Chapter 349: Chapter 349: Agreeing
Peidi cried uncontrollably, grasping Peiying’s hand and pleading, "Yingzi, please help me."
"I, I guess I could go talk to my dad," Peiying thought aloud, hoping he’d intervene with their Third Uncle.
Peidi shook her head, "It’s no use. Dad won’t listen. Do you remember when I was ten? I failed to keep an eye on Xiao Si, and he cracked his head open. Dad and Mom beat me with a tree branch until I bled from my face; they didn’t stop even when Big Uncle came and tried to calm them. Once he left, they hit me even harder. Mom... she said Big Uncle was meddling and she’d punish her own children however she wanted... I then passed out and started running a high fever... If you hadn’t brought me medicine, I might not have made it... Big Uncle can’t sway Mom and Dad, and my elder brother is already approaching eighteen; Mom is already eyeing potential brides for him. He wanted someone educated, but Mom complained that educated girls demand a bigger dowry. Still, when he declared he’d remain a bachelor otherwise, she relented and agreed to look for an educated bride for him... They say that kind demands—for instance, Sister Chunhong from the Chen family at the village entrance—is asking for a dowry of US$300... That’s why Mom plans to marry me off to get those US$300 for my brother’s bride..."
Peiying was stunned and murmured, "Then, what do we do? If you marry off like this, it won’t sound good for anyone. Don’t Third Uncle and Third Aunt care? And if your brother gets married, he’ll be mocked as well..."
Peidi shook her head again, "Mom doesn’t care about such things. When I was seven, I still wet the bed and Mom never covered for me in front of outsiders. All my peers laughed at me... You know all about this... There’s more..."
"Then, someone has to help you find a better match, at least a single young man for a first marriage, and negotiate the dowry up to US$300."
"Yingzi, do you think such people exist? Around here, a dowry of one hundred yuan is already sky-high. I remember your sister’s dowry wasn’t even two hundred, right? Even Minmin, who is so beautiful, couldn’t get a dowry of two hundred yuan. So, someone like me... unless..." Peidi glanced at Peiying with a certain sparkle in her eyes, then hesitated.
Peiying was anxious and pressed, "Unless what? What’s so hard to say?"
Peidi looked down, "Yingzi, I... I’m too ashamed to say it out loud."
"Out with it then."
"Yingzi, I’m sorry..." Peidi lifted her head, struggling to hide her shame, "Yingzi, can you, can you give up that match from this morning, for me?" Tears fell as she spoke and then covered her face, "Sorry... I, I don’t want to do this, but, but I have no choice... Yingzi, can you just help me, please?"
Peiying was taken aback, never having expected such a request. She was too shocked to find her voice for a moment.
Meanwhile, Peidi continued, "Yingzi, I know it’s wrong, but... but if I really marry that old man, I... I’d rather die..."
Peiying subconsciously held her hand, "Don’t... Peidi, I don’t know... I have to ask Mom, and I don’t know if she’ll agree. You know Mom always has her own ideas, and whatever she says, it’s always right..." Inside, she felt reluctant, but she couldn’t bear to let her cousin die; she was terribly conflicted and didn’t know what to do.
Peidi wiped her tears away and gave a laugh, "Yingzi, does that mean you agree? I know you’re the best. I’ll never forget this huge favor, and I’ll repay you one day... But will our aunt agree? I think she won’t, after all, the Yu Family is from the city, and I’m just her niece, not her daughter. She’ll definitely side with you... Yingzi, can you, can you help me again? Just tell our aunt that you don’t like the guy from the Yu Family, that you won’t marry him... If you insist like that, I think, I think even Mom won’t be able to force you... Then, I’ll beg our Second Aunt to speak to my mom, to get the Yu Family to reconsider..."
Peiying, seeing her joy, didn’t know how to voice her refusal and just shook her head, "Peidi, I... I can’t talk back to Mom, you know I’m not good with words..."
Peidi looked at her in surprise, "Yingzi, are you... are you disagreeing?"
"What about the Yu Family, would they agree?"
"Wasn’t it Sister Xiao Yun who introduced us? I think he will consider her in-laws’ feelings, and since we’re both her cousins and similar in standing, he probably won’t mind. Don’t worry... Yingzi, as long as you agree, leave the rest to me. I’ll beg Second Aunt until she agrees..."
Peiying opened her mouth to deny but couldn’t bring herself to speak.
Peidi, seeing her hesitation, began to cry again, "Yingzi, if you don’t help me, nobody will. We were best friends as kids. Remember when your sister wore out your cotton shoes, and you were afraid of getting scolded by our aunt for not taking care, it was me who secretly mended them for you, and then I got punished by my mom for not feeding the pigs on time... Another time, you said you liked the pickles we made, so I sneaked some out for you, and I got a beating when my mom found out... Yingzi, I’m begging you." She fell to her knees as she spoke.
Panicked, Peiying hurried to lift her up, "No, no, don’t do this, Sister Peidi... I promise, okay?..." She ended up crying too.
Afterward, Peidi embraced Peiying and they both cried together, "Yingzi, I’m so sorry..."
Later, when Peidi saw her out, she didn’t forget to remind her, "Yingzi, when you get back, tell our aunt, okay? I’ll be waiting for your news. We can’t delay, or else if Mom receives the dowry, it’ll be too late..."
Peiying nodded absentmindedly, trudging back home with a heavy heart.