RYEY -Chapter 406 The Engagement Was Set

“What’s wrong? What could be so hard to say?”

“Second Sister-in-law, could you go with me to Chen Xiaoniu’s house to propose? I’m a bit scared to go alone.”

“What’s there to be afraid of about proposing? Why don’t you ask Xiangyang or Li Huan? It wouldn’t be appropriate for me to go.”

Cheng Qiao herself was already being watched closely—she didn’t want to implicate anyone else, especially people like Chen Xiaoniu and Cuihua, who had no ability to protect themselves.

Xiao Dan didn’t quite understand, but he still obediently went to look for Wang Xiangyang and Li Huan. Li Huan was a bit impatient—he already had too many things on his plate, and besides, shouldn’t proposing be done by oneself? Why bring others along?

Wang Xiangyang, however, agreed without hesitation. He still remembered Xiao Dan’s merit in delivering plastic film across a thousand miles, so he went straight to the fields and called Cuihua and Chen Ermao back.

Cuihua, of course, knew that Xiao Dan had been corresponding with her daughter all along, but she hadn’t expected him to come proposing so soon. She felt both happy and reluctant.

She had only one daughter. If she agreed, her daughter would be marrying far away, and it would be very difficult to see her again in the future. Moreover, with Chen Weidang not around, there were many things she couldn’t decide on her own.

But since Wang Xiangyang had personally come, she had to give the village head some face. So she washed her hands in the icy well water and brought Wang Xiangyang and the others home.

Chen Xiaoniu was cooking at home. She knew Xiao Dan had come, but she hid inside, too shy to go out. Now, hearing voices outside and seeing a stranger who looked unfamiliar yet oddly familiar—a soldier—walk in, she knew it was Xiao Dan.

“Comrade Chen Xiaoniu, I’m Xiao Dan—no, my name is Yang Qing. Xiao Dan is just my nickname. I… I’m here to propose. Oh right, this is for you.”

Xiao Dan took a soft, fluffy wool scarf out of his backpack and handed it to Chen Xiaoniu. She glanced at Cuihua and, seeing no reaction, didn’t know whether she should accept it.

Wang Xiangyang burst out laughing, took the wool scarf from Xiao Dan, and stuffed it straight into Chen Xiaoniu’s hands. “Someone’s giving you such a nice thing—if you don’t take it, you’d be a fool.”

Only then did Cuihua come back to her senses. Her younger daughter was the same age as Lele; indeed, it was time to start preparing for her marriage. But Xiao Dan was a soldier—she didn’t know whether she should accept a bride price, or how much to ask for.

Xiaoniu had already told Cuihua all about Xiao Dan’s family situation. Apart from being poor, there was nothing wrong with it. But that single word—poor—was enough to throw a household into chaos.

Xiao Dan came from a big family, with many brothers and sisters—seven or eight in total. Aside from those already married off, there were also sisters-in-law who had married in. With such a large family living together, conflicts were inevitable.

Her daughter, though also from the countryside, had been pampered since childhood. Cuihua wasn’t sure whether she could adapt to such a big household. If she were bullied, with her natal home so far away, what could they do then?

Cuihua hesitated for a moment. But Chen Ermao had a very good impression of Xiao Dan. He was a soldier, could even drive such a big truck, and didn’t look bad at all. His sister marrying him shouldn’t be a bad choice.

Seeing Cuihua hesitate and Chen Xiaoniu looking like she would listen to whatever her mother decided, Xiao Dan seemed to understand where his disadvantage lay. He organized his thoughts and explained his parents’ intentions.

“Auntie, our family has built a new house with blue bricks and tiled roofs. My parents have already decided that after I get married, we’ll split the household. They’ll live with me. My parents are very kind—they won’t make things difficult for Comrade Chen Xiaoniu.”

Hearing about splitting the household, Cuihua’s heart stirred. She glanced at her daughter and saw her neck flushed red, immediately understanding her feelings. A grown daughter could no longer be kept at home.

Seeing Cuihua beginning to soften, Xiao Dan immediately took three hundred yuan out of his pocket and handed it over.

“Auntie, back then when Brother Guoqing married Li Le, the bride price was one thousand yuan. Three hundred yuan of that was the cash bride price; the rest was used to buy the ‘three big items and one sound.’ I don’t have that much money or tickets for now, but I’ve already prepared the three hundred yuan bride price.”

Cuihua was stunned. Three hundred yuan was really a lot. In their village, people usually gave two hundred yuan as bride price, plus a few jin of pork, ten jin of white rice, and ten jin of white flour—that was already considered a very generous betrothal gift.

“That’s too much. Two hundred yuan is enough.”

She spoke whatever was on her mind, but the moment the words left her mouth, Cuihua wanted to slap herself twice. She had been too impulsive.

Seeing that Cuihua accepted the money, Xiao Dan was overjoyed. He pulled a brand-new military overcoat out of his large bundle and handed it to Chen Ermao, who was watching from the side.

“Brother Ermao, I know you’re Xiaoniu’s older brother. I don’t really have anything else to give you. This military coat was issued by my unit—take it as a gift from me, a little meeting present.”

Chen Ermao’s eyes lit up at the sight of the military coat. Li Huan and Wang Xiangyang each had a thick military coat, and he had long envied them.

Military coats were rarely seen. Even when the supply and marketing cooperative occasionally got a couple, they’d be snatched up quickly—and he didn’t have the money to buy one anyway.

“Really? You’re giving it to me?”

“Really. I specifically saved it for you.”

Cuihua shot Chen Ermao a disdainful look. Such shallow vision—his sister hadn’t even agreed yet, and he was already getting carried away. Just as she was about to say something, Xiao Dan spoke again.

“Auntie, these are medicinal herbs I found in the Qilian Mountains. Sister Cheng Qiao told me they can be used to make medicinal porridge. Once you’ve prepared it, I’d like to go with you to see Xiaoniu’s father and make him happy too.”

Cuihua’s brows twitched slightly. Because of good behavior, Chen Weidang’s life sentence had already been reduced to thirty years. If he continued behaving well, it might even be reduced to twenty, or ten.

But life inside was hard. During the once-a-month prison visit, she always tried to bring him some good food, but over time, the money just couldn’t keep up.

She hadn’t expected that this child, Xiao Dan, would think of this ahead of time. She sighed and looked at her daughter. Whether she should accept the herbs and take him to see Chen Weidang depended on whether her daughter was willing.

When Chen Xiaoniu saw her mother looking at her, she quietly lowered her head. But the blush on her face already told Cuihua everything—she had agreed.

Chen Xiaoniu always remembered what Cheng Qiao had said: to see whether a man truly treats you well, look at how much he’s willing to give for you. If a man has one hundred yuan in his pocket but is only willing to spend ten on you—while another man only has ten yuan, yet is willing to give you all of it, always thinking of you—this is the kind of man worth entrusting your whole life to. You can live with him without worry, bear children for him, and grow old together.

She and Xiao Dan had been corresponding for a long time. Though his letters weren’t full of sweet words, every line was sincere, without the slightest trace of deceit.

He even described in great detail what the kang at home was like, and how his parents had been urging him to come propose marriage, but he had been too poor and embarrassed to come.

In the end, he mentioned the blue-brick, big-tile house. His parents had built it with his allowance, so naturally it belonged to him. He told Xiaoniu not to worry—this house would belong to the two of them in the future.