Chapter 646: Highly Valued

The name Su Li was now a household name in Fengcheng County, and even more so in Su Family Village.

After all, Su Li had been born there.

And as for Su Li’s feelings toward Su Family Village… “cold and heartless” was an understatement.

The moment they heard someone had come to propose a marriage—for Su Li, no less—the residents of Su Family Village erupted in discussion.

“Here to marry Su Li? I never thought anyone would actually show up at the Su Family’s door to propose. I figured they’d skip this step entirely.”

“Exactly! And the man is so handsome and distinguished,” someone added, their voice dripping with jealousy.

“And look at all the proposal gifts they brought. They really came prepared,” another commented, their tone even more sour as their eyes kept darting to the items Wu Sheng and Wu Qihua were carrying.

Everyone started chattering all at once.

Miao Fenghua and Su Dan’s expressions flickered for a long moment. They did their best to ignore Fang Luo, trying to put on the airs befitting the bride’s family.

“You can’t just show up and propose whenever you feel like it! We see no sincerity here. The answer is no!”

Wu Sheng didn’t react, but Wu Qihua let out a little laugh.

“Oh, my dear,” Wu Qihua said, “listen to you. How can you be so certain she won’t marry him without even asking for Su Li’s opinion?”

Wu Qihua’s tone was warm and gentle, but Miao Fenghua’s face instantly turned livid with rage. The crowd of onlookers also broke into scornful expressions.

Everyone knew that Miao Fenghua had broken Su Li’s heart, so much so that she hadn’t returned home in years. What right did Miao Fenghua have to make any decisions for her?

Hearing the crowd’s snickers, Miao Fenghua trembled with rage. “That unfilial daughter…”

She was about to let loose a stream of curses when she heard Fang Luo clear his throat.

The curses died in Miao Fenghua’s throat.

Satisfied to see Miao Fenghua fall silent, Fang Luo cleared his throat and began to fulfill his duties as the matchmaker.

“Wu Sheng is a talented man and Su Li a beautiful woman. In every respect, they are a match made in heaven and incredibly well-suited for each other. I hope we can all settle this marriage arrangement amicably.”

He was remarkably direct and silver-tongued, settling the matter in a single statement.

“Here, these are the proposal gifts.”

The proposal gifts were placed in the center of the courtyard. They included pork, cigarettes, and alcohol—all the most popular items for such an occasion.

It was a very sincere gesture, far more generous than what an average family would offer, but not so extravagant as to be out of place.

When Miao Fenghua and Su Dan saw the gifts, their eyes lit up, their minds already calculating the value of it all.

Miao Fenghua’s expression softened somewhat. Su Dan’s eyes were practically glowing; he swallowed hard and tugged at Miao Fenghua’s sleeve, urging her to agree quickly.

This was a golden opportunity delivered right to their doorstep. They had no real control over Su Li anyway, so getting all this stuff was like a windfall from heaven. They couldn’t afford to mess this up.

And so, this rather bizarre marriage proposal proceeded smoothly.

Wu Qihua was sharp-tongued. In an exceedingly polite manner, she informed Miao Fenghua of the already-decided wedding date. Her words were beautifully phrased, but she never once mentioned inviting them to the ceremony, nor did she suggest holding a celebration on their end.

Of course, Miao Fenghua had no desire to waste money on a wedding for Su Li, so she didn’t mind at all.

Finally, Wu Qihua changed the subject, mentioning that since the journey was so long, the bride price would also be delivered directly very soon.

The moment Miao Fenghua and Su Dan heard the words “bride price,” their eyes lit up. They immediately agreed, not caring whether it was proper procedure or not.

The matter… was settled with incredible ease.

Seeing how much Wu Sheng and Wu Qihua valued Su Li, Miao Fenghua and Su Dan’s greed flared, and they thought about trying to get more. But just as they were about to make a demand, Police Fang would always let out a timely cough.

And that wasn’t all. Wu Sheng “unintentionally” and “accidentally” kicked a stool, breaking it. Then, a perfectly good table was suddenly smashed by a blow from his fist.

Wu Sheng kept apologizing, claiming it was an accident, but his gaze never left Su Dan, as if he wanted to take him apart piece by piece.

Su Dan felt a tremor run through him under that stare, and even Miao Fenghua found it bone-chilling.

Wu Qihua then began to “scold” Wu Sheng. “Oh, honestly, he’s always like this. He’s just too strong and can’t control it. You know these veterans—all that training, and they still don’t know their own strength. He can take down a burly man as easily as handling a little chick.”

“I’ve told him time and again, but he never listens. He’s killed too many peo—I mean, too many chickens. The stench of blood just clings to him.”

Su Dan and Miao Fenghua started trembling even more. “You… you’ve actually killed people?”

Wu Sheng immediately nodded. “Of course…”

Wu Qihua cut him off with a tug on his arm and waved her hands dismissively. “No, no! He’s just killed a lot of chickens. You can’t just kill people willy-nilly. It’s more like, you know, breaking arms and legs, leaving someone permanently disabled… Oops, I think I’ve said too much.”

Wu Qihua gave a particularly innocent and harmless-looking, embarrassed smile.

Off to the side, Fang Luo’s shoulders were shaking as he ducked his head, desperately trying to stifle his laughter.

Beads of sweat started to form on Miao Fenghua and Su Dan’s foreheads.

Wu Qihua paused, then changed her tone. “But you can rest assured. Though Wu Sheng can be fierce with outsiders, he will definitely be good to Su Li. If anyone dares to bully Su Li, he will absolutely…”

Wu Sheng finished quietly, “Destroy them.”

Wu Qihua slapped Wu Sheng’s arm. “Why are you blurting out the honest truth like that? At most, we’d just send them to prison… ahem. In short, we will protect Su Li with everything we have and never let her be bullied. You can entrust her to us with complete peace of mind.”

Miao Fenghua and Su Dan: “…”

A sudden shiver ran down their spines. Even though it was the dead of winter, their backs were soaked with cold sweat.

After a long moment, they managed a strained laugh. “Well, then we can rest assured.”

‘That little bitch Su Li is an ungrateful wretch, and the man and mother-in-law she found are no better! To think… to think…’

Miao Fenghua and Su Dan gritted their teeth and said nothing more. For the time being, they didn’t dare hatch any more schemes.

Fang Luo, watching from the side, trembled slightly, on the verge of breaking into laughter.

He had originally thought Wu Sheng was a character, but he never expected that Wu Qihua, the matriarch herself, was the true marvel.

No wonder they dared to come and propose marriage to vampires like Miao Fenghua and Su Dan!

He had even been against them coming. But the result… he was truly impressed!

And so, the proposal came to a “perfect” conclusion.

The next day, the Wu Family delivered a bride price that met the local standards to Miao Fenghua’s home. Wu Qihua’s words were pleasant, but no one was a fool; they all understood the meaning between the lines.

They were taking Su Li as their daughter-in-law, and from now on, she was like spilled water—a daughter married off is gone for good. They shouldn’t even think of clinging to her. Accepting the bride price was tantamount to severing the mother-daughter relationship.

After delivering the bride price, Wu Qihua and Wu Sheng made a point of exchanging pleasantries with the people of Su Family Village.

They explained that because the distance was too great, there wouldn’t be a banquet held on the Su Family’s side; it would all be handled directly in the Imperial City. It was such a shame they couldn’t invite everyone to the wedding feast, but they could have some wedding candy in the meantime.

As if by magic, Wu Sheng produced a large bag of peanuts, melon seeds, and candy, and distributed them to the people of Su Family Village.

As the people of Su Family Village ate the candy, they were filled with complicated feelings.

No matter how you looked at it, Su Li was just too lucky. Not only did she own that big factory, but she was also a reporter—they had even seen her on television, something they couldn’t have imagined in their wildest dreams. To have been married once and still find a family that valued her so highly… her luck was just too good.

They were filled with jealousy and resentment. But slowly, as they realized Su Li no longer belonged to their world and had become someone completely out of their reach, their hatred began to fade, replaced by a grudging acceptance.

The news of the Wu Family’s proposal and Su Li’s impending marriage became public knowledge throughout Fengcheng County and Su Family Village. People from Xinghua Village and beyond all heard about it, and everyone had something to say.

No matter what, Su Li had married well the second time around. Her in-laws clearly valued her a great deal.