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Zhou Guiyun and Jiang’s Father were straightforward people, and they didn’t keep anyone in suspense.
Once they had made up their minds, there was no hesitation. It was time to settle everything!
Jiang Qian blushed and nodded, “Mm.”
“It feels like just a blink of an eye, and you’ve grown up. Now you’re getting married.”
Zhou Guiyun gazed lovingly at her daughter, who stood tall and graceful. Her eyes filled with affection and tenderness. Although she had mentally prepared for this moment, as a mother, she still found it hard to let go.
She had four sons, but only one daughter.
And her daughter had always been particularly considerate since she was little.
Jiang Qian leaned against her mother’s chest, “If you can’t bear to part with me, then I won’t get married. I’ll stay for a couple more years and make Han Shiguo wait.”
She too was reluctant to leave home, to leave her father and mother, and her brothers, sisters-in-law, and nieces and nephews.
“How could that be? Does that mean I’d be like the Queen Mother of the West, stopping the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl from meeting?” Zhou Guiyun laughed.
She said it jokingly, but the truth was that marrying off a daughter was a natural and proper thing. It couldn’t be delayed. A daughter had to be married off at the best age, with the most suitable and satisfactory husband.
Letting her daughter live her own life—that was the right thing to do.
As for the reluctance, that was only natural.
Jiang Qian smiled, “You just want to marry me off to make things easier for yourself.”
Zhou Guiyun laughed, “It’s something every girl has to go through. Once you’re married, live a good life with Han Shiguo. We all approve of him, so it won’t be bad.”
A daughter is like a dandelion; wherever she lands, that’s where she’ll take root and grow for the rest of her life.
What a mother can do is find her a good husband, so she can live a happy and fulfilled life in the years to come.
The day after tomorrow, Jiang Qian would be getting married, and Zhou Guiyun, though reluctant, spent quite some time with her daughter before finally heading back.
Jiang Qian smiled and then went to ask her third sister-in-law, Su Zhirou, how she was adjusting to her new role at school.
Su Zhirou had adapted well. She had never taught before and didn’t know she actually enjoyed being in the position of a teacher.
Hearing the students call her “Teacher Su” felt quite fulfilling!
Moreover, she genuinely wanted to excel in this profession.
She couldn’t do farm work, but working hard at this job and holding onto this career could also be a good path forward.
Knowing that Su Zhirou had settled in well, Jiang Qian felt reassured.
She brushed her teeth and went to bed early.
It’s no wonder people back then had so many children, right?
Once there were no other pressing matters, they’d go to bed early—hard to not let your mind wander with so little to occupy it.
A peaceful sleep followed.
The next day, Han Shiguo got busy.
He had to clean up the wedding house, inside and out, which was quite a big task.
In addition to all that, he still had to notify his older sister, second sister, and uncles.
Beyond that, there were the wedding banquet preparations—the chicken, duck, fish, and eggs—all needed to be arranged in advance.
Especially since Han Shiguo planned to make this wedding a big deal.
He had prepared for five tables.
The ingredients required for these five tables were not trivial, and the costs were substantial!
But this time, Han Shiguo was determined to make sure his wedding was done properly!
When Li Xia heard that Han Shiguo was planning to have five tables for the wedding, she was so jealous that her face almost twisted in frustration.
She didn’t dare to say anything in front of others, but behind the scenes, she complained to Han Shimin, “When you married me, you only had one table. Now, your brother is getting married and he’s going to have five tables!”
Han Shimin responded irritably, “What was the situation when we got married? Being able to have one table was already good enough. Now, Shiguo wants to have five tables—he has the means for it, and it’s not costing you anything. Why are you making a fuss?”
Li Xia was absolutely livid.
“What do you mean, ‘not costing you anything’?” Li Xia fumed in her heart.
Wasn’t the money allocated for the wedding part of the family’s funds? They had already planned to split the family assets, so of course, he was spending it all now!
“That one hundred yuan was specifically set aside for Shiguo’s wedding banquet. Besides, he’s a military officer now, and it’s not like he’s getting married young. Don’t you think he deserves to have a proper celebration? Whether he spends that one hundred yuan or not, it’s his money, not yours. Stop making trouble!” Han Shimin warned her firmly.
Li Xia, feeling aggrieved, muttered under her breath, “You useless man, everyone is looking down on us, and instead of standing by me, you always end up siding with them and criticizing me!”
Han Shimin glared at her and said, “What are you comparing for? Instead of focusing on living well, you’re comparing yourself to Shiguo? Do you want to go and compare with your third sister, living in the county party compound ?”
Li Xia was immediately speechless, “How can that even be compared…”
“If you know it can’t be compared, then why are you still complaining?” Han Shimin retorted. “We’ve raised four children, and now Shiguo is just getting married. He’s getting married much later than we did, and you’re still comparing? In a few years, even Jiandong will be able to get married. You’ll be a grandmother by then. I can’t even understand what you’re so upset about!”
Han Shimin genuinely couldn’t figure out why this woman thought they were at such a disadvantage.
The money was earned by Shiguo, their younger brother. He had supported them all these years and now, with the family division, he was giving them so much more. What was she dissatisfied about?
Li Xia was furious, “I can’t talk to you!”
“If you can’t talk, then don’t!” Han Shimin was not interested in hearing any more of her complaints.
But no matter what they thought, Han Shiguo’s wedding preparations were moving forward as usual.
Zhou Guiyun, for once, made a rare show of pride and publicly announced that her son-in-law was going to invite five tables!
This news made the neighbors gasp in awe and envy.
In this day and age, being able to invite one or two tables was already considered quite good. But five tables? That was in the category of the wealthiest families!
But did they think it was over? Not even close!
They also heard from Zhou Guiyun that the groom was not only giving a hundred in betrothal gifts and Forty-eight legs, but he had also prepared a “three turns and one sound”!
“Three turns and one sound?!”
When this news spread, it was like setting off a bomb!
“Is that for real? A hundred in betrothal gifts, Forty-eight legs, and three turns and one sound?” The neighbors quickly inquired.
Zhou Guiyun laughed and said, “Is there any doubt? Do you think I would joke about something like this?”
Over the years, everyone had a good understanding of Zhou Guiyun’s personality. When she said something, it was definitely true.
“Wow, your son-in-law is something else, really top-notch, a rare find in these ten or even twenty villages! But how much does all this cost?” The neighbors were incredibly envious and eager to ask more.
“We don’t know the exact price, but according to Shouchuan, the Forty-eight legs alone cost around two hundred, and the three turns and one sound is about four hundred,” Zhou Guiyun proudly revealed, now openly boasting about her daughter’s wedding.
And once the items were delivered, everyone would be able to see for themselves. Since they couldn’t hide it, she decided to speak openly and proudly about it!
This was the only time in her life she would marry off her daughter!
The neighbors quickly did the math: a hundred in betrothal gifts, two hundred for the Forty-eight legs, and four hundred for the “three turns and one sound”…
“Wow, so the Han family has spent seven hundred in total on marrying off Qianqian?” After calculating the amount, the neighbors were all shocked.
Zhou Guiyun smiled, “This is all Shiguo’s heartfelt gesture!”
That’s why she was so pleased with Han Shiguo as her son-in-law. His sincerity in asking for her daughter’s hand was truly undeniable!
It’s not that money is the only way to prove one’s sincerity, but a person’s true intentions are shown not in what they say, but in what they do.
From her son-in-law’s actions, it was clear how genuine his desire was to marry her daughter!