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Zuo Zhanshan affectionately patted his grandson and said, “Don’t envy him, young man. You’ll have plenty of opportunities to enjoy it in the future. Your sister Qianqian used to catch shrimp and crabs from the river and bring them back to eat. When the weather warms up, you can go catch them too. It’ll be fun.”
After a cheerful family meal, Wang Juan arrived in a huff, complaining as soon as she entered the door.
“Sister-in-law, can you believe this? What does Wang Zhenguo’s marriage have to do with us? Now, the old lady wants us to help prepare the furniture. Do we owe him or something?” she vented.
Wang Qian realized that the two families had reached an agreement in the morning and were now preparing for the wedding. It was necessary to proceed with the wedding, as Ma Fenqing’s pregnancy would soon become apparent. It was no laughing matter, as the rumors alone were enough to cause trouble, not to mention the judgmental eyes of others.
Zhang Lan, unaware of the situation, was puzzled. “Sister-in-law, how can Wang Zhenguo just decide to get married? I didn’t hear about this news before. It’s too sudden, isn’t it?”
No wonder Zhang Lan was caught off guard. Previously, the Wang family had not made any preparations for a wedding. It was unexpected and left her feeling unprepared.
Wang Juan glanced at the people sitting on the kang and, noticing the children present, leaned in to whisper something to Zhang Lan. Wang Qian watched as her mother’s mouth opened and never closed.
Zhang Lan was stunned by the news. She had never expected the two of them to be so audacious as to do something like this.
Wang Juan expressed her indignation, “Our old lady is so cunning. She wants our family to prepare the furniture and the second family to handle the bedding. They’re taking all the benefits. It’s not fair. Neither our family nor the second family agrees. We can help, but we can’t foot the bill. Wang Zhenguo owes us big time. We shouldn’t have to deal with his wedding. Just thinking about it makes me angry.”
Wang Juan vented her frustration, and Zhang Lan whispered something to her husband, causing Wang Zhenhe’s expression to darken.
“Nonsense. He’s an adult. Shouldn’t he use his brain? If this matter is exposed, it will be a big disgrace for him,” Wang Zhenhe said.
In rural areas, premarital relations were highly taboo. People believed that such behavior before marriage reflected poorly on a woman’s character. It was a serious matter, and it was no wonder Wang Zhenhe was upset.
“Sister-in-law, when are they planning to get married?” Zhang Lan asked. She felt that the wedding would likely take place soon, but she wanted to be sure. She remembered that her father-in-law had probably lent them money when they were building their house, and she planned to check the records when she had time.
Wang Juan replied irritably, “They’re in a rush. The wedding is set for the ninth day of next month. It’s quite rushed. Your elder brother and the old man are out looking for woodworkers to make the furniture. The old lady said she would go to the supply and marketing cooperative this afternoon to buy the bedding and cotton. My sister-in-law and I will help make it.”
Wang Qian observed her aunt’s spirited complaints, but she knew that they had to do what was necessary. After all, she was someone’s daughter-in-law. Fortunately, their family had already broken free from the old lady’s control. Otherwise, today’s troubles would probably fall on her father.
The elderly lady on the kang seemed to have grasped the situation and sighed, “Rushing into marriage like this, some things can’t be prepared all at once. Your family will probably be busy too. Young people are so thoughtless. But it’s good that Wang Zhenhe and the others have moved out. Otherwise, the most exhausted would probably be the two of them.”
Wang Zhenhe involuntarily nodded in agreement with Hao Lianchun’s words. If they hadn’t moved out, they would have been the ones dealing with this situation. Fortunately, they had separated, sparing themselves a lifetime of servitude and ridicule. The thought sent shivers down his spine. He was relieved that they had escaped, sparing their children from suffering.
“By the way, sister-in-law, how much money are you planning to give?” Wang Zhenhe asked. Despite the ongoing conflict between the two families, certain matters still required a show of unity, especially with his father still involved.
“About five yuan, I think. Your elder brother and I haven’t discussed it yet. We don’t have more to spare. We’re struggling to make ends meet. Who has so much extra money to support him?” Wang Juan gave a rough estimate, but she needed to discuss the specifics with her husband.
Wang Zhenguo was making arrangements for his wedding, but Wang Zhenhe had no intention of offering his help. Meanwhile, Zhu Qiyu was waiting for her third son to take the initiative and come to them. However, this time, she was thoroughly disappointed.
Unable to vent her frustration elsewhere, she complained to her father, “This third son of ours is really out of line. His brother is getting married, and he doesn’t even come to help. Even if they’re not on good terms, they’re still brothers. How can he just refuse to come? How can we manage with just the two of us?”
Zhu Qiyu was feeling increasingly frustrated. She was the one managing everything at home and outside, with her husband being of no help. She had hoped her third son would come and assist, but now she hadn’t even seen a trace of him.
However, she couldn’t go to their house, as their son was still there. She was worried that the girl might stir up trouble again.
The old man took a puff of his cigarette and said, “Why do you have to make such a big deal out of it? You haven’t forgotten why Zhang Lan fainted last time, have you? If it were me, I wouldn’t even bring it up again. You should calm down and focus on arranging your son’s wedding. It’s best not to provoke the third son’s family. Don’t stir up trouble for nothing. You should consider the kind of people they are. They’re not to be trifled with.”
Wang Deshan had to remind his wife, who was always looking for trouble, not to burn all her bridges. Being kind to others could also leave room for oneself.
Zhu Qiyu found the words quite grating and shot a fierce glance at the old man, who was sitting there smoking.
“You don’t know anything. Even if they were capable before, they are now reformed criminals. They are still under the supervision of the special investigation team. In terms of status, they are not as comfortable as we are now. Besides, once Zhenguo gets married, our family will be better off than others. The Ma family’s elderly lady has promised to arrange a job for our son at the supply and marketing cooperative after the wedding. In the future, my son will also be a public servant. I’m not afraid of what they might do.”
Zhu Qiyu was now extremely grateful that Ma Fenqing had become pregnant so quickly. With her settled as their daughter-in-law, their lives would only get better. Both of them would be public servants with salaries, making their family one of the best off in the village. It was great to have an official as a relative.
Wang Deshan didn’t want to see the smug look on his wife’s face, so he walked out of the room with his hands behind his back. However, the old lady couldn’t let him leave. They were short-handed at home, and the old man couldn’t just laze around. She had to assign him some work.
“Old man, you can’t leave. You and our daughter need to re-wallpaper the room for Zhenguo’s wedding. Go to the supply and marketing cooperative and buy the wallpaper. We can’t cut corners for our son’s wedding. We need to replace it with new wallpaper,” she said.
Upon hearing the old lady’s instructions, the old man extended his hand. Zhu Qiyu glanced at him and slowly took out a handkerchief from her pocket, pulling out a five-yuan bill from a wad of money and handing it to him.
“Use the leftover money to buy some red paper and a few feet of red cloth. Here, take these fabric coupons,” she said, producing a few fabric coupons.
Wang Zhi, who had been slacking off at home, saw her father was going to the supply and marketing cooperative and began to coax her mother. “Mom, ask dad to bring back some snacks. I haven’t had any in a long time.”
Zhu Qiyu smiled and gently patted her daughter’s forehead. “You’re always thinking about food. Go help your brother tidy up the room. Old man, buy some snacks for your daughter and don’t forget.”
Wang Deshan looked at his daughter, who was only interested in eating, shook his head, and left with the money and coupons.
After he left, Wang Zhi quietly asked about the dowry, “Mom, we’re going to give the dowry tomorrow. How much are we planning to give?”
Zhu Qiyu privately gestured with two fingers, and Wang Zhi was surprised. “Two hundred? Mom, isn’t that too much? The dowry will be quite heavy.”
Before Wang Zhi could recover from her surprise, her mother dropped another bombshell. “Heavy? What’s heavy about it? I’m willing to spend as much as I want. I’ve even prepared some jewelry. Don’t tell anyone outside. Otherwise, your sisters-in-law will be upset. Rest assured, I’ve already prepared your share. You two will be treated equally.”
At this point, Wang Zhi was truly curious about what the old lady said. She had never seen the old lady handle any jewelry before, and she was surprised to learn about the family’s hidden treasures.
“Mom, show me. I want to see what they look like,” she said.
Unable to resist her daughter’s request, Zhu Qiyu brought out her long-held collection of jewelry. There were two pairs of silver bracelets, a gold necklace, a pair of gold bracelets, and a pair of gold earrings.
Zhu Qiyu gently caressed the items in her hand and whispered, “Zhi’er, these were left to me by your grandmother. At the time, these were her private collection. Our family used to have many valuable items, but they were all lost by your useless uncle. Fortunately, these pieces were preserved. Your grandmother considered them as my dowry, a keepsake for me.
In the past, no matter how difficult things were, I couldn’t bear to sell them. When your brother get married, I’ll give him a pair of silver bracelets and a gold bracelet. The rest, I will keep for you. They can be used as money in the future when you need it.” Zhu Qiyu was considerate and thoughtful about her daughter’s future.