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This person was ruthless. Wang Hesong was beaten so badly that he couldn’t even fight back. The more he resisted, the harder he was hit.
He eventually didn’t dare to resist anymore. Only when he felt the beating had stopped and his attacker had left did he muster the courage to remove the sack from his head. By then, his face was already bruised and swollen!
Yet, he didn’t dare utter a single curse. He scrambled away, crawling and stumbling.
His legs were limping badly as he fled!
Wang Hesong’s mother, Old Woman Wang had only one son. She had never laid a hand on him since he was a child, treating him with the utmost care. Now, seeing him beaten so severely, how could she possibly bear it?
“Good heavens! Who could have done this? What kind of deep hatred would lead to such a vicious attack?”
“Maybe it was one of Jiang Yue’s suitors!” Wang Hesong voiced his suspicion.
He knew Jiang Yue had many admirers. This time, after he escorted her home, it was highly likely that someone had been jealous and that’s why they attacked him.
“That vixen! She’s nothing but a shameless flirt!” Wang Hesong’s mother, Wang Aiying, grew even more furious when she heard this.
Wang Hesong let out a sigh. Although the beating had been harsh, it was all superficial injuries. A few days of rest, and he would recover.
He knew his mother wouldn’t agree, but he still conveyed the request from Sun Shi and Second Uncle Jiang—about wanting the “three turns and a sound.”
Wang Aiying sneered. “They can keep dreaming! ‘Three turns and a sound’? Fifty yuan and thirty-six legs—if they want to marry, fine; if not, forget it. Who cares about their family anyway!”
Note: “Three turns and a sound” refers to desirable household items in the 1970s-1980s: a bicycle, a watch, a sewing machine (the three turns), and a radio (the sound).
“She was never someone I approved of in the first place, just a shameless girl who seduced my son in the woods. Someone capable of such disgraceful behavior can’t be any good!”
“If she doesn’t want to marry, that’s even better! You go and bring Jiang Qian back for me, and I’ll be satisfied with her!” Wang Aiying declared.
She couldn’t stop thinking about Jiang Qian, especially now that she had this comparison. It made Jiang Qian seem even better in her eyes!
Wang Hesong replied dejectedly, “That’s probably impossible now. Her family found her a match with the soldier Jiang Yue broke off the engagement with. He’s very generous—he gave a dowry of one hundred yuan, a bike, a forty eight legs, and even the ‘three turns and a sound,’ which you won’t find in any of the nearby villages. Her parents are very pleased, and the day after tomorrow, she’s getting married.”
Upon hearing this, Wang Aiying couldn’t help but scold, “It’s all because of you, such a useless fool! You let such a good girl like Jiang Qian slip away, only to be bewitched by that tramp. Look at them—giving such a lavish dowry. It just shows how much they value Jiang Qian! They know her worth!”
Han Shiguo, praised for his good taste, had already tidied up the new house perfectly.
On the day before the wedding, Han Shijia, his third sister, specially arranged for a truck to help transport the “forty-eight legs” they had ordered, along with the bicycle, sewing machine, and radio, all back to the house.
Such a grand display hadn’t been seen in Han Family Village for years, and the entire place was buzzing with excitement!
The forty-eight legs Han Shiguo had brought back were placed in the newlywed room.
All the old furniture had been replaced, though there hadn’t been much to begin with. After all, Han Shiguo had been a bachelor until now, with just a single bed and an old cabinet in the house. He gave those to his eldest nephew, Han Jiadong.
Now, all the new furniture was installed, giving the place a fresh, updated look.
Looking at the brand-new furniture, Han Shiguo couldn’t help but feel deeply satisfied!
As for the major items in the dowry, Han Shiguo didn’t waste any time. Along with his older brother, Han Shimin, he borrowed a donkey cart from an uncle in the family and delivered them right away.
The “three turns and a sound” included a brand-new sewing machine, a gleaming twenty-eight-inch double-bar bicycle, and a radio that people said could pick up voices from the capital, as if it had the mythical powers of a thousand-mile ear!
The villagers were absolutely astonished by it all!
Zhou Guiyun pulled Han Shiguo aside and chatted with him for a while, asking if everything was ready for the banquet.
Han Shiguo smiled and said, “Auntie, don’t worry. Everything’s been prepared.”
As he spoke, his gaze shifted toward Jiang Qian. Her face turned a deep shade of red, and after giving him a glance, she hurried back to her room.
Han Shiguo knew Jiang Qian was just shy, but he wasn’t in a hurry. After all, by tomorrow, she would be his wife, and he could certainly wait a little longer.
Once he and his brother Han Shimin left, the neighbors gathered around to get a good look at the “three turns and one sound.”
It was truly something rare and exciting!
The bicycle, sewing machine, and radio were left behind, while the watch was handed over to Jiang Qian by Zhou Guiyun.
Jiang Qian glanced at the watch, a faint smile appearing on her lips.
Zhou Guiyun was equally delighted.
The night before her daughter’s wedding, Zhou Guiyun sat in her room, carefully reviewing the dowry she had prepared for Jiang Qian.
After confirming that everything was ready, she opened a locked cabinet and took out a wooden box, beginning to count the remaining money in her hands.
“Husband, besides the 100 yuan from the bride price that Jiang Qian is taking with her, should we give her another 100 as a dowry?” Zhou Guiyun asked Jiang Qian’s father in a hushed tone.
Jiang Qian’s father glanced at the money in her hands and asked, “How much do we have left?”
“We’ve got 300 yuan in cash,” she replied. A little over 300, in fact.
“Give Jiang Qian 200,” Jiang Qian’s father decided after hearing that.
Jiang Qian’s father had never been a man of many words, but his love and care for his daughter were unquestionable.
Zhou Guiyun, pleased, playfully glanced at him and asked with a smile, “So, 200 it is?”
Jiang Qian’s father nodded in agreement.
Zhou Guiyun beamed. As a mother, how could she not want to give her daughter as much as possible for her marriage? This dowry would provide Jiang Qian with confidence and security as she started her new life.
She carefully counted out two hundred yuan, placing twenty crisp notes into a red envelope made of festive paper.
Then, she retrieved another savings passbook from the box—a bank account her daughter had helped her open. She opened it to see that there was exactly 1,300 yuan inside!
Zhou Guiyun sighed with regret. “If I had known, I wouldn’t have sold those gold pieces back then. They would’ve made great wedding dowries for Qian.”
Jiang Qian’s father quietly grumbled, “Come on, you don’t even know if those things were clean. What if they came from a grave? Wouldn’t that be bad luck for our daughter’s dowry?”
It was just two years ago when Zhou Guiyun and her daughter went into the mountains to forage for mushrooms.
That’s when they stumbled upon those items.
Only the three of them—Jiang Qian’s parents and Jiang Qian herself—knew about it. Afterward, they discreetly sold the items bit by bit, and the family managed to accumulate a significant amount of savings.
They had always been discreet, so no one knew the Jiang family had such hidden wealth.
Among the items they sold, there were a few gold pieces that were truly beautiful. Zhou Guiyun thought about it and agreed with herself, deciding to drop the topic. She carefully put away the bankbook and cash.
As for the special wedding money meant for her dowry, she took it out and handed it to her daughter.
Jiang Qian had known her parents would give her something for her dowry, but she hadn’t expected them to give her so much!
She had already received 100 yuan in wedding gifts, and now her parents were giving her an additional 200!
“Mom, this is too much. There are still so many people in the family,” Jiang Qian said hurriedly.
“We still have a good sum of money saved, don’t forget. You helped me deposit it yourself, didn’t you? And Second Uncle’s family still owes us some money. We’ll collect from them every month, so you don’t have to worry about the household,” Zhou Guiyun reassured her, pressing the money into her hands. “Go open a bank account and save it yourself!”
Zhou Guiyun wasn’t just preparing a solid dowry for her daughter; she was also determined to keep Jiang Qian’s room untouched.
“Whenever you want to come home, the door is always open for you. This house will always have a room for you!”
That simple sentence from her mother broke Jiang Qian’s composure, and tears began to fall from her eyes.