"Big Brother, I agree with Second Brother."
Borrowing money was fine, but they should pay it back together. Otherwise... well, there was no ’otherwise.’ They still had to borrow it.
Father Bai and Mother Bai were deeply gratified to see their sons so united.
"Alright, we haven’t divided the family yet. We’ll borrow this money and pay it back together when the time comes," Father Bai declared.
With that, Bai Jiu finally managed to give them the money. However, she gave them five hundred yuan to use first, with the understanding that they would refund any excess or make up any shortfall later.
Bai Xingguo even wrote Bai Jiu a loan receipt. As far as he was concerned, borrowing was borrowing.
Helpless, Bai Jiu had no choice but to accept it. Truthfully, she had no intention of asking for the money back. A few hundred yuan was nothing in her eyes. But then again, only this kind of family was worth getting along with.
Now that Bai Xingguo had made his decision, he hired a matchmaker to propose marriage on his behalf the very next day.
The Xiang Family never expected the Bai Family to act so quickly. Xie Mei and Xiang Yuanliang were still at work. Since their home was located in the meatpacking plant’s family quarters, someone immediately came to tip them off the moment the matchmaker arrived. Thus, Xie Mei hurriedly asked for leave and rushed back.
"Oh, Aunt Zhou is here! Hurry, please come in," Xie Mei said, opening the front door. The children were all at work today, so the house was empty.
"Then I’ll gladly trouble you for a cup of sugar water. I’ve brought good news today."
The matchmaker Bai Xingguo hired was highly reputable in the area; everyone called her Matchmaker Zhou. Not only was she articulate and sweet-talking, but even if a match failed, she ensured that no hostility arose between the two families. Because of this, she had arranged at least eight hundred marriages in this district, if not eight thousand. Whenever a marriage was successful, the families would always praise her as an excellent matchmaker.
In the past, she might not have agreed to help Bai Xingguo even if he came begging. But after what happened yesterday, she immediately accepted the job today. Refusing the Bai Family’s requests previously wasn’t because she looked down on them or harbored any hostility like others did; she simply didn’t want to offend anyone. Now that their status had been officially cleared, she certainly didn’t mind earning this matchmaking fee.
Xie Mei quickly came out with a freshly brewed cup of sugar water. Since the guest had specifically asked for it, how could she refuse? You could offend anyone, but you must never offend a matchmaker. Although Gao Li was the youngest daughter in the family, who knew if they might need to seek her services again in the future?
"Here is your sugar water, Aunt Zhou. Be careful, it’s hot," Xie Mei said, acting exceedingly polite to Matchmaker Zhou.
"Oh, thank you so much! Come, Gao Li’s mother, take a seat. I came with a mission today." Matchmaker Zhou was not one to dawdle. She got straight to the point.
Xie Mei had a fairly good idea of what was going on, but until the words were actually spoken, she couldn’t be one hundred percent sure.
"What is it, Aunt Zhou?"
"Good news." Matchmaker Zhou clapped her hands together, a joyous smile lighting up her face. "The Bai Family’s boy asked me to come and propose to your Gao Li.
"He’s a good lad. He’s suffered quite a bit in the past, but now he has finally ushered in better days. As you can see, the very first thing he did was ask me to propose to your daughter.
"Although the Bai Family’s savings are gone, they are renowned for being kind people. Their eldest boy was only delayed by circumstances; otherwise, girls from for miles around would have been flocking to their door long ago.
"But if you ask me, it’s your daughter who is truly excellent. Otherwise, why would he take the initiative to ask for her hand? Tell me, Gao Li’s mother, isn’t this wonderful news?"
Matchmaker Zhou first showered Bai Xingguo with praise before emphasizing his devotion. Sure enough, the smile on Xie Mei’s face never ceased after hearing this. Hearing that he had specifically asked for her daughter made her heart feel as sweet as honey. She could praise her own daughter all she wanted, but gaining the approval of others naturally brought her joy. It wasn’t that people didn’t gossip about their family in the past, but who didn’t like to hear compliments?
"I’ll have to discuss this with my husband. As you know, Aunt Zhou, she is our only daughter. We really didn’t want her to marry so early."
A marriage proposal couldn’t be settled in a single conversation. The woman’s side had to put up a slight front of reluctance, or else the man’s side might think they were desperate to marry their daughter off. Of course, both parties knew full well that this match would succeed; they were merely going through the motions.
"You know how it is. Our Gao Li has been pampered since she was little. Her temper isn’t exactly mild, and she isn’t very skilled at household chores. Sigh, it’s all because I spoiled her."
As she spoke, Xie Mei began to go through the motions. Naturally, as a mother, she didn’t want her daughter to become a drudge after getting married. She hoped that her daughter wouldn’t have to do any chores in her new home, and would have people waiting on her for her every need. Although such a lifestyle was no longer openly spoken of in the current Blue Country, she still felt the need to drop a hint.
"I don’t know if the Bai Family can accept that. Aunt Zhou, why don’t you go back and ask them, and we will discuss it here at home as well." Once the matters were laid out on the table, it was time to schedule the next meeting.
"You are quite right, Gao Li’s mother, but being a daughter-in-law is somewhat different from being a daughter. Setting everything else aside, just looking at the Bai Family—they are a whole family of workers. I imagine Gao Li won’t have a hard life in the future.
"Besides, the Bai Family’s eldest boy is a caring man. With a girl as wonderful as Gao Li, the young couple is bound to be sweet and loving after they get married. You can set your mind at ease.
"But you’re right. I do need to go back and ask them about this. After all, whose child wasn’t raised with love and care?" Matchmaker Zhou agreed with a chuckle.
The sugar water was now lukewarm, and she drained the cup in two gulps. "Then we’ll leave it at that for today. I’ll come back when there’s news."
"Alright. I’ll have to trouble you then, Aunt Zhou," Xie Mei said, standing up as the matchmaker rose.
"It’s no trouble at all. This is a joyous occasion. It’s exactly what I hoped for, and I’m more than happy to run errands for this."
"Haha, then I’ll leave the hard work to you, Aunt Zhou. If this goes through, our Gao Li definitely won’t forget you."
After exchanging a few more words, Matchmaker Zhou left. Some onlookers gathered around, asking Xie Mei what Matchmaker Zhou had come for. Naturally, Xie Mei didn’t say much. Since nothing was finalized yet, she certainly wouldn’t speak carelessly. If it succeeded, she wouldn’t mind handing out a few pieces of candy. Since it was still early, Xie Mei tidied up and went back to work. She hadn’t asked for much time off, after all.
Before long, Xiang Gaoli and Bai Xingguo arranged to meet at the Xiang Family’s home. Mother Bai came along to accompany him. With that, the engagement was considered settled.
That very day, Mother Bai bought rock sugar, white sugar, and other items, delivering them to the Xiang Family. In return, the Xiang Family gave back some grain and a fish.
There was actually a significant meaning behind these gifts. The man’s side gave sugar to express that after the young couple got married, the family would ensure they had a sweet and loving life. The woman’s return gift expressed their hope that their daughter would always have food and drink, and that she wouldn’t be mistreated. If both sides accepted the gifts, it proved that the marriage was a done deal. The next time they visited, it would be to officially formalize the engagement and present the betrothal gifts. Although many steps were skipped nowadays, the Bai Family had prepared the items long in advance.
That evening, the Bai Family gathered together.
"Xingguo, tomorrow is the day of the formal engagement. Even though it’s not popular to host a banquet these days, we can’t lose our manners. Tomorrow, you and Xinghua will deliver the vegetables and grain," Mother Bai said, thrilled that her son’s marriage was finalized. She then busied herself preparing for the engagement the following day.