Chapter 60
◎Wani’s Marriage◎
Tangtang brought a bowl of sour plum soup for Wani and also moved a stool to sit with her in the courtyard and watch the moon.
Tangtang really couldn’t understand her second aunt’s urgency regarding her cousin Wani’s marriage, but Yu Yahong was an elder, and she couldn’t speak ill of her elders behind their backs.
“Tangtang, do you have any ideals?”
“I haven’t thought about the future yet.” Tangtang lowered her eyes. Unless she could be recruited to work in a factory, every graduate would have to follow the path of “re-education from the poor and lower-middle peasants.” Rural students would return to their villages to farm after graduation, and students with city household registrations would be sent to the countryside to work as educated youth. She didn’t want to think too much about it. Thinking too much was also a burden. “What about you? Sister Wani, do you have any ideals?”
“I’m tired of life in Yuhuai Village. As soon as I open my eyes, there are mountains in all directions, and my ears are filled with the gossip, quarrels, and fights of the villagers. I want to go to a more unfamiliar and vast world, to see the outside world, even if it’s to wander aimlessly in a distant land.” Wani had never been to a place further than the county town where she went to school. She longed for the day when her feet could stand in a place other than Yuanlin County. But once she got married, she would be required by her in-laws to have her first child within a year or two, and her second child in the second or third year… From then on, her life would revolve around her husband and children, and all her messy thoughts would become a ridiculous fantasy.
Tangtang was very surprised to hear Wani’s words. In her heart, Sister Wani had always been a very introverted image, not showing off. Although she knew that Wani was a very tenacious woman at her core, she hadn’t expected her to have such a bold and unconventional idea.
Wani’s fingertips rested on the rim of the sour plum soup bowl. The moonlight made the shadow in the bowl swell. “You said the coal mine, how far is it from our Yuhuai Village?”
Tangtang carefully recalled what Su Juexiao had said when he came back on leave last time. “I heard from Brother Juexiao that from Yuanlin County to Yingzuiwan Coal Mine, you have to take a three-hour bus from Yuanlin County to Xiangyang City, then a five-hour train from Xiangyang City to Tongling Coal Mine Bureau, and then another one-hour train to Yingzuiwan Coal Mine.”
Wani couldn’t help but sigh. The clear moonlight sprinkled on her. “It’s so far.”
“Then it must be a completely different world from Yuhuai Village.”
…
Wani had just spread her bedding on the kang when she saw her mother walk in with a mysterious look.
“Wani, what do you think of that young man you saw during the day?”
“The young man I saw during the day?” The image of the tall and thin young man in the army green labor cloth uniform appeared in Wani’s mind. “He’s just so-so. Why are you suddenly asking about this?”
“Let me tell you, that young man is named Song Xiaojun. He’s a distant cousin’s nephew of your fourth aunt. His family lives in Wangxiang Village, four li away from our Yuhuai Village, which is your third aunt’s parents’ home. That young Song has graduated from junior high. His father is the brigade leader, and he’s an accountant in the team. His family is very well-off, and his parents are also very satisfied with you. I estimate that there is no better match in this ten-li radius.”
“Mom, you’re at it again…” Wani was also speechless with her mother. She felt a sense of helplessness.
“Wani, just listen to Mom. This young Song is different from the previous young men. Mom thinks he has a good face. He looks like a down-to-earth and hardworking person. If you marry into their old Song family, you won’t have to suffer so much.”
“A man should marry when he’s of age, and a woman should marry when she’s of age. This has been the principle since ancient times. Mom is so worried, isn’t it all for you? I have to make sure you have a support in the future. Do you think I’m willing to fawn over that matchmaker? Do you think I’m willing to give away the candy that our own family is reluctant to eat? Who am I doing all this for…”
As Yu Yahong spoke, a wave of bitter tears welled up. “You’re growing up day by day. Your dad and I are getting old and can’t work anymore. Mom can’t let you become an old maid!”
“Wani, just listen to Mom’s advice!”
“Do you want Mom to kneel down to you?”
Yu Yahong’s hot tears fell on the back of her hand. Wani turned her head away, and tears also uncontrollably streamed down her face. She was enveloped in a sense of helplessness.
“Mom, don’t say anymore.” Wani’s voice suddenly became hoarse. She clenched her numb hand and wiped the tears from her mother’s face. “Isn’t it just getting married? I’ll marry, I’ll marry, is that okay?”
Wani closed her eyes, as if all her strength had been drained. Her parents had worked hard to raise her to this age and had even supported her through high school. She couldn’t possibly let her mother really kneel down to her.
Today it was some Song Xiaojun, tomorrow it would be some Li Xiaojun or Wang Xiaojun. In the end, she couldn’t fight against the shackles of the marriage concepts of this era.
Hearing Wani’s words, Yu Yahong quickly wiped the tears from her face and went from crying to laughing. “Alright! As long as you are willing to marry, everything is easy to say. Mom will send a message to the Song family tomorrow and pick a suitable day to discuss the matter!”
“Her dad, our family is finally going to have a happy event!”
Seeing her mother’s happy back, a self-deprecating smile appeared on Wani’s lips. She had only met this Song Xiaojun once and had barely spoken a few words with him, and now they were getting married.
…
After the summer harvest, the busy farming season in the village temporarily ended. After two heavy rains, the Song family came to visit.
Tangtang and Juesheng were also called over to help. The two children, along with their cousin Wani, tidied up the old Su family’s old house. The soup was clear and the water was clean. They specially brewed new tea and also placed red date cakes on the table to entertain the guests.
Song Xiaojun was the only son in the family. This frail-looking young man seemed quite gentle. The new labor cloth coat he wore was starched stiff, and the collar was so tight that his neck was red. When the elders were talking, he would lower his head, with no opinion of his own.
Song Dazhu was a middle-aged farmer. Xia Lilan’s hair was neatly coiled at the back of her head, and she looked like a shrewd and capable person.
The two villages were not far from each other, and Song Dazhu and Xia Lilan had also met Wani before. They were very satisfied with this educated and hardworking woman and felt that such a good girl should be their old Song family’s daughter-in-law. This time, the couple’s hands were full of gifts. There were pastries bought at the commune, a can of golden rapeseed oil, a box of tea, and some fresh fruits and vegetables picked from the fields.
These gifts were quite generous for a first visit. Xia Lilan picked up a piece of date cake and put it in her mouth, clicking her tongue. “Look how fluffy this cake is, just like this child Wani. She looks quiet, but she has a lot of substance in her heart!”
The second son, Su, and Yu Yahong were flattered by Xia Lilan’s praise of Wani. Yu Yahong quickly said, “Look at what her aunt is saying. I think our Xiaojun is the capable young man. He’s tall and handsome. Being an accountant in the team, he doesn’t have to work hard in the fields, and his work points are higher than those of ordinary commune members. An uneducated person can’t do this job. Only Xiaojun is capable.”
“I heard that Wani has attended high school. My Xiaojun is careless and always makes mistakes when he’s doing the accounts in the production team. With Wani’s help in the future, the abacus beads in the team can also be moved a little less!”
Xia Lilan looked around the small adobe house. “I remember Wani seems to have three older brothers? Are they all married?”
The smile on Yu Yahong’s face froze for a moment. She guessed that the Song family was about to start talking about the betrothal gift. “Not yet. We were thinking of settling Wani’s marriage first. It’s not a big deal for the boys to wait another two years. But a girl can’t be delayed. If she’s delayed, she’ll become an old maid.”
“There’s only one room in this house. I’m afraid it will be difficult to get a wife in the future, right?”
Hearing Xia Lilan’s direct question, Yu Yahong’s expression was taken aback. “Her aunt, what do you mean by that?”
A few years ago, the third branch’s father and sons had made some adobe bricks and used their spare cash to buy some wood and tiles. They had built a small room next to their current west room. The three Shuanfu brothers would sleep in that small room at night. But if they wanted to get married, it would not be so easy to get a new wife without building a new house. At least they had to have a stable residence.
Building a house, it was easy to say, but it couldn’t be done without a few hundred or a thousand yuan.
Although the second branch had a lot of labor, the work points they accumulated throughout the year were all exchanged for grain. The family would eat a portion, and the rest would be sold at the grain station, which was just enough for the next year’s expenses. As for cash, there was not a single cent left.
After the family was divided, Yu Yahong had been frugal and had only saved up about two hundred yuan. She calculated in her heart that after her daughter was married, she would borrow a little from her relatives and neighbors to at least build a smaller adobe house. The eldest son’s marriage could not be delayed any longer.
Xia Lilan held Yu Yahong’s hand, knowing that she had misunderstood her meaning. “Hah, big sister, you must not overthink it. I was just thinking that if our families become in-laws, then we are one family. If you have plans to build a house and need any more money, my husband and I can lend it to you. When the construction starts, we can also have Xiaojun come over to help! As for the betrothal gift, we will give twice the amount of an ordinary family!”
Hearing this, Yu Yahong was so nervous that a lot of the water in the teacup spilled onto the kang mat, leaving a dark brown stain.
If their second branch wanted to build a house, they would have to borrow at least four or five hundred yuan. This was not a small sum. They didn’t know how many relatives they would have to go to and how many cold shoulders they would have to endure to borrow enough money. But the Song family was so generous and directly said they would lend it to them?
And twice the betrothal gift. When a daughter from a village family got married, it was usually one hundred catties of grain, five feet of cloth, 30 yuan in cash, and two quilt covers. The Song family said they would give twice the betrothal gift, which meant two hundred catties of grain, ten feet of cloth, 60 yuan in cash, and four quilt covers.
Hearing this, Wani’s lowered eyes moved. She knew that building a house for her brother to get married had always been a major concern in her mother’s heart. If the Song family was willing to lend them money, then their family’s biggest problem could be solved.
Wani’s gaze fell on Song Xiaojun opposite her. The thin young man had his head lowered, and she couldn’t see the expression on his face.
Song Dazhu coughed twice. “All parents in the world are the same. Sister Yu, you just said that a girl can’t be delayed. Isn’t this a coincidence? My Xiaojun is also twenty-three years old and can’t be delayed any longer. If you think it’s suitable, our two families can discuss and set the wedding date as soon as possible. What do you think?”