Another woman heard Shi talking about her daughter, thought of something, and joked: "From the Shi family, I heard that your daughter was also born in August, right? It's a pity that she was not born in the ninth day of the lunar month, so such a good thing would not happen."
"
Mrs. Shi was annoyed when she heard this. This was not a good thing. She was just a precious girl, but she was not willing to give her a gift. She did not care about the thousand taels of gold.
But the mother-in-law of the Cheng family was here, so she didn't want to say too much, so she just followed the words: "Yes, it's just a pity that she is not born in the ninth grade. I just don't know whose turn it is that such a good thing will happen."
As soon as the others heard this, the topic immediately returned to this matter, and they were all curious about who this suitable girl was.
Mrs. Chen was even more excited when she heard this.
After washing her clothes and returning to the house, Ms. Shi, who was smiling at her for asking, also left. Ms. Chen immediately half-closed the door.
Zhang Donggua, who was holding a finger-thick wooden stick and carving one end with a knife, suddenly felt that the room was getting darker. He couldn't help but raised his head and looked at Mrs. Chen, "What are you doing? You are closing the door in broad daylight and others are watching."
You’re going to make a fool of us.”
Normally, Ms. Chen would have blushed at Zhang Donggua's joke. This time, she was preoccupied with other things.
He just leaned over, sat close to Zhang Donggua, and said worriedly: "I just heard it outside, Granny Geng said that the baby the young master wishes to have must be born at the ninth hour of the ninth lunar month."
"Didn't I know this a long time ago? It's going to be born in August...what did you say?" Zhang Donggua didn't take it seriously, but suddenly reacted and was shocked, "It's going to be born in the eighth month of Chujiuzi? You heard that right?
?”
Mrs. Chen nodded and said in a worried tone: "You heard me right, that's what Mrs. Geng said. It has been spread all over the world. I heard that many people have come to the door in the past two days, all saying that our daughter Chujiu is having a baby."
Yes, but the Taoist priest from Chengyang made a divination and said that none of them are correct, so I think they were all fooled."
"His father, our pear blossom..."
Zhang Donggua came to his senses and immediately raised his hand to stop Chen's unfinished words, "Lihua's wedding is scheduled for next winter. There is still a whole year left. We have to think about it carefully and prepare a dowry for our daughter.
How much money have we saved over the years? It’s been so long since I counted it that I even forgot.”
Mrs. Chen was blocked and understood that men were afraid that walls had ears, so she swallowed her words and started talking about the dowry for her daughter.
"In the past few years we have been in the Cheng family, we have paid back every year's salary, but secretly saved it from the private work we took on. In total, we probably have about twenty taels in these years. When the time comes, we will make two good camphor wood boxes for Lihua.
I’ll buy two more pieces of good jewelry and put five taels of silver at the bottom of the box, and we’ll save the rest for Yang’er to find a wife for.”
Chen's good embroidery skills were not revealed when she got married, but after she arrived at the Cheng family, she was accidentally seen by others. Her reputation spread privately, and gradually the maids and ladies of the Cheng family came to see her.
Either embroider a handkerchief or a pillow cover, or help embroider a complete wedding set.
You can make some money in a year.
There is also Zhang Donggua, who was born with good carving skills. Perhaps the talent was passed down from his father. Back then, Li Dachui relied on his good carving skills to support himself and save a lot of money.
Otherwise, Mrs. Deng’s mother-in-law would not have fallen in love with him back then. In order to get a generous betrothal gift, she would have had to say that she had remarried Mr. Deng.
Zhang Donggua didn't buy many good tools, just a sharp knife or any stick in his hand, he could carve flowers for you.
The carved hairpins are lifelike and beautiful, and they are not inferior at all just because they are made of wood.
Therefore, there are many maids who like to wear wooden hairpins, and they often ask him to make them, and they can earn some money a year.
The most important thing is that a steward of the Cheng family asked Zhang Donggua to help carve a Guanyin two years ago. It was carved from a very good piece of wood. The finished product was such that the steward rewarded Zhang Donggua with a piece of silver.
If we really want to talk about it, Zhang Donggua and his wife each have their own craftsmanship. If they don't do this long-term job and do serious embroidery and wood carving, they can't earn more than seven or eight taels of silver a year.
This is a good thing to say.
However, Zhang Donggua is very clear-minded. If you keep this craftsmanship at home, you really can't show it. Who can't give it to the family?
Therefore, the couple kept things secret and earned a little money in a low-key manner in the Cheng family.
The Zhang family only thought that people were sent to work as long-term laborers and that they just paid their wages to the family every year. They didn't even care about how they were doing.
Zhang Donggua listened to the family background and nodded, "Then let's do it."
After that, she looked at Mrs. Chen and said: "Our Lihua is engaged, and the other party is the Zhou family. This is a good match. That boy Shitou is a good match for our Lihua. Brother Wujin is also a good person, and my younger siblings are also cheerful people.
I am wholeheartedly satisfied with this marriage, and it is also thanks to my mother that since this marriage has been decided, there is no reason to back out."
Mrs. Chen understood what the man meant, but she was just worried about her father-in-law at home...
Zhang Donggua lowered his voice, "We know that the pear blossom fell to the ground at the right moment, where did he know? He was fast asleep that night, and you could hear him snoring while standing in the yard, as well as the fourth child
, I slept soundly too! Don’t worry.”
At that time, Zhang Hugua had not yet gotten married, and apart from them, there was no one else in the family.
Zhang Donggua felt that there was nothing to worry about. Mom and Aunt Yuan must be like them. They became alert when they heard about this and would not say anything.
After hearing this, Mrs. Chen felt a little relieved, but then she became a little uneasy, "Then what if Lihua is the one Chengyang Taoist thought could bring happiness to the young master, and we kept it a secret, then the young master
No...isn't it just like this?"
Thinking like this is really uncomfortable.
It is such a pity that such a good child is gone.
And they knew that they might be able to save her, and it really worked to their liking, but they kept it secret. This is really hard on their conscience.
Zhang Donggua also felt a little uncomfortable listening to this.
But then he thought of his daughter, and he gritted his teeth and said, "You also said it was just in case. What if it's not, or even if it's not a good wedding? If you cancel the marriage with the Zhou family and send the pear blossom here, what if?
If the time comes, how can the Zhou family be willing to discuss the matter again? This is not kind."
Therefore, for the sake of Lihua, they had no choice but to hide it.
If their conscience can't bear it, the worst they can do is kowtow to the young master a few more times.
In her private mind, Mrs. Chen naturally believed that her daughter was more important, but she just couldn't bear to think about the young master.
It would be great if the young master could get better without having to celebrate.
It's unfair for such a good child to die at such a young age.
Mrs. Chen was thinking about the symptoms of the young master's serious illness that she heard from the man yesterday. Something flashed through her mind, but she didn't catch it immediately.