Reborn in a small village in the 1990s

Chapter 149

"Wu Er, give it your all. Let's get this road done today," Wu Shanhe shouted.

Wu Er, who was cleaning the top of the wall, responded.

Zhao Da'e felt bad letting the Wu family do all the work, so she and Zhou Chunwen helped out with whatever they could.

There was no road here to begin with, so it was quite uneven. Some saplings were planted there before, but actually, they weren't really planted; they just sprouted from under the big trees, and there were a lot of them.

Zhao Da'e and his team used shovels and picks to remove the saplings. They also cleared away the roots. Finally, they leveled the ground.

Zhou Yuren even drove an oxcart to collect all the unused stones, tiles, and broken saplings.

After a whole morning of work, the job was barely finished. It was only thanks to the Wu family doing a lot of work last night that it was completed; otherwise, it would have taken more than a day.

Zhao Tiesheng also came over to help, and he worked with great enthusiasm. Zhao Da'e went to rest and watched others do the finishing work.

"Cousin, did you see that? Your dad is incredibly meticulous and fast at his work. With my uncle's skills, it would be a waste if he didn't go and tile the Great Wall."

Zhou Chunwen blushed: "Don't talk nonsense. Your dad is good, but he's always talking nonsense while working. He never stops talking. He always finds something wrong with this or that."

Zhao Da'e chuckled: "He's just like that. I can't be bothered to work with him. Let's go home, I reckon it's going to snow in this awful weather. There's no weather forecast. When are we getting a TV? I want to watch the weather forecast."

"What's a television?" Zhou Chunwen asked curiously.

"A TV is... you wouldn't understand even if I explained. That's what's popular in the city. When you get married, you should ask your in-laws for a TV, a washing machine, and a refrigerator." Zhao Da'e said with a smile, "A lot of it, a big color TV. And it has to have DVDs."

"What? In our village, aren't the three essentials for a wedding a flashlight, a bicycle, and a sewing machine? I've never heard of these before," Zhou Chunwen asked, puzzled.

Zhao Da'e chuckled: There are plenty of things you haven't heard of. But when did the "three essential items" include a flashlight?

"Oh, sister, that's so outdated. What era are we living in? Still using flashlights? Besides, bicycles are so cheap, we want motorcycles. We need a sewing machine, and as for the other thing, I think they want a radio."

"But it's still a few years before you get married, and even in a year or two, the price will have gone up. Wedding prices are rising incredibly fast these days. A few years ago, my mom didn't have much money for her wedding. When my third aunt got married, the dowry was 1200 yuan, plus a radio, a sewing machine, and a pair of blankets."

Zhao Da'e laughed when she thought of this: "Big sister, do you think my third aunt lies around all day and doesn't do any work because those two blankets were too damn expensive back then, and she can't bear to leave the blankets?"

Zhou Chunwen laughed, "Big Goose, you're just being sarcastic. Who would sleep all day just because they can't bear to part with their blanket? That's crazy... um... your third aunt. Your third aunt is just too lazy. So lazy she's practically infested with maggots. She's not much better than my Er Ya. Er Ya is just as lazy as your third aunt, she's incredibly lazy."

Zhao Da'e pouted: "Second Sister isn't lazy. She's just insecure. She stutters, so she's afraid to see people, and when she's afraid to see people, she hides."

"Isn't that still laziness?" Zhou Chunwen shrugged.

The two talked for a while, and seeing that there was nothing else, they went home.

When they got home, Zhao Da'e felt the weather was chilly, so he gathered firewood to heat the kang (a heated brick bed).

Anyway, Zhou Yuren's family has plenty of firewood, so why not burn it? Wouldn't it be a waste if Zhou Yuren didn't burn as much firewood as possible?

After lunch, it started snowing.

The snow wasn't heavy, and Zhou Yuren had also gone home, but he looked worried.

Zhao Da'e frowned: "Uncle, what's wrong? Are you upset because you see someone else's son getting married?"

Zhou Yuren was genuinely upset about this. While other families had matchmakers, his own family's matchmakers weren't making any moves, so Zhou Yuren was naturally very anxious.

For Zhou Yuren, a native rural old man, finding a wife for his son was like a chore. As the old saying goes, many people spend their entire lives simply to continue the family line, and Zhou Yuren shared this sentiment. If his son couldn't find a wife, he would die with regrets.

Zhou Yuren felt frustrated because he couldn't complete the task of finding a wife for his son.

He puffed on his pipe without replying to Zhao Da'e.

Zhao Da'e rolled his eyes and sighed, "Oh dear. Uncle, why are you in such a hurry? That fat girl, Lao Ma, isn't going to run away. You have to stay calm. If you can't stay calm, that won't do. Didn't Shi Zhihui come a few days ago? Why are you in such a rush?"

Getting married is a lot like going to war. You need to know yourself and your enemy to win every battle. We did well last time, so you can't be in such a hurry. If you go to Shi Zhihui like this, or ask Lao Ma, this matter will be very difficult for you in the future. Let me introduce you to a fallacy..."

Zhao Da'e laughed and said, "Uncle, actually, if a man doesn't have children and doesn't get married, people will say, 'So-and-so is childless.' But the same goes for women. A woman who doesn't have children and doesn't get married can't scare a man; she can only scare herself. When women get old, it's different from men. An old man can still work as a gatekeeper or a night watchman. When a woman gets old, she can only make a living by collecting scraps. So, it's a mutual matter; you can't rush it."

Zhou Yuren felt a little better after hearing what Zhao Da'e said.

Zhou Yuren then sat on the kang (a heated brick bed) and brewed a pot of tea.

Zhao Da'e also brewed a pot of tea and chatted with his cousin Zhou Chunwen.

"Cousin, I've finally gotten several things off my mind. Now that road is built, I don't have to walk through the old house anymore. And I don't have to see my grandparents' grumpy faces anymore. My dad's attitude has improved a bit, but he talks a lot now, trying to get my attention… it's a headache. As for the water issue, I'll go to town in a few days. The remaining problem is my mom. I don't know when it would be best to get her back. But I'd prefer that when she comes back, we'll be living in a big house. But building a house is a lot of work, and I don't have that much money."

I'm thinking of building a house in the backyard when spring comes. Three or four rooms, maybe. But I'll build one first. I think I can scrape together the cost of one room. If it costs seven or eight thousand, or even ten thousand, to build one house, that's fine too. Anyway, I don't want to stay in the front yard anymore.”

"Let my third aunt come stay at my house, what's the big deal?" Zhou Chunwen asked, puzzled.

“No way. It’s fine for me to stay at your house, but my mom can’t.” Zhao Da’e shook his head: “My mom is very thin-skinned, unlike me who is so shameless.”

"What are you saying? We're all family. What's with the shame? It's not like we don't have room."

"No. I feel like my older cousin will be getting married in the spring, and then there won't be any room left." Zhao Da'e didn't want to go through that trouble: "It's more comfortable to have my own place to lie down in."

By the afternoon, the snow still showed no signs of stopping, so Zhao Da'e leaned against the windowsill, watching the snowflakes fall.

Without dreams, one can live a carefree and unrestrained life. Zhao Da'e was no exception. She put on her cotton-padded coat and shoes, slipped on a scarf, and dashed out.

Then he made a snowball and threw it with a whoosh.

Then a scream of pain came from the doorway.

Zhao Da'e looked in the direction of the sound and saw that his snowball had hit Wu Shanhe, who was carrying large and small bags, right on the forehead.

Ni was also following behind Wu Shanhe.

Zhao Da'e quickly went out to greet her: "Oh dear. Second Uncle, look at my cousin, she's always throwing snowballs. Did she hit you? Are you alright?"

Wu Shanhe said he was fine.

But Zhou Chunwen was furious when she came out: Zhao Da'e is smearing me again. My cousin must be the one who did the bad thing.

Wu Shanhe was carrying a large basket of eggs and duck eggs. Next to him were a box of almond milk, a box of eight-treasure porridge, and a bag of candy.

Judging from this standard, it should be for Zhao Da'e. Otherwise, who would give candy as a gift?

Zhao Da'e naturally understood: "Second Uncle, look at you, you even bought me things. If I say thank you, it would be too formal. If I accept it, I feel embarrassed."

Ni said from behind, "There's nothing to be embarrassed about. It's not anything valuable. Besides, without your guidance, my son's marriage prospects would be completely bleak."

Wu Shanhe also said, "I listened to you and went to find Zhao Tiedan from your sixth grandfather's house. The couple agreed to my request. At noon, they braved the snow and went to town. They asked Zou Xiaohua about the blind date."

Zou Xiaohua didn't say anything else. She just said she needed to go home and send a message. Zhao Tiedan was indeed capable; he then had Zou Xiaohua call their village, and they actually found Zou Xiaohua's parents. Zhao Tiedan explained that his family wanted to get a wife. The Zou family also said that although the matter was urgent, they could still make arrangements. Tomorrow, which is the weekend, he would have Zhao Tiedan go to their house first. With this, there's a 90% chance of success.”

After all, the girl's parents have agreed to let the matchmaker visit, so the chances of the deal going through are very high. At least, the girl is interested.

So Wu Shanhe was happy and decided to thank Zhao Da'e, the great benefactor who had brought them together. He bought a lot of things and went to see Zhao Da'e.

Zhao Da'e waved his hand: "You can do it if you want. No need to give me gifts. I didn't do anything, I'm already embarrassed. Hehehe, keep the candy, but don't give me anything else, it makes me look like I'm greedy."

Zhou Chunwen looked at Zhao Da'e strangely: Hehe.

The Wu couple said, "Big Goose, some things are unpredictable. If you hadn't mentioned it to your second brother that day, none of this would have happened. In this matter, you deserve the most credit. It's not anything valuable; it's just eggs from our own chickens and ducks..."

“No. You bought these eggs and duck eggs from my sixth grandfather’s son. Your family doesn’t raise chickens or ducks. If they were really yours, I would take them. You obviously bought them.” Zhao Da’e knew all the basic information about the villagers in the village like the back of his hand.

The Wu family doesn't raise chickens or ducks at all, so they don't have any chicken or duck eggs. Wu Shanhe only said that because he was afraid Zhao Da'e wouldn't accept it.

“No way. Whether it’s bought or from my own home, I’ve already brought it. Can you let me take it back?” Wu Shanhe said.

Madam Ni also said, "Here you goose. Fry some eggs for us. Second Aunt's eyesight isn't good, otherwise we would have called you home for dinner. It's not that I can't cook, it's all your Second Uncle's cooking. His cooking is terrible, we have no choice. We originally wanted to invite you to dinner, but they all said you're picky and can't eat the bad food, so we bought these things to see you."

Zhao Da'e frowned: Which bastard is talking badly about me behind my back? Saying I'm picky? Did I eat their rice? But most of the time, it was Zhao Tiesheng who said these things.

Zhao Da'e knew Zhao Tiesheng very well. His father never spoke well of him when he went out. It was as if he was completely useless, had no redeeming qualities, and was good for nothing except eating.

However, since Mr. Ni had already said that, Mr. Zhao felt embarrassed to refuse. He couldn't very well let her take it back, could he? As the saying goes, one doesn't hit a smiling face; if someone offers you delicious food and you refuse, what if they think you're not satisfied and offer you even more expensive things later?

So Zhao Da'e accepted the gifts.

"Big sister, take it to the house."

Zhou Chunwen, like a little follower, carried the things Wu Shanhe brought into the house.

Zhao Dage didn't invite Wu Shanhe and his wife into the house, since it wasn't their own home. Besides, Zhou Yuren was currently worried about his son getting married, so it was better not to let Wu Shanhe and his wife in.

"Then we'll meet at the Xiang family home in a few days, right?" Zhao Da'e asked.

Dongtaizi Village has a specific custom of matchmaking.

Typically, a matchmaker visits the man's and woman's families to inquire about their preferences. If both parties agree, the woman will bring relatives and friends to the man's home for a family meeting.

The process of choosing a family is actually quite complex.

Rural areas are different from cities. Ask around to see if you own a house and how big it is.

When visiting a rural area, you have to come and see how big the yard is and what the house looks like.

Of course, that's not important. What's important is to look around and ask around among your neighbors.

Observe the family's neighborly relations, their character, the young man's character, the elders' character, and how they live their lives. There are many things to consider.

It's a comprehensive consideration.

Of course, most of the time, this is just a formality. But if someone is serious and finds out from the neighbors that the family has a bad reputation, then it's all over.

Therefore, the most difficult thing to manage in rural areas is neighborly relations. Because when a son is getting married, he will go to the neighbor's house to find a suitable wife.

This makes you afraid to even argue with your neighbor. What if your son gets married in the future and the neighbor says something bad about him?

Zhao Da'e was aware of this rural custom. So he said, "If you're going to arrange a blind date, don't send the woman to my grandfather's house."

Because Zhao Da'e's grandparents lived in a courtyard that was considered Wu's neighbor's.

"My grandma still lives in the countryside, don't let it affect your son's wedding."

Zhao Da'e is telling the truth. The neighbors are all squatting on fences. Once you find out, you're doomed. What kind of family is so close to each other that they're squatting on fences?

Wu Shanhe smiled awkwardly: "It's okay. I'll just say that you're my neighbor."

"Okay. I'll definitely put in a good word for you."

"Then we'll head back now. I'll arrange a big meal for you when you have time," Wu Shanhe promised.

"Let's talk about the big meal later. Getting married is more important. I don't care if I eat it or not, but... I don't eat fatty meat," Zhao Da'e said. "If things work out, just arrange a separate table for me and the kids..."