Chapter 29: The Envied Nan Jinping, Soon to Marry into the Bing Family: Her Heart…

Chapter 29: Nan Jinping, who is about to marry into the Bing family, is the envy of the villagers...

The Bing family's blue-brick and tile-roofed house was completed, turning it into a must-visit spot in the village. Villagers took turns visiting the Bing family, with people coming and going every day.

Bing Wengu couldn't care less about these visitors and didn't bother to greet them. He stayed in his room studying, and no one dared to disturb him. Even if someone clueless tried to enter, they were turned away by the Bing family.

Bing Wengu didn't care about the villagers, but Nan Jinping was his heart's treasure.

Bing Wengu eagerly ran to the Nan family to find Nan Jinping, "Jin Geer, our house is all built. Do you want to come and see? If there's anything you don't like, just say so, and I'll have them change it."

Nan Jinping blushed furiously at the words "our house." They weren't even married yet, and Bing Wengu was already talking like this—wasn't that a bit too forward?

However, deep down, Nan Jinping wasn't disgusted but filled with joy. It showed that Bing Wengu truly cared for him and that his future plans always included him.

"I've already seen it," Nan Jinping said. When the Bing family was building the house, the Nan family men had helped, and Nan Jinping had taken every opportunity to visit. In fact, the Bing family's house was practically built under his watchful eyes.

At the time, Nan Jinping had wanted to help out too. He was no stranger to such work, being a mainstay at home. But the Nan family thought it would be too forward for a Shuang Er to help at his fiancé's house before they were married, so they stopped him.

Of course, Bing Wengu didn't know about this, and even if he had, he wouldn't have agreed.

During the construction, Bing Wengu had frequently asked for Nan Jinping's opinions, and whatever Nan Jinping suggested, Bing Wengu had the builders follow. It was as if Nan Jinping were the one footing the bill.

"The house is finished, and we've moved things in, but you haven't seen it yet. Now our room is filled with new furniture. Come and take a look. If there's anything you don't like, I can change it right away," Bing Wengu coaxed shamelessly. Around Nan Jinping, Bing Wengu was like a devoted puppy.

Nan Jinping glanced at Bing Wengu, his ears turning red at the words "our room." "Alright," he said.

As Nan Jinping entered the Bing family's house, he saw villagers touring the place as if it were some famous landmark.

Madam Liang, Old Man Liang, and the rest of the Bing family warmly greeted Nan Jinping as he entered.

The villagers also looked at Nan Jinping with envy. For the first time, there was no pity, disdain, or mockery in their eyes—just pure admiration.

From time to time, villagers would exclaim in awe, "This blue-brick and tile-roofed house is really something!"

"I've seen wealthy families in town with houses like this."

"But I think the Bing family's house is even more impressive. It feels like it's a cut above the rest."

Nan Jinping noticed the village chief among the crowd, also marveling at the house.

Nan Jinping couldn't help feeling a bit proud. This would soon be his home. The house they all admired and longed for would soon be his to live in every day, to walk through freely.

Bing Wengu noticed his little husband's proud look and felt proud too. He knew his husband would love it.

"By the way, why haven't I seen Bing Silang?" Nan Jinping noticed that almost all the Bing family members were there, including the youngest, Bing Wulang and Bing Sanniang, who were busy showing off. But Bing Silang, who loved to show off the most, was nowhere to be seen.

Bing Wengu chuckled, "He's probably too embarrassed to show his face and is hiding out somewhere."

Nan Jinping then remembered the embarrassing incident Bing Silang had caused in the village and couldn't help but laugh.

"Speaking of which, why did Bing Silang do that in the first place? The villagers are saying he must have lost his mind with joy. Some troublemakers are even saying he really ate that... thing," Nan Jinping said, too embarrassed to say the word.

"He just needed to be put in his place," Bing Wengu explained, recounting how Bing Silang had challenged him.

Nan Jinping looked at Bing Wengu, "I didn't know you could be so petty. Why aren't you like this with me?"

Bing Wengu immediately pledged his loyalty, "You're nothing like that scoundrel. You're my husband. Whatever you say, right or wrong, it's always right. As for Bing Silang, he just needed to be disciplined. A few lessons, and he'll straighten up."

"You're such a charmer," Nan Jinping said, not understanding how Bing Wengu could talk like that without feeling ashamed. Didn't he feel ashamed to talk like that?

The men in the village are quite patriarchal. If they can't control their wives or husbands at home, they will be criticized behind their backs.

"Husband..." Bing Wengu almost blurted out in his excitement, quickly correcting himself, "Jin Geer, come check out my room. I finally have my own space."

"Mm," Nan Jinping replied softly.

Bing Wengu noticed that Nan Jinping's ears and neck turned red, as if on fire, realizing that Nan Jinping had heard his near slip of the tongue.

Bing Wengu's room was neither too big nor too small, about thirty square meters. In the village, bedrooms usually ranged from twelve to twenty square meters.

By the window, there was a traditional heated kang (a traditional heated bed) measuring two meters in length and one point eight meters in width, with two newly made clothing trunks placed side by side at the corner.

A desk stood in the middle of the floor with writing brushes, ink, paper, and an inkstone, along with a book Bing Wengu had been reading, left open.

Inside the desk, two scholar's chairs were placed side by side. These chairs were a favorite among scholarly families, believed to bring good luck.

On the left wall stood a bookshelf. The books that had been stored in boxes by the previous owner were now neatly arranged on the shelf by Bing Wengu. Unfortunately, there were still too few books, only filling two shelves, leaving the lower ones empty.

Two round stools sat a few steps from the bookshelf, with a small table in between. The table was small but perfect for a book or a cup of tea.

Near the window, there was a plant stand, which should have held a vase with flowers. However, the Bing family lacked such refined items, so it remained empty.

To Bing Wengu, the room's setup seemed quite modest, not as luxurious as even the bathroom in his interstellar home.

"It's a bit modest, but it's okay. We'll gradually add more after you join the family," Bing Wengu said.

Nan Jinping glanced at Bing Wengu, "This is pretty fancy already. At home, I don't even have my own room. Even you, before this house was built, shared a room with Si Lang and the others, right?"

"That's true."

"Wouldn't building it this way use up a lot of firewood?" As a child raised in the village, Nan Jinping's first consideration was practicality.

Folks around here don't make their bedrooms too big, partly because larger areas increase construction costs, and also because larger rooms are harder to heat in winter, and firewood costs money. Many people have frozen to death in winter.

"The heated floors, wall heating, and the kang in our house are all separate. We can heat just one area, but it does use a bit more firewood than most homes here," Bing Wengu explained.

Bing Wengu was about to keep talking with Nan Jinping when he heard someone calling Nan Jinping's name outside the window. Looking up, it was Miao Shi.

"My mom's calling me, gotta run," Nan Jinping said, seeing Miao Shi and rushing out like a mouse seeing a cat.

"Let me walk you home," Bing Wengu immediately followed.

But Miao Shi wasn't having it this time. She walked ahead with Nan Jinping, and Bing Wengu followed closely behind, ignoring Miao Shi's attempts to send him back.

Indeed, Nan Jinping kept sneaking glances back at him.

Bing Wengu walked them all the way to the Nan family's doorstep, only stopping when he saw Nan Jinping follow Miao Shi inside. Right before stepping inside, Nan Jinping looked back at Bing Wengu, making him feel all giddy inside, thinking that his little husband didn't want to part with him either.

Inside, Miao Shi said to Nan Jinping, "Didn't I tell you to stop going over to the Bing family so much lately? You just wouldn't listen. The other day, when your father and the others were helping the Bing family build the house, you went over there enough times. Now the village gossip is spreading again, saying you're not reserved, eager to marry."

Nan Jinping lowered his head and whispered, "There's already plenty of gossip about me in the village."

"So you're just going to be shameless about it?" Miao Shi said angrily, "I don't care, you're not allowed to go to the Bing family these days."

She then scolded Bing Wengu, "That Bing Dalang is also too impatient. The wedding is almost here, can't he wait a few more days? Clearly, he's the one always initiating things, but the villagers seem blind, only blaming you. It's Bing Dalang who's shameless!"

Many villagers admired the Bing family's heated floors and walls, wanting to build the same in their own homes. However, constructing these required renovating the floors and walls, which would cost a lot. If the whole family were to renovate, they could build several rooms with that money.

Moreover, these features consume a lot of firewood. In village homes, the kang is usually connected to the stove, heating up while cooking.

But the Bing family's setup is different; the fire wall and the heated floor are not connected to the stove, and there are separate flues that require specific burning.

Most villagers can't afford this and can only envy in secret.

At this moment, almost everyone's attention is focused on the Bing family, and suddenly they realize how good Bing Wengu's conditions are.

A scholar, cultured, gentle and refined—though perhaps the last trait can be omitted, as Bing Wengu doesn't carry the elegance of a scholar but rather has a rogue-like charm.

Now that the Bing family has money, with seven large tiled houses, it's quite a sight.

Thus, the villagers' opinions have shifted once more, saying that Nan Jinping, an old bachelor that no man wants, is not worthy of Bing Wengu.

Some families with eligible young ladies have started to stir, holding back as women are expected to be reserved, and have secretly asked close female relatives to propose to the Bing family.

At this time, only three days away from the wedding of Bing Wengu and Nan Jinping, Liang Shi, along with the Bing family, has already started preparing the meat and vegetables needed for the wedding feast, completely unaware that some are already plotting.

The first to have such thoughts was Cong Shi.

This Cong Shi is the sister-in-law of Bing ErNiang's husband's family, living with Bing ErNiang, and she was the first to notice the changes in the Bing family.

Now even her mother-in-law, Jiang Shi, is pleasant to Bing ErNiang, not daring to scold her lightly.

Remember when Bing DaNiang divorced, Jiang Shi was quite cutting, saying that after some time, Bing ErNiang should go home and persuade Bing's father and Liang Shi to not overdo their pride, lest the Sun family really abandon Bing DaNiang. What would they do then?

But just two days after these words were spoken, the Bing family built a large brick-tiled house, and since then, Jiang Shi has never brought up Bing DaNiang again.

One day, while working together, the second sister-in-law Cong Shi, who had long harbored thoughts, said to Bing ErNiang, "I heard that your elder brother's fiancé is a Shuang Er? Your elder brother, after all, is a scholar; marrying a Xiao Geer is too demeaning."

Her sister-in-law's family is now truly wealthy, having not only repaid their debts but also being able to build a large brick-tiled house, a condition unmatched in the surrounding villages.

Cong Shi then thought of matchmaking her youngest sister. Her youngest sister is already 16, the right age for marriage. Several families have proposed, but none met her family's standards.

Previously, the Bing family was too poor to match her family. Now that the Bing family's fortunes have risen, it seems a suitable match.

Moreover, Bing Da Lang is a scholar, gentle and polite. Even if there are quarrels, it would just be a few words, certainly not like the village men who resort to violence.

Cong Shi thought more and more that Bing Da Lang was a good match and said, "Third sister-in-law, what do you think of my youngest sister? You've seen her, a graceful and beautiful young lady, a perfect match for your elder brother."

Bing ErNiang privately felt it was a pity for her brother to marry a Xiao Geer, but since Bing Wengu was engaged, and the family didn't ask for her opinion, only informing her after setting the date, it was clear her input wasn't needed.

"The engagement is set, we can't just break it off," Bing ErNiang evasively replied.

The fourth sister-in-law added, "Why don't you go back to your family tonight and ask? Second sister-in-law's youngest sister is quite good, after all, a young lady is better than a Xiao Geer. Your elder brother marrying a Xiao Geer doesn't look good for us sisters-in-law, and it might even affect the marriages of our children."

Bing ErNiang hesitated, "I dare not walk at night."

The sisters-in-law tried to persuade further, but Bing ErLang wouldn't listen and went into the kitchen to cook.

Cong Shi stomped her foot in frustration, at a loss.

At night, Cong Shi tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep, thinking more and more that she couldn't let Bing Wengu, this good son-in-law, slip away. Not to mention, the Bing family's large brick-tiled house is unmatched in the surrounding villages. Her youngest sister couldn't find such conditions marrying into any other family.

Seeing that Bing Wengu and Nan Jinping are about to marry, if she doesn't seize the opportunity now, it will truly be gone. Frustrated that she couldn't persuade Bing ErNiang, Cong Shi decided to directly bring her youngest sister to propose.