“Daughter, let’s go.” Mother Xu’s voice called out. Xu Ying remembered her mother’s instructions, so she picked up the pheasants, wild ducks, and rabbits stacked in the corner, packed them into her bag, and stepped outside.
Worried that her daughter might forget something, Mother Xu asked again, “Did you take everything?”
“I got it,” Xu Ying replied, grabbing the bicycle and preparing to ride. Bicycles these days had a crossbar in the front; if she were alone, she could just swing her leg over easily and start pedaling.
But today, since her mother wanted to ride along, she could only pedal slowly while her mother jogged behind, preparing to hop on.
“Hey! Slow down, girl! I can’t catch up like this!” Mother Xu panted heavily as she tried to get close.
Xu Ying felt she was already going slowly. Thinking of her mother’s age, she eased her pace even more.
After several tries, Mother Xu finally managed to climb onto the bike, settling onto the back seat with a long sigh. “Ah, getting old is no joke—can’t even get on a bike easily anymore.”
Xu Ying also felt it was troublesome. “Mom, I’m helping out at Fuying’s Brother wedding banquet next month. I’ll earn some extra money then. Once I’ve saved enough, I’ll buy a women’s bike just for us, and I’ll take you out for rides every day.”
Mother Xu chuckled at her daughter’s thoughtfulness. In truth, she’d never imagined buying a bike for herself. It wasn’t that they couldn’t afford it—she had savings—but with two sons still unmarried, every penny was spoken for once they brought home a wife.
Sure enough, sons were like little debt collectors. When her second son found a job, he’d have to turn in his wages just like the third one, saving up for their future wives.
Their destination wasn’t far, just over half an hour’s ride away.
“Mom! It’s me—your eldest and my daughter , we’re here!” Mother Xu called loudly as they approached.
Hearing the familiar voice, Grandma Zhang shuffled out of the house, squinting toward the gate. When she saw it really was Mother Xu, a warm smile spread across her wrinkled face. “Ah, Guiying, why are you back? Yingying, hurry inside and sit!”
“What’s that supposed to mean, Mom? I can’t come home anymore?” Mother Xu joked with mock irritation.
Grandma Zhang quickly corrected herself, “Of course you can! This is your home—you’re welcome anytime, day or night.”
Mother Xu stepped into the courtyard and began unloading the goods from the basket. “Mom, I brought these for you. Don’t go skimping or saving them, okay? Make sure you eat them.”
Grandma Zhang’s eyes widened at the sight of all the wild game. “Where did all this come from?”
“Ah, just happened to catch a lot on the mountain,” Mother Xu replied casually, though she was already planning to cook some for lunch to make sure her mother actually enjoyed it.
Changing the subject, Mother Xu asked, “By the way, Mom, when’s little brother’s wedding?”
At the mention of marriage, Grandma Zhang’s expression darkened. “It might not happen after all.”
“What’s going on?” Mother Xu asked, curious.
Xu Ying sat off to the side, nibbling sunflower seeds, entirely unsurprised. Honestly, it was better if the marriage fell through. She’d come today precisely to make sure it didn’t happen.
Her uncle was the family’s precious youngest son. The family believed his three sisters could help support him, so when it came time for him to marry, they scraped together every coin they could.
In their rural village, a bride price was usually just a few dozen yuan. But the bride’s family was asking for hundreds—completely outrageous.
Grandma Zhang and Grandpa Zhang had worked the land their entire lives. Their youngest son wasn’t a factory worker either; where could they possibly find that kind of money? It felt like deliberate humiliation.
Grandma Zhang’s voice was filled with frustration. “The Zhou family—they’re no better off than us. They’re poor too. Why can’t they be understanding?”
Mother Xu clicked her tongue. “The nerve of them, really. Hundreds of yuan? When my eldest son got married, his city bride’s family only asked for a few dozen! The Zhou family’s daughter—they’re treating her like some prized possession for sale. And besides, I’ve seen that girl myself—so timid, she wouldn’t even squeak if you poked her. And honestly, she’s not even as pretty as our Yingying. And they still dare to ask for so much?”
She sighed, shaking her head, and reached toward her daughter. “Yingying, give Mom some seeds to snack on.”
Xu Ying poured a handful into her mother’s palm.
Grandma Zhang let out a worried sigh. “Looks like this wedding isn’t going to happen after all.”
She glanced at her son inside the house. He was already turning twenty; after the autumn harvest, he’d be twenty-one. All around them, young men were marrying at seventeen or eighteen. Seeing her boy still unmarried filled her with anxiety.
Mother Xu nodded thoughtfully. “Maybe it’s for the best. If that girl’s so tied to her parents’ apron strings, she might cause us trouble later too. Who knows what demands they’ll make once she’s married in?”
Honestly, she’d initially thought the girl would be a good match—mild-tempered and pliable. But now it seemed even a mild girl wasn’t easy.
Grandma Zhang sighed again. “If only they’d lower the bride price…”
Xu Ying, seeing her grandmother’s growing resolve to call it off, suggested, “Grandma, isn’t the deputy captain’s daughter related to the Zhou family? Maybe you can have them talk to the family.”
The village’s deputy captain had always eyed her father’s position but kept his ambition well hidden. Xu Ying, with her memories from her past life, knew exactly what he was up to.
If he were the one negotiating, he’d likely stir the pot and sabotage the marriage.
Mother Xu looked unconvinced, but didn’t object. “If it falls through, it falls through—I’m not losing sleep over it.”
But Grandma Zhang’s eyes lit up. “That’s a good idea, Guiying! Go talk to the deputy captain’s family when you head back.”
Mother Xu hesitated. “Mom, honestly, that Zhou family girl isn’t anything special. If it doesn’t work out, we’ll find another match.”
“It’s not so easy to ‘just find another,’” Grandma Zhang said, her voice heavy with worry. “Your little brother’s already over twenty. If he stays single much longer, it’ll get harder and harder to find a wife. Go talk to them, see if they can get the bride price down. Even if it’s one hundred yuan, I’ll scrape it together if I have to sell everything I’ve got.”
Mother Xu frowned, but knowing her brother wasn’t getting any younger, she reluctantly agreed.
Around noon, Xu Ying offered to cook.
Mother Xu beamed. “Mom, you’re in for a treat today—our Yingying’s cooking is delicious!”
Grandma Zhang blinked in surprise. “Yingying… knows how to cook?”
She knew how her daughter spoiled her granddaughter. Xu Ying had never even washed a dish at home; she couldn’t imagine her stepping foot into a kitchen.
“Of course she can!” Mother Xu bragged proudly. “She’s got my brains—taught herself. Ever since she made her first dish, everyone’s been raving. Now she even cooks for wedding banquets and earns good money.”
Her words were full of praise, each compliment more exaggerated than the last.
Grandma Zhang felt like she was listening to a fairytale. Her mouth hung open in disbelief, though deep down, she wasn’t buying it. She knew her daughter’s way with words all too well—if you said someone dead was still alive, she’d swear it was true.
Still, she secretly prayed that today’s lunch wouldn’t end in disaster.
The Zhang family was small now; all three daughters were married off. Only Grandpa Zhang, Grandma Zhang, and their youngest son remained at home. Including Mother Xu and Xu Ying, there were five people at the table.
Xu Ying went into the kitchen and prepared three dishes.