Having received confirmation, Xie Baoshu and his wife, along with Liu Qiang's mother, discussed what gifts to prepare.
Xie Yushu originally wanted to get some fabrics and drinks from the villa, since they had everything there, and it would save them the trouble of running around the streets to buy them in this hot weather.
As a result, both families disagreed, saying that although Xie Tianming and Liu Qiang worked in the government office and could use fabrics such as silk, their in-laws were commoners, and it was against the rules for them to use Xie Yushu's things.
Finally, they went out on their own and each family bought two bolts of cotton cloth, two bags of sugar, twenty catties of rice, ten catties of eggs, and ordered two pork cuts from the butcher shop. Each of them also bought a silver hairpin for their future daughter-in-law.
Then bring two more jars of liquor from the villa.
Ever since the small-batch liquor from the mountain villa was made, Xie Baotian and Xie Baoshu have fallen in love with it, finding other liquors lacking in potency.
On the very day the wine was made, Sun Chongren carried two jars, drove a horse-drawn carriage, and promoted it to every wine shop in Tai'an Prefecture. Now, every wine shop has placed an order with him.
His two apprentices have been squatting at the dock with wine jars these past two days, letting passing merchants sample them for free. Besides glass, Yuquan Mountain Villa's baijiu has become another highly sought-after liquor.
Therefore, Xie Baoshu and his group felt that using this wine to meet their in-laws was a very prestigious gesture.
After buying the gifts, Xie Baoshu and his wife, along with Liu Qiang's mother, were both happy and nervous. It was their first time meeting their in-laws, and they were overjoyed.
Fearing that the conversation might become awkward, Xie Baoshu and his wife suggested that Lu Shi and Xie Baotian and his wife also come along. After all, they were all family, and more people would not only make things look better, but also ensure that everyone could speak and avoid any awkward silences.
Liu Qiang's mother then sent Liu Qiang and Liu Bei along. Liu Qiang was the eldest son in the family, and his brothers all listened to him when it came to family matters. Since it was a meeting with his in-laws, he naturally had to go along to give Liu Nan a heads-up. Liu Bei was just there to make up the numbers and make things look better.
After agreeing on the terms, they each went to rest.
The next morning, after breakfast, the two families set off together. They told the woman's family that they would meet at 3:45 AM at the "Foodie Market" tavern, which was not far from Xie Tianqi's steamed bun shop.
Since the Xie and Liu families were the groom's side, they couldn't keep the other family members waiting, so they arrived a little early.
Xie Baotian and his group arrived first and ordered two tables of food.
The specialty of this restaurant is the Eight Bowls. Today, there were too many people for one table, so each family sat at a separate table, talked about their own things, and got to know each other.
They didn't have to wait long before the two matchmakers arrived with the two families. Liu Nan and Xie Tianming introduced them to each other and then went to separate private rooms to discuss their business.
The two couples were already mutually attracted, and the woman had long been familiar with Xie Tianming and Liu Nan and was extremely satisfied with them. This meal was mainly to let Liu Qiang's mother and Wang Shi see what the woman was like.
The girl Liu Nan had his eye on was the daughter of the wonton shop across from the yamen. They often ate there, and the two became acquainted over time. Her name was Guan Yue. She had a round face and almond-shaped eyes, and was a little chubby, but she was a diligent and virtuous woman. When she saw Liu Qiang's mother, she greeted her first and then gave her a new jacket, saying that she had heard Liu Nan mention it and had made it for her.
Liu Qiang's mother took the gift and smiled from ear to ear, praising her son for his good taste in finding her such a perfect daughter-in-law.
He immediately gave Guan Yue a silver hairpin to show his satisfaction with her.
Xie Tianming's favorite girl was Zhong Cuicui. She was tall, with a square face and big eyes. She wasn't particularly fair-skinned, but she had a cheerful and even somewhat feisty personality. She loved to talk and laugh, and she was also diligent and perceptive. She made a shoe upper for Xie Baoshu and Wang Shi, and it was quite neat.
Xie Tianming once said that although Zhong Cuicui was not particularly beautiful, he liked her personality. She was outspoken, reasonable, bold, and wouldn't be bullied!
Wang and Xie Baoshu were also very satisfied. Every single one of them, from Lü to Lu and Wang, and then to Xie Tianlin's wife Liu, was someone who couldn't keep up with their arguments or fights. They had suffered a lot in their lives. It would be good to have a more assertive wife, as long as she wasn't unreasonable.
Since they were satisfied, Madam Wang readily gave them a silver hairpin and several other gifts, and they discussed the wedding date and betrothal gifts.
Liu Qiangniang and Xie Baotian had already discussed this matter, so they directly stated that the betrothal gifts would be ten taels of silver, six shi of rice, six bolts of cloth, twenty jin of cotton, twenty jin of pork, six jars of wine, and twenty pieces of glass.
The wedding date is set for the sixth day of the first lunar month next year.
Because it coincided with Xie Tianming and his family's rest time, both families chose the same date.
After the autumn harvest, the betrothal gifts are exchanged and the marriage certificate is written.
Both the Guan and Zhong families agreed, and the two happy events were officially settled.
Since Zhong Cuicui's family lived outside the city, and her father worked in Liu Qiang's gang, she and her mother would occasionally come to the dock to sell their own fruits and vegetables to supplement their family income. It was hard work running back and forth, and the steamed bun shop was too busy to hire anyone, so it didn't matter who they gave the money to.
Xie Tianming then asked Zhong Cuicui to come to the steamed bun shop to help in the kitchen.
Of course, we had already discussed it with Liu Qiang and Xie Tianqi beforehand.
If you give Zhong Cuicui five hundred copper coins a month, her mother can stay at home and take care of her younger brother and sister. Then she can give her mother one or two hundred copper coins a month to supplement the family income.
Hearing Xie Tianming's arrangement, the Zhong family was even happier. She would bring a box of fruits to sell every few days with great effort, and she might not even earn two hundred copper coins a month. Moreover, the fruit could only be sold for a short time, but her prospective son-in-law had arranged a yearly income for her.
With the marriage settled, all four families were overjoyed.
After finishing their main business, Xie Baotian and his group made arrangements to go home. Firstly, they wanted to tidy up the gatehouse and open the department store. Secondly, it was indeed almost harvest time, and Xie Baotian was the clan leader, so it wouldn't be good for him to be away for too long.
Xie Yushu originally wanted Xie Baotian and Xie Baoshu to go back, while Lu Shi, Lu Shi, Wang Shi, and Liu Qiaomei would spend the winter here and return next spring. However, they said that a house without women doesn't feel like a home and insisted on going back with her.
Xie Yushu couldn't insist on keeping them, so she packed several large carriages of belongings and sent them back to them.
The business at the resort is booming every day. Whether it's Xie Yushu's good luck or her good judgment, the managers she has chosen are all very shrewd and capable. They are all extremely busy, but they haven't caused Xie Yushu any trouble.
Xie Yushu only needed to spend an hour or two each day looking at the account books to finish her job.
Once the business was running smoothly, she became the most relaxed person.
However, she's not the kind of person who's desperate or always looking for something to do. From having nothing here to now holding a high position, she's never had a day of leisure. Now it's time for her to enjoy herself.
Thus, Xie Yushu began a period of early retirement, sleeping until she naturally woke up every day, then indulging in daydreaming, eating a quick meal haphazardly, sunbathing in the garden, feeding the fish, playing cricket fighting and chess with Xuan Yuanche, practically making up for all the days she had without entertainment in the past.
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