Mei Xining opened the sturdy wooden door and saw her daughter's neat and clean living room. The ground was tiled with neatly placed bricks and the furniture was hand-made by her daughter, nevertheless, it looked elegant and comfortable.
Mei Xining subconsciously nodded her head. As expected of her eldest daughter! Xining turned her head to the five Mers and spoke.
"All five of you will be living here from now on. Go sit in the chairs and take off your veils. As my daughter will be coming at this time, I will be taking my leave. If I ever find out that all of you were driven out of here, I will resell you!" Mei Xining threatened as she walkout, not forgetting to close the wooden door.
Scaring the Mers was one of Xining's schemes. As someone who knows her daughter's temperament, Mei Xining needs to ensure that the Mers would successfully be kept by her daughter's side, even if that means that she needs to threaten them.
Since her eldest daughter won't take the initiative to take the Mers in, the Mers should take it then!
'I have bought five beautiful Mers with different temperaments, I don't believe my daughter won't like one of them! I'm rooting for all of you, Mers. Give me a grandchild soon! Way better if grandchildren!' Mei Xining cheered in her heart as she hastily run away.
-----
"I wonder, what is she like?" Jin murmured under his breath. As someone who wedded without knowing the face of his wife, Jin was curious.
"From the bits I heard outside, she's decent?" Lin, who was sitting beside him, also wondered.
"One thing is sure though, from the looks of this house, our wife is rich." Rin cautiously looked left and right. San, who was beside him, scoffed.
"From what I heard from the rumors, this wife is already 25 years old. Isn't she suspicious? Why would anyone marry at that old age? It's definitely because she looks ugly! Or maybe because she has an unspeakable disease!"
Han frowned and gently reprimanded the loud-mouthed San. "San, you shouldn't talk like that. That woman is now our wife."
While San was pouting, the wooden door opened. The attention of the five Mers turned and they saw a woman who's quite short.
"So it's true? Damn, Mei Ling isn't single anymore!" The woman exclaimed and raised her hand in apology.
"Sorry to disturb the five of you. I'm just here to get my equipment." Du Xun waved her hand and walk to pick up the polished hunting knives in the kitchen.
As she was to depart, a soft voice called out.
"Umm, madam?"
"Eh? What is it?" Du Xun turned and saw a Mer with rare silver eyes.
"Can you tell us something about our wife?" Lin courageously asked, his curiosity is sky-high, and this short woman seems to know their wife quite closely. Han pulled Lin's red cuffs and bowed to Du Xun.
"I'm sorry about his behavior." As Mers, they shouldn't just rudely speak up like that to a woman.
"No worries! And you've asked the right person! Seeing your beautiful faces, I'm sure you've been bought outside our village, that's why you don't know our famous Mei Ling!" Du Xun, who was sometimes lazy, was an energetic gossiper.
"Come! Ask me your questions!" Du Xun patted her big chest. As long as it was stories and gossip, she was unparalleled!
San, who was braver than Lin, immediately ask a question, "Why is our wife unmarried until to this day? Does she have an illness?"
"Heuk! You're brave, little Mer. But that's not it. How should I explain it? It's more like Mei Ling doesn't have any interest in marriage." Du Xun answered, as someone who was hunting with Mei Ling since the beginning, she can tell that this friend of hers was indifferent.
As Du Xun couldn't create a bad impression of her friend, she immediately started spouting rainbow farts(praises).
"All the five of you sure are lucky. Mei Ling, that friend of mine, was the most coveted bachelorette in our village and those from the surrounding villages! You don't know how many men and mers are willing to be wed to her! Unfortunately, Mei Ling is indifferent, even the most beautiful Mer in Jio Brothel who seduced her in broad daylight had been gloriously ignored by her! Tsk. Mei Ling both have a good face and reputation, you know! Her family is rich and she herself is! She knows how to hunt, carve, and cook! Look, she even has this brick house! Only five families have brick houses in this village and the Mei Family and Mei Ling own one each! Mei Ling is also calm and silent, that woman has no violent bone in her! Damn, if I was a man, I definitely would want to marry her too!" Du Xun, who couldn't control her mouth when it comes to talking, rapped like there was no tomorrow.
As she was about to continue, the wooden door opened. Both Du Xun and the stunned Mers turned their heads to the door and saw a bloodied figure.
-----
When Mei Ling neared her house, she heard someone talking inside. Judging by the voice, it was definitely Du Xun, who probably came for her polished hunting knives.
Mei Ling opened the door and saw Du Xun as expected, but she was taken aback because of five red-clothed figures of guests sitting on the chairs inside.
Mei Ling narrowed her eyes and saw the pink dots on the men's faces. 'Mers?'
"You're with guests?" Mei Ling asked Du Xun, who looked back at her with a puzzled gaze.
"Guests? Aren't their your husbands? And why are you bathed with blood?"
"Husbands?" Mei Ling's eyes widened.
"Huh?" -Du Xun
"Huh?" -Mei Ling