Chapter 37: Thank You Gift
As soon as Deng Shirong returned home, someone brought him a thank-you gift.
In this era, gifts to thank a matchmaker are quite particular. The first is a red envelope, usually containing ten to thirty yuan.
Next is the pig's hind leg. For families that cannot afford much or are frugal, the hind leg might weigh only four to five pounds. For wealthier or more generous families, it can weigh over ten pounds.
A pig's hind leg must be paired with a piece of pork. The size of this piece can vary, but it's usually around one or two pounds.
Then comes the indispensable five-spice dish and a plate of braised pork.
A piece of braised pork belly is made from a whole slab of pork belly, and its size can vary greatly. A large one might weigh over ten to twenty pounds, while a smaller one could be just a few pounds.
Cigarettes, alcohol, candy, and cookies are also essential items.
Additionally, there are rice, sesame seeds, peanuts, and various beans. All these miscellaneous items must also be included.
Deng Yunqiang, the cousin, was quite generous. The thank-you gift he gave to Deng Shirong included a red envelope of 30 yuan, about 10 pounds of pork hind leg, 15 pounds of braised pork, 2 pounds of pork with five spices, two packs of cigarettes, two bottles of wine, 2 pounds of candy, and 2 pounds each of rice, sesame seeds, peanuts, black beans, soybeans, red beans, and mung beans.
Seeing so many thank-you gifts for matchmaking, Deng Shirong smiled so widely that his eyes almost disappeared into slits. After receiving the tenfold reward from the Matchmaker Reward System, he became instantly wealthy.
Once the system reward arrived, Deng Shirong began to prepare return gifts.
He gave a five-yuan red envelope, a piece of pork, candies, rice, sesame seeds, peanuts, and half of the various beans as a return gift.
After the visitor left with the return gift, except for Deng Yuntai, who worked in a tile factory, the rest of the children gathered around with amazement on their faces.
In this era of material scarcity, receiving so much meat at once was truly shocking.
Deng Shirong kept the pork hind leg, braised pork, and the five-spice dish for himself and asked his eldest daughter to put away the rest. Then, using a kitchen knife, he cut the pork hind leg into three portions, each weighing about two and a half pounds, excluding the bone.
Next, he cut the braised pork into four portions: one weighing five to six pounds and the other three weighing about three pounds each.
Deng Shirong picked up bamboo strips and skewered the three portions of pork hind leg and braised pork into three bundles. He said to his second son, Deng Yunheng, "Yunheng, these are for your two uncles and third aunt. Take them to them now by bike. Tell them that we are planning to dig the foundation and build a new house this month. Ask them to come and help if they are free."
Deng Yunheng was shocked and asked, "Dad, are we really going to build a new house this month?"
The other brothers and sisters also stared at their father with wide eyes, clearly surprised by this sudden news.
Deng Shirong smiled and said, "Our current house is barely big enough for us to live in, and your eldest brother is already 20 years old this year. It's time for him to get married. If we don't build a new house, where will your eldest sister-in-law live after the wedding? So, I plan to build the house this year, and once it's finished, I'll find a suitable partner for your eldest brother next year."
Deng Yunheng and his siblings couldn't help but nod in agreement.
In marriages of this era, although women weren't as particular about houses and cars as they are in later generations, if the woman didn't even have a place to live after marrying, the marriage would likely not succeed.
So, after Deng Shirong explained, all the children felt that it was indeed time to build a new house.
Deng Yunheng asked eagerly, "Dad, what do you plan for the new house to look like? Will we each have our own room?"
Deng Shirong smiled and said, "All seven of you brothers and sisters will have your own rooms in the new house. As for what it will look like, you'll see when it's built. It's getting late now, so hurry and deliver the pork and braised pork to your two uncles and third aunt."
Deng Yunheng then took a cardboard box, placed the pork and braised pork inside, tied the box to the back of his bicycle with a hemp rope, and rode off to his uncle's house.
2:30 PM
In Small River Village of Zhouwang Brigade, Chen Dacong sat at the door of his house, smoking a water pipe.
The first batch of land in their production team had already been distributed to each household, with each person receiving one mu and six acres. Chen Dacong, his wife, and their four children had been allocated a total of nine mu and six acres of land. With so much land to cultivate, as long as they didn't encounter natural disasters or man-made calamities, they should have no problem having enough food to eat after the harvest.
Now that life had a clear purpose, Chen Dacong's whole spirit and energy were different.
Sitting across from Chen Dacong was his wife, Li Ying.
Since there were still a few days before rice planting, Li Ying, who had nothing else to do, sat at the door mending shoes.
In this era, most rural people made their own shoes, and few were willing to spend money to buy them from the supply and marketing cooperatives.
Chen Dacong smoked a few puffs, then leaned the pipe against the corner. When he looked up, he saw his nephew Deng Yunheng riding a bicycle hurriedly approaching their house.
"Second Uncle, Second Aunt," Deng Yunheng greeted them, sweat dripping from his forehead.
"Yunheng, what brings you here?" Chen Dacong asked.
Li Ying also put down the shoe sole she was mending, stood up, and asked, "Yunheng, have you eaten lunch? We have porridge and sweet potatoes at home."
"Second Aunt, I've already eaten," Deng Yunheng replied.
He then untied the cardboard box from the back of his bicycle, took out a string of meat, and handed it to his second uncle with a smile, saying, "Second Uncle, this is for you."
Seeing the pork and braised pork his nephew handed over, which weighed at least five to six pounds, Chen Dacong's eyes widened. "Yunheng, where did your family get so much pork and braised pork? I remember your family only started raising pigs a few months ago. It'll be at least the end of the year before they're ready to be slaughtered."
Li Ying was equally shocked. In these days, people seldom ate meat except during festivals like Chinese New Year. Even when they did buy meat, it was usually just a few pounds. Few were willing to buy several pounds at once.
Deng Yunheng smiled and explained, "Second Uncle, Second Aunt, my family didn't slaughter the pig. This is a thank-you gift someone gave to my father."
Chen Dacong took the pork and asked in surprise, "When did your father help someone with matchmaking?"
"Just this month," Deng Yunheng replied.
He briefly explained his father's matchmaking experience to his second uncle and aunt, then added, "My father said our family plans to build a new house this month. If you're free, please come and help with the construction."
Chen Dacong nodded and said, "It's indeed time for your family to build a new house. After all, your eldest brother is old enough to get married. I have to plant rice in a few days, but after that, I'll have more free time. I'll come and help then."
Deng Yunheng nodded and said, "Okay, my dad just mentioned it. I don't know the exact date we'll start building, but I'll let you know when we do."
Chen Dacong said, "No problem."
Deng Yunheng then said, "I still have to deliver pork to my third uncle and third aunt, so I'll head off now!"
Li Ying quickly said, "Yunheng, wait a moment. Your dad likes to drink a little wine. Let me get you some peanuts to take back."
(End of this chapter)