Marrying a Cook in the 1960s

Chapter 17

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Song Dagui himself did not expect that Lao Gou would resist stubbornly, but he did not expect that this man would admit it so easily!

Song Dagui: "The king of heaven is here? Are you still proud of it?"

Listening to what he said, it was Song Dagui who didn't like to make a big deal out of it, otherwise this person who kept talking about the emperor would be a problem. It's a new society now, there's no such thing as the emperor.

The old dog wanted to cry but had no tears. This was his subconscious reaction.

He thought about how he was first woken up by being splashed with water by the well last night, and then Xu Shuang held his head, punched him, said something, and poured medical alcohol on him, asking him to think carefully about his choice.

If he dared to tell others that he touched the window of Wang Ying's house, Xu Shuang would sooner or later cripple his penis and make him no longer a man.

If he admitted that he stole the medical alcohol and drank it, and never appeared in front of Wang Ying again and didn't say a word about it, then Xu Shuang would let him go.

The old dog is crying. Faced with such a threat, even a fool would know what to choose.

But Xu Shuang seemed to be afraid that he would not remember, so she beat him up again, repeatedly asking him questions during the beating, until he fainted.

The two beatings he received had formed a conditioned reflex in him, and he would blurt out the clues whenever he was asked.

But Lao Gou really didn't dare to associate himself with Wang Ying. Not to mention exaggerating, he didn't even dare to tell the truth.

Stealing medical alcohol and touching the window of a young woman's home are two completely different things!

The former would probably be punished by the brigade, and he might have to make self-criticisms and do extra work. This is how the brigade arranged those who made minor mistakes and were not worthy of being on the Revolutionary Committee. They were made to carry manure, work extra overtime, and do dirty and tiring work.

But the latter...

Not to mention that Wang Ying is the child of a martyr and will be treated as a special person. The nature of this matter means that he will be kept in custody. No matter what crime he is charged with, he may be sent to a farm and never come back.

The old dog was so frightened that his courage suddenly shrank back. He didn't even dare to think about why he dared to have that thought.

Hearing what the Party Secretary said, Lao Gou hurriedly explained: "I was wrong, but I did drink the medical alcohol! I accept any punishment from the collective!"

Song Dagui wanted to kick this guy!

You know it's wrong but you still do it! And you're so frank! Do you think it's a small matter and you're not afraid so you admit it quickly

If Lao Gou knew that Song Dagui thought this way, he would definitely feel wronged. He didn't think this way! But compared to entering the classroom, secretly drinking medical alcohol is really a small matter...

Song Dagui said with a wooden face: "Everyone in the team will listen to your self-criticism tonight. The mountain will be closed soon. The team leader wants to organize people to go into the mountain to hunt wild boars. You will go with them and get the share of ordinary members. You will be part of the snow-clearing team in winter. You will also be on the night patrol... No work points."

The place where the Seventh Brigade is located is at the foot of the mountain. Relying on the mountain products and orchards, life is much better.

But at the same time, every winter is a heap of preparation.

First, they would go into the mountains and kill a number of wild boars, so that these hairy animals would not come down the mountain to harm the members. The boar meat they killed could also be shared among the members. Although the meat was not tasty, it was at least a meat dish. If they encountered wolves, they would kill them if possible, so that the wolves would not come down the mountain in winter.

This job is somewhat dangerous, so only strong young men are chosen; older people don't like to do it.

But Song Dagui directly designated Lao Gou, saying that he would not be responsible for anything, but he could at least carry guns and food, right

After this trip, Lao Gou could only get the share of ordinary members. He had no choice but to agree.

Compared to going into the mountains, snow clearing and patrolling are trivial matters.

Song Dagui was dissatisfied. It was winter and there was less work. If it were any other season, he would definitely punish this man to do the heaviest work!

"Next spring, you have to go into the orchard and collect manure."

It would be a bit too much to apply the fertilizer all at once until summer. The orchard doesn’t need much manure in the spring, but it’s better than nothing.

What else can the old dog do but accept it all.

But he was also muttering in his heart, what did he have to do with Xu Shuang by climbing through Wang Ying's window!

It's no good for a dog to bite a rat!

But half a day later, Lao Gou understood why he met Xu Shuang and why Xu Shuang wanted to deal with him.

Xu Shuang found a matchmaker to discuss marriage with Wang Ying!

Upon hearing the news, Lao Gou suddenly realized what was going on and felt a chill down his spine. If that was the case, it would be normal for Xu Shuang to beat him up twice.

He deserved to be beaten for trying to crack open someone else's fiancée's window.

The old dog was a little jealous. If Wang Ying could fall in love with Xu Shuang, who was of such a poor background, why couldn't she fall in love with him? He was still a poor peasant!

The old dog went home to recover from his wounds in grievance. Xu Shuang had hit him so hard that he couldn't even sleep. The wound would take at least a month to heal, and he had to recover before entering the mountains, otherwise he would not be able to keep up with the team. Being left alone was no joke.

The news that Xu Shuang was looking for a matchmaker quickly spread throughout the brigade.

The young men in the team were dumbfounded.

They had just made their plan and hadn't even started to act when Xu Shuang got there first

What a shameless person! He didn't mention that his class background was good before, but now that his class background is not good, he still picked the one with the best conditions in the team! He picked the lower class for others because their class background is poor, but why is he picking better and better ones

When Xu Shuang chose Wang Lingling, no one in the brigade was jealous, and many people even thought Xu Shuang was stupid. If I were Xu Shuang, I would definitely not find a partner in the countryside, and the lowest I could find would be a worker in the town.

Country people and city people are simply two different worlds. Xu Shuang still has that kind of face, so there is still a chance to find her in the county town.

The result turned out to be Wang Lingling. Her family was average, her parents were farmers, and although she was pretty, she was not so pretty that people could ignore her conditions.

But who could have thought that when Xu Shuang was in trouble, he could actually find someone of Wang Ying's caliber

Immediately, a jealous young man snorted coldly: "Girls are just long-haired and short-sighted! They only know how to look at faces!"

You can't see the inner qualities beneath his ordinary appearance!

"Marrying a man of such a low class background, she will have many hard times ahead of her in the future!"

"That's right. If a good martyr's daughter marries a poor peasant like us, she can be considered a legitimate son! I don't know what they were thinking when they chose someone from the five black categories!"

There were also young men who didn't like to join groups and gossip. When they heard this, they sneered and turned away.

Young women have everything they want, so what's wrong with wanting to pick someone who looks good

And Xu Shuang’s conditions are not that bad.

There is no definitive conclusion about his family's class status. They say they are the "five black categories", but it has not been written down. Some think they are, some think they are not. Previously, the people in the brigade walked around his family, and they were not sure what attitude they would take.

If they were really nailed to the head as the "five black categories", then the people in the brigade would at best not interact with them on a regular basis. As for bullying, most people would not do that. However, some families themselves were not of good class background, such as middle peasants, rich peasants, and landlords, so they would probably have to cut off contact with the Xu family. It was always for their own consideration.

But the key point is that no one knew how Xu Ming operated it. People went directly to the northwest. It was not a decentralization but support.

This was a bit embarrassing. The commune received the news that Xu Ming was anti-rightist, but the way to deal with him was different. As a result, from the brigade to the commune, even the cadres did not take any action.

Moreover, Xu Shuang did not lose her job. If her identity was really determined, Xu Shuang would be the first to lose her job.

Since this job was not handled, Xu Shuang continued to be the chef of the state-owned restaurant in the town, earning several hundred yuan a month, which was quite beneficial.

This means that there has not been any major change!

Now, Xu Shuang mentioned Wang Ying, whose quality was top notch in the whole team. With the two of them balanced, Xu Shuang's job was estimated to last for a long time.

Looking at the group of people who were jealous just now, there are not many of them who are willing to work in the fields, let alone have a proper job.

The young woman is crazy and wants to find a man to serve her. She has a house and can get a job right after graduating from high school. It is better to be single than to serve someone.

Unfortunately, there are very few people who can see this clearly, and most of them are young men with sour words and gossip.

And those who cut down the grape trees because they couldn't eat the grapes spoke more harshly than the old women in the brigade.

"Xu Shuang used to be Wang Lingling's boyfriend. I mean, these two people, the brother-in-law is the sister-in-law, who knows if they have been having an affair for a long time."

But this is just a mouthful, everyone saw the scene when Wang Lingling got married. Even if there was something in the past, looking at what Wang Lingling did, this behavior is also reasonable.

It was Wang Lingling who refused to get married. Who can stipulate that the two families cannot find another person to talk about

"No, I really can't swallow this, I want to go and see!"

"I'm going too!"

Four or five young men were going to go outside Wang Ying's house to see what crooked tricks Xu Shuang had come up with to capture Wang Ying so easily.

Wang Ying didn't expect Xu Shuang to act so quickly. The two of them had agreed the night before, and the matchmaker Xu Shuang found came to her house the next afternoon.

Not only did the matchmaker come, but Xu Shuang also came with her mother.

Wang Ying's house originally had two rooms. Her parents' room was larger, so they could just pull up a sheet and put a few chairs outside to entertain guests.

At this moment, the matchmaker invited by the Xu family was sitting on a chair, and she kept praising the Wang family's furnishings. Wang Ying was beautiful and looked like a good girl who was nimble and capable of working. She was sure to have two children within three years of marriage and would be blessed with many children.

The matchmaker seemed to have memorized this round of flattery by heart. She sat down and started praising the man. She followed the routine and praised him for a sufficient amount of time before she changed the subject and got to the point.

"Men should get married when they are old enough, and women should get married when they are old enough. Our Xu Shuang is a good guy, and I, your old sister, am also an honest person. Girl, there is no one to take care of you at home, so I will talk to you directly..."

"Who said that no one cares about this girl?"

There was a burst of angry shouting from outside. It was Wang Yongshun and Li Chunjuan.

Li Chunjuan didn't care about anything at this moment and came up to pull Wang Ying out.

"You guys are really calculating, you're planning to take advantage of our absence to deceive people. This girl's parents are gone, but there's still me and her uncle! How can you say there's no one?!"

Wang Yongshun also had a gloomy face: "Where did you hire the matchmaker from? Don't you know that you have to get approval from the adults at home before you come? Also, who would bring the person here directly after the matchmaking? Are you trying to make an appointment or forcing a marriage?"

Wang Yongshun put on a loving face and said to Wang Ying: "Don't be afraid, Sanya. The day before yesterday you said you didn't want to get married, and your uncle knows it all. Don't worry, your uncle will definitely not let you marry this kind of family casually!"

Xu Shuang cheated him out of a hundred yuan! This incident made Wang Yongshun feel painful for the whole night!

It can be said that the person Wang Yongshun hates the most now, besides Wang Ying, is Xu Shuang.

These two are a couple? Don't even think about it!

The matchmaker was also a man who had seen the world, and was not afraid at all: "Okay, uncle, right? Come on, come on, you sit down too. Where were we talking about just now? Oh, we were talking about marriage. I'll be frank, uncle Wang, our girl Ying is looking for a son-in-law."

"In theory, we should give some money to the man's family when we recruit a son-in-law. After all, it is not easy for them to raise a son, and provide food and drink. If we raise him up and send him away as a son-in-law, our family will get nothing. We should compensate them with some money."

"The normal market price is fifty dollars for marrying a son-in-law, but I just heard from the Xu family kid that our two families have discussed marriage before, isn't this a coincidence? Such a fateful thing is rare, so I thought about mediating between the two sides, we can give forty dollars, it will go smoothly, don't think it's too much, the boy is so handsome, forty dollars is not a loss. Ying girl's parents are gone, you see this money..."

Wang Ying was almost laughing to death. She and Xu Shuang had not discussed this matter. She had wanted to talk to Xu Shuang today, but she didn't expect Xu Shuang to act so quickly, so she was delayed.

However, judging from the matchmaker's performance, Xu Shuang should have already made arrangements, otherwise the matchmaker wouldn't be able to anger people so accurately.

As expected, the matchmaker's words almost angered Wang Yongshun to death.

Wang Yongshun's face at this moment was not blue, but rather black as if there were dark clouds covering his head.

Wang Ying watched with great interest, adding fuel to the fire, "She's right, uncle, I'm looking for a son-in-law. I hadn't thought it through the day before yesterday, but I did yesterday and told Xu Shuang about it, and he agreed."

Wang Yongshun really wanted to swear, but he was good at suppressing himself, so even if he was asked to do so, he couldn't say it.

Li Chunjuan, on the other hand, didn't hold back and cursed him out: "What bullshit are you talking about! It's obvious that you two had already agreed on this!"

Li Chunjuan understood that Wang Ying didn't agree on the spot because she didn't want to get involved in the matter of the Xu family asking for money. She was afraid that if she said this, it would be difficult to ask Xu Shuang for money.

This damn girl was so cruel that she watched Xu Shuang extort such a large sum of money from their family.

Wang Ying smiled and said, "Whatever you say, I'm going to marry Xu Shuang anyway. If you and my uncle want to participate, just pay the 40 yuan and I'll reserve a good seat for you at the wedding banquet. If you want something else... I advise you to take a break."

Li Chunjuan wanted to make trouble again, but was stopped by Wang Yongshun.

Wang Yongshun smiled wryly: "San Ya, have you thought it through? Do you plan to abandon your mother's family in the future? If you get bullied, you will have no one to back you up, and you will be a lonely ghost?"

"Do you really think Xu Shuang is a good person? His family background is bad, and he married you just for that background!"

"Do you really think you are so popular that you want to marry into the family? Even if you marry into the family, can you suppress him?"

Perhaps because he saw that there was no hope of his family being wiped out, Wang Yongshun was no longer bothered to pretend to be kind, and his words were blatant threats.

Wang Ying shrugged, "Why do you care what others want from me? It's you, you want my house and money, the things my parents left me. What's wrong? You don't want to pretend anymore? If you don't get any benefits, you will change your face. It's really you, uncle."

Wang Yongshun stood where he was, glaring at Wang Ying fiercely.

After a moment, he sneered and dragged Li Chunjuan away.

He underestimated his niece. He didn't expect that his niece, who was so confident before, would suddenly become clear-headed for some unknown reason.

Wang Yongshun was extremely angry, but he couldn't think of any way to reverse the situation. Looking at Li Chunjuan who was jumping up and down to find trouble with Wang Ying, Wang Yongshun's anger finally found an outlet.

He slapped Li Chunjuan on the face: "It's all your fault! Did I ever tell you to be nicer to San Ya? I told you to hold her back and not to be too harsh on her? But you turned a deaf ear to me! Now you have nothing left."

Li Chunjuan has been under a lot of pressure recently. First, her house was empty, then Wang Lingling made trouble, and then the Xu family came to ask for money... one thing after another made her cry endlessly.

In addition, the Xu family came to ask for money the day before yesterday. Wang Yongshun said that there was no money at home, but he took out fifty yuan and gave it to Xu Shuang.

Where did the money come from? Wang Yongshun had said several times that the family was poor and asked her to spend frugally. She lived frugally to save money, calculating every penny. If it weren't for this, she wouldn't have deducted Wang Ying to that extent.

What happened now? Wang Yongshun once again took the blame for everything on himself.

He told me not to suppress Wang Ying, so he showed it first!

If he just said something and asked Wang Ying to eat cornmeal, would she still agree

Wang Yongshun, the head of the family, didn't say anything, so why should he blame all this on himself!

Li Chunjuan had been accumulating anger for many days, and she howled and fought back.

She fought like a woman, pulling hair and breaking fingers. Wang Yongshun's head hurt from her pulling, and he wanted to hit her but his hands were blocked. The two of them started fighting on the ground, punching each other.

Wang Ying could hear the two people's cries in her own room, which made her feel relaxed and happy.

Seeing that there was no one to get in the way, the matchmaker spoke more fluently.

"Let's talk about the betrothal gift. The Xu family can give one of the three major items: a sewing machine, a bicycle, and a watch. Which one do you want, Ying?"

Wang Ying: “Ah?”

Isn't it true that one doesn't have to give a dowry when marrying into the wife's family

Xu Shuang: "I wanted to buy you a bicycle, but my mother said that since you don't go out much, I'm afraid I'll use the bicycle more, so she asked me to buy you a watch. But it's hard to get an industrial ticket for a watch, and I'm worried that I won't be able to get one before the wedding. I can ask my colleagues to exchange for a bicycle ticket, and I can get it immediately, but I can't choose the brand. Our unit only has permanent tickets, not Phoenix..."

Wang Ying looked at Xu Shuang, whose image had somewhat collapsed after she decided to get married:…

The matchmaker was jealous just by hearing this. These three items are hard to come by. A family in the countryside that can afford one is a great family. Even in the county town, there are not many people who can afford three items. The Xu family kid asked the woman to pick one item right away. This sincerity doesn't seem like marrying into the woman's family. It's like marrying a fairy.

Old Lady Xu was sitting nearby and she also said, "Don't worry, girl. My youngest son can find other tickets. We can buy the three major items slowly. I'll ask him to pay attention in the next two years. In less than three years, we will have everything ready for you."

Old Mrs. Xu was so excited. She never expected that things would take such a dramatic turn for the better.

Just when I was worrying about not being able to find a suitable one for my son, this guy came in and said that Wang Ying had agreed.

Wang Ying agreed!

Old Mrs. Xu thought that she should find a time to go to the hilltop where her parents' home was to worship. There used to be a nunnery on the hilltop, which was said to be very effective. Later, it was no longer called a nunnery, so all the nuns were married off and the nunnery was demolished.

However, the villagers are superstitious, and many people still go up and burn incense beside the ruins.

A few days ago, Old Mrs. Xu asked her eldest sister to go and pray for a smooth marriage for her youngest son.

Just a few days later, a perfect girl agreed to the marriage.

Old Mrs. Xu wished she could pay for the Buddha’s incense offerings for the next ten years!

This is too effective. Wang Ying's condition is ten times better than Wang Lingling's. Especially since she is willing to wade into her own muddy water at this time, she is really a kind-hearted girl!

Old Mrs. Xu also heard Wang Yongshun's nonsense just now. She wanted to scold Wang Yongshun just now. She thought this man was really blind. How could Wang Yongshun be bad to Wang Ying

Old Lady Xu knew very well that it was not difficult for Wang Ying to find a partner. She married her youngest son, which was a bit unfair in terms of her family background. She was probably attracted by her youngest son's character, which made her live a comfortable life. But after Wang Ying divorced Xu Shuang, she could still choose a man who would make her happy. There were many young men in the team, including some good young men. Compared with her youngest son, they might not look as good, but their character was definitely good. If Wang Ying chose one to marry, her life after marriage might not be difficult.

On the contrary, it would be extremely difficult for my family to find someone who suits their needs after leaving Wang Ying.

Old Mrs. Xu was very content. When Xu Shuang told her the story, she was so excited that she almost fainted.

As long as Wang Ying is willing to marry, she will agree to any conditions!

Not to mention the three big items, even if Wang Ying wanted something else, she would spend all her family fortune to get it back.

Wang Ying didn’t have any feelings about the three big items, she just felt... this didn’t seem to be the same as how she had imagined getting married

Seeing that she didn't answer, Xu Shuang said to herself: "Then wait a few days, I will take you to the county town and we will go to see it for ourselves."

The matchmaker quickly chimed in: "Okay, let's go through the three big things first, and then we can talk about other things. The Xu family kid said he wants to buy two more cotton quilts, two kettles, and some clothes to see if you want..."

Xu Shuang added: "I have eight feet of cloth coupons, and I can exchange them with my colleagues. I should be able to get enough for three sets."

Old Lady Xu was dissatisfied: "We need to make more clothes for Ying. I guess that black-hearted uncle and his wife never bought her new clothes. My dear, don't ask your colleagues to change. Go to the city and ask your master. Prepare five or eight sets of clothes."

Xu Shuang: "Okay."

Wang Ying: “…”

The matchmaker took over the conversation and continued, "As for the furniture, it depends on your opinion. The bed must be made now, and two cabinets must be provided. If anything else is missing, we can decide on it today, and the Xu family boy will go find someone to make it."

Old Lady Xu interrupted, "Look for Carpenter Liu! Don't look for that guy named Niu, the things he makes are all crude!"

Xu Shuang: "Okay, I'll go tomorrow."

Matchmaker: "And shoes..."

Xu Shuang: "I'll ask my master for a ticket."

Wang Ying discovered that throughout this whole process, she had no room to refuse at all!

As soon as she showed that it was not necessary to go through so much trouble, Old Lady Xu was immediately moved and advised her not to be too frugal. Marriage was a big event and should be done in a glamorous way. As for Xu Shuang, he was like a sycophant beside a tyrant emperor, constantly saying that he could do this and that, as if Wang Ying could agree without changing her expression if she asked for three golds.

Wang Ying felt that it was a bit too grand, but at the same time she also felt a strange sense of joy.

After Xu Shuang finished her side, the matchmaker waited for Wang Ying to speak. It was the first time for the matchmaker to encounter such a situation, and it was very strange, but she still held her expression and asked Wang Ying if there was anything she wanted to say to the Xu family in advance.

Wang Ying: "... I just want to ask, where will you live after you get married?"

In theory, a man who marries into his wife's family must live in the woman's home, but after a short time together, Wang Ying felt reluctant to leave Old Lady Xu alone in the Xu family. The relationship between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law also depends on the aura. If the aura is right, Wang Ying doesn't mind adjusting to many things.

Old Mrs. Xu spoke first: "Of course you two should live together! I'll live over there, and you'll live over here. We'll eat together, and if the youngest is too late because of work, I'll cook!"

Xu Shuang added: "My mother is used to living over there. There is a pressurized water well in my yard, so everything is convenient. If something happens or you get tired of living here, we can move back. Anyway, both places are close."

What else could Wang Ying say? She had thought of everything.

Old Lady Xu added, "We'll have a wedding banquet at the old house on the day of our wedding, and you can come and live here after the banquet. By the way, Ying, do you want to have your house renovated?"

Old Mrs. Xu also has her own little plans in mind. It’s not that she doesn’t want to live with the young couple, she is looking forward to having grandchildren!

The old mud house has no sound insulation, so the couple can't help but feel uncomfortable. It's different here. The big blue brick house has good sound insulation, so the couple can feel comfortable. Who knows, we may have a grandson or granddaughter next year!

The only trouble is that there are nasty relatives living next door.

But it doesn't matter. Ask Xu Shuang to find someone to build the wall in the middle, and then ask the secretary if a backyard can be separated out. This house will be a good place to enter and stay indoors.

Wang Ying nodded. She had actually wanted to renovate the house for a long time, but she was short of money.

That was fine, she would build a wall around the courtyard while they were getting married, and she also planned to build a wall around the area behind the window. She was still upset by the incident with the old dog last night, and she would only feel at ease if her back window was placed in the yard.

Xu Shuang naturally accepted the request and said that he would pick a time to go to the neighboring commune to fetch bricks. It happened to be the slack season for farming and there would be people from the brigade to help build the wall.

Seeing that the matchmaker was almost done, she took Old Lady Xu aside to chat about family matters for a while. She also deliberately left time for Wang Ying and Xu Shuang to have some private conversations, after all, some things might not be appropriate to discuss with Old Lady Xu.

Wang Ying tugged at Xu Shuang's sleeve and asked in a low voice, "You're really not going to go broke if you spend so much money?"

This is not like marrying a wife, it's like taking out all the family assets.

Wang Ying: "I'll give you a chance to regret it, please think about it."

Xu Shuang's eyes were filled with a hint of smile: "It's not like I'm broke."

After calculating all these, the real big expenses are on the three major items and the courtyard wall. The three major items, including money and invoices, will cost at least two hundred yuan, and the courtyard wall will probably cost another one or two hundred yuan. The rest are small expenses, which together only add up to a little over a hundred yuan.

Most of the Xu family's cash flow came from Xu Shuang's work as a cook, but his family was not particularly poor. Xu Shuang's father was also a cook, but he died early, so Old Lady Xu sent Xu Shuang to learn from her husband's junior apprentice, and she became a master in a few years.

Xu Shuang is smarter than his father. He not only works in the state-owned restaurant, but also takes on many weddings and funerals during the slack season. He can also go up the mountain to get some things to improve his life. No one knows whether he sells them privately.

Old Mrs. Xu was also a strange person. Xu Shuang's salary was enough for her to live on, and she often went to work. She was not an old lady who would lie at home and wait for people to serve her when she got old.

But no matter what outsiders speculate, the Xu family has never shown off their wealth to others. Haven’t you seen that this family doesn’t even have a bicycle

This is also the life wisdom of Old Lady Xu. She saw with her own eyes how the treatment of landlords and rich peasants at that time changed overnight. She felt that being too rich was not a good thing, so she never showed it outside.

Every month when Xu Shuang received her salary, she would ask Xu Shuang to send money to her eldest son, and told others that Xu Shuang's salary was enough to support two people and she didn't save any money.

In fact, the eldest son didn't spend any money at all. Although Xu Ming was a student at school, his teacher treated him as a disciple and gave him a share of everything. Xu Ming also received a subsidy, and an extra five dollars a month was enough to live on.

But Old Lady Xu did a good job. Everyone in the village knew that Xu Shuang had to support the eldest son as soon as she got her salary. They all said that Old Lady Xu was partial and deducted money from the younger son to give to the older son. It must be that she took all the money from the younger son and gave it to the older son.

As a result, there were fewer people keeping an eye on Xu Shuang, and no one came to the Xu family to borrow money.

But now, in order to get married, Old Lady Xu didn't care about these things. She spent all the money she should spend.

Xu Shuang reported a number to Wang Ying, and Wang Ying was shocked: "I didn't expect you to be so rich."

With a four-digit fortune, no wonder Xu Shuang said he had endless money to spend.

In comparison, Wang Ying felt that she was a little thin.

"I have fourteen dollars and fifty-five cents."

Xu Shuang smiled: "It's okay, what's mine is yours."

Wang Ying blushed: "Why don't you take care of the money?"

She can't even match a fraction of what others have, and it's a bit of a stretch to hold the family savings.

Xu Shuang didn't agree this time: "It's your business, I'm marrying into the family."

Wang Ying was so stunned. He came to marry into the family with a four-digit figure. Is he the strongest son-in-law

Xu Shuang: "Take it, it's convenient for you to spend money."

Wang Ying agreed reluctantly, and the matchmaker saw that the situation was almost ready, so she started talking about the wedding date.

"It's already the end of October. We close the mountain in early December every year. We're pressed for time. I looked at two dates, one is November 9th and the other is November 26th. But the 9th is definitely tight, as you have a lot of things to do. How about the 26th?"

Wang Ying had no objection: "Let's just say twenty-six."

One month is not enough, but considering that this is the north, the mountains are closed for more than two months due to heavy snow. This is normal. Otherwise, we can't let people come to the banquet in the heavy snow.

The matchmaker mentioned a few more details, and the two sides finally reached an agreement.

Old Lady Xu had a good impression of the matchmaker, so she simply entrusted the task of finding someone to help with the wedding banquet to the matchmaker. Although her family background was no longer a problem, Old Lady Xu still felt a little uncomfortable. Some old ladies who had been on good terms with them before have not come to visit yet, and it seems that they are waiting to see if their family can find a daughter-in-law with a good background.

Old Mrs. Xu was unhappy, and naturally did not want to bother about finding someone in her own brigade. She simply asked the matchmaker to find someone from another brigade, and then she would come to cook a meal, pay the money and leave, saving any more trouble.

The matchmaker was overjoyed. Her job was not just to collect the money from the man and woman. She also had to find temporary help for others, such as breeding cows, picking up puppies for someone's family, and taking on all kinds of odd jobs.

She liked the job of finding people to do wedding banquets the most. She could eat good food at the banquet, and the women would all rush to come. She could also earn some referral fees.

"Don't worry, I will definitely find some skilled people to come!"

This marriage was well arranged, with both sides being harmonious. It was completely different from other families where both the man and the woman were haggling over the bride price and betrothal gifts. You gave one foot of cloth less, and I gave two dollars more, and in the end, there were some that ended up breaking up.

The matchmaker happily took the money as a thank-you, and thought to herself that it would be best if there were more such good relatives so that she could share in the good fortune.

After seeing off the matchmaker, Old Mrs. Xu went back on crutches, while Xu Shuang handed Wang Ying a small paper bag.

"I'll go order furniture and bricks tomorrow, and build the wall on a sunny day. But some things need to be bought in the city. When is convenient for you?"

Wang Ying took the paper bag and said, "I'm fine with that... By the way, can you wait for a week?"

She still had a few medicinal herbs that had not been prepared yet, and she was waiting to take them into the city to see if anyone wanted them. Or she heard that there was a purchasing station at the hospital that bought medicinal herbs, so she went to ask about the price.

Xu Shuang: "Sure, when the time comes, please come to the state-owned hotel to see me one day in advance so that I can write you a letter of introduction."

Xu Shuang was a worker, so she didn't go through the team to get a letter of introduction. She had to ask the manager at the hotel to issue it. The manager was not always there, so he usually issued it in advance.

Wang Ying nodded, and Xu Shuang saw her holding the paper bag, and she was as well-behaved as the first time he saw her in the hotel...

Xu Shuang turned around and left. Wang Ying was still a little puzzled. Why did this person leave so quickly

When I opened the paper package again, the things inside had already cooled down. They were braised chicken feet and duck feet, a sesame seed bun, and a small packet of chili powder.

Wang Ying steamed the chicken feet and duck paws in a pot. They were hot in a short while and paired with the crispy baked sesame cakes, the taste was particularly delicious.

The crispy and chewy duck feet are chewy and have a bit of soup. The taste of the stewed soup is also good, and the salty and fragrant taste makes people unable to stop. The chicken feet are stewed for a long time, the skin and meat are smooth and soft, rich in gelatin, and the taste is soft, chewy and spicy.

Wang Ying finished the whole package and still felt a little unsatisfied. The chicken feet and duck feet were so delicious. Sure enough, stewed food should be eaten with such easy-to-taste food.

The day after the wedding was decided, Xu Shuang got busy. The carpenter who made the furniture calculated the time and ensured that he could finish the work in half a month. Xu Shuang went to the brick kiln once and brought back bricks. There were many people building houses at the brick factory recently, and the bricks were in sufficient supply, so Xu Shuang could bring back so many bricks.

Wang Yongshun was disfigured in the fight with Li Chunjuan, with bruises all over his face. He glared at Wang Ying across half of the courtyard wall, and also glared at those who came to help build the wall.

It makes people feel confused.

By the time the courtyard wall was finally completed, it was five days after the wedding was scheduled.

The people in the team watched as the two families really started preparing for the wedding. The Xu family was even generous enough to build a courtyard wall for Wang Ying. It seemed that they had really decided to have Xu Shuang marry into the family in the future.

Everyone seems to be a bit normal about this.

It makes sense. Wang Ying is in good condition, and if she chooses Xu Shuang, she must want him to marry into her family. It's not surprising.

But the only surprise was that Xu Shuang's family didn't look like they were marrying into the family's family at all. They made all the preparations as if they were a single-line family with nine generations of heirs.

They're building walls, making furniture, and I heard they're also planning a banquet.

He was originally a little unconvinced, but he immediately backed down. Xu Shuang's family definitely couldn't have done this on his own initiative, so it could only be Wang Ying's request.

No wonder Wang Ying picked Xu Shuang. Who can meet her requirements? This is not marrying a wife, this is marrying an ancestor!

Wang Ying didn't know that her reputation had become difficult to describe in another way. She was busy going into the mountains to get medicinal herbs these days.

The big mountain behind her house is like a treasure trove, with so many good things.

Wang Ying found seven or eight less common medicinal herbs, prepared them one by one according to what she had learned, and prepared to go to the city to try her luck. If the price at the purchasing station was too low, she might as well take the risk and go to the hospital herself. The only difficulty was that the team had to get a letter of introduction every time they went to the city, and it would definitely not work if they went there too many times.

But Xu Shuang should be convenient, Wang Ying thought, Xu Shuang's four-digit savings can't all be salary, right? This person must have some unknown way to make money. He must have been to the county town many times.

That day, Wang Ying was looking through the herbs drying on the windowsill when she heard a young boy's voice coming from across the courtyard wall.

"Dad, Mom, why is there a new wall in our house? And why has my room changed?"