Transmigrated Farmgirl's Scheme to Get Rich - Chapter 165
When Ms. Liang went to Mr. Cao’s house to get medicine, he conveyed Ms. Li’s intentions to her. She had already guessed what Ms. Li would say, however.
“Sir, when my son marries her daughter, it’s natural a new house will already be built. But a dowry of twenty silver taels is too much, isn’t it?”
She had finished speaking when Ms. Li, who had already returned home but went back inexplicably, came in just in time to hear her.
“The dowry of twenty silver taels was the same you gave Mr. Tian when he asked for your daughter’s hand in marriage! Why is it too much for my daughter!”
Suppressing the anger in her heart, Ms. Liang smiled and said, “I just said it casually at the time. I felt that Mr. Tian was too unreliable, and didn’t agree to that marriage. Now you’re saying this number, it’s just a polite refusal! Don’t worry, I know it’s my son who doesn’t live up to your expectations.”
Ms. Liang took her medicine and was about to leave, when Ms. Li moved to send her out, and followed her out of Mr. Cao’s house.
Seeing Ms. Li following her, Ms. Liang knew that she hadn’t give up, and didn’t take the initiative to talk to her. Instead, she walked into the alley next to the school.
When they reached the main street, the two of them would take different paths. Ms. Liang would go east and Ms. Li would go west. When they were halfway down the alley, Ms. Li slapped her thigh and pretended to be annoyed, “I said Ms. Li she couldn’t marry your son, but I’m not sure what has possessed Xiuying. She must’ve taken a fancy to your son’s face.”
Ms. Liang stopped and turned back, “So, there is still room for negotiations, let’s sit down and talk about it.”
The two of them walked under a big locust tree and sat down by its roots.
Ms. Liang spoke first, “If you want to be relatives, let’s discuss it together. I will definitely build the house, and have already saved almost all the money. I was planning to start construction in autumn, as soon as the medicinal herbs are harvested. As for the dowry, I’ll follow the standard amount given by people in the countryside around here. Six and a half silver taels, as well as all of the standard dowry gifts.”
“But your son doesn’t have a job, what will they live on in the future?”
Ms. Liang patted her knees and straightened her clothes, “How did I save the money to build the house? Last year, my family reclaimed five or six acres of land, and we planted medicinal herbs as soon as spring began. They can be sold for a large sum of money.”
What Ms. Liang meant to imply, was that she was in charge of the family’s money, and she had the final say on the family’s affairs.
Ms. Li sighed and said, “Now the children are grown up, it is inevitable for them to be gossiped about in private. They don’t understand. As adults, we need to maintain a good reputation.”
“How about we give the minor engagement gifts first. When I go back to read the almanack, I’ll prepare the four engagement gifts and bring Feng’er to the door in person.”
Ms. Li has her own plans. If Ms. Liang’s son doesn’t live up to her expectations, then she would have to compensate with money and engagement gifts.
Ms. Liang also had her own plans. Mo Ling was about to get married, so the family would lose a labourer. Xiuying is as hard-working as Mo Ling. Her family needed such a person.
The two reached an agreement, and Ms. Liang went back to choose an auspicious day and prepare the four items of the minor engagement gifts.
The four items of the minor engagement gifts can be large or small, but there were still the major engagement gifts, so there had to be a sense of proportionality.
At the dinner table at the Mo family’s house, Ms. Liang asked: “Yan’er, what do you think would be suitable for the four items of your brother and Xiuying’s minor engagement gift?”
She didn’t ask Mo Ling or Mo Feng about this, because she wanted Mo Yan to prepare them.
Mo Ling said, “Mother, why are you in such a hurry? Won’t you make them think that our family is desperate?”
Mo Feng rolled his eyes, but with a massive smile on his face, “What does it have to do with you? You’re getting married soon!”
Mo Ling didn’t want to be involved in their business, so she just ate silently. Mo Yan said, “I’ll prepare the minor engagement gift. When will it be used?”
“Let me check the almanack. It’ll be in a few days, so hand them over when you’ve readied them!”
Mo Feng happily said on the side, “Prepare better items, don’t let them have a reason to complain.”
Mo Ling opened her mouth, but knowing that it was useless to say anything, she continued eating.
After the meal, Ms. Liang consulted the almanack. The tenth of April wasn’t bad, so she decided on that day. Mo Feng was very happy to hear that, and immediately ran out to find Xiuying.
The sisters went back to their room. Ms. Liang took out the money safe from her closet, and started counting money.
There were over forty silver taels, and a few thousand dollars. This was enough to build a standard house. After the medicinal herbs were sold, there would almost be enough money for Mo Feng’s wedding, and it wouldn’t be too costly for them.
Mo Ling asked: “Yan’er, what are you planning to give them for the minor engagement gift?”
“The four traditional ones, wine, tea, clothing and jewellery.”
“Don’t be too extravagant, they won’t be satisfied with whatever you give anyway.”
“I know, but I won’t hold it against them.”
As soon as Mo Yan went to the firm the next day, she picked up all four items. Two bottles of white jade wine, half a kilogram of medium-grade Biluochun, a piece of brocade for women’s summer dress, and a silver hairpin without inlays.
After Mo Yan took the things home, Mo Feng looked at them excitedly, but became annoyed when he saw them, “They’re too ordinary, they all have to be changed! The wine must be pink plum wine, and the tea must be the highest quality possible. The cloth should be made of high-quality brocade, and the hairpin should be the one inlaid with pearls I took last time.”
Mo Yan ignored him, and just chuckled and said, “The firm has what you want, but you need money to buy it. If you want better items, buy them with your own money.”
Ms. Liang came over to persuade him, “This is the minor engagement gift, if it’s too good, then there will be nothing left for the major engagement gift.”
“Then we’ll give those for the major engagement gift.”
“Okay, I’ll listen to you.”
Ms. Liang felt that she had dissuaded Mo Feng from making trouble, so winked at Mo Yan triumphantly.
On the tenth of April, Ms. Liang dressed up and led Mo Feng to Xiuying’s house with the minor engagement gift. Xiuying didn’t go to the workshop, as today was a ceremonial meeting between the man and woman. The man had to insert a hairpin into the woman’s hair to confirm his love for her, after which they can officially start dating.
Mr. Cao also went over as a matchmaker, and Ms. Liang showed the four items of the minor engagement gift to Ms. Li, “It’s just the minor engagement gift, so they aren’t expensive, but just a symbol of our intentions.”
Mo Feng personally put the silver hairpin they brought on Xiuying’s head, “Xiuying, from today onwards, we will be engaged. I will marry you after the new house has been built.”
Xiuying quietly turned her head to look at her mother, who nodded slightly towards her. Then, Xiuying smiled at Mo Feng and said, “Yes! I’ll wait for you.”
Mr. Cao congratulated them from the side, “Congratulations to you two for getting engaged.”
Then, a twelve or thirteen-year-old girl who looked very similar to Xiuying came in from outside. This was Xiuying’s younger sister, the thirteen years old Xiulian.
Ms. Liang rubbed her head in embarrassment, “I was too blinded by joy for Feng’er’s engagement, and didn’t even bring any food for the child.”
Ms. Li beckoned Xiulian over, “She’s a big girl, how can she ask for food? She’s older than your Yan’er, but far less promising than her.”
“Don’t say that, your daughter must be very smart.”
When Xiulian entered the room, she greeted Ms. Liang and Mr. Cao, but her actions were extremely perfunctory. She reached out her hand to touch the hairpin on Xiuying’s head: “This hairpin looks ordinary, how can it be used as an engagement gift?”
Just this one sentence is enough to reveal the girl’s avaricious and impolite disposition.
Post-translation notes: I think this Xiulian is going to give some…momentum to the Mo family’s negotiations and dealings within this marriage. I’m supporting it, just because I desperately want Mo Feng to suffer. As always, thank you for reading!