Wang Gu was sitting at Old Man Gu’s oldest son’s house, a smile on her face, her eyes scrutinizing everything around her.
This was the Gu family’s old house, built back when the older generation of the Gu family was still around. As the eldest son of the main branch, when the family split up back then, Old Man Gu’s oldest son got this house.
The walls were plastered with mud, and the signs of cracking were visible. There seemed to be an enduring smell of earth in the room. The furniture was old, and at a glance you could tell it had been used for who knows how many years, so broken that several termite-bored holes could be seen…
Wang Gu was very disdainful in her heart, but on the surface she wore a kind smile.
She was plump, and when she smiled, she looked cheerful too, giving people a festive feeling, looking very blessed.
Because of this, many people liked to find her to come to their homes and broker marriages, feeling that she was a woman with good fortune.
Wang Gu knew very well that although the Gu family’s old house was very old, and the Gu family members were all country mudlegs, who told them their family had produced a fairy-like little girl, to the point that even the factory director’s son at the machinery factory had fallen in love with her and wanted to marry her.
They still had to be given some face.
When Yu Xiaolan first learned that Wang Gu was a matchmaker from the city, she had received her very warmly.
But after hearing her state her purpose, that face instantly drooped, and the hand holding the cup twisted back, tipping the water into her own mouth, and she drank it herself.
Wang Gu: “…”
Wang Gu looked at Yu Xiaolan, utterly speechless, and when she thought of the information she had previously investigated, she was not surprised either.
If today she had come to arrange a match between Director Jiang and Gu Mingyue, this Yu Xiaolan would probably have treated her as warmly as if she were her own birth mother, greeting her with smiles.
Unfortunately, today she had come to arrange a match between Director Jiang and Gu Yijia.
Wang Gu had traveled all the way from the county seat to Nanshan Commune. Although the journey was not very far, this damned weather was truly stifling and hot, and her throat was dry to the point of hurting.
Unable to drink any water, Wang Gu swallowed her dry throat and said to Old Man Gu, who was silently sitting there smoking dry tobacco, “Old Man Gu, your little girl is truly a pretty and outstanding child. I hear she’s even a high school student, so it’s only right that she caught Director Jiang’s eye. Director Jiang said that if you are willing to marry your little girl to him, he will prepare the four major items, as well as eight hundred yuan in betrothal money.”
The Gu family’s front gate was open, and quite a few people were standing outside.
Because Wang Gu had come with such fanfare, many people had seen it, and quite a few had specially run over to the Gu family to watch the excitement.
When they heard the betrothal gift Wang Gu mentioned, they all gasped.
Such a betrothal gift, let alone in the countryside, was rare even in the city. If it were for their own daughters, they would all have wanted to agree immediately.
Eh? Wait!
The person Wang Gu was arranging a match for seemed to be Gu Yijia, not Gu Mingyue. It was Old Man Gu’s sickly little girl?
Everyone looked at Wang Gu in shock, thinking they had heard wrong.
Only when Wang Gu mentioned Gu Yijia again did everyone finally confirm that they had not heard wrong, that she really was there to arrange a match for Old Man Gu’s family’s weak and frequently ill little girl.
Old Man Gu was still silently smoking his pipe.
Yu Xiaolan beside him was so jealous her face had twisted.
Originally, when she heard from Third Aunt Gu that the betrothal gift was the four major items plus five hundred yuan, how had it become eight hundred yuan now?
She could not help but say, “Wasn’t the betrothal money five hundred yuan?”
Wang Gu waved her hand carelessly. “Oh, five hundred or eight hundred, for Director Jiang, it’s all the same! It was originally going to be five hundred, but Director Jiang really has his eye on your little girl and said he was willing to raise the betrothal gift again.”
Such a generous betrothal gift, as long as one was not stupid, they should be willing to marry, right?
Yu Xiaolan was already so jealous she did not know what to say.
The four major items were the three turns and one sound. The three turns were a bicycle, a sewing machine, and a wristwatch, while the one sound was a radio. These were the most popular betrothal gifts for marriages in this era. If a family’s daughter had such a betrothal gift, they would have face whenever they went out.
Especially in a rural place like this, it was hard to gather all four major items as a betrothal gift, because these were not things you could buy just because you had money, you also needed industrial vouchers.
Not to mention that there was also the eight hundred yuan in betrothal money. In the countryside, it was practically an astronomical sum.
Wang Gu did not look at Yu Xiaolan. She enthusiastically introduced Jiang Jinwang to the girl’s parents. In her mouth, Jiang Jinwang seemed to be this rare and incomparable good man, and if they missed him, they would definitely regret it for the rest of their lives.
Although a matchmaker’s mouth could not be trusted, Jiang Jinwang’s conditions were indeed very good in many people’s eyes, and Gu Yijia could be considered to be marrying above her station.
The commune members who came to join the excitement listened with their hearts stirred. They also wanted such a wealthy son-in-law.
By the end, Wang Gu’s mouth was parched.
She swallowed again, very displeased in her heart with the Gu family’s rudeness. Up to now, they still had not poured her a cup of water, and Old Man Gu was like a stuffy gourd, not making a sound the whole time.
Wang Gu could not help but urge, “Old Man Gu, with conditions this good, what are you hesitating for?”
Hurry up and agree. Once he agreed, she could go back and report, and collect her generous matchmaker fee.
Finally, Old Man Gu spoke. His voice sounded very dull. “I don’t care about the children’s marriages. As long as they’re willing themselves.”
Hearing this, Wang Gu immediately had a look of utter speechlessness on her face.
So everything she had said before was just for nothing?
These days, although people talked about freedom of marriage, in many places, parents still decided their children’s marriages. Especially in a rural place like this, very few girls could decide their own marriages; it was still just the parents and elders taking a liking to someone, and then it was set.
That had originally been her plan too.
As long as Old Man Gu agreed, even if Chen Aifang did not agree, could she use a broom to beat her own father-in-law?
Though she thought this way, Wang Gu still said, “That is natural. Now it’s a new society, and we don’t go in for arranged marriages like that. However…” She changed the subject and said, “As Gu Yijia’s father, you can help her take a look. Such a rare match, if you miss it, it would really be a pity.”
Old Man Gu did not feel joy just because Jiang Jinwang’s conditions were too good. He remained with that dull expression and said, “Back when Mingcheng’s marriage was decided, it was his own decision. Jiajia’s marriage also has to have her own agreement.”
In short, when it came to the children’s lifelong affairs, he would not interfere.
If Wang Gu really wanted to arrange a match for a daughter, she could go find his daughter.
Wang Gu was rarely stumped.
She still wanted to say something more, but saw that Old Man Gu had already stood up and picked up the farming tools placed in the corner of the wall. He said, “I’m going to work first.”
Wang Gu cried out, “Wait, Old Man Gu, I’m not done talking yet…”
Old Man Gu stood in the courtyard. On that dark and weathered face of his, a pair of eyes looked over with heaviness.
He still said the same thing, “As long as Jiajia is willing, that’s enough.”
Wang Gu watched helplessly as he left, so angry that she kept stamping her feet.
The villagers also looked regretfully at Old Man Gu. Someone followed after him and asked, “Old Man Gu, why didn’t you agree just now? With your little girl’s health, if there’s a man willing to take her and even offer such a generous betrothal gift, you should have hurriedly agreed.”
Although in these years, if a woman reached the right age and did not marry, she would definitely be pointed at and criticized, every rule had exceptions.
Everyone knew about Gu Yijia’s health. If she really were to look for a partner, she would probably be a burden. No one wanted to marry a woman who could not work, got sick all the time, and did not know when she might die.
So many people had already mentally prepared themselves for the fact that Gu Yijia would never marry in this lifetime.
Not marrying was fine too. Anyway, her older brother and sister-in-law did not dislike her and were willing to support her. Wasn’t that better than marrying some man whose background they did not even know?
But if there was a man willing to marry her, and one with such good conditions at that, then she should hurry and marry.
It was better than staying at home and being an old girl.
Old Man Gu walked forward silently, still saying the same thing, “Jiajia herself has to be willing.”
That person was left speechless as he looked at him.
However, he felt that with conditions as good as Jiang Jinwang’s, as long as one was not stupid, one would be willing, right? He believed Gu Yijia would also be very willing.
Wang Gu knew Gu Yijia was unwilling, which was why she had first come to Old Man Gu’s house, wanting him, as the father, to make the decision.
Who knew that Old Man Gu would just leave like that and even tell her to go find Gu Yijia. As long as she agreed, he, as the father, would have no objections.
She was immediately somewhat angry, feeling that Old Man Gu, as a father, was truly useless.
At this time, she saw a cup of water being handed in front of her. Wang Gu turned her head and saw Yu Xiaolan holding the water. She felt somewhat surprised.
Hadn’t she just been unwilling to let her drink water a moment ago?
But she really was thirsty, so she picked it up and drank more than half the cup in one go.
Yu Xiaolan rubbed her hands and said, “Aunt Wang, did Director Jiang really take a liking to Jiajia? But you also know our Jiajia’s body, and I’m afraid she’s not suitable to be someone’s wife… Oh, has Director Jiang considered changing to someone else? My Mingyue is healthy, and she’s pretty too, and having a big butt is good for giving birth…”
Wang Gu looked at her speechlessly and realized that Old Man Gu’s couple were both rather something.
She interrupted Yu Xiaolan. “Stop dreaming. Director Jiang specifically named Gu Yijia as the one he wants to marry. If it’s not Gu Yijia, then forget it.”
With what kind of conditions did Jiang Jinwang have? There were plenty of city girls who wanted to marry him. Did he need to specially run to the countryside to find a wife?
Yu Xiaolan was somewhat awkward, and her heart was very angry.
What sort of taste did this Director Jiang have, to actually take a liking to a sickly girl? He should be careful that just after marrying her, he would have to arrange her funeral, and not be afraid of bad luck.
After Wang Gu left Old Man Gu’s house, she directly turned to Third Aunt Gu’s house.
When Third Aunt Gu saw her arrive, she felt a little guilty, but still received her warmly. When she heard that Wang Gu was going to Chen Aifang’s side to arrange a match for Gu Yijia, she was a little dumbfounded.
“You’re going to arrange a match for Jiajia?”
Wang Gu nodded and told her about how she had just gone to Old Man Gu’s house, complaining, “Old Man Gu really doesn’t look like a father. Who leaves such a major life decision as marriage to the children themselves? But what can be done? I’ve accepted someone’s commission, so I can only make this trip.”
To be honest, she really did not want to come over, afraid of running into Chen Aifang.
But Jiang Jinwang had asked her to arrange the match. Whether it succeeded or not, she had to try first.
Wang Gu asked Third Aunt Gu to go with her to Chen Aifang’s house. Third Aunt Gu was an elder, so by then, no matter what Chen Aifang’s reaction was, she should at least restrain herself somewhat.
Third Aunt Gu did not know what she was thinking, and thought she was only going through the motions, so for the sake of that twenty yuan, she did not refuse.
When they went out, they saw Yu Xiaolan wandering nearby.
Third Aunt Gu did not even need to think to know she definitely was unwilling to give it up and had come over to see if she could cause trouble at a critical moment.
She was very disappointed in Yu Xiaolan. Back when she had revealed those things, she had still hoped Yu Xiaolan would do something, who knew that she had done nothing at all, with everything peaceful and quiet.
Yu Xiaolan walked over and said, “At any rate, I’m Jiajia’s mother. It’s only right that I come over and take a look.”
Third Aunt Gu and Wang Gu looked at her suspiciously. This did not sound like something Yu Xiaolan would say.
Not only had Yu Xiaolan come, the neighbors nearby also came out to watch the excitement.
In the past, when arranging matches for people, it was all done privately, for fear that if the match did not work out, others would laugh at the commotion.
But this time, Wang Gu had come with a mission, and wished that everyone knew. If the matter made a big enough fuss, Chen Aifang would probably also be mindful of her younger sister-in-law’s reputation and agree, right?
Holding on to some uncertain thought, Wang Gu went to knock on Chen Aifang’s door.