# c17: braised chicken feet

Song Dagui himself thought that the old dog would resist, he didn't expect that this man would admit it so quickly!

Song Dagui: "The King of Heaven coming here? Is that something to be proud of?"

Listen to what he said, well Song Dagui doesn't like to make a big deal of things, otherwise this talk about the King of Heaven would be an issue. This is a new society, so there is no such thing as a Heavenly Ruler.

Lao Gou wants to cry but has no tears to shed. This was a subconscious reaction.

Thinking of last night, he was first splashed awake by the well, then Xu Shuang pressed his head, punched him and sprinkled medical alcohol on him to let him think clearly about his choice.

If he dared to say that he went out and touched the window of Wang Ying's house, Xu Shuang would sooner or later destroy his dick and end his manhood.

If he admits that he stole medical alcohol and drank it, and never appears in front of Wang Ying again or reveals a word about what happened, then Xu Shuang would let him go.

The old dog cried. Faced with this threat, any fool would know how to choose.

But Xu Shuang seemed to be afraid that he would not remember. He was beaten again and asked repeatedly during the beating about what he should remember, until he was knocked unconscious.

After these two beatings, those who were beaten by him had developed a conditioned reflex and became bald when asked.

But the old dog really didn't dare to touch Wang Ying anymore, let alone adding more to the story, he didn't even dare to tell the truth.

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

The former will probably ask the brigade to deal with him, and he may have to undergo a review and do extra work. This is how the brigade arranges those who have made minor mistakes and are not worthy of being on the revolutionary committee. Let them pick shit, work extra overtime, and do some dirty work.

But the latter...

Not to mention that Wang Ying is the child of a martyr and will be treated with special care. The nature of this matter means that he will be sent to prison. After that, no matter what crime he is given, he may be sent to a labour camp and never come back.

The old dog was so frightened that he suddenly retracted his courage. He didn't even want to think about why he dared to have such a devious thought.

When he heard the party secretary say this, Lao Gou hurriedly explained: "I said it wrong, but I did drink the medical alcohol! I accept any collective punishment!"

Song Dagui wants to give this man a kick!

You knew you were wrong and you still did it! And he’s so frank about it too! Do you think it’s a trivial matter, and you can just admit it quickly because you’re not afraid?

If Lao Gou knew that Song Dagui thought this way, he would definitely die of grievances. How could he think so? But compared to getting locked behind bars, secretly drinking medical alcohol is really a trivial matter...

Song Dagui said with a stupefied face: "Everyone in the brigade will listen to your review tonight. The mountain will be closed soon. The brigade leader will organize a hunt for wild boars in the mountains. You go along and will get the same share as the regular members. In the winter, you have a share in the snow plowing team. Even if you patrol at night, you won’t get any work points.”

The place where the 7th Brigade is located is at the foot of the mountain, relying on the mountain products and orchards on the mountain, making life much easier.

But at the same time, every winter is also a lot of preparation work.

First, we need to go into the mountains to kill a batch of wild boars, so that these uneaten furry animals will not come down the mountain to harm the members. The members can also get a share of the wild boar meat. Although the meat is not delicious, it is more or less a meat dish. If you encounter wolves, kill them whenever you can to prevent the wolves from coming down the mountain in winter.

This life is somewhat dangerous. Every time, we only choose strong young men, and older people don't like to go.

Song Dagui directly appointed Lao Gou, although he won't be able to bear full responsibility, couldn't he still carry supplies like a gun and food?

After this trip, Lao Gou, who could only get the regular member's share after the trip, had no choice but to agree.

Compared to going into the mountains, the subsequent snow clearing patrol is a trivial matter.Song 

Dagui was dissatisfied. It was going to be winter soon and there was little work. If it had been during the other seasons, he would definitely punish this person to do the heaviest work!

"Next spring, you have to go into the orchard to pick up manure."

It’s a bit too much to give him a punishment all the way to the summer in one go. The orchards don’t need much manure in the spring, so it’s better than nothing.

What else can the old dog do? He could only accept it completely.

But he was also muttering in his heart, what did he do to Xu Shuang by opening Wang Ying's window?

A dog bites a mouse, mind your own business!

But after half a day, the old dog understood why he met Xu Shuang there and why Xu Shuang dealt with him so ruthlessly.

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

After hearing the news, Lao Gou suddenly realized and felt a chill running down his spine. According to this, it was normal for Xu Shuang to beat himself twice.

He deserves to be beaten if he picks out his fiance's window.

The old dog is a little bit sour, Wang Ying can like Xu Shuang with such a bad social standing, why can't she like me? I am still a poor peasant!

The old dog went home to recuperate. Xu Shuang was so cruel in his fists that he couldn't even sleep because of the lingering pain. The wound would need to heal for at least a month, and it had to recover before heading into the mountains, otherwise he would not be able to keep up with the team, and being left alone was no joke.

The news of Xu Shuang's search for a matchmaker quickly spread in the brigade.

The young men in the team were dumbfounded.

They had just started making plans, but Xu Shuang got the better of them before they even started taking action?

Shameless! In the past, their family's social standing was good, so I didn’t mention it. Now, if  it is not good, the one with the best conditions in the group will still be picked away! When other people's social standing is poor, they always choose the lower ones, so why can he choose the best!

To say that Xu Shuang originally picked Wang Lingling, no one in the brigade was jealous about this, and many people even thought Xu Shuang was stupid. If I were Xu Shuang, I would definitely not find a partner in the countryside. At the very least, I would find a worker in the town.

Country people and city people are in completely different worlds, and Xu Shuang has such a face, looking in the county town is another kind of opportunity.

Then it turned out to just be Wang Lingling. Her family's conditions were average, her parents were both farmers, and although she was good-looking, she didn't have enough good looks to make people pay attention.

But who would have thought that Xu Shuang would find someone of Wang Ying's level despite being in a bad place in life?

Immediately, a very sour young man snorted: "Girls have long hair and short knowledge! They only know how to look at appearances!"

Can't see the connotations under his ordinary appearance!

"If you marry someone with such a poor background, there will be many hard times waiting for her in the future!"

"That's right, a good child of a martyr who marries a poor peasant like us can be considered a good person! I don't know what she's thinking when she chooses someone from the black category!"

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

Young women can have whatever they want, so what if they want to pick a good-looking one?

And Xu Shuang's conditions aren't that bad.

The social standing of his family is currently uncertain. It is said to be similar to the Black Category 5, but it does not appear so on paper. Some people think it is, some people think it is not. The people in the brigade were walking around his house before, and they were not sure what their attitude was.

If it were really nailed down to the fifth category, then the people in the brigade would at best not interact with each other very much. When it comes to bullying, most people wouldn't do that. It's just that some families are not very good themselves. Those who used to be middle peasants, rich peasants, and landlords will probably have to cut off all ties with the Xu family. You have to think about your own family.

But the key point is Xu Ming. We don't really know how it works, but he went directly to the northwest. It's not decentralization, but support.

This was a bit embarrassing. The commune heard that Xu Ming was anti-rightist, but the way it was handled was not that way. From the brigade to the commune, even the cadres did not take any action.

Moreover, Xu Shuang's job has not been lost. If his class status was judged to be unfavourable, Xu Shuang would be the first to lose his job.

Before this job was solved, Xu Shuang was still the chef of the state-owned restaurant in the town, earning a salary of several dozen a month, which was a lot of benefits.

This is equivalent to saying that there are no big changes!

Now, Xu Shuang is looking again and found Wang Ying. Wang Ying's social standing is the best in the whole team. If the two are neutralized, Xu Shuang's job will probably continue for a long time.

Looking at the group of people who were so upset just now, not to mention that there is no one with a serious job, there are only a few people who are willing to work in the fields.

This young girl is so out of her mind that she wants to find a master to take care of. She also has a house, and she can get a job right after graduating from high school. Even being single is better than taking care of someone.

Unfortunately, there are very few people who can see the situation clearly, and most of the people are young men who can only make sarcastic remarks and gossip.

There was also a guy who would cut down the vines when he couldn't eat the grapes, and his words were meaner than those of the old ladies in the brigade.

"In the past, Xu Shuang was Wang Lingling's partner. Should we say it or not, these two people, the brother-in-law is facing the sister-in-law. Who knows if they've been associating with each other for a long time."

But this was just a mouthful of nonsense, and everyone saw the trouble Wang Lingling made when she got married. Even if there was something in the past, just looking at what Wang Lingling did, what happened now was not unreasonable.

It was Wang Lingling who made a fuss about not getting married. Who can stipulate that the two families can't talk to each other again?

"No, I really can't swallow this breath. I want to go take a look!"

"I'll go too!"

Four or five young men were going to go look outside Wang Ying's house to see what kind of crooked trick Xu Shuang had come up with to capture her so neatly.

Wang Ying didn't expect Xu Shuang to move so quickly. The two agreed the night before, and the matchmaker Xu Shuang found came to her door the next afternoon.

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

Wang Ying's house originally had two rooms, and her parents' room was large. She could just pull the curtain and put a few chairs outside to entertain guests.

At this moment, the matchmaker invited by the Xu family was sitting on the chair and kept praising the Wang family's furnishings. Wang Ying was good-looking and she looked like a good girl who was quick and able to work. She must be able to have two children in three years after getting married. How blessed you are.

The matchmaker seemed to have memorized all these flattery words, and started to praise her as soon as she sat down. She would go through the process and praise for a long time, then change from topic to the topic.

"It's time for the male to get married, and for the female to get married. Our Xu Shuang is a good young man, and [my old sister](#user-content-fn-1)[^1] is also an honest person. Girl, since we don't need to worry about your family, I will talk to you directly..."

"Who said that this girl is alone?"

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

Li Chunjuan didn't care about anything at the moment, she wanted to drag Wang Ying out.

"You guys are very scheming. You are planning to take advantage of our absence to trick people. This girl's parents are gone, and there are still me and her uncle! How come there is no one?!"

Wang Yongshun also had a dark face: "Where did you hire the matchmaker? Don't you have to get through the eyes of the adults in the family before coming to the door? Also, who would bring the matchmaker over if they have fallen in love? Are you looking for a matchmaker or forcing a marriage?"

Wang Yongshun put on a loving face and faced Wang Ying: "Don't be afraid, Sanya. The day before yesterday, you said you didn't want to marry, and my uncle knows it. Don't worry, I 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 pain all night long!

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

And these two want to be a couple? Don’t even think about it!

The matchmaker is also a person who has seen the world and is not embarrassed at all: "Okay, uncle, right? Come on, come on, you sit down too. Where did we just talk? Oh, when it comes to marriage. I'll just say it straight. Uncle Wang, our girl Ying is looking for a wife."

"Logically speaking, we have to give some money to his family when recruiting a "bride" to marry in. After all, it is not easy for a family to raise a son. They have to take care of his food and drink. After he is raised, he will be sent out to be a son-in-law. The family will not be able to afford anything after that. This has to be compensated. People don't have a lot of money.”

"Normally, you have to give fifty yuan to recruit a son-in-law, but I just heard from the boy from the Xu family that our two families here have talked about getting married before. Isn't this such a coincidence? It's rare that such fate binds you together. I thought about letting both parties talk a little, we can give the bridal price of 40 yuan, it's okay, don't think it's too much, this young man looks so upright, 40 yuan won't be a loss even if Ying girl's parents are not here. Okay, think about this money..."

Wang Ying was laughing to death in her heart. She and Xu Shuang were not angry about this matter. She originally wanted to talk to Xu Shuang today, but she didn't expect Xu Shuang to move so quickly, so she was lagging behind.

But judging from the matchmaker's performance, Xu Shuang should have already made arrangements, otherwise the matchmaker wouldn't be so fast and accurate.

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

At this moment, Wang Yongshun's face was green and black, covered by dark clouds.

Wang Ying looked excited and added fuel to the fire: "She's right, uncle, I'm asking for help. I didn't think about it the day before yesterday. I thought about it yesterday and told Xu Shuang, and he agreed."

Wang Yongshun really wanted to say something bad, but he was good at suppressing it. Even if he was asked to talk, he wouldn't be able to say it.

But Li Chunjuan didn't hold back, she opened her mouth and scolded them: "What nonsense are you talking about! It's obvious that you two have agreed upon it a long time ago!"

Li Chunjuan finally understood that Wang Ying didn't agree on the spot because she didn't want to get involved in the Xu family's request for money. She was afraid that if she said this, Xu Shuang's money would be hard to take back.

This damn girl is so cruel, watching Xu Shuang embezzle such a large sum of money from their family.

Wang Ying smiled and said: "No matter what you say, I am going to marry Xu Shuang anyway. If you and my uncle want to participate, just pay the 40 yuan and I will reserve a good seat for you at the wedding banquet. If you want to do something else... I advise you to take a rest."

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

Wang Yongshun smiled but said: "Sanya, have you thought about it clearly? In the future, you plan to leave your mother's family, and you will be bullied and have no one to support you, do you want to be a lonely ghost?"

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

"You really think you are a piece of cake, and you still want to recruit a husband in. How can you suppress others by recruiting a husband?"

Perhaps seeing that there was no hope of survival, Wang Yongshun no longer bothered to pretend to be friendly, and his words were just threats.

Wang Ying shrugged: "You don't actually care about what others want from me, but you want my house, money, and the things my parents left me. What's wrong, still pretending? Who is the one who really wants to reap the benefits? It turns out to be you, uncle.”

Wang Yongshun stood there and stared at Wang Ying fiercely.

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

It was he who underestimated his niece. He didn't expect that his niece, who he was so sure about in the past, would suddenly become clear-headed for some reason.

Wang Yongshun hated her so much, 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 found an outlet.

He slapped Li Chunjuan on the face: "It's all your fault! I told you to be nice to Sanya! I told you to be cordial and not pressure her too hard! You just had to turn a deaf ear! It's fine now, there's nothing left. "

Li Chunjuan has been under a lot of pressure recently. First her house was emptied, then Wang Lingling made trouble, and then the Xu family came to ask for money... one after another, she couldn't stop grieving.

In addition, the Xu family came to ask for money the day before yesterday. Wang Yongshun said that the family had no money, but then he gave Xu Shuang fifty dollars.

Where did this money come from? Wang Yongshun had said several times that their family was poor and asked her to save money. In order to save money, she was as stingy as possible, calculating every penny. If not for this, she wouldn't have cheated Wang Ying to that extent.

What's the result now? Wang Yongshun put everything on herself again.

He told her not to pressure Wang Ying, but he should lead by example!

If he asked Wang Ying to eat cornmeal, would she not agree?

Wang Yongshun didn't say he did anything wrong as the head of the family, so who is he to blame all of this on herself?

Li Chunjuan's anger had accumulated over the past few days, and she howled before fighting back.

She fought like a woman, pulling his hair and scratching with her fingers. Wang Yongshun's head hurt from his pinching. He tried to hit but got stuck. The two of them started fighting on the ground, one punch after another.

Wang Ying could hear the two of them wailing in their house, and she felt so relaxed and happy.

The matchmaker spoke very eloquently now that the two were out of the way.

"Let's talk about the bride price. The Xu family can give you one of the three major items, a sewing machine, a bicycle and a watch. Girl Ying, which one do you want?"

Wang Ying: "Huh?"

Don’t I need to give a bride price to my husband?

Xu Shuang: "I originally wanted to buy a bicycle, but my mother said that since you don't go out much, I'd probably use the bicycle more, so she asked me to buy you a watch. But it's hard to get the industrial stamp for the watch, and I'm worried about it getting in time before getting married. I can also ask my colleagues to exchange for the bicycle tickets, and I can get them right away, but I can’t choose the brand. Our company only has access to tickets for Yongjju bicycles, no Phoenix tickets…”

Wang Ying looked at Xu Shuang, who had a bit of a breakdown after making the decision to get married: ...

The matchmaker was jealous just by listening to it. These three big things are difficult to obtain. If a family in the countryside can produce any of them, it is a great family. Even if the county town can produce three, it's not much. The boy from the Xu family asked the woman to choose one as soon as he spoke. This sincerity was not like marrying a wife, it was like marrying a fairy.

Old Mrs. Xu was sitting next to her, and she also added a few words at this time: "Girl, don't worry, I can still find other tickets on my youngest son's side. Let's put away the three big items slowly. In the past two years, I have asked him to be more mindful with his spending. In less than three years, we will buy everything for you."

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

The front foot was still worried that Yao'er[^2] could not find a suitable wife, when this dead boy on the back foot said that Wang Ying had agreed.

Wang Ying agreed!

Mrs. Xu thought that she would have to find a time to go to the hilltop where her parents lived to pay homage. There used to be a nunnery on the top of the hill there, which was said to be very effective. Later on, nunneries were not allowed anymore, so all the nuns were married off, and the nunnery was also torn down.

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

Mrs. Xu asked her eldest sister to come and pray a few days ago, hoping that Yao'er's marriage would go smoothly.

In just a few days, a perfect girl agreed to get married.

Mrs. Xu wishes that she could take care of the Bodhisattva’s incense for the next ten years!

This is so effective. Wang Ying's conditions are ten times better than those of Wang Lingling. Especially when the other party is willing to be poured with their own muddy water at this time, she really is a kind-hearted and good girl!

Mrs. Xu also heard Wang Yongshun's nonsense just now. She wanted to scold Wang Yongshun. She was really blind to this person before, how could she treat Wang Ying badly?

Mrs. Xu knew very well that it was not difficult for Wang Ying to find a partner. By marrying her youngest son, she might feel a little wronged in regards to his social status, but she probably chose him for his character, knowing that he could make her feel comfortable in life. But if Wang Ying left Xu Shuang, she could still choose a comfortable man without looking too hard. There are many good young men in their brigade. Compared with my own son, they may not be as good-looking, but their character is definitely good. If Wang Ying chooses one to marry, life after marriage may not be difficult.

On the contrary, for my own family, it is even more difficult to find someone who suits my needs if Wang Ying wasn't available.

Mrs. Xu was very satisfied. As soon as Xu Shuang told her what had happened, she almost fainted with excitement.

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

Not to mention the three big items, just other things, if Wang Ying wanted it, she would have to risk her family's money to get it back.

Wang Ying doesn't have any feelings about the three major items, but she just feels...this doesn't seem to be the same as the marriage she imagined?

When Xu Shuang saw that she didn't answer, he thought to himself and said, "In a few days, I will take you into the county town and let's go and see it on the spot."

The matchmaker quickly answered: "Okay, we went through the three big items first, now let's talk about the other things. The boy from the Xu family said that he would buy two more cotton quilts, two hot water bottles; he's [pulling on your clothes to gauge your interests](#user-content-fn-3)[^3]... "

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

Mrs. Xu was dissatisfied: "Girl Ying needs to make more clothes. I guess the black-hearted uncle and his wife didn't give her new clothes. Yao'er, don't ask your colleagues to exchange them. Go to the city to find your master and ask him. Prepare according to the [five sets and eight sets](#user-content-fn-4)[^4].”

Xu Shuang: "Okay."

Wang Ying: "..."

The matchmaker took over the conversation and continued: "As for the furniture, it depends on you. The bed must be made right now, and it must be equipped with two cabinets. Whatever else is missing, we will decide it together today, and the Xu family will find someone to make it."

Mrs. Xu interjected: "Look for Carpenter Liu! Don't look for the guy named Niu. What he makes is rough work!"

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

Matchmaker: "And shoes..."

Xu Shuang: "I asked my master for a ticket."

……

Wang Ying found that in this whole scene, she had no chance to refuse!

She didn't have to worry about showing off even a little bit. Mrs. Xu was immediately moved and advised her not to be too frugal. Marriage is a big event and should be done in a glamorous way. As for Xu Shuang, he was like a sycophant next to a foolish king. He kept saying that he would get this thing and that he could handle that thing. It seemed that if Wang Ying said that she wanted three gold coins, he would agree on the spot without changing his face.

Wang Ying felt it was a little too grand, but also felt a strange joy.

After Xu Shuang finished speaking her side, the matchmaker waited for Wang Ying to speak. It was the first time for the matchmaker to encounter such a situation. He was very surprised, but he still maintained his expression and asked Wang Ying if there was anything he wanted to tell the Xu family.

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

It stands to reason that the one marrying in would live in her home, but after getting along for a short time, Wang Ying couldn't bear to leave Mrs. Xu alone in the Xu family's house. Getting along with the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law also depends on how they get along. If they have the right vibe, Wang Ying wouldn't mind working together on many things.

Old Mrs. Xu spoke first: "Of course you two will live together! I'll live over there, and you'll live over here. We'll eat together, if you are late to work, I can do it!"

Xu Shuang added: "My mother is used to living there. There is a pressurized water well in our yard, which is convenient for everything. If something happens or you get tired of living here, we can go back and live there. Anyway, both sides are close."

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

Mrs. Xu added: "On the day of our wedding, we will have wine in the old house. After the wine is over, you can come and live there. By the way, girl Ying, do you want to repair the room in your house?"

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

Her place is an old mud house and there is no soundproofing when living together, so the young couple will inevitably be unable to let go. Living here is different. It's a big blue brick house with good sound insulation, so the couple can feel comfortable. Who knows, maybe I'll have a grandson or granddaughter next year!

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

But it doesn't matter. I asked Xu Shuang to find someone to build a wall in the middle and also asked the branch secretary if he could create a backyard. This house would be a good place to close off from the outside world.

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

That's alright, we can take advantage of the wedding to build a courtyard wall. Wang Ying also plans to build a courtyard wall behind the window. What happened to the old dog last night still made her feel uncomfortable, and the back window of her house also needed to be enclosed in a yard for her to feel at ease.

Naturally, Xu Shuang responded and said that he would pick a time to go to the commune next door to get bricks. It happened to be an idle time for farming, and there were people available in the brigade to help build the courtyard wall.

The matchmaker saw that it was almost over now, so she took Old Mrs. Xu to talk about home affairs for a while. She deliberately set aside time for Wang Ying and Xu Shuang to talk privately. After all, some things may not be appropriate to discuss with Mrs. Xu.

Wang Ying tugged on Xu Shuang's sleeve and asked in a low voice: "Are you really not going to be broke if you spend so much money?"

This is not like marrying a wife, it's like giving away all the family wealth.

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

There was a smile in Xu Shuang's eyes: "How can I be so poor?"

After all these calculations, the main costs are in the three major items and the courtyard wall. The three big items that cost money and tickets cost a minimum of 200 yuan, while the courtyard wall is estimated to cost one to two hundred. The rest are just small pieces. It's only over a hundred points.

The Xu family earned most of their cash from Xu Shuang's job as a cook, but his family was not particularly poor to begin with. Xu Shuang's father was also a cook, but he died young. Mrs. Xu sent Xu Shuang to his father's junior brother to learn skills, and he became a chef within a few years.

Xu Shuang is smarter than his father. Not only does he work in a state-owned hotel, Xu Shuang also takes care of a lot of weddings during the off-season every year. He can also go up the mountain to get some things back to improve his life, and no one knows whether he privately sells them for more.

Mrs. Xu is also strange. Xu Shuang's salary is enough for her to live on, yet she often goes to work. She is not an old lady who just lies at home waiting to be served when she reaches her old age.

However, no matter how outsiders speculate, the Xu family has never shown their wealth to the outside world. Didn't you see that this family doesn't even own a bicycle?

This is also Mrs. Xu's life wisdom. She saw with her own eyes how the treatment of the 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.

As soon as Xu Shuang's monthly salary was paid, she asked Xu Shuang to send money to her eldest son. She told others that Xu Shuang's salary would support two people, and she could not 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 left him a share of everything. Xu Ming also received a subsidy, with extra money every month. Five dollars is enough to live on.

However, Mrs. Xu did a really good job in fooling others. Everyone in the village knew that Xu Shuang had to support his eldest brother as soon as his salary was paid. They all said that Mrs. Xu was partial and deprived her younger son in favor of the eldest. She must have taken all the money from the younger son's hands and given it to the older son.

As a result, there were fewer people staring at Xu Shuang, and no one came to the Xu's house to borrow money.

But now, in order to get married, Mrs. Xu no longer cares about these things. Spend everything that needs to be spent.

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

With a family fortune of four digits, no wonder Xu Shuang said she had endless money to spend.

In comparison, Wang Ying felt that she was a bit weak.

"I still have fourteen dollars and a half with me."

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

Wang Ying's face turned red: "Why don't you take care of the money?"

She can't even compare to a fraction of the other person's savings, and it's a bit hard to hold on to the family's savings after knowing this.

Xu Shuang didn't agree this time: "You're in charge, I'm marrying in."

Wang Ying is simply numb. Isn't this person who comes with four figures the most powerful son-in-law?

Xu Shuang: "You take it, it's convenient to spend money."

Wang Ying agreed awkwardly, and the matchmaker over there saw that the situation was almost settled, so she continued to talk about the wedding date.

"It's already the end of October. The mountains here are closed every year in early December. Time is running out. I looked at two times, one is November 9th and the other is November 26th. But if it must be on the 9th, you'd have a lot to do, otherwise it’s the 26th?”

Wang Ying had no objection: "Just twenty-six."

A month is actually not enough time, but considering that this is the north, it takes more than two months to close the mountains due to heavy snow. It’s also normal. Otherwise, we can't let people brave the heavy snow to have a banquet.

The matchmaker mentioned a few more details, and the two parties finally discussed it.

Mrs. Xu had a good impression of the matchmaker, so she simply entrusted it to the matchmaker to find help for the wedding banquet. Although her family's family background was no longer a problem, Mrs. Xu still felt a little uncomfortable. Some old ladies who were nice to me in the past have not come to visit yet. They seem to be waiting to see if they can find a good daughter-in-law.

Mrs. Xu was not happy, and naturally she didn't want to worry about finding someone in her own brigade anymore. She simply asked the matchmaker to find someone from another brigade, and when the time came, she would make them a meal, pay and leave, so as not to waste any more time.

The matchmaker was overjoyed. In her profession, she did more than just earning the money from helping the men and women after matchmaking. She also worked as a temporary helper for others, breeding cattle, giving puppies to others, and everything else.

She likes the job of finding someone to do the wedding banquet the most. There is good food at the banquet, the women are rushing to come, and she can also earn money for introductions.

"Don't worry, I'll definitely find some people who are quick and agile!"

This marriage was well planned. Both parties were friendly and amicable. It was not like other families at all. Both men and women were looking for betrothal gifts. You gave me one foot of cloth less, and I gave two dollars more. In the end, there was a big fuss. There are also those who break up.

The matchmaker happily took the money to thank the matchmaker, thinking in her heart that it would be best to have more of such good matches, which would also make her feel happy.

After sending the matchmaker away, Mrs. Xu went back on her crutches, while Xu Shuang handed Wang Ying a small paper bag.

"I'll order furniture and bricks tomorrow, and I can build the wall on a sunny day. But I have to go to the city to buy some things. When is it convenient for you?"

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

She still had a few medicinal materials to prepare, and she was just waiting to finish collecting. She would take them into the city to see if anyone wanted them. She also heard that there was a hospital purchasing station that collected medicinal materials, and she happened to go to ask about the price.

Xu Shuang: "Okay, you can go to the state-owned hotel to meet me one day in advance so that I can have a letter of introduction written."

Xu Shuang is a worker, so the letter of introduction does not come from the brigade. He has to ask the manager at the hotel. The person in charge is not always there every day, and usually opens in advance.

Wang Ying nodded, and Xu Shuang looked at her holding the paper bag, as well-behaved as the first time he'd seen her at the hotel...

Xu Shuang turned around and walked away. Wang Ying was still a little puzzled, why did this person walk so fast?

When I opened the paper bag again, the contents were already cold. They were braised chicken feet and duck feet, a sesame seed cake, and a small packet of chili noodles.

Wang Ying put the chicken feet and duck feet on the pot to steam, and it was hot after a while. It tasted particularly delicious when paired with the crispy sesame seed cakes. 

The crispy and chewy duck feet are just the right texture and have a bit of soup. This braised soup also tastes good, with an irresistible salty flavor. The chicken feet have been marinated for a long time, the skin and meat are smooth and soft, rich with gelatin. It has a soft and spicy taste in the mouth.

Wang Ying was still a little bit unsatisfied after finishing this pack. The chicken feet and duck feet were so delicious. Sure enough, braised food is about eating something that is easy to taste.

The day after the marriage was arranged, Xu Shuang was busy. The carpenter who was making furniture counted the time and ensured that he could finish the work in half a month. Xu Shuang made one trip to the brick kiln and brought back the bricks. It was also because there were many people building houses at the brick kiln recently and there were enough bricks prepared that Xu Shuang was able to bring back so many bricks.

Wang Yongshun fought with Li Chunjuan until his face was broken, and his face was all bruised up. He glared at Wang Ying across half of the courtyard wall, and also at those who came to help build the courtyard wall.

It made people baffled.

By the time the courtyard wall was finally built, it was already five days after the wedding was finalized.

The people in the brigade watched helplessly as the two families really started to prepare for the marriage. The Xu family even generously built a wall for Wang Ying. It seemed that she really decided to marry Xu Shuang in the future.

Regarding this, everyone's reactions seemed to be a little ordinary now.

Thinking about it, Wang Ying's conditions are good, so if she is looking for Xu Shuang, she would want him to join her family. It's not surprising.

The only surprise is that Xu Shuang's family doesn't look like a groom-in-law at all. The preparations are the same as a ninth-generation single descendant going to marry a daughter-in-law.

They are building walls and making furniture, and I heard they are even preparing to hold a banquet.

Those who were still a little unconvinced immediately gave up. The Xu Shuang family decided that they could not do this on their own initiative, and that it could only be at Wang Ying's request.

No wonder Wang Ying chose Xu Shuang. Who could fulfill her requirements? This is not bringing a husband into her family, this is marrying an ancestor!

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

The mountain behind her house is like a treasure, with too many good things.

Wang Ying found seven or eight kinds of uncommon medicinal materials, prepared them according to what she had learned, and packed up to go to the city to try her luck. If the price at the purchasing center was too low, she might as well take a risk and visit the hospital herself. The only difficulty is that every time the brigade goes to the city, they have to issue a letter of introduction, which will definitely not work if they go there too many times.

But it should be convenient for Xu Shuang. Wang Ying thought to herself, Xu Shuang's four-digit savings can't all be salary, right? This man must have some unknown ways of making money. He definitely visited the county town a lot.

On this day, Wang Ying was looking at the herbs drying on the window sill when she heard the voice of a young boy coming from across the courtyard wall.

"Dad, Mom, why does our house have this extra courtyard wall? And why has my room changed?"

[^1]: Xu Shuang's mother.

[^2]: The youngest son.

[^3]: Like a child pulling your clothes to get your attention and figure out your opinion...

[^4]: An expression that means to prepare a variety of options and sets, so that everything needed is accounted for.


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