So, he hardened his heart and put on a stern face, saying to Liu Sanshun, "Sit down and let's talk this through! What's the rush? What if I go to the Zheng Family right now, only to come back dejectedly and tell you they turned us down because they've already promised the Zhang family? Is that the result you want?"
Liu Sanshun pulled over a small stool and sat down sullenly. Liu Xiaomei, worried about her third brother, slipped into the room without a sound. She sat next to her mother on the foot-warming stool, staying quiet and well-behaved.
Fatty Liu coughed and said, "It's not that your mother and I don't want to ask for her hand. But Sanshun, think about it. If we know it's a lost cause, why go through the trouble of asking?"
