Chapter 39: The Actual Day
Editor: Atlas Studios
"Qiao Mei can cook?"
"Oh my goodness, it smells so good. Did she make everything herself?"
"She looks so diligent!"
The seven to eight dishes on the table were all made by Qiao Mei. The people around her were in a flurry as they handed her the ingredients and did not look as nimble as Qiao Mei.
Everyone stood outside the kitchen window and looked inside. They were all so shocked that their teeth almost fell out. Was this the legendary lazy and greedy Qiao Mei?
No one else in the kitchen was as efficient as her. There was no one in the entire village who could cook as well as her.
The Qiao Mei of today really shocked everyone. She had completely refreshed the villagers' impression of her.
When the dishes were ready, the fragrance filled everyone's nose. When all of them tasted the top-notch delicacies on the table, they could not help but give their thumbs up. There were even a few old ladies who regretted not getting Qiao Mei as their daughter-in-law.
In their opinion, when choosing a wife, looks were secondary. The most important thing was that the wife must be efficient in her work and the ability to cook would be an added bonus.
But now, it was no longer possible. Qiao Mei was already married.
…
At the end of the meal, everyone was stuffed to the fullest. Before leaving, they each had a bowl of food to take with them.
Auntie Dong's bowl was especially filled to the brim with pork until it was almost overflowing.
"There's no need for so much. You can keep it for yourself!" The Dong family aunt wanted to decline.
"It's fine, just take it! I can't eat meat anymore." Qiao Mei smiled and said, "If I eat more, my man won't like me anymore."
Hearing this, the smiles of the people around her froze. The way Qiao Mei said it, it was as if the handsome young man had already taken a fancy to her.
By now, everyone knew that Qiao Mei's husband was tall and handsome. They also knew that Qiao Mei and him had been betrothed since they were young, and Qiao Qiang and his grandfather had a life-and-death relationship.
Moreover, everyone knew that today was actually a makeup date. The day that the handsome young man came to the village was the actual day of the wedding. It was written clearly on the marriage certificate.
Unfortunately, he had an important mission that day, so he had to leave first and he left on the next day.
That was what Qiao Qiang and Qiao Mei had told the villagers by way of explanation.
Qiao Mei was particularly insistent on clearly stating the actual day of their wedding. If she did not make it clear that they had already wedded that day, it would be difficult later to explain the children in her womb.
For this, Qiao Mei even pretended to be shy and had secretly asked the older ladies about the matters of the bedroom.
For example, continued bleeding for a few days after they consummated their marriage, was that abnormal?
She had felt pain down there for a few days, was she sick?
These questions shocked the older ladies. They thought that since the man could even accept someone like Qiao Mei, he was really not picky…
After a moment of surprise, they were not stingy at all with their experiences.
A child like Qiao Mei, who did not have her mother by her side to take care of her, was really pitiful… she was even muddled about these basic things!
Everyone believed what the pair of grandfather and granddaughter said together. However, the last point about the handsome lad leaving because he had a mission, no one believed that.
It must be Qiao Mei's looks that sent him away in a hurry.
After all, according to what the villagers said, Xia Zhe had left very quickly. He was in such a hurry to leave that he did not seem like a newlywed…
However, he still completed the marriage registration with Qiao Mei, which proved that he was a responsible man. He even got someone to send so many things and betrothal gifts. What a good man!
All the unmarried ladies in the village were extremely jealous of Qiao Mei for marrying such a good man.
Especially Qiao Yu, who dug in and ate two bowls of rice.
Chapter 40: A Reckless Waste
Editor: Atlas Studios
Qiao Zhuang's family was preparing to start their farm work and only sent their eldest daughter-in-law and third daughter-in-law.
In the end, when they heard that half a pig's worth of pork was cooked, the whole family ran over in a hurry and ate to their hearts' content at Qiao Mei's house. When almost everyone had left, Qiao Zhuang's family still did not go.
"Why are you all sitting there looking at me? Don't you know how to take the initiative to help? Wash the dishes and wipe the table. After you're done, you still have to return them to others!" Qiao Mei shouted at them.
They had invited the entire village over for a meal, but only one person from each household came. There were only six tables in the courtyard, but Qiao Zhuang's family already occupied two and a half tables!
With so many people here, Qiao Mei's house did not even have enough tables and cutlery. She had to borrow them from her neighbors.
Now that it was all done, she naturally had to wash all the borrowed items before returning them.
"You wretched girl, you're actually ordering your second grandpa to work? You're really unfilial. How can you be like this?!" The Qiao family's eldest daughter-in-law sat where she was and lectured with her hands on her hips.
"I didn't ask my second grandpa," Qiao Mei said.
Big Auntie Qiao wanted to retort.
Qiao Mei added, "I didn't ask you either. Can't I ask your nephews and nieces? They're not my elders. After eating, can't they do some work?"
Big Auntie Qiao choked on her words when she heard that.
The third auntie of the Qiao family put down the peanuts in her hand and said slowly, "Your male cousins don't do any work in the kitchen when they are at home. Don't expect them to do your chores."
In the end, she turned around and called out to Qiao Yu. "Qiao Yu, go help your niece! Don't be a freeloader!"
Qiao Yu reluctantly put down the bowl and looked pitifully at Qiao Ye next to her.
Qiao Ye was the daughter of the Qiao family's third daughter-in-law. She was also 17 years old this year and another pitiful person who was not welcomed at home. She usually followed behind her mother and helped out with household chores all day long.
Seeing Qiao Yu's gaze, Qiao Ye nodded and stood up. She began to quietly clear the dishes and cutlery on the table.
Qiao Yu ran to Qiao Mei's side and smiled ingratiatingly. "Sister Qiao Mei, take a break and let them do this. Let's go in and take a look at your betrothal gifts and see what's inside!"
There would definitely be betrothal gifts at a wedding.
These things were all belated gifts from Xia Zhe. Although he had no experience, he had gotten his uncle Qin Dong to help him settle all these. His uncle was the commissar and had helped many people with their marriages before so it was all very familiar to him.
Now that it was his own nephew's wedding, wouldn't he want to do a grand job?
After being aware of the basic situation of Qiao Mei's family, he prepared a list of things to buy including a few pieces of cloth, a few thick blankets, two large porcelain basins and some essential items like soap and towels, among others. These were all for the couple.
There were also some things that should have been prepared by Qiao Mei, but Qin Dong also bought them.
It was said that there were also several big ticket items like a bicycle, watches, a radio and a sewing machine!
These were Xia Zhe's real betrothal gifts!
However, Qin Dong was late with his instructions and it was not possible to get all these big-ticket items in one day in such a small town. Since second-hand items were not suitable for the occasion, Qin Dong had asked someone to buy them from the city and to send them over in a few days.
The story was repeated by the staff who came over to handle the matter. On a joyous occasion, people tended to want to repeat stories that could be shown off.
When they heard this, everyone in the village was extremely envious, especially Qiao Yu.
Among the betrothal gifts, there was a beautiful piece of colored cloth embroidered with golden thread. It sparkled under the sunlight and looked gorgeous.
It was not just Qiao Yu, no one in the village had ever seen such beautiful fabric.
Qiao Mei wearing such a fabric was simply a reckless waste!
Gifts
-- Gift
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