Era: Starting with the struggle to refuse being taken advantage of

Chapter 22 They... won't last long!

After a day of getting used to it, Wang Chengpeng became more and more adept at his work.

Clang, clang, the hoes were wielded with great skill, and the work was done with great enthusiasm.

Not only did I finish most of my work this morning, but I also didn't feel tired at all.

If Wang Meiyan hadn't brought him lunch and interrupted him, Wang Chengpeng would probably still be busy in the field.

Opening the bamboo basket, Wang Chengpeng found that today's lunch was much simpler.

A few cornbread buns and some pickled vegetables—that's all for lunch today.

Wang Chengpeng's family wasn't exactly wealthy, and they were burdened with huge debts because of Liu Yanran's dowry, so living a life where they could eat meat every day was simply unrealistic.

That's why Wang Chengpeng didn't do the same thing as giving Xia Mingyue the dishes as payment.

With some pickled vegetables and a little cold water, Wang Chengpeng didn't mind at all and quickly finished the cornbread that Wang Meiyan had brought.

It was during Wang Chengpeng's meal that Wang Meiyan began to talk about her family:
"Brother, I have some amazing news for you."

"The matchmaker Zhang, whom your parents hired, has already discussed the marriage proposal with the Liu family this morning. We're just waiting for the auspicious day so you can marry the Yanran you've always dreamed of."

This is truly a wonderful thing! The time for Liu Yanran to reap what she sows is finally fast approaching.

After swallowing the last bite of his cornbread, Wang Chengpeng said meaningfully:
"I really look forward to that day when our family will be able to live a good life soon."

Wang Meiyan nodded in agreement, saying, "Brother, you really have good taste."

"With Sister Yanran as your sister-in-law, she will definitely be able to manage your household very well."

“You’re right, our family will soon be living a good life.”

The two were completely on different wavelengths, yet they were surprisingly able to talk about the same things.

Watching Wang Meiyan's departing figure, Wang Chengpeng shook his head slightly, thinking to himself that his sister was still too naive and couldn't see through Liu Yanran's disguise at all.

Good days? If Liu Yanran marries into the Wang family, they will indeed live "good days".

Although Liu Yanran died young in her previous life, she still spent several months in the Wang family.

Not to mention the last few months of her pregnancy, even in the early stages of her pregnancy, Liu Yanran would not help with any housework.

She never lifts a finger, like a wealthy lady from a rich family in the city.

That's fine. Having more people just means having more workers, and everyone can tolerate it.

Most importantly, while enjoying the pampering of the Wang family and living a life of luxury, Liu Yanran would constantly criticize them, finding fault with everything they did and demanding the highest standards of food.

Cornbread? No way.

Coarse flour steamed buns? No way.

Bran and wild vegetables? I won't eat them.

Meat at every meal is the standard!

Fortunately, Liu Yanran died young in childbirth; otherwise, her parents probably wouldn't have even made it to pay off their debts.

Thinking this way, Wang Chengpeng decided that he still had to go to the city this morning to see his ungrateful father.

I can fix the radio myself tonight, so I can take it to town on my way.

Thanks to Wang Chengpeng's exceptional performance, today's work was completed very quickly, and we were able to go home around three or four o'clock.

While everyone was hurrying back, Wang Chengpeng quickened his pace and caught up with Xia Mingyue ahead:

"Xia Zhiqing, wait a moment."

"I've finished reading the book you lent me yesterday. Could you lend me another one?"

After saying that, Wang Chengpeng took out the book he had borrowed yesterday and waved it in front of Xia Mingyue.

It was as shiny and new as when Xia Mingyue lent it to Wang Chengpeng.

However, it was precisely Wang Chengpeng's self-proclaimed flawless behavior that Xia Mingyue found offensive, and she said in a low voice:
"Comrade Wang, I advise you to take your studies more seriously."

This book about radios, though not thick, is not thin either; if you read it carefully, it's impossible to finish it in one night.

It's no wonder Xia Mingyue was so angry. For someone who loves learning, it's natural to hate people who are lazy in their studies.

Wang Chengpeng was very clever and immediately understood Xia Mingyue's meaning.

He couldn't tell Xia Mingyue that he had cheated, so he could only say awkwardly:
“Xia Zhiqing, you’re right.”

"Only by having reverence for books can one truly improve oneself."

"However, I was still a bit too ambitious. It was difficult for me to skip the basic theoretical knowledge and learn the principles of radios directly."

"So this time, I'm planning to borrow some books about physics or mechanics from you."

Wang Chengpeng's attitude was good, and his explanation was impeccable, so Xia Mingyue's attitude immediately improved, and she nodded and said:

"I see. I misunderstood Comrade Wang."

"I happen to have some books on physics. Wait a moment when we get back, and I'll lend them to you."

Having finalized the book loan arrangements, Wang Chengpeng quickly followed Xia Mingyue, unaware that a pair of eyes were glaring at him with resentment from afar. The owner of those eyes was none other than Shen Wei, who had previously caused Wang Chengpeng trouble.

Perhaps out of anger, or perhaps due to the inexplicable overconfidence of being in love, after being angrily rebuked by Wang Chengpeng, Shen Wei actually asked his family to find a matchmaker to go to the Liu family to discuss marriage.

Shen Wei did get Zhao the matchmaker to get up early and go to the Liu family early in the morning, even earlier than the matchmaker Liu Chunhua had found.

With such fine pearls and jade before us, who would even look at something as worthless as tattered cotton?
Shen Wei is not only lazy and good-natured, but he is also not as tall and handsome as Wang Chengpeng. Even his family's financial situation is far inferior to that of Wang Chengpeng's family.

Zhou Erhua showed absolutely no kindness towards the two hundred yuan dowry offered by matchmaker Zhao.

Wang Chengpeng had promised a dowry of 500 yuan for the three watches and one radio, so how could she possibly be interested in these two ugly ducklings? She immediately kicked the matchmaker out in a huff.

The matchmaker represented Shen Wei himself. This scene was witnessed by Shen Wei, who was watching from the side, and it made him furious.

However, he dared not vent his anger on Zhou Erhua, and could only sulk in silence.

However, just as Shen Wei was about to leave, he saw Zhou Erhua, who had been wearing a stern face, suddenly break into a wide smile.

He thought things had taken a turn for the better, that his mother-in-law, Zhou Erhua, had finally realized his excellence and was planning to bring back the matchmaker he had hired.

Especially after Zhou Erhua rushed out, Shen Wei's hope burned to its peak. He almost rushed out himself, intending to tell his mother-in-law not to be so polite.

However, the greater the hope, the greater the disappointment.

Zhou Erhua did indeed go out to greet them, but it wasn't Zhao the matchmaker who welcomed them; instead, it was Zhang Jincui, the matchmaker Liu Chunhua had invited.

Proposing marriage should be done as early as possible. Although Zhang Jincui left home a little later than Zhao the matchmaker, she still managed to enter the Liu family's door early in the morning.

Compared to her previous stern face, Zhou Erhua was now beaming with joy.

They not only warmly welcomed Zhang Jincui back, but also prepared a variety of vegetables and fruits in advance to entertain her.

Knowing that these things were prepared for her, Zhao the matchmaker thought they were for her and was about to touch them, but Zhou Erhua didn't let the other party touch even a single melon seed.

Compared to the other two, Zhao the matchmaker's treatment was extremely miserable.

Seeing this scene, Shen Wei, who thought he was about to marry Liu Yanran, felt like a clown.
The scene before him was irrefutable proof of Wang Chengpeng's rebuttal, making him feel even more ashamed.

However, true to her reputation as a love-obsessed person, she possessed a mysterious confidence and quickly completed her self-conquest, muttering to herself:
"Good things come to those who wait; this was just a little hiccup before I married Yanran."

"As long as I work hard enough, I will definitely be able to marry Yanran."

"Yanran, you wait, I promise I won't keep you waiting too long."

However, before Shen Wei could even begin to daydream, he saw the resentful matchmaker Zhao approach him and launch into a tirade of beatings:
"You, Shen Wei, didn't you say you had already discussed everything with the Liu family and were just waiting for me to come and propose marriage?"

"You saw Zhou Erhua's attitude too; it wasn't like we had agreed on anything."

"How dare you lie to me! Believe me or not, I'll make sure you never have anyone to arrange a marriage for you again!"

Matchmaker Zhao was utterly speechless. Liu Yanran was a well-known hot commodity in Wangjia Village, with extremely high requirements.

If Shen Wei hadn't assured her that they had already made arrangements, Zhao the matchmaker would never have gotten involved in this mess.

Now, she not only failed to get any benefits, but she was also scolded by Zhou Erhua, who said she was a toad trying to eat swan meat. How could she not be angry?

In this era, matchmakers are a profession you can't afford to offend.

Putting aside the fact that no family needs a matchmaker for a wedding, the matchmaker's big mouth alone is enough to terrify everyone.

Once you're arranged by a matchmaker and people from all around think you're not very capable, you can go and marry someone from a faraway place.

Although he was given a severe scolding, Shen Wei dared not offend Zhao the matchmaker in the slightest, and could only say with a forced smile:

"Matchmaker Zhao, this was my fault, please don't take it to heart."

"How about this, even though this matter didn't work out, I'll still give you this big pork leg as payment, just as we originally agreed."

In those days of relative scarcity, the payment for a matchmaker was usually not in cash, but in the form of goods such as carp, pork leg, or shoes.

Shen Weizheng went to great lengths, offering the price of a large pork leg, to persuade Zhao the matchmaker to help him find a partner.

Realizing he was in the wrong, he could only tearfully give away the large pork leg he had prepared to celebrate the successful marriage proposal.

After receiving Shen Wei's bribe, Zhao the matchmaker's expression finally improved considerably, and she said, "It's good that you have the intention."

"However, I won't take advantage of you. Although I've accepted the big pork leg, considering that this marriage didn't go through, I'll introduce you to two more suitable girls."

"As for whether it will succeed or not, that depends on your ability."

Even with Zhao the matchmaker's silver tongue and her ability to exaggerate her abilities, she could at most portray a domestic chicken as a wild pheasant, but she could never portray it as a phoenix.

In addition, Shen Wei's conditions were not very good, and he was ambitious but unrealistic. As a shrewd matchmaker, how could Zhao dare to make a guarantee?
Faced with the two additional matchmaking attempts from Matchmaker Zhao, Shen Wei showed no appreciation whatsoever, coldly snorting:
"I, Shen Wei, am not willing to marry just any ugly or deformed person. I would never agree to marry anyone but Liu Yanran."

A misfit? You call the person I introduced you to a misfit?
Matchmaker Zhao was immediately a little angry, but since she had just accepted Shen Wei's "big pig leg" (a metaphor for a large, undesirable relationship), she couldn't lash out. She could only make veiled accusations:
"The Liu family's daughter is a good girl, but unfortunately, she is already taken."

"Wang Chengpeng is a good young man. After Liu Yanran marries him, there will be no chance for you."

"You should be more down-to-earth. I'll introduce you to two suitable partners soon so you can settle down and start a family soon."

Faced with Zhao the matchmaker's sincere advice, Shen Wei, with a smirk of inexplicable confidence, said:
"Don't worry, Matchmaker Zhao, they... won't last long!"

(End of this chapter)