Hua Baoguo came over to bring up another matter: "Aren't two happy events in our family too close together?"
Tian Guihua and the others were well aware of this, but since they had already come all this way, they couldn't let rumors spread.
"How about we postpone Zhi'an's wedding? Shouldn't we go to the bride's side first?" Hua Baoguo couldn't go with them, but the proper etiquette couldn't be neglected.
"I was saving all this for Xiaoguai's dowry, but I can't get everything I need all at once." He brought back some fabric this time, but his son's wedding is still a long way off, and he's afraid he won't be so lucky to find such good things next time.
“Don’t give it all to him,” Tian Guihua said, “Compared to Xiao Guai, Hua Zhian had to take a few steps back. He had already made his choice. “His brother didn’t have these good things when he got married, so naturally he can’t have them either.”
Just like before, I'll make two sets of clothes for you. If you have any other requests, you can make up the difference yourself.
The fabric you brought back this time is very bright and fresh. Give one set to Xie Lanqiao, another set to Lijuan, and use the rest to make two more sets of clothes for Xiaoguai. She's been wearing her old clothes to work in the fields, and she'll need a few new outfits for her wedding.
Hua Baoguo said, "Mother, I heard news again that the higher-ups are discussing reinstating exams. If it's true this time, what will happen to our children..."
“Of course Xiao Guai is fine,” Tian Guihua immediately sat up straight. Xiao Guai had mentioned this to her before, saying that it was news from her sect. She was going to the countryside in the last few months. “But Zhi Ping and Zhi An are a bit uncertain.”
Xiao Guai had prepared a whole set of books for them before, but the two brothers haven't read them these past few days.
It's been so long since I graduated from school, I've forgotten almost everything, and I don't know if I can still register.
"Let them get started. If things really open up, we'll have an advantage." Hua Baoguo himself couldn't concentrate on his studies, but he was thinking about the future of his descendants. "I'll help them gather some information later. I'll trouble you to keep an eye on things here, Mother."
So I was thinking about postponing Zhi'an's wedding. His brain isn't as sharp as his sister's; after marriage, in the honeymoon phase, how could he possibly concentrate on his studies?"
It's inevitable to be distracted after marriage, so it would be a shame to miss such a great opportunity.
He wasn't worried about Xiangyun at all. This girl had always been easy to take care of since she was little, and her academic performance was always among the best in school. She had just graduated from high school, so dealing with the exams would be no problem at all. He had that kind of confidence.
He asked Zhiping privately, and Zhiping said that if given the chance, he wouldn't want to take the exam. He had been away from school for too long, and his academic performance was only average back then. After working for so many years, he had forgotten most of it. He knew his own limitations.
Zhi'an could take a chance; if he's lucky, that would be another way out.
"You think too highly of your son. There are books on his desk, but have you seen him flip through them a few times?"
When Xiao Guai is home, he would pretend to be serious, but now there's a layer of dust on the table, and I'm too lazy to clean it for him." Tian Guihua only discovered it when she went in by chance that day. The books were covered in a layer of dust, so it was obvious that they hadn't been touched at all.
"So I'm thinking of making the most of this last bit of time. If I can take the exam this year, I'll wait until after the exam to hold the wedding for them..."
"Then let's get the certificate first, and we'll talk about the rest later." Tian Guihua interrupted him. This son of hers was so stubborn. Why couldn't he use his brain? Could they wait any longer?
"It's getting out of hand if this drags on any longer. And get out of my way, go out and see if anyone has a bicycle ticket."
Xun Liangfen finally saw Xie Lanqiao. She was quite pretty, with a chubby face that made her look like she was blessed.
But so what? Even if her appearance is an advantage, her background is a major flaw.
What help can a girl from such a poor background bring to her family? It would be good enough if she didn't hold them back.
Xie Lanqiao sensed her future mother-in-law's gaze, which was nothing like the kind and gentle look of Grandma Hua; it was filled with hostility.
"Mom, how long can you rest at home this time?" Now that the marriage has been decided, Hua Zhian naturally wants to protect her.
All of them, as her children, knew Xun Liangfen's personality. She could find fault with someone like Jiang Yi, let alone Xie Lanqiao.
“If I don’t come back, will this house still have a place for me to speak?” Xun Liangfen glanced at Xie Lanqiao before speaking to Hua Zhian.
"You've got some nerve, bringing home all sorts of things, good and bad. You'll regret it later."
Hua Zhian felt extremely uncomfortable saying this in front of Xie Lanqiao. "Mom, what are you saying? Your son has such discerning eyes that he can only recognize and find treasures. Look, he's picked out a daughter-in-law for you."
After working for a while, his tongue became even more eloquent. "From now on, you and Grandma can just enjoy your retirement. It's time for us to start our own families and take on some responsibilities..."
Seeing that Hua Zhian had completely charmed Xun Liangfen, Tian Guihua smiled and waved, calling Xie Lanqiao to the main room. Now that it was settled and the Xie family had been notified, it was time to discuss the betrothal gifts.
"Did you send the telegram back?"
Xie Lanqiao nodded shyly, "A telegram has been sent."
"Grandma speaks frankly and doesn't beat around the bush, but I don't know what the requirements are for betrothal gifts where we live?"
Xie Lanqiao, "...I'm not too sure about that either..." There really is no fixed amount for betrothal gifts in the countryside. If the conditions are better, they will give more; if the conditions are worse, the two families will agree and that's how it goes.
She felt a pang of regret; if she had known things would develop so quickly, she would have at least brought one member of her family along.
Tian Guihua said, "I shouldn't have brought this up with you, but the distance between the two places is far, and your grandfather and I are not in good health to travel such a long distance."
Zhi'an's parents are both busy with work, and the round trip would take too long. They simply don't have that much vacation time, so we thought we'd let Zhi'an go back with you by himself.
You'll definitely need to set out some drinks over there. What kind of drinks are you referring to? You can let us know, and we'll prepare the ticket money in advance.
With such a long distance between the two sides, hosting banquets at both ends would be a huge undertaking.
This round trip took more than half a month, not even counting the time lost in between.
Xie Lanqiao was restless. She had heard people mention these things before, but how could she, an unmarried young girl, bring herself to say them?
Tian Guihua knew about her predicament, but they couldn't just ignore it.
In the end, all I could do was gently comfort them and subtly inquire about some of the local customs.
According to this standard, the standard given to Hua Zhiping for marriage at that time was sufficient.
When it was time for dinner that night, Tian Guihua laid out the receipts and money she had given Hua Zhiping for his marriage on the table. The two brothers were impartial and let Hua Zhian make his own decision.
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