1940s: I supported my wife and sister-in-law by hunting.

By this time, the big red horse grass had been almost eaten, and its energy had recovered.

"Qiangzi, what did I tell you last time? Forgot? You can't just say things like that to outsiders, you hear me?"

Silly Qiangzi blinked his clear yet foolish eyes.

"Brother Shanzi is not an outsider; Brother Shanzi is the best person in the world."

Chen Gaoshan knew that the child was simple-minded and couldn't think straight, so he had no choice but to nod in agreement.

"Alright, alright, we'll sleep together then. Hurry up and go home. If you dawdle any longer, your mother will be yelling all over the village looking for you again, and your second aunt will be hitting you with her shoe."

Upon hearing that his mother was coming to find him, Da Shaqiang dashed off towards his own yard.

As soon as he ran into the house, he saw his mother standing in the yard, holding a new jacket in her hand.

I saw Sha Qiangzi come back.

"Qiangzi, come over here quickly and try this on! This is a new jacket that your mother specially made for you, to wear on your big day of wedding the day after tomorrow!"

Wang Er sat cross-legged on the kang (a heated brick bed), puffing on his pipe.

They only have one plot of land, and they finished planting it yesterday while the weather was good. Today, they went to the field to water it before dawn, and went home before the sun was high in the sky. They spent the whole day idling at home.

He squinted and gave a disdainful look to the person tending the fire in his own house.

"With Qiangzi like this, even if you go to great lengths to find him a wife, he won't know how to use her at all. It's all for nothing."

Aunt Wang helped Sha Qiang put on the new jacket she had just made, hoping that her son would look presentable on his wedding day.

Upon hearing what the head of the household said, she immediately bristled, turned around and glared at him, raising her voice.

"Bullshit! You haven't taught him, how do you know he can't use it? My son will definitely learn if I teach him properly!"

"Is that even a question? Look at his silly, clueless face; he wouldn't understand any of this stuff about sleeping in the bedroom!"

Wang Er tapped his pipe, feeling utterly disappointed.

Aunt Wang didn't argue with him. Instead, she turned around, took Sha Qiang's hand, and coaxed him as she asked.

"Qiangzi, listen to your mother. I went through a lot of trouble to find you a wife. Do you know what a wife is for? What are you supposed to do after you bring her home? Do you understand?"

Big Fool Qiang, wearing a well-fitting new jacket, stood by the kang (a heated brick bed) swaying his body foolishly, nodding vigorously without thinking.

"I know, Mother, I know!"

Aunt Wang Er immediately looked at Wang Er triumphantly, raising her chin.

"Look! Look! My son knows!"

Wang Er got excited too, put his pipe on the kang table, and stared at Sha Qiang.

"You know? Then you should have a good talk with your father about how to use and treat this wife you've brought home! ... Hurry up and tell me, look at you, stammering and sweating, you're making me so anxious, tell me what to do!"

Sha Qiang blinked his bewildered eyes, watching his father's face turn red with anxiety, and tilted his head back.

"You don't even know how to do it? And you're asking me? You're a complete idiot! Even dumber than me!"

Upon hearing this, Wang Er twitched the corners of his mouth, a lump forming in his throat, unable to swallow or release it. He sighed, leaned back against the kang (heated brick bed), and waved his hand.

"What a waste of time! You're hopeless; we can't count on you!"

Aunt Wang was also worried, but she still patiently pulled Sha Qiang aside and taught him little by little in a low voice. But no matter what, seeing her son's bewildered look, she was always anxious, afraid that something might go wrong.

Before long, Sha Qiang ate three large steamed buns made from two kinds of flour in one go, filled his stomach, and ran outside to run wildly in the village.

Watching her son run away, Aunt Wang felt uneasy and went to Wang Er's side.

"Dad, how about this... how about on the wedding night, you... you help him out, teach him step by step. No matter what, we have to get this done. Otherwise, what's the point of bringing a wife home? Our Wang family still needs to carry on the family line!"

Upon hearing this, Wang Er's eyes widened, and he almost jumped up. He wondered how he would face the villagers if he actually did such a thing.

He really wanted to do it himself, but looking at how his family was burning firewood, he was afraid that if he did, they would burn it all down in the middle of the night.

"You go if you want, but I'm not going! I can't bring myself to do it! If word gets out, how can I, as a father-in-law, be expected to manage my son and daughter-in-law's private affairs? Will I even be allowed to leave the house? Will I be expected to stand by and watch over the livestock? Have I no shame?"

As he spoke, he slapped himself twice in the face, making two loud slapping sounds.

"You go if you want, I'm not going! Besides, Qiu Yanzi is an old woman who's had two daughters, a young widow, what doesn't she know? She's experienced, can't we just have her take Qiangzi with her? She knows all the steps, she's a pro at it, why should we worry about her?"

This was actually the reason why Aunt Wang Er had decided not to marry her son off to a proper young woman, but instead went to great lengths to find Qiu Yanzi, a young widow.

Firstly, Sha Qiang is simple-minded and a respectable young woman from a good family. No family would want to push their daughter into a pit of fire, so he simply couldn't get married.

Secondly, this widow is experienced and knows a lot about matters between men and women. After she entered the family, she knew how to take care of him and Sha Qiang, so the family didn't have to worry about her much.

Most importantly, Qiu Yanzi's husband, Sanpangzi, died, leaving only two girls. Once they grew up, they would be sent away. She had big hips and could bear children, so marrying her would be like opening the floodgates.

Old Wang's family didn't spend a single penny and got a wife for free; it's a bargain no matter how you look at it.

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Time flies, and the day of Sha Qiang's wedding is fast approaching. Although Wang Er's family is marrying Qiu Yanzi, a widow with two little girls, Sha Qiang is the only son of the Wang family. He is not very bright, but he was not born stupid. He was damaged in the brain by a high fever when he was a child. He is a good seed and will not pass on his stupidity to the next generation.

Besides, Wang Er's family was quite well-known in the village. Wang Er's aunt was usually very honest and straightforward in helping people in the village with their affairs.

No matter what, a son's marriage should not diminish his status.

Wang Er gritted his teeth and set up six tables of food and drink at home in a lively manner. According to the village custom, each household sent a representative to eat and drink at the banquet, just for the sake of celebration and liveliness.

The villagers don't care about the formalities when giving gifts; they only give the best things.

Some brought half a bag of millet and corn, some brought eggs, and others went up the mountain to pick walnuts, mushrooms, wood ear fungus, rabbits, grouse, and domestic chickens.

During the daytime feast, everyone ate, drank, chatted, and joked around.

As darkness fell, oil lamps were lit inside the house. All the young men in the village, whether married or not, gathered together. Chen Gaoshan was also pulled along by the group, and they all rushed to the base of Sha Qiang's new house, crouching down and clinging to the mud-brick wall.

Prick up your ears, waiting to hear what's going on inside the house. This is an indispensable part of the fun at weddings in the village. The more they make noise and eavesdrop on the wedding night, the more lively the atmosphere becomes.

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