Chapter 12:

  "What her aunt meant was that she didn't know if Dali's broken leg could be healed, and even if it could be healed, it might not be convenient for him to work in the fields in the future. That's why she asked for more gifts, saying that the bicycle and sewing machine would be given back as a dowry in the future. It's just a matter of transferring money from one hand to the other. As for the house,"

  Aunt Wu paused before saying, "They said that Dali is the root of the old Ma family, and the old Ma family's house must be inherited by Dali. It's only a matter of time."

  Ma Hongmei's face suddenly turned red. "I'm going to ****."

  Song Yuncheng reached out and pulled her.

  "I don't agree. Forget about this marriage, Mom. No matter how good their girl is, we can't accept it." Dali suddenly pushed the door open. Dali was too embarrassed to leave the room before, but he didn't expect to hear these things as soon as he went out.

  "We can still discuss this: maybe it's not impossible to find a solution." Song Yuncheng said as he pulled Ma Hongmei to sit down. "Don't get agitated."

  "That won't work. How much money can we save in a year? Third uncle's family only needs 10 yuan to marry a daughter-in-w, and third aunt has been compining about it for half a year, and only she stopped talking when her grandson's wife got pregnant. Why do we have to marry an ancestor?"

  After hearing this, Aunt Wu also said, "That's right. I've been a matchmaker for so many years, but I've never seen anything like this. And I don't know why, but her aunt kept asking me about Daniu."

  Ma Hongmei calmed down now. "Aunt Wu, That won't do. No one does things this way. If we endure it, there will be no peace in the family in the future. Go and tell them that the betrothal gift from our family is ten yuan, which is not a small amount. We don't have anything else. Two years ago, two kilograms of millet could be used to exchange for a wife. Why are they asking for so much from our family? Whether it succeeds or not, my son will not be unable to find a wife."

  Song Yuncheng thought about it and nodded. "That's it, Aunt Wu. If their family is sincere, we can talk about it, but they are obviously not sincere.It doesn't have to be their family. Father and their old man made a verbal agreement at the beginning. We didn't say anything when their family didn't recognize it. But if we continue like this, our two families won't need to get along to visit each other in the future."

  Aunt Wu sighed, "Really? Our Dali is so good. Now he is eating the government food."

  "Aunt Wu, you didn't tell their family that Dali is going to work at the forest farm, right?" Song Yuncheng said.

  "No, the letter just came down, and I just found out about it." Aunt Wu is the wife of Uncle Song, the vilge chief. Because of this retionship, she is very prestigious in the vilge, and many people usually look for her to act as a matchmaker.

  "Then don't say it."

  "I know that." Aunt Wu put on her headscarf and said, "Okay, I'm leaving now. I'll come another day."

  While Aunt Wu was walking out, Daniu took half a pound of brown sugar and stuffed it into her pocket. "Aunt Wu, thank you for your help. Take this back. You will have to help take care of my brother's affairs."

  Aunt Wu pushed it back, "No need, What is our retionship? You don't need to give me anything."

  Daniu forced it back and said, "Take it and give it to Grandma when you get home. It's my filial piety."

  The fifth Wu accepted it immediately and said, "Then I will thank you on behalf of your grandma. I will go and see it when I have time."

  "Okay, take care, Auntie." The big girl saw her out the door.

  When she got back to the house, I heard her mother and her father muttering, "The Zheng family must have asked around. How come our family just bought a car and their family also wants one? They want this much because they think the Daniu earns a sary. How can she eye her sister-in-w's money before she even marries in?"

  "Let's see. There's no rush." ??Song Yuncheng was also unhappy, but he didn't think it was a big deal. If it doesn't work, he can just look for another one. The marriage hadn't been set in stone yet.

  Men's thoughts are different from women's, and this made Ma Hongmei very angry.

  For the next two days, Ma Hongmei had a sullen face, and Dali was a little silent.

  Early that morning, Daniu opened a secret compartment in her kangqin and took out a square box. Inside were dozens of bills, all of which were newly issued Great Unity banknotes. There were four stacks in total, totaling 4,000 yuan. There was also a handkerchief wrapped next to it. She took it out and opened it. There were 300 yuan inside. She took out the 300 yuan and put the rest away.

  This 4,000 yuan was saved by her. She started working as a forest ranger two years ago. Her sary was 17.5 yuan at first, and ter it increased to 27.5 yuan, which included the normal sary of 22.5 yuan and the 5 yuan increase she got for doing a few things. This is a lot for them. Her father taught in junior high school and only earned 12 yuan a month. Her mother, grandfather, and eldest brother worked on the nd and earned work points, which could make a hundred yuan a year after the distribution of food.

  Daniu gave her family twenty yuan of her monthly sary and kept seven and a half Yuan for herself to spend. However, this money was not earned from her sary. Every time she went into the mountains, she would bring some game home. Sometimes, if she came across good prey, she would also exchange for money. Thanks to her keen sense of smell, she could also find some medicinal herbs. There were some good things here, such as ginseng and deer antlers, which sold very well.

  In the past two years, the management has been stricter. In some pces, hunting is still reguted, and the prey brought back must be divided equally. There are many hunters in their vilge. Even if they don’t hunt, they can go into the mountains to get some mountain products to eat, and the vilgers won’t care. But the Daniu is also very careful. If she brings back some things that are good and it isn't needed at home, she will directly send it to the city to sell.

  That's how she saved this money.

  She has been working for two years and got one industrial voucher every month, and then two. and with the rewards from the city and county, she has more than 30 industrial coupons. There were more than two months before the Chinese New Year, and she wanted to go to Harbin. One reason was to see her second grandpa and see if he wanted to come back. It was almost November, and the mountains would be closed if there were two more snowfalls, so the roads here would be difficult to travel. If he wants to come, she will bring him back with her. If he doesn't come, she will just treat it as a New Year's greeting and also take this opportunity to sell and buy some things.

  After putting the things away, Daniu found some more pieces of leather and wrapped them in a bag. She then took out a box from the cupboard and opened it, revealing three bear galls. These were all good things but could not be sold at a good price here.

  After packing up her things, she went to the backyard again and happened to see Aunt Wu coming out of the house.

  "Fifth Wu is here. Please sit for a while." The Daniu greeted her with a smile.

  "I can't. I have things to do at home." Aunt Wu smiled a little embarrassedly and left.

  After entering the house, she said, "Is there news from the Zheng family?" when she saw that her mother looked unhappy.

  "Well, didn't I say they were infuriating? The Zheng family asked for a huge sum of money and said that our family was not sincere. This marriage wasn't necessary in the first pce, but I thought that your grandpa had agreed with their family, and we couldn't break the promise, so I proposed the marriage. Look, we have ended up in a lot of trouble." Ma Hongmei sighed.

  "Forget it. We can always find someone suitable. I think the Guo family's daughter is pretty good."

  Ma Hongmei gred and said, "No, you don't mention her. We can choose anyone but not them."

  "Okay, I won't mention her. Take this." Daniu took out two hundred yuan.

  "Why are you giving this to me? We have money at home." Ma Hongmei refused.

  "As the New Year approaches, there are more pces to spend money; it is just to have a peace of mind. I know that my father has given all our money to help others, and I don't think we can rely on his sary." They have many children in the family but few borers, so there was almost nothing left after deducting the food money. Fortunately, Daniu and her father both earn money, and the family has some savings. However, her brother wrote to her in the first half of this year, saying that a comrade-in-arms had died. His home was not far from theirs, and they served in the army together, but he did not expect that he would not be able to come back.

  He couldn't come back, so he asked her father to go and see the family and see if there was anything they needed help with. When her father arrived, he found out that the family was really poor. Not only was there nothing, but the two elderly people in the family. They had two sons. The eldest son broke his leg while digging rocks and became disabled. The second son had a promising future but died.

  The man was married and had a son. When his wife heard that her husband had died, she colpsed and didn't regain her health until now. Her father saw that the family was in such a bad condition, so he sent some money to them every month to help them.

  In addition to that family, her father had a few other students who are doing well in their studies and whose families were in financial difficulties, so he helps them to some extent.

  Anyway, there was not much money left at home.

  "Your father is a kind-hearted man." Ma Hongmei said without taking the money.

  "It is enough for you to give your sary home every month. Your father knows his limits and will not support others when he cannot support his own family."

  Daniu nodded. She was clear about this. As for her father, he was a very sensible man. He seemed to know everything and had a very broad mind. He did not care about trivial matters and was not confused about big things.

  Ma Hongmei got up and rummaged in the kang cabinet. After a long while, she took out a bag wrapped in a handkerchief, opened it, and whispered, "Look, this is what Mom saved. I give your grandpa five yuan of your money every month, and I don't touch the rest. With the food coupons and the preys you bring back, we have enough to eat, and we don't spend much money on other things. Mom kept this money. I know you have money in your hands, so Mom will take advantage of you and arrange your eldest brother's marriage first. I probably won't need to arrange your second brother.

  Your dad said he is doing a good job in the army. If he returns from the army, it will be easy to arrange his marriage. If he doesn't return from the army and continues to serve in the army, he probably won't be able to marry a wife here. Your second brother also has an allowance every month, but I didn't take it. Your second brother has a bottom line in his heart and won't spend money recklessly. He won't need me to marry a wife in the future. As for the younger ones, they will have to wait a few years. By then, your dad and I will be able to save some money."

  Seeing her mother muttering to herself, Daniu couldn't help but hug her.

  Ma Hongmei felt a little embarrassed and said, "Why are you so sticky?" Then she smiled.

  Daniu stuffed the money in her hand into her mother's hand and said, "Take it, Mom. Your daughter has some skill. In the future, you and your dad will live with me, and I will support you in your old age."

  "What are you talking about? We have four sons; we don't need you to support us. You little girl is quite arrogant."

  Ma Hongmei rolled her eyes at her but took the money and put it together with the money she had saved before. "These will be used to buy your dowry in the future."

  Daniu smiled and said, "Mom, I'm going to Harbin soon and will be back in a week at the test."

  "Go ahead. Your father told me this morning. Come back quickly after you finish your business." Ma Hongmei was still very relieved about her daughter.

  "By the way, Uncle Song brought the letter of introduction this morning. He came very early in the morning and didn't go to the front yard." As she said that, she took out a piece of paper from under the kang mat.

  Daniu looked at the slightly yellow paper and didn't know whether to ugh or cry. "Mom, aren't you afraid that the paper will get burnt?"

  Ma Hongmei also ughed, "It's fine; I was afraid it would get lost if I put it somewhere else."

  Styvetass