Chapter 22

Just after dawn, the whole Dong family got busy, sprinkling water and sweeping the floor, cleaning the chicken coop, washing and cooking.

Chen Guixiang took ten yuan and several tickets to see his eldest son, Dong Aihua, and asked him to buy some meat and vegetables on the street and some snacks to entertain the guests. Today, the Zhao family came to talk about marriage. She should stay at home to cook.

There were potatoes and roasted chicken, stewed pork with cabbage, scrambled eggs with leeks, big bone soup, tofu fish soup, simmered river shrimp with winter melon, and steamed eggplant and stir-fried lettuce.

“Today’s meal is almost as good as the New Year, right?”

Other things are also fine. Fish and shrimp were fished from the river, but the chicken was a hen with raw eggs at home. My mother-in-law was willing to kill it. Liu Xiuyun was almost surprised when she caught the chicken.

“As long as Jiahui’s marriage is decided, not to mention a chicken, even if the chickens in our chicken pen are slaughtered, Mom will not blink.”

Zhao Lijuan’s words won Chen Guixiang’s approval.

“No, as long as Jiahui’s life is good, a chicken is nothing, and I’m afraid that my son-in-law will not bring food and drink to pay respects.”

Zhou Yindi laughed, “That’s right, Mom is good at calculating. Our family can’t lose anyway. Half of the meat will end up in our own stomach.”

Dong Jiahui was supposed to help in the kitchen, but Chen Guixiang sent her back inside and told her to dress up.

“Hurry up and change your clothes. It’s a hot day; you will sweat a lot if you stay in the kitchen. “

Today, the man’s family will come to their house. Dong Jiahui is the protagonist. They can’t leave a bad image as their first impression. Especially since she was divorced before, Chen Guixiang doesn’t want her daughter to be belittled.

The happiest people at home today were children. They do not understand the meaning of marriage. They only know that today there is a lot of good food at home. Although they can’t eat it now, the smell of meat was enough for them to drool over it.

“Guixiang, what’s going on at your house today? You’re so busy early in the morning.”

“Huo, it’s such a big scene. What’s the matter? Do you have to take so much trouble to entertain your guests?”

Seeing the liveliness of the Dong family in the morning, the neighbors came to inquire about the situation curiously…

“Nothing, just some relatives coming over to visit.”

Chen Guixiang was in line with the principle of being low-key. Before the matter is set firmly, they should not reveal half a point.

At nine o’clock, Zhao Juhua brought the Zhao family; Zhao Donglin, Zhang Qiaoer, Zheng Yuefen, Zhao Meixiang, and Zhao Donglin’s elder sister Zhao Caixia.

“Come on in, come on in. Come in and sit down.”

Chen Guixiang and Dong Changgui greeted the family at the door, and Dong Jiahui stood at the back wearing a floral shirt with a twist braid. Zhang Qiaoer didn’t see her at first. She didn’t see Dong Jiahui until she finished greeting the people in front of her.

Both of them were surprised when they posed for the photo, and Zhao Juhua introduced them next to each other and said, “Auntie, this is Jiahui.”

Zhang Qiaoer looked at Dong Jiahui and then at Tianniu, who was being held by Zhou Yindi. She said in a somewhat incoherent voice, “This is Jiahui, and this daughter is?”

“This is my granddaughter from my eldest family. She is called Tianniu.”

Zhang Qiaoer then realized that she had misunderstood it. When she saw Dong Jiahui carrying Tianniu out, she thought that Tianniu was Dong Jiahui’s daughter.

The two families sat down in the hall. The Dong family looked at Zhao Donglin quietly. Seeing that he was tall and straight, elegant and stable, they were all happy for Dong Jiahui.

“Hehe, this is the first time you two have met. I’m familiar with Donglin and Jiahui. They are very talented and beautiful. The two of them were a good match. What do you think?”

“Yes, indeed quite a match.”

Zhang Qiaoer also smiled. She looked at Dong Jiahui, who was sitting across the table. Zhang Qiaoer was thinking in her heart that a few days ago, when she met her, she said that whoever family she was married to, she said that such a family was very lucky to have a daughter-in-law like her. Who would have thought that the son she wanted to marry was her?

Although she agreed to the marriage between her son and the Dong family’s daughter. But there are still some difficulties in Zhang Qiao’s heart. Today, knowing that Dong Jiahui was the girl she had met last time, the displeasure in Zhao Qiaoer’s eyes was gone.

Maybe it’s fate.  She should be her own daughter-in-law. At this time, she does not care if Jiahui is divorced, as long as she can live a good life with Dong Lin. For other gossip, she will cover her ears.

The other members of the Zhao family were also looking at Dong Jiahui. Zhao Caixia was the eldest sister. She is honest in nature. Naturally, Zhao Caixia likes honest people. When she looked at Dong Jiahui’s bright eyes, her smiling face and a little shy look. Zhao Caixia thought that this Dong Jiahui looked quite good. At least better than her previous daughter-in-law, Wang Mei. She had already inquired about Dong Jiahui’s divorce before she came here. It’s the Lu family that was very overbearing and unreasonable.

Zhao Meixiang did not think as much as her elder sister. She just thinks that her future sister-in-law looks very young and more tender than her second sister-in-law. Zheng Yuefen was gloating at the beginning when she heard that her eldest brother was looking for a divorced woman. She thought that the divorced woman must look gray and not look. Who knew it looked so bright today?

The two families were talking about family matters, half an hour had passed. Zhao Juhua looked at the time and said “Donglin, you can let Jiahui take you around. Here is your old home, you have to be familiar with in advance.”

After Zhao Juhua said that, everyone laughed. Dong Jiahui, who was laughed at by everyone, blushed, but Zhao Donglin got up generously and waited for Dong Jiahui to take him out for a walk.

Dong Jiahui took Zhao Donglin out of the hall under the watchful eyes of everyone. The two of them walked around the courtyard somewhat casually, and when they reached the pomegranate tree, Zhao Donglin took out a rectangular cardboard box from the pocket of his clothes and handed it to Dong Jiahui.

“This is for you.”

Dong Jiahui took it and asked curiously, “What is this.”

“You can open it and see.”

Dong Jiahui opened the box and saw that it was a lady’s watch. It was a Shanghai brand. She looked at Zhao Donglin in surprise. Dong Jiahui was not expecting him to give her a watch.

“I went to a meeting in the county the day before yesterday and bought this watch when I saw that it was good.”

The truth was that the world was naturally not as light as he said. In this era of planned economics, all industrial supplies have to be purchased with industrial tickets. This ticket alone has been difficult to obtain for most people. The ticket must have been acquired from someone working in the army.

Secondly, Shanghai brand watches are among the goods in short supply. Not to mention the price, sometimes they can’t be bought with money.

This watch costs 128 Yuan. In the countryside, the average family income was only 10 yuan a month. This watch is equivalent to the income of farmers for a whole year. They have to eat or drink before they can save it.

“It’s too valuable, I can’t accept it.”

Dong Jiahui wanted to return the watch to Zhao Donglin. But Zhao Donglin refused: “Take it, it’s a wedding gift for you.”

The word “marriage” gently floated out of his mouth, so naturally, not deliberately, as if it should be like that. Dong Jiahui looked up at him and was moved by the tenderness in his eyes.

She squeezed the paper box in her hand. For the first time, there was heartfelt joy in this marriage.

At first, Zhao Donglin was a driftwood in a water for her, because she had no better choice except him. Although he was a desirable man, she didn’t have any love for him.

She responded to his feelings with a selfish heart, but today, this wedding gift made her start to look forward to her future married life.

Because of the watch, but also more than the watch.

In the twenty-first century, a watch may be nothing, and its value may be high or low, and you can buy it if you have money. But in the seventies, a watch, a sewing machine and a bicycle are the three supreme gifts for marriage, and a watch is even more difficult to find in the market.

He did not think less of herself because she was divorced, and gave herself enough respect in the bride price, and even bought her a watch without saying a word, telling her it was a wedding gift.

She never asked him to do this; it was all done spontaneously and voluntarily by him.

“A man who does not value you” and “how much money he was willing to spend on you,” although these weren’t completely related, but at least there was a certain cause and effect. Will a person who does not value you or even ignores you, spend this effort to spend so much money on a watch? It’s not a necessity, it doesn’t matter if you buy it or not, and even if you don’t it won’t affect their said marriage.

“Thank you, I like it very much.”

This time she did not refuse, but smiled at him and accepted it frankly.

“Well, it’s good that you like it.”

Seeing that she liked it, Zhao Donglin’s heart was as sweet as eating honey.

When the meal time came, the two families sat down at the dining table. There were not enough chairs at home, so Dong Jiahui’s sisters-in-law went to the neighbor’s house and borrowed some chairs.

“In-laws, you are really too polite, such a big table of good food, we have to round our stomachs twice before we can get off the table today.”

After Dong Jiahui and Zhao Donglin went out to say a few words about work, the marriage of the two was discussed. Zhang Qiaoer and Chen Guixiang began to call each other in-laws.

“You’re welcome, it’s all home-cooked food, you don’t mind.”

Chen Guixiang smiled cheerfully and gave everyone the dishes, making sure not to let the guests empty bowls and chopsticks.

Well, the taste is quite good. The in-laws’ skills have caught up with the chefs of the state-run restaurants.

“Yes, I haven’t seen some of the dishes here.  I did not know that white gourd could be simmered with small shrimps. “

Zhao Juhua said a few words from time to time to liven up the atmosphere, such as the dishes on the table today. She praised almost all of them.

My sister Jiahui was especially good at cooking. This white gourd simmered with river shrimp, and this big bone soup are Jiahui’s recipes. We learned it from her.”

The two sisters-in-law are always praised by their mother-in-law for their good performances, and this time Liu Xiuyun was smart enough to say the right thing at the right time. “The white gourd can be simmered with small shrimps. “

“No, if Jiahui had done it herself, the taste of these dishes today would have been much enhanced.”

Zhou Yindi also gave her sister-in-law a helping hand, Zhao Juhua said with a smile, “Then I’ll have to find an opportunity to try Jiahui’s crafts in the future.”

“If we have a chance, we are so close that it doesn’t take much to open a mouth.”

After Chen Guixiang finished, Zhao Juhua covered her mouth and said with a smile, “Aunt, you’re wrong. My house is very close to Jiahui now. But when Jiahui and Donglin get married, I’ll be far away from her, so to eat her food she cooks, I’ll have to go back to Shanghe Village. “

Everyone at the table laughed.