The Country Maiden: Fields and Leisure
Chapter 493 - 491: The Dowry

Chapter 493: Chapter 491: The Dowry

The scorching breath bore down, and Wang Yongzhu only felt the heat hit her face, causing her to uncomfortably twist her body a bit, trying to break free.

"Yongzhu, let me hold you! Can’t I just hold you if I can’t become a son-in-law at home this year?" Song Chongjin’s voice was husky and carried a hint of grievance.

Wang Yongzhu stiffened all over and didn’t know why, but suddenly, those risqué novels she had seen before started playing in her mind.

Shouldn’t Song Chongjin be saying, "Don’t move, little temptress! You’ve successfully aroused my interest" at this moment?

Or maybe Song Chongjin would play the domineering CEO, giving a wicked smile: "Little temptress, you’ve kindled the fire; now you extinguish it?"

...

Wang Yongzhu shivered and dared not think any further.

Fortunately, Song Chongjin had restraint. Although he wanted to hold Yongzhu and never let go for the rest of his life, since they were not yet married, he still needed to hold back a little.

Song Chongjin kissed the top of Wang Yongzhu’s head subtly, then released his hands.

Feeling awkward, Wang Yongzhu cleared her throat and made a beeline for the door, "I... I’ll go outside to have a look..."

Watching Wang Yongzhu’s flustered steps, Song Chongjin’s eyes were filled with amusement.

By the evening, when Old Granny Zhang returned, a matchmaker had already been confirmed. It was an aunt from the Wang Family in the same village, who had the best reputation and was very enthusiastic. As soon as she heard it was for Wang Yongping, she immediately agreed.

With the agreement in place, Old Granny Zhang headed home to prepare the gifts for the matchmaking.

Typically, for peasant families, bringing some pastries and a bit of meat or eggs was already quite generous when a matchmaker went to propose a match.

When she had arranged marriages for her three sons before, except for the second, who married into the city and received an extra bolt of cloth and a fish, the others were more or less the same.

Now, even though times were better, Old Granny Zhang hadn’t planned to be extravagant.

Firstly, in her eyes, all the sons were equal, fair is fair. Laosi wasn’t her precious daughter, so there was no need to cause the daughters-in-law to gossip about her behind her back for his sake.

Secondly, no matter how much silver the family had, it couldn’t withstand the expenses of building a new house and marrying off Laosi. Wouldn’t every part of that cost money? If the matchmaking gifts were too lavish, wouldn’t the betrothal presents have to be even more? That wouldn’t do, the more given away now, the less there would be for the daughter eventually, right?

As such, since Wang Yongzhu and Song Chongjin were going to the town early the next morning, Old Granny Zhang simply asked them to buy the matchmaking and betrothal presents together, saving a lot of trouble.

Old Granny Zhang made this announcement in front of the whole family, and even the list was made with everyone present.

Besides the meat and pastries, Old Granny Zhang only added an extra large carp, weighing about ten pounds, to give face to the Liu Family.

As for the dowry, that was even easier to decide: two types of fabrics, two boxes of pastries, two kinds of dried fruit, two pounds of brown sugar, two bags of tea leaves, two live chickens, ten pounds of pork, a pair of carps, two jars of wine, plus a pair of silver bracelets for the bride.

In a peasant’s household, this was already considered quite substantial.

The moment the dowry list was read out, Lady Lin’s expression changed.

The dowry sent to the Lin Family initially was about the same, but there hadn’t been a pair of silver bracelets, had there? Those bracelets must be at least two taels each? Why should that be? She was still the eldest son’s wife, so why did Laosi get more for marrying a wife than she had?

Lady Jiang didn’t need to say anything; her lot was even more pitiful than Lady Lin’s.

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Wang Laozhu was extremely satisfied upon hearing the arrangements. Now that the Wang Family’s days were prosperous, it was only natural that they couldn’t be compared to the past. Such a dowry, spoken of anywhere, would bring honor to the family.

Old Granny Zhang could clearly see the thoughts of the two daughters-in-law.

Eldest Brother is not worth mentioning, but Laosan, Wang Yonggui, also had his share of discontent.

Comparing their situations, among the four brothers in the family, except for him, everyone else’s marriage arrangements were more impressive than his.

Not to mention his younger sister, with how much their mother adored her, when it came time for her marriage, she probably wouldn’t hesitate to give away even the house itself.

Since Old Granny Zhang had dared to list this dowry, she naturally wasn’t afraid of confrontation, "I know you’re not convinced in your hearts, feeling the dowry is too extravagant, overshadowing all of you. You probably even resent us parents for not treating everyone equally, wondering how could we give so much to Laosi’s family, isn’t it just to put you down?"

Upon hearing this, Wang Yonggui’s face became sheepish.

Wang Yongfu promptly stood up and said, "Mother, I haven’t thought that way. I understand that now our family is better off, and if the dowry were too meager, outsiders might mock the Wang family. Even the Liu Family would probably be displeased! Laosi’s marriage has been delayed for the sake of the family, even if it is a bit more grand, it is only appropriate."

Not to mention, the compensation Laosi received for calling off his engagement was all spent on him.

Ever since Wang Yongfu injured his leg, he began to see everything more clearly and honestly. Laosi was a straightforward man, with no selfish motives towards the family. So what if getting a bride cost a little more money? As long as his father, mother, and sister had no objections, he certainly had none.

Wang Yonggui snorted, thinking how Eldest Brother surely knew how to curry favor and act adorable. Of course, he had no objections. As the eldest, he had always been the most favored by their father. When he took a bride, Grandmother was still alive, and Grandmother favored the eldest deeply. His wife was Grandmother’s niece, so how could they have not managed the wedding with care?

Who knew her own sons better than Old Granny Zhang?

Whatever was on Wang Yonggui’s mind, she knew it as clearly as day.

Just right, during the preparations for Laosi’s wedding, she could lay everything out in the open.

It was to prevent these ungrateful sons from thinking she had wronged them in any way.

"Laosan, what do you think?" Old Granny Zhang looked at Wang Yonggui.

Wang Yonggui wanted to express his dissatisfaction, but in front of the whole family, with his son, nephews, and as a grown man, it felt a bit too petty to complain about such things. He just mumbled vaguely, "I have nothing in particular to say, our parents surely have their own reasons. What can I, as a son, say about it?"

The resentment in his words was evident to everyone.

Old Wang frowned. What was Laosan trying to imply? Sneering in such a way, was he accusing him and his wife of being unfair?

The atmosphere in the room immediately grew tense. Lady Jiang looked anxiously and worriedly at her husband. It wasn’t that she didn’t feel aggrieved by the less impressive arrangement of their marriage compared to the second household; ever since she married into the family, she had been mocked by the eldest sister-in-law and looked down upon by the second sister-in-law.

But she had endured it all. She had always thought her husband didn’t care about such things, and after many years of marriage, she had never heard him complain. And now, was her husband also feeling discontent?

Lady Lin was dissatisfied, but she didn’t dare to speak out, and her own husband, Wang Yongfu’s words had shushed the first house even further.

Lady Lin was inwardly frustrated but rejoiced when she saw Laosan, Wang Yonggui, stepping up. Laosan was always blunt and didn’t mince words. If he really kicked up a fuss, perhaps he could even get the parents-in-law to step back a notch.

If she could, she would have readily cheered Laosan on.

Old Granny Zhang let out a cold laugh and glanced around the room, "Very well, since you all feel grievance in your hearts, thinking that we, as your parents, haven’t been fair to everyone, then today we shall have a good talk about it."

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