Old Lady Mo was well aware of these traditional rules. She had her own considerations for acting this way.
"It's already April," Old Lady Mo said, her gaze gradually drifting away, tinged with a hint of sadness.
She continued, "Yun Feng took people to the western border to gather information and hasn't returned yet. Your fathers and brothers are currently missing, their fate unknown.
According to the information we've received, Mr. Si Meng is expected to appear in the western border in July. I am worried that by that time, if we still can't successfully rescue your fathers and brothers, their chances of survival will be slim."
Old Lady Mo had kept these words hidden in her heart, never speaking them in front of the children, fearing it would shatter their confidence.
But today, while discussing her daughter's marriage date, she had no choice but to bring it up for explanation.
He Zhiran, being perceptive, instantly guessed her thoughts upon hearing a few words from her. However, it was not something she could speak of openly.
However, just because she didn't mention it didn't mean others wouldn't.
Even Second Sister-in-law, who was usually outspoken, had her mind working today. The first thing that came to her mind was her missing husband. In front of everyone, tears uncontrollably streamed down her face.
She stood up, choked with emotion, and pleaded, "Mother, my husband and father will surely come back safely. Please don't entertain such thoughts."
Even Big Sister-in-law shed tears, but unlike Second Younger Siblings, she didn't say anything out loud. She silently prayed in her heart that her husband, father-in-law, and Second Younger Siblings would return safely like the other missing brothers.
Old Lady Mo also had the same thoughts, but she had experienced more in life, making it easier for her daughter-in-law to accept reality.
She gently wiped the corner of her eye and said, "I'm just worried. The situation hasn't reached its final stage yet, and no one knows what the outcome will be."
Old Lady Mo asked Second Sister-in-law to sit back down and spoke again, "If by July, we receive any unfortunate news, Hanyue's marriage will be delayed because of it.
We can't let Hanyue's lifelong happiness be delayed because of those unwritten rules."
As a wise old woman, she didn't believe that once news of the deaths of the Mo father and son arrived, after Hanyue finished mourning for three years, Meng Huaining would still be waiting for her in the same place.
Therefore, today she wanted to make a change in her daughter's marriage.
Mo Jiuye never liked those worldly rules, and besides, he was confident that he could safely rescue his father and brothers.
Of course, regardless of his mother's thoughts, he chose to support her.
"Since that's the case, Mother, do you have any plans?" Mo Jiuye sighed and asked.
"Meng Huaining has already said that he will come to propose in three days. He doesn't have any elders in Yuncheng, so I can make the decision on the wedding date," Old Lady Mo said.
"Since you have a plan, we'll follow what you said," Mo Jiuye agreed.
It was rare for his mother to want to take charge, and as a son, he naturally wanted to fulfill her wishes.
Moreover, after getting to know Meng Huaining during their time together, he understood that he was a dependable person. As long as Hanyue could marry such a person, he, as her older brother, would be at ease.
He Zhiran had no objections, and she started to contemplate what kind of dowry would be appropriate for her younger sister-in-law.
Although Old Lady Mo still held some authority in the family, she had relinquished the stewardship to He Zhiran since they began their exile journey.
During this period, no matter what decisions He Zhiran made, her mother-in-law never raised any objections, showing her trust in He Zhiran.
Moreover, the family's financial resources were under He Zhiran's control. Although she would allocate some to her brothers and sisters-in-law on regular occasions, it was only a small portion.
Furthermore, the Mo family had not split, and they all lived together as one big family. Naturally, it was He Zhiran's responsibility as the head of the household to handle the dowry for her younger sister-in-law's marriage.
He Zhiran's spatial storage was filled with abundant resources, and she would not be stingy when it came to Mo Hanyue's dowry.
However, the dowry had to be carefully considered.
First, they had to take into account the betrothal gifts from the groom's side and provide a corresponding dowry based on their value.
They could also consider the financial strength of the bride's family. If the bride's family was wealthy, they would naturally not mistreat their married daughter.
However, even though they were considered free now, they had come into exile with no money. It was well-known that they had left the capital penniless. After arriving in the northwest, they engaged in some small businesses, but their visible income was limited.
If the dowry He Zhiran provided exceeded the apparent range, it would inevitably raise suspicions among others.
Especially those precious treasures that had been taken from the national treasury, they couldn't be shown off casually.
Therefore, He Zhiran had her own plan.
The dowry for a daughter's marriage usually consisted of gold, silver, and other valuable items.
Recently, she had seen two village weddings in Xiling Village, and she noticed that the bride's family also sent furniture and other objects as part of the dowry. Presumably, only well-off families could afford to do so.
After careful consideration, He Zhiran had a rough idea in mind and was waiting to see what kind of betrothal gifts Meng Huaining would bring before making a final decision.
The matter of Mo Hanyue had been discussed and the whole family had reached a consensus.
Life in the Mo family resumed its previous tranquility, and everyone busied themselves with their own affairs.
After a few days of renovation, the rabbit shed was back on track. Hired help took care of it every day, so Wu Ge and Wu Sao had a lot of free time.
However, they still couldn't rest assured and took turns guarding the rabbit shed. Wu Ge even checked on it at night because they were worried about wild animals coming down from the mountain and mixing in with the rabbits. Additionally, they had to guard against thieves.
Although the Cui family no longer existed, the fact that the Mo family built the rabbit shed was not a secret. People from other villages also came to help build the house. Who could guarantee that these people had no ill intentions or would reveal this information to someone with ulterior motives?
Therefore, Mo Chongyuan patrolled the rabbit shed at night to prevent anyone from coveting their rabbits.
He Zhiran and Mo Jiuye also had this in mind.
They both felt that Wu Ge's nightly inspections were not a long-term solution, and it would be best to come up with a permanent solution.
He Zhiran, who had lived two lives, naturally had a more insightful mind than Mo Jiuye.
She looked at the spoiled rice ball in front of her and suddenly had an idea in her mind.
In the open space, a hundred or so shiny black German Shepherd puppies suddenly appeared.
When Fentuan saw the sudden arrival of many new animals not far away, he immediately abandoned trying to please his owner and ran over with his short little legs.
He Zhiran realized that this little guy enjoyed making those small animals submit to him.
The cows and sheep in the space had already bored him; he considered giving them some respite and no longer enforcing rules every day.
The appearance of so many new and exciting animals once again piqued Fentuan's interest.
He Zhiran knew that it would have this kind of effect, so she stood quietly there, watching Fentuan's performance.
Of course, this was also something she was happy to see come to fruition.
