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The Han family finalized the family division late that night, and Jiang Xiaogu only found out about it the next day from her mother-in-law.
Upon hearing the news, she quickly went back to her parental home to share it.
By the time she arrived, Han Shiguo had already taken Jiang Qian into the city again for a date.
Jiang Xiaogu was very pleased when she heard the news and, laughing, immediately shared it with her sister-in-law.
“Why the rush? What happened?” Zhou Guiyun asked, surprised.
“Shiguo’s sister-in-law has been saying, between the lines, that the two elders are unfair and biased toward the younger one. When they married her, it was only thirty-six pairs of legs and twenty yuan as the bride price. Now, when Shiguo’s marrying Qianqian, it’s one hundred yuan, forty-eight pairs of legs, and the three essentials (watch, sewing machine, bicycle) — how could she possibly feel balanced? But she doesn’t think about it — who earned all the money for the Han family? Even if the family wasn’t split, who has been supporting her four children all these years? Who built that impressive brick house they live in? All these years, thanks to the money Shiguo earned, she’s been slacking off at work. She can’t even earn enough for her own rations, let alone the children’s!”
Jiang Xiaogu, having married into the family, knew exactly what kind of person Li Xia was.
And after hearing about the dowry for her niece, Jiang Xiaogu knew all the things Li Xia had said outside.
This woman was never satisfied with the benefits she had gotten!
Zhou Guiyun didn’t comment much, just saying, “Shiguo’s parents are really decisive.” She was quite satisfied that they had already gone ahead with the division of the family.
Jiang Xiaogu replied, “They had been thinking about it for a long time, but now they’ve finally gone ahead with it. The accounts are all sorted out, and it’s just waiting for the wedding to finalize everything. However, when Shiguo goes to the army, he won’t be able to look after his parents, so he’ll probably have to contribute more money.”
“That’s only fair,” Zhou Guiyun agreed. As a parent herself, she could understand that.
And it wasn’t just other families—this issue of dividing the family, Zhou Guiyun and Jiang’s father had thought about it as well.
They were planning to wait until the youngest son got married and then divide the family. The land for each of their sons’ homes had already been applied for, but for now, they would just continue as things were.
As soon as they finished speaking, they saw Matchmaker Zhang arrive with a big smile on her face.
Zhou Guiyun smiled and asked her daughter-in-law to make a cup of brown sugar water to welcome her. She also asked Jiang Xiaogu to go to the village head’s house to bring Jiang’s father back, as they needed to discuss the marriage arrangements between the two families.
Before long, Jiang’s father returned with Jiang Xiaogu.
Matchmaker Zhang was also in high spirits, laughing as she chatted with Zhou Guiyun and Jiang’s father. She had already gone to the Han family and confirmed that the forty-eight pairs of legs they had ordered would be delivered the next day.
As for the large items like the “three-turns and one-sound,” they would need to wait until the day after tomorrow. So, would it be okay to schedule the wedding for the day after tomorrow?
“Shiguo doesn’t have much leave, so we should leave a day for the return ceremony, and let Jiang Yue follow him to join the army, right?” Matchmaker Zhang suggested.
Zhou Guiyun and Jiang’s father had already discussed it the previous evening and were aware that time was tight. They realized that, honestly, it was all thanks to the unreliable, fickle Old Wang family.
If it hadn’t been for them, how would Zhou Guiyun have managed to prepare such a dignified dowry for her daughter in advance?
However, because everything was ready, they didn’t mind the rush. Zhou Guiyun quickly agreed with Matchmaker Zhang, saying, “Alright, we’ll do it the day after tomorrow.”
“Great, great! I’ll go and inform the Han family right away!” Matchmaker Zhang replied happily.
After drinking the brown sugar water, she hurried over to the Han family’s house.
Last night, Han Shiguo’s father and mother had finalized the division of the family, and they were actually quite pleased with the outcome. They slept soundly that night.
Today, when Matchmaker Zhang came over to deliver the good news, they were, of course, happy. Their youngest son’s wedding was truly the most important thing on their minds.
The couple changed into new clothes and personally went over to Jiang’s father’s and Zhou Guiyun’s place to discuss the specifics. Han Shiguo’s father had already consulted someone about the timing, and the day after tomorrow was indeed an auspicious day.
This was considered the final confirmation.
Once everything was settled, the marriage was officially decided!
However, Han Shiguo and Jiang Qian still had no idea that their parents had already finalized the marriage arrangements.
But neither of them were fools; their parents had already spoken to each other.
On the way into the city, Han Shiguo casually mentioned to Jiang Qian, “My parents should be coming over today to formally settle our marriage.”
“Mm.” Jiang Qian blushed and responded. Although it felt a bit unbelievable to her, marrying a man she had only known for a short time, she was resolute. Once the decision was made, there was no turning back.
Since she had already made up her mind, if she liked him, then she would marry him.
Han Shiguo, who was about to settle into the role of a husband and father, was naturally happy, and it showed in his expression.
However, he also briefly mentioned the family division that had taken place the previous evening.
Jiang Qian didn’t think much of it. She had asked her mother about the family division before, and her mother had said it was bound to happen. There was no way they could live like this forever. She guessed it would probably take place once her fourth brother got married, and at that point, her parents would make the decision to divide the property among the brothers.
Han Shiguo just wanted her to be aware of the situation, so he brought it up but didn’t delve into it further. After they moved past that topic, he asked, “Is there anything you need to buy? I have all kinds of tickets.”
“Just a visit to my third sister’s place is fine. There’s no need to buy anything. My dowry has already been prepared by my mother—blankets, clothes, shoes, towels, basins, and a kettle—everything I need,” Jiang Qian replied.
Jiang Qian casually mentioned her dowry to him, revealing that her family had been very generous with her.
Han Shiguo couldn’t help but think back to the fact that she had almost been matched with Wang Hesong. Clearly, her family had also prepared for that. A wave of jealousy surged within him, and he fell silent for a moment.
Yeah, he was feeling a bit sour about it.
But soon enough, he got over it. After all, it was the Wang family that had been making him the unwitting tailor for her wedding clothes!
With that thought, he felt revitalized.
“Do you think there’s anything missing?” Han Shiguo asked, his mood lifting.
Han Shiguo grinned at her, clearly delighted by her words. “Of course, I said it. You can hold me to it!” he replied, feeling a warm sense of excitement about their future together.
Seeing her playful expression, he couldn’t help but laugh. “After all, I’m the one who’s going to follow you everywhere, right? So I might as well start practicing listening now!”
He didn’t even realize it, but his confidence in their relationship made him feel more certain than ever that this was the right choice.
Jiang Qian raised an eyebrow at his reply but simply smiled, feeling satisfied with his answer. She playfully nudged him again and said, “Alright then, we’ll see how long that lasts.”
As they continued their walk through the streets, the comfortable atmosphere between them only grew. The day felt lighter, and their playful banter made everything seem less serious, almost like a natural progression in their blossoming relationship.
When they arrived at the supply store, they picked up the little treats: milk candies, brown sugar, and biscuits—simple things, but they felt significant, like pieces of their shared life they were slowly piecing together.
As they walked towards the county committee’s building, the familiarity between them was undeniable. Despite the relatively short time they had known each other, they already felt like an old couple, falling into a routine that suited them. There was no pressure, just an easy, uncomplicated companionship.
It wasn’t just the little gifts or shared moments that marked their growing connection, but the understanding that they were beginning to form a life together—step by step, no matter how many small details there were to navigate. And both of them were growing more comfortable with the idea.