Everyone was driven out by Granny Huang, who was full of bluster, and in the end only Granny Huang and Baohua were left in the room.
Gu Yijia slowly sat up and said to them, “I’m fine. I was just a little dizzy just now.”
Granny Huang carefully checked her complexion. Seeing that her spirits were still fairly good, she finally relaxed, patted her hand, and asked, “That Director Jiang…”
“I don’t like him,” Gu Yijia said. “Granny Huang, you were right. Director Jiang is really only interested in my face. With a body like mine, if I really married into that family…”
Although she did not finish her words, how could Granny Huang not understand.
“Then refuse him. We won’t push for this marriage,” Granny Huang said.
A smile appeared on Gu Yijia’s face. “Thank you, Granny Huang.”
Granny Huang also smiled. “Thank me for what? As long as your body stays well, and you live longer than this old woman, I’ll be happy.”
Thinking of Gu Yijia’s body, she felt a little sour inside.
She was still so young…
Actually, back then Granny Huang and Gu Mingcheng’s siblings’ grandmother were good sisters, and they married into the Nan Shan Commune brigade together.
Unfortunately, Gu family grandmother passed away early. After being sad for a while, Granny Huang had some care for the younger generation of the Gu family.
Back then, when she brought Gu Yijia home to raise her, it was for the same reason.
Baohua could not help looking at Granny Huang, cupping her little round face. “Will Little Auntie also have wrinkles all over her face in the future like Great-Grandma? Then will Little Auntie still be as beautiful as she is now?”
Those words almost made Granny Huang burst out laughing.
She patted the little girl’s hand and said, “Don’t worry. Even if your Little Auntie has wrinkles all over her face in the future like Great-Grandma, she’ll still be a beautiful fairy.”
Only then did Baohua smile happily.
As they were talking, they saw Chen Aifang come back in a hurry.
Seeing her like that, Gu Yijia knew that she must have rushed back after hearing the news, and she could not help feeling a little guilty.
“Jiajia, are you all right?” Chen Aifang asked nervously.
Gu Yijia stood up and said, “Sister-in-law, I’m fine. I was a little dizzy just now, but I’m okay now.”
Actually, she had not been dizzy at all just now. She had just been impatient with Wang Gu and deliberately faked it.
Wang Gu was very eloquent. She had heard that among the men and women she had matched up, some had actually looked down on each other at first, but under Wang Gu’s silver tongue, they still ended up together.
She did not want to listen to Wang Gu nagging too much. Anyway, no matter how wonderfully Wang Gu talked it up, she and Jiang Jinwang were impossible.
Looking at the situation just now, it seemed that this move had been unexpectedly useful. And right now she was a frail patient, so whatever felt off, it was up to her to say so, wasn’t it?
At the very least, a whole group of people had been driven out by Granny Huang, and they all looked guilty and in the wrong, not daring to act recklessly.
Gu Yijia’s eyes brightened slightly.
However, she still felt somewhat apologetic for making the people who cared about her worry, and decided that in the future she must explain things to them clearly.
After learning that her body was fine, Granny Huang left in peace, and Chen Aifang was not nearly as anxious anymore.
After Chen Aifang learned that Wang Gu had been called over by Jiang Jinwang to arrange a marriage for her little sister-in-law, her brows knit together as she said with some anger, “What is this Director Jiang doing? Didn’t we already refuse him last time? Why is he still calling someone over to arrange a marriage?”
Actually, she also understood in her heart that Jiang Jinwang thought that by putting out such a generous betrothal gift, they country people would be tempted and might agree to this marriage.
Chen Aifang looked at her little sister-in-law again. Since her little sister-in-law had already refused again in front of the matchmaker, if they still had any face, they probably would not come again, so she put the matter aside too.
She told her little sister-in-law to rest well, held her daughter by the hand, and then strode out toward the old house with a fierce air.
However, Chen Aifang did not expect that Wang Gu came again in the afternoon.
Because she was worried about her little sister-in-law, Chen Aifang specifically asked for leave in the afternoon and did not go to school, so when Wang Gu came to the door, the one she saw was Chen Aifang.
Chen Aifang also knew that Wang Gu was the famous matchmaker in the county town, a formidable matchmaker who had brought together countless men and women. It was said that just the matchmaker’s fee alone was enough for her to live quite comfortably.
When Wang Gu saw Chen Aifang, her heart sank.
Although her heart tightened, Wang Gu still kept a smile on her face. “You’re Yijia’s sister-in-law, right? Is Yijia better now?”
Chen Aifang said coolly, “She’s all right, nothing serious.” Then she asked, “Why has Aunt Wang come again?”
How could Wang Gu not see her coldness? It seemed that as the sister-in-law, Chen Aifang did not want to marry her little sister-in-law off to Jiang Jinwang. She was very puzzled. Jiang Jinwang’s conditions were so good, why did they all look down on him?
The men Chen Aifang had driven away before who wanted to marry Gu Yijia were indeed not much to look at, but Jiang Jinwang was different.
Wang Gu coughed lightly and said, forcing herself to continue, “It’s like this. Director Jiang really has his eye on Yijia. He said that if you are not satisfied with the betrothal gift, he can add more…”
Chen Aifang said decisively, “This isn’t about the betrothal gift. It’s that my Jiajia doesn’t like him.”
Wang Gu: ???
Her face was full of confusion. With someone like Director Jiang, these conditions, and they still did not like him? Were their eyes broken or what?
Chen Aifang ignored her confusion and courteously but firmly saw her out. “Sorry to trouble you for making this trip, Auntie. Our Jiajia has thin blessings and does not deserve Director Jiang. Director Jiang can choose a better girl.”
Her mouth said it modestly, but the expression on her face was not like that at all.
It was not that Gu Yijia did not deserve Jiang Jinwang, but rather that in her heart, Jiang Jinwang probably did not deserve Gu Yijia.
Wang Gu thought to herself that fortunately Director Jiang was not here, otherwise he would probably have lost both face and dignity, and who knew how angry he would have been.
No matter how much a man liked a woman, he still had to care about his face. Being slapped like this, how could he possibly be happy?
Not to mention a man like Jiang Jinwang, who had sailed smoothly along and had not experienced much setback.
When Chen Aifang sent Wang Gu out, quite a few commune members saw it.
When the commune members heard about this matter, they were all very surprised.
The son of the factory director of the steel plant in the city actually wanted to marry the sickly little daughter of Old Gu’s family, and in just one day the matchmaker had come twice, with the betrothal gift rising again and again.
And yet Gu Yijia still would not marry? Chen Aifang also did not agree?
Nan Shan Commune became lively because of this matter, and everyone was discussing it. Quite a few people said that Gu Yijia was foolish, that it was rare for a man to be willing to marry her, and such a good match at that, and she still would not marry.
Others said Chen Aifang was foolish too.
A weak little sister-in-law was already a burden on their husband-and-wife pair, and now there was a man willing to offer a generous betrothal gift to marry her, and the conditions were so good too. It was practically a nest of happiness, so they should hurry up and marry the little sister-in-law off.
The Gu family members also felt very bitter inside. If they missed such a good match, how regrettable would that be.
Especially after Wang Gu secretly came to find them and said that if they could make Gu Yijia agree to marry Director Jiang, Director Jiang would arrange a city work slot for the Gu family.
Wang Gu had no choice either. Jiang Jinwang was not sure if his mind had been bewitched by Gu Yijia’s face, but he was determined to marry her, and he also put pressure on her, insisting that she had to settle this marriage arrangement.
At the time Wang Gu had wanted to curse at length.
This was a new era now. Marriage mattered only when both sides were willing. Jiang Jinwang was not so powerful that his family had some high-ranking official in it, and even if they did, they would not dare force a marriage like this, would they?
But Jiang Jinwang was offering too much. In the end, Wang Gu gritted her teeth and decided to take over this hot potato again.
The Gu family’s second branch and third branch both got excited.
“Really, the Wang matchmaker really said that?” Old Second Gu asked excitedly.
Second Aunt Gu nodded. “Would I lie? She said it to me personally. I’ve always wanted to get our Mingjiang into the city to work, and then let him marry a city girl. If this deal works out, Mingjiang will be a city man eating commodity grain.”
The husband and wife of the second branch were both very excited.
Gu Mingjiang was their youngest son, already in his twenties this year, and still idle and loafing around.
They doted on their youngest son and always wanted to plan a good future for him. What could be better than becoming a city person?
In order to get a city job for her younger son, Second Aunt Gu decided that she must make this matter happen.
So the very next day she came straight to the door.
When Second Aunt Gu came, Chen Aifang and her children were all at home.
Seeing her, Chen Aifang’s brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.
If Third Aunt Gu was the kind who loved to take advantage of others, but still looked like a normal person, then Second Aunt Gu was the classic shrew, throwing tantrums and rolling on the ground, very fond of making trouble.
Sure enough, as soon as Second Aunt Gu opened her mouth, she brought up Jiang Jinwang. “Jiajia, don’t be so foolish. Director Jiang has such good conditions. He doesn’t mind that your health is poor and is willing to marry you. That’s already like burning high incense. I heard that quite a few girls in the city want to marry Director Jiang…”
Before Gu Yijia could say anything, she saw Chen Aifang directly grab the broom. “Get out! Whether Jiajia is willing to marry or not is her business. What does it have to do with you people?”
Second Aunt Gu was truly afraid of her. This woman was a tigress. She jumped up. “Chen Aifang, put down that broom. I am your elder…”
Chen Aifang sneered and swung the broom over, just brushing past Second Aunt Gu’s face.
Second Aunt Gu’s tantrums had never worked in front of Chen Aifang. Back when Chen Aifang had just married into the Gu family, Second Aunt Gu had wanted to take advantage of her, and she had been ruthlessly pushed back.
Baohua poked her head out to watch Second Aunt Gu run away in a panic, and could not help covering her mouth and laughing, then was pulled back by her brother.
Facing her brother’s disapproving expression, she had no choice but to lower her hand and put on an intentionally serious face.
Chen Aifang patted her. “You can’t watch your elders’ jokes. That’s rude behavior. It doesn’t make a good child.”
“Then should I cover my eyes next time?” Baohua asked.
Chen Aifang: …