Chapter 46: Uncle Jiu, You Are So Kind

Chapter 46: Uncle Jiu, You Are So Kind

Noon.

Deng Shirong enjoyed a warm and hospitable lunch with Dai Chunqing's family.

The meal included stir-fried pork, scrambled eggs with chopped green onions, and a few bowls of green vegetables and pickles. While such a meal was nothing special to Deng Shirong, who ate meat every day, for Dai Chunqing's family, it was a rare and sumptuous feast—something they might only enjoy once every three months.

After more than two hours of conversation, Deng Shirong had a good understanding of Dai Chunqing's family situation.

Dai Chunqing's family was not well-off. They lived in two mud-brick houses and a small kitchen. Dai Chunqing and his wife occupied one house, while the other housed two bunk beds—one for their three sons and the other for their two daughters. The living conditions were cramped.

Dai Chunqing's eldest son, Dai Zongze, was an honest young man. During their chat, Deng Shirong had tested him and found that he had no grand ambitions for the future. Dai Zongze simply wanted to farm the land, marry, and have children. Nothing else mattered to him.

In the 1960s and 1970s, such a man would have been considered reliable, and any girl who married him would at least not go hungry. However, Deng Shirong knew that as times changed, someone who only focused on farming without adapting to new opportunities would likely struggle to keep up with others.

In contrast, Dai Chunqing's eldest daughter, Dai Fanglan, though shy, was a thoughtful and resourceful person.

After lunch, Deng Shirong spoke privately with Dai Chunqing: "Cousin, I understand your family's situation. I think your eldest son's marriage isn't urgent right now. Your family is short on housing, and you can't expect your daughter-in-law to share a bed with her brother-in-law, right? So, I suggest you build a new house first. Once you have a house, finding a daughter-in-law will be much easier."

Dai Chunqing nodded, looking a little embarrassed. "Uncle Jiu, I understand what you're saying. The problem is, our family is really struggling. If we build a new house, we won't have money left to marry a daughter-in-law. And if we marry a daughter-in-law first, we won't have money to build a house."

Deng Shirong understood this dilemma. In this era, not every family had the means like Zhang Kangmei and Deng Changfu. Most families lived hand-to-mouth, barely able to feed themselves, let alone save money for big expenses like building a house or arranging a marriage.

"Cousin, I think you should build a house first, then find a husband for your eldest daughter. Once you receive a sum of money from her marriage, you can use it to find a daughter-in-law for your eldest son. This way, you'll have the money to build a house and won't delay your son's marriage. How does that sound?"

Dai Chunqing was moved by this idea. The more he thought about it, the more sense it made. He nodded and said, "Uncle Jiu, you're right. I've only been thinking about my eldest son's marriage, but I didn't consider that by adjusting the order, I could solve my eldest daughter's marriage first and then use that to help my son."

Deng Shirong smiled. "Cousin, if you're interested, I can introduce a potential match for your eldest daughter. There's a young man in our village who's quite suitable. I think he'd be a good match for her. I can help bring them together."

Dai Chunqing asked, "Uncle Jiu, what kind of young man is he? Tell me more."

Deng Shirong explained, "His name is Deng Changwang. He's 22 years old, with regular features and about 1.7 meters tall. He's the youngest in his family. His two older brothers have already married and moved out, and his three sisters are also married. He lives with his parents now.

He's skilled in all kinds of farm work and is good at side jobs. He currently raises dozens of chickens and ducks at home, which he'll sell by the end of the year. I can see that your eldest daughter is also a thoughtful person. If she marries him, their life together should be quite comfortable."

Dai Chunqing's eyes lit up. The young man's conditions sounded good—better than their own family's situation. In most families, the youngest son was often the most favored. If his eldest daughter married him, her life would likely be stable and secure.

"Uncle Jiu, this young man sounds promising. He lives with his parents, but does his family have enough rooms?"

"They have quite a few rooms. His parents live in one, he lives in another, and there are two empty rooms. They're a bit old, but they're there."

In this era, no one's house was in perfect condition. As long as there were enough rooms, the conditions were considered good.

Dai Chunqing was convinced. "Uncle Jiu, the young man you've introduced sounds excellent. I'd be grateful if you could help bring them together."

Deng Shirong smiled. "No problem. I'll discuss it with his parents when I get back. If they have no objections, we can arrange a meeting on the 28th market day. How does that sound?"

Dai Chunqing nodded. "That works."

Deng Shirong glanced at the sky. "Then it's settled. I'll head back now. In the next couple of days, you can ask someone to visit our village and inquire about Deng Changwang to confirm what I've told you."

Dai Chunqing waved his hand. "There's no need to ask. I trust you, Uncle Jiu."

Deng Shirong replied earnestly, "Cousin, you must ask someone to verify this. It's not about whether you trust me or not. Marriage is about the happiness of our children's lives. As parents, we have to be thorough."

Dai Chunqing said with emotion, "Uncle Jiu, you are so kind. With someone like you as a matchmaker, who wouldn't feel at ease?"

"It's settled then. Make sure to ask someone to verify the details in the next couple of days."

"Alright, I'll listen to you, Uncle Jiu."

"Good. I'll head back now. Take care!"

"Goodbye!"

After watching Deng Shirong leave, Dai Chunqing approached his eldest daughter and said, "Alan, I just spoke with Uncle Jiu. We've decided to find a husband for you. If all goes well, you'll meet him on the 28th market day."

Dai Fanglan was shocked. "Dad, my brother hasn't married yet. Why are you looking for a husband for me first?"

Dai Chunqing sighed. "I originally wanted your brother to marry first, but you know our family's situation. We don't even have enough space to live. It's hard to find a wife for your brother! Even if a girl were willing to marry him, where would she live after the wedding? She can't share a bed with you, can she?"

Dai Fanglan said, "Dad, our family just sold two pigs. We should have some money now. Let's build two houses first, so my sister-in-law will have a place to live when she marries into our family."

Dai Chunqing replied, "If we sell the two pigs and add a bit more savings, we could build two houses. But if we spend all the money, what will we use to help your brother get married?"

Dai Fanglan fell silent. She knew her family was struggling financially, but she hadn't realized how dire the situation was. It seemed she would have to marry first to give her brother a chance to marry later. Once she accepted this reality, she asked, "Dad, where is the other family from? Tell me more about him."

Dai Chunqing nodded and began to share everything he knew about the young man.

(End of this chapter)