Chapter 41

On the twenty-third of the twelfth lunar month, it was the Little New Year. The Wang family began preparations before sunrise, bustling with noise. Even the youngest member of the second branch, Fuduo, was pulled out of bed and handed a feather duster to clean around.

When the sun fully rose, Grandma Wang presided over the ritual, arranging various offerings of fruits and malt candies to honor the Kitchen God. Fuquan, who had a sweet tooth, eyed the candy on the stove and reached for it, only to be scolded by Grandma Wang. Madam Zhang, embarrassed, gave Fuquan two light slaps to discipline him, although they didn’t hurt.

After the ritual, the family enjoyed an early morning meal together. Taking advantage of the sunny weather, they aired their bedding and cleaned every nook and cranny. Once they had tidied up, the entire Wang household looked renewed.

By dusk, Grandma Wang led her two daughters-in-law to the kitchen, where they set up an offering table. They burned incense and offered tea, wine, and malt sugar candies to the Kitchen God enshrined on the stove wall. Sincerely, they prayed to him.

Grandma Wang murmured, “Speak only good words and refrain from bad ones. Sweeten the Kitchen God’s mouth to bless the Wang family with food and drink aplenty.” She spread sugar around the mouth of the Kitchen God’s image to metaphorically sweeten his lips and keep him from reporting anything unfavorable.

The ritual concluded with carefully removing the Kitchen God’s image and the year-long incense remnants from the altar. Carrying these along with gold and silver joss papers, they went to the riverbank and burned them, officially sending off the Kitchen God to heaven.

In the countryside, households fully entered the festive New Year period after this ritual. Families began preparing various New Year goods, and the town buzzed with activity.

That day, Wang Yuan’er’s tea eggs sold out early. Thinking of the approaching New Year and the silver she had saved, she decided to visit the market to buy something for her younger sisters and mother.

The streets were lively, with vendors enthusiastically promoting their wares—horn combs, rouge and powder, coarsely made fabric flowers, sewing kits, and more.

Wang Yuan’er bought colored threads for Wang Chun’er. Eyeing the bright-colored powders, she hesitated but decided to spend sparingly and chose the cheapest one. She also picked red hair ribbons, a small flower for her youngest sister, and a small bag of malt candies from a confectioner’s shop. Then she headed home.

At the gate, someone stepped out of her family’s yard and approached her. The person grinned widely, waving a handkerchief as they exclaimed, “Oh, isn’t this the eldest girl of the Wang family?”

The lively tone, the golden tooth that caught the light, and the bright floral handkerchief—it could only be the infamous matchmaker Madam Zhu from the town.

“Matchmaker Zhu, what brings you here?” Wang Yuan’er greeted with a smile and a curtsey. However, her mind was full of doubts—what business could she possibly have here?

Madam Zhu covered her mouth with the handkerchief, laughing. “Good news, of course! Eldest girl, you must pour me an extra cup of tea later.” With that, she swayed her way off without revealing much.

Watching her retreating figure, Wang Yuan’er bit her lip and entered the yard. She saw her sisters busying themselves there, and as soon as they spotted her, they all gathered around.

After distributing her purchases among them, Wang Yuan’er pulled Wang Chun’er aside and asked, “Where’s Mother? What was Matchmaker Zhu doing here?”

Wang Chun’er frowned and gestured toward the eastern room, whispering, “Min’er’s aunt came with Matchmaker Zhu. They first visited Second Aunt and then came to our place, shooing us out of the room. Qing’er eavesdropped and overheard something about matchmaking for you, eldest sister!”

Chapter 42

In the eastern room, Madam Liang sat on the kang (a traditional heated brick bed), leaning in and listening attentively as Madam Zhou, Madam Zhang’s sister-in-law, praised her maternal nephew. Her solemn expression was as if she were hearing about some monumental event.

“We are relatives, after all, and Yuan’er even calls me ‘Aunt.’ I wouldn’t have asked Matchmaker Zhu to come if the two children were not a good match. This was originally my sister-in-law’s idea. She is quite fond of your Yuan’er!” Madam Zhou, dressed in a dark red floral jacket with silver hairpins and thin silver bracelets on both hands, sat upright on the kang with an air of superiority as she tilted her head at Madam Liang and said, “Our Zhou family may not be extraordinarily wealthy, but we have 20 mu of good farmland. When Yuan’er marries into our family, she won’t be the eldest daughter-in-law and can establish her own small household in the future. She’ll have endless blessings! Not to mention, my sister-in-law dotes on her. Privately, how could she not give her extra gifts?”

“Aunt, your Zhou family is certainly good, but don’t be fooled by my Yuan’er’s gentle demeanor—she has her own firm opinions. I must ask her for her thoughts on this matter, especially since she is still in mourning.” Madam Liang smiled lightly. She had been considering a marriage for her daughter Wang Yuan’er. Still, she hadn’t expected Madam Zhang’s sister-in-law to visit suddenly, bringing along a matchmaker to propose a match with her maternal nephew.

Hearing this, Madam Zhou frowned slightly. “The parents decide a child’s marriage, isn’t it? Besides, we’re not talking about marrying immediately. Setting an engagement now and having the wedding in a year or two is perfectly reasonable. My sister-in-law especially appreciated Yuan’er’s character and asked Madam Zhu and me to come here seriously.”

“That’s right, Sister-in-law. That boy, Shunxing, is an excellent young man! If you let this opportunity pass, there won’t be another like it!” Madam Zhang chimed in. “You also want Yuan’er to marry into a good family, don’t you?”

Madam Liang furrowed her brows. She didn’t like this remark from Madam Zhang, as if implying that without this young man, her daughter Yuan’er wouldn’t find a husband. She lowered her head and replied, “Marriage is a big deal for a girl and shouldn’t be decided hastily. Since she is still in the mourning period, taking things slowly and carefully is not a bad idea.”

Madam Zhou and Madam Zhang exchanged a glance. They stood up when Madam Liang picked up her sewing basket and started working on her embroidery.

Madam Zhou said, “So, shall I wait for your answer in two days? I’m not exaggerating—my nephew really is an outstanding young man. Several mistresses from other families have already sent people to gauge my sister-in-law’s opinion on this match!”

Madam Liang let out a small laugh.

Madam Zhou’s face stiffened, and with a soft snort through her nose, she walked off. Madam Zhang hurried after her, and the two of them encountered Wang Yuan’er in the courtyard.

Wang Yuan’er smiled at them and greeted them, but Madam Zhou, having been frustrated in her conversation with Madam Liang, responded to Wang Yuan’er with a cold and indifferent “hmm.”

After the two left, Wang Yuan’er hurried into the house, where Madam Liang sat holding the upper of a shoe, lost in thought.

Panicking, Wang Yuan’er sat down beside her and asked, “Mother, why did Min’er’s aunt come by?”

“Oh, you’re back,” Madam Liang said, snapping out of her thoughts. Seeing her daughter’s anxious expression, Madam Liang considered for a moment. The girl was getting older, and it was time to hear her opinion. So, Madam Liang told her the purpose of Madam Zhou’s visit.

“Well, from how Mother sees it, it’s not a bad proposal. Bashang Town isn’t exactly some remote backwater, and the Zhou family has decent farmland. Their household is already divided among the brothers, and the family that Min’er’s aunt mentioned is the third branch, which has two sons. If you marry into their family, you won’t have to live with the head of the household in the future. It’s a fairly simple family. That boy Shunxing is also close to your age. What do you think?”