ranslated by Coke
Edited by Joh and Seinz
When the topic suddenly jumped to money, Miao Heniang was unable to keep her hands from scratching her head, “What money?”
Miao He said, with an annoyed expression, “Xiao Bao is my younger brother, and this matter hasn’t been resolved yet. I don’t want to say that I’m not Xiao Bao’s brother so that he doesn’t suffer any misfortune in the future, but I guess A-niang doesn’t want that. I am not permitted to offer you any assistance, but if it’s a make-up gift for the betrothal gift, A-niang can simply state the number of items and I will ask Yang Dalang to provide them.”
Miao Heniang’s face turned ugly when she heard what Miao He had said, and her words became sharper, “What nonsense are you talking about!! It’s just about helping your mother’s house, so what could possibly bring bad luck to Xiao Bao!? You’re his older brother, how could you even speak of something so vicious to him!?”
“I’m just thinking about Xiao Bao. The monk who previously came to the village for alms said that people mustn’t run their mouths to speak such indiscriminate words carelessly. But if A-niang really doesn’t mind then it’s alright. I can help you with that. Don’t say that I didn’t warn you in the future.”
When the monk was mentioned, Miao Heniang immediately remembered a specific event from the past. A monk came to their village a few years ago to beg for alms and was greeted politely by the village chief. The latter invited the monk to a vegetarian meal afterwards. Their greeting evolved into a brief conversation about life, and the monk was invited to deliver a few words of wisdom in front of the villages before departing. The monk had lectured on the importance of being respectful to both heaven and earth, and it appeared that what he said was true.
Miao Heniang couldn’t help but show her reluctance. Xiao Bao was a desperate baby born with her life in jeopardy, so she regarded him as a treasure. Xiao Bao was weaker than other babies after birth due to her body’s weak constitution from her previous miscarriages. She merely wanted some meat from Brother He so that Xiao Bao could develop and grow healthy. But, after hearing Miao He’s words, if doing so would bring bad luck in the future, could the meat she desired still be given to Xiao Bao to eat?
With the ideology of a modern man, filial piety was not the same as being filial in marriage. However, after seeing the original host’s mother, Miao He felt that her primary purpose was to have a human ticket to guarantee financial support for the rest of her life. He wanted to agree with it. Not only for his sake, but Yang Dalang’s as well. Perhaps it was because of the Yang family that he hadn’t seen her until now.
Miao He didn’t want to because he surmised Yang Dalang would even become more unlucky, so he could block out as much as he could. In addition, he felt that he would eventually use this body properly, so he had to accept the whole situation and sentiments. If you said the number directly, then you must make up for the dowry. Miao He had already decided to give it prior, even just by paying back the kindness for nurturing the original host’s body.
Seeing the hesitation on the face of the original host’s mother, Miao He once again pushed his offer before she could say anything.
“It just so happened that Yang Dalang caught some lively pheasants yesterday. To compensate, A-niang can bring one home and stew it for a while to make a soup for Xiao Bao to drink.”
He turned around and went back to the backyard, where the pheasant was tied. Because the chicken shed hadn’t yet been built, it could only be bound to a post. Miao Heniang was stunned and quickly grabbed Miao He’s sleeve.
“Ai wait, hold on! Ai, what’s the hurry? A-niang hasn’t figured it out yet.”
Miao He glanced at her and let her digest his actions through words. “A-niang, just think about it, a chicken is worth two cents of silver, and one to two silvers is equivalent to five chickens. If you have six taels, you can buy thirty chickens. Thirty chickens, if you consume half of each chicken to stew soup for Xiao Bao, then how long could he drink soup if so? In the past, I couldn’t even eat a few chickens in my first years at home. Besides, it is difficult for Dalang to catch chickens every day to feed Xiao Bao.”
What Miao He said was not nonsense. The world’s current agricultural technology was not cutting-edge. If a family of four used refined rice to cultivate a rice field, they could only produce 20 taels per year, with only 15 to 6 taels remaining after paying the land tax. Furthermore, with the addition of their eating expenses for the entire year, the family could save only two to three taels per year. Not to mention that if the weather was bad or if there was a pest infestation, the output would be even lower.
Eating a two-corner silver chicken was equivalent to eating a mouthful of food for half a month. Meat was expensive in the country since the farmers, who were determined to work under pressure, could only rely on the heavens to make a living and feed themselves.
So when Miao He mentioned chicken, Miao Heniang was confused by this algorithm. She thought that if they could eat 30 chickens in a row, then her little treasure’s health would definitely benefit a lot. It’s just that she momentarily forgot that the shining silver taels must be taken home with her unless it was concealed well (purchasing chickens and pilfering it? That’s impossible). The man only used a little, and the household also used a little, and if that continued, it would be soon gone.
But at this time, Miao Heniang wanted to create a bright future for Xiao Bao, she gritted her teeth and said with a fierce heart, “Then, then give me 8 taels, no less! That should do for the make-up gift!”
Indeed she went to the top.
Usually, when the villagers hire a brother, they would only offer five taels as a betrothal gift, no more no less. When Miao Heniang spoke of eight taels, it was because she considered Miao He as an exquisite and expensive ger. She seemed to have forgotten that Miao He had a bad reputation previously and was completely unsalable.
Miao He’s face turned bad with distress, “Eight taels, that much? For the six taels that I’ve just said, and my agreement to support you on behalf of Xiao Bao, I want to say that Yang Dalang will have to think it through thoroughly before he slowly can agree. Your demand for eight taels…forget it. I’m telling you right now that Yang Dalang, who isn’t present here, won’t be able to make that much money. I, nevertheless, ain’t a person who yields to strike further. I still have some rabbits to be sent here, so stew the bones long enough, and I think it will be able to raise my brother.”
But how can a rabbit be compared to a chicken tonic?
Miao Heniang had fallen into a beautiful dream right now. Seeing Miao He retreat, she got anxious, “Why don’t you count, you just definitely agreed earlier ah! Even if Yang Dalang isn’t here, you are his husband. So, doesn’t that imply that whatever you say will always be interpreted as his!!”
And if it’s for assistance, Brother He’d be happy to take things home. If Brother He truly resented her to death, or if Yang Dalang agreed and later regretted it, there would be more cracks in her excuses, rendering her original plan futile. After much deliberation, Miao Heniang felt that the more it was to just take the money, the simpler it was!
Miao He shook his coldly, “No. A-niang doesn’t also want me and Dalang to be close and about the eight tael matter. These two, I am unable to say them to Dalang.”
“If you don’t tell him, A-niang will go ahead and say it! A-niang will tell everyone that Dalang is ashamed to have gotten a brother from our family for free and is refusing to admit it!”
When Miao Heniang was in an anxious fit, it happened that Yang Dalang had returned home. He also carried a chicken coop in his hands, and there was a cawing sound of fowl that could be heard from it. It should be that after selling the little boar, he really bought a hen and brought it home to lay eggs.
Miao Heniang couldn’t care less about what Yang Dalang had in his hands at the time. She hurriedly stated what she had discussed with Miao He, but added, with a pleasant tone, “Oh, auntie, no, no, this mother doesn’t want to take advantage of you. I miss your third cousin. Isn’t it Yang Da Chuan? Others wonder how the Yang family, who married a small ger in, hasn’t even managed to give a few of betrothal gifts. It’s very upsetting to hear.”
Yang Dalang didn’t respond immediately. Miao Heniang couldn’t help being a little timid. She gathered her hair together, and continued to put in soft words, “And the money A-niang asked for is also advantageous for Brother He. He and his younger brother are really in poor health, and A-niang also is unable to do anything. Thus, it is crucial for us to want and receive the betrothal money to supplement the body of his younger brother, and also for Xiao Bao to grow up safely. Someday in the future, Brother He will have a brother whom he can lean on. If he wants to do something in the future, he just has to shout and his brother will be there.”
Yang Dalang looked in the direction of Miao He first. The three of them were in a position, where Miao Heniang was facing Yang Dalang and her back was towards Miao He. The latter nodded slightly, affirming that Yang Dalang should give her what she’s asking for and run a few lines silently with his lips. “I’ll sell vegetables and will later pay them back.”
Yang Dalang looked away, but his face turned more serious. “My family and I didn’t owe any betrothal gift, it was agreed at the beginning.”
This was indeed the truth and arrangement back then. But Miao Heniang still put on a strong face for her son’s sake and, “But the others want to ask you, you the Yang family, to tell the number of gifts you sent… this mother, also doesn’t know what to answer. Eight, no, seven. Seven taels will do.”
Yang Dalang couldn’t help frowning. Even if he really wanted to give it, he couldn’t get so much at once.
Miao Heniang immediately changed her words when she saw the change of his expression, “Or six taels!! Divided, pay half between days!!”
Yang Dalang paused and nodded after a short time. “However, I have to get a written statement of pledge from the village chief. Write it in accordance with the truth.”
This meant that the Yang family had previously owed no betrothal gifts and had simply voluntarily made up for it. Although it would not be stated explicitly that after the Miao He’s family married him off to the Yang family, it would demonstrate that the Miao He’s family broke their promise and were greedy. Otherwise, who could make up for it on their own? Keeping a note would prevent this matter from being discussed arbitrarily in the future, and it would also prevent Miao He’s family from making additional demands in the future. Miao Heniang responded with a nod, thinking that she would have money to help her raise her youngest son’s health in the future.
Things didn’t take any second of further contemplation. After Yang Dalang put down his things, Miao Heniang urged the two to hurriedly go to the village head’s house.
The village chief of the Miaojia Village was called Miao Huosheng. People who had a close relationship with him regarded him as Uncle Huosheng, whilst he preferred to be addressed as the village head by the people. When the three of them arrived at the chief’s house, as luck would have had it, the former host’s primary enemy was also there. Sitting there was Miao Yuan’s grandfather, Miao Jue, who was the old man who had said that Miao Yuan would never take a ger as a marriage partner after he passed the imperial exam.
Miao Jue seemed to have come to discuss something with the village chief. When Miao He and others arrived, they were prevented from coming in and were told to stay out of the courtyard as the pair of elders could not be disturbed by them entering the house. Until the people inside finished speaking, the village head eagerly and attentively sent Miao Jue out and was surprised to see the three people standing outside the door. As for Miao Jue, he sneered at Miao He first and treated the other two as if they didn’t exist. Then, he flicked his sleeves off and left on his own.
Miao Heniang’s complexion entirely changed. She felt disgusted from the bottom of her heart. But nothing could be done as her family was developed and had a reputation, so it was natural for her to step on the villagers who rely on the ground to eat.
The head of the village was good at behaving with integrity. Even though he had made some calculations, he was still amiable to everyone he encountered. He let out a chuckle, greeting them, “Isn’t this an auntie, and Dalang is here too? It’s really a rare occasion, come on in and sit inside! This A-gui boy is also a foolish brat, and he didn’t say who was at the door. If not I would’ve let you in and not make a mistake.”
Miao Heniang’s complexion improved a little. And when she entered the door, she hurriedly stated their matter of coming.
The chief had kept a quiet expression on his face the entire time he listened. Indeed, he had never heard or seen before that the bride price could still be made up later. However, this kind of operation was actually not good for the reputation of the village. Think about it, in the future, if the family of a ger or a girl would have the same problem as well after they get married. Wouldn’t that be a mess?
It could be seen that both parties had momentarily come into a consensus that the village head was more entirely protective of the Miaojia Village’s name. After thinking about it, he solemnly said, “As the village head, I have to be fair. Dalang, this bridal gift, you don’t need to make up for it. It’d be the same reason for anyone. Moreover, this example isn’t good for the village’s reputation. Otherwise, who would dare to marry the village’s gers and daughters in the future? Thus, it stands to reason that I, the village chief, shouldn’t and couldn’t help with this.”
Miao Heniang got anxious as soon as she heard that. She opened her mouth to argue and was immediately stopped by the village chief with the waving of his hand.
“But I see that this is also considered as your filial piety with Brother He, and can’t be said to be a bad thing. I could write it down for you, like a voucher, but if you, aunt, must promise that you will never speak of any of this matter to any third party. Otherwise, you will have to bear the consequences of people reproaching you in the future. And don’t tell me that I, the village chief, didn’t warn you! Dalang, you ought to agree to it too.”
Miao Heniang’s face instantly regained its colour. She responded to it several times, each time expressing her approval. Yang Dalang then simply stated that there would be no situation or circumstance that a third party would be aware of in order to maintain confidentiality.
In that case, the two sides stated the content of the contract and asked the village chief to write it down with pen and paper. The general idea was that after Yang Dalang married Miao He, he voluntarily made up for the dowry due to filial piety giving six taels, which were divided and given on four different dates. Give one tael in the first month, then one or two the year thereafter, until it is all cleared.
After the contract was written, Miao Heniang, Yang Dalang, and the village chief affixed their handprints on the paper, sealing the matter over. There was no need for Miao He’s father to personally appear because this matter concerned the marriage of Brother He. As long as it concerned the marriage and relationship of a ger or a girl, all things to resolve were all on the mothers’ shoulders to fix.
So after they departed from the village head’s house, Miao Heniang returned home happy with the deed she couldn’t understand, and never thought of discussing it with Miao He’s father.
Miao He’s father was an inflexible, one-tracked mind of a man. Whether it was unreasonable or reasonable, he depended on the decisions of his mother, who was the old wife of the household, and he would always follow whatever she said due to her vicious nature. Miao Heniang clearly thought that this additional money must be known to Miao He’s father. It must not be kept concealed for several days and the whole family must know of it, which should be the right thing to do. Wasn’t it?
No, as soon as she got home, she rushed to pick up her little treasure from the old woman’s house, and when she finally stepped into the house, she almost died out of anger!
ranslated by Coke
Edited by Joh and Seinz
When the topic suddenly jumped to money, Miao Heniang was unable to keep her hands from scratching her head, “What money?”
Miao He said, with an annoyed expression, “Xiao Bao is my younger brother, and this matter hasn’t been resolved yet. I don’t want to say that I’m not Xiao Bao’s brother so that he doesn’t suffer any misfortune in the future, but I guess A-niang doesn’t want that. I am not permitted to offer you any assistance, but if it’s a make-up gift for the betrothal gift, A-niang can simply state the number of items and I will ask Yang Dalang to provide them.”
Miao Heniang’s face turned ugly when she heard what Miao He had said, and her words became sharper, “What nonsense are you talking about!! It’s just about helping your mother’s house, so what could possibly bring bad luck to Xiao Bao!? You’re his older brother, how could you even speak of something so vicious to him!?”
“I’m just thinking about Xiao Bao. The monk who previously came to the village for alms said that people mustn’t run their mouths to speak such indiscriminate words carelessly. But if A-niang really doesn’t mind then it’s alright. I can help you with that. Don’t say that I didn’t warn you in the future.”
When the monk was mentioned, Miao Heniang immediately remembered a specific event from the past. A monk came to their village a few years ago to beg for alms and was greeted politely by the village chief. The latter invited the monk to a vegetarian meal afterwards. Their greeting evolved into a brief conversation about life, and the monk was invited to deliver a few words of wisdom in front of the villages before departing. The monk had lectured on the importance of being respectful to both heaven and earth, and it appeared that what he said was true.
Miao Heniang couldn’t help but show her reluctance. Xiao Bao was a desperate baby born with her life in jeopardy, so she regarded him as a treasure. Xiao Bao was weaker than other babies after birth due to her body’s weak constitution from her previous miscarriages. She merely wanted some meat from Brother He so that Xiao Bao could develop and grow healthy. But, after hearing Miao He’s words, if doing so would bring bad luck in the future, could the meat she desired still be given to Xiao Bao to eat?
With the ideology of a modern man, filial piety was not the same as being filial in marriage. However, after seeing the original host’s mother, Miao He felt that her primary purpose was to have a human ticket to guarantee financial support for the rest of her life. He wanted to agree with it. Not only for his sake, but Yang Dalang’s as well. Perhaps it was because of the Yang family that he hadn’t seen her until now.
Miao He didn’t want to because he surmised Yang Dalang would even become more unlucky, so he could block out as much as he could. In addition, he felt that he would eventually use this body properly, so he had to accept the whole situation and sentiments. If you said the number directly, then you must make up for the dowry. Miao He had already decided to give it prior, even just by paying back the kindness for nurturing the original host’s body.
Seeing the hesitation on the face of the original host’s mother, Miao He once again pushed his offer before she could say anything.
“It just so happened that Yang Dalang caught some lively pheasants yesterday. To compensate, A-niang can bring one home and stew it for a while to make a soup for Xiao Bao to drink.”
He turned around and went back to the backyard, where the pheasant was tied. Because the chicken shed hadn’t yet been built, it could only be bound to a post. Miao Heniang was stunned and quickly grabbed Miao He’s sleeve.
“Ai wait, hold on! Ai, what’s the hurry? A-niang hasn’t figured it out yet.”
Miao He glanced at her and let her digest his actions through words. “A-niang, just think about it, a chicken is worth two cents of silver, and one to two silvers is equivalent to five chickens. If you have six taels, you can buy thirty chickens. Thirty chickens, if you consume half of each chicken to stew soup for Xiao Bao, then how long could he drink soup if so? In the past, I couldn’t even eat a few chickens in my first years at home. Besides, it is difficult for Dalang to catch chickens every day to feed Xiao Bao.”
What Miao He said was not nonsense. The world’s current agricultural technology was not cutting-edge. If a family of four used refined rice to cultivate a rice field, they could only produce 20 taels per year, with only 15 to 6 taels remaining after paying the land tax. Furthermore, with the addition of their eating expenses for the entire year, the family could save only two to three taels per year. Not to mention that if the weather was bad or if there was a pest infestation, the output would be even lower.
Eating a two-corner silver chicken was equivalent to eating a mouthful of food for half a month. Meat was expensive in the country since the farmers, who were determined to work under pressure, could only rely on the heavens to make a living and feed themselves.
So when Miao He mentioned chicken, Miao Heniang was confused by this algorithm. She thought that if they could eat 30 chickens in a row, then her little treasure’s health would definitely benefit a lot. It’s just that she momentarily forgot that the shining silver taels must be taken home with her unless it was concealed well (purchasing chickens and pilfering it? That’s impossible). The man only used a little, and the household also used a little, and if that continued, it would be soon gone.
But at this time, Miao Heniang wanted to create a bright future for Xiao Bao, she gritted her teeth and said with a fierce heart, “Then, then give me 8 taels, no less! That should do for the make-up gift!”
Indeed she went to the top.
Usually, when the villagers hire a brother, they would only offer five taels as a betrothal gift, no more no less. When Miao Heniang spoke of eight taels, it was because she considered Miao He as an exquisite and expensive ger. She seemed to have forgotten that Miao He had a bad reputation previously and was completely unsalable.
Miao He’s face turned bad with distress, “Eight taels, that much? For the six taels that I’ve just said, and my agreement to support you on behalf of Xiao Bao, I want to say that Yang Dalang will have to think it through thoroughly before he slowly can agree. Your demand for eight taels…forget it. I’m telling you right now that Yang Dalang, who isn’t present here, won’t be able to make that much money. I, nevertheless, ain’t a person who yields to strike further. I still have some rabbits to be sent here, so stew the bones long enough, and I think it will be able to raise my brother.”
But how can a rabbit be compared to a chicken tonic?
Miao Heniang had fallen into a beautiful dream right now. Seeing Miao He retreat, she got anxious, “Why don’t you count, you just definitely agreed earlier ah! Even if Yang Dalang isn’t here, you are his husband. So, doesn’t that imply that whatever you say will always be interpreted as his!!”
And if it’s for assistance, Brother He’d be happy to take things home. If Brother He truly resented her to death, or if Yang Dalang agreed and later regretted it, there would be more cracks in her excuses, rendering her original plan futile. After much deliberation, Miao Heniang felt that the more it was to just take the money, the simpler it was!
Miao He shook his coldly, “No. A-niang doesn’t also want me and Dalang to be close and about the eight tael matter. These two, I am unable to say them to Dalang.”
“If you don’t tell him, A-niang will go ahead and say it! A-niang will tell everyone that Dalang is ashamed to have gotten a brother from our family for free and is refusing to admit it!”
When Miao Heniang was in an anxious fit, it happened that Yang Dalang had returned home. He also carried a chicken coop in his hands, and there was a cawing sound of fowl that could be heard from it. It should be that after selling the little boar, he really bought a hen and brought it home to lay eggs.
Miao Heniang couldn’t care less about what Yang Dalang had in his hands at the time. She hurriedly stated what she had discussed with Miao He, but added, with a pleasant tone, “Oh, auntie, no, no, this mother doesn’t want to take advantage of you. I miss your third cousin. Isn’t it Yang Da Chuan? Others wonder how the Yang family, who married a small ger in, hasn’t even managed to give a few of betrothal gifts. It’s very upsetting to hear.”
Yang Dalang didn’t respond immediately. Miao Heniang couldn’t help being a little timid. She gathered her hair together, and continued to put in soft words, “And the money A-niang asked for is also advantageous for Brother He. He and his younger brother are really in poor health, and A-niang also is unable to do anything. Thus, it is crucial for us to want and receive the betrothal money to supplement the body of his younger brother, and also for Xiao Bao to grow up safely. Someday in the future, Brother He will have a brother whom he can lean on. If he wants to do something in the future, he just has to shout and his brother will be there.”
Yang Dalang looked in the direction of Miao He first. The three of them were in a position, where Miao Heniang was facing Yang Dalang and her back was towards Miao He. The latter nodded slightly, affirming that Yang Dalang should give her what she’s asking for and run a few lines silently with his lips. “I’ll sell vegetables and will later pay them back.”
Yang Dalang looked away, but his face turned more serious. “My family and I didn’t owe any betrothal gift, it was agreed at the beginning.”
This was indeed the truth and arrangement back then. But Miao Heniang still put on a strong face for her son’s sake and, “But the others want to ask you, you the Yang family, to tell the number of gifts you sent… this mother, also doesn’t know what to answer. Eight, no, seven. Seven taels will do.”
Yang Dalang couldn’t help frowning. Even if he really wanted to give it, he couldn’t get so much at once.
Miao Heniang immediately changed her words when she saw the change of his expression, “Or six taels!! Divided, pay half between days!!”
Yang Dalang paused and nodded after a short time. “However, I have to get a written statement of pledge from the village chief. Write it in accordance with the truth.”
This meant that the Yang family had previously owed no betrothal gifts and had simply voluntarily made up for it. Although it would not be stated explicitly that after the Miao He’s family married him off to the Yang family, it would demonstrate that the Miao He’s family broke their promise and were greedy. Otherwise, who could make up for it on their own? Keeping a note would prevent this matter from being discussed arbitrarily in the future, and it would also prevent Miao He’s family from making additional demands in the future. Miao Heniang responded with a nod, thinking that she would have money to help her raise her youngest son’s health in the future.
Things didn’t take any second of further contemplation. After Yang Dalang put down his things, Miao Heniang urged the two to hurriedly go to the village head’s house.
The village chief of the Miaojia Village was called Miao Huosheng. People who had a close relationship with him regarded him as Uncle Huosheng, whilst he preferred to be addressed as the village head by the people. When the three of them arrived at the chief’s house, as luck would have had it, the former host’s primary enemy was also there. Sitting there was Miao Yuan’s grandfather, Miao Jue, who was the old man who had said that Miao Yuan would never take a ger as a marriage partner after he passed the imperial exam.
Miao Jue seemed to have come to discuss something with the village chief. When Miao He and others arrived, they were prevented from coming in and were told to stay out of the courtyard as the pair of elders could not be disturbed by them entering the house. Until the people inside finished speaking, the village head eagerly and attentively sent Miao Jue out and was surprised to see the three people standing outside the door. As for Miao Jue, he sneered at Miao He first and treated the other two as if they didn’t exist. Then, he flicked his sleeves off and left on his own.
Miao Heniang’s complexion entirely changed. She felt disgusted from the bottom of her heart. But nothing could be done as her family was developed and had a reputation, so it was natural for her to step on the villagers who rely on the ground to eat.
The head of the village was good at behaving with integrity. Even though he had made some calculations, he was still amiable to everyone he encountered. He let out a chuckle, greeting them, “Isn’t this an auntie, and Dalang is here too? It’s really a rare occasion, come on in and sit inside! This A-gui boy is also a foolish brat, and he didn’t say who was at the door. If not I would’ve let you in and not make a mistake.”
Miao Heniang’s complexion improved a little. And when she entered the door, she hurriedly stated their matter of coming.
The chief had kept a quiet expression on his face the entire time he listened. Indeed, he had never heard or seen before that the bride price could still be made up later. However, this kind of operation was actually not good for the reputation of the village. Think about it, in the future, if the family of a ger or a girl would have the same problem as well after they get married. Wouldn’t that be a mess?
It could be seen that both parties had momentarily come into a consensus that the village head was more entirely protective of the Miaojia Village’s name. After thinking about it, he solemnly said, “As the village head, I have to be fair. Dalang, this bridal gift, you don’t need to make up for it. It’d be the same reason for anyone. Moreover, this example isn’t good for the village’s reputation. Otherwise, who would dare to marry the village’s gers and daughters in the future? Thus, it stands to reason that I, the village chief, shouldn’t and couldn’t help with this.”
Miao Heniang got anxious as soon as she heard that. She opened her mouth to argue and was immediately stopped by the village chief with the waving of his hand.
“But I see that this is also considered as your filial piety with Brother He, and can’t be said to be a bad thing. I could write it down for you, like a voucher, but if you, aunt, must promise that you will never speak of any of this matter to any third party. Otherwise, you will have to bear the consequences of people reproaching you in the future. And don’t tell me that I, the village chief, didn’t warn you! Dalang, you ought to agree to it too.”
Miao Heniang’s face instantly regained its colour. She responded to it several times, each time expressing her approval. Yang Dalang then simply stated that there would be no situation or circumstance that a third party would be aware of in order to maintain confidentiality.
In that case, the two sides stated the content of the contract and asked the village chief to write it down with pen and paper. The general idea was that after Yang Dalang married Miao He, he voluntarily made up for the dowry due to filial piety giving six taels, which were divided and given on four different dates. Give one tael in the first month, then one or two the year thereafter, until it is all cleared.
After the contract was written, Miao Heniang, Yang Dalang, and the village chief affixed their handprints on the paper, sealing the matter over. There was no need for Miao He’s father to personally appear because this matter concerned the marriage of Brother He. As long as it concerned the marriage and relationship of a ger or a girl, all things to resolve were all on the mothers’ shoulders to fix.
So after they departed from the village head’s house, Miao Heniang returned home happy with the deed she couldn’t understand, and never thought of discussing it with Miao He’s father.
Miao He’s father was an inflexible, one-tracked mind of a man. Whether it was unreasonable or reasonable, he depended on the decisions of his mother, who was the old wife of the household, and he would always follow whatever she said due to her vicious nature. Miao Heniang clearly thought that this additional money must be known to Miao He’s father. It must not be kept concealed for several days and the whole family must know of it, which should be the right thing to do. Wasn’t it?
No, as soon as she got home, she rushed to pick up her little treasure from the old woman’s house, and when she finally stepped into the house, she almost died out of anger!
