A Poor Man's Son-in-Law: He Picks Up the Daughter of a Duke's Mansion at the Start

A few days later, Wang Xiu returned to Lujia Village again.

This time she didn't bring anything valuable, only a basket of seasonal fruits—peaches and apricots, all grown in her own yard, fresh and juicy.

Zhao was drying wild vegetables in the yard when she saw her coming. She hurriedly went to greet her, saying, "Sister-in-law, what brings you here? Please come in and sit down."

"I won't sit down, I'll just say a few words and then leave." Wang Xiu handed her the basket, "These are picked from our own tree, let the children have a taste."

The two sat down under the jujube tree in the courtyard. Wang Xiu looked at the wild vegetables drying on the ground and asked, "Are you making dried vegetables?"

"Yes, we'll dry them and eat them in the winter," Zhao said. "Did you come today, sister-in-law, for some business?"

Wang Xiu smiled and said, "It's nothing serious. My parents just said that you were in a rush when you went to dinner the other day and didn't have a proper chat. They'd like to invite you to come over again sometime. It's just a casual meal, no need to be so formal."

Zhao nodded: "It's time for us to go see Uncle Wang and Aunt Wang. But we've been busy at home lately..."

"No rush," Wang Xiu said. "We'll talk about it when the farming season is over."

Just then, Lu Dashan returned from the fields, a hoe slung over his shoulder, his trousers rolled up to his knees, and his feet covered in mud. Seeing Wang Xiu, he put down his hoe and said, "Auntie's here."

"Hey, Dashan's back." Wang Xiu looked him over carefully—tall and strong, with tanned skin, but clear eyes and a simple, honest smile. "Busy working in the fields?"

"It's alright, I'm weeding right now." Lu Dashan was drawing water from the well to wash his hands and feet. "Auntie, please sit down, I'll pour you some water."

"No need, you rest," Wang Xiu said. "Dashan, your dad said that the land behind your house is nice?"

"It's alright, but there are a lot of rocks, so it's a bit of a hassle."

"The land is fertile with lots of stones," Wang Xiu said with a smile. "My family has a piece of land like that, and the crops grown there are exceptionally good."

The two exchanged a few words about farming. Wang Xiu noticed that although Lu Dashan wasn't a talkative person, he was very knowledgeable about farming, knowing exactly when to sow seeds and when to apply fertilizer.

Just then, Lu Qingyan came out of the house. He had just finished writing a chapter of a storybook and came out to stretch his legs.

Aunt.

"Qingyan is at home," Wang Xiu smiled. "Writing a book?"

"Just writing something."

Wang Xiu stood up: "I won't bother you any longer, I have to go back. Tie Chuan can't manage the shop all by himself."

Zhao saw her off to the village entrance. As she was leaving, Wang Xiu suddenly said, "Sister-in-law, have Dashan go to the shop in town in a couple of days. Tiechuan said he needs help with some heavy work, and Dashan is strong, so he'll be perfect."

"Okay, I'll let him go."

"Yunniang is also helping with the inventory in the shop. We'll have her cook lunch for Dashan so he can taste her cooking."

These words were spoken naturally, but Zhao understood the meaning. She nodded, "That would be wonderful."

After returning home, Zhao told Lu Tiezhu. Lu Tiezhu, smoking a cigarette, asked, "Brother, you...want the two children to meet?"

"I think so," said Zhao. "Sister-in-law is right. Yunniang is such a good girl. If things really work out, it will be a blessing for our mountains."

Lu Tiezhu was silent for a moment: "What did Dashan say himself?"

"He wouldn't know any of this," Zhao laughed. "All he knows is how to work."

The next day, Lu Dashan went to the shop in town.

Lu Tiechuan's general store was located at the east end of town, a three-room shop displaying various daily necessities. When Lu Dashan arrived, Lu Tiechuan was unloading goods—several bags of salt and several jars of soy sauce, all heavy items.

"Uncle."

"Dashan's here, perfect timing." Lu Tiechuan wiped his sweat. "Help me carry him inside."

The uncle and nephew worked together. Lu Dashan was strong, carrying a bag of salt steadily on his shoulder. Lu Tiechuan watched this and nodded in approval.

After finishing their work, it was nearly noon. Lu Tiechuan said, "Let's take a break and eat. Yunniang is cooking in the back."

Behind them was a small courtyard with three side rooms. Yunniang was busy in the kitchen when she saw Lu Dashan enter. Her face flushed slightly as she said, "Brother Dashan is here."

"Okay." Lu Dashan rubbed his hands together. "Thank you for your help."

"It's no trouble at all," Yunniang said softly. "Please sit down, the food will be ready soon."

The meal was simple but prepared with care: a plate of scrambled eggs, a plate of green vegetables, a bowl of tofu soup, and white rice. Yunniang served rice to Lu Dashan and then served a bowl to Lu Tiechuan.

"Eat some yourself too," Lu Tiechuan said.

The three sat down to eat. Lu Dashan was hungry and ate heartily. Yunniang ate little, only picking at a few bites of vegetables.

Lu Tiechuan asked about things in the fields, and Lu Dashan answered them one by one. He then asked about the family, saying that Qingyan was preparing for the imperial examination, Xiaoshan was making bonsai, and his two younger sisters were learning to read.

"Qingyan is a really promising child," Lu Tiechuan said. "You're not bad either; you do a good job with the crops, and the family and the household depend on you."

Lu Dashan chuckled, "I have the strength."

Yunniang listened quietly, occasionally glancing up at Lu Dashan. She noticed that although her cousin didn't talk much, he was reliable and honest. Unlike some of the young people in town, who were glib and unrealistic.

After the meal, Lu Dashan offered to help wash the dishes, but Yunniang quickly said, "No need, I'll do it."

"I'll help you," Lu Dashan insisted.

The two were washing dishes in the kitchen. Lu Dashan washed them, and Yunniang rinsed them. They worked together quite well.

"Brother Dashan," Yunniang suddenly asked softly, "what do you usually eat at home?"

"Just simple home-cooked meals: porridge, flatbread, and pickled vegetables. Sometimes we pick some wild vegetables."

How do you cook wild vegetables?

"Blanch it and make a cold salad, or stir-fry it," Lu Dashan said. "My mother makes the best."

Yunniang nodded: "My mother can also cook wild vegetables. I'll learn from her another day."

After washing the dishes, Lu Dashan was about to leave. Lu Tiechuan packed him a packet of salt and a packet of sugar: "Take this home with you."

"Uncle, this..."

"Here you go." Lu Tiechuan patted him on the shoulder. "Come visit often when you have time."

On the way back, Lu Dashan walked briskly. He thought of Yunniang washing dishes in the kitchen, and how softly she spoke, and felt a strange, indescribable feeling in his heart.

Upon arriving home, Zhao asked, "Is the shop busy?"

"Not busy, just unloaded some goods," Lu Dashan said. "Yunniang's cooking is delicious."

Zhao smiled and said, "That's good."

That night, Lu Dashan lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep. Lu Xiaoshan asked from the other end of the line, "Brother, what are you thinking about?"

"I wasn't thinking about anything," Lu Dashan said. "Go to sleep."

But he still couldn't sleep. The image of Yunniang bowing her head kept appearing before his eyes, along with her gentle voice when she said, "I'll learn from her another day."

Meanwhile, Wang Xiu returned to her parents' home from the shop.

"Dashan came today," she told her parents. "He helped unload the goods; he's strong and honest. He ate the lunch Yunniang cooked with gusto."

Old Master Wang asked, "What did Yunniang say?"

"I asked her," Wang Xiu said. "She said Brother Dashan is an honest person and speaks his mind."

Yunniang's mother still had some concerns: "But if she marries into the village, she'll have to work in the fields..."

"What's wrong with working in the fields?" Wang Xiu said. "Going back three generations, haven't we all been farmers? Besides, Yunniang is marrying into the family as a wife, not a farmhand. My second brother and his wife are reasonable people; they won't let their wife suffer any injustice."

Shopkeeper Wang nodded: "Xiuer is right. I think Dashan is a good kid."

Grandpa Wang finally made the decision: "Then it's settled. In a few days, we'll have a matchmaker go to the Lu family to propose marriage."

That's how it was settled.

On the Lu family's side, Zhao told Lu Tiezhu about Wang Xiu's intentions. Lu Tiezhu smoked his cigarette, remaining silent for a long time.

"What do you think?" Zhao asked.

"Yunniang is such a good girl," Lu Tiezhu said, "but with our family's circumstances, we're afraid we might be doing her a disservice."

"My sister-in-law said she doesn't care about the bride price, she just wants a good person," Zhao said. "Although we are poor, we will not mistreat our daughter-in-law. Dashan is of age and it's time for him to get married."

Lu Tiezhu finally nodded: "If the Wang family really doesn't mind, that's a good thing."

When the news reached Lu Qingyan's ears, he thought for a moment and said to Zhao Shi, "Mother, if it really works out, we have to prepare properly. We can't just leave it at that just because they don't care about the bride price."

"I know," Zhao said. "Your aunt said the bride price should just be a token amount. We still need to prepare things—the new house needs repairs, the furniture needs to be replaced, the bedding needs to be made new..."

She said it was the same, and Lu Qingyan remembered it the same.

At night, Lu Qingyan did the math under the lamp. How much would it cost to repair the house, how much would it cost to make furniture, how much would it cost to hold a banquet... After calculating, it turned out to be a considerable sum.

But he wasn't worried. He could make money from storytelling and bonsai; he could save up slowly and eventually save enough.

He spread out the paper and continued writing his story. The pen scratched softly, each character clear and distinct.

The moonlight outside the window was like water. In the courtyard, the shadow of the jujube tree was cast on the ground, swaying gently in the wind.

This family is about to welcome a new member.

It's a good thing.