When the rain stopped, she also shouldered her basket and quickly left the area. If gossiping women saw her, it would surely lead to many rumors.
She recalled a television drama she had watched in modern times, where the female lead said that a woman’s reputation was like a handful of rice in a poor rural household—losing even a single grain could be fatal.
Now that she had truly lived in this ancient era, she deeply understood the weight of that statement. A few careless words could push a woman to the brink of ruin.
Two days later, Matchmaker Zhao came to the village. At midday, when she arrived, she was quickly invited into the house.
“Sister-in-law Zhao, what wind brought you here?”
Upon hearing this, Matchmaker Zhao grinned from ear to ear. “Sister-in-law, you still don’t know what I do for a living? I am born to be a magpie—I’ve come to bring you good news.”
Mother Zhou immediately understood the purpose of the visit. In their household, only the third daughter was of marriageable age now. She did not know which family Matchmaker Zhao had in mind.
Matchmaker Zhao did not keep them guessing and directly introduced the situation of the Li Family on the west side of the village. Since they were from the same village, Mother Zhou naturally knew their circumstances. She calculated that although it was not as good as Second Daughter’s match, it was still considered decent within the village.
The Li family’s son was decent-looking and strong-built, but the family line was thin—he was the only son. Still, if Third Daughter married in, with her as the mother backing her up, and given that the third daughter was easy to handle, any good things would naturally be brought back to her maternal home.
Mother Zhou asked: “Sister-in-law Zhao, how much betrothal gift does their family offer?”
Matchmaker Zhao replied cheerfully: “Sister-in-law, the standard gift in our village is two taels of silver. The Li family will not wrong your daughter—they are also giving two taels according to custom.”
After hearing the two taels of silver, Mother Zhou’s expression turned somewhat dissatisfied.
Second Daughter’s marriage had been an upward match. Although it was only three taels of silver, the benefits afterward were endless. However, the Li family was merely a rural household, and the future gains would naturally be limited.
Moreover, Third Daughter was beautiful, and she did not want to marry her off so cheaply.
Mother Zhou forced a smile and said: “My daughter is quite good-looking. She can be considered one of the best in the surrounding ten villages. A while ago, my Second Daughter even found her a match in town—the betrothal gift there is much higher than in the countryside.”
“Sister-in-law, you know I raised my Third Daughter like a tender stalk of spring onion. I’m reluctant to marry her too far away. It’s better if she stays nearby so we can look after each other, isn’t it?”
Matchmaker Zhao had been arranging marriages for decades. She immediately understood the implication—this was dissatisfaction with the betrothal gift. She was very familiar with such situations.
Waving her handkerchief, she said: “Ah, the town is indeed good, but it still cannot compare to the countryside where everyone knows each other well. A girl marrying into such a family will live more securely.”
“The Li family is simple—only an old mother above him, no sisters-in-law or elder brothers causing trouble. Sister-in-law, as someone experienced, you surely understand the hardships involved.”
“Moreover, that Li family boy is handsome and upright. Many girls fancy him already. Your daughter is also like a fairy herself—this is truly a perfect match!”
Mother Zhou pursed her lips but did not respond directly. The two continued exchanging casual talk for a while before Mother Zhou finally said,
“Sister-in-law Zhao, marrying off a daughter is a major matter. I will discuss it with my husband later.”
Matchmaker Zhao naturally knew that marriage proposals rarely succeeded on the first visit. Families always needed to appear reserved; otherwise, it would seem too eager. She smiled and said: “Alright, I’ll wait for your good news.” before taking her leave.
When Matchmaker Zhao arrived, Zhou Qingling had been cutting pig fodder in the courtyard. Seeing the matchmaker enter, her heart immediately tightened. She thought she had not yet secured Candidate No. 5, and her worries had finally come true.
However, upon hearing it was the Li family, the weight in her heart eased. It seemed that the man that day had intended to give her an explanation—she had not been the only one invested.
Over the next two months, Mother Zhou and the Li family went back and forth negotiating the betrothal gift. After repeated exchanges, they finally settled on three taels of silver plus one set of fine cotton cloth.
Li Baozhu was one year older than Zhou Qingling, and since she would reach coming-of-age ceremony next year, the marriage was set for the autumn of the following year.
When the engagement was finalized, Zhou Qingling felt neither joy nor sorrow, as if she had merely completed a task. She understood that when living life, one should not place too much expectation on a partner; otherwise, disappointment would inevitably follow.
Once disappointment formed in life, resentment would arise, and the future would only become harder for oneself.
Divorce in this era was extremely difficult. Moreover, a divorced woman would face even harsher living conditions afterward. As long as she maintained her original intention and relied on her storage space as a cheat, her life in this era would not be too difficult.