Chapter 17 Zheng Family
Old Dai laughed and said, "You don't even want to know whose family it is?"
Zhang Ruifeng smiled and said, "It's the same in every family. My daughter doesn't want to get married for the time being. It's not that she's picky. She won't marry anyone with good or bad conditions."
Old Dai tapped his pipe to remove some of the ash, then asked with a smile, "Have you made up your mind? This family is well-off, one of the best in our Liushutun Brigade. There's no such place anymore."
Zhang Ruifeng hesitated for a second after hearing this, but she smiled and shook her head, "I've made up my mind. No matter who it is, I won't marry."
Old Dai took two sips of water and said with a smile, "Looks like I won't be able to drink this thank-you wine."
Zhang Ruifeng laughed and said, "How could that be? Don't I know your ability? Since they've come to you for help, it means that the boy wants to get married. If we can't find a wife, they must have asked you for girls from other families. According to what you said, his family is so well-off, so why would they worry about not being able to find a wife? I can't avoid this thank-you dinner."
Old Dai smiled and nodded, agreeing with it deeply.
Even though the matchmaking failed, she was not in a hurry to leave. She sat there and chatted with Zhang Ruifeng.
"I'm talking about the Zheng family at the east end of the village. They have three sons and one daughter. The eldest and second sons are already married. The eldest son's daughter has two children, and the second son's daughter has one. The only one left is this third son, a soldier, currently a deputy company commander. I heard he'll be promoted to company commander soon. He's 22, not even 23 yet, so he's considered young and promising."
Zhang Ruifeng nodded, "That's right."
Honestly, she was a little shaken. If you were to ask what kind of men were most popular in the marriage market, it would definitely be soldiers. This was the first choice for rural girls when choosing a husband.
Having served in the military meant he had decent physical qualities, had received military education and training, had seen the world, and was better off than the average farmer. Even veterans were popular, let alone those like the third son of the Zheng family who had been promoted, a rare sight indeed.
Moreover, there was no bad news about the Zheng family. The daughter of the Zheng family also went to school before, but she did not go to junior high school because of the sports. But it also shows that the Zheng family is relatively open-minded.
This condition is indeed good.
If her daughter hadn't repeatedly told her that she would not marry anyone, she might have already agreed.
Old Dai went on to say, "I heard he earns over fifty yuan a month, more than a factory worker. He's an honest man and doesn't waste money recklessly. He sends it all back home. Look at how the Zheng family lives. Their house, made of blue bricks and tiled tiles, is the most impressive in our brigade. And with so many people in their family, no one dares to bully them."
Zhang Ruifeng nodded and said with a smile, "I just don't know which girl is so lucky to marry into the Zheng family and enjoy happiness."
Old Dai smiled and asked her, "You really don't want to consider it?"
Zhang Ruifeng shook her head. "Auntie, what I just said was not empty talk. If the child doesn't marry in the next few years, she won't marry anyone. It's not because of the man's conditions that I choose."
It was a little bit of a pity to miss out on such a good family, but she also knew very well that her daughter was serious about not getting married for the time being. Since she was not going to get married, she should just do it and not think about whether it was a pity or not.
What she needs to think about is that if she misses this one, her daughter will meet someone better in the future.
Old Dai finished a bag of cigarettes, put away the pipe, and said with a smile: "If you want to marry your daughter in the future, come to me and I will be her matchmaker. I am not exaggerating, but I know which young men are good and which mothers-in-law are not bad in the villages around here."
Zhang Ruifeng smiled and said, "I'll remember what you said. I'll come to you if I have any problems in the future."
Old Dai stood up and said, "Just come. I'll be leaving first."
"Hey, take care."
Before Old Dai could even start walking, he turned around and saw Zhang Ruifeng drying the sweet potatoes. "Are these freshly cooked?"
Zhang Ruifeng smiled and said, "Yes. I wanted to dry some sweet potatoes. We're poor and don't have money to buy snacks for the children, so I made some of these to give them a treat. They've just been drying, so they should still be a little warm. Would you like one?"
As she spoke, she picked out the biggest one from the short ones and handed it to Old Dai. "It's not a good thing. I was embarrassed to give it to you just now."
Old Dai didn't hesitate, took it and took a sip, praising it: "It's quite sweet. I'm leaving now."
"Why."
Zhang Ruifeng sent her out the door and watched her walk ten meters away before turning around and going home.
Old Dai strolled around the village before going to Zheng's house.
Zheng Guoqiang's mother, Li Aiyun, the real head of the Zheng family, was washing her little daughter's hair at home. Her two daughters-in-law were taking care of the children in the house. Zheng Guoqiang's father Zheng Dayong and his two sons Guoxin and Guolin were not at home.
"Old Zheng's family, are you busy?"
Li Aiyun handed the towel to Zheng Lanping and asked her to wipe her hair herself, while she let Old Dai into the living room.
"Auntie, you're here now, is there any letter?"
Old Dai smiled and said, "I've inquired about the Xie family's intentions. They don't plan to marry their daughter off in the next few years and would like to keep her for a few more years. The Xie family's eldest daughter is just 18 this year, so it's not too late to wait a few years."
"You didn't tell her that you were proposing marriage to my Guoqiang?"
Li Aiyun was a little confused. Based on her family's conditions and the conditions of her third child, shouldn't the Xie family disagree?
She's not bragging. The third son of her family is one of the best in the entire commune. He can easily marry anyone he wants.
Even if she herself didn't want to get married for the time being, wouldn't the Xie family, as a mother, consider her daughter? Guoqiang is like this, it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If she missed this one, where could she find someone with such good conditions in the future?
Old Dai laughed and said, "At first I didn't tell her who it was, but she just said she wouldn't marry me in the next few years, no matter if the man was good or bad. She wasn't picky about the man's conditions, she just didn't want to get married."
Li Aiyun curled her lips, "What happened next?"
"Later, I told them that the third child of the Zheng family was old enough to get married, and asked me to find a suitable one. I went to several suitable families to test the waters. The Xie family said, 'I wonder which girl would be lucky enough to marry into the Zheng family and enjoy happiness.' But their attitude has not changed, and the child has not married in the past few years."
Old Dai is a smart person, and the meaning of her words is very clear. She did not tell others that the Zheng family has taken a fancy to the daughter of the Xie family. Now is still the stage of casting a wide net. You, the Zheng family, do not need to feel that others look down on your son, and do not feel uncomfortable in your heart.
After listening to this, Li Aiyun was silent for a moment and said, "If that's the case, then forget it. Let's not talk about this anymore. She can wait, but my third son can't. Aunt, please help me find another one. She needs to be decent-looking, have a family with few problems, and be easy to get along with. She also needs to be capable and gentle. I'm marrying a daughter-in-law, not a descendant of the ancestors."
Old Dai: "...Okay, I'll think about it."
She looked at the courtyard of Old Zheng's house and suddenly thought of a question, "When the third son gets married, will he go to the army with him or live at home?"
"Live at home. The third son is working hard in the army, and bringing his wife along would hinder his advancement. It's better for him to stay at home and live with the whole family so we can help each other."
"Your third child is so capable, the new house must be very grand."
Li Aiyun's eyes flashed, and he smiled and said, "My yard is so big, I can still do without the third brother's room."
Her house had four main rooms. She and Lao Zheng lived in a large room on the east side. The middle room was the living room, and the west side was a suite where her youngest daughter lived. Her eldest son and his family lived in the east wing, and her second son and his family lived in the west wing, both of which were large suites.
Later, a small room was built to the east of the main house. It was the third son's room. He was not at home most of the time, so there was no need to reserve the best for him.
After they got married, he went back to the army, and the third brother's family continued to live in that small room. Although it was the worst room in the Zheng family, it was still good compared to other families in the village.
When Old Dai heard her say this, he knew that although Zheng Laosan was capable, his status in the family was probably not very high. After all, he was away from home all year round, so how could he compare to his brother and sister who were always right in front of him?
She went over the layout of the Zheng family in her mind and immediately locked onto the third brother's room.
However, her mind was in sync with Li Aiyun's, and she also felt that although that room was the worst in the Zheng family, it was actually not that bad.
Old Dai smiled and accepted the matchmaking job.
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