Chapter 6 Cleaning Up
The cold wind blew, chilling her bones.
Wang waited for two more days, but she was inevitably anxious when Liu the Matchmaker didn't send a message. She was also angry because the villagers pointed fingers at her after Mrs. Fan's words.
She couldn't sit still anymore.
With something on her mind, she knocked heavily on Liu the Matchmaker's door.
There was a creaking sound in the yard, the sound of footsteps on the snow, coming from far away and getting closer.
Liu the Matchmaker's eyebrows and eyes were haggard. She had nightmares these days, fearing that the matter would be exposed. When she opened the door and saw that it was Wang, her eyelids twitched.
"It's you."
She leaned against the heavy door, blocking the way, and didn't show any hospitality.
"The house is in a mess, so I won't invite you in for tea. If you have anything to say, just talk here."
After Erlang went to school, Wang was praised by the villagers, flattering her as the future wife of a scholar. She felt superior to others, and her face fell when Liu the Matchmaker ignored her.
But the Dong family was more important, and she also needed help from them, so Wang didn't care.
She suppressed her emotions and glanced at the next door.
Selling her niece was not glorious after all, so Wang would not make a big fuss about it. She lowered her voice and asked, "How is the thing I asked you to do before?"
"Just give me a definite answer. Is the squire in love with someone else? Or is he trying to make a deal and thinks twenty taels is too expensive?"
Seeing that she didn't say anything, Wang took a step forward.
"You accepted my two eggs, so you have to make the deal for me."
Liu the matchmaker:...
She acted embarrassed: "Everyone knows that your husband values this niece."
"If he comes to our house with a knife to ask for an explanation, there are only my father-in-law and I in the family. What can we do to him?"
Wang frowned.
Unexpectedly, Liu the matchmaker changed the subject.
"But you underestimated Mr. Dong. What does twenty taels mean to him? If he likes it, he would be willing to give a hundred taels."
The greedy Wang was dumbfounded: "One... a hundred taels."
She thought twenty taels was a lion's mouth. She had never seen so much money in her life.
Liu the matchmaker raised her chin: "I remember your Erlang is studying in the town."
"Mr. Dong is extraordinary. He has a good relationship with the county magistrate. If he catches his eye, it would only take a word from him to send Erlang to the best academy in the town. He can even exempt you from the tuition."
These words directly hit Wang's heart. It's
true that Erlang is valued by the teacher, but how can the academy in the town compare with the academy in the county.
It's the heavy burden at home that delayed Erlang. If she were to marry into the Dong family...
She was very excited: "Don't worry, if this is done, I will never reveal that it was you who made the connection. My man won't be embarrassed by you."
"You will also get the matchmaking fee."
"I'll have to trouble you to pay more attention to it."
Liu the matchmaker smiled.
But the next moment, she pushed Wang hard.
Wang was not able to resist and fell heavily to the ground. Her body sank into the snow and she shuddered from the cold.
She cursed: "You are crazy!"
"You are crazy!"
Liu the matchmaker asked: "Your conscience has been eaten by a dog. Are you still an elder?"
"Do you still have any shame? Aren't you afraid that your niece's mother will climb out of her grave to settle accounts with you!"
Her loud voice soon alarmed the neighbors.
Not long after, an old man hurried out. He was wearing a thick cotton coat and had a serious look.
"What happened?"
He was the leader, followed by many villagers.
The mountain road in Xilin Village is difficult to walk, especially in severe winter. The head of the village attaches great importance to rules and always uses pig heads to worship their ancestors. Every year, they will go out to buy a pig from the butcher in the next village, drag it back and kill it.
Whoever wants to buy meat, just bring money to cut it.
But there is only so much pork. The head of the village keeps some for himself and some for relatives. The ones sold are not enough to share.
These villagers have to rush to make an appointment with the
head of the village in advance. It's a luxury once a year, and they always have to grit their teeth and let their hard-working family members taste the meat.
Liu the matchmaker is a neighbor of the head of the village. How could she not know that there are many people coming in and out next door these days?
She has been waiting for Wang to come.
Sure enough, the head of the village was puzzled: "Why are you fighting again? Can't the villagers talk about it properly?"
Wang saw that it was him, and her eyes trembled. How dare she argue, she quickly got up.
"Nothing, I just didn't stand firmly."
Matchmaker Liu sneered, raised her chin high: "Oh, you dare to do it but you don't dare to admit it? You also know that you feel guilty?"
She said to everyone: "I pushed her, I gave her face by not using a broom to drive her away. It just so happens that everyone is here, you can judge for yourself."
"Everyone knows that her niece is as beautiful as a flower. If it weren't for her mother, the Hu family, how could she be where she is now? If it were me, I would have treated her as my own daughter."
"But if Hu Dazhu is not at home, how can stepmother have a good life?"
"I think what Mrs. Fan said is not unreasonable. I'm afraid that stepmother's falling into the water was related to her!"
Wang: ??? ?
Yu Tingwan didn't stand firmly, can she be blamed? The head
of the village frowned: "You can't say that. People are all made of flesh and blood. The girl has lived under their noses for many years. How could Dazhu's wife harm her?"
Wang: "Yes! I..."
"Bah!"
Liu the matchmaker sneered: "She is obsessed with money. She wants to sell her niece to Mr. Dong and insists that I go through the process."
Everyone looked at each other. This was really a good show.
Someone couldn't help but say: "Once I went to the Hu family, the stepmother was tired and sweating all over. Wang not only didn't let her rest, but also scolded her for being clumsy."
"Tsk, what's that? The disaster happened in the stepmother's family. It was not easy for the little girl to escape from death. Just a few days after coming to Xilin Village, Wang cursed her for not dying with her parents."
"Don't talk about the stepmother. She either beats or scolds that daughter-in-law."
"That little Xu is not a good thing either. When my family held a banquet, she ate and took everything."
Wang was stunned. She really didn't understand why Liu the matchmaker turned her face and didn't recognize her.
"It was you who brought it up first..."
Matchmaker Liu's voice drowned out hers: "I'm a matchmaker, not a peddler! How old is that girl? I want to push her into the Dong family? Mr. Dong is old and has some quirks in private. The girls he carries out of his house are all covered in blood. If I bring them together and this gets out, who in the surrounding area will dare to ask me for help in choosing a date?"
"How can I agree to such a heartless thing?" The head
of the village sank his face: "Okay!"
"Wang, your Yaozu is the most promising son in the village. As a mother, don't hold him back. Use your brain for everything!"
"Selling your niece? You can come up with such a bad idea? If this gets out, your Erlang won't be able to raise his head in public."
Wang's eyes flickered and she was a little scared, but she said stubbornly: "It's not that serious. How is the Dong family bad?" The head
of the village said sternly: "Do you dare to say this to Hu Dazhui?"
"Do you really think I'm willing to get involved in your family's affairs? I advise you to calm down for a few days. When the whole family is together, if Hu Dazhu agrees, I will never stop you!"
"But if you do something behind his back, you'll see how I'll deal with you!"
(End of this chapter)
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