Chapter 2: The Engagement

Gu Wan had never been so embarrassed in her life. Ever since her body began developing after turning thirteen, she rarely ran, as doing so was somewhat awkward and uncomfortable.

Even though she was wearing an undershirt and had wrapped cloth strips tightly around her chest today, running still felt indecent. Yet, all she could worry about was Qin Zhijun catching up to her from behind.

A path that usually took twenty minutes to walk was traversed first with a jog and then with a fast walk, bringing her back home after ten-odd minutes.

Zhu Fengxian was placing dishes on the table when she saw Gu Wan gasping for breath and looking terrified. She snapped crossly, “Didn’t you go to fetch firewood? You’ve been out the whole morning—where is the wood? What’s the rush running down the mountain? Is there a dog chasing you?”

Firewood?

Gu Wan froze for a moment before realizing that fetching firewood was her excuse for leaving. She had originally planned to loop around the mountain and pick up some wood before returning, but Qin Zhijun had scared her into forgetting all about it.

Her face flushed crimson as she stammered, “The… the wood… I forgot it on the mountain.”

“How come you didn’t forget yourself on the mountain?” Zhu Fengxian scolded crossly. She untied the apron around her waist, wiped her hands, and headed back toward the kitchen.

In the evening, Gu Wan brought a basin of water into her room to wipe herself down. Unbinding the cloth strips that had constrained her all day, she noticed that the fox-shaped birthmark on her chest seemed to have darkened in color, though she wasn’t sure if it was just her imagination.

For several days straight, Gu Wan refused to step out of her front courtyard. Seeing that Gu Wan wasn’t coming over to her house to hang out anymore, Qin Xiaomei brought her unfinished shoe soles over to the Gu family’s home to work on them. It didn’t disrupt anything, and life went on as usual.

In the blink of an eye, seven or eight days passed. As Qin Xiaomei was preparing to head home one evening, she casually mentioned that her eldest brother, who had returned home on leave, had already been arranged a match by her mother and would be heading back to the army early the next morning.

She went on rambling about her eldest brother’s prospective partner, but Gu Wan didn’t digest any of it. Her mind was entirely consumed by the realization that she was finally going to be set free.

In the past, aside from embroidering shoe soles, she spent most of her time on the mountain gathering wild vegetables and firewood, or at the river picking up snails and catching fish. Country girls could find chores to do anywhere.

Although she was quiet by nature, being terrified to step outside for seven or eight days had thoroughly suffocated her. The two girls agreed to go up the mountain together the next day to gather firewood.

At dinner that evening, Gu Wan’s eldest sister-in-law, Wang Shuiying, teased her with a laugh: “Xiaowan, you haven’t gone anywhere these past few days and have been sitting at home embroidering shoe soles every day. Is Mom planning to arrange a marriage match for you?”

When a country girl got married, embroidered shoe soles were typically given as gifts to the groom’s family, which was why Gu’s sister-in-law made that remark.

How could Gu Wan handle such a joke? Her face instantly flushed red. Not knowing how to respond, she buried her head nearly into her bowl.

Zhu Fengxian, however, had a smile in her eyes and said, “She’s eighteen now. It’s about time to start preparing her dowry; there’s nothing to be ashamed of.”

Her words caught everyone at the table off guard—except for her husband, Gu Jinsheng, and her two-year-old grandson, Niu Niu. The other three stared at her with wide eyes.

“Wait, Mom, did you really look for a match for Xiaowan?” Gu Chao swallowed his food hurriedly and asked his mother in surprise. He hadn’t heard a single word about this before.

Wang Shuiying and Gu Wan both looked at Zhu Fengxian with wide eyes. Thinking that the marriage negotiations would take place soon anyway, Zhu Fengxian saw no harm in telling her family.

“Your younger sister’s marriage was settled by our family years ago. It’s with the Qin family next door.”

“What!” Gu Chao and his wife cried out in unison. Even Gu Wan’s eyes, which weren’t overly large, opened wide in shock.

“Is it Qin Zhijun, the soldier from the Qin family?” Gu Chao’s voice rose sharply. Hearing the name Qin Zhijun , Gu Wan shuddered violently.

“Bah! What nonsense are you spouting!” Zhu Fengxian tapped the end of her chopsticks against Gu Chao’s head and scolded, “Could your dad and I be that unreliable? Zhijun is eight years older than Wanwan—that’s almost a full twelve-year cycle older! It’s Zhihua.”

“Qin Zhihua? Well, that makes more sense. He’s two years older than our Xiaowan. But Mom, how was this match arranged? Their eldest and second sons aren’t married yet, so why set up the third son so early? And after all these years, why were you and Dad keeping your mouths so tight?”

Zhu Fengxian glared at her son. “How do you know their eldest and second sons haven’t settled their marriages? Old Qin’s sons are much more capable than you.”

Thinking of how much effort it had taken for her own son to marry a wife, Zhu Fengxian was envious of how Old Qin’s family had secured matches for all three sons at once. But seeing her daughter-in-law sitting nearby, she refrained from saying too much.

She continued, “The Qin family’s second son found a partner on his own and is eager to get married. But it wouldn’t do for the second son to marry before the eldest. That’s why your Aunt Chunhua rushed to send a telegram recalling Zhijun. I heard that just the day before yesterday, he was matched with a girl from Sanjiawan. Once he returns to the unit and submits a request, he’ll come back to hold the wedding. That way, Zhigang can get married too.”

Zhu Fengxian shifted the topic quickly, but Wang Shuiying picked up on the underlying message. Knowing her mother-in-law was referring to how her own parents had delayed her wedding over the bride price back then, her face turned slightly awkward.

She knew about Sanjiawan—it wasn’t far from her maiden family’s village. She quickly changed the subject: “I wonder which girl from Sanjiawan is lucky enough. I previously heard Aunt Chunhua mention that their eldest son is already a battalion commander in the army. Whichever girl marries him will become an officer’s wife!”

“Ahem, ahem…”

Gu Chao cleared his throat loudly. Hearing his wife praise Qin Zhijun and envy another woman right in front of him made him uncomfortable.

Wang Shuiying pretended not to notice. Zhu Fengxian couldn’t stand seeing her daughter-in-law envy others either, so she intentionally said, “That girl’s family is well-off. I heard she’s a high school graduate and a worker at a printing factory. Her dowry will definitely be generous, so she’s a good match for Zhijun.”

A high school graduate and a factory worker! Wang Shuiying clicked her tongue in amazement. Hearing this, Gu Chao felt he could straighten his back a bit more.

High school graduates were highly sought after in those days, and very few girls managed to attend high school. Someone like Wang Shuiying had only completed primary school and could barely read a few characters.

After giving her daughter-in-law a subtle warning, Zhu Fengxian turned to her daughter and said, “Back in 1969, times were exceptionally hard for our family. Xiaochao caught chickenpox, and Xiaowan caught it too. Both of you were running high fevers. Your father and I wanted to take you to the hospital, but we were truly penniless. Your grandmother held onto the money and refused to give us any. You two nearly didn’t survive that high fever after two days. It was the Qin family who were kind-hearted enough to lend us a large sum of money so your dad and I could get you hospitalized. That’s how your lives were saved.”

Gu Chao remembered this incident, and Gu Wan had a faint memory of it as well.

Zhu Fengxian continued, “Our family had nothing to repay the Qin family with. At that time, your dad and I spoke to your Uncle Dayou and Aunt Chunhua, saying that we would marry Xiaowan into their family in the future to repay them for saving your lives.”

Zhu Fengxian added, “Your Uncle Dayou and Aunt Chunhua both agreed with a smile at the time, though they didn’t bring it up again afterward. But yesterday, when I bumped into your Aunt Chunhua, she mentioned Zhijun and Zhigang’s upcoming marriages. Perhaps thinking of Zhihua, she brought the matter up again. Since we accepted their kindness back then, our word naturally holds true. Xiaowan, when you marry into the Qin family in the future, you must be diligent and, above all, dutiful to your parents-in-law, do you understand?”

Zhu Fengxian rambled on for a long time, only to realize her daughter was sitting there dazed, looking as if she had been struck by lightning.

“Hey, Xiaowan, did you hear what I just said?”

Gu Wan was completely bewildered, her mind a blank regarding what her mother was saying. All she could think was: If I marry Qin Zhihua, won’t Qin Zhijun become my eldest brother-in-law? That is going to cause major trouble!

Her face turned pale with fright.

Seeing Gu Wan’s unusual expression, Zhu Fengxian raised her eyebrows sternly.

“Hey, you silly girl! You should be secretly rejoicing that you get to marry into the Qin family. What, are you dissatisfied?”

Seeing her mother’s stern expression, Gu Wan finally snapped back to her senses. She didn’t dare say she wouldn’t marry Qin Zhihua. Holding her bowl, she shook her head repeatedly, “No, I’m… I’m not dissatisfied.”

Zhu Fengxian thought to herself that the girl was sensible after all.

With Gu Wan’s docile, quiet personality—where three pokes wouldn’t draw a word out of her—marrying far away into a tough family would get her eaten alive. Marrying right next door, where she and her husband could watch over her, and with Lin Chunhua not being a difficult person, gave Zhu Fengxian peace of mind.

Gu Jinsheng, who had remained silent all this time, finally spoke up: “Let’s eat. As for Xiaowan and Zhihua, as long as the Qin family hasn’t formally come over to propose, don’t go babbling about it outside.”

He had always been strict. Although Zhu Fengxian had a sharp tongue, the family was actually most afraid of Gu Jinsheng, who rarely spoke.

Seeing him speak, everyone obediently agreed, holding their bowls and lowering their heads to eat.

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