Chapter 60: Matchmaker Qian

“I know how this goes. As for the betrothal gift, our family is willing to give two taels. It’s not too much, not too little. I’m not asking to find a wealthy family. Poor is fine—so long as the person is diligent and upright. What I dislike most are families who are always scheming. To tell you the truth, my eldest grandson just broke off an engagement a few days ago…”

Lianshan Town wasn’t that big.

The two villages weren’t far apart. If a girl’s family wanted to inquire, they could easily find out everything.

Zhang Jinlan hadn’t intended to hide anything.

She explained openly about the engagement with the Zhou family and its subsequent withdrawal.

“This really isn’t your fault. That Zhou matchmaker—she’s becoming more and more unreliable as she ages. She doesn’t even bother to make careful inquiries before introducing families. But that’s what we matchmakers live on, isn’t it? At the very least, one should investigate thoroughly. Only then can we call it responsible work. If you introduce someone unclean, and the marriage actually goes through, and then trouble comes after—her reputation would be ruined. Who would dare hire her again?

You should have come straight to me from the start. Let me tell you, I, Qian, have never matched a couple who later divorced. Every union I’ve arranged, both families were satisfied. Don’t you worry. Leave this to me. Within three days, I’ll bring you news.”

Matchmaker Qian patted her chest, speaking with great confidence.

All the matchmakers in town knew each other.

Hearing Zhang Jinlan’s story, Matchmaker Qian curled her lip in disdain.

She had never respected that Zhou woman anyway.

A greedy sort.

Two years ago, Zhou Matchmaker had tried to marry off a young girl to a widower who bribed her with a tael of silver.

But which family would willingly give their daughter to a man who had already buried a wife?

As soon as Zhou suggested it, the girl’s family chased her out and demanded heavy compensation. The matter was hushed up afterward.

And how did Qian know this? Because in the end, that same girl’s family had come to her for help.

“Exactly! The only reason we went to Zhou Matchmaker in the first place was because she lived nearby, and we thought she’d help us ask around. We had no connections ourselves. Who knew she’d arrange something so messy? Luckily my in-law is from Zhou Village, otherwise our family would’ve been made fools of, raising someone else’s child for nothing.”

At the mention of Zhou Matchmaker, Zhang Jinlan grew furious again.

She and Matchmaker Qian went on about Zhou for quite a while.

Half an hour later, she finally rose to leave.

“Then I’ll trouble you. Please keep a close watch for me. Our family doesn’t demand beauty—just someone honest and plain, without too many tricks up her sleeve. Ugly is fine.”

After what had happened, Zhang Jinlan was wary.

Especially since her granddaughter was under celestial protection, and strange things occasionally appeared at home. If they married in a clever and calculating daughter-in-law, the family’s secrets might be exposed.

“Rest assured. I’m nothing like that Zhou woman. I’ll make sure to find someone suitable. Don’t be anxious. I do have a few girls of age in hand, but I need to properly investigate their temperament first. Once I’ve found the right match, I’ll send my son to Jiangjia Village to notify you. Then we can arrange a time to visit the girl’s home—or she can come to my house. Either works.”

Speaking, Matchmaker Qian personally saw the three members of the Jiang family out the door.

“All right, thank you. I’ll head home then.”

With that, Zhang Jinlan left Qianjia Village.

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By dusk, Jiang Dahe returned from town.

The eggs were sold. Old bricks and tiles were purchased. Delivery would arrive in three days.

Only then did the family gather in the main hall to eat.

“Father, I found four helpers. Is that enough?”

At the table, Jiang Eryong—responsible for finding laborers—asked his father.

“Who did you get?”

Jiang Shoujia lifted his eyelids, took a sip of rice porridge, and asked.

“Aunt Chunxia’s sons, Liwen and Liwu, and Aunt Taohua’s sons, Jiang Zuo and Jiang You.”

The Jiang family didn’t get along particularly well with most of the village.

Only three households were on good terms.

Naturally, they chose workers from those three.

Shoujia had already guessed as much. He asked again: “That’s enough. The house isn’t big. Since Jin hasn’t even settled his marriage yet, there’s no rush. Did you agree on wages?”

“Yes. Ten copper coins per day, from early morning until dusk. No meals included. They get a quarter-hour rest at noon to go home and eat.”

Eryong answered cautiously, watching his father’s face closely, worried he might have paid too much.

But Shoujia only said: “That’s a bit high. Town day laborers earn less than that, and here they don’t have to travel far. But since our families are close, so be it. Tomorrow, start chopping wood on the mountain. Once your elder brother’s bricks and tiles arrive, we’ll dig the foundation.”

Finishing, he picked up his chopsticks and focused on eating.

Tonight’s dishes were shepherd’s purse stir-fried with eggs, glistening with a spoonful of lard, giving off a rich aroma.

The rice porridge was boiled soft, easy on the throat.

Quietly eating, Jiang Fubao overheard that the house would soon be under construction.

She decided she had to be more cautious during this period—so outsiders wouldn’t discover her secrets.

That night, while the family slept—

Under cover of darkness, Fubao placed fresh eggs into the chicken coop, refilled the rice jar and the flour jar in the kitchen, and even sprinkled a fingertip of salt into the salt pot.

Then, glancing up, she saw the two rags hanging from a hemp rope on the wall.

They were the family’s washcloths—filthy, stained black, impossible to clean, giving off a sour stench.

Fubao frowned.

Dragging over a stool, she climbed up, tossed the rags onto the ground, and replaced them with two brand-new white towels without labels. Then, from her space, she pulled out a blister pack of toothbrushes.

Only four inside.

One for herself, one for Grandma, one for Grandpa.

The last one… who should she give it to?

If she gave it to Mother, Father might get jealous.

If she gave it to Father, Mother might feel wronged.

After thinking it over, she simply kept one back in her space.

She placed three toothbrushes in the basin. Someday, when she had more, she’d let every family member have one.

Next, she pulled out two tubes of toothpaste. The packaging had a strange black figure on it, grinning with white teeth and covered with foreign writing—far too conspicuous.

So she fetched a bamboo tube from the kitchen, squeezed both tubes into it, and sealed it with a lid.

As long as the paste didn’t dry out, it could be used indefinitely.

After finishing all this, she went back to her room, satisfied, and went to sleep.

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A new day arrived.

Once again, the rooster’s crow woke the household.

Fubao put on her patched hemp clothes and hopped out into the yard full of energy.

A child’s body was indeed hardier than an adult’s—after a full night’s rest, she brimmed with vigor.

“Fubao, come brush your teeth and wash your face! Look at this towel—so soft. I don’t even know what kind of fabric it is, but it’s unbelievably smooth.”

Zhang Jinlan held the white towel gingerly, afraid her rough fingers might damage it.