Yang Anjin heard the joking in Yang Donghu's mouth and pretended to be annoyed and said, "You are getting worse and worse. When did you learn to recite those sour poems? What's with the 'peach blossoms'? It's just an ordinary flower blooming in spring. Why does it have a different meaning when it comes to your mouth?"
Yang Donghu pursed his lips and smiled: "Look at you, why are you reacting so strongly? You just mentioned peach blossoms and didn't say anything else. It's not okay to praise your flower embroidery. You are too difficult to please."
Yang Anjin felt weak in his heart, and his eloquence was no match for Yang Donghu's. He was speechless at the moment.
Yang Donghu knew when to stop and made a few jokes without letting Yang Anjin continue to be embarrassed. The two of them didn't need to be so polite. Yang Donghu directly explained the purpose of their visit: "Aunt said that she has booked a table at the Meishan Restaurant. If there is anything to talk about, the two families can sit down and talk slowly. You and Brother Fang Yu can also get to know each other and see if your personalities are compatible."
Yang Anjin had never met the other person. Although he had been to the Zhao family many times, he had no other thoughts at that time. He was just visiting, so of course he didn't feel uncomfortable. But now that the relationship has changed, he feels a little uncomfortable.
He hesitated for a moment and said, "Dong Hu, I'm a little nervous."
"Why are you so nervous? You've seen Aunt Cuilan several times. An Jin keeps talking about you all day long, not to mention Fang Chu. Yesterday, when I found out you were willing to meet her, I was so happy that my appetite exploded. I even ate an extra piece of chestnut cake tonight, and my belly is so full."
Yang Anjin couldn't help but burst out laughing, no longer as awkward as before: "I haven't said a word to him, it's embarrassing to meet him like this."
Yang Donghu continued, "I know you're nervous. It's a bit uncomfortable to meet a strange man, but think about it, Auntie and Fang Chu are good people, and Brother Fang Yu is Aunt Cuilan's son, so he can't be any worse. I might sound biased when I say this, but you must have a good idea in your mind, right? Otherwise, why would you agree to meet him first?"
Yang Anjin nodded. Yang Donghu was right. If he had not seen Zhu Cuilan's kindness before, he would not have easily agreed to meet her.
Young boys and girls are in love, and who hasn't imagined what their future husband will look like in their mind? Yang Anjin is no exception. After visiting the Zhao family several times, he could see that Zhao Luochuan was really good to Yang Donghu.
There are many men in the village who beat and scold their wives. Yang Anjin is lucky because his parents are harmonious and have never had any conflicts in their lives. He can't help but wonder whether his future husband will treat him so well.
Seeing Yang Anjin's silence, Yang Donghu knew that her discomfort would not go away anytime soon, so he spoke again: "Aunt and Fang Chu love you so much, they will definitely not embarrass you. What's the matter? Are you panicking because you're afraid that I will embarrass you? Then your worries are in vain. We have such a good relationship, I'm so happy that I won't use my status as the old wife to pick on the new one."
Yang Anjin was distracted by his words, her face flushed, and she stopped thinking about the matchmaking: "What old wife, new wife? I haven't agreed yet. You're talking too far ahead."
"Okay, okay, I won't tell you. It's not too late to tell you after you have a clue about your fate."
There were outsiders sitting in the yard, and the two of them spoke in low voices. If Zhang Lanzhen were present, she would definitely scold them for talking nonsense.
The conversation lasted until noon. Yang Donghu asked Yang Anjin for advice on how to embroider peach blossoms vividly, but Yang Anjin pushed him away with a blushing face.
Yang Donghu left with a teasing look on his face and declined Zhang Lanzhen's offer to keep him for dinner.
After Sanwai's wife found out what she wanted to hear, she couldn't wait to go to the woman she knew in the village to chat for half a day. But she didn't stay for long and left after sitting for a while.
She took advantage of the time when people were most free after lunch, grabbed a handful of leftover melon seeds from entertaining guests during the New Year, called a few acquaintances, and sat at the entrance of the village. She watched the passers-by coming and going, and her mouth never stopped.
"Guess who I met today. If I tell you, you won't believe it. I guarantee you will be shocked." Sanwai's wife is quick-witted. Everything enters her ears, turns around in her mind, and she has to say it out loud immediately, otherwise she will feel uncomfortable holding it back.
The other women, accustomed to her tendency to exaggerate, chimed in perfunctorily, "Who is it?"
"The third boy of the Yang family has been so skinny and dark since he was a child that it seemed like he could not be raised. I thought he would have a hard life after being sold to Zhao Luochuan by his mother. But now he is being taken care of so well and his life is much better than when he was in the Yang family. He has thick clothes and silver hairpins. How can an ordinary man treat his wife so well? Everyone says that Zhao Luochuan is vicious, but I think the rumors are really not credible." The third wife gestured as she spoke, and this time she did not exaggerate at all.
The other women were also surprised. One of them said, "That's right. I don't know who spread this nonsense back then. A good man was said to have eaten a man-eating beast. What a pity! If I had known, I would have kept the girl in my house for another year. I heard that Zhao Luochuan sold a lot of good things in the mountains before the New Year. He had a lot of silver in his hands. It was a good deal for the young man from the Yang family."
When Zhao Luochuan was tricked by Wang Dujuan into marrying a girl for twenty taels, all these people wanted to laugh at his joke. Now they say such things again. They change their attitude faster than turning the pages of a book.
Sanwai's wife still had a lot to say, but she didn't want to keep talking to Zhao Luochuan, so she interrupted him, saying, "It's too late to say anything now, but guess where I saw Donghu today: at Zhang Lanzhen's house."
"That's nothing strange. Haven't Dong Hu and An Jin always been good friends?"
"Yes, if it was just a visit, it wouldn't be unusual. What's unusual is that he came to deliver a message to his husband's aunt. You may not know that both families have already hired a matchmaker to mediate, and Zhang Lanzhen has already agreed to see him."
The others were obviously very interested in this matter, and they all talked about it at once.
"Then who is it, Lan Zhen's eldest son or the younger brother?"
"Didn't the little brother from Lan Zhen's family say one a few days ago? Why didn't it work out?"
"Is Lan Zhen's eldest son engaged to the second daughter of Du Juan's family? I see that girl Chun Xue is always going to Lan Zhen's house."
Sanwai's wife listened to their heated discussion and cleared her throat in a pretentious manner. She loved to pry into things and knew more than anyone else: "You don't know yet, that one a few days ago fell through. I heard it was because the man on the other side was a scoundrel, and the matchmaker was kicked out by Lan Zhen. Guess who that scoundrel is related to."
The women looked at each other and shook their heads.
"He's Wang Dujuan's cousin from her mother's family. He's idle all day long, and he wants to take advantage of others and marry a man as well-off as An Jin. Isn't that just daydreaming? His daughter is not a good person either. Not only is she spoiled, but Lan Zhen looks down on her. She keeps trying to get close to him all day long, and she has no dignity at all. If I had a daughter like him, I would have broken her legs and locked her up in the house, never letting her see anyone again."
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