"That's right. Come and take a look these next few days. There must be some good stuff. We can only eat something good during the Chinese New Year. Otherwise, we either can't buy it or the supply is insufficient."

Jiang Ruyu listened to a group of women and grandmothers talking about everything from New Year's goods to supplies, and then from supplies to their children, weddings, funerals and other family matters.

"Hey, have you heard? Old Wang's daughter-in-law came in with no dowry at all, just wearing her clothes."

Jiang Ruyu started listening to gossip again. She lowered her head, but her ears were actually perked up high.

"I heard that the moment that girl entered the family, her mother-in-law made her do laundry and cook the very next day. They even disregarded the custom that a new bride shouldn't do any housework for the first three days after entering the family. It's clear that she was really angry."

"Serves her right. This girl doesn't listen to her parents. Everyone in the family told her that her in-laws are no good people, but she didn't listen to them. She was coaxed by that man with a few words and slept with him. Her parents got angry and simply stopped caring. They asked for a dowry and sent her away."

"Young people should listen to their parents. We've lived so many more years, we're better at judging people than they are. Any parent who loves their child even a little wouldn't want their child to have a happy life."

Jiang Ruyu couldn't help but put herself in the shoes of the two grandmothers, and felt that what they said made a lot of sense. Any elder who is reasonable and loves their child would not want anything to happen to their child's future life. You can choose not to marry someone your parents want you to marry, but you should think carefully about the person your parents don't want you to marry.

After hearing a bit of gossip, Jiang Ruyu bought two pounds of frozen prawns and a mackerel and went home.

Someone was sunbathing against a wall in the alley. Looking at the fish tails in Jiang Ruyu's basket, they asked curiously, "Where did you buy these fish? They're so big, what kind of fish are they?"

"There's a lot of frozen seafood at the entrance of the supply and marketing cooperative. If the aunties don't hurry up, there'll be a long queue," Jiang Ruyu said with a smile.

"Oh, why didn't anyone say anything? I have to go right away. Thank you, Ruyu."

"Don't mention it, ladies, please take care, the road is slippery."

Jiang Ruyu returned to the courtyard in a good mood: "Grandma, I'm back. Let's have a simple lunch and make mackerel dumplings for dinner."

Grandma Jiang came out and exclaimed, "Wow, where did such a big mackerel come from?"

"The supply and marketing cooperative in our area brought in a truckload of seafood, which I guess was brought by Zheng Yang's transport team." Jiang Ruyu suddenly remembered what she had talked about that morning when she mentioned Zheng Yang. She hesitated for a moment but still told him directly.

"Grandma, Zheng Yang told me about the engagement this morning. He said that Jun-ge has finally come back and his family is all here, so he wants to settle things first. I said I'd ask for your opinion when I got back."

Grandma Jiang paused for a moment and sighed, "Even if you hadn't brought it up, I would have asked you. What are you thinking? Every time Zheng Yang's father sees me these past few months, he seems to want to say something but doesn't know how. I guessed he was a little anxious."

Jiang Ruyu said frankly, "I think we can get engaged. Zheng Yang and I have been together for so long, and I think we get along quite well. Now is indeed a good time. Next year, one of Jiang Lin and Jiang Hui will be joining the army. New recruits probably won't be able to come home for two or three years. If I get married, one of them will definitely not be around. This year, while everyone is here, we can get engaged first."

Grandma Jiang wasn't surprised that her granddaughter said that: "Alright, I think Zheng Yang is indeed a good boy. Let's get engaged then. You can tell Zheng Yang later and have his father come and discuss the engagement time and some etiquette with me."

"Okay, I understand."

After a quick lunch, the mackerel had thawed by the time we got downstairs. Jiang Ruyu started preparing the mackerel, while Grandma Jiang kneaded the dough. Once the dough and fish filling were ready, Jiang Hui and Jiang Lin also came to lend a hand in making dumplings.

Dinner that evening was mackerel dumplings. Jiang Ruyu was a master at making sauces; she could get the proportions of soy sauce and vinegar just right, and her sauces always tasted better than anyone else's.

They were just starting a fire to cook dumplings when Zheng Yang came in with a plate of steamed crabs: "Grandma, Ruyu, these are crabs I got from the brothers in the caravan. They're alive and delicious steamed. I brought you a plate to try."

Jiang Lin's eyes lit up and he immediately exclaimed, "Hey, Yang-ge, I'll do it, I'll do it! This crab looks delicious, thanks!"

Jiang Hui walked over and the captain smacked him: "You're all cunning and greedy. Go away."

Jiang Hui overheard his sister talking to his grandmother in the morning and learned that his sister was getting engaged to Zheng Yang. He hadn't thought much of it before, but seeing Zheng Yang now made him unhappy, and he felt angry just looking at him.

Zheng Yang raised an eyebrow, sensing the unwelcome attitude from his future brother-in-law. He smiled and said, "Grandma, you guys go ahead with your work. I'm going home for dinner."

"Okay, go ahead. Oh, come over and have a plate of dumplings when they're done. They're mackerel dumplings, so fresh and delicious," Grandma Jiang said with a smile.

"Oh, thank you, I'll come back later." Zheng Yang said as he walked out, and Jiang Ruyu followed him out: "Grandma agreed, let your dad come and discuss the engagement with her."

"Really? Really?" Zheng Yang jumped up happily, and Jiang Ruyu playfully spat at him. The atmosphere between the two was just right, and Jiang Ruyi walked into the courtyard with a smug smile on her face.

The smug look on Jiang Ruyi's face was truly disgusting. The reason Jiang Ruyi was so smug was because Gu Changzheng had spent all the five hundred yuan his grandmother had given him in order to make her happy. Jiang Ruyi was carrying a lot of things back now, and it seemed like she had a great haul.

As soon as she entered the courtyard, Jiang Ruyi called out, "Mom, come out quickly! I can't hold onto these things. Please help me catch them. These things are very expensive, so don't let them fall on the ground."

Wang Shuhua ran out upon hearing the noise and saw Jiang Ruyu and Zheng Yang standing in the courtyard. She glanced at them but didn't say anything nauseating like she usually did.

"Oh, Ruyi, where did you get all this stuff? Wow, look at all these packaging bags, they're from a department store! My goodness, how much did all this cost?"

People in the courtyard came out to see what was going on. Yang Ying, the youngest daughter of the Yang family next to the Sun family, came out with her mother and saw Jiang Ruyi carrying a lot of things. She spotted the leather boots she had wanted for a long time and was immediately filled with envy.

"Mom, look at those boots. I've wanted to buy them for so long, but they cost forty yuan a pair. They're so expensive!"

Yang Ying's mother snorted: "Yingying, don't follow her example. You have your own job. I give you ten yuan every month. Buy whatever you want. It's not shameful for us to rely on ourselves."

Yang Ying thought about it and realized that made sense: "Mom, I understand. I'll save up more money and buy you a pair of little leather shoes."