Chapter 40: Rushed into Marriage

When Zhou Chenshi spoke, there was a look of guilt on her face.

The peace-lock she mentioned was made of silver.

Each one cost more than half a tael.

Not cheap at all.

“But, my Zhou family has another request. The girl’s family over there says they can’t wait too long, so the day after tomorrow our two families must settle things. After the engagement gifts are exchanged, the wedding should be held ten days later. What do you think? Our family won’t fuss about this or that—just hold a few banquet tables as you wish, we won’t complain.”

A glint of calculation flashed through Zhou Chenshi’s eyes.

She lowered her head slightly, pretending to sip water, but was actually waiting for the Jiang family’s reaction.

“So soon?” Zhang Jinlan’s smile suddenly froze.

She had thought the soonest would be a month.

She never expected the Zhou family wanted the wedding in just ten days.

This was far too hasty.

Who ever married off children in such a rush?

“There’s no helping it, they’re urging us. It’s all for my grandson’s sake. Otherwise how could I bear to marry off Yuanyuan so carelessly? I won’t hide it from you, my grandson’s bride is a girl from town. We’re just farmers—how hard is it to marry a town girl! We can only do as they say. Yuanyuan, don’t blame your grandma, it’s Grandma who’s sorry to you.”

Zhou Chenshi put down her cup and sighed dramatically, shaking her head.

“Grandma, I don’t blame you. As long as my younger brother can marry as he wishes, I’m satisfied. Besides, Brother Jiang is very kind. I believe he’ll treat me well, right, Brother Jiang?”

To everyone’s surprise, Zhou Yuanyuan dropped her shy demeanor and boldly looked straight at Jiang Tongjin.

“Yes.”

Her gaze was so fiery that Jiang Tongjin was unconsciously drawn into it.

His heartbeat quickened.

“You silly child, how can you be so forward? Go back to your room. Girls shouldn’t be eavesdropping on elders’ conversations.”

Zhou Chenshi waved her hand with a smile, scolding lightly as she sent her granddaughter away.

“Jinlan, Sister Zhou has already said so much. What do you think?”

Matchmaker Zhou pressed eagerly from the side.

“Dahe, what do you say?” Zhang Jinlan still felt something strange, though she couldn’t quite put her finger on it. So she simply asked her son’s opinion.

“Since the two families are fated, whether the wedding is soon or later doesn’t matter. I have no objections, as long as Tongjin is happy.”

Jiang Dahe was experienced—just one glance at his son told him his thoughts.

It was obvious his son had fallen for this girl Yuanyuan.

As his father, of course he had to support it.

“Alright, then it’s settled.”

Since her son agreed, Zhang Jinlan had nothing more to say.

The girl seemed decent enough.

As long as she wasn’t a troublemaker, she could accept it.

Though the marriage was rushed, what mattered most was whether the couple could live well together afterwards.

“Good, good! Tomorrow morning I’ll make a bit of fanfare in the village, let everyone know the Jiang family has come to the Zhou’s for a proposal. The day after tomorrow the betrothal will be set, and in ten days the wedding can take place!”

Matchmaker Zhou’s smile stretched from ear to ear.

She had secured her commission for certain.

The discussion finished, the four Jiang family members left Zhou village.

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At that moment, Jiang Fubao was playing in the courtyard.

When she saw her grandmother and the others return, she rushed to the gate and shouted excitedly:

“Grandma, I picked up more eggs! On the mountain, so many, many of them! Second Brother said there’s also rice. What is rice? I’ve never eaten it before. Grandma, is rice tasty?”

Hearing that her granddaughter had picked up both bird eggs and rice, Zhang Jinlan’s jaw nearly dropped.

Could her granddaughter truly be a lucky star descended from heaven?

It was already outrageous to pick up bird eggs all the time.

But now even rice?

Could it be the mountain at their doorstep was a sacred mountain?

And her granddaughter was its guardian fairy?

The more Zhang Jinlan thought about it, the more convinced she became that this must be true.

She ran a few steps forward, scooped the little girl up, and asked urgently:

“What? More bird eggs? Where are they? And rice too? No one in the village has planted rice in years! Tongmu, when you came down the mountain, did anyone see you?”

“Grandma, the rice is here. No one saw us. Look, all fine polished white rice.”

Jiang Tongmu quickly carried the basket in from the kitchen.

“Oh my, it really is rice—top-grade polished rice! Fubao, tell Grandma, where did you find it?”

Still holding her granddaughter with one arm, Zhang Jinlan scooped a handful of rice with the other, rubbing it through her fingers several times before reluctantly putting it back.

It had been years since anyone grew rice.

She truly missed it.

“On the mountain, of course! I went bug hunting with my brothers. Second Brother wouldn’t let me catch any, so I played nearby. In the grass nest there were lots of eggs. Fubao saw them right away! Grandma, aren’t I amazing? Oh, and Grandma, what does rice taste like?”

Jiang Fubao had already made a pact with her brothers—never mention going into the inner forest, or they’d surely be scolded.

After she finished, she noticed her brothers were all blinking at her anxiously, afraid she’d slip up.

“Amazing, truly amazing! Fubao is the most amazing of all. Since you’ve never eaten rice before, we’ll have rice for lunch today! Everyone gets a big bowl, eat till full! And with it, egg-and-mugwort pancakes, fried in lard—one each!”

Zhang Jinlan was beside herself with joy.

Today was truly a triple blessing.

First, one of the hens had laid three eggs in a day.

Then, her eldest grandson’s wedding date was settled.

And now her granddaughter had brought back precious polished rice and bird eggs.

“Oh yes, where are the eggs?”

She quickly asked.

“Here.” Jiang Tongshui lifted a basket and placed it before his grandmother.

The worms inside had long since been tossed to the hens.

Inside were one hundred and twenty quail eggs.

They had counted carefully.

“Quail eggs? So many? Did you empty out every quail nest on the mountain?”

Zhu Yingqiu squatted down to count.

“Mother, there are one hundred and twenty. Last time we sold quail eggs for a hundred and eighty copper. If we sell all these, that’s at least seven strings of cash! Oh heavens, we’re going to be rich! Fubao, let Auntie hold you, let me share in your luck—I want to find bird eggs too!”

Zhu Yingqiu snatched her niece from her mother-in-law’s arms and hugged her tightly, planting two loud kisses on her cheeks.

Jiang Fubao wiped the slobber off her face with a forced smile.

What to do…

So hopeless. When would she ever grow up?

“Mother, rice prices have risen too. I heard when I carried grain—now one dou sells for 130 coins.”

Jiang Dahe’s words echoed in the courtyard.

Everyone was stunned.

“One hundred and thirty coins? For a dou? That’s like selling gold! A few years ago, polished rice was just seventy-five coins. Even if it went up, at most eighty-something. How could it be one hundred and thirty now? Who can afford to eat it?”

Zhang Jinlan was dumbfounded.

If she had known rice was this expensive, she would have delayed sowing for a month.

If only it rained again, they could have planted paddy rice this year. Selling it would make them a fortune.

Too bad the fields were already full of coarse millet.

It was too late.