1 Mei Xining's Surprise
Mei Ling slowly opened her eyes as she heard the cock's morning call. It was another early day of work and earning money.
Mei Ling stretched her body and started cleaning up her beddings. While dressing up for her hunt, Mei Ling suddenly felt melancholy while looking at the rising sun.
It's been two years since Mei Li appeared in this world and become 'Mei Ling'. Her two years of staying here were quite eventful.
Mei Li transmigrated in this world when the Mei family was in deep trouble of losing their house because of debt from their losing business. Mei Li became the eldest daughter of the Mei couple and decided to live the identity of Mei Ling.
As Mei Ling was a quiet and calm person, Mei Li perfectly grasped her memories and personality without causing a commotion or raising a single suspicion from the others.
It was then that the former soldier of the Farrow Federation became a simple hunter. Mei Ling used the knowledge of being a veteran soldier from a more advanced world to hunt wild and dangerous beasts to repay the Mei family's debt and fund a new business.
Her life continued that way until she built her own house and left the Mei main house a year ago.
(Clarification: Mei Ling was a calm and silent person and even before Mei Li transmigrated, she was already a hunter. The original Mei Ling only hunted hares, wild chickens, and at most, small boars. The current Mei Ling was hunting wild beasts such as bears, lone wolves, and tigers. It's possible because Mei ling's village is a border to the Wild Expanse.)
And now, Mei Ling continued her usual hunting routine even though she didn't need to do it anymore. Mei Ling grasped her bow and secured her arrows before departing from her house to walk into the muddy path of the wild expanse.
-----
In the Mei Main House.
Mei Xining called for a servant and looked at the five red-clothed figures obediently standing behind her. She nodded her head while lifting their veils and nodded in satisfaction.
Mei Jun, the second son of the Mei couple entered the room and saw the five red-clothed figures being checked out by his mother.
"Mother, are they Mers? Why did you buy them for? I and the brothers already have wives for ourselves." Mei Jun spoke as he sat down in a chair, watching as his mother flocked and readied herself to go somewhere.
"Stinking brat, these five Mers aren't for you nor your brothers! This is for Mei Ling!" Mei Xining exclaimed.
Ever since the trouble the Mei Family faced two years ago, Mei Ling, her quiet daughter, started hunting more dangerous beasts and cleaned their skins to sell them for a high price, before taking the money back to them for repaying the debt and investment.
It was the quiet and calm eldest daughter that rose to be the pillar of the Mei family rather than the educated sons that Mei Xining expected. Mei Xining sighed at the thought of it. It was the one whom she called 'crude' that supported the Mei family and bring it back to a flourishing state.
After Mei Xining repaid the family's debt and started a new business, it was her eldest daughter that keep supplying the family with food and money from her hunts when the days are bad. When the family business became stable, her eldest daughter separated from them and built her own house near the Wild Expanse.
Even though she was away from them, the filial child keep bringing her earnings back to them that Mei Xining didn't know how to refuse it.
After her eldest son gave her a grandchild, Mei Xining realized that her eldest daughter was still a single 25-years old woman. Not once did her eldest daughter waste her earnings in playing around or buying things for herself. It was then that Mei Xining discerned that she needed to do something! Or else, her filial eldest daughter might live her whole life single! She might even die alone!
"Oh? For eldest sister? Right, eldest sister has no one to accompany her in her house." Mei Xin, the eldest son, happen to hear the mother and son conversation and popped up to the talk. The third son, Mei Huo also appeared in the room, barging into the conversation.
"Eldest sister Ling is too upright! I once invited her to Jio Brothel but she refused!" At Mei Hou's exclamation, Mei Hujing appeared behind him and slapped his head.
"Don't compare your eldest sister to yourself! Your eldest sister will rather earn money than spend it as you do!" Mei Hujing sighed at his useless third son and stared at the Mers that his wife bought.
"Xining, will this be alright? Ling'er doesn't know anything about this." Hujing sighed. He knows what his wife is worried about but suddenly marrying their eldest daughter without her permission is...
"Father is right, mother! What if eldest sister Ling doesn't like these Mers?" Mei Hou said as he rubbed his head.
"Hmph! Unlike you brothers whose taste in Mers is questionable, I have chosen five beautiful mers in line with today's beauty. I'm sure your eldest sister will accept them and like them!" Mei Xining snorted and scoffed as she lead the five Mers outside, leaving the men in the main room.
Mei Xin and Mei Jun exchanged glances while Mei Huo shrugged. They all thought the same, 'Eldest sister will accept the Mers out of respect for mother but like them? Even when the most beautiful Mer in the village outrightly seduced their eldest sister in broad daylight, she turned a blind eye and ignored him.'
Mei Hujing shook his head, worried about the result of his wife's work.
-----
While Mei Ling was patiently hunting a deer, Mei Xining was hurriedly ushering the Mers into the large brick house her daughter owns. The surrounding neighbors became loud as they saw five red-clothed figures following behind Mei Xining.
"Ai. It's too late, Mei Xining already brought five brides to her eldest daughter's house!" An uncle shook his head, it was a pity that his son didn't manage to marry this possible good daughter-in-law!
