Reborn in a small village in the 1990s

Chapter 157 The Wine Immortal

"Auntie, you should go to the market tomorrow and buy a new dress. It should cost at least fifty yuan, something decent. This is your first time being a mother-in-law… no, no, this is for you, Auntie… never mind. Anyway, you're becoming a mother-in-law soon, so you need to dress up. My two cousins ​​also need to look presentable, so that when Old Ma sees them, he'll say: 'Wow, this family is rich! Look at what they're wearing…'"

You need to make a good impression on Old Ma. Then there's the house furniture. It's a new house, but it's empty inside, which won't do. My uncle doesn't even have a radio; we need to buy a new one. We should also buy a sewing machine. Forget about the bicycle; bikes are practically impossible to ride in your village. It's all uphill and downhill, and nobody repairs the roads. Given the conditions, we won't bother with a bicycle as a decoration. But something's missing. How about a tractor or something? Or I can have Xiangzi drive his tractor over the other day and say it's brand new. What do you think?"

Zhao Da'e's words were flawless, but Zhou Chunwen stared at Zhao Da'e with wide eyes: "Da'e, are you planning to lie to her again and say that our family is rich? She didn't ask for a small dowry either, why are we pretending to be rich?"

Zhao Da'e sighed and thought to himself: Women really don't know the pain of being a man. If you don't pretend to be rich, how can you find a wife? What man in the world doesn't pretend to be rich when he gets married? If all men are poor, no woman will be willing to marry them.

Moreover, marriages in this era were mostly arranged. While there weren't any outdated practices like parental orders or matchmakers, they were limited to the confines of a small village. To put it more bluntly, it was based on who your family had as distant relatives, which ultimately led to a relatively closed-off form of marriage.

However, it's clear that Zhou Yuren doesn't have many relatives; they're only in this area. While it's not like he'll miss out on a chance to find a wife, or that without Ma Huaihua, Zhao Da'e's cousin Zhou Tianfu wouldn't be able to find one, others might not have the same opportunities as Lao Ma Jiaqiang.

In Zhao Da'e's past life, Ma Huaihua was honest, kind, capable, and hardworking. Aside from her large appetite, she had virtually no flaws.

Well, and being able to give birth to a son isn't... In the countryside, a woman who can give birth to a son is considered a perfect woman.

"Sister, you don't understand. This isn't for Ma Huaihua, nor is it for Old Ma. It's for Old Ma's relatives. People are afraid of gossip. When a bunch of relatives come to visit, we'll have something to brag about. Not only will our family be proud, but Old Ma will be too. So this isn't a lie; it's just to make Old Ma's relatives think that his daughter has found a good family. Old Ma probably already knows our family's situation. They might not know about your famine, but they can't hide your daily life, your food and clothing. Your social reputation can't be hidden."

Old Ma is a bricklayer, right? He can roughly estimate how much it costs to build a new house, even if he's not an expert. These days, most families have a pretty good annual income; good families earn five, seven, or eight thousand, while average families only earn three or four thousand. Then there are food, clothing, and other necessities, right? Your family has three children, and each one needs to be fed and clothed—that all costs money. So, it's quite obvious whether you'll face financial hardship building your house. Of course, your older cousin earns money, so you won't be short of money later.

Secondly, the Ma family only has one daughter. If you think so much about your eldest sister, won't all the family fortune go to your eldest brother after Old Ma passes away?

Zhou Chunwen frowned deeply: "You're kidding me, Lao Ma is only forty, when is he going to get old?"

Cheng Jinxi thought for a while, unsure whether Zhao Da'e was right or wrong, and simply said, "Then buying things must cost quite a lot of money, right?"

Zhao Da'e sighed: "Originally, you'd need to buy a new radio and a new sewing machine, right? We've bought them now, but we won't need to buy them again when we get married. That's how it is. These three major items are almost indispensable."

Then there's the possibility of needing to buy a motorcycle or something similar in the future. Judging from the current market, the prices are getting more outrageous every year. This year it's 3,000 yuan for the bride price, maybe 4,000 or 5,000 next year, and certainly not over 10,000.

After hearing what Zhao Da'e said, Cheng Jinxi stopped resisting buying sewing machines and radios.

Originally, Cheng Jinxi and his wife thought that now that they had a big house, it would be a natural thing to get their son married.

Unexpectedly, I also need to buy furniture.

Of course, these things didn't cost much, and Cheng Jinxi and Zhou Yuren could afford them, though they felt they might be a bit pricey.

However, the matter of finding a wife for our son cannot be delayed. It's better to marry him off early than to wait until he's twenty-five or twenty-six and still a bachelor, because that would be even more difficult.

With no objections from the family, Zhou Yuren and Cheng Jinxi went to the supply and marketing cooperative and bought the latest model radio and sewing machine.

Actually, by this time, sewing machines were no longer so popular. Supply and marketing cooperatives were selling ready-made clothes, and small vendors were starting to sell clothes from the south, which were more fashionable and beautiful. However, having a sewing machine to mend clothes was still very useful.

Farmers should be frugal and thrifty; that's how they'll make a better living.

As for the radio, it's a product for understanding the outside world. Black and white televisions already existed in the city; Zhao Da'e didn't know if color televisions were still around, but they certainly existed.

But the village didn't have any; the biggest window through which the village could learn about the outside world was the radio.

After all, villages like Jurenzhangzi are more remote. Villagers basically communicate by shouting, with the village chief being slightly more advanced, using a loudspeaker…

Therefore, radio broadcasts became the only way for people to learn about changes in the world. Information such as global warming, reduced food production, and the household responsibility system for the Three-North Shelterbelt Project were all broadcast on the radio.

After buying a sewing machine and a radio, Zhou Yuren also went to Zhao Tiesheng, Zhao Da'e's father, to borrow his slightly worn suit for his son, Zhou Tianfu. He himself put on a Zhongshan suit borrowed from Zhao Tingxu.

Although the Zhao family had been through a lot, these were all family matters. When Zhao Tingxu heard that Zhou Yuren's son was getting married, he readily lent him some clothes.

Zhao Tiesheng was still relatively grateful to Zhou Yuren. After all, Zhao Da'e ate and drank at Zhou Yuren's house. If this happened in other people's homes, they might have been dissatisfied long ago, but Zhou Yuren didn't show any disgust. Zhao Tiesheng's thinking had also changed, and he was beginning to want to be accepted by Zhao Da'e. So he volunteered to come and accompany the new bride that day.

Zhou Yuren's father died early, and his mother also passed away from illness a few years ago. He only has one older brother named Zhou Puren.

The Zhou family wasn't like the Zhao family. The Zhao family lived in Dongtaizi Village, a place with deep-rooted connections, many of whom were relatives of the Zhao family and shared the surname Zhao. It would almost be called Zhao Family Village. But the Zhou family consisted of just these two brothers and their neighbors. Their neighbor above them was a blind man named Blind Wang.

Zhou Yuren couldn't very well ask Blind Wang to accompany him, and besides, there's a custom in rural areas that if someone needs relatives or friends to accompany a newlywed couple (newlyweds refer to the bride's relatives; it's a specific term used only to describe the bride's relatives), they won't choose a disabled person. This includes people with physical disabilities, and even single men, which generally refers to people over thirty who haven't married.

They even avoid having someone without a son accompany the new bride...

Zhao Da'e sometimes felt that the father's desire for a son was very important in the process of choosing a new spouse.

Of course, Zhou Yuren agreed to let Zhao Tiesheng come, since he really couldn't gather that many relatives. He could only bring his elder brother Zhou Puren and his wife, plus Zhao Tiesheng and Zhou Puren's eldest son and his wife, making a total of five people.

It was Zhao Da'e who suggested that they go and bring Zhao Tiegang, Zhao Da'e's third uncle, over. Zhao Da'e said: "My third uncle may not have any other skills, and he may not be good at talking to his new relatives, but I'll teach him one sentence—'It's all in the wine,' and he'll be able to knock them all out."

Zhao Da'e had absolute faith in his third uncle Zhao Tiegang's drinking capacity. Let's just say, Zhao Laosan's drinking capacity was number one in the surrounding villages. He was a born wine connoisseur.

This isn't to say that Zhao Da'e was talking nonsense, but rather that it's the actual situation.

Zhao Da'e once said: Zhao Laosan drinks three times a day, four liang in the morning, eight liang at noon, and eight liang in the evening. He drinks and then sleeps, and after waking up, he continues to drink.

The implication here is very clear: Zhao Laosan drank two jin of cheap liquor a day, but he wasn't drunk. He slept because he was tired, not because he was drunk. Someone who can drink two jin a day and continue drinking the next day is a ruthless person.

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that Zhao Laosan is the most ruthless person in eastern Inner Mongolia.

Actually, Zhao Tiedan from the Zhao family is quite a drinker, but Zhao Da'e isn't familiar with him.

Zhao Da'e even went to invite his third uncle: "Third uncle, my eldest cousin is going to visit his new family on the tenth of the month. I've specially reserved a spot for you to accompany the new bride. Don't embarrass your niece. You only have one task: don't expect to drink well, but make sure they all drink themselves under the table."

Upon hearing that he could drink, Zhao Laosan readily agreed: "Uncle may not be good at anything else, but you can trust me when it comes to drinking. I'm absolutely reliable! Let me tell you, it was your aunt's three brothers-in-law who got me drunk, and in the end, all three of them fell into the latrine..."

"Don't mention your glorious history. Yongbo's second uncle still has tuberculosis. He got it from drinking too much with you and falling into a latrine. He still hasn't recovered. He can't even get a wife."

Old Zhao said proudly, "That's because he's a good-for-nothing. He just can't outdrink me..."

Zhao Da'e looked helpless. Sure enough, he was on a completely different wavelength from the drunkard.

"Alright, Third Uncle, do your best then. It's all up to you. By the way, isn't Zhang Cuilan back yet?"

Mentioning Zhang Cuilan, Zhao Laosan paused, "She didn't come back. Sigh... Didn't your third aunt say she wouldn't come back until a new house was built? My later life..."

"Alright, alright, alright. Third Uncle, you've got it! Listen to your niece, don't be afraid. If Zhang Cuilan has the guts, then let her never come back. She doesn't even have a family anymore. I don't believe she can stay at her aunt's house in Yongbo forever." Zhao Da'e said confidently, "Besides, with me, Zhao Da'e, here, Third Uncle, don't worry. If you lose your wife, I'll find you another one when I have money. We'll find a young, beautiful, and slim one..."

Zhao Laosan: "..."

I hope you can actually do what you're bragging about, otherwise even if I'm stupid, I can't believe you...

The two exchanged a few more words, and Zhao Laosan said with a somewhat earnest tone, "Big Goose, is your mother coming back? What, is she like your third aunt, not coming back until the house is built? If so, our family will be ruined."

“Third Uncle, you’ll understand when I put it this way. Didn’t I tell you last time that my grandparents lost all their money? Whether it was 30,000 or 45,000, didn’t you get a share? We two need to be on the same side, right?” Zhao Da’e analyzed.

Zhao Laosan nodded repeatedly.

“We absolutely have to get this money back. Even if it's not 45,000, but only 30,000 left, and they deny everything, getting 30,000 back is fine too. If our family has this 30,000, you can live a life of luxury, and I can do something for myself, right?”

It's not that I don't want my grandparents to give the money to my daughter, but my aunt has a problem; she's a terrible person. I know you and my aunt are close, but I also think she's awful. My main point is: we need at least 30,000 yuan back, or our family will be in constant turmoil.

Zhao Laosan said thoughtfully, "I asked your grandma, but she denied it, saying it's not there. What if she keeps saying it's not there?"

“Then we’ll separate and live separately. My grandparents are a bottomless pit; our family can’t fill it, we can’t afford to.” Zhao Da’e made it very clear. Then he said, “Go up there yourself that day, to my aunt’s house. I won’t come to greet you specially. Dress neatly and properly then, don’t be sloppy. Shave your head. Look at you every day, never combing your hair or washing your face. If Zhang Cuilan runs away, will you not live? You have a son, are you afraid of her? You’re really drunk.”

We men aren't afraid of her, so what if we stay single forever...

"Big Goose, Uncle San always feels like you're a well-fed man who doesn't know the hunger of an starving man. You're just a young girl, and you don't even have a wife, so naturally you don't know the hardship of having your wife run away!" Zhao Laosan said, both amused and exasperated. He certainly didn't want to be a bachelor at such a young age.

"Alright, don't be afraid. It's no big deal. Third Uncle, listen to my plan. In a while, I'll find a way to trick Zhang Cuilan back for you," Zhao Da'e said confidently. "Once you're done with these few days, take your son and go live with Zhang Cuilan in her hometown. Zhang Cuilan has an old man, your father-in-law. He has four bachelors. His wife is dead, and all three sons are bachelors. Yes, you'll be bachelor too, so you'll go to their house with your son and stay there. I'll give you some travel expenses and sponsor you two hundred catties of liquor. You can drink there and act crazy when you're drunk. In less than half a month, Zhang Cuilan will definitely come home."

Zhao Laosan was stunned: "Big Goose, I have a feeling you want me to stay single forever. Your bad ideas are getting weirder and weirder."