After Suozhamu and Huahua's marriage was officially decided, one night, Ping'er and Zhou Sheng came to Luo's house in the dark to sit and talk with Yang Ruoqing.
Farmers like this. During the day, everyone may be busy with other things. Even if the farm is slack, as long as you are willing, you can always find some trivial things to do at home and outside the house, such as holding your hands against the wall. The lazy guy and the lazy woman who squat all day are not the mainstream after all.
So after breakfast at night, it is normal for the couple to come together to sit down and talk about household chores and discuss ideas.
Yang Ruoqing knew that this was because the marriage was settled and she acted as a matchmaker. Ping'er was in a good mood and wanted to come over to her to talk to her.
So when they came over at night, Blacksmith Luo and the others made various excuses to go back to the house after a few polite greetings, leaving the main room to the three of them.
"Come, have some tea."
Yang Ruoqing pushed two bowls of brewed tea in front of them and greeted them with a smile.
Zhou Sheng nodded, picked up the tea bowl and sat quietly aside, leaving space for communication between the two women.
Ping'er couldn't drink tea, but it was very pleasant to warm her hands with the tea bowl.
"Qing'er, we came here tonight to say thank you. Thank you and Yaxue for helping my family Huahua keep a matchmaker. Brother Zhou Sheng and I are satisfied from the bottom of our hearts with Suozhamu, our son-in-law."
Yang Ruoqing asked with a smile, "What about Huahua? Is she satisfied?"
Ping'er nodded: "She was humming a little tune in and out of her mouth. I had never seen her so happy when I was discussing the marriage with Gu Zhihua."
"That's good." Yang Ruoqing said, "You have to live your own life. Life is very long. It's hard to buy her anything you want."
Ping'er and Zhou Sheng both nodded.
Ping'er then added: "It's Huahua's idea to set the wedding date in the spring of next year. She wants to get married before Bingbing leaves Qing'an County, so that Bingbing can carry her out."
"Oh?" Yang Ruoqing raised her eyebrows and sorted out Bingbing's affairs in her mind.
Bingbing followed Xiaoan to the Ministry of War in Qing'an County at the end of July and early August to join the army. After systematic training at the Ministry of War, he would go through a series of strict screening and review in the spring of the next day, and finally be drafted into the army. , become a real soldier.
"That boy has always regarded Tang Yazi as a role model and dreamed of becoming Tang Yazi's soldier. I told him that you have to practice hard and strive to meet the selection standards of the National Guard Army. No, since I went to Qing Dynasty Anjun Military Department, we haven’t been home for several months, we have been practicing!”
When the matter of Bing Bing was mentioned, Zhou Sheng also put down his tea bowl, raised his head, and happily told Yang Ruoqing.
Yang Ruoqing nodded with admiration on her face: "Men should strengthen themselves. It is rare for Bingbing to have such determination and courage. We must support him."
"However, the recruitment standards for the National Guard Army are very strict, and my Tang Yazi is a selfless person. If Bingbing wants to achieve his wish, he can only rely on his own strength."
Zhou Sheng nodded repeatedly, "This is necessary. How can such a thing be done through the back door? Only by practicing your skills in a down-to-earth manner can you feel at ease and convince the public, and we can rest assured."
Ping'er also echoed: "That was on the battlefield, with real swords and guns. If you go through the back door, you will hurt him."
Yang Ruoqing looked at the two couples and said with satisfaction: "I feel relieved if you can think so. Although Xiao An did not go to the military department for training when he joined the army, Xiao An has been trained by Tang Yazi since he was a child and has been actively preparing. His skills are very good. Yes, but even so, he followed Tang Yazi to the battlefield and still narrowly escaped death."
"So for Bingbing, it's more secure to accept orthodox training and follow formal procedures."
Ping'er and Zhou Sheng discussed with Yang Ruoqing the arrangements for Huahua and Suozhamu's marriage in the next year. Ping'er had nothing to hide from Yang Ruoqing.
"The jewelry in the jewelry box that Huahua's biological mother left to her will be used as her dowry. In addition, Zhou Sheng and I are going to put five taels of silver in it for her to put at the bottom of the box."
"Fifty taels of silver? How can you have so much?" Yang Ruoqing asked in surprise.
Five taels of silver was Ping'er's family's annual expenses. It was rare for a farmer's family to put in so much when their daughter got married.
Ping'er smiled and looked at Zhou Sheng, "Where is all the money Zhou Sheng earned in the transportation team? I said I would leave it to Bingbing to get a wife. He said that Bingbing was not in a hurry. Bingbing wrote a letter home and said that he Don’t be in a hurry, I’m going to make a dowry for my sister!”
Zhou Sheng smiled and said, "That boy has become sensible. He has one sister for each one, unlike when we were kids, two people bickering and fighting for three days."
Yang Ruoqing took a sip of tea and said, "Ping'er, if you give all your savings to Huahua as a dowry, then Bingbing will need money to marry his wife, and your own daughter will also need money to get married. I think it's better not to subsidize too much. The jewelry box her biological mother left for her is worth more than thirty taels of silver when cashed in, which is enough to cover the bottom of the box!"
Speaking of this, Ping'er couldn't help but glanced at Zhou Sheng again, her eyes and brows filled with gratitude and relief, "These are what Brother Zhou Sheng meant. He said that Bingbing's marriage is not urgent. If he has the ability, he will naturally do it in the future. Let's earn a future together. My little girl is only three or four years old, so there is no rush. It will be more than ten years before she comes out of the cabinet, which is enough for us to save slowly, so for now, let's give what we have to Huahua first."
Yang Ruoqing gave a thumbs up to Zhou Shengna: "Open-minded."
Zhou Sheng waved his hand sheepishly, "I admire that boy Sozamu. He has no parents. If he can be a family with us, I will try my best to help him."
Ping'er and Zhou Sheng chatted for a while before leaving with satisfaction.
Before leaving, Ping'er told Yang Ruoqing: "Yaxue has made arrangements to give Suo Zhamu two days' leave on that day, and tomorrow she will ask Suo Zhamu to take Huahua to the county town to buy two new sets of clothes."
"This is what you should do. Go to the county town and have fun." Yang Ruoqing said.
"They asked me and Zhou Sheng to go with her sister. How can we go? That would be blind, so we won't go." Ping'er covered her mouth and laughed.
Yang Ruoqing also laughed. Ping'er and the others had a good consciousness. They would not be light bulbs once they were engaged, leaving the young people space to get along freely.
"But Huahua still insisted on taking her sister with her, saying that she had never been to the county town to play, so she had to be taken out for a walk. We couldn't stop her. The little girl was also looking forward to going, so she had to let them arrange it." Ping'er added. explain.
"Since it's their own arrangement, then you can just follow them. It's good for the little girl to come and see what's new. You and Brother Zhou Sheng can relax at home for two days." Yang Ruoqing said, small light bulbs don't matter, they have low wattage.
Early the next morning, Suozhamu drove a carriage with his wife-to-be, Huahua, and her four-year-old sister-in-law to the county town to buy new clothes.
