Liang Shuyan then remembered the local custom: the last step after the marriage was to thank the matchmaker. The family would prepare some things for the matchmaker and make a mask for them to play a trick on.

Liang Shuyan felt a chill run down her spine whenever she thought of the men in the village, and blurted out, "I'm sorry, Auntie, I have important business to attend to at home, so I'll be leaving now."

They said they were leaving, but they disappeared in a flash.

"What should we do? Qiu Dong, you and your wife go and call her. Your aunt probably ran away because she was afraid of being made fun of by everyone," Jiao said hurriedly.

Li Zheng shook his head: "Forget it, since she's so scared, then forget it. We'll prepare the thank-you gift another day and send it over."

Old Wu stepped forward and said immediately, "That won't do. If we don't thank the matchmaker, the bride won't be reliable. We're just hoping for good luck, as our ancestors said. Here's what we'll do: Qiu Dong, you and your mother go and invite her back. Since she's afraid of being tricked, we won't trick her. Let her come with peace of mind!"

When Jiao arrived with Qiu Dong, Liang Shuyan said as soon as she saw Jiao, "You don't need to be so polite. You're so busy at home, and you have relatives with you. What are you doing here? I won't go."

Qiu Dong explained, "Auntie, Uncle Wu said we should invite you over. He promised there wouldn't be any tricks, but thanking the matchmaker is a formality, and everyone in the village is waiting."

Qiu Dong didn't voice the unlucky thought of not thanking the matchmaker, but Jiao Shi said anxiously, "Old Wu said that if we don't thank the matchmaker, the marriage is unstable. What if something happens in the future?"

Liang Shuyan was stunned when she heard this. She had no idea that there was such a rule in the village.

"How could such a thing exist? How come I didn't know? Well, let's go then!"

Liang Shuyan then followed Jiao and her son into the courtyard of Li Zheng's house.

There were indeed some people in the courtyard, their arms wrapped around each other, waiting. When Old Wu saw Liang Shuyan, he shook his head and said, "Hey, Auntie, what are you doing? You've already kowtowed, you're just one bow away, and you're going to quit and run away? Isn't that offending the gods?"

Liang Shuyan was embarrassed: "I'm sorry, I didn't know there was such a custom."

Old Wu shouted, "Alright, enough with the chit-chat. Everyone's been waiting a bit. The matchmaker, Da Shan Niang, ran away in fright, but she's been brought back, hasn't she?"

After they finished speaking, Li Zheng and his wife, along with Qiu Dong and Jin Xia, stepped forward, their faces beaming, and stood before Liang Shuyan. Li Zheng and Jiao Shi bowed politely first, saying, "Thank you, Auntie, for finding such a good wife for our son! These shoes and clothes are just a small token of our appreciation; please accept them!"

Li Zheng had helped them a lot before, and this time, she was just trying to match the two children together. How could she accept a gift from them?

"Forget it, forget it. We're all from the same village. Besides, Li Zheng has helped our family quite a bit."

Old Wu coughed softly twice: "Please accept this, matchmaker, it's the custom!"

Remembering what Jiao had said, Liang Shuyan was afraid that her future daughter-in-law might not be stable, so she quickly accepted the gift and nodded, "No need to be polite. As long as the two children love each other and grow old together!"

Upon hearing this, Qiu Dong looked at Liang Shuyan.

Jinxia said excitedly, "Auntie, thank you so much. If you hadn't rescued me from that den of wolves, I probably wouldn't be where I am today. I kowtow to you, Auntie!"

Jin Xia was about to kowtow when Liang Shuyan helped her up.

"Child, what are you doing? I'm doing this so you can have a good life. Now that you and Qiudong are destined to be together, cherish this bond, be filial to your parents, and don't let me down!"

When it was Qiu Dong's turn to speak, he hesitated for a moment and said, "Auntie, Qiu Dong thanks you for your great kindness. Before this, no one in the village dared to find me a wife because I am a fool. But you didn't think that way and found me Jin Xia. Jin Xia is hardworking and virtuous. I will always remember your great kindness, Auntie. This is just a small token of our appreciation. Please accept it!"

Qiu Dong and Jin Xia were holding some silver coins, about 100 coins each. Next to the silver coins was a hairpin, a vermilion jade hairpin, the kind that would catch your eye at first glance.

Liang Shuyan waved her hand: "No need, you two get up. Your parents have already thanked them. You just need to live your lives well, be filial to your parents, and let them hold their big, fat grandson as soon as possible!"

Jinxia knelt on the ground, sobbing uncontrollably, and said, "Auntie, please accept this. You not only made our marriage possible, but you are also Jinxia's savior."

Seeing Jinxia's grateful tears, Liang Shuyan had no choice but to step forward and help Jinxia up: "Child, get up. Auntie won't accept this money. Please keep the hairpin. Get up quickly!"

The crowd was talking about Liang Shuyan.

"Oh dear, has Aunt Dashan really changed? Before, if someone gave her something, she would accept it without hesitation and would never refuse. Now she doesn't even want money?"

“Now that Da Shan’s mother has become more magnanimous, she won’t hold grudges over trivial matters. Look at how much she helps our fellow villagers every day. And her life is getting better every day. Her cold noodle business has even expanded to a big hotel in town. And look, she’s building a shed in the village now.”

Jiao was surprised that Liang Shuyan refused the money. She grabbed Liang Shuyan's hand and said, "Auntie, the money is a thank-you gift we prepared for you. How can you not accept it? Besides, even if you weren't the matchmaker, we should still pay the money."

"You shouldn't say that. You're a mother-in-law now. Jinxia has had a hard life. If she does anything wrong, please be more understanding. I won't accept this money. Think about it, Lizheng has helped our family quite a bit, so there's no need for thanks!"

"Don't worry about that, I will definitely treat Jinxia well! Not only did you bring the two children together, but you also cured Qiu Dong's illness. I really don't know how to thank you enough. How about this, we call each other sisters from now on?"

Liang Shuyan readily agreed to the request. She thought that although she nominally had a younger sister and an older brother, in reality it was the same as not having any. With that in mind, she nodded: "Yes, of course. That way, we can chat with each other to relieve boredom in the future."

After exchanging pleasantries for a while, Zhao Heng ran over and shouted from afar, "Auntie, someone's come to our house and causing trouble! You'd better go and take a look!"