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In the end, it was just jealousy.
Because when she entered the marriage back then, all she got was a bride price of twenty yuan and thirty-six pairs of legs.
Although it was still relatively decent and respectable, it couldn’t compare to the conditions offered now by her brother-in-law for the new bride. How was she supposed to balance that in her heart?
“Whatever bride price Shiguo gives, that’s his own business. The money he earns is his own!” Han Shimin frowned and said.
“What do you mean, ‘his own’? We haven’t even separated yet! What he earns still goes into the family’s share!” Li Xia gritted her teeth. “I don’t care; I want the bride price to be supplemented. If you don’t give it to me, I’ll make sure it’s not over!”
“Can you compare then and now? Back then, the country had just been established for a short time!”
Han Shiguo’s Father and Han Shiguo’s Mother were a bit older than Jiang Qian’s Father and Zhou Guiyun. They had a total of three daughters and two sons.
The eldest was the first daughter, followed by the second daughter, and only after them came Han Shimin, their eldest son.
There was also a third daughter after him, and then Han Shiguo, their youngest son.
Han Shimin was seven years older than Han Shiguo, but it wasn’t just the age difference; he had also married very early. He got married at the age of twenty.
If you do the math, that was thirteen years ago. This year is 1968, so that means he got married in 1955.
When Li Xia married into the Han family, they hadn’t even started communal meals yet!
The bride price that the old Han family gave her was already considered quite generous!
But Li Xia didn’t care. “How can it not compare? She’s a wife of your Han family, just like me. Does she deserve it but I don’t? Before she even steps into this house, the whole family is already favoring her. If that’s how it is now, what will happen when she actually enters? Will I even have a say in this family anymore?”
Hearing her get more worked up, Han Shimin warned, “Let me tell you, our parents have been waiting for Shiguo to get married. This is already becoming a concern for them. If you dare to make trouble, they won’t let you off!”
At twenty-six, the kids of his age were already settled, and here he was with no prospects. Which parent wouldn’t be worried and concerned?
As for the second son’s satisfaction with the girl and giving such a generous bride price of three “turns and a ring” and forty-eight pairs of legs, Han Shimin couldn’t help but feel a bit taken aback. But he didn’t have the courage to speak out about it.
Because the family had the means to live in a brick-and-tile house, it was all thanks to the money earned by Han Shiguo, the second son.
Otherwise, with just the little bit they earned from the land, the whole family would be struggling to make ends meet!
Now that the second son finally found a girl he was satisfied with and was willing to give such a hefty bride price, that was his own business.
The matchmaker had said the girl was not only six years younger than him, but she was also exceptionally delicate, a teacher, young, beautiful, and cultured!
Since the second son had the financial ability to afford such a bride price, what was the problem with that? The key was that this marriage needed to go through!
The focus now was to have the marriage completed before the holidays ended, so he could bring her home and have her join the military. That was what mattered most!
Li Xia was so angry that her face twisted in frustration!
On the way to the Wuxing Brigade, Jiang Xiaogu casually chatted with Han Shiguo, asking a lot of questions, like whether the military was very busy.
She asked about his current position and how much he earned per month.
Knowing that Jiang Xiaogu would talk to her older brother and sister-in-law about this, Han Shiguo answered every question she asked.
The military was indeed quite busy, which was why he seldom came back. But that was in the past. Now, he had been promoted to the position of battalion commander, and things were much better than before.
Of course, his time at home was still limited.
So, if he got married, he would definitely have to take his wife along with him to join the military.
As for his salary, he didn’t hide it; he was making seventy yuan a month now.
When Jiang Xiaogu and Matchmaker Zhang heard that his monthly salary was seventy yuan, they both couldn’t help but gasp in surprise!
She had already known that a battalion commander’s salary wouldn’t be too low, but she didn’t expect it to be seventy yuan a month!
In the countryside, a whole family might only earn a few yuan in a year, and here Han Shiguo was, earning seventy yuan a month!
After being stunned, Jiang Xiaogu felt even more satisfied. She couldn’t help but silently mock her second brother and sister-in-law for being blind. How could they turn down such a good son-in-law?
Not to mention the three years of waiting in vain, but they had also missed out on an excellent match!
Jiang Xiaogu decided that when she saw her older brother and sister-in-law later, she’d have to talk to them properly. They shouldn’t be as foolish as her second brother and sister-in-law. A son-in-law like this was hard to come by, even with a lantern!
He was perfect for her niece, Jiang Qian!
Han Shiguo’s Mother didn’t interrupt when her son talked about his salary, because as a mother, she knew her son too well.
It was clear he liked the girl, but he was also afraid she might look down on him, a rough man. So, he acted like a peacock, trying hard to show off his strengths.
But she was satisfied with the girl. So, instead of stopping him, she supported him, smiling as she said to Jiang Xiaogu: “Your father and I have already decided. Once Shiguo gets married, we’ll help him and his brother separate their families. We’ll ask the old party secretary and your father to come and be witnesses.”
When Jiang Xiaogu heard this, she was pleased. She said, “Even after separating, the children still need to honor their parents. That’s their duty!”
“Yes, exactly!” Matchmaker Zhang chimed in. “I think it’s best to separate the families once the children have their own homes. My two daughters-in-law used to fight like roosters, and it made the brothers’ relationship really bad. In the end, I decided to separate them and let them manage their own households. Since then, their brotherly bond has actually improved!”
This was indeed the truth.
Jiang Xiaogu laughed and said, “It’s the same in my family. My father-in-law separated the households early. He always said, ‘When the bird gets big, it leaves the nest; when the tree grows tall, it branches out.’ He told us to live our own lives, and if we need anything, we just call each other up. It works out just fine.”
Matchmaker Zhang nodded in agreement. “Not many families have such harmonious daughters-in-law like yours. Your eldest sister-in-law really has a sharp eye. When she was picking wives for your eldest and second nephews, she went straight for the ‘buy one, get one free’ deal, and ended up with the cousin as well. After they got married, their relationship was great! And that educated youth daughter-in-law, too—I always thought she was a sensible one!”
“Exactly. If she weren’t sensible, my big brother and sister-in-law would have separated the households long ago. But last time I visited, I heard my big sister-in-law mention that she’s been thinking about it too. I’m guessing she’s waiting for Shouchuan to get married first,” Jiang Xiaogu said.
When they talked about Jiang Shouchuan, who worked in the city, Matchmaker Zhang went on to introduce the girl’s fourth brother to Han Shiguo’s Mother. “He’s a formal worker at the procurement department of a big shopping mall in the city!”
And Jiang Qian is a twin, too!
Han Shiguo’s Mother couldn’t help but praise as well, but this time it was from the heart. For someone with a rural household to be able to get into the city and secure a formal job, especially in the procurement department, that was definitely impressive!
As they chatted, with Matchmaker Zhang occasionally chiming in, the group continued their conversation all the way there.
In the courtyard, Zhao Aiying was mending clothes for the children, and Zhao Aifeng, the second sister-in-law, was also there. The two sisters-in-law were busy working and chatting, but they didn’t forget to keep an eye on the door.
When they saw Jiang Xiaogu, Matchmaker Zhang, along with Han Shiguo’s Mother, Han Shiguo’s Father, and Han Shiguo’s family of three approaching, the two immediately shouted into the house, “Mom, my little aunt and them are here!”
Zhou Guiyun and Jiang Qian’s Father came out from the house.
Jiang Qian’s Father smiled and shook hands with Han Shiguo’s Father, and the two immediately started chatting.
While Zhou Guiyun warmly welcomed Han Shiguo’s Mother, her smiling eyes didn’t forget to greet Han Shiguo. “You must be Shiguo, right? You can tell right away you’re a soldier just by looking at you!”