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Chapter 13: Happiness Is All About Comparison
Chapter 13: Happiness Is All About Comparison
Deng Shirong noticed the hesitation in the eyes of Guan Dewei and his wife. He interjected, "Abiao, let me speak frankly. Although the groom's family has increased the dowry by 400 yuan, it still doesn't make up for the loss of that plot of land. However, if the two families become in-laws, you don't need to worry too much about this. It's better for Yongying to marry early rather than receiving her share of the land from her parents' home before getting married.
"After all, the land distribution isn't something that can be completed quickly. If Yongying marries soon, she can receive a share of the land from her in-laws. Moreover, if they have children, those children might also get a piece of land. As parents, don't we all want our children to have a good life? If Yongying marries into the family, she will be a great asset to her in-laws, and her life will surely be comfortable."
These words swayed Guan Dewei and his wife. Despite the common preference for sons over daughters in rural areas, the Guans were quite fond of their eldest daughter. Being their first child, she was diligent, capable, and obedient, and they naturally hoped she would have a good life with her in-laws.
Even if it meant sacrificing some of their son's interests, it wasn't entirely unacceptable. Moreover, the groom's family showed considerable sincerity by increasing the dowry by 400 yuan. This money could be used not only to provide a dowry for their daughter but also to save for their son's future marriage.
With this in mind, Guan Dewei took a deep breath and said, "Uncle Jiu, you're right. As parents, we all want our children to be happy. If Yongying has no objections, we can discuss this further."
Deng Shirong nodded and turned to Guan Yongying, who had been listening quietly. "Yongying, what do you think? Are you willing to marry soon?"
Seeing the expectant gazes of her parents and the matchmaker, Guan Yongying felt overwhelmed. Everything was happening too fast. Just a day ago, no matchmaker had ever visited her family, and now they were discussing her marriage.
Feeling lost, she could only respond softly, "I'll follow my parents' arrangements."
Deng Shirong understood her response. He turned to Guan Dewei and said, "If that's the case, let's arrange the visit to the groom's family before the harvest begins, shall we?"
Guan Dewei, seeing that his daughter had no objections, agreed, "Alright, we'll follow Uncle Jiu's arrangements."
Deng Shirong smiled. "Today is the 19th, so how about we set the visit for the 22nd?"
Guan Dewei nodded. "That works!"
With the date for the visit set, they began to discuss who would accompany Guan Yongying to the groom's family.
In this era, the process of visiting the groom's family was quite different from modern times. In the present day, the bride's family could bring as many people as they wanted without notifying the groom's family. However, in this time, the number of people the bride's family brought had to be clearly communicated to the matchmaker, who would then inform the groom's family.
This was because the groom's family had to prepare red envelopes and a piece of braised pork for each visitor. Therefore, they needed to know in advance how many people were coming so they could buy the necessary pork.
After a thorough discussion, the final decision was made on who would go to the prospective bride's family. Deng Shirong then bid his farewells and set off for home under the scorching sun.
By the time he returned to the village, Deng Shirong was drenched in sweat. It was only then that he truly realized how challenging the role of a matchmaker could be, especially in this era. With no means of transportation, everything relied on foot. If the match was between families living far apart, the sheer number of trips required to relay messages could wear out several pairs of shoes just to bring a couple together.
Thus, buying a bicycle was becoming an urgent necessity. However, Deng Shirong had only sixty-four yuan to his name. With the costs of building a new house and purchasing a bicycle, the financial gap was substantial.
After resting for a few minutes at home, he drank a bowl of rice soup to quench his thirst and smoked a few pipes. Then, Deng Shirong set off again to visit Deng Yunqiang's house.
...
Midday.
In a dormitory at Songshan High School, Deng Yunheng was enjoying his meal with great relish. On his plate, besides the greasy stir-fried radish, there was a palm-sized piece of braised pork and a few green vegetables. The meal was so sumptuous that it almost made his dorm mates drool with envy.
In this era, while a few students could afford to buy dishes at the school cafeteria, most came from families with poor living conditions and brought radish from home. The reason most brought radish was that other dishes didn't keep well in the heat and would spoil within a couple of days, whereas radish could last a week without going bad.
A classmate with a face full of acne approached, holding his lunch box. "Yunheng, did you find some money on your way back last week?"
Deng Yunheng, the most astute among his seven siblings, immediately understood the implication. He swallowed his mouthful of food and chuckled, "I didn't find any money. It's just that my older brother didn't get into university, so my father has pinned his hopes on me. He wants our family to produce a university graduate, so he's improved my living conditions at school to encourage me to study harder."
The acne-ridden classmate looked at him with envy. "Your dad is really good to you!"
Deng Yunheng took a bite of the braised pork and nodded. "Yeah, my dad is pretty good to me."
As he spoke, he glanced at his classmate's plate, which had only a layer of dry radish. The sense of satisfaction he felt was indescribable.
Happiness is often derived from comparison. Before this, his living standards at school were similar to those of his acne-ridden classmate and other dorm mates. Everyone ate radish brought from home, and buying a dish of vegetables at the cafeteria was considered a luxury.
Now, while his classmates still ate the same radish, he could afford not only vegetables but also a piece of braised pork to improve his meal. This created a significant disparity.
After a few more words, the acne-ridden classmate couldn't bear it anymore and left the dorm, joining the other students who were also eating radish. The sight of someone else eating meat while they ate radish only made their meals more unbearable, so they tried to stay away from Deng Yunheng to avoid losing their appetites.
Deng Yunheng smiled at this and continued to savor his meal. The braised pork was truly delicious, and it only got better with each bite. With the summer break approaching, he planned to have a good chat with his younger siblings about this topic when he returned home. ^_^
(End of Chapter)
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