Chapter 34 : Relics

Chapter 34 : Relics

“No, we confiscated it!”

“I’ve kept a record of all this! If you don’t return the money, I’ll go find your brigade secretary!”

Old Lady Qi shook out a crumpled piece of straw paper, on which were written the accounts with charcoal pencil.

“I know why Jiang Hongmei wants to cancel the engagement. Isn’t it because she saw that our Shaoqiang suddenly retired from the army and was worried that he had offended someone and would have no future, no job, and would have to stay in the countryside and suffer? We can’t afford and don’t want a daughter-in-law who despises the poor and loves the rich.”

It must be said that although the old lady’s guess was inaccurate, it still reversed public opinion.

The villagers seemed to be awakened. Yes, it was Jiang Hongmei who first wanted to cancel the engagement because she was snobbish, and then she had an improper lifestyle and got into bed with someone else. It was obvious that she wasn’t a good person.

Besides, Jiang Hongmei was lazy and gluttonous at home and bullied Jiang Li, but Jiang Li was always docile and hardworking, treated like a farmhand by her uncle’s family all day long.

Jiang Li snatching Jiang Hongmei’s marriage? What a joke.

“Grandma Qi, please come in.”

Old Lady Qi looked at Jiang Li lovingly, handed the cane in her hand to her grandson, and then let Jiang Li help her go in.

Jiang Li didn’t help the man to the main room but went to her own room instead.

Jiang Changyi was busy running around behind them, even blaming Jiang Li, “It’s outrageous, why didn’t you help the guest to the main room? I have some tea leaves I bought from the supply and marketing cooperative. Let me make some for Shaoqiang to try.”

Old Lady Qi glanced at Jiang Changyi thoughtfully. Although she had only met him once, she could tell that he wasn’t a good person.

If a daughter is raised in a bad way, the moral character of the adults won’t be much better.

“Her uncle, go do whatever you want. We can just sit in Lizi room.”

Jiang Changyi was stunned for a moment. Did they want to discuss the betrothal gift without him? That was impossible!

Then his face was full of smiles again, “Okay, we’re almost family now, so we don’t need to talk about different things. I raised Li Zi, she is like my own daughter. Now she’s old enough to get married. I feel relieved to be able to marry her into a good family like the Qi family, and I can do justice to the spirits of my brothers and sisters in heaven.”

Old Lady Qi didn’t respond but looked at Jiang Li and said, “Whether you want to marry or not depends on whether the girl agrees. Although you are her uncle, you are also a relative from another family, and you cannot be her master.”

Jiang Changyi’s face suddenly darkened, but due to Old Lady Qi’s imposing manner and their seniority, he couldn’t refute.

Jiang Li applauded Old Lady Qi in her heart, but her face showed a bit of shyness.

Seeing this, the matchmaker tried to smooth things over. She first praised Jiang Li and then introduced Qi Shaoqiang’s situation.

The marriage was already agreed upon, the matchmaker asked Jiang Li, and Jiang Li nodded.

Then they started talking about the betrothal gifts. “For the betrothal gifts, the man should prepare all three major items, and make two sets of clothes and two new quilts for the woman. The woman doesn’t have to worry about the cabinets, beds, furniture, etc. She just needs to come over. And she will give a gift of 188 yuan.”

“What do you think?”

Jiang Li was a little surprised. The three big items were considered a very decent gift even in the county, let alone in the village.

Needless to say, it was hard to get money to buy things, and tickets were hard to come by. Even if you had tickets, you had to see if the supply and marketing cooperative had stock, and you had to rely on luck to buy.

If there was no stock, you had to find someone to use your connections, and the effort behind it was countless.

Was the Qi family ready now?

Qi Shaoqiang nodded at her with a smile on his face. To him, all these things were not enough.

Jiang Li was deeply moved, and Jiang Changyi’s hands were shaking with excitement. The betrothal gift was 188 yuan, plus a bicycle, a sewing machine, and a watch!

Now Tianci doesn’t have to worry about the dowry when he marries a wife. Any one of the three major items can make him look good in front of the girl. He could even marry a wife who has a job in the city!

“Good boy, it seems that you really care about our Li.”

Since the other party was sincere, Jiang Li was not vague. Of course, she would accept all the gifts from the Qi family.

Also, the things left by Jiang Li’s mother could not be given to Jiang Changyi for free.

“Uncle, this is the bracelet my mother left for me. My aunt said I was too young to keep it, but now that I’m getting married, can you return it to me?”

In front of the Qi family, Jiang Changyi of course agreed. He only glanced at the bracelet once, and Wang Juhua quickly put it away.

It hadn’t been mentioned in all these years, so it shouldn’t be something valuable.

No matter how valuable it was, could it be as valuable as the three major items?

“Don’t worry, the things your mother left for you are yours. How could your uncle take your things? I will give them to you as a dowry when the time comes.”

Jiang Changyi hardened his heart and added another twenty yuan to Jiang Hongmei’s dowry. In order to establish a good relationship with the Qi family, he had to do this to save face.

“Uncle, we’ll go get the certificate tomorrow, but what about the bracelet?”

Jiang Changyi called Wang Juhua over. When Wang Juhua heard that Jiang Li wanted the bracelet, her expression suddenly changed. “What bracelet? I don’t have one!”

“The commune secretary was there at the time, and so many people in the brigade saw it. The bracelet my mother left for me was made of jade, and you took it away.”

The people lying at the door watching the excitement didn’t mind the big deal. “Yes, it’s Xu Shuzhen’s bracelet. She brought it with her when she went to the countryside. Everyone has seen it.”

“Wang Juhua, how could you take advantage of the thought that the child’s mother left behind?”

“Take it out quickly!” Jiang Changyi glared at Wang Juhua.

“The bracelet was broken a long time ago. I swept it and threw it away,” Wang Juhua replied like a rogue, clearly denying it, wanting to see what Jiang Li could do to her.

She had finally figured it out. Although this thing seemed insignificant, Hongmei and this dead girl were both fighting over it, so it must be something good. She wanted to keep it for Tianci.

“Aunt, the bracelet is hidden in the small box behind the bricks at the head of your bed, wrapped in red cloth.”

Wang Juhua widened her eyes and looked at Jiang Li as if she were looking at a ghost, but Jiang Li was calm and composed, as if everything were under her control.

“Okay, you really did hide something,” Jiang Changyi slapped the table, puffed his beard, and glared. “Take it out!”

The reason he was angry was not only because Wang Juhua didn’t listen to him, but also because she lied.

It would have been bad enough to just lie, but being caught on the spot, how could this end well in front of the Qi family?

Wang Juhua wanted to lie again, but was frightened by the slap Jiang Changyi raised his hand to deliver. He would hit people when he was angry.

He punched and kicked, especially targeting areas covered by clothes.

In the early years of their marriage, she had given birth to daughters at once. Jiang Changyi often beat her when he was drunk to vent his anger. Her situation only improved after she gave birth to Tianci.

“I’ll get it!”