Chapter 70
When asking someone who loves money to do something, all the talk and no action is less effective than simply giving them a deposit.
Lin Xinghua received the money and immediately began making arrangements.
There's no reason for a matchmaker to speak directly to the girl or the boy in person.
Lin Xinghua treated Xun Xiaozi as an old man who could make his own decisions. As for Shu Wanxiu, she was afraid that if she suddenly came to her door, the young woman would be embarrassed to hear such things. So the next day, she went to see Chen Sanhe first.
"Since you're close to Shu, and there's such a good thing about it, I won't hide it from you anymore."
"Come with me to the mountain and listen!"
Lin Xinghua dressed more festively than usual, not only wearing nice, new clothes, but also with powder on her face, looking rosy and radiant.
Chen Sanhe guessed which direction it was heading, so he quickly put down what he was doing and followed Lin Xinghua out the door.
"Are you trying to arrange a marriage for Xiuya?"
Which family contacted you?
On the road, with no one around, Chen Sanhe quietly inquired.
"It's someone you know," Lin Xinghua said with a smile, keeping everyone in suspense. "You'll find out soon enough."
The journey up the mountain was neither too close nor too far. Chen Sanhe couldn't get any information from Lin Xinghua, so he could only keep walking in silence, thinking of all the eligible young men from the nearby villages along the way.
There were only seven or eight women whose looks were a good match for Xiuya. After removing those from families with large families, poor circumstances, difficult relationships with sisters-in-law, or mean mothers-in-law, only one or two remained.
She was actually quite distrustful of Lin Xinghua, fearing that this person might arrange some bad marriage to deceive Shu Wanxiu.
But Lin Xinghua was willing to take the initiative to invite her up the mountain to keep her company, so she didn't seem like she was trying to deceive Xiuya.
After pondering for a long time, he still couldn't figure out what Lin Xinghua was thinking.
Alright, alright, let's listen to what they have to say first.
When they arrived at their doorstep, Shu Wanxiu had just finished feeding the chicks with grass seeds and old vegetable scraps and was planning to use the water that had been left to settle for half an hour to make breakfast.
She and Shu Shouyi used to cook with water from the stream, but now the stream is shallow, and even when they are extra careful when fetching water, some mud and sand still get mixed in.
"Shu girl!"
Lin Xinghua shouted loudly, startling her so much that she almost dropped the ladle, stirring up the water that had finally settled and cleared up again.
"Aunt Chen, Aunt Xinghua?"
When she greeted Lin Xinghua, her tone was somewhat uncertain.
"Yes!" Lin Xinghua replied with a smile, her eyes crinkling.
"Auntie's here because there's good news!"
She grabbed Shu Wanxiu's hand and sat down on the stool with her, as if she were at home, and even urged Chen Sanhe to sit down quickly.
Based on Lin Xinghua's words and her attire, Shu Wanxiu made some guesses. Her heart immediately started pounding, her face flushed, and she was so embarrassed that she didn't know what to do.
A matchmaker must maintain a proper balance and avoid making fun of the girl, lest it annoy her.
So Lin Xinghua stopped at the right moment and said, "You're all alone on the mountain. I'm afraid it's not easy for you to make decisions on important matters by yourself."
"Your aunt specially invited your Aunt Chen over today. What do you think about letting her listen in on this matter and give you some advice?"
Shu Wanxiu nodded gently.
Of the three, two knew exactly what Lin Xinghua was going to say.
Only Chen Sanhe was mostly kept in the dark, and she urged, "Tell me."
Lin Xinghua smiled brightly and revealed the answer: "As the saying goes, there is no rain without clouds in the sky, and no marriage without a matchmaker on earth. I have been entrusted by Xun Yi to act as his matchmaker today."
Chen Sanhe's expression froze for five or six seconds, then he picked at his ear as if he had misheard. "Who did you say?"
"Xun boy, Xun Yi!"
Among the list of people Chen Sanhe came up with, Xun Yi's name was not among them at all.
Upon first hearing this, it was like a bolt from the blue.
She vaguely recalled that time she questioned him in the vegetable garden.
Good lad, so the person you're interested in is Shu Wanxiu! No wonder you didn't say a word no matter how I asked.
After Chen Sanhe realized what was happening, he was relieved that Xun Yi had kept his mouth shut.
The rumors about Xun Yi were really rampant a few days ago, and she only heard about them when Xun Yi was trying to clarify things everywhere.
Fortunately, the woman in that rumor was not Shu Wanxiu, otherwise Shu Wanxiu's reputation would have been ruined.
When Lin Xinghua first glimpsed Xun Yi's feelings, she was also incredulous. Now, she gave Chen Sanhe some time to process it, watching her expression change constantly until she finally seemed calm and accepted it, before continuing.
“We all know Xun Yi, he’s no stranger to us. Think about it, he’s tall and strong, handsome, loyal and righteous, and incredibly skilled. Isn’t there a more outstanding young man around here?”
"Shu girl, you are pretty, kind-hearted, hardworking and capable. You can manage both the household and the outside world. Your aunt thinks that you two are a perfect match."
Chen Sanhe had no blood relation with either side, yet he adored both children.
However, she was summoned by Lin Xinghua to act as an elder on Shu Wanxiu's side, so naturally she could only speak on Shu Wanxiu's behalf.
She reacted quickly and continued the conversation.
“Xun Yi is indeed a good young man, but as you said, our Xiu is also a very good girl.”
How sincere is his offer to marry me?
Sincerity?
When the bride's family asks this question in front of the matchmaker, they are usually trying to find out if the dowry is generous.
Although Lin Xinghua was only a half-baked matchmaker, she knew a bit about the market and immediately rattled off a list of the betrothal gifts Xun Yi had prepared.
Chen Sanhe knew that Xun Yi was not a mean person and understood that he must have prepared a generous dowry. In fact, he wanted to know how Xun Yi would treat Shu Shouyi in the future.
Unfortunately, Xun Yi didn't seem to have specifically mentioned this to Lin Xinghua, and after probing for a long time, Lin Xinghua still couldn't give any relevant answers.
Chen Sanhe glanced at Shu Wanxiu.
It was obvious that the blush on her face had faded considerably, and her expression had almost returned to calm.
The matchmaker is responsible for relaying messages between the man and woman.
Xun Yi could have communicated his future plans for Shu Shouyi through Lin Xinghua.
But Chen Sanhe dared not let Lin Xinghua pass on this message.
Firstly, although Shu Wanxiu said last time that she would rather not marry if she could not keep Shu Shouyi by her side, some time has passed, and Chen Sanhe is afraid that she may have changed her mind.
Secondly, if Xun Yi is unwilling to raise Shu Shouyi, the marriage will fall through. Through Lin Xinghua's matchmaking, the news that Shu Wanxiu intends to marry with Shu Shouyi will likely spread, and many families will no longer consider her as a potential partner.
Shu Wanxiu is still young. What if she changes her mind in a year or two and decides to let someone else support Shu Shouyi while she gets married?
No one can predict the future.
From the perspective of someone who has been through it all, Chen Sanhe considered two things for Shu Wanxiu, so he didn't bring it up with Lin Xinghua directly, but instead gave a vague answer.
He neither agreed nor refused, meaning he would consider it for a while before giving an answer.
Matchmaking is no easy task. Some families are so picky that even after ten or eight attempts, the match still doesn't go through.
Lin Xinghua knew that haste makes waste, so she wisely stood up and said, "You two discuss it properly, I'll come back in a couple of days."
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The author says: "No rain falls when there are no clouds in the sky, and no marriage can be made without a matchmaker on the ground." This saying first appeared in the matchmaker's song in the Pingju opera "Hua Wei Mei" and spread widely through opera performances, becoming a folk proverb.
—The above information was found online.
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