Chapter 19: Third Sister
After the woman's family finished touring the house, they were accompanied by the matchmaker, Deng Shirong, to the living room for tea and conversation. Around eleven o'clock, the meal was ready.
When the woman's family sat down, they found the table laden with an impressive spread. The main dishes included boiled chicken, egg rolls, braised pork, stir-fried Bobai, vermicelli-wrapped tofu, cold water spinach, and stir-fried cucumber skin with chili. Complementing these was a sweet soup made from pork bones and lotus roots. The table was overflowing with food.
Everyone was delighted with the feast, as such a lavish meal was a rare treat, perhaps only enjoyed once a year.
After the meal and a short rest, the woman's family prepared to leave. The man's family urged them to stay a little longer, and then Deng Yunqiang and his wife presented the red envelopes and five-flavor snacks they had prepared, distributing them to the woman's family and the matchmaker.
Each person received a red envelope and a piece of the five-flavor snack. Additionally, an extra piece was given to Guan Yongying to take back to her grandparents. Guan Yongying received the largest red envelope, containing eight yuan, while the matchmaker's envelope was the second largest, with five yuan. The rest of the guests received two yuan each. The five-flavor snacks weighed around two kilograms.
After the polite exchanges, the woman's family departed, and Deng Shirong headed home with his red envelope and five-flavor snacks in hand.
Seeing the five yuan and the two kilograms of snacks in his system space, Deng Shirong felt even more motivated. Just from overseeing the house visit, he had gained such a substantial reward. When Deng Changfu and Guan Yongying married, and he received the matchmaker's gift, the real harvest would come!
When he arrived home, Deng Shirong instructed, "Ah Zhen, cook the meat and store it. We'll have the loofah and meat soup this afternoon. Save the meat for tomorrow!"
The family had enjoyed stir-fried pork the day before yesterday, fried bee pupae yesterday, and community meat today. The meals had been rich enough, and it was time to take a break. Otherwise, no matter how much meat they had, it wouldn't last.
"Okay, I understand!" Deng Yunzhen replied, taking the pork from her father.
Seeing that it was still early, Deng Shirong put on a straw hat and set off under the scorching sun to visit his third sister's home in Baoshan Village, part of the Datong Brigade.
Deng Shirong originally had five siblings: one brother and three sisters. Unfortunately, fate had not been kind. His eldest brother had joined the army during the Anti-Japanese War and never returned. His eldest sister had died young, and his second sister had passed away from illness at the age of ten. Now, only his third sister, Deng Shilan, remained.
Deng Shilan was three years older than Deng Shirong. If he remembered correctly, she was now a grandmother, with her eldest niece having married three years ago.
Deng Shilan's husband, Bu Erzhu, was both a blessing and a curse in her life. On the one hand, he treated her well, never raising his voice to her in decades of marriage—a rarity in an era when men often held higher status than women. On the other hand, Deng Shilan had suffered greatly under her mother-in-law's harsh treatment. Bu Erzhu, while good-natured, often turned a blind eye to the conflicts between his mother and wife, which was frustrating.
Fortunately, those difficult days were long past. After the family divided their property, Deng Shilan's life improved significantly. Her mother-in-law passed away a few years later, and she no longer faced any mistreatment.
Overall, Deng Shilan's family was poor but otherwise content.
Moreover, Deng Shirong recalled that the Datong Brigade had started dividing land and working independently earlier than the Help and Correct Brigade. The rice fields in Baoshan Village no longer belonged to the production team but had been distributed to individual households. This meant that, starting this season, Deng Shilan's family would "pay their dues to the state, contribute to the collective, and keep the rest for themselves."
Harvesting rice was backbreaking work, involving not just cutting the rice but also carrying heavy loads of wet rice from the fields to the house. Each load weighed at least 100 to 200 kilograms, requiring immense physical strength. If the family continued to subsist on porridge and pickles, few could endure such labor.
Coincidentally, Deng Shirong had received ten pieces of pork belly as a reward from the Matchmaker Reward System. He decided to take two pieces to his third sister's home, hoping to help her family replenish their energy during the grueling harvest season.
The walk from Thatchfield Village to Baoshan Village was long, taking Deng Shirong over an hour. When he arrived at the village entrance, he discreetly retrieved two pieces of pork belly from his system space and carried them to his sister's house.
As he approached, he encountered his eldest nephew, Bu Dashi, returning with a load of rice.
"Uncle, you're here!" Bu Dashi, drenched in sweat, set down the rice and greeted him warmly.
Deng Shirong nodded and asked, "Dashi, when did your family start harvesting rice? Why didn't you tell me? I could have brought your cousins to help."
Bu Dashi smiled. "We just started today. We'll finish in a few days. No need to trouble you and the cousins. Besides, your production team will probably start harvesting soon, right?"
"Our team starts the day after tomorrow."
At this, Deng Shirong handed over the pork. "I figured your family would be busy with the harvest, so I brought some pork to help you all replenish your energy."
Bu Dashi accepted the meat with a chuckle. "Uncle, you're too kind. It's been a while since we've had meat. But one piece is enough. You should take the other back for the cousins."
Deng Shirong lit a cigarette and shook his head. "No, we have meat at home. Yesterday, our village held a festival, and I cooked two portions. Today, I arranged a house visit and received more snacks. Keep both pieces."
Bu Dashi hung the pork and asked in surprise, "Uncle, are you still a matchmaker?"
Deng Shirong puffed on his cigarette. "Yes, I helped a neighbor with a matchmaking. We've already done the house visit, so it's settled."
"That's great!" Bu Dashi praised. "Uncle, have a smoke. My dad should be back soon. I'll go to the field and call my mom."
Deng Shirong waved him off. "No need to call her. I'll finish this cigarette and help you carry a few loads of rice."
Bu Dashi, who had always been close to his uncle, nodded in agreement without hesitation.
(End of Chapter)