Chapter 43: Gossip

“Cough, cough—Mother, the fruit is sweet, just take a look.”

Really now.

Without even looking, they assumed she had been poisoned.

Even if she wasn’t sick, they would’ve frightened her into one.

“Wait, Yanzi, put Fubao down. That’s not poisonous fruit—it’s ganjiao (bananas)!”

Luckily, Sun Pingmei glanced into the basket.

She saved her niece and went on: “Before I was married, I once went to town. There was a fruit seller who sold this very ganjiao. Though not this big, I heard it was very sweet and especially tasty. The monkeys in the mountains love bananas even more than peaches. If monkeys can eat them, surely people can too.”

Hearing it wasn’t poisonous—

Zhang Yanzi finally breathed a sigh of relief.

She carried her daughter home.

Poor Jiang Fubao almost vomited her breakfast.

If she had known earlier, she wouldn’t have picked the bananas.

Regret, ah…

Meanwhile, in Zhoujia Village—

Jiang Tongjin and Zhou Yuanyuan signed the matchmaking contract.

The document was entrusted to Zhang Jinlan for safekeeping.

The two families were now officially engaged.

The betrothal gift was also handed to Zhou Chen-shi.

Exactly two taels.

“Well then, we won’t keep you. We still need to go to town,” Zhou Chen-shi said.

Her words made Zhang Jinlan’s face darken.

What kind of conduct was this?

Taking the betrothal gift and then immediately driving them off?

By custom, on the day of engagement, the bride’s family should host a banquet to entertain the groom’s side.

Yet they hadn’t even bothered with politeness, let alone food—directly shooing them away, with no sense of courtesy at all.

In the past, Zhang Jinlan would surely have sneered a few words. But considering the engagement had just been set, for the sake of her eldest grandson, she swallowed her anger.

“Yes, it’s getting late. We also have much to do at home. We’ll be going.”

The smile disappeared from her face. She turned and walked off.

Jiang Dahe’s family of three hurried to follow.

“Mother, that Zhou family is really something. The moment the silver touched their hands, they turned their faces. If we’d known, we should’ve had the matchmaker show Tongjin more choices instead of tying him so quickly to the Zhou family. Just seeing that old Zhou woman’s flustered, greedy look makes my blood boil.”

Zhu Yingqiu was angry too.

Others might not have noticed, but she had seen it clearly—

When her mother-in-law handed over the silver, that Zhou woman’s eyes lit up like oil lamps, practically glued to the money.

Just a few days ago she had put on such airs, making them think she was a woman who understood propriety.

So it had all been an act.

She couldn’t even be bothered to host a single meal.

Who knew if that Zhou woman would ever give Yuanyuan the promised peace amulet?

If not, that meant her daughter-in-law would have no dowry at all.

At the thought, Zhu Yingqiu regretted bitterly.

“Enough, the contract is signed. It’s useless to regret. As long as the two children live well after marriage, what the Zhou family is like doesn’t concern us.”

Jiang Dahe glanced at his eldest son.

He quickly cut off his wife’s words.

There was no turning back now. Saying more would only make his son feel worse.

“Mm, let’s go home quickly. Fubao is waiting for us to eat.”

Zhang Jinlan spoke, and the four of them hastened toward the village entrance.

Turning a corner, they came upon several women gossiping.

Zhang Jinlan, sharp-eared, caught the name “Yuanyuan.”

She immediately halted, pulling her son’s family to a stop at the corner to eavesdrop.

“Yesterday, Matchmaker Zhou went to Yuanyuan’s house to propose. Did you see?”

A round-faced old woman spoke mysteriously.

“I saw it. Made quite the stir. They say it was someone from Jiangjia Village—poor as dirt. Didn’t that old Chen woman brag just months ago that her Yuanyuan would marry a tongsheng (licentiate) surnamed Ma from town? How come it’s someone else now? Could it be that Ma fellow didn’t want Yuanyuan?”

The sharp-faced woman beside her replied.

“Who knows? Chen-shi loves to brag. Who can even say whether that Ma tongsheng exists? Still, Yuanyuan is a pretty girl. Pity she’s marrying into Jiangjia Village—poorer than poor. I hear their families go up the mountain every day just to dig wild shoots to boil for food, and they can’t even afford coarse rice porridge. Not like us—we at least get full on porridge.”

Another plump-cheeked aunt joined in.

Her words dripped with contempt for Jiangjia Village.

“Exactly. Only two girls from our village married there, and they even became sisters-in-law. The Jiangjia Village head might not be poor—he’s even a clan leader, I hear—but as for the others, I wouldn’t dare say. In any case, my family would never look twice at Jiangjia Village. When my granddaughter marries, she’ll at least go to Zhangjia Village.”

The round-faced old woman puffed up proudly, bragging about her granddaughter.

A smug look all over her face.

“Haha, your granddaughter has broad hips and is hardworking—she’ll be easy to marry off. You’ll surely get your wish. Alright, enough chatting. I need to get home and cook, or my husband will scold me again.”

The sharp-faced woman gave an awkward laugh and hurried away.

The group dispersed.

But Zhang Jinlan was left full of doubts.

Who was this Ma tongsheng?

Why had the Zhou family never mentioned him?

Yet remembering the contract tucked in her possession, it was too late to regret now.

She sighed, deciding to return to the village and think later.

“Let’s go.”

With that, she led her son’s family out of the village, heading straight back to Jiangjia Village.

“Grandma! Fubao found fruit! Sweet and tasty! Mother says we each get one, and Grandma gets one too!”

At the Jiang family home, little Fubao sat in her special wooden chair at the door, gazing eagerly toward the village entrance.

The moment she spotted four familiar figures—

She shouted with all her might.

As soon as her voice fell—

The four in her sight broke into a run.

Jiang Fubao burst into giggles.

Because when Grandma ran, she looked just like the fat hen in their backyard.

“Huff—huff—”

“Grandma’s back. What did Fubao just say? I didn’t catch it.”

Though panting heavily, Zhang Jinlan still scooped her granddaughter into her arms and carried her inside.

Jiang Dahe picked up the little wooden chair along the way.

Zhu Yingqiu and her son walked in side by side.

“I found fruit! Sweet and yummy. Mother says everyone gets one. I want to eat mine with Grandma.”

Fubao wrapped her arms around Grandma’s neck, nodding her little head as she spoke, looking utterly delighted.

“Fubao is amazing—found fruit again? At this time of year?”

Zhang Jinlan’s suspicions deepened once more.

Her granddaughter must have been a mountain spirit in her past life.

Otherwise, how could there be fruit in early spring?

Even the willows by the river were just sprouting buds.

It was far from fruiting season.

“Mother, Fubao somehow picked up a bunch of ganjiao. I just tried one—so tasty! Here, Mother, you try. Sister-in-law, Tongjin, you too. There are exactly sixteen. But one extra was tossed aside by Tongmu, that rascal. What a waste.”

Sun Pingmei’s face was full of regret.

If only she had asked where her nephew had thrown it, she could have gone back to fetch it.

Then the extra would’ve been hers.

Now, her share was already gone—yet her mouth still watered.