To please others? It's better to please yourself.

Regarding Xu Jianguo's marriage, both parties have reached an agreement.

No one asked Xu Jing'an a single question.

Xu Jing'an just listened without saying a word; she had no right to speak in this family.

After turning off the lights, Xu's mother was still angry about Xu Duoduo's insistence on her working.

Asking her to step down and look after the children? What a joke! She had six children when she was young, but only four survived.

I couldn't rely on either my parents' or my in-laws' families; I raised the child myself. Back then, I was working and raising the child at the same time—it was incredibly demanding!

"Whoever gave birth to the child should raise it," Xu's mother muttered to Xu's father.

Mr. Xu understood perfectly well that his eldest son was getting married soon and he had ulterior motives. However, he didn't tell Mrs. Xu, as they had all been through similar experiences in their youth.

Xu's mother was simply caught off guard and didn't think in that direction. She still treated her eldest son like a child, assuming that mother and son were of one mind.

But the child has grown up!

"Alright," Mr. Xu patted Mrs. Xu on the shoulder, "Go to sleep early, you've had a long day."

He put his arm around Xu's mother's shoulder and stroked her graying hair. "You should keep a closer eye on your fourth son and make him put away his playful nature. He repeated his third year of junior high. If he still can't get into high school this time, won't he be ashamed?"

After nearly a year of this tug-of-war, Duoduo also felt very tired.

After Xu Jianguo said that, she finally decided to get married.

After all, which female protagonist doesn't have a scumbag by her side? What's more, the female protagonist in this book comes from a family full of scumbags.

The Xu family only cares about the bride price and hasn't decided who to marry her to yet; they're still observing the situation.

Many people dared not delay any longer.

The Xu family was notoriously difficult to deal with in that area, and had a bad reputation.

Therefore, it's impossible for her to find a husband with Xu Jingping's qualifications; everyone is afraid of being exploited.

Another point is that many of them are not as good-looking as Xu Jingping; they can only be described as pretty.

She was willing to accept the offer, but the other party wasn't! Xu Jianguo was the best option she could get her hands on.

She only found out about the recruitment for the propaganda department of the No. 1 State-owned Cotton Mill when she saw the list.

It's a pity she didn't have a high school diploma, otherwise she would have given it a try no matter what.

She knew this so clearly because Guo Xiaomi, who worked with her, told her.

Although Guo Xiaomi only has a junior high school diploma, her mother works in the personnel department. Even though they work in the same group, her job is much easier!

She was on good terms with Guo Xiaomi, and when she asked how many people were participating, Guo Xiaomi's expression changed immediately.

She had to beg and plead with Guo Xiaomi before she finally agreed to tell her who had taken the exam.

I don't know why, but I just wanted to know.

For this, I even washed Guo Xiaomi's clothes for a month.

When I saw the list that Guo Xiaomi brought over, I felt inexplicably empty inside.

I had a vague feeling that this shouldn't be the case.

After the eldest son's marriage was decided, the second son Xu Jingping's marriage became imminent.

Watching Xu's mother and Yang Hongbing's mother—her future mother-in-law—constantly testing each other's limits because they couldn't agree on the amount of the bride price.

Xu Jingping felt incredibly suffocated! She desperately needed a place where she could catch her breath. But there was none, because she lacked confidence and support.

Finally, the betrothal gifts were agreed upon: two new sets of clothes, 10 feet of cloth ration coupons, 100 yuan, and a sewing ticket.

Although Xu's mother felt it was too little, she didn't say anything more.

After all, Xu Jingping's job was found by the man, and while she wanted a higher dowry, she didn't intend to sever ties with her family. She also hoped her daughter would support her family in the future.

The date was set for January 8, 1965, the sixth day of the twelfth lunar month.

In the evening, we saw Yang's mother off.

Xu's mother held the betrothal gifts and explained to Xu's father the purpose of the money.

"Now that we have the sewing ticket, 100 yuan, we can add a little more and buy the sewing machine back."

"This cloth ration coupon will be enough to make new clothes for the eldest son and his wife."

"What are your plans for the second child?" Mr. Xu asked Mrs. Xu.

"Give her 10 yuan as a 'waist-pressing' gift when she leaves," Xu's mother thought for a moment. "Let her wear the two sets of clothes the in-laws gave her. Also, buy her a new washbasin and two towels. Take her current clothes and bedding with her. Isn't that enough?"

Mr. Xu nodded: "Okay, that's quite a lot."

"I'll finalize the eldest son's wedding arrangements in a couple of days, so I can find time to tidy up the house."

"I'll never forget it," Xu's mother said happily when she mentioned her eldest son's wedding. "We'll have a grandson to hold then."

Xu's father smiled broadly upon hearing this.