Fang Yanming chuckled, "That's feudal superstition. Why can't cattle and sheep get married? Cousin, this is unacceptable; it's feudal thinking!"
My niece got anxious. "It's really not going to work. A six-year age gap between a man and a woman is considered incompatible. The woman will bring misfortune to the man, and the man will bring misfortune to the woman. They won't be able to stay together forever. Do you remember your cousin from Chang'an? She's my aunt's daughter, my own cousin. She came to your house when we were little, and your parents even went to her wedding."
Fang Yanming thought for a moment and remembered something. "Isn't she the one who married a factory worker? She married quite well, didn't she?"
More than 20 years ago, working in a machinery factory was a highly coveted job; everyone was scrambling to get in. When my cousin Chang'an got married, countless people envied her. Her mother mentioned it several times, her tone tinged with sourness, because my cousin Chang'an married better than her two older sisters.
My niece slapped her thigh and exclaimed, "What's so great about it? Her husband died of illness more than ten years ago. She's been struggling to raise two kids on her own. She doesn't have a job and just runs a breakfast stall. She doesn't earn much money all year round. Sigh!"
"Birth, aging, sickness, and death are all part of human nature. What does that have to do with Sheng Nan?" Shi Junjie retorted.
My niece glared at me and said, "You don't know anything! Your cousin's husband and your cousin's wife are a perfect match, they're six years apart. Your cousin's husband was born in the Year of the Sheep and your cousin's wife in the Year of the Ox. People said they shouldn't get married, that they would never last. But your cousin's wife refused to believe it, saying it was just superstition and insisted on marrying him. Now she's suffering in silence!"
"It's just a coincidence, Mom. Don't be so superstitious. What does living a good life have to do with your zodiac sign? Foreigners don't believe in this stuff, and they live just fine." Shi Junjie found it unbelievable that his mother still believed in such nonsense in the 21st century.
"Once was a coincidence, but twice too? Let me tell you another one. Remember your third uncle's son, Tiezhu? He and your aunt were a perfect match. They argued every day after they got married, never a day without a break. Both your uncle and aunt were easy-going people, but they just couldn't get along. Their family was always in turmoil. A few years ago, after an argument, your aunt drank a bottle of pesticide. I don't know what she was thinking, but she couldn't be saved and died."
My niece said with regret, "She was perfectly fine, but suddenly she's gone. Nobody knew before she took the medicine. She even prepared meals for her children and told them to do their homework. Nobody could have guessed she was going to commit suicide."
By the time they found him, he was already stiff, and the room reeked of pesticides.
Later, Tie Zhu found another widow. This widow had a terrible temper, unlike the good-natured one before, and was even less capable. But she and Tie Zhu lived well together and had a very good relationship.
The villagers all say that you can't disbelieve the old sayings: cattle and sheep are inherently incompatible and can never get along.
"That's because Uncle Tiezhu has a bad temper and always beats Auntie. I've seen it several times. Mom, don't say anymore. Anyway, Shengnan and I are getting married." Shi Junjie said dismissively.
Uncle Tiezhu was indeed very kind to outsiders and willing to help them, but he was very domineering towards his wife. He would hit her if she didn't do something right. The villagers didn't think there was anything wrong with it, because many men in the village had beaten their wives, but not as frequently as Uncle Tiezhu.
Shi Junjie felt that Aunt Tiezhu was forced to her death, and it had nothing to do with the zodiac sign. He thought his mother was talking nonsense.
“Miss Gao was born in the Year of the Sheep. Nine out of ten sheep are incomplete, and only one is complete. What kind of partner did you choose? You’ve encountered all the bad things. How can you two possibly stay together forever?” My niece said with great distress.
She was firmly against it; she couldn't bring home a wife who would cause trouble in the family.
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