Chapter 58 [VIP]
Back home, Wang Ying pulled Chen Qingyan aside and nervously told him about what had happened.
Chen Qingyan touched his nose and said, "Actually, Uncle Chen already knows. He saw me storing popsicles in the experimental field a while ago, which startled him. I had no choice but to tell him about it."
Wang Ying was a little worried, "What if he tells someone?"
"No, if anyone in this family were to tell anyone, it definitely wouldn't be Uncle Chen."
The extent of Chen Bo's loyalty to the Chen family is beyond description, especially towards Chen Qingyan. Even his own son couldn't have been as good to him. This is what the ancients meant by a loyal and righteous servant.
"That's good. I'll have to be more careful next time."
This is no joke. If someone sees it, word will spread and I might be burned as a wild monster.
*
As August begins, the weather is getting cooler day by day. A few days ago, there was still a trace of summer heat, but after a few light rains, we need to wear warmer clothes.
When Liang Boqing lived in Laizhou in his early years, he developed some rheumatism in his joints because it was close to the sea. His arms and legs would ache whenever it rained or was cloudy.
Since arriving at the estate, whether it's from soaking in the hot springs or sleeping on the heated kang bed, my health has gradually improved, and I haven't had a single relapse this year.
Today, the autumn rain continued to fall. He sat under the eaves with his three apprentices, watching the rain, and asked them to write a seven-character poem about the autumn rain.
Wang Ying couldn't understand these literary sentences, so she simply took out some leftover mutton from the experimental field and thawed it.
Eating a hot pot in this kind of weather is incredibly comforting.
After the rain stopped, the weather suddenly cleared up, and the sky was high and the clouds were light, making the autumn atmosphere even stronger.
The millet in the fields has already sprouted ears. Thanks to Wang Ying's teaching of composting to the villagers in the summer, the crops are growing better this year than in previous years, even those in the lowest grade are thriving.
The thought that after paying the land rent and poll tax, there would be a lot of grain left over made people happy, and the people became much less aggressive.
Even Aunt Zhang, who usually loved to fight and argue, always greeted everyone with a smile and praised them, "Our landlord is truly exceptional, far better than any other village! This year's spring wheat harvest was poor, so he reduced our rent by 10%. The neighboring Zheng village didn't do that; they charged us 60%, and I heard people there starved to death!"
"Who can argue with that? Not only do they charge less rent, but they also teach us how to tend the crops in the fields. They don't share this skill with anyone else!"
"Many tenant farmers want to come to our village but can't get in. They can only inquire if there are any bachelors who want to marry their daughters or sons here to enjoy a life of luxury!"
Just then, Dunzi was driving his mule cart back from town when he was spotted by several women at the village entrance.
Sister-in-law Liu whispered, "Hey? Doesn't this stone block guy not have a wife? Do any of you know anyone suitable to play matchmaker for him?"
"Can it work? This guy is a coward and has always been bullied in the past."
"Don't look down on him. He's a favorite of the boss now, earning a lot of money by helping with livestock and driving carts! Moving back to the village won't interfere with farming, and with the boss backing him up, who would dare bully him?"
Hearing her say that, Aunt Zhang really took it to heart. She had a cousin who lived in Zheng Village next door. She had lost her husband a few years ago and became a widow.
Because she only gave birth to two daughters, she was kicked out by her husband's family. Now she is raising her two children alone and is living a very difficult life, relying entirely on the help of relatives to survive.
But as the saying goes, you can help in an emergency, but not in a life of poverty. Everyone has their own life to live, and you can't keep helping them forever. If you could help the two of them reconcile, it might be a good match.
After making up my mind, I took two jin of millet to Zhengzhuang in the afternoon.
When I arrived, my cousin was washing clothes for someone. After being kicked out by her in-laws, she was living with her two children in a dilapidated house at the edge of the village.
He cultivated a few acres of land in front of and behind his house, but the grain yield was low and he still had to pay rent to the village head. The little bit left was not enough to feed the three of them, so he could only make a living by washing clothes and chopping firewood for others.
Seeing Aunt Zhang arrive, she quickly stood up and wiped her hands. "Big sister, what brings you here?"
"It's been a while since I've been here, so I came to see you."
"Come in and sit down, I'll get you a glass of water."
"No need to trouble yourself, I'll just say a few words and leave."
Zhang Cuihong took out the only intact ceramic bowl in the house, poured in well water, and brought it to her.
"Where are the two girls?"
"Da Ni and Er Ni went to help someone herd cattle. They're just sitting around at home anyway, so they can get a meal by doing some work."
Aunt Zhang felt a pang of sadness upon hearing this. She had six children, the youngest of whom was only seven years old. Although she was just a little girl, she was still pampered like a treasure and had never lifted a finger to do farm work.
Da Ni and Er Ni, who were seven and five years old respectively, actually went to help herd cattle.
"This can't go on. The girls are growing up, and you don't have a man by your side. What if someone sets their sights on you?"
This is not Aunt Zhang exaggerating. She is a widow with two daughters. In the eyes of those lecherous men, she is no different from a piece of fat meat. Who knows when she will be harmed.
Such incidents had happened frequently in the village in the past. It was only because Chenjiazhuang was strict in its management that anyone who committed such an offense was ordered to be thrown out and have their land confiscated, which is why no one dared to commit any crimes.
Zhang Cuihong's eyes reddened upon hearing this. "I understand everything you're saying, but who would want me with these two burdens on my shoulders?"
When her husband died, someone proposed a marriage to her, but when they heard that she had two daughters, they all backed out.
Girls are not like boys. At least if you raise a boy, he can help with the housework. But if you raise a girl, she has to get married and leave the house. Isn't that a losing proposition?
But she couldn't bear not taking her two daughters with her. At that time, her eldest daughter was only three years old, and her youngest daughter couldn't walk yet. She couldn't just watch her children starve to death, so in the end, she could only suffer herself.
Aunt Zhang took her hand and said, "I have a good match for you, but I don't know if you'd be willing."
There's a widower in our village who's a few years older than you, a bit shorter, and not very good-looking, but he's an honest and kind man. He's skilled at raising livestock; he helps our landlord raise mules and drive carts. He also has a few acres of poor land, enough to support you and your mother and the three of you.”
Zhang Cuihong said, "Would anyone even be interested in me?"
"I came here to ask around for you. Just give me an answer, and if you agree, I'll go and ask for you."
"Of course I agree. Looks can't put food on the table. As long as you don't mind me and my two daughters, I'll marry you."
"Then it's settled. I'll go ask around for you tomorrow. If it really works out, I'll come over to your place for a celebratory drink!"
After seeing Aunt Zhang off, the two children returned. Da Ni and Er Ni were covered in mud and their hair was a mess, making them look like madwomen.
Zhang Cuihong was furious when she saw this. She picked up a broom and started hitting the child, yelling, "Don't you think your mother's already tired enough? How did you get your perfectly good clothes so dirty after just one trip out!"
Erni was so scared that all she could do was cry. Dani hugged the broom and said, "Mother, don't hit her! Someone tried to pull down Little Sister's pants. I led her into the mud pit and hid for half a day before we dared to come out..."
Zhang Cuihong was startled when she heard this, and quickly pulled the two children over to look them over. "Are you hurt?"
No, no.
"Who did this?!"
Da Ni choked up and said, "It was Uncle Zheng who made me herd cattle."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Cuihong was immediately enraged. She never expected that the Zheng family, who appeared to be respectable people on the surface, could do such a thing behind the scenes!
Unfortunately, she was powerless to seek justice for her children. If she went to ask for answers, she would probably be driven out of Zhengjiazhuang. She could only suffer in silence, which made her so angry that she held her two children and cried.
After cleaning the child, we cooked a pot of rice with the millet my cousin had brought, and the three of us had a hearty meal.
Zhang Cuihong stayed up all night holding her two children, and made a bold decision in her heart: tomorrow she would go to Chenjiazhuang to meet the widower her cousin had told her about.
*
The next morning, Wang Ying had just finished eating when a guest arrived at her home—it was Aunt Zhang.
"Auntie's here, come in quickly."
Aunt Zhang waved her hand timidly. Despite her fiery temper, she dared not act out in front of her employer. With a smile on her face, she said, "I've come to inquire about something. Does Old Shi, who drives the carriage for the employer, want to get married?"
You mean Uncle Dunzi?
“It’s him. I have a cousin who is a widow. I think their situations are similar, so I thought I’d play matchmaker for them. I don’t know if he’d be willing.”
"This is great news! Come in quickly." Wang Ying warmly welcomed the people into the courtyard and asked Uncle Chen to go to the backyard to call Dunzi over.
A short while later, Dunzi came over and asked, "Master, you were looking for me?"
"It's Aunt Zhang who's looking for you. She wants to help you find a husband."
Upon hearing this, Dunzi's face turned bright red. He was already thirty-six years old, an age old enough to be a grandfather in the village. Asking for a marriage proposal would only make him a laughingstock...
"Forget it, let's just forget about it."
Aunt Zhang said anxiously, "Don't count it! My sister is a very honest and hardworking person. Her husband has been dead for four or five years. If it weren't for the fact that she has two children and it would be difficult for her to remarry, she would have remarried long ago. You don't have any children either, so wouldn't it be perfect for you to get together?"
"I...I'm not good-looking, would anyone even want to date me?"
"Who lives by looks? It's all about how hard-working and good at managing a household! Once you're married and have someone who cares for you, there's hope for the future!"
Wang Ying nodded in agreement, "Auntie is right. Uncle Dunzi, you also need to think about the future. What will you do when you get too old to work?"
Hearing Wang Ying say this, Dunzi felt a little more at ease. "Well, then meeting is fine too. If you don't like her, then forget it. Don't make things difficult for her."
Aunt Zhang clapped her hands and laughed, "I'll go talk to my sister right away and set a date for us to meet!"
After seeing the person out, they were surprised to find Zhang Cuihong standing at the door with two children.
"Hey girl, what brings you here?"
She had been asking around to find her way here, originally planning to wait and see if she could run into that person, but her cousin came out from inside.
"You've come at the perfect time." Aunt Zhang took her arm and introduced her to the people behind her, "This is my cousin, Brother Shi, what do you think of her?"
Shi Dunzi looked at the woman and saw that her hair was dry and yellow, and her cheeks were sunken from long-term hunger, but her clothes were clean and her two little maids beside her were well-behaved.
Before he could even speak, Zhang Cuihong interjected, "I've taken a liking to it! If you don't mind that I bring two maids with me, that's fine!"
Shi Dunzi stammered hurriedly, "I, I don't mind..."
How could he complain? Who would want to live a lonely and miserable life? After a long day of work, coming home to a cold stove and a cold pot, not even having a sip of hot water.
The two unfortunate people looked at each other, and in each other's eyes they saw a longing for home.
Wang Ying said, "I'll ask Old Liang to pick a good day, and we'll hold a few tables of wedding banquet to celebrate!"
A note from the author:
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