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The middle-ages Shuang’er was named Xu Guan. The people in the village often called him Old Second Xu or Guan-zi. The children all called him Uncle Guan-zi that some people didn’t even know his real name anymore and only knew there was a Guan-zi in the village who especially liked to matchmake people and set them up. Everyone in Jade Creek Village would look for him.
The matchmaker was also talented. Xu Guan was a naughty and ugly Shuang’er when he was a child. He loved playing tricks on people. His peers in the village didn’t like him and called him the “bearer of back luck” or “Unlucky Guan-zi”. But he never took it to him. No matter how people disliked him, hated him, scolded him, or insulted him, he could take it with a smile on his face. It was said that his skin was thick and boundless. He was a carefree person.
After the age of 12 or 13, Xu Guan, who was ugly when he was child, became more good-looking. His originally ordinary and somewhat face matured and opened up, especially those guys. Countless men in the village were moved by him, and his reputation got better. When he was a child, he reined in his problem of playing tricks on people. He became good looking and had a wide range of contacts. Whether they knew each other or not, or if they were familiar or not, he would say hello and chat for a bit. No one would hate such a person.
After marrying into a good family in the village, Xu Guan-zi’s temperament didn’t change. He still treated people warmly. In the third year of marriage, he introduced the crippled Sun to a mute Zhang. After the two married, they gave him a big red envelope. Xu Guan-zi learned there was such a good way to earn money. He earned money just by using his mouth, so why wouldn’t he do such a good thing? Xu Guan-zi helped match several pairs, and his reputation as a matchmaker spread.
Up till now, he was the most famous in the neighboring villages. Some time ago, there was an old woman wandering around, saying she wanted to find a suitable child wife for her family’s young master. They wanted a Shuang’er. That old man’s master’s house was from Stone Bridge Village, from the neighboring Shimmering Water County. Their family was surnamed Jiang, Jiang Yuancun. They were the village tyrants, relying on the old connections they had in the county town to gain advantage.
Jiang Yuancun had a ten year old son, and they were looking for a wife for him.
As village tyrants, they had a lot of savings and could naturally buy a child wife for their son. Xu Guan learned about this from the old lady, so he put this in mind. If he completed this job, he could earn five taels of silver, which was more than half a year’s income.
In order to succeed, Guan-zi dressed himself up well to try and promote this marriage. He took Li Yue’e’s hand and opened his bloody mouth, “Their birth dates are compatible. Your Ger Yu is blessed!”
“Li-jie, I really envy you. You gave birth to three children, and all of them are good looking. Look at your Ger Yan, who married Xiucai Lin. Look how good his life is now. I almost didn’t recognize him when I saw him the other day. He’s so pale and blessed now. Where else could we find people like this?”
“The Lin family bought a piece of the mountain, and it’s said they want to plant fruit trees, so they invited many people from the village to go up the mountain…I heard they will build a house in a few months as well. Your Ger is very blessed. Is there any other Shuang’er in the village who could compare to him?”
“No, your Ger Yu is following his older brother’s footsteps to fly off the branches to become a phoenix. The Jiang family is rich and can afford dozens of taels of silver as dowry. I have been a matchmaker for so many years, and I have never seen anyone more generous. You must grab hold of this chance. Maybe in the future, your Ger Yu will live even better than his brother.”
Li Yue’e didn’t have the slightest joy on her face as Xu Guan imagined she would. She only smiled reluctantly and pulled down the corners of her mouth. “My Ger Yu is only nine years old…”
Matchmaker Guan-zi interrupted her, “Nine isn’t young anymore…Won’t he have to get married in a few years anyway? So it’s just a bit early—Ger Yu won’t get married right away. They will have to wait a few years for young master Jiang to grow up…”
“This…” Li Yue’e frowned. If she sent him to the rich family, it was basically selling him off. He would have nothing to do with his family anymore. How could this be compared to a normal marriage? Their family wasn’t at the point of needing to do this, so why would she give up her child?
“You should discuss this with your family.” Guan-zi blinked, then said, “What about Old Lady Ji? Is she home?” With that, he began walking to the back, shouting as he walked, “Old Lady Ji! Old Lady Ji!”
Guan-zi didn’t take Li Yue’e’s attitude of being a mother to heart. He was smart. He knew that in the Ji family, Li Yue’e couldn’t make decisions. As long as Old Lady Ji was moved, then it was as good as done.
…
When Eldest Ji returned, Li Yue’e hurriedly stopped him in the corner. Ji Youcai rubbed his hands, saw his wife weak with discomfort, and asked, “What’s wrong?”
Li Yue’e had a stone stuck in her throat. “…You have to persuade your mother to not agree to this. That seven year old young master of the Jiang family became a fool due to a fever. He’s a fool. How could we let our Ger Yu have such a cruel fate!”
If she knew earlier, she would have swept this Guan-zi out at the gate. How could a person be so wicked!
“….What’s going on? Mother agreed to this?” Giving their child to a fool as a wife. It didn’t matter what other people said about him, he was helpless when he married Ger Yan to the Lin family in the past. But the Lin family was in the same village, and Zhao Liniang wasn’t an evil step-mother. If they were in the same village, they could take care of each other, so they sent Ger Yan off…
They didn’t have a famine this year, and their family had the ability to raise Ger Yu. They couldn’t do something like selling their child. And that family was from the neighboring county town. Although the family had money, he knew rich villagers were the most stingy. And their Ger Yu was bought and brought in. He definitely wouldn’t be asked to do anything good. There was nothing good about this. They wouldn’t be able to do anything if he was scolded or beaten…
“You go persuade your mother!”
Old Lady Ji sat on the chair, her eyelids slightly rose to look at her eldest son. “You are Ger Yu’s father, but I’m Ger Yu’s grandmother. Do I not dote on him? It’s a blessing to have the Jiang family take a fancy on him. I heard Guan-zi say that their family eats meat all the time, and the clothes they wear is silk and satin. Ger Yu will get used to eating fragrant and flavorful food. He won’t suffer any hardship. This good matter came to his door. And yet you, as a “loving father” will block his way?”
“But…” Ji Youcai, who stood to the side, raised his head. Old Lady Ji glared at him. “But what? You’re an idiot. Look at your Ger Yu. Look at what he wears and eats? He has thin arms and legs and wears tattered cotton clothes. He looks as if he’s suffered years of famine…”
Old Lady Ji had a little abacus in her heart. Yes, it did look bad to marry two Shuang’er to fools, but she would follow her third son to the county town. The village gossip wouldn’t affect her, and it would blow away in a few years.
That 40 taels of silver solved her urgent issue. This was for her good grandson. This was the first time Old Lady Ji had good thoughts about a Shuang’er.
Ji Youcai thought of his Ger Yu, who was as thin as a bean sprout. Those little arms and legs weren’t as thick as the firewood he burned. And his thin and bony face, there was only a pair of black eyes, which took up almost half of his face. It was a little scary to see in the dim light. Thinking of this, Ji Youcai couldn’t help but lower his head.
Seeing his expression, Old Lady Ji couldn’t help but show a kind expression. She rarely spoke to her eldest son, whom she disliked. “Youcai, our family can be completely blessed this new year. Not only Ger Yu, but Xuan’Er will also have a good marriage. He was picked by a teacher in the county town academy to marry his daughter. Tell me, what does this mean? Doesn’t this mean…your little nephew has the becoming of a county magistrate? Why else would they fancy him? They want to be bound to him before he grows up!”
Old Lady Ji’s eyebrows fluttered as she spoke, as if she really saw the day Ji Xuan became an official. “How can the Jiang family be so unruly in their village? And be able to spend dozens of taels of silver to marry a wife? Doesn’t that mean they have connections with an official in the county town!—Once our Xuan’Er becomes an official, won’t our Ji family be blessed?…Therefore, that 40 taels of silver…”
“…Is worth marrying our Ger Yu off for!”
Jiang Rufei, the county magistrate of the neighboring Shimmering Water County, really wasn’t a good person. As soon as he became the County Magistrate, he became very cocky. As long as it was related to the Jiang family, he looked the other way. They were all from the same vine, and as long as they supported each other, the vine would keep growing bigger and bigger.
The eyes of the people around were hot. Jiang Rufei could act like a leader. The scholars in the surrounding villages of Shimmering Water County all studied hard. Their families were hoping for another person like Jiang Rufei to appear.
“Father, you are only smart enough to farm. His head is full of mud!” Ji Qian angrily threw the bowl on the table. He heard of Ger Yu’s marriage matter. They wanted to send his youngest brother to marry a fool as a child bride, all for the sake of someone else. Although he was a flirt, he wasn’t emotionless toward his younger brother. Ger Yu was so young…
Song Qiao’er couldn’t understand. “Why do you think Father agreed to Grandma?”
“Heh,” Ji Qian sneered. “How could I not know my father? As long as Grandma says a few words to him, he’ll dig out his heart and lungs. After being praised a bit, his “sale” would only profit the pockets of the third family. We should have separated the family early. Third uncle has leeched onto us for over ten years. If we don’t separate, will the grandson continue sticking to us as well?”
After Song Qiao’er became pregnant, Ji Qianwas ostracized by the women in the village. Eldest Ji and his wife were strict, so he took care and lived a good life. He didn’t shrink on the household matters either. Although he lived a poor life, his life was still beautiful. He didn’t expect that something like this would pop up again so soon. Ji Qian was angry. He hated Ji Youcai and fiercely scolded him in his heart for kneeling and liking his grandmother’s feet and being the Third Ji’s family’s slave.
Not far away, a small figure shut the door. Wearing a shabby cotton jacket, he turned around and ran out.
