Chapter 21: Proposal – Wuyou Grass

Jia Qingshan decided to take a chance and propose to the Li family. If they rejected him, he would forget about Li Guo’er from then on.

He planned to head into the mountains to see if he could catch a live goose.

He ventured deep into the mountains, but for several days, he had no luck. He couldn’t find any geese. His provisions were running low, and he hadn’t made any significant catches, so his descent was delayed. He had no choice but to survive on the wild fruits in the mountains to stave off hunger.

Fortunately, after so many days of hardship, the heavens seemed to reward him. He finally caught two live geese.

At this point, Jia Qingshan was disheveled. He had lost weight, and his clothes had been torn by the bushes in the forest, making him look ragged, almost like a beggar. He was a far cry from the well-groomed young man who had entered the mountains just days ago.

Jia Qingshan looked at the pair of geese in his hands, feeling very pleased. Finally, he could go back down the mountain and see that smiling girl again.

As he began his descent, he decided to check the traps he had set earlier. From a distance, he could hear faint grunts coming from the trap.

He quickened his pace and arrived at the trap, where he saw his hard work had paid off.

Two wild boars were caught—one was already dead and weighed about 200 jin (roughly 100 kg), and the smaller one, weighing 30 to 40 jin (roughly 15 to 20 kg), was still alive.

Jia Qingshan put in a tremendous effort to pull both wild boars out. The smaller one wasn’t too badly injured, so he planned to take it home and raise it, while the larger one would be sold in the town for money.

It took great strength and two trips to carry the wild boars to the thatched hut. By the time he arrived, Jia Qingshan was drenched in sweat.

Worried that other animals might be drawn to the smell of blood, he pushed through, carrying everything in one breath.

Finally home, Jia Qingshan, already exhausted, slumped onto the ground, panting heavily.

Since it was still early in the day, Jia Qingshan gathered his strength, cleaned up, and loaded the wild boar onto a cart to head into town.

Instead of using the main road, he took a rarely used path that villagers seldom traveled.

The mountain path was rugged and desolate, and the cemetery along the way made the small road feel especially eerie. Only the bravest would dare to walk through it. Most people in the village preferred to take a longer route to avoid walking through this road.

For Jia Qingshan, however, this was a blessing in disguise. Walking this path allowed him to avoid being surrounded by people, as he didn’t like the feeling of being watched.

He quickened his pace and reached the town after about half an hour. Unlike his usual practice of delivering his game to the tavern, this time, he took the wild boar to the back door of a wealthy household.

A servant opened the door and took the wild boar inside. Soon after, a housekeeper came out and handed Jia Qingshan a purse. He took the purse, opened it, and found fifteen taels of silver inside. He quickly put it in his pocket, thanked the housekeeper, and left in a hurry.

Jia Qingshan’s family was not wealthy. Several years ago, his parents died from illness, and to pay for their medical expenses, he sold the family’s land. Since then, he had been relying on hunting for a living. His father had been a skilled hunter, well-known in the villages around, but he passed away early due to health issues caused by hunting. His mother also followed soon after his father’s death. Before their passing, his grandparents had warned him not to become a hunter unless absolutely necessary.

For many years, Jia Qingshan kept this advice in mind, only hunting occasionally for food, and mostly working odd jobs in town. Through a contact he made while working, he got to know a wealthy family, whose master, Mr. Gao, had a strong liking for wild game and paid much better prices than the tavern. From that time on, whenever Jia Qingshan caught anything, he would take it to the Gao household, ensuring he would always get a good price.

Today, he bought a few items in town: two pounds of sugar, two bags of pastries, and a jar of wine. Then he went to the matchmaker’s house. Though he didn’t know exactly what they talked about, the matchmaker smiled broadly as she saw him off at the door.

Once home, Jia Qingshan put the gifts away and reinforced the enclosure for the young wild boar. After a tiring day, he quickly ate and went to bed.

The next morning, Jia Qingshan woke up early, washed up, changed into his best long robe, which he usually reserved for special occasions, and took the two geese and gifts with him as he descended the mountain.

As he reached the bottom of the hill, he saw someone waiting in the distance. Upon closer inspection, it was the matchmaker who had come to his house to discuss the marriage proposal last time.

After meeting up, they went directly to the Li family. Along the way, they encountered several villagers, but Jia Qingshan ignored their curious glances.

When they arrived at the Li family’s house, many villagers had gathered in front, admiring the two geese in the yard. The geese, if taken to the town, could easily fetch dozens of taels of silver, and this made the villagers realize just how much Jia Qingshan valued Li Guo’er.

The villagers, upon seeing the white sugar, pastries, jar of wine, and two large grass carp that Jia Qingshan brought, couldn’t help but exclaim how generous he was.

In the village, the usual betrothal gift was typically around four to five taels of silver. For wealthier families, they might also send two rolls of cloth to the bride’s family to make clothes. However, Jia Qingshan not only offered six taels of silver, but also brought a pair of geese, a gift usually reserved for urban betrothals.

The women who were already married couldn’t help but envy Li Guo’er, feeling envious beyond measure. What made it worse was the jealousy of the young girls who had once had an interest in Jia Qingshan. Why did someone who had been rejected once have the privilege of being chosen by him?

They grumbled about their mothers breaking up their perfect marriages…

Regardless of what people outside thought, Li Guo’er, when she saw Jia Qingshan coming to propose marriage, was utterly stunned. Since their last meeting at the foot of the mountain, every time she thought about the moment when she had fallen into his arms, her face would turn red with embarrassment.

She thought that if she had to marry someone, Jia Qingshan would be a good choice. Aside from being poor, he seemed to be excellent in every other way—handsome, a skilled hunter, and, most importantly, he made her feel inexplicably at ease.

Everyone in the village knew she had been rejected before, and he must have known that too. Why would he choose a girl who had been rejected once?

Perhaps the heavens had heard her inner thoughts, because Jia Qingshan came to propose marriage.

She tried her best to appear calm, but inside, she was filled with joy.

Jia Qingshan left a very good impression on Li Youyin and his wife, especially on Shen Shi, who had already taken a liking to him. She sensed that the young man was also interested in her daughter, so she had been waiting for Jia Qingshan to take the initiative to propose.

In fact, she had already noticed her daughter’s little secret during moments when Li Guo’er would occasionally be lost in thought. Especially when the youngest son brought back some herbs, she saw her daughter’s rare shyness, which made her realize her daughter had feelings for Jia Qingshan as well.

So when she saw the matchmaker bringing Jia Qingshan to propose again, Shen Shi happily invited them into the inner hall.

Looking at the young man in front of her, Shen Shi couldn’t help but think he looked more and more pleasing.

Jia Qingshan, however, was extremely nervous. He was afraid that the Li family would reject him, and he might never get to see the woman he loved again.

It wasn’t until Li Guo’er came out to serve tea, giving him a gentle smile and blushing as she returned to the back room, that he realized Li Guo’er didn’t feel indifferent toward him. Knowing that this girl would soon become his wife, Jia Qingshan couldn’t contain his happiness.

Li Youyin and his wife agreed to the match, and they set the wedding date for the coming February.