Fang Pingying saw that Zhou Yunmei was silent, so she continued the previous conversation, "Zhiyong and I were also planning to find an opportunity to give you a call to talk about this matter, or to find a chance for you to meet Chen Jie. But since Zhiyong didn’t have leave for the New Year and had no time to come back, it kept getting postponed." There was a pause before Fang Pingying added, "This time, Zhiyong couldn’t make it either because the army was conducting military exercises elsewhere. So, I came back with Chen Jie to discuss the matter of Hong Lan and Chen Jie with you." Fang Pingying didn’t mention that she came back because of Luo Honglan’s issue. Otherwise, if Zhou Yunmei knew it was Xiao Fang who had called her, it would probably lead to trouble at Xiao Fang’s house. But it was strange that Zhou Yunmei and the others did not ask who tipped off Fang Pingying. "I understand now," Luo Dashan said after hearing Fang Pingying’s words. He glanced at Chen Jie, silently took a few puffs of his dry pipe, and finally said to Fang Pingying, "But Pingying, I’ll be frank with you. When Hong Lan was locked up, she also mentioned Chen Jie. The reason I disagree is because Chen Jie’s house is too far from ours. If she really marries and goes there, we, as parents, would be worried. So, we still prefer to marry her off to someone nearby, at least we can keep an eye on her." Luo Dashan’s words were directed at Fang Pingying, but actually, he said them for Chen Jie to hear. Chen Jie, a clever boy, immediately stood up with a serious face and promised Luo Dashan, "Uncle, if you give Hong Lan to me, I won’t let her suffer the slightest grievance." After finishing, he paused, as if afraid that Luo Dashan wouldn’t believe him, and quickly added, "Just like Camp Chief Luo, I plan to serve in the army for a lifetime. I will take Hong Lan to live with me in the army. My family has their own business, we all have good lives. They won’t interfere with us, and Hong Lan will not be bullied." "This is..." Upon hearing this, Luo Dashan hesitated. If it was really like that, it would be very good, even better than Li Shunbai’s family. First of all, the young man is his son’s comrade-in-arms, and his character must be trustworthy. Otherwise, Fang Pingying and Luo Zhiyong would not have allowed him to be with Hong Lan. At this moment, in the rural areas, being in the army is considered a good job, with high pay and job security, bringing honor when mentioned. Furthermore, if Hong Lan really does follow this young man to live in the army, it would mean she wouldn’t have any mother-in-law issues. Given her temperament, that would be better than best. However, Luo Dashan was still somewhat concerned; whether the situation was as good as the young man had described was still met with some hesitation, and he remained silent. But Zhou Yunmei and Xu He, after hearing Chen Jie mention that his family lives comfortably, their eyes lit up. Xu He immediately signaled Zhou Yunmei with her eyes. Zhou Yunmei nodded, then asked Chen Jie, "What do your parents do?" Chen Jie honestly replied, "My house is not far from the provincial city. My parents run a small business in their county. We have no worry about food or clothing." In fact, as soon as Xu He and Zhou Yunmei heard that Chen Jie’s family was in business in the county, both of them felt ecstatic, like their daughter had snagged a big fish - an indescribable excitement. But Xu He, that little schemer, thought more realistically and quickly. Although she was extremely happy inside, she pretended to look down on it a bit and said, "They just run a small business, huh." Then, she deliberately lowered her voice to Zhou Yunmei, "Mom, I think Shunbai’s side is more reliable. At least when we asked for a bride price of US$ 500 and the four vegetable dishes and one loud firecracker, they agreed immediately." Even though they were whispering, their voices were loud enough for everyone in the yard to hear, especially when they pointed out the betrothal gifts and bride price, revealing the true nature of a green tea bitch. Upon hearing this, Chen Jie blurted out, "I also..." Fang Pingying knew what Chen Jie wanted to say. US$ 500 and the firecrackers weren’t a problem for Chen Jie’s family at all. Given how well Chen Jie treated Luo Honglan, he would be willing to offer more gifts. But Fang Pingying was unwilling to let her family be squeezed further by Zhou Yunmei and the others, and she didn’t want Chen Jie’s family to suffer the same fate after Luo Honglan married Chen Jie. She purposely gave a loud cough, interrupting what Chen Jie was about to say. Then, frowning, she looked at Luo Dashan and said, "Dad, we are marrying off a daughter, not selling one. It can’t be about who offers the highest price. What’s important is that Hong Lan likes him." Luo Dashan nodded; he himself never thought about gaining anything from marrying off his daughter. He truly just wanted his daughter to find someone who would treat her well. But before Luo Dashan had a chance to speak, Zhou Yunmei snorted disdainfully, "Drop it, what use is liking anyway? After a while, everyone is the same. In the end, it’s just a man and a woman living life together." Hearing this, Fang Pingying slightly frowned and, not bothering to argue with Zhou Yunmei, directly addressed Luo Dashan, "Dad, who is actually making the decisions in this household?" Fang Pingying still saw that Luo Dashan had a say in the matter of Luo Honglan’s marriage. As long as he spoke up, Zhou Yunmei and the others wouldn’t dare to do much. But no sooner had Fang Pingying finished speaking than Xu He made a face and retorted, "As if you could make the decision?" ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ novel_fіre.net "It’s not your place to decide either." Fang Pingying glanced at her indifferently before turning to Luo Honglan, "Hong Lan, you tell us, what do you want to do?" Fang Pingying saw Luo Honglan still looking scared and even didn’t dare to resist being locked up by Zhou Yunmei; she was beyond frustrated. How could one be so excessively meek? If they hadn’t come, she would have been forced to marry Li Shunbai. And now, with both Chen Jie and herself supporting her, she was still silent. Fang Pingying frowned and pressed her, "Hong Lan, this concerns your future happiness. If you don’t speak up now, you can’t blame your sister-in-law later if you’re unhappy. Your sister-in-law has done her best. It’s up to you now." "Right, Hong Lan, speak up for yourself," Luo Dashan added upon hearing this, also sighing, "In the end, you’re the one getting married. I think both options are good, so I’ll let you choose. Whether it’s the right or wrong choice, don’t blame me, your father, later on." Luo Honglan looked up at the people in the room and, finally making up her mind, stepped towards Chen Jie and Fang Pingying, saying, "Sister-in-law, I won’t marry Li Shunbai. I want to be with..." Seeing Chen Jie beside her, Luo Honglan’s face turned red, and she got embarrassed, so she changed what she was about to say, "I’ll go with you guys to the provincial city this time. If worse comes to worst, I won’t come back. I don’t need my mom and my elder brother and sister-in-law to interfere with whom I marry. They don’t need to come looking for me anymore either. During the time I’ve been working, I’ve already given them quite a bit of money. I don’t owe them anything." "But my dad, if he needs me for anything in the future, I will still help out. I’m done dealing with the others though," Luo Honglan said, pointing angrily at Zhou Yunmei, Xu He, and Luo Zhiming.