their face.

The doctor in the town and county looked at it all and it didn't get better, and then her sister-in-law sent a home remedy to cure the acne on her daughter's face, but unfortunately, although the acne was cured, there were also spots on the face. It's okay now, not only is she fat and ugly, but because of this, Yan Niang has become a well-known faceless girl.

Aunt Nie's love for her daughter has slowly faded in these years of seeking medical treatment, and it just so happens that the twin granddaughters born to the eldest daughter-in-law are beautiful and lovely, and over time, the status of the two granddaughters in her heart surpasses that of her daughter.

Yan Niang is already sensitive and inferior, and when she sees that her mother is good to her two nieces, no matter how uncomfortable she is, she can only endure it and never show it. Gradually, the Nie family got used to her cautious appearance.

Yan Niang doesn't like to go out since she got fat, she learned the art of embroidery with her grandmother, in addition to doing some housework every day, she often stays in the house to be a female red, and the embroidery she made was sent to the shop in the town by Nie's father to sell on behalf of her, and a small screen of Liantai Guanyin was sold for ten taels of silver.

In the past few years, Yan Niang has almost more than eighty taels of silver from selling embroidery, and she handed over sixty taels to Nie Auntie, and she still has twenty-six taels left in her hand. originally thought that he might not be able to get married in this life, so he planned to save more silver by making embroidery, and in the future, he would follow his brother and sister-in-law not to eat and drink for nothing.

After Aunt Nie finished counting, Yan Niang took the needlework basket next to her, took out the half-embroidered embroidery and said to Aunt Nie: "Mother, I can't embroider these stitches well, can you help me take a look?" ”

Aunt Nie took the embroidery and took a closer look, and pointed at it at will, Yan Niang hurriedly changed it, and when she saw that she had changed the stitching method, Aunt Nie also went out.

Yan Niang breathed a sigh of relief when she saw this, she smiled bitterly, she deliberately took a few stitches of this embroidery, if it wasn't for her mother's reproach, why did she bother to let her mother, a person who can't even embroider flowers, to guide.

A few days later, the Ling family asked someone to bring a letter to the Nie family on the eighth day of the fifth month to propose marriage, and the Nie family stayed at home that day. Yan Niang is the protagonist, after breakfast, Aunt Nie urged her daughter to change into a new set of dresses, the pink fabric is embroidered with lifelike roses, this stitch and thread are all Yan Niang's thoughts.

Nie Huan covered her mouth and snickered, although the sister-in-law's skirt was beautiful, it was like a piece of pork belly on her, not shy and lovely at all, but a little greasy. Nie Xi didn't laugh, but thought in his heart how nice it would be if this skirt was worn on himself.

Seeing that the two nieces were making fun of themselves without shying away from it, Yan Niang snorted: "Mother, how can I wear such a fresh color like this, or I'd better change my body."

Aunt Nie glanced at her fiercely, and said angrily: "Why did I give birth to you as a debt collector, what's wrong with pink, you are only sixteen years old, it is the age to wear such a tender color, I let you wear it, don't talk so much nonsense." ”

Yan Niang didn't dare to refute, she only felt that her body was crawling with lice, and her whole body was very uncomfortable.

When it was almost noon, the Ling family finally arrived. Nie's father took his two sons to greet the male guests, Nie Auntie and his eldest daughter-in-law received the female dependents, Yu and the twins of the big house were busy in the kitchen, and only Yan Niang sat alone in the house. She listened to the laughter and laughter outside, and her heart was mixed.

After about half a pillar of incense, the sister-in-law Liu walked in with a young daughter-in-law, and when she saw the living person, Yan Niang hurriedly lowered her head.

Liu stepped forward quickly and pulled Yan Niang to get up, "Sister-in-law, this is the Ling family's eldest aunt and grandmother, hurry up and greet someone." ”

The eldest aunt and grandmother of the Ling family are Ling Erlang's eldest sister.

Yan Niang was helpless, so she had no choice but to salute the Ling family. At a glance, Ling saw that when the woman in front of him bowed down, the fat on her chest and stomach was squeezed together.

Her hand holding the handkerchief tightened, and there was a hint of disgust in her eyes, but she hid it so well that she didn't even see the Liu family standing opposite.

She tugged at the corners of her mouth and said to Yan Niang, "Sister Yan Niang, can you look up and let me take a look?" ”

Hearing this, Yan Niang only felt that her neck was extremely stiff and she couldn't lift it, but it was Liu Shi who touched her lightly, and she slowly raised her head.

After seeing the true face of her future brother-in-law, Ling was struck by lightning, she never expected that this Nie Yan Niang would be ugly and fat. Thinking of his handsome brother, my heart was like eating a fly. She looked at Yan Niang carefully again, her face became more and more ugly, and she lifted the curtain and went out without saying a word.

Seeing this, Liu hurriedly chased him out.

After Ling returned to his mother, he whispered what he had seen to his mother, Wen. When Wen heard this, his heart was shocked, and his heart rose to the idea of retiring from the Nie family. It's just that she couldn't help it after all, after all, this family affair was decided by the old lady of the Ling family and the old lady of the Nie family when they were alive, and if she rashly withdrew from her family, she would definitely be tongued.

Ling was unwilling but couldn't resist his mother, so he sat aside and became angry. No one objected, the Ling family and the Nie family determined the family affairs, and after the two families discussed, they asked the fortune teller in the town to calculate the date, and set the wedding date for September 19 this year.

It is now the beginning of May, and there are still four months before September 19, and Nie's father and Nie Auntie began to prepare a dowry for their daughter after their daughter's wedding date was set.

Although the Nie family is not a big family, but it is also a well-known rich family in several nearby villages, after the reputation of Yan Niang's shameless daughter spread, the Ling family refused to fulfill the marriage contract, there are many poor, lazy people who beat the idea of the Nie family, but Nie's father is unwilling to marry these people, so he unceremoniously refused.

The Ling family and the Nie family have the same family background, the two old ladies were classmates in the county school, and the relationship was like brothers, and later the old lady Ling was admitted to the lift, but the old lady Nie fell off the list. Old lady Ling found a vacancy in the county, and old lady Nie married the daughter of a wealthy businessman in the county, and went back to the village to buy land and become a landlord.

The next generation of the two is not angry, it is not a material for reading, and when the third generation is born, the family is not as rich as before, but it is better than the average family.

The two families got married, and the Nie family and his wife decided to return the Ling family's dowry intact, and they gave out another twelve dowries, which could be regarded as a benevolent and righteous to her.