Zhang Huai smiled upon hearing this, giving his mother an appreciative look. "Isn’t that a great way to put it, Mother? That’s a good reason, better than all the previous ones."
He shot him a look. "But it can’t go on like this forever. Why do I feel like there have been more matchmakers coming around recently? Even if they’re not explicitly matchmaking, they’re sounding out, and I don’t know what to say. How about I ntion this to Aunt Zheng?"
Zhang Huai thought of Juhua’s serene smile and shook his head. "Better not. Even if Aunt Zheng agreed, it wouldn’t work—she’ll still listen to what Juhua herself wants. Don’t worry, Mother. I have a plan."
"If you work at it slowly, you’ll get there eventually." That was what Juhua had told him. ’If I spend all day thinking about these things while accomplishing nothing, I’ll still be looked down on in the end.’
Seeing his mother’s troubled expression, he said with a smile, "If anyone asks again, just tell them you don’t know what’s wrong with . Maybe I was kicked in the head by a donkey and just don’t want to discuss marriage. That should solve it."
He got up, put the clothes in a basket, and tossed out the dirty water. She laughed and said, "Who talks like that? Why are you putting yourself down?"
Zhang Huai put down his book and went to the well to help her draw water. "Do you know why there are suddenly so many people asking about marriage?" he said. "Don’t think your son is that much of a catch."
He laughed and scolded, "Even if my son isn’t so great catch, he’s not bad either. He certainly wasn’t kicked in the head by a donkey. So what’s going on?"
Zhang Huai then recounted what he’d heard Little Shitou say at Juhua’s house on New Year’s Eve. He burst out laughing. HEH HEH. She hadn’t expected this to be the reason, or that even her younger son was now being targeted.
She was a decent person and didn’t make fun of Yan’s mother. As she washed the clothes, she said to Zhang Huai, "Isn’t that just reckless? The boys in the village are all fine, but marriage requires a bit of fate. If you just pair people up indiscriminately for the sake of keeping your daughter in the village, it’s bound to cause trouble sooner or later."
Zhang Huai drew a bucket of water and poured it into the basin. "Exactly," he said. "See? It’s not that your son is such a great catch. I bet Changxing, Sanshun, and Changyun will all run into the sa thing."
"Run into what?" In the dim twilight, Zhang Yang ran into the courtyard, clutching a few books under his arm.
Zhang Huai looked at his younger brother and frowned. "Yangzi, co ho earlier from now on. It’s not good to stare at books all the ti. You need to rest often. Now that spring is here, you should get out more."
He quickly added, "That’s what I’ve been saying. You’re still young, you can study for a few more years. Didn’t your brother Changfeng only beco a Scholar last year?"
Zhang Huai said, "For him to beco a Scholar at his age is a sign of early success. There are others who have taken the exam for decades and still haven’t passed, even with a full beard."
His words made He’s expression change. She looked at her younger son, wanting to say sothing but holding back.
Seeing his mother’s worried look, Zhang Yang smiled. "Don’t worry, Mother. If I don’t beco a Scholar by the ti I’m twenty, I’ll co ho and farm. I definitely won’t be one of those who keeps trying until they have a full beard and refuses to give up. Wouldn’t that be like getting kicked in the head by a donkey?"
Hearing both her sons talk about "getting kicked in the head by a donkey," He found it a little funny. She scolded him, "Nonsense," then quickly finished washing the clothes. After hanging them to dry under the eaves, she called her sons inside to eat.
Since Zhang Dashuan was out, it was just the mother and her two sons at ho.
As she ate, He looked at her two sons, her heart filled with contentnt. But when she looked at Zhang Huai, she still felt a little worried for him. ’I need to find a chance to drop a hint to Aunt Zheng,’ she thought. ’I can’t expect her to make Juhua agree to the marriage, but at least she and Brother Zheng will know what’s going on and won’t promise Juhua to soone else without thinking.’
**********
Juhua didn’t go to the river today—with all those boys there, why would she go looking for trouble? She called Liu Xiaoi over to do so needlework with her.
Liu Xiaoi said to Juhua, "izi is getting married on the second day of the second lunar month."
Juhua asked in surprise, "Didn’t they say they would wait until the house was built to get married? There’s no sign of their house yet."
Liu Xiaoi turned over the clothes in her hands, smoothed out the patch she had just sewn, and bit off the thread. Only then did she lean closer to Juhua and whisper, "It’s because Gou Dan’s mother made up her mind. She’s going to lend money to her son-in-law to buy a plot of land by the mountain and build a tile-roofed house all at once. So, they’re just going to make do and have the wedding in the old house."
Juhua was stunned. "But the problem is, their house only has three rooms. If izi moves in, where will his younger brother, Li Changliang, live? Hmm, I guess he could sleep in the main hall. When my family hadn’t built our house yet, my brother slept in the main hall."
Liu Xiaoi shot her a look. "How can you compare your family’s situation to theirs? You and your brother are siblings, so of course, it’s more casual. If their Changling sleeps in the main hall, it would be so inconvenient for izi coming and going. I heard they’re going to add a room onto the back of his parents’ room for Brother Changling to live in. Anyway, the young couple won’t be living in the old house for long. An earthen-walled room is quick to build."
Juhua nodded. "Gou Dan’s mother has the right idea. It’s better to endure for a bit now to build a better house for izi. It’ll save her a lot of worry later on."
Liu Xiaoi said with envy, "izi is so lucky to have a mother like that."
Juhua smiled. "Your mother treats you well too. It’s just that you have so many older brothers, she can’t look after everyone. izi only has one younger brother who’s still young, so her mother can afford to help her out more."
Speaking of which, Liu Xiaoi laughed. "Isn’t that the truth? My mother always says that raising many children wears parents down to the bone, yet other people say you’re blessed to have so many. My brothers often joke about it. My third brother says it would’ve been better if Sishun was never born, and then my fourth brother argues with him. My second brother tells them, ’Stop arguing. If neither of you were born and they only had i, our family would have it so much easier!’"
Juhua smiled faintly at that. "Good thing your brothers didn’t say they wished you were never born."
Liu Xiaoi grinned. "How dare they? My dad said he would’ve had even if it ant not having any of them! I’m the most obedient and least troubleso one in the family."
Juhua nodded. "You’re the youngest daughter, after all. Of course you’re going to be spoiled a little." (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welco to co to Qidian to vote for recomndation and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)
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