Qian Sangui said, "Since that's the case, let's sell another mu of land and quickly find Manjiang a wife to bring home."
Old man Qian shook his head and said, "Your family has only two mu of land left. If you sell more, how will you all survive? Borrow some from your brothers first, and we will also contribute."
Qian Dagui nodded and said, "That's a good idea, I'll contribute five hundred wen."
Lady Wang was Wang Lizheng's cousin and the Wang family was a prominent surname in Huaxi Village. Therefore, Lady Wang was quite dominant at home, and Qian Dagui was somewhat henpecked. It was not easy for him to lend so much money this time.
Qian Sigui said, "I'll also put in five hundred wen, and you all can try to borrow a diao of money from sister. That should be enough."
Having just opened a shop in town, Qian Sigui had yet to repay the money borrowed from his father-in-law. It wasn't easy for him to come up with so much either.
Qian Sangui and Lady Wu looked at them with gratitude.
Old woman Qian said, "We'll also put in five hundred wen, to find Manjiang a wife who's a bit more presentable and has a bigger backside. My grandson is so handsome; the wife he takes must not only be able to bear children but also can't be too ugly." She knew how high her grandson's aspirations were. An old or ugly wife—how could her grandson be content to have children with her? So she was rather insistent on the appearance of the prospective granddaughter-in-law.
Old man Qian glared at his wife again and said, "Manjiang will need some money for urgent needs. How can we spend all our money on getting him a wife? Listen to me, just spend two guan money to get an inexpensive wife."
Qian Sangui sighed and said, "I'm just a waste, having to let my parents and elder and younger brothers scrape together money for my son's wife. It's shameful." He then told Manjiang, "You're not even afraid of death, so why fear an ugly wife? Don't take the money meant for your grandparents' retirement. Borrow the money from your uncle and aunt, and we'll pay it back when the family has money."
Manjiang pursed his lips and nodded, looking ready to face death with a grimace—a fate seemingly worse than death itself.
Qian Sigui quickly said, "Third brother, no need to be a stranger; you don't have to return my money. We are all clear about how much you've spent on us before."
Upon hearing this, Qian Dagui also said, "Let's not talk about returning the money for now. The top priority is to quickly find Manjiang a wife."
Old woman Qian wanted to speak but was silenced by a glare from Old man Qian. It wasn't that he was reluctant to part with the retirement money; he just thought it didn't make sense to spend more just to get a good-looking wife. It wasn't worth it.
Yixiu didn't know about any of this and would have cursed Old man Qian for being too stingy. If they ended up with a really ugly wife, it would be a terrible waste for such a handsome young man. Most importantly, from a genetic perspective, if the mother was too ugly, then the children born would be ugly too. To wear the shell of an ugly girl—how tragic that would be.
The others didn't know there was a ghost in the room, let alone that this ghost was cursing at Old man Qian. They discussed what shoes to make for Manjiang and what else to bring for him.
Old woman Qian said to Qian Dagui and Qian Sigui, "Have your wives make cotton shoes, the best they can. I'll also make a cotton shoulder mantle for Manjiang. I heard it's extremely cold up north, cold enough to freeze off a nose."
Old man Qian said, "Have second brother's wife also help make a pair. It's a crucial time; we all need to work together. I'll talk to her tonight."
Qian Dagui and Qian Sigui nodded in agreement, each returning home to get money, and Sigui's wife, Lady Wang, also came along. Lady Wang's belly was already quite large, and she came here to discuss with Old woman Qian about making shoes for Manjiang.
Lady Wu took the money and hurried out.
Yixiu also wanted to accompany Lady Wu to buy the bride, as this person they were bringing back would be her mother, and she cared deeply about this. However, the bright midday sun was out, and ghosts couldn't stay exposed to the sunlight for long. No matter how anxious she was, it was of no use; she could only wait in the dark corner. At this moment, she felt very dejected—two guan money might only get an ugly and old woman. Statistically, there was a fifty-percent chance she would have to bear the life of an ugly girl.
She looked at her handsome young father and thought, how could such a charming young man bear children with an old and ugly woman? Men really are creatures driven by their lower halves.
The transportation in Huaxi Village was extremely convenient. Heading north over Hong Bridge and walking for another six miles, you would reach Erliu Town. And less than twenty miles to the east along the river, you would find Xishan County. From here, it would take roughly an hour to walk to the county town, and just over half an hour if you rode in an ox cart.
There was an ox cart from the village going to the county town, but it had already left. Lady Wu had no choice but to walk eastward. She had passed through the neighboring Darong Village when a donkey cart from the village headed for the county town passed by her side.
The cart's driver, Xie Huzi, said, "Third Auntie Qian, you're going to the county town, right? Hurry up and come aboard; I'll give you a lift."
Xie Huzi had a very good relationship with both Qian Sangui and Qian Manjiang, so Lady Wu didn't stand on ceremony and got onto the donkey cart.
Upon reaching the county town, Lady Wu went straight to her younger niece Qian Xiang's home. Qian Xiang was three years younger than Qian Sangui. She was married off to Butcher Li from the county town, and their days were quite comfortable. She had also given the family a helping hand from time to time.
Qian Xiang was aggressive and straightforward. She had a close relationship with her Third Brother and his wife before she got married. When she heard Lady Wu's tearful plea, she too started wiping her tears and said, "Heaven truly lacks eyes, how come all the bad things keep coming to your family?"
She stealthily handed a string of coins to Lady Wu, "Take this, and you don't need to repay it. Use it to buy someone who can bear children. It doesn't matter if she's a bit older or uglier, as long as she can give birth to a child."
Although the Li family was living comfortably, it was really not easy for Qian Xiang to secretly take out a string of coins since both of her in-laws were around. Lady Wu, wiping away her tears, gratefully said, "Thank you, niece. Both your uncle and your cousin will remember your kindness."
Lady Wu went to the most remote Broker in the county town, thinking that the people there might be cheaper. As she walked in, the Trader noticed her clothes were patched over patches and asked, "Are you here to sell yourself or your children?"
Lady Wu, her face flushed with embarrassment, explained her reason, and the Trader immediately led her to a group of rejects and said, "Take a look. These are the cheapest ones we have."
Lady Wu noticed a woman in her twenties with a large red birthmark on the left side of her face; she was the youngest among them. Considering her looks, Lady Wu thought that although the woman was ugly, she had wide hips, good for childbearing. So she took out two strings of coins, hoping to buy her.
The Trader shook his head and said, "Despite her looks, she's a strong laborer. Two strings of coins won't do; you need at least two and a half."
These two Guan of money were borrowed; where would she find another five hundred coins? As Lady Wu fretted, the Trader's wife came out. She announced loudly, "Over here I have a virgin girl, just a bit on the skinny side. But don't let her young age fool you; she just finished her monthly cycle. Take her home to consummate the marriage with your son, and I guarantee that by next year, you'll be holding a fat grandson."
Lady Wu was overjoyed to hear about such a bargain. Her son was leaving in just half a month, and if the girl had just finished her period, it was the perfect time to get pregnant. She said gratefully, "Thank you so much, sister. If I really do hold a grandson next year, I'll definitely bring you red eggs as a gift."
The Trader's wife laughed and said, "You don't need to bring red eggs. Just remember me favorably when you have that grandson."
But when the virgin girl was brought out, Lady Wu was taken aback. The girl was small and thin with a vacant gaze, her hair a tangled mess that covered half her face, which was so dirty her features were indistinct. Her clothing was so tattered that its original color was unrecognizable, and she shrank her head in fear upon seeing people.
"Turns out she's an idiot," Lady Wu said disappointedly. "Sister, you're making fun of us poor folks."
.....................
Thank you to Qian Yi Yi Ren Yan for the purse.
Wenwen's performance has not been very good; the data across the board is less than ideal, it's lonely. Perhaps some readers feel that since the female lead has not yet traveled through time, there's nothing interesting to read. If you're only interested in reading after the female lead has time-traveled, please start reading after chapter twenty. However, you would miss out if you skipped these first twenty chapters, as they not only lay the foundation for the later story and act as a prologue but also contain some really exciting content. Qing Quan's call to action is futile if you don't see for yourselves.
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