https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-95-The-Youngest-Daughter-Returns-to-School/12849208/
Chapter 94: Matchmaking
Chapter 94: Matchmaking
Poxin Village.
After dealing with her family’s inquiries, Zhang Xiuping went out to meet her two best friends.
As soon as they met, Ou Guofang giggled and asked, "Sister Ping, you and your husband have already gotten your marriage certificate, right? That means you’re officially a married couple recognized by the state. How does it feel to be a newlywed?"
Thinking about the intimate moments with her husband, which were indeed different from before they got the certificate, Zhang Xiuping knew she couldn’t share such details even with her closest friends. She calmly replied, "It’s just a piece of paper. What’s so different about it?"
Ou Guohua blinked and teased, "Sister Ping, now that you’re officially married, you haven’t even held hands or... hehe..."
"Stop being silly," Zhang Xiuping spat, then quickly changed the subject. "Sister Hua, let’s get serious for a moment. I have something important to tell you."
Ou Guohua asked, "What’s so serious?"
Zhang Xiuping inquired, "Do you remember that young man named Ah Yuan who was with Brother Tai when we went to look at the house?"
Ou Guohua nodded. "Of course, what about him?"
Zhang Xiuping continued, "What do you think of Ah Yuan?"
At this, both Ou Guofang and Ou Guohua began to catch on.
Ou Guofang excitedly asked, "Sister Ping, is it that Ah Yuan has a thing for Sister Hua?"
Zhang Xiuping didn’t deny it and nodded. "That’s right. Ah Yuan has a crush on Sister Hua. What do you think of him?"
Ou Guohua was surprised. She hadn’t expected that a simple house visit would lead to this. Now, thinking back, it seemed that Ah Yuan had indeed been paying special attention to her, though she had initially dismissed it as a coincidence. Hearing Sister Ping mention it now, she realized that Ah Yuan must have had genuine feelings for her.
"Well, Sister Ping, I didn’t pay much attention to him that day. He seemed quite friendly, but I didn’t have any other feelings."
Zhang Xiuping wasn’t surprised by this response. "Let me tell you more about him. See if you want to get to know him better. If you don’t feel anything, it’s fine. But if you think he’s a good match, I can help you two get closer. If you end up marrying into Yexiang Village, we can still meet and chat every day like we do now."
Ou Guohua’s heart skipped a beat at this. The idea of being able to see her best friends every day after marriage was very appealing. She nodded earnestly. "Alright, Sister Ping, tell me more about him."
Ou Guofang also perked up, eager to listen.
Zhang Xiuping began, "Ah Yuan has five siblings: an older sister and brother, and a younger brother and sister. His family isn’t well-off; they only have three mud-brick houses, and the living conditions are quite tight. These are real issues you’d have to face.
However, Ah Yuan works at the pottery factory and earns 60 yuan a month. He’s also learning from Brother Tai to become a master potter. Once he’s fully trained, his monthly income could reach 100 to 200 yuan, which is a promising future."
Ou Guohua frowned at the mention of the living conditions. While it was common for rural families to have limited resources, the tight living space in Ah Yuan’s home was a concern. But after hearing about his potential earnings, she understood why Sister Ping was interested in matchmaking.
Zhang Xiuping continued, "Brother Tai told me that Ah Yuan has a good personality and works hard. If you marry him, the first couple of years might be tough, but once he becomes a master potter, better days will come."
As childhood friends of Zhang Xiuping, Ou Guofang and Ou Guohua were well aware of the high wages Deng Yuntai, the master potter at the kiln factory, earned. This profession was undoubtedly the top job in the village. If Ah Yuan had the opportunity to become a master potter too, his future would indeed be boundless.
Concerning her lifelong happiness, Ou Guohua was momentarily unsure and decided to seek her sisters' opinions. "Sis Ping, Sis Fang, what do you think of Ah Yuan?"
Ou Guofang replied, "From what Sis Ping has told us, Ah Yuan seems like a good match. Although his family is not well-off, his current monthly income is already quite high. If he learns the craft from Brother-in-Law and becomes a master potter, his earnings will be even better. I think you should seriously consider him, Sis Hua."
"Sis Hua, I also recommend him. He is Brother-in-Law's childhood friend, and you are my childhood friend. If you two end up together, it would truly be a match made in heaven."
Zhang Xiuping then put her arm around Ou Guohua's shoulder and smiled, "And the talk about suffering for the first couple of years is just that—talk. Do you really think Brother-in-Law and I would stand by and watch you suffer?"
Ou Guohua was moved by her sisters' words and pondered, "Alright, I'll follow your advice."
...
Time flies, and before they knew it, it was the eleventh month of the lunar calendar, and the weather was getting colder.
Unlike the distinct seasons in the north, the weather in Bobai County was a mystery. It could get cold in the tenth or eleventh month, but it was also possible to wear short sleeves during the Spring Festival. The weather was notoriously unpredictable.
Deng Shirong's family had started clearing their orchard at the end of the eighth month of the lunar calendar. After more than two months of hard work by over a dozen laborers from dawn till dusk, the orchard was almost fully cleared. They estimated that with another week of work, the entire lychee hill (orchard) would be ready!
Seeing the progress on the lychee hill, Deng Shirong considered building a house there.
In the future, most families with a lychee hill would build one or two houses on the hilltop or slopes. These houses were used to guard the lychee trees during the harvest season to prevent theft.
Building a house on the lychee hill was necessary, but since the lychee saplings had not been planted yet, and it would take at least two more years for the trees to bear fruit, it seemed premature and impractical to build a house now.
Therefore, Deng Shirong briefly considered it but decided to put it off. He planned to reserve a spot for a house when they planted the lychee saplings and build it once the trees started flowering in two years.
However, while building a house on the lychee hill wasn't urgent, there was another important task that needed to be addressed immediately.
This task involved planting a thorny local plant around the entire lychee hill. Once planted, this plant would grow into a natural fence over one or two years, making it impossible for anyone to enter the hill except through the main gate.
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(End of Chapter)
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