Chapter 498 - 496
Wang Yonggui lay on the kang bed, shaking his leg idly as he watched his wife in such a disappointing state and drawled, "It’s not even dark yet, it’s a bit early for dreaming! It’s about time to cook dinner. Alright, stop fiddling with those bracelets, they’re not going to grow legs and run away, are they? Go and get started on dinner, before you make Mom mad and she takes them back."
Upon hearing this, Lady Jiang, frightened, quickly withdrew her hands into her sleeves and hurriedly stood up to go cook.
At the doorway, she felt something amiss, caressing her bracelets tenderly, "These are silver bracelets, I can’t let them get tarnished by cooking fumes." Saying this, she slid them off, wrapped them in cloth, tucked them into her bosom, and then bustled off to the kitchen.
In the kitchen, Lady Lin was lighting the fire with a stern face. Seeing Lady Jiang enter, she pursed her lips, "Oh dear, sister-in-law, today you really struck it big. Following your brother-in-law Laosi who hasn’t brought home a bride yet, you’ve gotten such a splendid dowry. Now, you seem to have more prestige in the eyes of our in-laws than anyone, with those heavy silver bracelets given so readily. Even that maid Jinhua might end up with silver earrings because of you. Yet I, as the eldest sister-in-law, didn’t even get a touch. Seems like in the future our main branch of the family might even have to look up to you and the other sister and brother-in-law—"
Lady Lin dared to speak her mind only in front of Lady Jiang. Earlier, Wang Yongfu had given her a good scolding and told her to behave before rushing her to cook, leaving her feeling quite vexed.
Lady Jiang had just received the bracelets and was at the height of her joy. They were genuine silver pieces. Along with the silver pieces the head of the family had given her, and her fixed monthly allowance from the past two months, Lady Jiang felt financially secure and her backbone a bit straighter.
Moreover, everyone knew very well why Lady Lin didn’t get any bracelets.
Therefore, she treated Lady Lin’s comments as if they were a passing breeze and cheerfully continued to cook without mention.
The next morning, they sent for a matchmaker as soon as it was light out. After breakfast, they took along two packages of cakes and the two jin of meat they had cut early in the morning at the village entrance.
They had bought a big green fish weighing about ten jin the day before, cleaned it, rubbed a thin layer of salt over it, then hung it with straw rope under the eaves to be blown dry by the wind all night. It was just right to take along.
After Old Granny Zhang had said a few more pleasant words, the matchmaker finally boarded the carriage. Wang Yongfu, dressed in his ninety percent new indigo clothes, appeared stable and honest. He drove the horse carriage leisurely towards Chongzi Gou.