"They want the 'three turns and one sound' and a 500 yuan betrothal gift. Are they sincerely trying to marry off their Daughter? They are clearly making things difficult for us, trying to make us back down! I think we should forget about this marriage."
"But our Son likes that girl, and he said he won't marry anyone else. He's our only Son. And that girl isn't bad either; she's a bit thin, but she's a teacher in the Town and eats commercial grain with her salary..."
"The problem now isn't whether that girl's conditions are good or not, it's that our family simply can't come up with what they want and the betrothal gift! Even if you dismantle and sell my old bones, you couldn't get the 'three turns and one sound' and 500 yuan betrothal gift they want!"
"Things like this can definitely be discussed. I heard Lin Xiaoxia's younger brother is learning to hunt with Old Qiu recently and doesn't have a hunting rifle yet. How about we take our family's hunting rifle and talk to them properly? If we reach an agreement, we'll give them the hunting rifle?"
"Hunting rifle?! You might as well just dismantle my old bones!"
"You stubborn fool, you can't hunt anymore anyway. That gun is just collecting dust. Giving it away gives us hope of completing our Son's marriage. Why do you still disagree?"
"Only you are capable, your brain works fast. If it weren't for you spoiling our Son like that, would it be so hard to find him a wife?"
"......"
Shi Lin sat on the kang, somewhat dazed, listening to the sound of his parents arguing in the main room.
Who would have thought that while patrolling the mountain, his foot would trip on something, and then everything went black, only for him to open his eyes and find he had been reborn!
Looking at the calendar on the wall, it should be October 25, 1984, right now.
At this time, he was only 21 years old, and his Lao Die and Mother were worrying and arguing because he hadn't been able to find a wife.
This kind of thing happened frequently in his memory, from the time he graduated from high school at 17 until he was 35, nearly 20 years. He had heard it so much his ears were practically calloused.
Hearing it again now, he suddenly felt a long-lost sense of happiness.
Days with parents who care and nag are truly wonderful!
In his previous life, after he was 35, his parents stopped arguing, not because he had found a wife, but because his Lao Die was too tired to argue anymore and passed away.
After that, his Mother, perhaps because there was no one to argue with, also aged rapidly and followed his Lao Die the following year.
As for Shi Lin, it truly came true that he would "not marry anyone else but her." Until he was 61 before his rebirth, he remained a solitary person.
Of course, the reason he didn't marry wasn't due to deep affection, but because he truly couldn't find a wife.
No money, no background, and a notorious lazy bum, who would be willing to marry him?
When he was young, if he was interested in marrying someone, once the other person and their parents inquired about his situation, they were basically unwilling.
In his Middle-aged man years, besides the reasons from the other person and their parents, there were many cases where the other person's husband was unwilling...
Later, when he was old, working as a forest ranger in the mountains, he basically didn't see women and didn't have much thought about finding a wife. Looking at the female Bodhisattvas online every day on his phone was quite good.
In his free time, he also often read various novels and watched movies and TV shows, so he wasn't completely unfamiliar with rebirth, but he never expected such a good thing to happen to him.
Feeling his young body, Shi Lin was in a good mood.
Starting over in this life, he had the memories of forty years from the future. Living a good life wouldn't be too difficult.
Just like CEO Lei said, as long as you stand on the wind vent, even a Wild Boar can fly!
However, before he could even start his grand plans, his parents' "battle" spread over to him.
Mother Ye Meihui walked into the room and asked Shi Lin:
"Son, you tell me, I said I want to give the hunting rifle to the Lin Family's younger Son and talk to the Lin Family properly about your marriage with Xiaoxia. Your Lao Die said he wants to keep the hunting rifle for you to use. What do you think?"
From her perspective, asking her Son would definitely mean he was on her side.
After all, Shi Lin never went into the mountains, so a hunting rifle was useless to him. Moreover, he liked Lin Xiaoxia so much and insisted on marrying only her. How could he possibly disagree?
Clearly, Lao Die Shi Zhengang also felt the same way. Leaning on his crutch, he added discontentedly from the side:
"I said I wanted to leave the hunting rifle for future generations, but I didn't say I would give it to this scoundrel."
"If our Son can't find a wife, our family line will end here. Where will we find future generations?"
Ye Meihui rolled her eyes and retorted habitually.
This was also something she always used to keep Shi Zhengang in line.
There was nothing they could do. In this era where every family wanted a Son to carry on the family line, Shi Lin was their only Son. If they didn't give their family's things to him, who else could they give them to?
You should know that Shi Lin was their precious younger Son, born only after they had five daughters.
Even though Old Shi kept scolding Shi Lin, he was still biased towards this younger Son in his actions.
The fact that the two of them could come into the room to ask for Shi Lin's opinion basically meant that Old Shi Comrade had agreed to give away his beloved hunting rifle.
However, what Old Ye and Lao Shi hadn't expected was that their Son, this time, went against the norm and objected!
And said with a serious expression:
"Even if you give the hunting rifle to Lin Xiaoqiang, Lin Xiaoxia won't marry me. She's a woman who wants to live in the city; the countryside can't keep her."
"Let's keep the hunting rifle. Lao Die's leg is injured and he can't go into the mountains. I'll go hunting from now on, and I'll earn money to support the family."
"Don't worry about finding a wife; I'll find one myself."
Ah?!
Hearing Shi Lin's words, Shi Zhengang and Ye Meihui both had expressions like they had "seen a ghost."
Could these words really come out of their Son's mouth?
Didn't he just yesterday loudly declare that he wouldn't marry anyone but Lin Xiaoxia? Why did he change his mind today?
And what did he just say? He wants to go into the mountains to hunt? He wants to earn money to support the family?
This... the sun didn't rise from the west today, did it?
"Son, did you catch a cold last night?"
Ye Meihui said, reaching out to touch Shi Lin's forehead, her face full of surprise, "It's not hot. Why do you seem delirious from a fever?"
Beside him, Old Shi Comrade frowned and thought for a moment, then suddenly said angrily:
"You scoundrel, are you trying to use the excuse of going into the mountains to hunt to trick me out of my gun and sell it for money? Don't even think about it! I'd burn it as firewood before giving it to you!"
Shi Lin had previously tried to sell his hunting rifle for money multiple times. Now, hearing Shi Lin's words, Old Shi Comrade felt that this scoundrel definitely wanted to trick him out of his gun!
Old Shi Comrade's hunting rifle was a good item. He spent a large sum of 385 yuan on it last year, buying a Type 56 semi-automatic rifle from the Supplies and Marketing Cooperative.
He originally wanted to use this hunting rifle to roam the mountains, build them a large house with blue bricks and tiled roof, and find a wife for Shi Lin, but the result was...
Half a year ago, after he finished hunting and was carrying his game down the mountain, a male Wild Boar suddenly darted out from the Linzi, knocking him flying. His lower leg broke on the spot.
Fortunately, Old Shi Comrade was also an experienced hunter of many years. He raised his hunting rifle with a backhand shot and fired three shots, taking down that crazed male Wild Boar.
Half a year had passed, and he could still only walk with a crutch. It was basically impossible for him to go into the mountains again in the future, and the gun had become a decoration.