MAC’60s Chapter 17.2

The matchmaker, now that there were no more interruptions, spoke with even more fluency.

“Let’s talk about the bride price. The Xu family can offer one of the three major items: a sewing machine, a bicycle, or a wristwatch. Er’yatou, which one would you like?”

Wang Ying: “Huh?”

Isn’t bride price unnecessary in a matrilocal marriage?

Xu Shuang: “I originally planned to buy a bicycle, but my mom said you don’t go out that much, so I’d probably be the one using it more. She suggested I buy you a watch. But it’s hard to get the industrial coupon for a watch, and I’m afraid I won’t get it before the wedding. I can trade for a bicycle coupon with my coworker right away, though there’s no choice of brand. My work unit only has coupons for Yongjiu (Forever) brand, not Fenghuang (Phoenix)…”

Wang Ying looked at Xu Shuang, whose image seemed to collapse a bit ever since the wedding was decided: …

Even just listening to this made the matchmaker envious. The “three major items” were hard to come by—any rural family able to provide one would already be considered impressive. Even in county towns, it was rare for families to afford all three. And here Xu Shuang was, letting the bride choose—this level of sincerity didn’t feel like a man marrying into a family, it was like he was marrying a fairy!

Old Lady Xu, sitting nearby, chimed in: “Don’t worry, girl, my son can find other coupons too. We’ll slowly get all three major items. I’ll make sure he takes this seriously in the next couple of years—within three years, you’ll have everything.”

Old Lady Xu was ecstatic. She never imagined things could take such a miraculous turn.

Just a few days ago, she was fretting about her son not finding a good match, and suddenly this rascal came home saying Wang Ying agreed.

Wang Ying agreed!

Old Lady Xu thought she’d need to go back to her mother’s ancestral hill and make an offering. There used to be a nunnery on the hilltop—said to be very effective—but later the nuns were married off and the temple demolished.

But villagers still believed in its power and continued to burn incense near the ruins.

Old Lady Xu had asked her eldest sister to make an offering there a few days ago, specifically to bless her son’s marriage.

And now, within days, a perfect girl had agreed to marry him.

Old Lady Xu felt like wrapping up incense for the next ten years as an offering to the deity!

It felt too magical. Compared to the previous candidate, Wang Lingling, Wang Ying was ten times better. Especially because she was willing to get involved with their messy family situation at this time—truly a kind-hearted girl!

She had also overheard Wang Yongshun’s earlier nonsense and had wanted to curse him out—how blind could that man be? How could anyone mistreat Wang Ying?

Old Lady Xu knew clearly that Wang Ying wouldn’t have trouble finding a match. Marrying into their family, the only compromise was in terms of class background. She probably saw something in Xu Shuang’s character—someone she could live a peaceful life with. Even if she left Xu Shuang, Wang Ying could still pick a decent man from the brigade and live well. There were plenty of good young men there—maybe not as handsome as her son, but definitely kind and dependable.

But for their family, if not Wang Ying, finding someone suitable would be incredibly difficult.

Old Lady Xu was more than satisfied. The moment Xu Shuang told her the news, she had been so excited she nearly fainted.

As long as Wang Ying was willing to marry in, she would agree to any conditions!

Not just the three major items—anything Wang Ying wanted, she’d find a way to provide it, even if it meant spending all their savings.

Wang Ying didn’t feel particularly excited about the three items—she just felt… this wasn’t quite what she had imagined marriage to be like?

Seeing she didn’t respond, Xu Shuang continued on his own: “In a few days, I’ll take you to the county to look in person.”

The matchmaker jumped in: “Alright, we’ll settle the three items for now. Let’s move on. The Xu boy said he’d also get two cotton quilts, two hot water bottles, and for clothes, it’s up to your preference…”

Xu Shuang added, “I’ve got eight feet worth of cloth coupons. I can trade for more with coworkers—should be enough for three sets of clothes.”

Old Lady Xu frowned: “She needs more clothes. That heartless uncle and his wife probably never got her anything new. Son, don’t just trade with coworkers. Go into town and ask your master. Prepare five to eight sets at least.”

Xu Shuang: “Okay.”

Wang Ying: “…”

The matchmaker continued: “As for furniture, that’s up to you. A bed will definitely be custom-made, plus two cabinets. Anything else missing, we’ll settle it today and Xu Shuang will go find a craftsman.”

Old Lady Xu interrupted: “Get Liu the carpenter! Don’t get that guy Niu—his work is all shoddy!”

Xu Shuang: “Alright, I’ll go tomorrow.”

Matchmaker: “Then there’s the matter of shoes…”

Xu Shuang: “I’ll ask my master for coupons.”

…

Wang Ying realized she never even had a chance to say no during this whole thing!

Whenever she hinted that something might not be necessary, Old Lady Xu would instantly look touched and persuade her not to skimp—marriage was a big deal and should be handled properly. As for Xu Shuang, he acted like a minister to a foolish emperor—constantly assuring her that he could handle this, or arrange that, as if even if she asked for gold jewelry, he’d nod and say, “No problem.”

Wang Ying felt things were a bit over the top, but also experienced a kind of unfamiliar joy.

After Xu Shuang finished going over everything, the matchmaker turned to Wang Ying, curious if she had anything she wanted to say to the Xu family beforehand.

Matchmaker: “Do you have any expectations or conditions to share?”

Wang Ying: “…I just want to ask, where will we live after the wedding?”

Normally, in a matrilocal marriage, the groom would live at the bride’s house. But after a brief time with the Xu family, Wang Ying didn’t have the heart to leave Old Lady Xu alone. When it came to in-laws, chemistry mattered—if it was there, she was fine working things out.

Old Lady Xu spoke first: “You two of course will live together! I’ll stay in the other part of the house, you’ll live on this side, and we’ll eat together. If my son’s too busy at work, I’ll do the cooking!”

Xu Shuang added, “My mom is used to living over there. Our yard has a hand-pump well—it’s very convenient. If anything comes up or you get tired of living here, we can always go back. It’s close either way.”

What else could Wang Ying say? They had thought of everything.

Old Lady Xu added, “On the wedding day, we’ll host the banquet at the old house. Once that’s done, you two can come live here. Oh, by the way, Ying girl, do you want to renovate this house of yours?”

Old Lady Xu also had her little plans. It’s not that she didn’t want to live with the couple—she was eager for grandchildren!

The old house was a mud-brick building, and living together there meant no soundproofing. The young couple would inevitably feel restrained. But living here was different—this was a solid brick house with good insulation, and the couple could have their privacy. Maybe by next year, there’d already be a little grandson or granddaughter!

The only issue was the annoying relatives next door.

But that could be fixed too. She’d have Xu Shuang find someone to build a dividing wall in the middle and ask the village secretary if they could separate out a backyard. Then this house would become a proper private space.

Wang Ying nodded. She had long wanted to fix up the house but had been tight on money.

This worked out—she could get the courtyard walls built during the wedding preparations. She also planned to fence off the area behind the window. Last night’s incident with the old dog still made her uncomfortable, and she would feel more secure if the back window opened into a private yard.

Naturally, Xu Shuang agreed without hesitation. He said he’d find time to go to the neighboring commune to fetch bricks. It was the off-season for farming, and folks in the production team could help with building the courtyard wall.

At this point, the matchmaker saw that things were almost wrapped up, so she started chatting casually with Old Lady Xu. She was intentionally giving Wang Ying and Xu Shuang a bit of privacy—they might have things to say that wouldn’t be suitable to discuss in front of Old Lady Xu.

Wang Ying tugged at Xu Shuang’s sleeve and whispered, “With you spending all this money… won’t you end up broke?”

This didn’t feel like just getting married—it felt like he was bringing out his entire fortune.

Wang Ying added, “I’ll give you a chance to back out. Think it over.”

Xu Shuang looked at her with a hint of amusement in his eyes. “It’s not that bad.”

When it came down to it, the real expenses were the Three Big Items and the courtyard wall. Between money and ration tickets, the Three Big Items alone would cost at least 200 yuan. The courtyard wall would likely take another 100–200. Everything else were small bits and pieces—together no more than a little over 100 yuan.

Most of the Xu family’s ready cash came from Xu Shuang’s job as a cook, but their family hadn’t been poor to begin with. Xu Shuang’s father had also been a cook, though he passed away early. Old Lady Xu had sent Xu Shuang to her husband’s apprentice to learn the trade, and within a few years, he had completed his training.

Xu Shuang was smarter than his father—besides working in a state-run restaurant, he also took on weddings and funerals during the farming off-season. He sometimes even went up the mountains to forage for extra food. Whether or not he sold any of it privately, nobody knew.

Old Lady Xu was a bit odd herself. Though Xu Shuang’s salary was more than enough for her to live comfortably, she still regularly went to do labor. She wasn’t the type of elderly lady to just sit at home and wait to be taken care of.

No matter what others speculated, the Xu family never flaunted their wealth. Look at them—not even a bicycle at home!

That was part of Old Lady Xu’s wisdom. She’d seen firsthand how landlords and rich peasants had their status flipped overnight. So she believed being too wealthy was a bad thing and always kept a low profile.

Every month when Xu Shuang got paid, she’d make him send money to his older brother. To outsiders, it looked like Xu Shuang had to support two people on his salary and couldn’t save anything.

In reality, the older brother didn’t cost much to support. Although Xu Ming was still a student, his teacher treated him like a protégé, saving a share of everything for him. Xu Ming also received a stipend. Five extra yuan a month was plenty for him.

Old Lady Xu’s little scheme worked quite well. Everyone in the village said she was biased—taking all of the younger son’s money and giving it to the older one.

Because of that, fewer people watched what Xu Shuang was doing. No one came to borrow money from the Xu family either.

But now, with the wedding coming up, Old Lady Xu didn’t care about all that. She was ready to spend whatever was needed.

Xu Shuang told Wang Ying the amount of money they had, and she was shocked. “I didn’t expect this—you’re actually that rich?”

Four-digit savings. No wonder Xu Shuang had said he wouldn’t go broke.

By comparison, Wang Ying felt a little inadequate.

“I still have fourteen yuan and fifty-five cents on me.”

Xu Shuang smiled. “It’s fine. What’s mine is yours.”

Wang Ying blushed. “Maybe you should manage the money.”

Her tiny savings felt like nothing compared to his. Holding on to that kind of money made her nervous.

But Xu Shuang didn’t agree this time. “You manage it. I’m the one marrying into your family.”

Wang Ying felt overwhelmed. A man bringing four figures in cash into a marriage as the “live-in husband”—was this the strongest husband ever?

Xu Shuang said, “You keep it. It’ll be easier for you to spend.”

Wang Ying awkwardly agreed. On the other side, the matchmaker saw that things were settled and returned to discussing the wedding date.

“It’s already late October. Around here, the mountains get closed off by early December every year. Time’s tight. I checked two dates—November 9th and November 26th. But the 9th’s too soon, and there’s still a lot to prepare. Let’s go with the 26th?”

Wang Ying had no objections. “Let’s go with the 26th.”

A month wasn’t much time, but considering this was the North and heavy snow would shut down the mountains for more than two months, it made sense. You couldn’t expect people to attend a banquet through a snowstorm.

The matchmaker went over a few more details, and finally, both sides had everything agreed upon.

Old Lady Xu was pleased with the matchmaker and entrusted her with organizing help for the wedding banquet. Although the family’s political status was no longer a problem, Old Lady Xu still felt uneasy.

Some of the old women who used to be friendly hadn’t even visited since. It seemed like they were still waiting to see if the Xu family could land a daughter-in-law with the right background.

Old Lady Xu was annoyed. She didn’t want to bother with those people anymore, so she decided to have the matchmaker bring help from another brigade. They’d come, cook a meal, and be paid right after—no need for extra small talk.

The matchmaker was overjoyed. Her business wasn’t just matchmaking—she also did side jobs like finding extra hands, helping with cattle breeding, even fetching puppies. She took whatever came her way.

She loved finding people to help with wedding banquets the most—there was always good food at the tables, and the women were eager to come. Plus, she could earn a referral fee.

“You can rest assured, I’ll definitely find some quick and capable ones for you!”

This round of wedding arrangements had gone exceptionally well. Both sides were amiable and cooperative—nothing like those other families where the bride and groom’s sides were squabbling over the bride price and betrothal gifts, arguing over whether someone gave less than a yard of cloth or more than two yuan, sometimes even ending up calling the whole thing off.

The matchmaker left beaming after receiving her fee, thinking to herself that she wished for more matches like this one—it brought her good fortune, too.

After sending the matchmaker off, Grandma Xu leaned on her cane and headed back first. Xu Shuang then handed Wang Ying a small paper package.

“I’ll go order the furniture and bricks tomorrow. Once I pick a sunny day, we can start building the wall. But some things need to be bought in town—when are you free?”

Wang Ying took the paper package. “Anytime works for me… Actually, would a week from now be okay?”

She still had a few herbs left to process. She figured once she was done, she could take them into town and see if anyone would buy them. She had heard that some hospitals had procurement stations that bought medicinal herbs, and she wanted to ask about the prices.

Xu Shuang said, “Sure. Just come to the state-run restaurant a day ahead of time and find me—I’ll write you a referral letter.”

Xu Shuang’s status as a worker meant the letter didn’t go through the brigade—it had to be issued by a supervisor at the restaurant. And the supervisor wasn’t there every day, so you had to get the letter ahead of time.

Wang Ying nodded. Xu Shuang looked at her hugging the paper package, sweet and obedient, just like the first time he’d seen her at the restaurant…

Xu Shuang turned and left. Wang Ying was a little puzzled—why did he walk away so fast?

She opened the paper package to find the contents had cooled: marinated chicken feet and duck web, a sesame bun, and a small packet of chili powder.

Wang Ying placed the chicken feet and duck web on the stove to steam. In no time, they were hot again. Paired with the crispy, flaky sesame bun, the taste was divine.

The duck web was crisp and chewy, with just the right amount of broth. The marinade had soaked in perfectly, leaving a rich, savory flavor that was hard to stop eating. The chicken feet, cooked for a long time, had tender, slippery skin and were rich in collagen—soft, spicy, and delicious in the mouth.

Wang Ying finished the package but still wanted more—the marinated flavor was just too good. The best part of marinated snacks was how well they absorbed flavor.

The day after the engagement was confirmed, Xu Shuang got busy. The carpenter promised to finish the furniture within half a month. Xu Shuang went to the brick kiln once and brought back a full load of bricks. The factory had stocked up because many people were building houses recently, so he managed to get plenty in one go.

Meanwhile, Wang Yongshun, his face bruised purple and green from his fight with Li Chunjuan, glared at Wang Ying from across the courtyard wall—and also glared at the workers helping build the wall.

His stares confused everyone.

By the time the courtyard wall was finally finished, five days had passed since the wedding was set.

The people in the brigade watched as the two families genuinely started preparing for the wedding. The Xu family even generously built a courtyard wall for Wang Ying—it really did look like Xu Shuang was going to move in with her.

But no one seemed surprised by this.

It made sense—Wang Ying had good conditions. If she chose Xu Shuang, of course, he’d have to marry into her family. Not unexpected.

What was unexpected, though, was that the Xu family didn’t seem like they were giving away a son-in-law at all. They were preparing like they were marrying off their only heir.

They built a wall, made furniture—people even heard there’d be a banquet.

Anyone who’d felt indignant before immediately quieted down. Clearly, this wasn’t something Xu Shuang came up with—this had to be Wang Ying’s demand.

No wonder she picked Xu Shuang. Who else could meet such standards? This wasn’t just marrying a wife—this was like marrying into royalty!

Wang Ying had no idea that her reputation had taken a rather peculiar turn. She’d been busy collecting medicinal herbs in the mountains these past few days.

The mountain behind her house was like a treasure trove—there were so many good things.

Wang Ying found seven or eight relatively uncommon herbs, processed them one by one according to what she’d learned, and prepared to try her luck in town. If the procurement station offered too low a price, she might take the risk and go straight to the hospital. The only problem was that every trip to town required a referral letter from the brigade, and going too often wasn’t ideal.

But Xu Shuang probably had it easier. Wang Ying figured that with a four-digit savings, it couldn’t all be from his salary. He must have some secret money-making methods. He had surely been to the county town plenty of times.

That day, while Wang Ying was checking on the herbs drying on the windowsill, she suddenly heard a young boy’s voice from over the courtyard wall:

“Dad, Mom, why do we suddenly have a new courtyard wall? And why has my room changed?”

 

I am just a novice translator and Chinese is not my native language. I try my best to translate the chapters as accurate as possible.
If there are any mistakes then kindly comment and remind me. Your support means a lot.