Chapter 81: The Bride's Amazement
Chapter 81: The Bride's Amazement
In any era, the importance of a house in marriage cannot be overstated.
In the modern world, many mothers-in-law make it a top priority that their future sons-in-law have a home. Without a house, there's no point in wasting time on further discussions.
While the current emphasis on having a house isn't as extreme as it is in the modern world, it is still a crucial factor for the bride's family. They want to ensure that their daughter will have a place to live and that the living conditions are decent, with at least a few decent pieces of furniture.
Now, the Zhang family, led by Deng Shirong, began their tour of the house.
The Zhang family had already heard a detailed description from Zhang's father about the impressive brick and tile house. However, Zhang's father had only seen the house from a distance at the village entrance, when the roof tiles were not yet in place. He knew the house was grand and made of fine materials, but he had no idea about the interior layout or the furniture.
Seeing the "magnificent" brick and tile house up close, the Zhang family was thoroughly impressed.
To be honest, even if the house had no furniture, the grand exterior alone would make it the envy of the countryside.
As Deng Shirong led them inside, the Zhang family was once again in awe!
"This is my son Yuntao's house. I designed it with two bedrooms, a living room, and a bathroom. This room will be their marital suite, and this one will serve as a guest room for now. Once they have children, the kids can sleep here. This is the bathroom, for bathing and using the toilet.
As for the kitchen, we won't have a separate one for each house. Since we all eat together as a family, whether now or after my sons get married, it's unnecessary to waste space on individual kitchens."
As Deng Shirong explained each room, every member of the Zhang family was left in awe.
First, the marital suite was stunning. The bed, adorned with a pattern of the Chinese character for "double happiness," looked incredibly high-end. The large wardrobe with a mirror was the most luxurious piece of furniture one could find in a rural home during this era.
The vanity table was also a standout. The women in the Zhang family, especially, were captivated. Who wouldn't want a vanity table of their own?
The marital suite was simply beautiful!
Zhang Xiuping, the main character of this home inspection, was equally amazed. The thought of living in such a house with such high-end furniture after marriage made her heart race.
In any era, material stability is the foundation of a marriage.
The romantic stories of wealthy young ladies eloping with poor scholars and living happily ever after can only exist in the ancient world, where women were taught to be loyal and submissive, even if their marriages were unhappy.
But let's be honest, can women who spend their lives worrying about daily necessities truly love their husbands forever?
In modern times, at least nine out of ten marital arguments are about money.
Without a solid material foundation, even the strongest feelings can be eroded by the hardships of life, leading to mutual resentment.
Of course, having good material conditions doesn't guarantee a happy marriage.
However, it's undeniable that couples with better material conditions have a higher chance of being happy after marriage.
Whether a man looks at a woman or a woman looks at a man, they will subconsciously rate the other person in their hearts.
For example, if a woman is beautiful, has a great figure, and is well-mannered, these are all points in her favor in a man’s eyes. Similarly, if a man is wealthy, has a high social status, and is talented, these are all points in his favor in a woman’s eyes.
Moreover, the better the qualities you possess, the more likely the other person will overlook your flaws.
At this moment, Zhang Xiuping occasionally glanced at Deng Yuntai and found that his plain face was becoming more and more appealing to her!
Zhang Xiuping’s eldest cousin, Jiang Xiaohui, was 27 years old and had already been married for six years. However, her husband came from an ordinary rural family, and they now had three children. The five of them had to squeeze into a single room in a dilapidated mud-brick house.
Such living conditions were not uncommon in those times, so although Jiang Xiaohui’s life was exceptionally hard, she never truly resented her husband’s family. After all, her own family’s conditions were not much better.
But everything changes when you have something to compare it to. In the past, most of Jiang Xiaohui’s relatives and friends were in similar situations, so she could maintain her composure.
However, now that she saw her younger cousin’s fiance’s family in such a good condition, Jiang Xiaohui couldn’t help but feel a twinge of envy. Yet, while she envied her cousin, she didn’t harbor any jealousy. She wasn’t the type to begrudge her relatives for having a better life. Instead, she simply couldn’t bear the thought of her family of five living in the same room anymore.
Once they returned home, she planned to have a serious talk with her husband. With the children growing older, it was no longer suitable for five of them to live in one room. No matter how difficult it might be, they needed to build at least two rooms and move out.
Ou Guofang and Ou Guohua, who were accompanying Zhang Xiuping, also looked at the bridal chamber with envy, dreaming of the day they would get married and live in a house like this. They felt that their lives would be worth living if they could have such a home!
After the shock of the bridal chamber, the Zhang family’s visit to the guest room was much more subdued.
The guest room contained a simple four-poster bed and a large wardrobe without a mirror, and nothing else.
In fact, having such a large wardrobe in a guest room was already better than many people’s bridal chambers, but compared to the bridal chamber they had just seen, it naturally paled in comparison.
However, just as the Zhang family’s hearts were beginning to calm down, they were once again stunned by the bathroom.
In the rural areas of Bobai, people typically used the village’s public restroom, which was essentially a communal cesspool.
The Longtan commune was no exception. Zhang Xiuping, being a beautiful young woman, wasn’t one of those mythical creatures who never needed to use the restroom. From a young age, she had always been terrified when using the public restroom.
Firstly, there was the fear of falling into the cesspool. This wasn’t just a hypothetical concern; it had happened before. Falling into the cesspool wasn’t just a matter of getting covered in filth; it could be fatal.
Secondly, there was the fear of being caught by a man. The mere thought of such a situation was embarrassing.
So, after Zhang Xiuping turned thirteen or fourteen, she always brought Ou Guofang or Ou Guohua with her to the restroom. Having someone outside to stand guard made her feel much safer!
However, the foul smell of the cesspool was unavoidable.
But the bathroom in front of them solved all these problems. It not only eliminated the awkwardness of using the restroom but also spared them from the revolting smell. It was simply perfect!
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
