Disaster Apocalypse: Farming, Family, and My Hidden Secret Space-Chapter 513: Coming to Terms

Old Lady Hua and her daughter-in-law carefully discussed and then crossed out two people.

"Alright, then I’ll arrange a day for Jin’er to meet them."

Actually, normally, as long as both parents think it’s good, the main parties don’t really need to meet. All that’s needed is to agree on the betrothal gifts, exchange the birthdate characters, and set a date; then the marriage is considered settled.

But the village chief’s granddaughter is too popular; there are too many suitors. Besides, Hua Jin is known as the little darling of Hua Village, cherished like a flower. Such an important matter as marriage naturally takes into account the child’s wishes and lets the child decide for herself.

Of course, the meeting Mrs. Sun mentioned is not a face-to-face meeting. If it doesn’t work out, running into each other in the village would be quite awkward. It’s more like the way the Yun Ao brothers’ marriage was handled before, except this time it’s the elders who will switch places with Hua Jin.

After Mrs. Sun left, Old Lady Hua and Mrs. Qi turned and entered Hua Jin’s room.

When Hua Jin was informed by her grandmother and mother that she would soon start matchmaking, she was immediately flustered.

Especially when she heard that long list of names, she felt even worse. Although it was meant to be done secretly and agreed that her grandmother and mother would be in charge, when the day actually arrived, Hua Jin hesitated.

The main thing was that she hadn’t seen any of the young men in the village, so it really wasn’t necessary.

So she quickly spoke up, since Mrs. Sun had just left and there was still time.

"Grandma, mother, can we simplify it a bit more? Besides, there’s really no need to meet in private, I’ve seen all the young men in our village."

Old Lady Hua and her daughter-in-law exchanged a look and then nodded.

To them, as long as the child didn’t have an aversion to marriage, anything was fine as long as she was willing.

"Alright, we’ll do as you say. Have you decided who to keep?" Then, Old Lady Hua repeated the list, particularly emphasizing the few they had high hopes for, including Liu Wu’s third son.

He’s also a decent lad, not only handsome but also strong and robust. Most importantly, he has many brothers, so discussing his joining their family isn’t out of the question. Moreover, having a son-in-law join the Hua family doesn’t necessarily mean taking on the Hua surname. It’s just that the child grew up under their care, and they couldn’t bear the thought of her leaving and becoming part of another family.

Of course, joining their family isn’t a must; everything hinges on the child’s willingness.

To be honest, Hua Jin did feel a bit embarrassed; it was almost like the emperor selecting concubines.

But she had already figured it out. Since she was in this era, it was impossible to be as carefree as before. If she had to choose, she certainly wanted to choose someone she liked, or at least didn’t dislike.

She ran these names through her mind, and when she got to Luo Song, his handsome face and the things he had said unconsciously appeared before her.

Honestly, to say there wasn’t even a little excitement would be a lie, but it was just a little.

By the time she got to Qin Shu, Hua Jian was no longer shocked by what her grandmother had been talking about, just a bit unsure that Brother Qin Shu might also have feelings for her.

Both Qin Shu and Luo Song were excellent young men with their own merits. One was reborn, the other a pure scholar. It was hard to say who would be more successful in the future.

The saying goes, "All trades and occupations are inferior, only reading is superior." For commoners to rise in the world, studying was the only way. If one really passed as the top scholar, it could change a family’s standing, even benefiting the whole clan. Who could know if, after peace and stability in the land, Qin Shu wouldn’t soar to great heights?

However, thinking of Qin Shu’s three brothers, the bit of interest Hua Jin had evaporated. Qin Shu indeed was a very suitable husband, but having too many brothers meant trouble.

Though Uncle Qin and Auntie were both honest and straightforward, not the type to burden a daughter-in-law, Hua Jin believed that wherever she married, nobody would dare torment her. But having many brothers meant more complications, and her two aunts’ families were prime examples. Hua Jin hated trouble, so she quickly skipped over him.

Yet, Sun Si stirred just a little interest in Hua Jin. Like Luo Song, he had a simple family, just a father and a sister; marrying into his family meant not worrying about messy affairs.

...Wait a minute, Hua Jin’s eyes squinted as she suddenly realized a problem. Why was she comparing everyone to Luo Song?

Hua Jin was suddenly flustered.

So after all the deliberation, subconsciously she still felt that Luo Song’s family was the simplest. Most importantly, that fellow had a good look, and she was a superficial person who liked attractive ones, so what else was there to choose?

Hua Jin couldn’t help but laugh; she had only just realized this problem.

"What’s the matter?"

Why did she suddenly laugh? Old Lady Hua and Mrs. Qi looked at each other, puzzled by Hua Jin’s reaction.

"Grandma, please go to Mrs. Sun first and ask her not to rush the arrangements until I get back."

"What’s the matter?" Old Lady Hua felt there was something going on.

"It’s nothing, I just realized something all of a sudden, but I need to confirm it. We’ll talk about it when I get back. Grandma, just go, please!" Hua Jin pleaded playfully.

Old Lady Hua couldn’t resist her beloved granddaughter’s acting coy, and immediately agreed.

"Alright, alright, grandma will go right now. You win," she said, casting a reproachful look at her granddaughter and hurriedly setting off to the Sun household.

As she walked quickly, she hoped that Mrs. Sun wouldn’t be too fast.

"Jin’er, what did you figure out?" Mrs. Qi was also filled with curiosity as she looked at her daughter.

"Mother, I’ll definitely tell you and grandma when I get back, but right now I have some business to attend to outside. We’ll talk when I return!" Hua Jin blinked at her mother, then gently pushed her out of the room. "Mother, I need to change my clothes, please go out first."

"This kid, being so secretive," Mrs. Qi stood at the door, looking at the closed door, feeling helpless with her daughter, then went off to play with her grandson.

Hua Jin changed out of her home clothes, reaching for the casual wear she usually wore, but paused and finally reached for a dress she hadn’t worn in years, choosing one with a not-so-bright color.

Standing beside the mirror, Hua Jin spun around, marveling. A monk relies on his appearance, just like people rely on clothes. Simply changing her attire made her whole demeanor completely different.

Now, she was tall and slender with a waist as delicate as a willow, skin as creamy as jade. A slight smile made her appear as radiant as a peach blossom, bewitching enough to make sink into those alluring eyes. When the smile faded, there was an untouchable elegance and aloofness, dignified and noble beyond reproach.

It had been a long time since Hua Jin had looked into the mirror, and she was startled by her own reflection. This was just from changing clothes. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

It seemed her decision to dress as a man daily was the right one. She was born into a good family; otherwise, in this chaotic world, having no means to protect herself yet possessing a good appearance would be more a curse than a blessing.

Grateful for her ability to protect herself, Hua Jin snapped back to reality and continued to tidy up. With a change of outfit, she couldn’t just tie her hair back into a ponytail like before, which wouldn’t match her clothes.

She styled her hair into a simple bun, then rummaged through her make-up box until her eyes settled on a red jade hairpin. Her eyes flickered briefly before reaching for it and fixing it solidly in her bun, she left the house with a simple face.