Chapter 7 Chapter 7 Dowry
The atmosphere froze again.
Liang Tiezhu stopped fussing and glaring.
Because Liang Xin was telling the truth.
"Oh, you're stupid!"
The second sister-in-law served Liang Xin a bowl of taro porridge. "When we went on a blind date that day, didn't we see that the chief had a cook at home? Generally, the military chief's family not only has a cook, but also a guard. I heard that the daily food is prepared by the logistics department and delivered to the door, so there is no need to go to the food station, so why would you be a nanny?"
"Those are the chief's cooks and guards, not his son's." Liang Xin took a sip of porridge. "The chief's son is sick now, and even the doctors can't think of a way to treat him. If his condition gets worse, he'll have to rely on a free babysitter for everything from eating, drinking, defecating, urinating, cleaning, and washing."
Second sister-in-law: ".......You are right."
"Can he have children?" The eldest sister-in-law asked suddenly, "If he can't even have children, Liang Xin must not be allowed to marry him."
"Actually, I think it's OK." The second brother suddenly said, "Don't think of everything in a bad way. This isn't a congenital disease. He used to be very healthy. He not only got into a military academy, but also made great contributions on the battlefield. His genes are fine and he can be said to be one in a hundred. I remember that in the past, if the sons of landlords were sickly, they would usually find a girl to bring good luck. Sometimes, the disease would be cured after getting married. If Xinzi is like this after she gets married, then..."
Big Brother: "What if it has the opposite effect and it gets damaged?"
"Then let's assume that Xinzi found a job in the city and worked in the chief's home. She lived well and had good food. Isn't that more comfortable than being in the Huaihua Brigade?"
The second brother is optimistic at heart. "I heard from the third brother last time that the salary of their regiment commander is over 100 yuan. The head of the military region, who is such a high-ranking official, should have 200 to 300 yuan. We have dreamed of becoming workers since we were young, going to the city to get urban household registration and eat commercial grain. Xinzi's chance has come. If we take good care of her son, I don't think they will treat her badly."
"That's right. If I were to find a partner to marry in the commune, I would probably have to work in the fields to earn work points. Working in a production team is much harder than tending to a patient."
After hearing what her second brother said, the second sister-in-law felt that this marriage was a good one and it was still a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
"This year, all communes across the country are busy learning from Dazhai in agriculture. All family sideline production in production teams has been cancelled, and private plots will soon be rectified. Although the slogans and banners make the situation look very good, I heard that many places can no longer afford to eat and have to go out to beg for food. If the policy remains unchanged next year, who knows what will become of our brigade."
"Xiaoyan is indeed from the provincial capital, she is very far-sighted."
Liang Tiezhu began to puff on his pipe again. "It is uncertain whether Huaihua Brigade will have to rely on relief supplies for food, relief loans for money, and relief cotton cloth for clothes next year. They will have to ask the government for everything. They will completely become a group of people who have to wait and rely on others. Rather than living like this, Liang Xin, you might as well get married."
Liang Xin bit the fried pancake and said nothing.
"What Liang De said just now is very right." The eldest brother of the Ma family smiled and said, "Liang Xin, take good care of the people after you marry. The chief's family will not treat you badly. If the Huaihua Brigade really becomes like Xiaoyan next year, the chief's family will not object to you helping your mother's family. Oh, and Liang Wei, although he has been promoted in the company based on his own ability, if he wants to take a few more steps forward, he may have to rely on Liang Xin."
"marry!"
When he heard that it was about his third son, Liang Tiezhu's only hope and motivation, he immediately said, "In this day and age, being alive is good enough. If you have a chance to live well, why not get married? Liang Xin, this marriage is worth your gamble!"
"Since God has given you the opportunity to go to the city, it is impossible that he wants you to marry there and suffer." The second brother said, "It must be for you to go there and enjoy happiness."
Liang Xin took out a handkerchief and wiped the corners of her mouth, "What if I don't get married?"
"I don't think you've ever been hungry. During the three years of famine, there were locusts flying in the sky, moles burrowing in the soil, turtles and clams swimming in the water, tree bark, leaves and flowers. People were so hungry that they ate anything. There was a man in the next commune who was so hungry that he ate a toad alive. When he died of poisoning, his face was swollen like a basket. Don't think I only want to harm you!"
Liang Tiezhu stood up angrily and looked at his two daughters-in-law. "Didn't you say you wanted to separate the family? Liang Xin refused to marry, so we'll separate today. From now on, it'll be just her and I working in the fields to earn work points. You guys take care of your own little family and don't support her anymore!"
The eldest sister-in-law was about to speak, but Liang Xin said slowly, "That's fine."
Liang Tiezhu paused in anger, his eyes suddenly lit up, "Anything is fine?"
"It's okay to marry someone." Liang Xin looked at her father, whose face slowly showed surprise. "How much dowry will you give?"
"Liang Xin, you don't need to prepare anything." The eldest brother of the Ma family said happily: "The chief's family has prepared everything, as long as you go there."
"The leader's family is very polite. We can't just ignore all the etiquette." Liang Xin looked at his father. "Don't you agree?"
"Yes!" Liang Tiezhu wanted to save face. "We'll prepare everything we need. Even if you can't take it with you, I'll give you money and you can go to the city to buy it. One hundred, I'll just give you one hundred. Isn't that generous enough?"
"One hundred can't even buy a sewing machine."
"One hundred isn't enough! How many do you want?"
"A thousand is about enough."
"one thousand?!"
Liang Tiezhu’s scream almost blew the roof off the house, “What do you want to buy that can cost a thousand dollars!”
"Wait."
Liang Xin opened the drawer of the family cabinet and took out a stack of red-headed letter paper used exclusively by Huaihua Commune. She picked up a pencil and wrote a long list of items, writing all the way to the bottom before handing the letter paper to her father.
As soon as Liang Tiezhu saw the densely packed words, he felt something was wrong.
"Two enamel wash basins, five dollars and sixty cents, and Seagull washing machine... How come even washing powder is included in the dowry?"
"Didn't you say to be fully prepared?"
Liang Tiezhu held back his words, because the ones he saw so far were all cheap, and continued to look down, "Towels, sofa towels, pillow towels, bath towels, towel blankets, sweat towels... Do you need so many kinds of towels by yourself?"
Liang Xin peeled a White Rabbit candy, carefully tore off the rice paper, put it in her mouth, and reminded: "Quick battle, look quickly."
"A Forever brand five-drawer fine lacquer complete set sewing machine, 145, a Phoenix brand full chain cover bicycle, 187.50..."
Liang Tiezhu's mouth twitched. "A portable FM three-band semiconductor radio, one... one hundred and ninety yuan! A three-needle alarm clock with a lacquered back and a handle, thirteen yuan and sixty yuan, this one is pretty good. A large wardrobe, a half-closet, a chest of drawers, a square table, a board chair, a writing desk, a four-foot palm bed... a cupboard... a cupboard! You're marrying into the family of a military commander, not a poor five-guarantee household in a production team of a commune!"
Liang Xin squinted and said, "You didn't let me get married."
Liang Tiezhu was so angry that he blew his beard and glared, "Even if you buy all these things, it will only cost a few hundred yuan at most, not a thousand. Don't ask for so much at this moment!"
"several hundred?"
"Five or six hundred at most!"
"Then give me five or six hundred."
“........”
Liang Tiezhu almost raised his hand and slapped himself twice, "Okay, I see, you are trying to get 500 yuan as a betrothal gift in a roundabout way."
"The betrothal gift is only 500 yuan. If you hadn't mentioned that buying these things would have cost at least 500 or 600 yuan." Liang Xin bit into a White Rabbit candy. "Dad, I've already given you a 50% discount. If you continue, it's not that I don't want to get married, it's that you don't allow me to get married. You will be responsible for explaining to the military commander, the director of the commune's revolutionary committee, and the eldest brother of the Ma family."
"......"
Liang Tiezhu had just put the money in his pocket and he didn't want to take it out at all.
Even if I have to pay, it would be at most another hundred.
Not only can he not pay it all, but he is also asked to pay another hundred.
"Big brother, you two speak!"
The eldest sister-in-law stopped the eldest brother who wanted to speak and said, "The betrothal gift is for Liang Xin, it should be given to Liang Xin."
"right!"
The second sister-in-law interrupted and said, "Dad, I don't think what my younger sister said is too much. Even if this marriage is a marriage of high status, we can't let Liang Xin lose face. The chief's family said that they didn't need to prepare anything. It was just a polite remark. If we really don't prepare anything, we don't know etiquette. Six hundred is not much."
Liang Tiezhu said angrily: "You just said that you don't know if you will have enough food to eat next year!"
"So you have to make Xinzi feel at ease, otherwise you won't be able to make ends meet next year and you'll just have to wait for government aid."
The second brother reminded him, "Dad, a few days ago, in order to secure your position as the brigade secretary, you didn't hesitate to use Xinzi as a scapegoat. You gave Xinzi away right after she was born. If it weren't for my eldest brother and his wife who went to get her back in time, you wouldn't be able to become in-laws with the military commander today. Xinzi is giving you a chance to make amends, why are you still being so stingy and hesitant?"
"What nonsense are you talking about!"
Liang Tiezhu cursed but his mind slowly calmed down, "When did I ever say I was stingy? It's just 600 yuan. You are all married. The third child was promoted in the army. Even if he is transferred to the local area, he will be an official for the rest of his life. He will have no problem finding a wife. How can I hold on to my daughter's betrothal gift?"
Liang Xin immediately reached out to her father.
Liang Tiezhu: “….”
Reluctantly, he took out a thick stack of ten-yuan bills, handed it to Liang Xin, and walked back to the room.
When Liang Tiezhu came out, he was holding a thin stack of Great Unity and a red-covered copy of Selected Works of Mao Zedong in his hands.
What was handed to Liang Xin was not just one hundred yuan, but one hundred and twenty yuan.
After Liang Xin counted the number, she looked at her father.
Liang Tiezhu was sitting on a stool, flipping through Mao's Selected Works carefully.
There were a lot of tickets sandwiched between the pages of the book. He took out a ticket and handed it to Liang Xin. "This is a Forever brand sewing machine ticket. It was originally saved as a dowry for you. Take it. The price of the sewing machine is 120 yuan. You can go to the city and buy it yourself."
Liang Xin was slightly surprised. She took the sewing ticket and looked at it carefully. After making sure it was okay, she put it in her pocket and said to the eldest brother of the Ma family, "Let's go."
Everyone in the room was shocked.
"Leave? Why did you leave?"
"Leaving now?"
"How can it be so casual!"
"Outside, everyone is talking about class struggle. You can't have a big wedding banquet. You can't take anything with you on the bus from Huaihua Brigade to the provincial capital." Liang Xin said indifferently, "Isn't that why Brother Ma came here today?"
The eldest brother of the Ma family was shocked by Liang Xin's quick decision. Thinking of the process of asking for the betrothal gift that he had witnessed, he understood why the chief's family chose Liang Xin. "It is true that the sooner the better, but there is no need to be so anxious. Even if we can't have a grand ceremony, we should have a wedding banquet with our family. I will stay overnight and we will leave tomorrow morning."
"No need, let's go."
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