Li Menglan smiled and glanced at her own grandfather. After all, he was the head of this household; it was better to wait for him to speak before saying anything herself.
Although Li Fujin found his granddaughter's suggestion strange, the two families were close—especially the two old men, Li Fujin and Old Man Zhang. If outsiders didn't know better, they would think the two were blood brothers! One could see just how deep the bond between the two families ran.
If the family truly had the money... Li Menglan's proposal wasn't unacceptable. After all, the reason the Zhang family was in its current state... was mostly because they had poured everything into treating Lan girl's illness, which had even delayed the Zhang family's son to this day from taking a wife.
Uh... on this point, the Li family all felt quite sorry toward Zhang Wenli.
"Good granddaughter, tell Grandpa what you're thinking." Li Fujin spoke gently. Ever since his granddaughter had recovered from her illness, she had become increasingly full of ideas; the Li family had long since stopped treating her like a child.
"Grandpa, Grandpa Zhang, I've thought it over. Didn't you say that building a nice house only costs a dozen or so taels of silver? The family already had over nine taels; today the dried persimmons earned twenty-six taels, minus the two taels spent today. All together, our family has thirty-five taels of silver."
"And then there's this..." Li Menglan took out a one-hundred-tael silver banknote from the three hundred taels she'd gotten from selling the recipe today, which she had placed elsewhere, and laid it before everyone. "Here's another one hundred taels of silver notes, obtained from selling the braised dish recipe today. Altogether, the family has one hundred thirty-five taels of silver."
Li Menglan had originally planned to take out all three hundred taels of silver notes, but upon second thought... her family were all honest, simple mud-legged peasants, and poor people at that. Too much silver might frighten them. Li Menglan decided to keep the remaining two hundred taels for now; if needed in the future, she could find another excuse to bring them out.
Even so... Li Fujin, Old Man Zhang, Lin Sanniang, Madam Wang, Li Dazhu, Zhang Yuniang, Zhang Wenli... and the two brothers Li Zhiming and Li Zhihao, all turned into statues.
One hundred taels... that was a full one-hundred-tael silver banknote!
Even when the Li and Zhang families were at their wealthiest, they had never laid eyes on a one-hundred-tael silver banknote!
Li Menglan reached out and pushed the one-hundred-tael banknote, together with the twenty-four taels of loose silver Li Dazhu had just taken from his pocket, in front of Li Fujin. "Grandpa, I'll leave all this silver in your care."
Hearing Li Menglan's words, Zhang Yuniang also quickly got up and went inside to bring out the nine taels of silver. "Dad, your daughter-in-law also has the nine taels that their father gave me the day before yesterday; it's also from selling sugar-roasted chestnuts."
"Lan girl, this... so much silver, did you really earn it all?" Old Man Zhang's gaze toward Li Menglan was now completely different.
"That's right! Grandpa Zhang, don't worry. After our family builds the new house, we'll get a little aunt for Little Uncle and bring her home, and have a lively New Year." Li Menglan looked up and gave Zhang Wenli a big, bright smile.
Mm... these were all things she owed them. In the days to come, life would definitely get better and better; Li Menglan firmly believed this. After all, they already had a good start now... bread was had, a house was had... could happiness be far behind?
Li Fujin didn't put away the silver on the table. Instead, he pushed it back in front of Li Menglan and said meaningfully, with hidden implication, "Mm... from now on, our family will have you, good granddaughter, 'be the head of the household'!"
Uh... Li Menglan was dumbfounded. What the heck? With her tiny frame... just a yellow-haired chit of a girl, head of the household... what kind of household head?
Good heavens!
"Dad, our daughter is still young, don't you think..." Zhang Yuniang and Li Dazhu were both startled by this sudden proposal from their father (father-in-law).
Old Man Zhang didn't speak, only thoughtfully glanced at his in-law.
Li Fujin ignored Li Dazhu's words entirely, only smiling as he asked Li Menglan, "Good granddaughter, what do you say? Are you willing to be the head of this household?"
Although Li Menglan was young in years, the soul inside her body was completely that of an adult. She quickly guessed Li Fujin's meaning. "Grandpa, do you mean... that from now on I should think of more ways to earn money? That I should use this silver to make money breed money, right?"
This was the best explanation Li Menglan could think of.
"Exactly! My good granddaughter is getting smarter and smarter. So, are you willing?" Li Fujin had known his granddaughter wasn't foolish. He nodded in satisfaction.
"Grandpa, don't worry. I'll definitely make our family's days get better and better. When the time comes, I'll also find pretty wives for Big Brother and Second Brother."
Li Menglan had originally been somewhat worried that her family was all a bit too honest and simple... Since Li Fujin himself had made such a proposal, Li Menglan went with the flow and seized the opportunity.
"Grandpa, Grandpa Zhang, Grandma Wang, and Little Uncle—they sold off nearly all their fields in Xialiang Village to treat my illness. I was thinking, why not have Grandpa Zhang's family build together with our new house? That way, everyone can earn money together in the future."
Li Menglan had the original owner's memories. She knew that Old Man Zhang's family originally had three to four mu of prime fertile farmland. To treat her illness, they had sold the fat pigs and laying hens they raised, but it still wasn't enough; they had also lost the family's fertile fields.
This was also the main reason the bride's family had broken off the engagement. After all... the people regarded food as their heaven. Without farmland, what could ancient farmers eat? Naturally, they wouldn't agree to marry their daughter to him.
As for why they didn't sell the Li family's own fields?
The Li family's fields were all sandy soil, dry land, and the like—not a single mu of fertile farmland. Why? What else could it be? They had been sold long ago when Li Fujin fell ill!
The Li family basically had no objections to Li Menglan's proposal. The two families were already on good terms; they were in-laws by marriage... moreover, the reason the other family was living in such hardship—wasn't it all for the sake of their own granddaughter (daughter, younger sister)?
On the contrary, Li Menglan's proposal gave everyone a small sense of anticipation, wondering how this big family's days would go in the future.
Old Man Zhang frowned, wanting to say something.
Li Menglan affectionately took Old Man Zhang's hand and said, "Grandpa Zhang, don't rush to refuse my proposal. First listen to me finish speaking, and see if what Lan'er says makes sense."
"Old man, just listen to what Lan girl has to say! Listen to what she says. If you think what she says has no reason, you can refuse then, and it won't be too late." Grandma Wang couldn't withstand her granddaughter's pleading gaze and spoke up to help.
"Grandpa Zhang, you and Grandma Wang only have two children—my mother and Little Uncle. My paternal grandparents only had my father. Neither of our two families has a complicated household. Living close together, living together, makes it easier to help each other." Li Menglan thought for a moment and said.
These words caused Old Man Zhang and Grandma Wang to nod simultaneously. Even Li Fujin and Lin Sanniang's gazes toward Li Menglan grew increasingly doting.
"Grandpa Zhang, the ways Lan'er found to earn money are all related to Crooked Neck Mountain in Shangliang Village. If you, Grandma, and Little Uncle all move to Shangliang Village, our two families can earn money together. Once we have money, we'll help Little Uncle marry a pretty and capable little aunt. In less than a year... perhaps Grandpa can even hold a big, plump grandson."
Li Menglan's final words clearly moved Old Man Zhang. That's right! His son wasn't young anymore. Others his age had already become fathers.
Given their family's current circumstances, presumably no one would be willing to marry their daughter into their family. Thus... Old Man Zhang fell silent.
In this debate between the Li and Zhang families, Li Menglan achieved a complete victory!