Chapter 83: Praise Without End
Chapter 83: Praise Without End
"This Deng family is truly remarkable! Their house is beautiful and grand, fully furnished, and they even have a modern bathroom. Uncle Jiu not only makes good money but also cooks better than the chefs at our Longtan state-owned restaurant. And Deng Yuntao isn’t bad either; he earns more than two hundred a month as a master potter. Oh my, Xiuping, your fate is truly blessed!"
After leaving Naye Village, Aunt Zhang from the Zhang family couldn’t help but exclaim in amazement. She had accompanied younger relatives to see potential in-laws before, but those visits were just formalities. The houses were never anything special. This time, however, it was a genuine inspection, and she felt that this experience would give her something to talk about with the village gossips for a whole year.
Aunt Zhang's sister-in-law nodded in agreement. "You're right. Even in the city, it would be hard to find a family with such excellent conditions. Xiuping, you’re truly blessed to be marrying into such a family!"
Aunt Zhang's younger sister added, "I heard from a female educated youth in our village a couple of years ago that women have three chances to change their fate in their lifetime."
The first chance is through hard work and education. If you can get into college, you can easily change your destiny.
The second chance is through marriage. No matter how poor your family of origin is, if you marry into a wealthy family, you can enjoy a comfortable life.
The third chance is through your son’s success. When your son achieves greatness, you can enjoy a life of dignity and comfort.
"At the time, I thought those words were far from me, but now I’m seeing with my own eyes how you, Xiuping, are changing your fate through the second chance. The educated youth’s words do make a lot of sense."
Aunt Zhang's third sister-in-law chimed in, "Not only are the Deng family’s conditions excellent, but they are also very generous. Other families might give a one or two yuan red envelope, but the Deng family gave us eight yuan and eighty-eight cents. Most families give less than ten yuan to the bride, but the Deng family gave Xiuping eighteen yuan and eighty-eight cents. They are truly generous."
"The most remarkable thing is that despite their excellent conditions, neither Uncle Jiu nor his children are arrogant. They are all very kind and down-to-earth, unlike those who act superior just because they have a new wardrobe. The Deng family is truly exceptional."
"Perhaps that’s the difference between educated people and ordinary folks. Uncle Jiu has read a lot of books, the eldest son has a high school education, and the other sons are still studying. The younger daughter has at least finished primary school, and the older daughter has completed junior high. In a place where boys are valued over girls, this is truly rare. Many women in our village don’t even get the chance to go to school!"
"Let’s not even talk about that. Just with Uncle Jiu’s cooking skills, Xiuping will be in for a treat!"
"You’re right, Uncle Jiu’s cooking is amazing. I ate so much that I was almost too full to move. I’m glad I rested for a bit, or I would have been embarrassed!"
"I was the same. I tried to maintain my image, but the food was just too good. I ended up eating too much, and I’m glad we didn’t leave the table immediately, or I would have been embarrassed too!"
"I thought I was the only one who overate, but it seems you all did too..."
Listening to the endless praise from her elders, Zhang Xiuping felt as sweet as honey. After seeing the family, the Dengs were now officially her in-laws. The better they performed, the more face she had with her own relatives.
Overall, the visit to the Deng family was well worth it. Everything about the Dengs filled her with satisfaction. Even the plain-looking Deng Yuntao seemed more and more appealing to her. She was already looking forward to her life after marrying into the Deng family!
Not to mention, the clean and modern bathroom alone made her eager to join the Deng family as soon as possible.
After all, using the village's filthy lake as a toilet was truly unbearable!
...
The Zhang family returned to Poxin Village as the sun set.
Ever since their daughter and her companions left to visit the Deng family and check on the family’s suitability, Zhang’s parents had been anxiously waiting at home for news.
They both placed great importance on this marriage proposal and were deeply concerned that something might go wrong during the visit, potentially ruining the match. If that happened, they would have nowhere to turn for comfort!
Finally, when they saw their daughter and her companions return with broad smiles and the fragrant five-spice meat, the parents’ worries were eased. They couldn’t wait to ask about the day’s events.
As everyone recounted the visit to the Deng family, Zhang’s parents were both amazed and overjoyed. The Deng family’s conditions were even better than what Uncle Jiu had described, and forming an alliance with such a family was a stroke of good fortune for the Zhangs.
After the discussion, the Zhang family’s younger aunt looked at the sky and said, "Sis, Brother-in-law, it’s getting late. I need to head back before it gets dark, or I won’t be able to see the road!"
The third aunt and the eldest cousin also said their goodbyes, eager to return home.
On any other day, Zhang’s parents would have insisted they stay, but with the five-spice meat in hand, they needed to get home quickly to prevent it from spoiling. So, Zhang’s parents merely invited them to visit again and watched as they left with their precious meat.
The fourth and seventh aunts also said their goodbyes and went home to handle their five-spice meat.
As for the cousins, Ou Guofang and Ou Guohua, they bid farewell to Zhang Xiuping and the relatives at the village entrance and headed home.
Once only the immediate family was left, Zhang’s mother sent the eldest and second daughters-in-law to the kitchen to prepare the five-spice meat they had brought back. Then, she turned to her daughter and asked, "Xiuping, you’ve met Deng Yuntai. How do you feel about him?"
Zhang Xiuping didn’t hide her thoughts from her mother. "He seems fine so far. He’s quite considerate and even helped me with the dishes I like during the meal."
"That’s good!" Zhang’s mother nodded, then asked, "You’ve also met his brothers and sisters. How did they treat you? Do you think they’re easy to get along with?"
Zhang Xiuping replied, "They were all very friendly. They seem easy to get along with, especially his elder sister. We really hit it off."
Zhang’s mother was pleased. "Once you marry into the family, you’ll be the eldest daughter-in-law without a mother-in-law. After you have children, I’ll definitely help you take care of them, but it’s also important to get along well with your younger sisters-in-law. They can be a great help."
Zhang Xiuping smiled. "I haven’t thought that far ahead. It’s just that she’s around my age, and we have a lot to talk about."
Listening quietly, Zhang’s father suddenly asked, "Xiuping, did Uncle Jiu mention when you and Deng Yuntai should get married?"
Zhang Xiuping blushed slightly and said, "Uncle Jiu said he’ll come to our house tomorrow to discuss it."
Zhang’s parents exchanged a glance and both smiled.
This was such a good match, and they naturally wanted to finalize it as soon as possible.
Clearly, the other side felt the same way.
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(End of Chapter)
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