Chapter 236: None of You Are Serious |
When a couple got married, life was not easy. They basically had no money. There were many couples like this in the village.
If this was any normal couple, Su Danhong would not necessarily bother with matchmaking. However, this was something she started, so she would definitely try to pull the new couple together.
As for whether the couple would be happy, that was not something Su Danhong considered.
First of all, Ji Yulan was good looking and had a good personality. Su Danhong was satisfied with her because Ji Yulan had taken sides and she made her position clear. If she got married, she would rarely go back to her maternal family. She also knew what the 300 yuan betrothal gift meant.
As for Xu Heshan, Su Danhong was not worried. Although the young man was a little thinner, he was not short, he was about 1.8 meters tall. She had seen him with her own eyes, and he was not bad looking. The most important thing was that he had a stable income.
This was the most advantageous thing he had among the other bachelors.
Ji Jianyun called Xu Heshan over the next day. He was a little embarrassed when he arrived. After greeting sister-in-law to Su Danhong, he went to the backyard to help chop firewood.
After a while, Ji Yulan went to Aunt Yang's house, and Ji Jianyun took Xu Heshan there.
Then, Xu Heshan came back and his face was red. Su Danhong took one look and knew that he had taken a liking to her. Ji Jianyun also gave her a signal.
“Yulan, you've seen him, so just tell me the truth. Do you like him?” Su Danhong asked with a smile.
Ji Yulan blushed and nodded. She had taken a look at the man and he was dark, tall, and thin, with energetic eyes.
At this moment, she became a little worried, “Sister-in-law, I don't think he necessarily likes me.”
She would not have a dowry, and the betrothal gift would cost so much. She was not very pretty and had thick hands and feet.
“That won’t be a problem.” Su Danhong gave her reassurance and a smile.
Ji Yulan was stunned for a moment, and then her face turned red. He… he liked her?
“If you are willing, just go to the back of the village. He will be waiting for you there. You two can chat first and get familiar with each other.” Su Danhong said.
Ji Yulan bit her lip, nodded and went over.
Xu Heshan was indeed waiting for her. When he saw her coming, he also had a blush on his face. However, he was still a man, and he was still quite young. He was nervous and embarrassed, but he still had to show her what he was thinking. “If you marry me, we will separate and live alone. My father and mother are only over fifty now and can still work. I won't need to support them for at least another five years. And even if they do need the support, I still have an elder brother. I won’t have to do it alone.”
Ji Yulan lowered her head and blushed without saying anything.
Xu Heshan continued, “My salary this year is 30 yuan a month, but I pooled the money with my friend to buy a bicycle. The rest was given to my family, so I don't have a lot of money now. Don’t worry, the boss will give me an increase next year to 40 yuan a month, and I’ll give it to you for safekeeping.”
Ji Yulan was very nervous now. She was an older girl, and this was the first time an older girl got to sit on the sedan chair, and the man standing next to her would soon be her husband. How can she not be nervous?
But at this time, she knew what to say. After thinking about it, she whispered, “I don't know anything else, but I can take good care of the home, and… I can also give birth to our child.” After that, her face turned red.
But Xu Heshan was very happy and tried to hold her hand. He saw how she lowered her head and did not struggle, so he took her hand and said, “I will definitely give you a good life!”
Ji Yulan glanced at him and said, “Okay, I believe you.”
They stayed like that for a while, and then reluctantly separated.
Xu Heshan went back, and Ji Jianyun asked him, “How was the talk?”
“It was… pretty good.” Xu Heshan was a little embarrassed to say it because he needed to borrow money.
But before he could say anything, Ji Jianyun gave him 400 yuan and said, “I’ll lend you 400 yuan first. Once you’ve saved up enough, you can pay me back.”
“Thank you, boss!” Xu Heshan was shocked, and then looked at his boss.
“Work hard from now on, and you will be married soon. As for the marriage, you and your family will decide on a date. Of course, what I mean is that the sooner, the better, and the faster you can hold your child,” Ji Jianyun clarified with a smile.
Xu Heshan took the money and smiled sheepishly.
Xu Heshan was very efficient. The next day, he brought his father over to see Ji Yulan and Ji Mayo, her father. Ji Mayi said that if they didn’t have 300 yuan, there was no need to talk.
Xu Heshan's father had a temper, but his son had explained the situation to him before he came. He tolerated it, but asked Ji Mayi if he was selling his daughter!
Ji Mayi said that his family was poor, and he needed this money to marry off his daughter. It had nothing to do with selling his daughter. If he had no money, he should leave.
Xu Heshan's father didn’t like having in-laws like this. His son was very popular. Many people had come and inquired about marriage. Why was there any need to marry the daughter of this family?
However, after looking at Ji Yulan and then at his son, Xu Heshan's father nodded.
They became engaged, and 50 yuan was given as the engagement money. After the first month, the rest of the betrothal gift would be given.
Ji Mayi agreed.
This marriage became settled. Many people in the village knew about it, and they all said that Ji Yulan would have a good life. She did not have to worry about anything for the rest of her life because she was able to marry well.
Ji Mayi was not a good father. He valued sons over daughters. The eldest daughter had been treated like a cow since she was a child, and the two sons were treated like treasures. But many people were like this, and he was not as extreme as them. It was not uncommon for a girl to be thrown away immediately after being born.
Ji Mayi was not a good person, but the neighbors thought Ji Yulan was a really good person. This girl has been able to work since she was a child. She can do everything at home and outside. It would have been good to marry her.
In fact, there are many people who were interested in Ji Yulan, but because the betrothal gift requested by Ji Mayi was too much, they could only forget about it.
Everyone was very optimistic about this marriage between Xu Heshan and Ji Yulan. After all, Xu Heshan was a serious long term worker for Ji Jianyun. After the New Year, his salary would be 40 yuan. Ji Yulan was good at taking care of the house. These two were well matched.
Xu Heshan's matter was settled, but Su Zhumao's was not.
After learning about the strings Ji Jianyun had pulled to make Xu Heshan’s marriage happen, Su Zhumao was eager to find his boss. He found Ji Jianyun, who smiled and said, “I wanted to tell you about it, and have it handled for both of you about the same time, but the girl was not suitable for you. You are one year younger than Heshan anyway, it won’t be too late to marry at the same age as him next year. Why are you so anxious?”
“Of course I'm anxious. Without my wife to warm my bed, do you know how freezing it will be in this cold weather?” Su Zhumao said jokingly.
“Then find one yourself,” Ji Jianyun dismissed him.
“That's not possible. It's better for you, boss, to introduce me to someone,” Su Zhumao said quickly.
Ji Jianyun asked him to be patient and would let him know. When he came back, his wife joked, “Isn't it just a little later? Why is he in such a hurry?”
“It's normal to be anxious. He’s not young anymore. He wants to live a life where he can sleep with his wife in his arms,” Ji Jianyun explained.
“None of you are decent men.” Su Danhong smiled and rolled her eyes at him.
