In order to get his two sons married, Gu Yanzhang sold all the rapeseed oil and more than 100 kilograms of glutinous rice stored in his home.

The remaining 100 to 200 kilograms of oil and nearly 200 kilograms of glutinous rice were reserved for his wives.

According to the customs of this area, Gu Yanzhang invited Yuan the matchmaker and found his own clan leader. The group went to the Jiang and Ma families in person to give them betrothal gifts.

Gu Yanzhang was very sincere.

The five taels of silver betrothal money, two wild geese, and five kilograms of pork made the neighbors of the Jiang and Ma families drool.

The grandfather and father of the daughter of the Jiang family were quite satisfied with the meat and the betrothal money. But they didn't like the Gu family very much.

They always felt that being in-laws with the Gu family lowered their status.

However, as long as they thought about the many girls in their family, they would not lose money on this transaction, but made them earn a lot of money. They felt that it was worth it.

So, under the shy look of the Jiang family's daughter, they nodded and agreed.

The eldest daughter of the Jiang family is 18 years old this year. She

has several younger sisters and cousins.

The reason why they have not married at this age is because the elders in their family are very picky. If

the betrothal gift is too little, they will definitely not agree.

Even if the man is willing to spend money, as long as the man's family background is too bad and his reputation is too bad, they will not nod and agree.

After all, they are also educated people. They consider themselves to be from a scholarly family. They absolutely cannot marry into a family with such a dirty person. Otherwise, when others inquire about the Jiang family, they will think that they are superficial, and some people may even scold them, saying that they are buying everything.

They value face more than money.

Therefore, after a lot of selection, the girls in his family will not marry until they are seventeen or eighteen years old, looking for a man who looks good in terms of face.

The Jiang family actually knew Gu Yanzhang as early as when Yuan the matchmaker came.

They have always known that Gu Yanzhang has a close relationship with Huang, the head of the county government.

Otherwise, he would not be able to do business in Tongzhen.

If he didn't have connections, he wouldn't be able to pay the protection fees collected by the ruffians in the town.

They had already figured it out. In the years that Gu Yanzhang had been doing business in the town and the county, he had never paid a penny for protection. No one had ever asked him for a penny for booth fees, sanitation fees, or incense money for the temple...

If people doing business in Tongzhen didn't have connections, they would have to pay more than 10 kinds of fees throughout the year, and they would have to make arrangements everywhere. Otherwise, there would be a large group of beggars who came out of nowhere and blocked the store door every day.

The head of the Jiang family is called Jiang Yuquan.

This year, he is already a white-haired old man in his seventies. At the age of 70, he thinks he doesn't have many years left to live.

Ever since his sons failed to pass the exams for the imperial examinations several years ago and spent all the family's savings, he has been anxious and worried every day. Since his sons

are not talented and not doing well, he has no choice but to turn his attention to the young ladies waiting to get married.

He has studied all the families in the county and Tongzhen who have some connections and money and are about the same age as his young ladies.

However, he just couldn't find a suitable family.

Later, Yuan the matchmaker came to remind him that there are still some capable and solid good families in some wealthy villages under Tongzhen.

For example, in the past few hundred years, Chenjia Village has produced several Jinshi officials, judges, and scholars, right? !

Jiang Yuquan was optimistic about the scholars in Chenjia Village at first, but when he found out that those scholars were either married or engaged long ago, he regretted it. He always felt that he acted too late. When the daughter was twelve or thirteen years old, he should have set his sights on the big villages and big families like Chenjia Village.

There is no medicine for regret in life.

After Yuan the matchmaker repeatedly tried to match them up, he felt that he had to give in.

He actually had a lot of deep meaning in choosing to let the eldest daughter marry Gu Yanzhang's eldest son.

Since ancient times, the eldest son's legitimate daughter-in-law has been the wife of the eldest clan.

The Gu family is now rich and well-off. After the eldest daughter gets married, as long as she gives birth to a son and stands firm, she can support his sons and continue to go to the city to take the exam.

As long as someone in his Jiang family passes the exam, they really don't have to worry about themselves becoming farmers.

Thinking of this, Jiang Yuquan, who is old and shrewd, will call his eldest granddaughter to him whenever he has time, and repeatedly educate her to take care of her parents' family after getting married. He repeatedly emphasized that her parents' family is her support and her confidence. After marrying there, she still has to put on the airs she should put on. After all, she is marrying down, not marrying up.

He also said that as long as she gives birth to a son for the Gu family in the future, she will be a great contributor to the Gu family. The Gu family would never divorce her.

Then, she could go back to her parents' home more often to visit her grandfather, her father, and her brothers who were still studying. When

her brothers were successful, she would no longer have to worry about being bullied.

The daughter of the Jiang family was 18 years old and had read a few books. She knew the Three Obediences and Four Virtues, and the virtues of women such as chastity, tranquility, leisure and elegance by heart.

She was also very serious when talking to people on weekdays.

Before getting married, she also remembered these teachings of her grandfather deeply in her heart, and promised again and again that she would never forget them.

When Jiang Yuquan saw her like this, he touched his white beard, nodded and laughed, "The child is teachable, the child is

teachable." Then, he called his eldest daughter-in-law and taught her personally how to win her husband's heart, how to control her mother-in-law with moral rules... and so on.

After half a month of repeated teachings, the girl of the Jiang family has changed a lot.

...

When the daughter of the Jiang family was getting ready to get married, the Ma family did not take any action.

The daughter of the Ma family had a very rustic name, Ma Daya.

In the place where the Ma family lived, people in the eight villages did not give their daughters a big name.

They usually called them "Da Ya, Er Ya, San Ya", or "Zhao Di, Lai Di, Pan Di, Wang Di, Yuan Di, Ke Di, Xi Di".

In short, if you call a name at random, many girls from different families will respond.

Ma Daya is actually 25 years old this year.

The reason why the Ma family kept her until this age was to let her work at home for a few more years.

She and her sisters have been doing laundry and cooking for the whole family, cleaning, and going out to do odd jobs with the men and women in the family during the free time.

This time, the Gu family spread the word that they wanted to find a wife for their son. The Ma family didn’t care at first and didn’t know about it.