Chen Xiaobei's memory flashed back to Cui Fugui's daughter Cui Hongyu, who was a well-known beauty.
But this beauty had a bad fate. The matchmaker arranged for her three times, but before she could get through, all three of her fiancés died in various accidents.
It is said that during the first matchmaking session, Cui Fugui asked for dozens of taels of silver as a betrothal gift, but the second time it was reduced to five taels of silver. The third time, it was for nothing, and he didn’t want a penny of the betrothal gift. But this time, he simply gave it up. There is only one, and naturally he hopes to marry off this unlucky daughter as soon as possible.
Speaking of which, Cui Hongyu has a reputation for being clever and handy, and can do any job inside or outside the house, but this cannot stop his reputation from being ruined. If his reputation is ruined, everything will be equal to zero.
While Chen Xiaobei was hesitating, Chen Qiaoer next to her suddenly spoke, "Sister Hongyu is very beautiful. It would be really great to be my sister-in-law."
Chen Xiaobei glared at her, took a mouthful of wild vegetables from his bowl with chopsticks, and stuffed it into Chen Qiaoer's mouth.
Seeing that Chen Xiaobei did not refuse directly, the second aunt continued, "Xiaobei, don't listen to what they say. That husband is just a rumor. He has never married anyone. How can he be considered her husband? It's just a matter of time." Can you blame them for their bad luck? Cui Fugui said that he would need at least twenty taels of silver as a dowry, and I won’t hide it from you. If Dachun hadn’t already married a wife, I would have really wanted him to marry her."
Twenty taels of silver!
In the memory of this life, one tael of silver is exchanged for one ounce of money, and one ounce of money is equal to one thousand cash.
One penny can buy two kilograms of grain, so twenty taels of silver may not seem like much, but its purchasing power should not be underestimated.
Then again, the higher the purchasing power, the more obvious it is that Cui Hongyu really can't get married.
Hearing his mother say this, Dachun couldn't help but smile. "Mom, fortunately Cuihua has gone back to her parents' home. Otherwise, what would Cuihua think if you say this?"
The second aunt ignored her. Chen Xiaobei knew that this was just her words. Even if Dachun was really unmarried, she would definitely not marry Cui Hongyu.
Seeing that he was silent, the second aunt looked at Chen Xiaobei with a smile and said, "Don't worry, Cui Fugui has been practicing medicine for many years and is considered a wealthy man in our eight villages. Twenty taels of silver is a piece of cake for him. By the way, don’t think too much about it, I really do it for your own good, and I won’t deprive Lao Cui’s family of any benefits.”
Chen Xiaobei didn't care whether he received the benefits or not, but this sentence reminded him that he was only here to discuss Cui Hongyu and forgot about the serious things he had planned tonight.
Chen Xiaobei tried his best to force out a smile, "Second aunt, let's put aside the matter of getting a wife for now. Can I discuss something with you?"
The second aunt had a smile on her face and said, "Why are you being polite to me? Just tell me what's going on."
"Second Aunt, I want Qiaoer to stay at your place for one night. I'm not worried about her being at home alone."
After hearing what Chen Xiaobei said, Chen Dachun looked surprised, "Xiaobei, it's getting dark right now. Where are you going at this late hour?"
Chen Xiaobei deliberately changed the subject, "I'm getting married soon, and I have to go into the mountains to get some betrothal gifts."
Upon hearing this, Dachun became anxious. He immediately waved his hand and said, "No, no, no, Xiaobei, don't take risks. Even old hunters like them in the village only dare to enter the mountains during the day. Do you want to risk your life if you go into the mountains so late?"
Chen Xiaobei said to his heart, what kind of life do I want? My family is so poor, there is no difference between living and dying.
If it weren't for Chen Qiao'er, I might have left long ago and never looked back.
"Dachun, your family has food and drink, but I'm different. I'm a pauper, and I still have my sister with me. I can't do it without going into the mountains."
Chen Qiaoer immediately came over obediently, took Chen Xiaobei's arm, and said timidly, "Qiaoer go dig wild vegetables to eat, brother, don't go into the mountains after dark."
Chen Dachun also took the opportunity to persuade, "Brother, how about I accompany you during the day? I will accompany you all the way to the mountain temple."
The mountain temple is halfway up the Qingniu Mountain, about ten miles away from the foot of the mountain. I have been there once when I was a child, but I have never been there since.
It is said that not many people have been to the village, which shows that Chen Dachun really thinks about himself.
Chen Xiaobei patted Chen Dachun on the shoulder and said, "Brother Dachun, there is a saying that no thanks can be expressed for a great favor. You have helped me a lot. I will keep it in my heart, but today I have to go into the mountains."
Chen Xiaobei hesitated for a moment, but in the end he didn't say anything about using Qiaoer to pay off his gambling debt. This is so dehumanizing, so you should leave some character for yourself.
Chen Dachun was silent, and the atmosphere in the room became a little quiet. Finally, the second aunt broke the awkwardness, "Well, since you want to go, go ahead and leave Qiao'er to me. Don't worry."
When Chen Xiaobei returned home, he simply packed up and set off. He knew that the best time to catch pheasants was when it got dark.
Because I disturbed these pheasants during the day and tied them with cloth strips, the environment changed significantly. The pheasants did not dare to go back until it was dark.
Moreover, pheasants have another characteristic: after dark, their eyesight decreases significantly.
Of course, although it is a good time to catch them, it is still very difficult to get close to them.
Because when walking through the weeds, there will always be movement, and if there is a group of pheasants, there will still be one or two pheasants standing guard.
Therefore, Chen Xiaobei had to hide nearby before it got dark.
The pheasant policeman felt very worried. They would definitely notice if he took away the pheasant eggs.
Just like a parent discovering that their child is missing, the pheasant will panic and look for eggs.
This period of panic was a good opportunity for him to take action.
Chen Xiaobei entered the mountain and successfully found the mark he had made.
This is it, Chen Xiaobei breathed a sigh of relief.
It's still early now, and the pheasants are probably still out looking for food, waiting for dark.
Chen Xiaobei found a tree not far away that was thicker than his waist. There was a huge branch on this tree, big enough to bear his own weight. Sitting on a tree branch and choosing a comfortable position, he took off his belt and hugged himself to the tree.
This can ensure that you won't accidentally fall. As long as you wait until the pheasants come back and catch a few mountain pheasants, your plan will be successful.
After about half an hour, there began to be a cooing sound in the distance, and the grass was shaking continuously. This was the return of the pheasants who had gone out to look for food.
Chen Xiaobei gently untied his belt and tied it back around his waist.
He held the huge net in his hands again.
As long as a pheasant comes nearby, he will immediately pounce down on it.
Suffering a sudden attack, the pheasant's instinctive action is to take off.
Therefore, the probability of catching a pheasant in Duotou is very high.
Moreover, if you are lucky and move quickly enough, it is not impossible to catch two more.
Soon, some small bright spots appeared, which were the eyes of the pheasants. As expected, when the pheasants returned, they found that there were fewer eggs.
