Chapter 68: Uncle’s Love

“Uncle, Uncle,” Qiao Jiangxin called to the absent minded Qiao Youfu.

“Yes,” Qiao Youfu snapped back to attention, smiling sheepishly, “What did you say? I didn’t hear you.”

Qiao Jiangxin felt a pang of sympathy.

Her uncle had few friends, let alone female friends. People said he had a contagious disease and avoided him; some even stepped aside when they saw him on the road.

Many people had tried to arrange a marriage for him, but none had been successful.

There were several reasons.

First, people disliked his skin condition.  When potential brides inquired, many spoke ill of him, saying he had a contagious disease.

Second, the family refused to pay a dowry, making it even harder to find a wife.

Third, they had a domineering stepmother, Lei Honghua, and a new wife would have to help support her three younger siblings.

The widow from last year was the only one who was willing to marry him in all these years.

She even sought him out, so he must have liked her.

“I said I’ll buy the meat and fish; you buy the wine, and we’ll meet at the supply and marketing cooperative.”

Qiao Youfu nodded, “Okay.”

Qiao Jiangxin said nothing. She remembered that widow hadn’t found a suitable partner quickly in her past life.

First, her dowry demands were high for the countryside, and she insisted on keeping the money for her son, not bringing it to her husband’s family.

Even for a young, unmarried woman, dowries were usually only a few dozen kuai.  Even Li Xiaoping’s dowry was only 100 kuai.

Second, the widow was picky.

“Uncle, are you thinking about Aunt Qin?” Qiao Jiangxin couldn’t help but ask.

Qiao Youfu’s face flushed, “Don’t talk nonsense. It’s not good for her reputation. Widows already face a lot of gossip.  She’s also concerned about her son. More rumors would make it even harder for her.”

Qiao Jiangxin said, “Uncle, we’ve split up, and the house is built. You can decide your own marriage.  Ask someone to inquire in Xu Jiadong.

Maybe you and Aunt Qin are destined.”

Qiao Youfu was tempted but quickly shook his head, “It’s been almost a year.  She might have remarried.

And last year, she said she’d marry me for 100 kuai, owing the other 100.  I couldn’t even afford that, and I felt ashamed to see her.

She seemed to need the money urgently; someone in her family was sick.”

Qiao Youfu felt sad, “She waited for me at the village entrance.  In the cold winter, she waited in the wind for over two hours.

I still couldn’t get the money from your grandpa and grandma. When I told her, I still remember her expression.”

Qiao Youfu recalled the scene: Qin Xue stamping her feet in the cold wind, her eyes full of expectation when she saw him, and the way her eyes dimmed when he said his family couldn’t afford it.

He told Qin Xue that his family was struggling, that his third brother’s wedding had cost a lot, and he tried to explain and get her to understand.

Shortly after, his family spent 300 kuai to buy a temporary job for his youngest brother.

The two villages were close, and families were connected; someone must have told her.

“I’m ashamed to see her.  She probably thinks I’m a useless loser. I know her. If she wasn’t desperate for money, if she didn’t genuinely want to be with me, she wouldn’t have come to me,” Qiao Youfu said softly, his voice bitter.

Qiao Jiangxin didn’t know how to comfort her uncle.

She could only silently curse Qiao Jiuwang and Lei Honghua in her heart.

“Uncle, I remember you said you met Aunt Qin on your way to town?”

Qiao Youfu nodded, a subtle smile playing on his lips.

“Yes, she was carrying a load of rice, with a child, going to town to pay taxes.

My father and I were also taking our cart to pay taxes.  Seeing that she couldn’t carry it, we helped her put her bags on our cart.

She thanked us all the way, repeatedly saying, ‘Thank you, brother, thank you, brother,’ asking our names and family.”

While Qiao Youfu talked about Qin Xue, Qin Xue was being persuaded by a woman in Xujiadong.

“Xue, I know your in-laws are good people, and you’ve taken care of Shunwen for so many years. Your child is grown up; you’ve done your duty.

I know you don’t like hearing this, but Mom is doing this for your own good.

You’re still young. You can’t live like this for the rest of your life.  The rest of your life is long. It’s hard to live without someone to care for you.”

Qin Xue replied, “Mom, I have Zhuzi, and my parents are here. Why would I be lonely?”

The woman retorted, “Yes, you have your child and parents now, so you don’t feel lonely. But when your child grows up and has their own family, and your parents are gone, what will you do alone?

Your age is awkward. You need to hurry up. When you find someone, you’ll have to have a child with them; otherwise, how can you live together?”

Qin Xue twitched her lips, “You said I’m young, and now you say I’m old.”

The woman snapped her fingers together, “A woman’s childbearing years are limited. In two years, you’ll be 34 or 35. Even if you get pregnant smoothly, you’ll be 35 or 36.  Add ten months for childbirth, and if you delay for a few years, your child will be barely twenty when you’re sixty.

Besides, having children at an older age is bad for your health and energy.

So, if you plan to have another child, you should hurry.”

Seeing her daughter silent, the woman continued, “Look, you’re so demanding. You want to take care of your son, you want a dowry, you don’t want to be a stepmother, you’re remarrying, but you want a first-time husband, and you want him to be diligent, honest, and capable.

If there were such a good man, he would have married long ago. Your demands are unreasonable!”

Qin Xue sighed, “Mom, I already have partner. If the other person has children, and we have more children, it’ll be chaotic.

And I know how hard it is to be a stepmother. I can’t treat everyone equally. I’ll favor my own child, and I don’t want my child to be wronged because of someone else’s child.

So, if I become a stepmother, I’ll be a bad one.

Since I know I can’t do it well, why should I become a stepmother?”

The woman fell silent, her mood low, “In the end, you’re blaming me.”