Chapter 132 Wang Xueying Recommends Herself
Xia Wenwen was practically swept out of the Liu family's courtyard like a jinx, spitting and cursing as she ran: "Pah! You ignorant fool! If you miss out on Xia Damin, your niece can just wait to be an old maid for the rest of her life!"
Aunt Liu stood on the threshold with her hands on her hips, spitting all over her face: "You're the idiot! That kind of wife-beating beast, why don't you marry him? If I ever see you again, I'll beat you every time and tear your mouth apart!"
Xia Wenwen returned home dejectedly, having failed as a matchmaker and instead been scolded. She was seething with anger and barely ate any dinner.
The next day, unwilling to give up, she shamelessly went to other places to inquire, but as soon as she said she was going to be a matchmaker for Xia Damin, people either closed the door or looked her up and down like she was a monster, muttering, "Xia Damin? That guy has a temper as fiery as a firecracker? Who would dare to marry him..."
Xia Wenwen was met with a cold shoulder and wondered to herself: Xia Damin may be a bit rough, but surely he's not so unwanted?
Little did she know that Wang Xueying's tearful account yesterday had somehow spread, and everyone was saying that Xia Damin was a "bad old man" who would beat people up. Who would dare to push their daughter into a fire pit?
Xia Wenwen stamped her foot, feeling discouraged; this task was probably going to be difficult.
Xia Wenwen squatted by the stove, scraping the bottom of the grain bin with a ladle until only a thin layer of cornmeal remained.
She remembered the feeling of hunger last month, and a chill ran down her spine. She shivered, clenched her fists, and resolved never to go hungry again!
How can we get food?
Should we go directly to Lin Shulan's house to ask for it back? Last time, under the pretense of arranging a marriage, they already took half a bag of cornmeal and a rabbit. If we go again...
Even if Lin Shulan is easy to talk to, she probably wouldn't just give it to her like that, not to mention Xia Qianqian. If Xia Qianqian discovers what's going on, she probably won't even get a single grain of rice.
The best solution was to arrange Xia Damin's marriage. However, the girls in Xiangyang Village avoided Xia Damin like the plague.
Suddenly, she had an idea.
cheat!
First, go tell Lin Shulan that the marriage has been arranged! Say that a girl from the neighboring village is willing and ask her to give the grain as an engagement gift. After receiving the grain, in a couple of days, find an excuse to say that the girl's family suddenly changed their minds, and Lin Shulan can't very well ask for the grain back, can she?
The more she thought about it, the more brilliant the idea seemed, and a smug smile spread across her face.
That's what we'll do!
Xia Wenwen walked towards Xiangyang Village, while Wang Xueying had been waiting for the past two days, peering out from under the big willow tree at the entrance of Liushu Village.
When Xia Wenwen finally showed up, her eyes lit up. She quickly hid behind a tree, squinting as she looked at her. She saw that Xia Wenwen had her head drooping and no joy on her face.
Wang Xueying couldn't help but feel a little smug. She suppressed her laughter, straightened her clothes, and put on a warm smile as she walked out from behind the tree and "coincidentally" ran into Xia Wenwen.
"Wenwen!" she called out affectionately, hurrying to greet her. "I'm so glad to see you! You were in such a rush last time, I didn't even have a chance to have a proper chat with you!"
Xia Wenwen looked up and saw it was her, and frowned. She disliked Wang Xueying from the bottom of her heart, but the other party had a smile on her face, and one can't hit a smiling person, so she could only force a smile and ask in a cold voice, "What is it?"
Wang Xueying didn't seem to care about her coldness and continued to greet her warmly, "Can't I chat with you if there's nothing wrong? We're old classmates after all..."
"Alright," Xia Wenwen interrupted her, her tone impatient. "We have nothing to talk about. We're both just trying to make a living in this village; we're lucky to survive."
Wang Xueying nodded in agreement: "That's right, we should be grateful to have enough to eat."
She sighed, as if she were confiding in an old acquaintance, “You have no idea what it was like for us educated youth in the village—we ate thin porridge every meal, and there wasn’t even a speck of oil in the vegetable leaves. My stomach is about to burst from hunger. Besides, my family is already struggling to take care of themselves, so how could they possibly help me out?”
She paused, glancing towards the village entrance, her tone suddenly tinged with envy: "Li Aiqin is so lucky. After she started dating Peng Fei, he would send her malted milk powder and fruit candy every few days. She's the most well-off girl in the village. Unlike me..."
Before she could finish speaking, she lowered her eyelashes.
Xia Wenwen glanced at her sideways. Wang Xueying's words sounded like a complaint, but every sentence revolved around "boyfriend" and "food." Could it be... that she had developed feelings for someone?
A thought suddenly popped into her mind—she was worried about not being able to find a wife for Xia Damin, what if Wang Xueying was willing…
She suddenly stopped, turned around, and stared directly at Wang Xueying: "What do you mean by that?"
Wang Xueying was startled by her gaze, but quickly regained her composure, forcing a self-deprecating smile: "What else could it mean? Envy, of course. Who doesn't want to have enough to eat every day?"
Xia Wenwen stared at her for a long time, seeing the barely concealed longing for food in her eyes, and her mind raced with calculations. She took a half step forward, lowered her voice, and said with a hint of coaxing, "Want to eat your fill? That's easy, isn't it?"
Wang Xueying's heart skipped a beat, but she pretended to be clueless: "How could it be easy? Do you have food ration coupons?"
"What are grain coupons?" Xia Wenwen scoffed, glancing around the village. "Find a capable family to marry into. The man earns work points, the mother-in-law stores grain, so at least we can eat our fill every day, and we can even heat the kang (heated brick bed) in winter. Just because we're from the city and have decent looks, which man in the village wouldn't treat you like a treasure?"
Wang Xueying blushed slightly at her words, and complained coquettishly, "Why are you talking like that? It's as if I'm in a hurry to get married."
Xia Wenwen didn't have much patience to begin with, and seeing her making excuses, she said irritably, "Fine, forget I said anything, I'm leaving."
"Hey!" Wang Xueying suddenly spoke, her voice not loud, but it made Xia Wenwen stop in her tracks.
She turned around and saw Wang Xueying looking troubled: "You don't know... the young men in the village are all very shrewd. They either think I have a bad family background or that I can't do heavy work. It's hard to find someone who is truly committed to a life together."
Xia Wenwen's eyes lit up. She immediately turned back and took a few steps closer to Wang Xueying: "Someone who's truly committed to a good life? I actually know someone like that!"
Wang Xueying pretended to be clueless: "Who is it?"
“Xia Damin is tall and strong; he earns enough work points to be equivalent to two laborers. Lin Shulan is gentle and kind; if you marry her, you’re guaranteed to be well taken care of.”
Wang Xueying was overjoyed: Here it comes! That's exactly what she'd been waiting for!
He deliberately feigned surprise and embarrassment: "Xia Damin? Isn't he known for his volatile temper?"
"What's wrong with a bit of a temper? Every man has one, right?" Xia Wenwen patted her chest and assured him, "Don't worry, with me here, I guarantee he'll be completely obedient to you from now on! Besides, Lin Shulan has plenty of resources; you won't have to worry about going hungry after you marry her."
Wang Xueying bit her lip, pretending to hesitate for a long time before slowly saying, "This is too sudden, I need to think about it..."
"What are you thinking? This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!" Xia Wenwen said anxiously, afraid that she would change her mind. "If you're willing, I'll take you to find Lin Shulan right now! Just tell her you've taken a liking to Damin, and she'll be happy to give you grain!"
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