Chapter 59 Arranging the Marriage

Chapter 59 Arranging the Marriage

"You sit here," Wang Xiaozhi said, pointing to the seats opposite Sister-in-law Chen and Miss Chen. She herself sat at the end of the table, choosing a seat closest to the door.

Xie Wanniang felt a warmth in her heart. She smiled and nodded to Matchmaker Liu and the Chen family before gesturing for Xiao Yang to sit down at the table.

However, she didn't let Wang Xiaozhi sit by the door either, since the three of them were either short or thin, and they could sit together comfortably.

So in the end, it turned out that Wang Xiaozhi was next to Liu the matchmaker on one side and next to her on the other, and then she and Xiaoyang were next to each other.

Matchmaker Liu and Sister-in-law Chen were both quick-witted and resourceful. With them around, the atmosphere at the table was never awkward. As the men in Hao Yu's room ate and drank, those who were not originally acquainted naturally became familiar with each other through chatting and drinking.

After a pleasant lunch, the matchmaker, Liu, and the Chen family took their leave.

They still had to get home, and considering they had come to find a match, the Chen father and son didn't drink too much. Although their faces were a little red, they were still quite sober.

In addition, the oxcart was very slow, and Lingshan Town was not too far from Mingfu Village, so Hao Yu and the others were not too worried about the safety of the family.

After the group saw the people off, Hao Yu first subtly expressed her approval of the marriage, and then together with Wang Xiaozhi and Chen Zhao, they saw off the matchmaker, Liu.

Matchmaker Liu lived in Baihe Town. A ride in an oxcart from Mingfu Village to Baihe Town cost only one coin.

After seeing the people off onto the oxcart at the village entrance and watching it drive out of the village, Hao Yu and his two companions were about to return to their respective homes when the villagers, who had been keeping an eye on the Hao family's activities, stopped them at their doorsteps and inquired about the progress of Hao Yu's marriage proposal.

Hao Yu didn't say much. When the villagers asked him if he was looking for a wife, he answered yes. But he glossed over other questions such as "What is the girl like? Where is she from? Who are her family members? How much dowry is she asking for?"

As for Wang Xiaozhi and Chen Zhao, their mouths were as tight as clams; no matter how the villagers asked, they didn't say a word about what they shouldn't say.

The three parted ways in front of Chen Zhao's house. Hao Yu continued to deal with the curious villagers while striding towards her own home, while Wang Xiaozhi and Chen Zhao were surrounded by the rest of the Chen family.

Because the two elders of the Chen family were present, they asked the questions very tactfully. Wang Xiaozhi and Chen Zhao answered a few words briefly, then made an excuse that the matter had not yet been settled and they could not say more, and took the child back to their own room.

As for Xie Wanniang, she was currently cleaning up the mess with Jiang Yuan, Xiao Yang, and Deng Xiaoyan, who had come to help.

Although Xie Wanniang's dishes were plentiful, they were so delicious that only a few scraps were left.

Xie Wanniang couldn't bring herself to eat the leftovers and soup that so many people had shared, so she simply folded them all together, intending to pour them into the swill bucket later.

Hearing her say she didn't want any of these things, Jiang Yuan didn't think much of it, but Deng Xiaoyan was secretly astonished.

Not to mention the remaining radishes and cabbages, there were two shiny pieces of meat in there. Not to mention that Xie Wanniang's dishes were so fragrant. Shouldn't we use steamed buns to soak up all the soup from such fragrant dishes?

As she was thinking, Xiao Yang, who was helping to clear the dishes, said, "No, sister, this is enough for me to have another meal tonight."

Xie Wanniang: ......

Xie Wanniang said, "I'll make you something else delicious tonight."

As she spoke, she poured out the small bowl of leftovers—just two small pieces of white radish, five or six leafy greens, a chicken foot, and a rabbit bone with hardly any meat. It had been soaked in the saliva of countless people; it really wasn't worth saving for another meal later that evening…

The group gathered in the kitchen and washed all the used cooking utensils and tableware with hot water and wood ash. Then Xie Wanniang put the remaining white rice into the cupboard, planning to make fried rice for everyone that evening.

After seeing Deng Xiaoyan off, Xie Wanniang took Xiaoyang back to the house to rest. Jiang Yuan and Hao Yu, who had just returned from seeing off Matchmaker Liu, took the opportunity to go into the mountains again.

It wasn't that they insisted on hunting every minute; they just didn't want to stay home and deal with the villagers who came to their door asking all sorts of questions.

Once they leave and lock the door from the outside, most villagers will wisely stop asking questions.

As for the very few people who insist on marrying their daughters, nieces, or nephews to Hao Yu, they want to form a marriage alliance with Hao Yu, not to make enemies of him, so they naturally dare not do anything too outrageous.

This is why, even though they desperately wanted to ruin Hao Yu and Miss Chen's matchmaking, they never took any action. Instead, they silently prayed that some fool would jump out and offend Hao Yu on their behalf, allowing them to quietly reap the benefits.

Hao Yu didn't care about what the villagers thought. He went up the mountain and hid for an afternoon, avoiding most of the villagers who wanted to come to his door. Then he obediently waited for Matchmaker Liu.

The matchmaker, Liu, came to Mingfu Village again the day after Hao Yu and Miss Chen met. She told Hao Yu that the Chen family had agreed to the marriage and hoped that he and Miss Chen, who were "not young anymore," could get married as soon as possible.

"They'll let you prepare the gifts and betrothal money as you see fit, just make sure they're not too cheap or too low, and don't make them a laughingstock."

"The old couple said that they didn't rely on their daughter's dowry to make a living, but they also wouldn't prepare any valuable dowry for her. From what they said, the most they would give her as a dowry was some basins, buckets, bedding, clothes, and shoes."

"They hope to set the wedding date for next spring."

What the matchmaker Liu didn't say was that if Hao Yu hadn't mentioned it beforehand, Jiang Yuan, Xie Wanniang, and Xiao Yang would build a house next spring and move out before Hao Yu's wedding. The Chen family even wanted him and Miss Chen to get married before the new year.

Hao Yu nodded, "Thank you, Aunt Liu."

Hao Yu knew that while it was true that he and Miss Chen were both "not young anymore," the main reason why the Chen family father and son were so eager, and even kept quiet about the amount of the betrothal gift, was that Miss Chen's "husband-killing" power would also kill him and leave Miss Chen completely unwanted.

"I'll give sixteen taels as a betrothal gift." Although Hao Yu was wealthy, he ultimately didn't give the Chen family much of a betrothal gift because the Chen family had said they wouldn't give Miss Chen any valuable dowry.

In any case, for ordinary families, the dowry for a son or daughter is usually between two and eight taels. He gave sixteen taels, which is already the standard for a wealthy family. He would never let the Chen family lose face.

As for the things to bring when the date arrives, Hao Yu plans to wait until closer to the date to buy them, since some of them include pastries and candies.