Chapter 107: Chapter 64: A New Friend Visits

The New Year was approaching, and a farmer’s life was full of chores—so many odds and ends that it was hard to know where to start. On this particular day, Meizi happened to bring a few of the younger girls over to play with Juhua, opening a new door in Juhua’s otherwise sheltered life. So let’s start our story there.

As it turned out, word had spread through the village that the Zheng Family had bought land. Everyone knew they’d used the silver Juhua earned from teaching people her recipes.

Gou Dan’s mother mulled it over. That Juhua was certainly a clever girl, and quick-witted too. She’d long since noticed how well-behaved and gentle Juhua was. On top of that, her daughter Meizi was always going on about how delicious Juhua’s spicy cabbage was, and how her own version never tasted the same. Gou Dan also said that Juhua’s braised offal was fragrant and that Little Shitou got to eat it all the time. But he wasn’t close with Juhua, so she never sent any his way.

So, on this day, she said to Meizi, “Why don’t you go play with Juhua when you have free time? Young girls can do needlework together and chat about this and that. You could also learn a thing or two from her about cooking.”

Meizi blinked her big eyes and said, “I feel too shy to go over often—Juhua doesn’t talk much. I’m afraid she’ll find me annoying!”

Her mother stroked her hair and said, “That’s because you girls didn’t used to play with her, so she developed that kind of personality. She’s actually a very good person; there’s no way she’d find you annoying—you wouldn’t do anything to bother her. Sigh! Speaking of which, Changhe’s two children are truly outstanding. If I weren’t worried about you marrying someone too close to home, Qingmu would be an excellent choice! I originally thought about matching your cousin with him, but now it seems unlikely. The Zheng Family just bought more land and their lives are getting better and better. Your cousin isn’t particularly remarkable, so I’m afraid Aunt Zheng wouldn’t agree.”

Meizi blushed when she heard her mother’s words. She remembered Liu’er’s feelings for Qingmu and tugged at her mother’s arm in a chiding manner. “Mother, what are you saying!”

Gou Dan’s mother patted her hand lovingly. “Do you think I’m only considering this because I’m envious of the Zheng Family’s new wealth? I’m not foolish like Liu’er’s mother. I used to think that if you married within the village and had a fight with your in-laws, you’d have nowhere to go to cool off. You see each other all the time in the same village, so there’s no graceful way out, and things could get tense. If you married farther away, you could come home for a couple of days when there’s trouble. No matter how big the problem, your anger would fade by the time your husband’s family came to get you. But now I’m thinking that what really matters is marrying a good man. If you like Qingmu, then marrying within the village is fine!”

When Meizi saw her mother steering the conversation toward her and Qingmu, she grew anxious—Liu’er liked Qingmu! If Liu’er saw her marry him, wouldn’t she be heartbroken? She turned away abruptly and said, “Mother, please don’t say such things.”

Gou Dan’s mother adopted a serious tone. “I’m just asking for your opinion. I’m not about to marry you off to him right this second, am I? But you should think it over carefully. A good boy like Qingmu is hard to find. That Liu’er has good judgment, but it’s a pity she’s saddled with a mother like that. Otherwise, even if she didn’t marry Qingmu, marrying Huai Zi would have been fine too. She just makes a pointless fuss over everything! I think you need to have your own mind about things. Only when I know what you want can I help make the right decisions for you. Look at you, so carefree and naive all day. It’s fine now while you’re unmarried and I’m here to protect you. But once you’re married, with a whole family of in-laws—parents, sisters-in-law—and you with no foresight, you’ll be in for a world of frustration! If you learn some cooking skills from Juhua, you’ll be able to please your in-laws and your husband. Nobody likes a lazy wife.”

Seeing how her mother was always thinking of her best interests, Meizi’s eyes couldn’t help but turn red. Isn’t this what Liu’er envied so much—that she had a mother she could have a heart-to-heart talk with? Her mother was asking for her opinion because she was afraid Meizi wouldn’t be happy with the family chosen for her. Otherwise, she could have just settled on a match and told her afterward. What could Meizi have done about it then?

She leaned against her mother and said, “I don’t know either. I’ve never thought about these things before.”

Gou Dan’s mother looked at her innocent, carefree daughter and sighed. “Don’t let it weigh on your mind. When you have time, just go chat with Juhua and learn to cook from her. After a while, you’ll know in your heart whether you like Qingmu or not. It’s not like you have to marry him. We can look at other families too. Coincidentally, their family just made some acorn jelly. They sent a lot over to us and even taught everyone how to prepare the acorns. Isn’t this the perfect excuse to go over? If you’re worried it would be improper to go alone, ask Lanzi and the others to go with you. Your Aunt Zheng will only be happy to see you girls go play with Juhua.”

Meizi’s eyes lit up, and she agreed with a smile.

She then said to her mother, “Mother, could you pack up some of that pickled ginger and chili slices for me to bring to Juhua? It’s so embarrassing to always be eating her food.”

Gou Dan’s mother said, “Isn’t there a small, ready-made jar of it? It hasn’t even been opened. Just take that one.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep