**Chapter 43**

  "Oh my, is this Shun? I held you when you were just a baby. Look at you now, all grown up and so beautiful," the woman said cheerfully when she saw Daniu.

  Daniu smiled. "Auntie Gao, come on in. What brings you here?" She had indeed been held by this woman when she was very young. Her parents had taken her to visit the Zheng family back then when the two families were still quite close.

  Auntie Gao looked at her with a smile. "I’m here to see your mother."

  Daniu nodded. "She’s in the backyard. I’ll take you there." As they walked, Daniu led Auntie Gao to the backyard.

  "My, how you’ve changed so much! I heard you’re working in the commun secuity bureau now? How impressive!" Auntie Gao looked Daniu up and down. "You’re eighteen this year, right?"

  Daniu nodded, wondering what this visit was about.

  When they reached the backyard, the children had already left. The vilge was showing a movie today, and the kids had gone early to secure good seats.

  "Mom, Auntie Gao is here to see you," Daniu said as they entered the house.

  "Oh, what a rare guest! Fengjie, how many years has it been since we st saw each other?" Ma Hongmei was pleasantly surprised. Auntie Gao’s maiden name was Li Fengli, and she was from the commune. The two had known each other since childhood and had pyed together.

  "Indeed, the st time we met was when your Mei was born."

  "Fengjie, you haven’t changed a bit," Ma Hongmei said with a smile, inviting her to sit on the kang.

  Daniu poured a gss of warm water, and Li Fengli took a sip, smiling at her. "I’m a straightforward person, so I’ll get right to the point. Someone has asked me to come and propose a match for your Daniu," Li Fengli said, gncing at Daniu. However, Daniu’s expression remained unchanged. Auntie Gao’s demeanor had already hinted at the purpose of her visit.

  Ma Hongmei frowned at this. "My Daniu is still young. There’s no rush." She knew her daughter well—Daniu wouldn’t marry someone she didn’t like. The girl had a strong will and wouldn’t simply follow her mother’s arrangements like Dali had.

  "Ah, don’t say that. Time flies, and if you wait too long, it might be a bit te," Li Fengli said, seeing how calm the mother and daughter were. "Don’t reject it outright. Hear me out about their family’s conditions."

  Ma Hongmei thought for a moment and said, "Alright, go ahead. I’ll listen."

  Li Fengli smiled. "I’m talking about the Liang family from our vilge."

  At this, both mother and daughter frowned. Could this Liang family be the same one that had been involved with Zhou Yingchun?

  "It’s their eldest son. He’s the only boy in the family, with three older sisters who are all married. He graduated from junior high and just started working as a temporary driver at the transpotation company after the New Year. In six months, he’ll become a permanent employee. He’ll be a worker with an iron rice bowl. Even though he’s a temporary worker now, he’s already been allocated an apartment in a building. After marriage, they’d live there on their own," Li Fengli said, looking at the two of them. She thought these conditions were excellent, even for a city girl, let alone a rural one.

  However, it was clear that neither the mother nor the daughter was impressed. Li Fengli suddenly remembered Daniu’s job and ughed. "Oh, I forgot—Shun also has an iron rice bowl. If the two of you got married, you’d both have good jobs. His family has connections in the county, so they could pull some strings to transfer you there. Wouldn’t that be wonderful?"

  Ma Hongmei forced a stiff smile. "Fengjie, as I said, my Daniu is still young and isn’t looking to settle down yet. Besides, I’m quite familiar with the Liang family. His mother is Zheng’s second aunt, and I’m not particurly fond of her. Naturally, I wouldn’t want my daughter to marry into that family."

  Li Fengli’s expression soured, but she persisted. "Here’s the thing—his mother can be a bit difficult, but the Liang boy is already a worker. In the future, they won’t have to live in the vilge, and they won’t have to live with his mother. Besides, it was his mother who took a liking to Daniu. She genuinely admires your daughter and even said that if your family agrees, they’ll provide the ‘three rounds and one sound’ as part of the betrothal gifts. This is a rare opportunity; a family like them is hard to come by."

  Ma Hongmei shook her head. "Fengjie, this really won’t work. My Daniu isn’t in a hurry to find a match, and even if she were, it would have to be up to her."

  Daniu didn’t say anything. This was something her mother could handle.

  Li Fengli wanted to say more, but Ma Hongmei waved her off. "Fengjie, this really isn’t going to happen." Then, with a smile, she added, "Let’s not talk about them anymore. Stay for lunch before you go."

  Daniu didn’t pay much attention to the Liang family’s marriage proposal, but Ma Hongmei was quite upset. She already disliked the Zheng family because of what had happened with Dali, and there was no way she would let her daughter marry into that family.

  After looking dark for a couple of days, Ma Hongmei finally calmed down. When Dali came home for the weekend, Fifth Aunt also brought news. On Saturday evening, Ma Hongmei told Dali about the blind date, and he didn’t object. The next day, they went to the commune for the matchmaking meeting.

  The meeting was set at Fourth Grandpa’s house. Ninth Uncle had a good retionship with Old Zhou, and as neighbors, they were optimistic about this match. On the day of the meeting, the couple even took half a day off to help facilitate the introduction.

  Since they were acquainted, Song Yuncheng and Ma Hongmei went together. Both parents were very invested in Dali’s marriage, so they attended the meeting together. When they met Zhou Yingchun, Song Yuncheng immediately took a liking to her. It turned out that Zhou Yingchun had been one of his students. He hadn’t paid much attention to her name before, but upon meeting her, he recognized her.

  "I know this child. She has a good personality and is a hard worker. She got along well with many girls at school, very outgoing and diligent. She’s a good girl," Song Yuncheng whispered to Ma Hongmei.

  Hearing this, Ma Hongmei felt reassured. The more she looked at Zhou Yingchun, the more she liked her. Zhou Yingchun was a cheerful girl with a pleasant demeanor. She spoke clearly and confidently, and though she was a bit tall, it didn’t matter since Dali was also tall. Ma Hongmei thought the two of them looked very well-matched standing together.

  "I like this girl at first sight. Her height is typical of the girls from our Daqing Mountain area," Ma Hongmei said. The local girls were generally taller than those from other regions.

  "Yes, I think Dali is quite impressive too. He’s a spirited young man," said Old Zhou, whose full name was Zhou Quan. He had a friendly personality and was always smiling.

  Old Zhou’s wife didn’t say much and remained quiet, but her gaze at Dali showed that she was satisfied.

  "It’s not enough for you to approve. The two young ones need to agree as well. Why don’t you two go for a walk in the yard and get to know each other better?" Fifth Aunt, said with a smile. From her perspective, this match was as good as done.

  Dali and Zhou Yingchun went out to the yard, standing about three meters apart. The adults watched through the window. Yingchun said something that made Dali scratch his head in embarrassment, and he replied with a few words that made Yingchun blush. After a while, they started talking more comfortably, and it was clear that they had taken a liking to each other.

  Daniu didn’t go with them. When her parents and brother returned, she eagerly asked, "So, how did it go, Brother? Do you like her?"

  Dali’s face turned slightly red, and after a moment, he nodded. "Yeah, she’s alright."

  Ma Hongmei, beaming with joy, said to Grandpa, "She’s a good girl. She’s got a strong presence and a cheerful personality. She’s a great match for Dali. Fifth Aunt will go over tomorrow to see what their family thinks. If they agree, we can finalize the engagement. I think they can get married after the autumn harvest." Ma Hongmei had it all pnned out.

  "Yes, that’s good. The two of them can spend half a year getting to know each other. By the time they marry, they’ll understand each other’s temperaments, and there won’t be any issues," Grandpa said, also optimistic about the match.

  The next day, as expected, the Zhou family was also pleased. The two young people began their courtship with marriage in mind. Since Dali had a job and only came home on weekends, they didn’t spend much time together, but it was clear that they were developing feelings for each other. This was evident from how Dali would rush to the commune every time he had a day off.

  By te April, during the rice pnting season, the two families formally became in-ws, and the proposal to the Zhou family was made.

  Early that morning, Dali drove the horse cart, taking his parents and Daniu to the commune. Daniu was going to work, while her parents were going to the Zhou family to propose the marriage. Since Fourth Grandpa’s house was nearby, they didn’t need other retives to help. A successful proposal was as significant as a marriage. Unless there were unavoidable circumstances, breaking the engagement would be a major offense, potentially leading to a feud between the families.

  Just like the Zheng family girl, who was originally engaged to Dali. Even though the engagement was arranged by the elders, they had to find excuses to break it off. They demanded exorbitant betrothal gifts to shift the responsibility of breaking the engagement onto the Ma family. Fortunately, the Ma family didn’t make a big deal out of it, but if word had spread, the Zheng family would have been seen as unreasonable. Even so, the long-standing friendship between the two families was effectively ruined.

  Thus, the proposal was as important as the wedding itself.

  After work, Daniu went home with her family. On the way, she listened as her mother recounted the events. The Zhou family hadn’t made any excessive demands for the wedding. They agreed to Dali’s marriage proposal, with the west room in the backyard serving as the bridal chamber. The betrothal gift was modest—only ten yuan, with the additional request of two quilts and ten pounds of cotton. As for other items, they left it up to the groom’s family to decide how much to give, accepting whatever was offered without compint.

  In their region, where the weather was cold, it was considered enviable for the bride’s family to receive two quilts from the groom’s family.

  The Zhou family’s requests were easy to fulfill, especially compared to the Zheng family’s outrageous demands. Ma Hongmei even felt that the Zhou family was being very reasonable. Dali’s monthly sary was 27.50 yuan, and he gave 20 yuan to his mother, keeping seven for himself. Ma Hongmei had saved up about 150 yuan for the wedding, and it seemed they wouldn’t need to spend much of it.

  In fact, they didn’t know that the Zhou family had already inquired about the Ma family’s situation early on. Initially, they hadn’t considered the idea and didn’t ask in detail, but the Ma family was well-known, so it was easy to find out. Seeing that their family was harmonious, without any messy issues, and their financial condition was decent, they could tell just by looking at the neighboring Fourth Grandpa Ma’s family that they were good. Moreover, the matchmaker mentioned that the family owned a sewing machine. Even if it wasn’t in the couple's own room, it didn’t make a difference whether it was kept with the mother-in-w or in the couple's own room—their daughter could use it whenever she wanted. The family also had a bicycle, which was given to Dali, who earned a monthly sary. Where else could you find such conditions?

  Old Zhou told his daughter, “Daughter, listen to me, the Ma family is a good family. Once you marry into their household, you’ll be the eldest sister-in-w, with younger brothers and sisters below you. Don’t compete with them over trivial things, and don’t be short-sighted. What’s yours won’t be taken away by others. In the future, your parents-in-w will definitely live with you, and you’ll ck nothing. As long as there’s goodwill between people, everything else can be worked out.”

  Zhou Yingchun nodded. “Dad, don’t worry; I understand.”

  “Your dad is right, but if you ever feel wronged, don’t hold it in. Your dad and I will stand up for you,” Yingchun’s mother chimed in. She was quite vocal when it came to family matters.

  “I think the Ma family is a good match,” Old Zhou said, puffing on his pipe. “I think they’re much better than the Liang family. What’s so great about them? They just found their son a job. What’s there to be arrogant about?”

  “Oh, speaking of that, I heard that the Liang family’s son is about to get engaged to Ma Daniu. Ugh, if they get engaged, won’t Yingchun run into them again? How awkward,” Yingchun’s mother frowned.

  “Who told you that? That’s impossible,” Old Zhou shook his head. “Don’t spread rumors. That Ma Daniu isn’t someone just anyone can marry. Even the best young men in our commune have their eyes on her, but who dares to propose?”

  “That’s right, Mom. Don’t listen to gossip. Shufen told me that Shun hasn’t agreed to anything,” Yingchun added. She had heard about this before and had asked Shufen, who confirmed there was no such thing.

  “It was your aunt from Shuangmiao vilge who said it. She mentioned that Shun went to Shuangmiaozi recently to handle some business and was seen chatting and ughing with the Liang family’s son. Her mother even said they were about to get engaged,” Yingchun’s mother expined.

  Old Zhou tapped his pipe. “Something’s not right here. I hope the Liang family isn’t up to some shady tricks.”