Knowing that my mother-in-law would be busy today, I got up before dawn on this snowy day to knead the dough, make knife-cut noodles, and stir-fry some vegetables. As soon as my mother-in-law got up, the steaming hot noodles were served.
To prevent her mother-in-law from getting hungry on the journey, she also boiled six eggs and made six pancakes. She brushed each pancake with chili sauce, wrapped them in oil paper, and put them in her bundle.
Oh, and hot water too, that's essential. The water bladder is filled with hot water mixed with brown sugar and honey.
With everything ready, Da Xue began busily preparing breakfast for the others...
After washing up, Jiang Yue put on a thick winter coat and wore shoes that her daughter-in-law had recently made for her; they were especially thick.
After we had eaten and drunk our fill, we heard our sister-in-law calling from outside the door.
"Mom, I've packed you some food and hot water. Remember to drink if you get thirsty on the road."
While helping her mother-in-law carry her bundle in the heavy snow, her hands were also busy. The fish and wooden bucket had been frozen solid all night, and she struggled to lift them.
"I'll carry the samples, walk slowly, don't slip!"
Seeing this, Jiang Yue quickly snatched the wooden bucket away; it was heavy, and he couldn't let his wife carry it all.
"Yes, I know."
Da Xue smiled brightly, and only after seeing her mother-in-law off onto the oxcart did she stop.
"Good boy, I'm leaving the house to you now."
After Jiang Yue settled in, she gave a brief instruction, her eyes full of trust.
"Oh, Mother, don't worry, I'll definitely fulfill your request."
The heavy snow pushed the fish and the wooden bucket into a corner, tilted its head back, and waved goodbye.
"Giddy up!"
Da Shi nodded to his younger siblings, then slowly drove towards Zhangjiawan...
"Sister-in-law, are you cold?"
The eldest sister-in-law leaned against the oxcart fence next to her husband. She was extremely nervous about meeting her daughter and couldn't help but try to start a conversation.
Jiang Yue shook her head. As soon as she got on the oxcart, the little girl gave her a blanket, and she was warm now.
At the opposite end of the blanket were her sister-in-law and eldest brother. To avoid suspicion, Jiang Yue only nodded to her brother-in-law and chatted with her sister-in-law for a few words first.
"It's not cold, sister-in-law, have you eaten?"
"I ate. I made vegetarian noodles this morning. I ate my fill and then went out."
"That's good. If you're hungry, I have some pancakes and eggs that my daughter-in-law made."
"Hey, I'll definitely come to you when I'm hungry!"
The two sisters-in-law chatted and laughed, then Jiang Yue turned to her little niece with concern:
"Little girl, are you cold?"
"Hmm~ I'm not cold, thank you for your concern, Auntie."
The little girl shook her head; she was wearing a new cotton-padded jacket that her mother had made for her, and it was very thick.
Seeing this, Jiang Yue pursed her lips. "Isn't the little girl cold?"
She looked at the girl's face; whether from the cold wind or something else, it was rosy and glowing like the morning sun...
Zhangjia Village is neither far nor near; we arrived at 7:45 AM.
As the oxcart entered, villagers who had been hibernating during the winter gradually came out to look around.
To the naked eye, these villagers were pale and emaciated, their clothes, while not exactly tattered, were riddled with patches...
Jiang Yue sensed the little girl's fear, so she put her arm around her niece and protected her silently.
Seeing this, Wu Dalang told his son to stop the oxcart. He jumped off the cart, switched places with his son, and kindly asked a villager:
"Sir, could you tell me how to get to Zhang the Hunter's house?"
"Who are you to him?"
"Matchmaker Yang sent us here to arrange the marriage. I'm from Wujia Village, this is my son, and the people in the car are my wife and my sister-in-law who are visiting relatives along the way."
"Oh, I see. Then keep going in, the last house is the one."
"Oh, thank you so much, sir!"
Wu Dalang thanked him, and after his son was settled, he got into the carriage.
"Da da da~"
After the oxcart had driven far away, the old man's face lit up with greed, his eyes fixed greedily on the vanished cart...
I wish they had cows!
Who is this family? They even have an oxcart...
A moment later, after asking another villager, they finally found Zhang the hunter's house.
Well, the house was rickety and the snow was piled up really thick.
I knocked on the door, and a beautiful young woman came to open it.
The girl's eyes were full of wariness, and she only let them into the house after they explained their purpose.
The room was dimly lit, and the damp, musty smell was overwhelming.
Jiang Yue frowned as soon as she entered the room. It was no wonder she was annoyed; the room was messy and disorganized, with items scattered everywhere.
"Young lady, where are your parents?"
Wu Dalang was a little embarrassed, not knowing where to put the gift he was carrying.
Clearly, the girl already knew their purpose, and she wasn't intimidated; she stared intently at the boy among the newcomers.
After a long pause, he finally answered:
"My dad went to buy wine, and my mom went after him, but she hasn't come back yet."
Um?
Upon hearing this, Mr. and Mrs. Wu were immediately filled with doubt.
Buy some wine?
Could it be that this girl's father is an alcoholic?
"You can tell me whatever you want. Anyway, my father doesn't care who I marry, as long as the dowry is right. As for my mother, she can't make the decision."
The girl shrugged, pulled out a stool, and gestured for them to sit down, telling them not to be shy.
"This~"
Madam Zhou frowned. This was the first time she had arranged a marriage for her son, and the result was not quite what she had expected.
"Then tell me, how much dowry do you want?"
Wu Dalang patiently began to inquire.
“Twenty taels. If you give me that amount, I will cut off all ties with this family and never give any financial support to my family again.”
The girl spoke boldly, stating this number.
She observed that the family was dressed neatly and warmly, and they had an oxcart, so they couldn't be a poor family.
Upon hearing this number, Jiang Yue finally looked up and carefully examined the young woman.
If I remember correctly, her name was Zhang He'er?
Well, as her name suggests, she is graceful and elegant. If her appearance is out of ten, I would give her a seven or eight.
The eldest Zhou family member and the head of the household exchanged a glance, both looking very conflicted.
Looking at her son again, she saw that his expression was normal and calm, and she couldn't figure out what his attitude was.
Actually, after more than half a year of saving money, especially after she and her second brother and sister-in-law made a lot of money selling cloth dolls, their mother-in-law did not want the money and did not hand it over to the public treasury. After they divided the money, they were indeed well-off.
However, she didn't feel quite comfortable receiving a dowry of twenty taels at once.
Clearly, this girl meant she wouldn't bring back a single penny; judging by the family's circumstances, she probably wouldn't have any dowry at all...
Marrying up or down is considered bad; if you marry down, you'll inevitably be ridiculed behind your back in the village!
Sigh, let's see what our son thinks. If he likes someone, then we, as parents, will give him our blessing.
However, Daishi was not so shallow as to be blinded by appearances.
He was the only son of the first wife, and what he wanted was a virtuous wife who was filial to her elders and took care of the younger generation. Looks were not his priority.
Therefore, he asked the appropriate question:
What household chores are you good at?
"Not really."
"That needlework?"
"Not good."
"So, if you marry into my family, are you willing to live a hard life with me?"
"I don't want to~"
......
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