The freshly pickled green beans must contain cooled boiled water with seasonings, so the packaging has to be extra careful. Finally, the stir-fried pickled mustard greens with pork belly and the pork and mushroom sauce are all wrapped in several layers of newspaper.
These items cost a lot of money and were troublesome to mail. Jiang Ruyu contacted Sister Wang and Sister Zhao, and given their friendship, the items were quickly mailed. Jiang Ruyu also arranged a time for them to come again so that they could bring the money with them.
"That's great! I was just about to say that. You haven't been coming around as often lately. My son and daughter have been complaining that they haven't been eating enough meat and are really craving it." Zhao Ying clapped her hands with a smile.
Wang Fang also said, "That's right. My husband has become quite picky about food. He always wants to eat meat. Sister, next time you come, can you get me an old goose and some eggs? Eggs can be stored. We have guests in a few days, and an old goose can be used to make several dishes."
"Okay, I'll try my best to get it for you." Jiang Ruyu was happy to agree; a goose could earn more than ten yuan, which was much more valuable than rice or flour.
Time passed as Jiang Ruyu occasionally earned extra money and went to work on time until the end of June, when Jiang Hui graduated.
In reality, school management is quite lax nowadays. Few students attend classes seriously, and since they can't go to university, they just want to get a diploma. This is the mentality of most people nowadays. As a result, many of them only have a high school diploma, and their actual knowledge is far from sufficient.
Jiang Hui was already thinking about what to do before he even graduated. His sister and brother-in-law told him to relax and that they were keeping an eye on things for him. They said they could find him a job if there were any job openings or job postings. Even if he didn't have a job, he could stay at home and they could support him.
However, Jiang Hui lay on a wooden stake by the river in the park, lost in thought. He thought to himself, "I still want to go out and see the world. I've never left this city in my life. I don't know what the outside world is like. The farthest place I've ever been is my grandfather's house. I want to leave the protection of my family and see the outside world."
But, there's only Grandma and my sister at home. If he leaves too, there won't be any men left in the house. Wouldn't that be too irresponsible? But, ugh, it's so annoying...
Before Jiang Hui could figure out what to do next, Hu Bei came to his door with good news.
"What? Second cousin, you're getting married?" Jiang Ruyu looked at Hu Bei with a smile in surprise. "When did this happen? Why didn't you tell us sooner? We live so close to each other, and I've never even met my future sister-in-law. Second cousin, you're being too formal with us."
Hu Bei had already been promoted to a permanent position, but his personality remained the same—he didn't talk much and was a little shy: "We had just met before, and we didn't know what would happen in the future, so we didn't say anything. But now that things have settled down, your second sister-in-law's family thinks that since we're both getting older, we won't get engaged. We can just go straight to a simple wedding ceremony with two tables and get our marriage certificate."
"That's great! Your maternal grandfather and uncle have been anxious about your marriage for a long time. Your older cousin is about to have his second child, and you're still not married. Now they can finally relax." Jiang Ruyu then asked curiously, "Does your sister-in-law work at your company or somewhere else? Which alley does she live in? Where will you live after you get married? When will you let us meet her?"
Hu Bei glanced at his cousin with a hint of helplessness: "She is the cashier in our office. Her parents are employees of the state-owned cotton mill. They live in the factory's staff quarters. She has an older brother who is married. Her parents are quite nice. We work in the same unit. She started working a few years earlier than me. We can apply for a small apartment of about 30 square meters. Once it's approved, we'll tidy it up and then officially set a date for our wedding."
Jiang Ruyu was happy for her uncle and his family. Finding a daughter-in-law and in-laws in the city with good conditions and easy-going parents would really save them a lot of worry.
"That's great, cousin. If you need anything for the wedding that's difficult to arrange, just tell me and I'll ask around beforehand. I'll save as much as I can for you. I also have money and tickets on hand. If your family doesn't have enough, please let me know. Don't let a little money or something ruin a good wedding."
Jiang Ruyu thought that she still had a watch and a sewing machine in her backpack. There was a sewing machine at home, so she didn't need this one. As for the watch, her mother had left her one. She would try to exchange the women's watch for a men's watch for Jiang Hui, and then try to get one for Jiang Lin as well.
"Okay, I appreciate your kind intentions. I might actually need your help with wedding preparations. We'll treat you to dinner next time we have a break."
Grandma Jiang waved her hand with a smile: "I won't go. I'm too old to move around. You've always been a steady and reliable young man, so you must get along well with the girl. I'll be waiting to drink your wedding wine."
"Okay, sure, I'll definitely come and invite you then."
A few days later, Hu Bei and his girlfriend went to get their marriage certificate. Apparently, this way they could apply for a bigger house faster, since they couldn't delay the normal lives of employees.
After getting their marriage certificate, Hu Bei, under Zheng Yang's guidance, took two bottles of wine and two packs of cigarettes to the logistics director's house. His application was approved in a few days, and then the Hu family came to formally meet with the Zhang family, who were already in-laws, to discuss the dowry and other matters for their child.
Their family lived in the countryside and didn't have a house in the city. They couldn't go to the woman's house to discuss marriage. Grandma Jiang suggested that they discuss it at home and have lunch there. Although Hu Jun felt it was too much trouble for his in-laws, he didn't refuse because it was a big deal for his grandson. He just kept saying, "Thank you for your trouble, sister."
Marriage is supposed to be a union between two families, and the two children have already registered their marriage. The Zhang family isn't the type to make trouble, so they didn't ask for a large dowry. They only asked for 88 yuan, basic furniture like a bed, wardrobe, and table, and the bulk of the dowry was a sewing machine, regardless of the brand.
Hu Qingling, his father, and his wife exchanged a glance and gritted their teeth in agreement. Although he didn't know where to get a sewing ticket, it would be too embarrassing to say he couldn't afford it at this point.
Zhang Yuezhen cooked lunch, using vegetables, meat, and grains that she brought from home. She wasn't one to take advantage of others; this was already troublesome enough for them, and she couldn't let them think she was some poor relative trying to freeload.
The meeting with the in-laws was a successful conclusion. When Jiang Ruyu returned and inquired, she guessed that her uncle's problem was that he didn't have a sewing ticket. She did have one, but how to give it to him was a troublesome matter.
The wedding date was set for the sixth day of the eighth lunar month. In the meantime, Jiang Ruyu went to a dinner hosted by her cousin and his wife, along with Zheng Yang and Jiang Hui. After the meal, Jiang Ruyu quite liked Zhang Wenwen, her cousin's fiancée, who was already a done deal. She was the kind of gentle and tender girl who, just by looking at her, seemed like the type to be a virtuous wife and loving mother. Her cousin had really struck gold.
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