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Chapter 130: 124 Discussing Marriage Matters (Part 2)
Old Master Shen sent away the visitors and then sat alone on the kang bed smoking, mulling things over for a long time. When he saw that it was almost dark outside, he finally put on his shoes, got off the kang, and walked towards the production team. After all, it was Yunfang’s marriage, and whether it was good or bad, Yunfang had to make her own decision.
Meanwhile, Yunfang on the mountain thought it was about time to head down, so with a basket of green grass on her back, she hurried the flock of sheep down the mountain, spotting Old Master Shen standing at the entrance of the production team’s office from a distance.
"Uncle, why haven’t you gone home? Is there still something going on?" she greeted him as she approached, thinking that Old Master Shen was dealing with official business there. Sometimes, when there were sudden orders from above, all the village leaders, including Old Master Shen, would have to meet at the production team’s office.
Of course, now that Yunxiu and her husband were living in the production team’s office, such occasions were practically nonexistent.
"Hmm, I need to discuss something with you," Old Master Shen replied, wearily hunching his back and clasping his hands behind him.
"You’re looking for me? Then wait a moment, I’ll go and drive the sheep into the pen," Yunfang said, raising her little whip to hasten the sheep.
Old Master Shen didn’t stand and wait, but followed Yunfang towards the production team’s office. "Today, someone from the Li family in Taoshu Village came by."
Yunfang paused at this, recalling Li Hongjun talking about marrying during the New Year.
"Since you weren’t there, I didn’t say much. However, they conveyed the Li family’s wishes." So Old Master Shen started to relay everything the Li family had said while they walked.
"You don’t have your parents anymore, so I am your senior. But when it comes to marriage, you still have to make up your own mind. If you have any terms, don’t be shy to speak up—just tell your uncle, and I will make the decision for you," Old Master Shen said.
Hearing Old Master Shen’s words, Yunfang genuinely hesitated. The first two may have been different, but the last one was not what she had arranged with Li Hongjun—it seemed that Li Hongjun had failed to persuade his family.
Yunfang didn’t speak. She herded all the sheep into the pen, then closed the door, stuck her small whip into the ground at the side, and turned around before saying, "Uncle, I agree to marry this year. It doesn’t matter if the Li family doesn’t provide anything—I don’t lack anything. But after the wedding, I don’t want to follow the army and also don’t want to live with the Li family. I want to stay in my own home."
"Is this your own idea? Does your fiancé know about this?" Old Master Shen asked, quite surprised. There hadn’t been a bride who, upon marriage, didn’t stay with her husband or at her in-laws, choosing instead to stay at her own family home—Yunxiu’s case was an exception, of course.
"He knows; I already told him when I visited the troops last year, and he agreed. Initially, I wanted to move out on my own, but Li Hongjun said his dad might not agree, so..." Yunfang shrugged.
She could only compromise on her secondary request to stay at her own home.
"If Li Hongjun agrees too, then we’ll propose it to the Li family. I think the Li family might agree as well," Old Master Shen conjectured after thinking for a bit.
Yunfang nodded as well, guessing that this was just a formality. It wouldn’t be appropriate for the groom to directly demand that the bride remains living at her parental home after the wedding. It had to be her who proposed, and the man begrudgingly agrees, preserving the dignity of both parties.
"Yunfang, don’t mind me saying a few more words, but why do you still want to live at home after you’re married?" Old Master Shen asked, truly puzzled.
"Elder, look at what you’re saying. My parents are no longer here, so you’re my senior. Whatever you say, I’ll definitely listen," Shen Yunfang started with some smooth-talking before getting to the point, "As for why I still want to live in my own house after getting married... Elder, you’ve seen Li Hongjun’s mother. With her being so fierce, if I got married and lived with the Li family, she’d surely try to control me. It might be slightly better when Li Hongjun is around, but he’s a soldier and hardly spends a few days at home throughout the year. So, I figured I might as well stay in Gaijiatun, living in my own home feels more comfortable."
Uncle Shen nodded as he listened, thinking that it made sense. He had seen Hongjun’s mother himself, and she was not easy to deal with. Although Yunfang might not be perfectly virtuous, people are biased by nature, and of course, he hoped that a family child would have a smooth and comfortable marriage. Besides, no matter how reasonable the younger generation might be, it’s hard to make your case with an unreasonable mother-in-law.
But something still didn’t sit right, "That’s true, but even if you don’t get along with your mother-in-law, you could still apply to accompany the military, couldn’t you? Following the young Li to the army would settle it, wouldn’t it?"
"Going with the military would be fine, but his station is a bit remote. I’d really be out of reach of everything there. Moreover, Li Hongjun’s salary isn’t high, and he still has to send money home every month. With social obligations and all that, there isn’t much left over. If I went there and couldn’t bring any food supplies, I’d have to spend money to buy everything, and we wouldn’t even be able to drink thin soup every day," exaggerated Shen Yunfang more and more.
Uncle Shen vigorously nodded in agreement.
"So, rather than following the military now, it’s better for me to stay at home. With you around, Uncle, no one in our village would dare to bully me. I can raise a couple of pigs and a few chickens and by the end of the year, I’ll have saved some money for food and drink," Shen Yunfang argued convincingly.
"Mhm, as long as you have your own plan that’s fine. The house is yours; you can live wherever you want, nobody here has anything to say about that," Uncle Shen said, persuaded by her argument that it was indeed better for her to stay at her own home. "Alright then, I’ll have them come over again tomorrow. You don’t go to work tomorrow either; come and have a chat too. We’re not in the old society anymore, whatever you want to say, just say it directly. If you have any demands, don’t be shy to mention them. Uncle will be right there supporting you."
"Alright, I’ll go over to my aunt’s and help with cooking tomorrow afternoon," Shen Yunfang happily agreed.
The next day, Shen Yunfang didn’t go to work. In the morning, she fed the sheep flock at the production team and tidied up at home. When the time was right, she took a basket full of eggs and went to her uncle’s house.
Her uncle had helped her tremendously, and she was grateful. She had to bring something to show her appreciation.
Before noon, people from the Li family in Taoshu Village indeed came again, and it was Li Fugui.
Uncle Shen enthusiastically hosted them, and by lunchtime, both sides had a vigorous discussion about the specifics of the wedding.
First, Uncle Shen analyzed the situation in detail and after presenting our viewpoint, he made a request: he wanted the two children to be independent from the Li family after they got married. As for whether other children of the Li family would split or not, the Shen family didn’t care. Uncle Shen put it very diplomatically, but the underlying message was that the elders and children couldn’t get along. It was better to let everyone live freely than to force them together and torment each other.
In private, Shen Yeqing told Shen Yunfang that negotiating between the bride’s and groom’s families was like haggling over a purchase: if you set the starting point high and then haggle back and forth, when you later drop the price a little, the other party would feel they got a great deal and happily agree. Therefore, he had to start with tough conditions, even though he expected the Li family would never agree.
Li Fugui was only there to mediate; he didn’t have the authority to agree to anything. So, he just listened and agreed to everything, planning to relay it to the Li family. They would respond after they agreed.
Great Aunt Shen didn’t want to be left out, either. She went through all the wedding details and the various things the groom’s family should provide for the bride.
As for Shen Yunfang herself, her part was much simpler. She was fond of Li Hongjun as a person, and if the Li family agreed that she could live in Gaijiatun after the wedding, then she would proceed with the marriage. Otherwise, there was nothing to discuss.
