Chapter 7
"Mom..." Meng Eryong leaned towards his mother's legs, like a pet dog waiting to be petted.
Zhen Zhen said: "Eryong, you should know who mother is talking about, right?"
Meng Eryong nodded hurriedly, "Of course I know!"
"That's good. Although I don't say it, I have high hopes for you in my heart. I also hope that you can handle the big things clearly, support this family, and protect our Meng family from wind and rain!"
Meng Eryong was filled with shame after hearing what he said. He felt that marriage by exchange was not a fair thing to do.
If Tao Aihong's mother hadn't insisted, he wouldn't have said such bad things in front of her.
But it was equally important for him to get married. Tao Aihong was pregnant and it would be more obvious in the spring. He couldn't keep putting it off, could he?
Zhen Zhen's tone was very calm:
"As for Tao Aihong, she only treats her own brother as a human being, but doesn't take your sister seriously. It's obvious that she is a black-hearted person! She is like this before you get married, what will happen after you get married?"
Meng Eryong, of course, stood up for his wife, "Mom, you are prejudiced! Aihong is a very nice person, hardworking and pretty! She said that after she gets married, she will be very obedient, not quarrel with the eldest sister-in-law, serve you well, and give birth to two big fat grandsons for our Meng family! Make you happy!"
Zhen Zhen said unhappily:
"I thought you were a liar, but who knew your wife is even more liar. She's already made a promise to me before we even got married! Serve me well? I'll be thankful if you don't make me angry!"
"no……"
"That's enough!" Zhen Zhen waved his hands impatiently, "Forget about the exchange marriage! Go and ask the Tao family to give you 8 yuan for the eight-character hairpin, 8 yuan for the betrothal gift, and 8 yuan for the wine and beverages, and make three sets of clothes for Tao Aihong. One set of spring clothes, one set of summer clothes, and one set of cotton-padded jacket! This is the greatest sincerity our Meng family can give. If you can accept it, then accept it. If you can't accept it, then tell your mother-in-law that you want to be her son-in-law, and then you can do farm work in her family for the rest of your life."
Meng Eryong was so ashamed by his mother that he couldn't even lift his head. His mother was mocking him for not caring about his family's life in order to marry a wife! But what could he do? His family was so poor. If he didn't hurry up, would the Tao family marry their daughter to him?
Zhen Zhen knew that 24 yuan was already very respectable in the countryside, and other families in the village would be lucky to get more than ten yuan for a wedding. If it weren't for the fact that Tao Aihong was pregnant and Zhen Zhen was afraid that people would say she was deliberately using this opportunity to suppress her daughter-in-law, she would never have given so much money.
Zhen Zhen felt overwhelmed when he thought that he only had one dollar and eighty cents in his pocket.
What sin had she committed to deserve to be transported through a book and become someone's mother-in-law?
Meng Eryong also knew that his family had no money, so he might have to borrow the 24 yuan. His mother had never bowed her head to anyone in her life, which made him unhappy.
He responded and prepared to go to the Tao family to explain the situation.
Meng Daguo came in carrying a hoe. When he saw him, his dark face lit up with joy. "Second brother, you're back?"
Meng Eryong looked listless and responded perfunctorily.
Meng Daguo walked inside, "Mom, what happened to my second brother?"
Daya spoke fluently, reciting Jiang Hua and Meng Eryong's words to her father like pouring beans.
When Meng Daguo heard that his mother had promised someone 24 yuan, he became worried. Where could he find so much money when he couldn't even afford to eat at home?
"Mom, if that doesn't work, can I go borrow some from my grandma?"
Grandma Meng gave birth to two sons, and Father Meng was the second oldest.
The original owner was a shrew. Because Old Man Meng had a high allowance, she was afraid that others would take advantage of her, so she wanted to divide the family within two years of marriage and sent Grandma Meng to live with her eldest son. Over the years, the two families had little contact.
Zhen Zhen couldn't bring herself to ask for money at this moment.
"Okay, I'll think of a way to deal with the money issue. But Tao Aihong's pregnancy can't wait. She must get married before the New Year. We have to invite people from the village to help with the banquet. I'm really at a loss as to who to invite."
Meng Daguo knew that his mother couldn't bring herself to go to his uncle's family, so he said flatteringly:
"Mom, didn't you raise your son for your use? How can you run errands at a time like this? When I'm working in the evening, I'll tell Dachuan to ask him and his family to help. Also, call a few aunts and uncles in the village. My dad is a martyr, they will help in any way they can. You don't have to worry about manpower."
Zhen Zhen was happy to have some free time, and after a good deal of fooling around, he sent his eldest son, who was fooled into not knowing what to do, out of the house. Then he took out a piece of letter paper from the cupboard.
If Meng Daguo hadn't mentioned it, she would have forgotten that Meng Eryong's marriage was a good excuse to ask for the death benefit from Old Man Meng.
She leaned against the window, and in the sunlight, she wrote a heartfelt letter with two main ideas:
One is to recall the past and look back at the life of Father Meng, talking about how Father Meng loved his country and how he sacrificed his life for the country.
The second was to complain about how difficult the family was after Father Meng's death, how they had no food to eat, and how they were almost starving to death.
He changed the subject and said that even so he did not want to cause trouble for the country, but now his second son was getting married and the family had to borrow money to hold the wedding banquet. Life was becoming difficult, and he hoped that the leaders would show sympathy and implement the death benefit for Old Man Meng.
There was a letter from Old Man Meng in the original owner's cabinet. Zhen Zhen wrote the address on the envelope, sealed it with glue, and planned to ask Meng Daguo to go to the town to mail it tomorrow.
Meng Eryong walked to the Tao family. Tao Aihong's mother saw him coming in from a distance and said happily:
"Eryong, what did your mother say? When will your sister marry you?"
Meng Eryong glanced at her and said, "Auntie, my mother doesn't agree to the marriage exchange."
"What!" Zhao Ying frowned. It was said that Zhen Guizhi had no feelings for her daughter, so how could she not agree? If Zhen Guizhi didn't marry her daughter to him, where would her son Tao Jiang find a wife?
Zhao Ying had a stern face and was obviously unhappy. Tao Jiang leaned against the door, looking sullen and silent.
Tao Aihong pulled Meng Eryong's arm and said, "Eryong, why did your mother regret it? What did she say about our marriage?"
"My mother said 8 yuan for the eight-character hairpin, 8 yuan for the bride price, 8 yuan for the wine and drinks, and to make three sets of clothes, one set for spring and one set for summer, and one set of cotton padded jacket!"
Tao Aihong was moved. She would not gain any benefit from the marriage in exchange, but she would have three sets of clothes. She had never worn a new piece of clothing in all these years at her parents' home.
Besides, 24 yuan is not a small amount. The workers in the city don’t have such standards for marriage.
She looked at Zhao Ying's expression, and Zhao Ying sneered with a long face:
"You Meng family are really awesome! You clearly had that intention before, and when you saw that our Aihong was pregnant, you wanted to do that cowardly thing! Blame it on my daughter for being shameless and unpromising! You Meng family has taken control of her!"
Tao Aihong lowered her head and said nothing.
When Meng Eryong heard this, his face darkened.
"Auntie, what you said is meaningless! How did our Meng family control you? Go ask around, how many families in the surrounding villages can get 24 yuan as a dowry for a wedding? Not to mention making three sets of clothes for Aihong! You know how rare cloth coupons are nowadays. These three sets of clothes are worth more than ten yuan. There is no more respectable way for country people to get married!"
Zhao Ying didn't expect that he would dare to talk back, and he was immediately embarrassed.
Meng Eryong was right, the conditions offered by the Meng family were quite good. Nowadays, every household can barely afford to eat, so it is considered decent to have such conditions.
But then her son would be left without a wife!
She only has one daughter, and she can't have a second one. It would be a huge loss for her to marry like this.
Besides, Zhen Guizhi is just a widow, and there is no man in her family. Shouldn't she rush to find a wife for Meng Eryong? People say that the Meng family received several hundred yuan in death benefits. Even if they didn't marry, shouldn't they give 80 yuan? They only gave 24 yuan. No one could be more stingy than this!
Zhao Ying hid in the kitchen angrily, and Tao Aihong followed her in.
"Mom, twenty-four dollars is not bad. They even made three sets of clothes for me!"
"Look at how ignorant you are! Let me tell you, people say that after Eryong's father died, the army subsidized him a lot of money. Your mother-in-law obviously has money, but she is unwilling to use it to help her second son get married. I think Meng Eryong is nothing at home! You won't have a good life if you marry into her!" Zhao Ying threw the copper spoon away, his temper showing on his face.
Tao Aihong pursed her lips and said, "Last year, the village party secretary married off his daughter, and she only gave him an extra wash basin stand than I did. We are doing pretty good. Besides, I already have a child, so what else can I do if I don't marry him off?"
Zhao Yingqi's daughter was not doing well. "None of you agree with me. Who do you think I'm angry for?"
"You did it for my brother."
Zhao Ying choked, "I... I did it for your brother. He is your biological brother. As a younger sister, shouldn't you consider your brother's lifelong affairs?"
Tao Aihong lowered her head. "I am his sister, not his mother, let alone his ancestor. How can I consider his life-long affairs? Besides, if he hadn't been gambling with others and was afraid of being caught by the police, and had slipped and fallen into the river, there wouldn't have been so many problems."
Zhao Ying looked outside, afraid that someone might hear him.
"How dare you say that about your brother! Since ancient times, daughters have always been loyal to their parents."
Tao Aihong said nothing, "From childhood to adulthood, everything in the family depends on him for food. I can't even eat the leftovers. You asked him to study but he didn't. I wanted to study but you didn't let me. Now I'm getting married and you want to exchange me for the betrothal gift. I don't disagree with the exchange, but you can't go too far! Anyway, no matter what you say today, I will marry Meng Eryong!"
"I'm just wondering, what kind of drug did Meng Eryong give you?"
"He said he would be good to me!" Tao Aihong said in a low voice.
"Be good to you? I'm not your stepmother. No matter how good he is to you, can he be as good to you as I am to you?"
Tao Aihong said nothing.
Zhao Ying was so angry that he banged the chopping board. "Tell Meng Eryong that twenty-four doesn't sound good. Add another twelve yuan and make it thirty-six! Zhen Guizhi has money. For the sake of her grandson, she will not disagree!"
After listening to this, Meng Eryong was silent for a long time. He lowered his head and went home without saying a word. He told Zhen Zhen about this.
Zhen Zhen wrapped the wool around her arm without looking up. "Eryong, it's not that I don't want to agree. If possible, I don't want you to be caught in the middle. But your sister-in-law will be in confinement in the spring, and your wife will also be in confinement next year. The family will have two children at once and two less laborers. How can we make ends meet? Your father's subsidy hasn't come down yet, and I don't have any money on hand. I don't even know if I can borrow this 24 yuan. Where can I get the money to give her another 12 yuan?"
Meng Eryong knew that his mother did not lie to him. One time, when his mother forgot to bring the key to her closet, he stole the key and searched through her closet, and found out that his mother had no money at all.
The Tao family is taking advantage of Tao Aihong's pregnancy to deliberately raise the price.
Meng Eryong hung his head and said, "It's all my fault."
"Yes, it's all your fault! Why are you doing this for no reason?" Zhen Zhen was not used to him either.
Meng Eryong choked, a little hurt, "Mom, at least Aihong is pregnant with a boy! Didn't you always want to hold a grandson?"
"Holding a grandson? I forgot to tell you that during the time you were not at home, my personality changed and I suddenly like girls! What's good about boys? They are not as adorable as girls!"
Zhen Zhen was winding the yarn, studying how to weave this stitch, but something was not right. Was it the wrong way?
Her indifference made Meng Eryong very angry, and he rushed out with a dark face.
Meng Daguo heard the noise and walked in. "Mom, why is Eryong so angry?"
Zhen Zhen told him what happened.
Meng Daguo smiled and said, "Mom, when a man reaches a certain age, he wants to get married. Eryong wants to start a family and build a career."
"That's right! Dogs will still go into heat when they get older!"
Meng Daguo was secretly happy when he heard his second brother being scolded. In the past, he was always scolded by his mother, and his two younger brothers took advantage of him. Finally, it was the second brother's turn! But he said, "Mother, Eryong is ignorant and it's not worth your anger!"
The eldest son was of the same mind as himself. Zhen Zhen smiled and said, "If your brother was half as sensible as you, I would be satisfied! He is far worse than you!"
Meng Daguo felt so relieved after hearing this compliment! He said a few humble words and returned to his room happily.
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