Manbao looked at her father with a bewildered face and shook her head asking, "Dad, where am I going to get married off to?"
"Of course, to the town," he replied, "but now that our Manbao is so great, maybe she could even marry into the county city?"
That wasn't far, Manbao thought and shook her head in refusal.
She had promised Keke to take it to far, far away places to collect lots and lots of plants when she grew up. How could she collect them if she married?
So she told Old Zhou, "Dad, I won't marry yet. I'll marry after I've finished my work."
Old Zhou just laughed heartily. He was all too familiar with such replies, patted her head without a care, and laughed, "There's never an end to the work in this world. When it's time to marry, you'll have to marry."
Manbao ran off without arguing with Old Zhou, sure that when she grew up, her father would change his mind.
Like with Daya, her eldest sister.
