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After three days of hard work, the cassava on the mountain was finally dug up and processed, all soaked in the river. In seven days, it could be fished out.
Finally free, Ye Caiping sat by the copper mirror and untied the cloth strip on her forehead.
The wound on her forehead had healed, leaving only a faint red mark, which she believed would fade completely soon.
Now, with her loose hair covering it, it was almost invisible unless one looked closely.
At this time, Ye Lizheng came over and said, “Caiping, should we keep some of the cassava for seeds?”
Ye Caiping said, “We don’t need to keep seeds for cassava. Cut their branches to about 6 inches, dig a hole, and insert the branches into the soil, and they will grow. Moreover, this thing is very easy to grow, drought-resistant, barren-resistant, and has few pests and diseases. It’s not picky about soil, and can even be planted in thin fields.”
“So convenient?” Ye Lizheng’s eyes lit up.
“Yes. Our climate here is warm, so we can plant them now. When planting, leave a space of about 1.5 feet between each plant, and they will be ready for harvest in 10 months.”
Ye Lizheng nodded repeatedly, “Okay, I’ll tell everyone now.”
Turning back, Ye Lizheng organized another village meeting. When the villagers learned that cassava could be grown simply by using branches, they were overjoyed.
Many villagers, seeing the large quantity of cassava, wanted to plant some themselves, so they took home a lot of branches.
Ye Lizheng also suggested that everyone work together to plant cassava branches in the cleared areas on the mountain, and they would harvest them together in the future.
Old Man Ye and the men in his family were either busy on the mountain with the villagers or planting cassava in the fields, working with great enthusiasm.
The food crisis at home was finally resolved. Ye Caiping stretched, finally able to do her own thing. The next step – make money!
She put on her backpack and was about to go up the mountain.
However, as she stepped out the door, she saw an old woman in her fifties, with a red flower in her hair, coming towards her.
“Is this Ye Youtian’s house?” the old woman asked.
“Yes.”
“Then you…” The old woman looked Ye Caiping up and down, then from head to toe. She laughed, “You must be Ye Youtian’s youngest daughter. Are your mother and sister-in-law at home?”
“They are in the house, sewing shoe soles.”
“Good, thank you.”
The old woman entered the courtyard.
Ye Caiping was stunned. Looking at her attire… could this old woman be a matchmaker?
Ye Caiping decided not to go up the mountain and quickly followed her inside.
…
The matchmaker, Huang, had already been invited into the main room by Yan Fang.
She took the tea offered by Du Shi: “I just came from Wang family Village in front to arrange a marriage for someone. I thought since you are nearby, I’d come in and sit for a while. The young lady who just went out, is she your youngest daughter?”
Yan Fang said anxiously, “Yes, yes, she’s very pretty. Do you have any leads for her marriage?”
Huang’s eyebrows furrowed: “She’s pretty, but your daughter has a reputation.”
“Everyone in Dashu Town knows she was divorced by Li Xiucai. They say she’s greedy and lazy, loves to waste money, and even beat her mother-in-law. Even if she’s beautiful, it won’t do!”
“Only those fierce men would dare to take her. By the way, Zhang, the butcher on West Street, came to me yesterday. He wants to take a second wife and said that he only cares about looks, not character. He’ll give ten taels of silver as a dowry!”
Yan Fang stood up angrily upon hearing this: “Matchmaker Huang, I heard you have a good reputation and never wrongly match couples, that’s why I found you!”
“But you want to push my daughter into a pit of fire! Zhang the butcher has a notorious reputation; he killed two wives!”
Matchmaker Huang rolled her eyes: “If he wasn’t fierce enough, how could he control your daughter? Who’s the pit of fire is still uncertain!”
This implied that compared to Zhang the butcher, her daughter was even more of a pit of fire!
Yan Fang was about to explode with anger.
Matchmaker Huang continued: “The reason I have a good reputation is because I never hide anything. You say Zhang the butcher has a bad reputation, but your daughter is no better.”
“You’re being hypocritical! It’s a case of ‘what’s sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander’. Perhaps two pits of fire colliding will actually burn brighter and live better together?”
Having finished speaking, the matchmaker Huang started laughing first.
Old Lady Ye was so choked she couldn’t speak.
Du shi suppressed her laughter. This matchmaker Huang was blurting out the truth!
The walls of the farmhouse were thin and didn’t block sound; Ye Caiping heard everything clearly outside the door.
She was completely stunned. So she was a “big fire pit”!
And why… did she feel a little happy?!
At least it would be difficult for her parents to find her a husband! That saved a lot of trouble.
Du shi said, “Sigh, let’s not talk about my younger sister-in-law for now. Why don’t you see if there are any suitable girls? My eldest son, is already 19.”
Matchmaker Huang raised her eyebrows high: “Oh my, with a younger sister-in-law like that, you still want your eldest son to marry a wife?”
Ye Caiping: “…”
Old Lady Ye, Du shi: “…”
“Everyone knows how your younger sister-in-law was divorced. She drained her husband’s family and emptied your family. You actually still pamper her.”
The matchmaker Huang shook her head as she spoke:
“It’s fine if your family is poor, even if you live in a thatched hut. But I’m afraid that after your younger sister-in-law remarries, your family will continue to be emptied by her like before.”
“Who would want such a hopeless life! What kind of girl would dare jump into such a fire pit.”
Great, both of them are fire pits!
Du shi jumped up in anger: “You, you—”
But she had no way to refute.
Matchmaker Huang stood up: “I came today to tell you about that butcher Zhang. Think about it for a few days. If you’re willing, come find me in town.”
Yan Fang smiled with a forced expression: “No need to think about it. This family… we’re not meant to be.”
“Alright then. If there are any suitable families, I’ll come again.”
After finishing her words, Matchmaker Huang left.
Du shi, feeling stifled, took a gulp of tea: “Yong’er is 19! If we keep delaying, who knows what will happen. If it wasn’t for… hmph!”
Her words were clearly blaming Ye Caiping.
Yan Fang(sometimes called Old Lady Ye) frowned. She knew Ye Yong was being implicated by Caiping, but she didn’t want to make a fuss: “Alright, let’s ask other matchmakers to look around.”
“Sister-in-law, Yong’er is so grown up now, why don’t you ask him for his opinion? Maybe he has his own thoughts.” Ye Caiping walked in.
Yan Fang and Du shi were startled.
Yan Fang said: “Caiping, you… how long have you been standing outside?”
“Uh, since the matchmaker came in.” Ye Caiping sat down beside Yan Fang.
“My child… don’t take the matchmaker’s words to heart. She’s just restless.” Yan Fang was afraid that Matchmaker Huang would hurt Ye Caiping and kept reassuring her.
“It’s alright.” Waving her hand, Ye Caiping looked at Du shi: “Sister-in-law, why don’t you ask Yong’er what he thinks.”
Ye Caiping recalled what she saw on the mountain last time. Ye Yong was with a girl, and they seemed to have a special relationship.
Du shi was still annoyed with Ye Caiping for dragging Ye Yong down, and glared at her: “Ask him? Heh, you wouldn’t happen to be talking about Hu Xiuxiu, would you?”
Ye Caiping was startled. That girl was Hu Xiuxiu? Her family actually knew about it?
Yan Fang said: “Caiping, have you seen them together? Is that girl the one with big eyes, not very fair skin, but pretty eyebrows and eyes?”
“Mm.”
“That’s her.” Du shi scoffed. “She said the bride price is 20 taels! We can’t afford that.”
Yan Fang whispered: “Yong’er likes Hu Xiuxiu, we know that. Last year we even sounded out the Hu family. When Hu Shi heard the hint, she immediately said that her daughter was top-notch and wanted 20 taels, otherwise she wouldn’t let her daughter marry out.”
Note:
Characters
Other Characters:
Heigou – Ate poisonous roots
Heigou’s mother
Doctor Zhao
Zhao Facai – Neighbor
Village Head Ye- Sometime Ye Lizheng (Lizheng is a title that refers to Village Head/Chief)
Ye Bajin – Village Head’s Son
Fubao – Village Head’s Grandson
Tie Niu and Zhuzi – two women who helped Caiping
Places:
Qinghe Village: FL’s Village
Li Family Village
Great Zhou Dynasty