“Your third grandfather’s family is making tofu to sell. The villagers can exchange soybeans for tofu—one pound of soybeans for one pound of tofu. Tofu that’s sold for three wen per pound can be exchanged for tofu worth four wen per pound. Many families are willing to make the trade.”

Jiang Xiangxi: … He had only been away for a month. How did his third grandfather’s family start making tofu?

“But our family doesn’t have any soybeans left, right?” He remembered that they had finished them when they were still green beans last year.

The family had little land left to farm, so they didn’t grow much to begin with.

“Second brother, you don’t know, our family has a share of third grandfather’s tofu business! Sometimes when they make too much tofu and can’t sell it, our two families split it.”

Jiang Xiangxi felt like today’s surprises kept coming one after another, more than the combined shocks he had experienced in his nineteen years.

He adjusted his mindset and thought, the family can now make brushes, so it’s not strange that third grandfather’s family makes tofu, right?

There can’t be anything else more surprising, surely.

“There’s not just tofu, there’s malt sugar too! Our family has eaten malt sugar several times already!”

Jiang Xiangxi felt like his mind was going too fast to catch up.

He had accepted the idea of brushes, and tofu too, but now there was malt sugar?

How many things in the house had he not known about?

He had only been gone for a month, not half a lifetime.

Had he really been away for half a lifetime? No, no, even a lifetime wouldn’t be enough!

He looked at his mother, who was smiling faintly, as if this were the most ordinary thing.

His mother had changed, but in a way that was very, very good.

---

After dinner, with the sky still a little bright, Shen Qing asked Jiang Xiangxi to send Guan Li and her younger brother back and then visit her father, discussing everything they needed to say and asking for his opinion.

The sunset was slanting, and the three walked along the village’s uneven dirt road.

Guan Li’s head was lowered, her face flushed with shyness, while Guan Xiaoshan’s youthful face was filled with excitement and joy.

From a distance, they saw their father, and Guan Xiaoshan couldn’t wait to run up and tell him about the betrothal gifts!

Guan Mu looked at Jiang Xiangxi, his heart full of sympathy: “You’ve lost weight, how did you lose so much! The labor service is too hard, really, thank you for bearing it.”

Jiang Xiangxi, who was strong and sturdy, had still lost a lot of weight after only a month of labor service.

If it were Guan Mu, with his old bones, he wouldn’t even make it halfway before being carried back.

Every labor service needed a few strong men, but Jiang Xiangxi had taken on the brunt of it for him!

He instructed, “Xiao Li, hurry and make a cup of brown sugar water for Xiangxi to help him regain his strength. We’ve made plenty of smoked meat, let him take some home too.”

Earlier, Shen Qing had refused to accept any smoked meat from them, but now that they were helping Xiangxi recover, there was no reason to send it back.

Guan Li rolled her eyes at her father: “The smoked meat was set aside for us to replenish our strength, is it proper to send it to them?”

“Besides, Aunt Jiang’s family is eating well, they don’t need our little bit of meat.”

Guan Mu mumbled, “Well, at least it’s a small token of our family’s feelings. We don’t have anything else to offer, except for the meat.”

Guan Xiaoshan happily agreed with his sister, “Yes, you don’t know how well Aunt Jiang’s family eats! When my sister marries, she’ll definitely gain weight, and then I’m afraid Xiangxi won’t be able to hold her!”

Guan Li: … Maybe it’s better not to talk sometimes.

Jiang Xiangxi lowered his head and softly said, “That won’t happen.”

Guan Li’s face lit up with joy.

It was rare for Xiangxi to speak this kindly!

Usually, his words were so blunt that they made her feel like, “Why does this good man have to say anything at all?”

Maybe the separation had done him good?

“Yeah, you won’t gain too much weight, right? Xiaoshan’s just exaggerating.”

“No, I mean, no matter how much weight you gain, I can still carry you. Don’t worry about eating,” Jiang Xiangxi said seriously, looking at the slender Guan Li.

He thought she was too thin, she could stand to gain some weight.

Guan Li took a deep breath, reminding herself that Xiangxi had just returned after a month of hard work, and she couldn’t shout at him!

She bit her teeth and said, “I’ll go get you some water.”

Jiang Xiangxi was about to say it wasn’t necessary, that he wasn’t thirsty, but saw that Guan Li had already gone into the house.

Guan Mu laughed heartily: “My Xiao Li really cares about you! She’s so good to you.”

Jiang Xiangxi couldn’t help but agree, his heart swelling with happiness.

Guan Xiaoshan: Did he just sense some anger in his sister’s words?

Jiang Xiangxi turned to Guan Mu and said, “Uncle Guan, my mother wants to take me to the city tomorrow to pick out the betrothal gifts for Ah Li. I wanted to ask your opinion, to make sure we’re not missing anything.”

Guan Mu, who had always been steady, couldn’t help but tremble, unsure if he had heard correctly.

Honestly, he had been waiting for the Jiang family to come and ask for his daughter’s hand since Xiao Li was fifteen.

From initially hoping it would come later, to growing more anxious, and even feeling hopeless recently, he had not expected Shen Qing to come with such confirmation, reigniting his hope.

He felt relieved knowing the Jiang family would come to propose, but he hadn’t expected it to happen so quickly!

Xiangxi had just returned today, and instead of resting, he was going into the city tomorrow to get the betrothal gifts?

But in their village, proposals were simple—just a few boxes of pastries, a pack of sugar, and a little bit of betrothal silver. It wouldn’t be too tiring for Xiangxi.

He thought for a moment before saying: “We’ll keep it simple, just like everyone else. No need to be extravagant. Xiao Li likes walnut cakes, so make sure to buy some. As for the betrothal silver, it’s up to you. And Xiangxi, let me tell you, whether it’s more or less, I don’t need anything. When the wedding comes, Xiao Li can bring back some of her dowry for you two to start your little family. Also, I’ve prepared a full set of furniture for her, so you two won’t have a rough life!”

Jiang Xiangxi, usually so reserved, didn’t know how to respond.

“I also made a cart for your family, it’s the only thing I can make. Since Xiao Li and Xiaoshan said the smoked meat wasn’t enough, surely the cart will be fine, right?”

Jiang Xiangxi, no matter how thick-skinned he was, knew that he couldn’t let the bride’s family bear all these expenses!

“Uncle Guan, that’s not acceptable! You raised Ah Li, how could you have to pay for the wedding?”

Guan Mu waved his hand casually, smiling: “Xiaoshan’s my son, and I raised him, so why shouldn’t he help out? Building houses, getting married, raising grandchildren—all those things will cost more. My daughter’s no worse than my son, so why should my son help and not my daughter?”

“I’m happy to do it, it doesn’t matter whether she’s my son or daughter. I just want her to have a good life after she gets her own family.”

Guan Xiaoshan nodded in agreement: “Xiangxi, my dad is right, and I can take care of myself.”

Even if he didn’t work with Aunt Jiang, he would learn carpentry from his father and would be able to support himself.

Guan Li, who had been inside the house, couldn’t move a step further. Tears were falling uncontrollably.

Jiang Xiangxi looked at the Guan family and felt deeply happy for Guan Li.

Her family was truly wonderful.

He looked at them and said, “I’ll go back and discuss it with my mother.”

In the past, if Uncle Guan had said something like this, he would have never dared to tell his mother the truth, because she would have just been relieved and grateful for everything she had done, even refusing the betrothal silver.

But now, he knew his mother wouldn’t feel relieved.

Instead, she would find a way to repay them.