Aunt Ning poured the brewed tea into Jiang Yuwei's cup, then looked up at her in confusion.
"How could that be? Your uncle has memorized the names of all the young men in the surrounding villages and inquired about them one by one."
As she spoke, Aunt Ning poured the village head another cup of tea, then put down the earthenware pot and sighed:
"It's not easy for a woman to find a husband. Among all the people around here, I don't think there's anyone who's good enough for my Ningqiu. Sigh, the girl I raised myself is going to marry into another family and become a wife. I really can't bear it."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuwei quickly patted Aunt Ning's hand to comfort her:
“Auntie, I understand how you feel, but our daughters will eventually get married. All we parents can do is find a good husband for her so that she won’t be bullied after she marries into that family.”
As she spoke, Jiang Yuwei picked up the cup on the table, took a sip of tea, and continued:
"Actually, I came here today for Ningqiu's marriage. I think there is a suitable young man in our village right now. I was afraid that the village head wouldn't remember him, so I shamelessly came to mention him."
Upon hearing this, the village head hurriedly said:
"Oh? I wonder which family's young man you're referring to, Yuwei?"
Jiang Yuwei smiled as she looked at the anxious eyes of the village head and Aunt Ning:
“Ning Wu, who works as a farmhand for me, is the second son of Ning Youcai.”
Aunt Ning's expectant expression immediately turned cold.
“We know that kid. We’ve met him a few times. He’s a bit dull. I’m worried that Ning Qiu will suffer if she goes with him.”
The village head looked conflicted upon hearing this.
“Ning Youcai’s family is honest and kind-hearted, but they are not wealthy. I’m afraid Ning Qiu will suffer if she marries into that family.”
At this moment, Ning Qiu, who was eavesdropping by the door, felt her heart sink. She hadn't expected her parents to look down on Ning Wu so much. Just as she was anxiously wondering what to do, she heard Jiang Yuwei speak from inside.
“Village head, you don’t know this. Everyone says that wealth should not be flaunted. Right now, Aunt Zhou, Tiezhu, and Ningwu are all working as helpers at my house. Naturally, they earn more money than other families in the village. In addition, Uncle Cai manages all the land in their family. The whole family is hardworking and diligent. Why would we worry that they can’t make money?”
Aunt Ning exchanged a glance with the village head after hearing this, and nodded slightly.
Seeing that things were looking promising, Jiang Yuwei quickly spoke up again:
"And Ning Wu is even more eager to learn. He always understands everything I teach him right away. Now he's learning kung fu from the people in our courtyard. Ning Qiu is following him, so there's no way he'll suffer any losses."
The village head, upon hearing Jiang Yuwei's words, widened his eyes in surprise and asked:
"That kid knows kung fu? This is the first time I've ever heard of it."
Jiang Yuwei smiled and nodded.
"That's why I said that. I was afraid you, Uncle Village Head, would miss such a suitable candidate. The Ning family are all low-key people, and Aunt Zhou is an even better person. We live next door to each other, so I know her better than anyone else."
Aunt Ning nodded in agreement upon hearing this:
"Yes, Aunt Zhou is a good person. We're all from our village and have lived together for so many years. We all know each other well."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuwei picked up her teacup, took a small sip, and smiled:
"Yes, we feel more at ease marrying Ningqiu to someone from our own village, someone we know well."
The village head nodded in agreement upon hearing this.
"That's true, but I don't know what Ning Youcai's family is up to."
Jiang Yuwei laughed heartily upon hearing this:
"I'm here today on the behalf of Aunt Zhou and Uncle Youcai to arrange a marriage for Ningqiu in Tongli. Aunt Zhou really likes Ningqiu, and Ningqiu and Ningwu get along well. If they get married in the future, they will definitely live a happy and fulfilling life."
At this moment, Ning Qiu, who was eavesdropping outside, heard Jiang Yuwei's words and blushed. She wanted to get up and continue cooking, but in her excitement, she pushed the door open.
The three people inside exchanged glances and laughed. Aunt Ning, helpless, could only call out to Ning Qiu:
"You have no manners. Go and cook. When did you learn to eavesdrop?"
The village head waved his hand and said:
"Hey, Ning Qiu, what do you think of Ning Wu?"
Seeing that her father was asking her so bluntly, Ning Qiu could only lower her head and whisper:
"Brother Ningwu is a good person."
After saying that, she ran away with a blush on her face.
At this moment, the village head and Aunt Ning understood perfectly well. The village head looked at Jiang Yuwei and said:
“Yuwei, we agree to this marriage. With bandits roaming the mountains these days, we don’t want to make a big fuss. We just want a meal together among our close families to get the two children married.”
Jiang Yuwei nodded in agreement upon hearing this.
Seeing this, Aunt Ning also spoke up:
"Yuwei, although we agreed to keep the wedding simple, we can't skimp on the proper etiquette for Ningqiu."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuwei quickly nodded and said:
"Of course, but I wonder how much dowry Aunt Ning is planning to receive?"
Aunt Ning glanced at the village head, then spoke:
“We don’t want much, just something similar to what other people do when they marry off their daughters. At the very least, they should give Ningqiu two taels of silver, and they should also prepare a set of new clothes for Ningqiu. They don’t need to worry about the bedding, as I have already prepared those for Ningqiu.”
The village head, while sipping his tea, began to speak:
"Yuwei, I remember they have an eldest son who isn't married yet, right? You know, the eldest son isn't married, but the second son is already married... their family..."
Jiang Yuwei waved her hand and said:
"Village head, you don't need to worry about that. Tie Zhu is an honest and kind man, he doesn't care about these things. Besides, these things depend on fate, it doesn't matter who gets married first."
The village head was relieved to hear this.
Seeing that the matter had been discussed sufficiently, Jiang Yuwei continued:
"Now that this matter has been settled, let's set a date that's about the same, so that Uncle Youcai's family can start preparing in advance."
Aunt Ning nodded and said:
"If their family has no objections to what I just said, let's get married as soon as possible. The outside world is too chaotic right now, and we don't want things to get complicated."
Jiang Yuwei laughed after hearing Aunt Ning's words:
“Aunt Ning, what you just mentioned is all right and proper, and the Ning Wu family will not have any objections. Since that’s the case, let me mention that I checked the almanac before I came, and the day after tomorrow is an auspicious day for the wedding. If you two think it’s feasible, then I will go back and talk to Aunt Zhou about it.”
The village head and Aunt Ning exchanged a glance, then put down their teacups and smiled:
"Okay, then it's set for the day after tomorrow. I'll have to trouble you, Yuwei, to handle things between us."
Seeing that the village head had agreed, Jiang Yuwei quickly got up to say goodbye to the village head and his family. It was already dark, and she had no intention of staying to eat. She was eager to tell Aunt Zhou and Ning Wu the good news.
Seeing that she couldn't keep Jiang Yuwei, Aunt Ning let her go.
Little did Jiang Yuwei know that she had only walked a short distance from the village head's courtyard when a hand grabbed her arm tightly and pulled her into the woods by the roadside.
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