Chapter 69: Introduction to Recruitment
Although Uncle Chen came, Grandma's words last time, "it's still far from over," still left a mark on Guo Baiwen's mind.
Regardless of whether his relationship with Chen Baoyue will ultimately succeed or not, Uncle Chen will still make this trip.
As a result, he has been tossing and turning for the past few nights and has had some trouble sleeping.
He worried about how to arrange things if the two families' affairs went well; he also worried about how to comfort himself if things didn't work out in the end.
Because I have something on my mind, I haven't been able to get a full night's sleep in a long time these past few nights.
He left school early today, and although Master Guo had granted his request for leave.
But privately, I also reminded him that he hadn't been concentrating in class lately.
If he finds out about this happening again, he won't be so lenient this time; he'll go straight to Grandma Guo and tell her.
Upon hearing this, Guo Baiwen could only blush and obediently reply, "Yes."
Finally, Uncle Chen has arrived today.
He didn't dare to ask directly, but silently peeked at Grandma Guo.
Then, Grandma Guo quietly nodded to Chen Youtian from behind.
—What does this mean?!
Guo Baiwen's face instantly broke into a smile he himself didn't realize. Seeing Chen Youtian about to leave, he quickly stepped forward and stopped him.
"Uncle Chen, please wait a moment."
The weight of being acknowledged is different; this time, Guo Baiwen's use of the words "Uncle Chen" sounded particularly intimate.
Upon hearing this, Chen Youtian had no choice but to stop carrying the basket and looked at Guo Baiwen, asking, "Brother Guo, is there anything else?"
Nowadays, marriage is a major event, usually arranged by parents and matchmakers. The man will then bring the woman's birth chart to a fortune teller to determine the compatibility of the couple.
This is what is known as 'Najib'.
Only after Najib's success and the exchange of small gifts was the engagement officially completed.
For those who are more particular, after the initial gift, there will be two more steps: the betrothal ceremony, commonly known as the "grand betrothal gift exchange," and the bride's family returning the gift.
On top of that, the gentry would have to add many complicated steps, but since both families were commoners, the engagement process was not as complicated.
Guo Baiwen had inquired beforehand and found that the person in the county town who understood fortune telling was none other than the temple keeper of the City God Temple.
Tomorrow happens to be the academy's ten-day break. After he informs Guo Banshan about the job openings, he can conveniently make another trip to the City God Temple.
Suddenly, he called out to Chen Youtian.
Also because—
After saying "Wait a minute," Guo Baiwen quickly ran up the small building in front of Grandma Guo and Chen Youtian.
Because of the rush, even the sound of pushing open the room door was much louder.
But at that moment, Guo Baiwen didn't have time to notice these small details.
Although Najib has not yet been received and it is not yet time for the small gift ceremony, he has prepared some things in advance while tossing and turning at night these past few days.
So when Guo Baiwen came down the stairs of the small building, he was carrying a small wooden box about the length of his arm.
Chen Youtian was also shocked by his action.
This is before Najib is even born, and we don't even know if the two people's birth charts are compatible.
"Brother Guo? This, this is?"
Seeing that Chen Youtian seemed a little frightened, Guo Baiwen quickly reassured him, "Uncle Chen, don't panic."
As he spoke, he opened the small wooden box he was holding.
Nowadays, small gifts usually include cloth, clothing, grain, wine and meat, and some small jewelry.
So the wooden box he was carrying didn't contain anything particularly valuable; it mostly contained things he had gotten from signing in before, things he thought he could give to Chen Baoyue.
A set of mirrors and combs with handles, and a jewelry box decorated with a 'butterfly window' pattern.
The jewelry box has three layers, each with a small brass lock.
Although the material was beech wood, Guo Baiwen was still worried about the edges being chipped, so he had to put it in a wooden box.
He got up in the middle of the night a few nights ago to tidy this up when he couldn't sleep.
This is a good opportunity to have Uncle Chen help take the things back with us.
When Chen Youtian took the wooden box, he was still a little dazed.
He had originally planned to stay at an inn in the county town for a couple of days, buying furs and waiting to see the outcome of Guo Jia Naji's business.
We'll see which of the plans my wife suggested then.
But Guo Baiwen's current move was something neither he nor Chen Zhonghua had anticipated.
So much so that even now, holding the wooden box, he's still a little dazed, and can only mutter to himself, "Oh dear—how could I possibly accept this?"
They kept pushing it back and forth.
"No, no, no, this is too early to send this gift."
Neither of them made any big movements, since they had both seen what was inside the box when Guo Baiwen opened it.
Judging from the craftsmanship and the packaging, it's definitely not cheap.
Therefore, although he said that, seeing Guo Baiwen like this, Chen Youtian finally felt completely relieved, which had been hanging in suspense before entering the county town.
My wife was right after all.
Guo's younger brother really values his precious Baoyue.
Indeed, as my wife suggested, we should consider moving to the county town to settle down.
He has lived in the forest for many years. He didn't feel it when he was young, but recently, perhaps because he is getting older, he often feels pain in his knees.
However, after seeing several doctors, they all said that the chronic illness was caused by his busy hunting days and that he could only take medicine and recuperate.
It cannot be completely cured.
But he felt insecure if he didn't continue hunting.
So he simply dragged it out day by day, not knowing how many more years he could be a hunter with his physical condition.
His mind was filled with countless thoughts, but he showed no sign of it on his face.
After several rounds of back and forth, Chen Youtian finally agreed to bring the wooden box along, persuaded by Grandma Guo.
He carried the basket he had brought on his back, saying that he was going to buy and sell some mountain goods and furs in the city in the next few days, and that he would stay at the inn at the next street corner.
If the two families reach a decision regarding Najib, either Mr. Guo or Mrs. Guo can go directly to him.
That way, I can conveniently visit his house along the way.
After hearing this, Grandma Guo had no choice but to agree.
He readily agreed and gave a few more instructions to be careful before watching the figure carrying the basket on his back gradually disappear into the distance.
Once the figure had completely disappeared from the street corner, Grandma Guo turned around, winking and teasing Guo Baiwen, saying, "Grandma knew you liked the Chen family girl, but I didn't expect you to like her this much."
She was just joking at first, but then she thought about what happened with Guo Banshan last time, and then she thought about how Chen Youtian had come to her house this time and there was no empty room for him to stay.
The shop's monthly revenue is not small, and the annual rent for the shop and the small building can be paid on time.
Why doesn't she simply use the money she had saved up to buy this house to buy Wenzai a larger house with a courtyard nearby?
I don't know if there's a suitable one.
Seeing Grandma Guo's joking expression just moments before, Guo Baiwen suddenly became preoccupied again.
Even the weather in June doesn't change this quickly.
So I asked out of curiosity.
The answer he received left him somewhat amused and exasperated: "Grandma, I'm not even married yet, and you're already thinking about buying me a house?"
That's true.
Even if they get engaged now, the wedding is still two years away.
Maybe by then, the money she's saved will not only be enough to buy this shop, but also a small courtyard for Wenzai!
Grandma Guo patted her head, feeling a bit overwhelmed with work. Instead of worrying about the house, she needed to start preparing small gifts.
Besides, there are more important things to solve right now.
She nudged Guo Baiwen, "It's not dinner time yet, perfect timing, the buckwheat is still in the shop."
"When Xiaohua comes back from Lin Niangzi's house in a little while, she can help me watch the shop." She said, glancing up at the sky outside.
The sun is shining brightly today, so the orange-red sunset is clearly visible on the horizon.
"Go back to his house with Qiaomai first, and also check on how your brother Banshan is doing," she thought for a moment, still a little worried, and got up to walk towards the kitchen.
"I'll pack some cured meat and sausages for you to take with you later. We also have some freshly made sweets and pastries at the shop today, so we can decorate them together. When we get to the Yang family, you can also tell him about the job posting you saw today."
Grandma Guo herself was unsure whether Guo Banshan would agree to try working at the place Wenzai mentioned.
well.
never mind.
Despite being from the same village, everyone had their own thoughts.
As long as they can act with a clear conscience, that's enough.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
