Pastoral Splendor

As dawn broke, Xiaojia Village was already bustling with activity. People hurried along the paths, rushing towards Yan Ying's old house. The sky was ablaze with vibrant sunrise clouds, like a tapestry of brocade spread across the heavens, a dazzling and magnificent red, as if the sky itself were ablaze with fire.

Xiao Laifu's mule cart stopped at the entrance of Xiao Laojia's courtyard: "Sanhua, are we going into town today?"

Yan Ying walked out with a smile and waved to Xiao Laifu: "I have something to do today, so I won't be going to Baixiangyuan. Brother Laifu, you can take my second sister there."

Erhua walked over from behind, carrying a small bundle. Yanying smiled and asked, "Did Big Sister make this?"

“Of course!” Erhua nodded. “We should always reciprocate.”

Yan Ying breathed a sigh of relief; Da Hua had finally figured it out.

Gong Liang was a clever man. Before I could even mention Da Hua to him, he seemed to know what I meant. Perhaps it was because he pitied Da Hua, or perhaps he was eager to get married. In the days that followed, whenever I sent him to Xiaojia Village to pick up goods, he would always bring something for Da Hua and her child. Sometimes it was snacks, sometimes it was clothes, pants, shoes and socks for the child. They were all bought from clothing stores in Yuzhou City, which cost quite a bit of money.

At first, Da Hua was a little at a loss, but gradually she also developed a good impression of Gong Liang. Last time, she asked Yan Ying to buy a few feet of cloth and some cotton, saying that she wanted to make a cotton-padded coat for Gong Liang: "The weather is getting cold. I don't know if he has any winter clothes. I'll make one for him and you can send it over."

These days, Da Hua has been taking care of the children and making winter clothes. Aunt Xiao is helping her, spreading out thick layers of cotton, so that one cotton-padded jacket is almost equivalent to two ordinary winter clothes. Yan Ying watched her sewing without looking up, not wanting to disturb her, and didn't tell her about Gong Liang. Da Hua understood that if she brought it up, it would only make things awkward.

"Sanhua, what are you looking at?" Jian Yifei's voice came from the side. When Yan Ying turned around, she saw him standing there in a white robe with a bright smile on his face.

“My eldest sister made a winter coat for Gong Liang.” Yan Ying pointed to the mule track where Xiao Laifu had driven away. “Today, my second sister took it to Baixiangyuan.”

"Then when are you going to make me winter clothes?" Jian Yifei leaned closer and gently blew a breath behind her ear, making her feel a little ticklish. She turned around and glared at Jian Yifei: "You don't even have a matchmaker, and you're asking me for winter clothes?"

Jian Yifei quickly strode out: "Sanhua, don't worry, I'm just about to go ask for a matchmaker."

"Who's in a hurry?" Yan Ying spat lightly at Jian Yifei. Seeing him standing at the gate of the courtyard with his horse, looking quite dashing, she secretly felt proud. She was lucky to have met such an honest and kind young man.

Jian Yifei mounted her horse and cupped her hands in greeting to Yan Ying: "Sanhua, don't be angry, it's my fault for being anxious!" Girls are easily embarrassed, so if she said she was anxious, wouldn't that imply that she was desperate to get married and no one wanted her? Jian Yifei once again realized that she really didn't know how to speak, and Yan Ying could always find fault with her every time she spoke.

"It's good that you're anxious. Go on, go on." Yan Ying waved to Jian Yifei, sending him away. Boss Xiao and Aunt Xiao insisted on seeing the matchmaker before they would feel at ease. Last night at dinner, the two kept nagging, "Young Master Jian, it's not that we're clueless, but you haven't sent a matchmaker yet, and we're really worried."

That evening, Boss Xiao sent Jian Yifei to the old house: "Young Master Jian, it's not convenient for us to keep you at home. After all, we don't have any official status or relationship, so it's hard to say."

Jian Yifei didn't say much. He had the horse carry the quilt to the old house and went there obediently. He tossed and turned, wondering which room Sanhua lived in and whether he was sleeping in the bed she used to sleep in. He touched the bed board and smiled foolishly for a while before finally falling asleep around midnight.

Yan Ying let out a long sigh of relief. It felt like a dream; she never imagined her marriage would be settled so soon. Watching Jian Yifei ride off into the distance, she turned back to the courtyard. She had a lot to do today: roast three hundred ducks with fruitwood charcoal so they could be sent to Baixiang Garden for trial sales tomorrow.

She asked a few village women to slaughter the ducks, and Aunt Fang should be coming over soon. Yan Ying rubbed her hands together; it was still a bit chilly on this late autumn morning, and there was a large red patch on her hand that looked like it was about to freeze.

"Sanhua, has Young Master Jian gone to town?" Aunt Xiao stood at the kitchen door, smiling at her. Thinking that the marriage was finally going to be settled, Aunt Xiao felt indescribably comfortable. Holding a piece of firewood, she looked at Yan Ying and became happier the more she looked at her. Although she was not her biological daughter, she was no different from her other children. She also hoped that Yan Ying could live a good life and be full of happiness.

"Mother, what's wrong?" Yan Ying saw Aunt Xiao smiling and then suddenly raising her hand to wipe her eyes. She stepped forward and took her hand. "What's wrong? We agreed to live together from now on. Don't cry."

“Young Master Jian is a good man, and we don’t need to live with you. What if his mother doesn’t agree? Don’t make things difficult for you two.” Aunt Xiao choked up. Even though she didn’t have a son, she had such a good daughter, and she couldn’t ask for more.

“I know he’s a good person. If he weren’t, I wouldn’t bother with him.” Yan Ying pushed Aunt Xiao toward the kitchen: “Come on, Mom, let’s cook together.”

After breakfast, Sihua took Wuhua and Liuhua to the old house. Dahua and Aunt Xiao were making winter clothes for the family. Xiao Laoda paced back and forth, looking uneasy: "The matchmaker has arrived. What should we say?"

"Father, you've already received two matchmakers, what's there to not know?" Yan Ying's hands flew as she separated the silk threads, wanting to do as much as possible for Da Hua before the ducks arrived.

“But this time is different,” said Boss Xiao hesitantly. “Should we buy something to appease the matchmaker?”

“No need, Father, just give her one or two taels of silver. If you think that’s not enough, then give her a roast duck. That’s our family’s specialty.” Yan Ying smiled as she rolled the separated silk threads into a ball and stood up. “I’ll go pick out a plump roast duck.”

As Xiao Laoda watched Yan Ying's retreating figure, it was as if something was stuck in his throat. There had been two matchmakers who had come to the family before, but those were for marrying off their own daughters. Now, this was for someone else's daughter, so he had to be even more attentive. Xiao Laoda silently murmured to himself, "Sanhua's dear mother, you can rest assured. We haven't raised your child badly. She's living a good life now."

Before long, there was a knock on the door. Boss Xiao hurriedly rushed to the gate and opened it. There stood an old woman wearing a flowered jacket, her face painted white, with a big red velvet flower in her hair, and a small donkey behind her.

Boss Xiao stared wide-eyed in surprise. The matchmakers in the city were so different from those in the countryside! The matchmakers he had met the previous two times were from the neighboring village, just casually arranging things. Their clothes were all rustic and unsophisticated, nothing like the flashy clothes of this city matchmaker! Look at her dress, with flowers the size of bowls, one after another, making Boss Xiao's eyes dazzled.

The matchmaker glanced around the courtyard before grinning. A young master had come early that morning, asking her to come to Xiaojia Village in the north of the city to act as matchmaker. She was puzzled. Judging from the young master's clothes, he should be from a wealthy family. Why would he want to marry a country girl? Could it be that the girl's family is well-off and owns thousands of acres of fertile land?

Seeing that Jian Yifei had given her a generous sum of money, the matchmaker did not refuse and readily agreed: "Alright, alright, Young Master Jian, I will go and arrange the marriage for you right away." Since the two parties were willing, she didn't need to meddle. As long as she got the money, that was enough. The matchmaker quickly put on makeup and dressed up, then rode her little donkey leisurely to Xiaojia Village.

Looking up now, the brick and tile house looked quite impressive, but judging from Boss Xiao's clothes, he didn't seem like a wealthy landlord. Could he just be a gatekeeper? The matchmaker smiled, revealing a large front tooth: "Excuse me, is your employer here?"

"Boss?" Boss Xiao was a little confused. "My name is Boss Xiao. Are you looking for me?"

Upon hearing this, the matchmaker felt a chill in her heart. Judging from the situation, the Xiao family had no money left after building the house. The man was dressed in cotton clothes and looked shabby.

The matchmaker touched the silver ingot in her purse and sighed softly. Luckily, that young master Jian had given her five taels of silver; otherwise, she really wouldn't have gotten much out of it. She tied the little donkey to a tree, stepped in, waved her handkerchief, and released a fragrant aroma: "Magpies are chirping, good news is coming soon."

Boss Xiao nodded repeatedly: "Yes, yes, that's right."

The matchmaker swayed into the main room, and Yan Ying brought over tea: "Auntie, please have some tea."

"Oh, this tea is really good." The matchmaker lifted the lid of the teacup and looked inside. The tea was clear and bright, with tea leaves floating on top. The tips of the leaves were thin, like silver needles. It was obvious that it was a good tea.

Is this what they mean by "keeping your wealth hidden"? The matchmaker glanced at the furnishings in the main room and couldn't help but smile. Then she looked up at Yan Ying and thought to herself, "Good! Could this be the girl that Young Master Jian is asking to marry? She is indeed beautiful and doesn't look like a country girl at all."

"Brother Xiao, I have some good news to tell you today. A young man surnamed Jian asked me to come to your house to act as matchmaker. He said he has taken a fancy to your third daughter and wants to marry her. Will you agree or not?" The matchmaker blew on the tea, picked up the teacup and took a sip. A fragrant aroma wafted into her nostrils.

"Yes, yes, of course I'd agree!" Boss Xiao beamed as he brought over a plate of pastries: "Young Master Jian is a good man. My daughter will definitely not suffer if she marries him."

"Of course! I think they're a perfect match, a handsome man and a beautiful woman!" The matchmaker, seeing there were even pastries, took a piece and popped it into her mouth, then secretly took two more wrapped in tin foil and put them in her sleeve pocket. Boss Xiao thought to himself that he should also thank the matchmaker properly, so he handed her the plate, saying, "Take these home if you like."

The matchmaker stared in surprise, realizing she had misjudged him. This country bumpkin was so generous; he seemed to be quite wealthy.

Chapter 181 Mediation

Wu, the matchmaker, had been doing matchmaking for decades, and this was the first time she had encountered such a straightforward deal. The man was generous with the money, and the woman was not picky. She immediately handed over her birth date and time, along with a piece of silver worth about two taels, and even gave her two roast ducks: "Take these back and have a taste."

When Wu the matchmaker saw the roast duck, she couldn't help but swallow. She had only heard that Ruyi Restaurant had added a new dish called Multi-Flavor Roast Duck, which cost about two taels of silver per duck. She didn't have that much spare money to enjoy such a delicacy, but she didn't expect this family to give her two ducks so easily! Wu the matchmaker carried the two roast ducks and walked out of the Xiao family's gate. As soon as she looked up, Jian Yifei was standing at the door, smiling and nodding at her: "Young Master Jian, congratulations."

Marriage in the countryside involves a strict set of rules, with matchmakers and betrothal gifts. Unlike wealthy families in the city, many aspects of the marriage process are handled together in one place. The first step in matchmaking is sending betrothal gifts. The matchmaker takes the man's gifts to the woman's family to propose marriage. If the woman agrees, the second step, "asking the name," can proceed. However, this is just a formality. "Asking the name" simply means inquiring about the woman's given name and family background. Generally, everyone already knows this, so it's just a formality. The most important part is exchanging birth dates and times.

The man writes his birth date and time on a large red marriage certificate. If the woman agrees, she writes her own birth date and time below the man's. Then the matchmaker takes it back to the man and asks someone to divine the fortune. If the divination is very auspicious, the matchmaker will perform the third ritual, which is the betrothal ceremony.