Chapter 309: Sun Ming wants to marry

“Yes, our son is really striving!” Sun Zhang Xing smiled, his bronzed face lighting up.

Sun Ming’s heart felt a little sore and his eyes were damp. He grinned reluctantly and said in a brisk tone: “The previous days are over! Parents, don’t think about the past anymore, in the future, our days will surely be better and better!”

“Yes! Yes! Our days will definitely be better!” Sun Zhang Xing and Madam Sun both nodded, full of joy.

Sun Ming wanted to make his parents happy so he said: “Even if you don’t say anything, it’s already better. As of next month, I will receive three buckets of rice every month from the government!”

“Really!” Madam Sun was delighted.

Sun Zhang Xing was also happy, saying cheerfully: “If Ah Ming says so, then it must be so! Why would Ah Ming lie?”

“Oh, this is really great!” Madam Sun exclaimed: “Three buckets of rice each month and our family has land again! When the banquet is finished, your father and I will hurry and cultivate the land for planting. We can grow sweet potatoes, taro, peanuts, even soybeans! Haha, let’s not talking about anything else, we will have three meals a day!”

“Yes!” Sun Zhang Xing raised his dark eyebrows and grinned: “In my spare time, I will go to Xianteng mountain and hunt some game to sell. We can save a little bit and try to build the house next year. It’s a good time to buy wood! We can also save some money for you to participate in the imperial exams. Haha, just thinking about it makes me excited!”

The couple was lively as they talked but Sun Ming frowned slightly, giving his parents a thoughtful look.

“There is something else we wanted to discuss with you.” Sun Zhang Xing suddenly said to Sun Ming: “Now that you have become a shengyuan, your status is different than before. In the future, you will be employed and your reputation will be even greater. Don’t tolerate the slightest blemish! I’ve discussed it with your mother. After a while, we will fix up our original shack. Let’s move back, its summer so we won’t need to worry about anything and we can make good progress in the winter. Your mother and I will no longer be employed by Miss Lian. After all, its different now. When you become an official, if you have parents who are employed as servants, you will be looked down on…”

Madam Sun sighed and nodded: “Your father is right, this is the reason.”

In fact, both of them were reluctant to part with this place and their job but for the sake of their son’s future, they had no choice but to give them up.

Sun Ming frowned, his expression a little ugly: “Why is this? I know you are reluctant to give up this work and its hard to find a better employer than Miss Lian! My reputation is so so, I don’t need you to do this! Besides, you are upright and honest, you can hold your head up in front of others. What is there it avoid? I don’t care at all and it won’t affect me in any way, so don’t worry!”

Sun Zhang Xing and Madam Sun were stunned, neither of them had expected their son to say this. Unable to persuade them, Sun Ming repeatedly explained it to them patiently and promised it wouldn’t hinder him. After all, neither of them really wanted to leave.

With a serious face, he said: “Father, Mother, it happens that this child also has something to discuss with you, asking father and mother to help!”

When his parents heard him speaking so seriously, they couldn’t help but be nervous. Settling down, they asked him what was wrong.

Sun Ming raised his eyes and looked at his parents deeply before solemnly saying: Father, Mother, I wish to marry Fang Zhou as my wife. I would like my mother to speak to her Third Aunt and ask that when I become a juren, I can marry her! If she finds a more suitable family before I succeed, she doesn’t have to wait for me, they don’t need to worry.”

While he spoke, Sun Ming’s heartbeat speed up and he lowered his face bashfully, not daring to look at his parents.

He was confident that if there were no accidents, he could pass the exams and become a juren!

There was silence.

After a while, Sun Zhang Xing exclaimed: “What?! What did you say!?”

Madam Sun also let out a cry of surprise.

Sun Ming settled down, calming his beating heart: “I said, I want to marry Fang Zhou as my wife!”

“You’re crazy!”

“How can this be?”

His parents shouted at the same time.

The two were absolutely shocked by their son’s words, they had never dreamed that he would have such an idea! This was so—

Lian Fang Zhou was indeed very good and they had always been grateful to her— especially for saving their son’s life, but this was not the same as their son marrying her home as his wife!

She was respected by others but she had no parents or elders to help her. She had to raise her younger siblings on her own and she was exposed outside all day long. Although a country girl was not so particular, she would still not show her face so much outside. However, Lian Fang Zhou did not follow these rules and what was more, she was dealing with all kinds of men!

Though her reputation was not bad, her unscrupulous uncle and aunt were always bullying those siblings. Lian Fang Zhou was constantly having to fight back against them, how could they accept a girl whose family was so aggressive and scheming? What family would be willing to marry them back as a daughter-in-law?

“Ah Ming, when did you get such an idea?” Sun Zhang Xing sighed: “I know that Miss Lian saved your life, you’re just grateful and want to repay her, right?”

Seeing that Sun Ming wanted to speak, Sun Zhang Xing raised his hand to stop him: “Your mother and I have never forgotten Miss Lian’s life-saving grace and assistance, waiting for the future to repay her. Now that our family is successful, we can finally return her goodwill. However, you can’t make a joke about life-long events!”

“It’s true!” Madam Sun hurriedly said: “There are so many ways to repay Miss Lian, why do you want to do this? You will be an official in the future, your wife should be virtuous and gentle! If you become a juren, there will be many young ladies to choose from, how can you choose a girl now?”

Their child was more than worthy to marry any girl he liked! But he said that he would wait until after becoming a juren, as if he was not worthy of her now! Which mother was not on the side of her son? Hearing what her sun said, Madam Sun’s heart was still a little uncomfortable.

Sun Ming said unhappily: “Mother, what are you talking about? Is Fang Zhou not a good girl? Is she not virtuous and gentle? This son thinks that she is more virtuous and gentle than any girl! Also, father, I am not marrying her just because she saved my life and helped our family! I, I am—”

Sun Ming’s face flushed, his heart beating wildly as he lowered his head and whispered: “I want to marry her because I want to marry her…”

In short, I like her!

TN: This bit with the Sun family really made me understand that phrase in Chinese novels about not knowing whether to be mad or laugh. How quickly the Sun family picked out all of LFZ’s faults! And the fact that not one of them even remotely considers that she might refused Sun Ming! In some ways, the Sun family is every bit as arrogant as the Lians, just not as greedy and meanspirited. However, I can totally understand the couple finding it awkward. The whole dynamic between wives and the in-laws is one of seniority and respect. Hard to have a daughter-in-law respect you after she was both your boss and gave you money…

Sun Ming, oh Sun Ming, you don’t even have a chance!