"That’s right," Zheng Changhe said. "Don’t worry about the silver, dear. If Juhua hadn’t sold that recipe, what would we have done? We’d be getting by just the sa. And the money we’re using to build this house ca from selling that recipe anyway."
Mrs. Yang smiled. "I was being petty. I’m always thinking about how to save, but I should be thinking more about how to earn silver. Once the house is built, it’ll be much easier to feed the pigs and chickens. And we made a good bit of money from the eggs this year. Raising chickens and ducks is definitely worth it."
Zheng Changhe nodded, then turned to Qingmu. "How about we go take a look at the brickyard over in Xiatang Market one of these days?"
"Okay!" Qingmu said. "The village chief told we should go to the Zhang family’s brickyard. He said their green bricks and small tiles are quite good."
After so more discussion and planning, Mrs. Yang urged, "Juhua, hurry and wash up for bed. If you don’t sleep well, it’s hard for your face to heal properly. The cucumbers are almost out of season, so what will you use on your face then? Just egg whites?"
’Maybe using more things would have a better effect,’ she thought.
Juhua replied, "Egg whites and honey are just fine. If the cucumbers are gone, we’ll just plant more next year, right? What’s the rush? It’s not like my face is going to heal in a year or two anyway."
Mrs. Yang said, displeased, "You keep saying your face won’t heal. Can’t you put a little more effort into it? I’ve heard that washing your face with the water left from cooking rice is good, too. You should give it a try."
Juhua laughed. "Mother, you like to cook with extra water so you can ladle out the rice water. I always add just enough, so there isn’t any left over. Does it really work?"
"It works," Mrs. Yang encouraged. "Just try it. Even if it doesn’t do anything, it’s not like rice water can hurt your face. Just add a little extra water, and then you’ll have so."
Juhua agreed. ’This rice water is basically the essence boiled out of the rice,’ she thought. ’It might actually work. It’s like an all-natural, plant-based milk!’
The next morning, Mrs. Yang was at the edge of the fields when she was approached by Huang Dagunzi’s mother.
"Aunt Huang, heading out to check on the fields?" she called out, assuming the old woman was on her way to the Huang family’s plot.
Grandma Huang smiled. "I’m not going to the fields. I ca especially to see you."
Mrs. Yang quickly stopped what she was doing. "What is it, Aunt Huang?" she asked.
Grandma Huang pulled Mrs. Yang over to sit under a tree at the edge of the field. "It’s for a happy occasion," she said with a smile, "so you’ll have to forgive for being forward and taking up a bit of your ti."
Mrs. Yang laughed. "If it’s really good news, you can take up my whole day, never mind a little while! Please, tell , what is this happy occasion? Let share in the joy."
Grandma Huang chuckled softly. "It’s the Qin Family—Gou Dan’s mother. She’s taken a liking to your Qingmu and asked to see what you think. She’s heard that your Qingmu isn’t interested in getting married these next few years, but she doesn’t want to miss the chance with a good boy like him, so she sent to inquire."
This was also what Gou Dan’s mother had instructed. If the Zheng Family refused, they could use Qingmu’s reluctance to marry as the reason. It was better than a direct rejection and would allow both families to save face.
Mrs. Yang was taken aback. She hadn’t expected this. Recalling how enthusiastic Gou Dan’s mother had been yesterday, she thought to herself, ’So that’s what it was about. She wants to propose a match.’
She was in a difficult position. Personally, she was very fond of izi. But Qingmu had made it clear he didn’t want to get married for the next few years, and she couldn’t just force her son to get married!
Seeing her expression, Grandma Huang smiled. "So it’s true Qingmu doesn’t want to get married?"
Mrs. Yang nodded. "The boy wants to work for a few more years. He says that once you’re married, there’s too much to deal with. You get caught up in raising a family and having children, and it’s hard to make a good life for yourself."
Grandma Huang had been asked to act as a matchmaker twice recently. The last ti, with Li Changming, things hadn’t worked out, and she had sighed over it. Old folks always love to see a happy ending. Thus, she was determined to help Gou Dan’s mother make this match a success. ’Qingmu and izi are quite compatible, after all,’ she thought.
She smiled and asked Mrs. Yang, "That’s not really a problem, you know. Let ask you quietly, are you fond of izi? If you are, you can’t just push away a good match for a reason like that, can you? If you don’t think it’s a good fit, then I’ll have a different answer for Gou Dan’s mother."
Mrs. Yang looked at her gratefully. "Aunt Huang, after you’ve been so frank, how could I treat you like a stranger? I’ll be honest with you—I’m very fond of izi, truly. But I promised my Qingmu that I’d respect his wishes when it cos to marriage. I’m sure he has nothing against izi, it’s just this idea of his not wanting to marry right now... I don’t know what to do about it. How about I ask him and get back to you?"
Grandma Huang bead. "Good. I’m not planning to speak with Gou Dan’s mother until tonight anyway. You go on ho and ask him. But like I said, if you’re fond of the girl, we can figure sothing out. If not, just tell straight, so I know where things stand."
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