noffsinger Chapter 36 The Matchmaker
Chapter 36 The Matchmaker
The new houses were built one after another, and they were bigger and better than the old houses. However, quarrying the stone blocks was quite troublesome, and the adults were exhausted over the past six months.
Each house was designed by Yun Dan based on the layout of modern rural houses in southern China, resembling a traditional courtyard house.
Each unit occupies an area of over 200 square meters. Each unit is square with a main entrance in the middle. After entering, there is a four-meter-wide hall, with two rooms on either side of the hall.
Then there's an open courtyard, with two suites on either side, and finally a large hall at the very back, with two rooms on either side.
There are four small gates on both sides of the open courtyard, commonly known as the Dragon and Tiger Gates.
A large family can design a house with an area of 300 square meters. For example, Yun Dan's family now has 10 rooms.
There's one thing Yun Dan really doesn't understand: they still like to build fences, even though their living conditions are better now, they've kept this habit.
Yun Dan's room is 16 square meters, a world of difference compared to the tiny apartment she used to live in. She feels extremely comfortable now.
Cai Jia's furniture business has been exceptionally booming this year, keeping him extremely busy.
I work tirelessly from morning till night making all kinds of furniture. Although I'm so tired I feel like my body is about to fall apart, the thought of my brand-new and beautiful house makes it all worthwhile.
This feeling of both pain and pleasure can only be understood by experiencing it firsthand.
The dramatic changes in Sujia Village have aroused curiosity and attention from people in the surrounding villages.
People flocked to visit, eager to see what earth-shattering changes had taken place here.
Meanwhile, many matchmakers, hearing the news, took the initiative to come to his door.
Undeterred by the cold winter, these matchmakers tirelessly traveled between villages, searching for suitable marriages for a few taels of silver.
Young men who were sixteen or seventeen and still unmarried were especially sought after by them. For a time, their doorsteps were practically worn down by the constant stream of suitors.
Lin Jiang, the eldest grandson of the Lin family, was chosen. He will be 17 years old next year, which is the age when he should be getting married.
Before the matchmaker even reached the Lin family's door, she was already outside saying things like "Congratulations, congratulations!"
Yun Dan was speechless when she heard that another matchmaker had come. She didn't even know if the relationship would work out, but the matchmaker kept saying "Congratulations" as if the two of them were already married.
Matchmaker: "Brother and sister-in-law of the Lin family, I have some good news to tell you today."
I've found a good girl for your Lin Jiang, and I'd like to ask for your opinions.
Uncle Lin: "Oh? Is that so? That's wonderful! Please come in, please come in. Wife, quickly pour some tea for eldest sister. Eldest sister, please sit down, please sit down."
These matchmakers are all incredibly arrogant these days. Whoever they visit, everyone has to be extremely respectful and not offend them in the slightest.
If you offend them, rumors will spread outside that the people of Sujia Village are bad, and no one will want to marry their daughters to them.
Matchmaker: "Oh, Brother Lin, Sister-in-law, the girl I'm introducing today is from the next village. She's beautiful and has a gentle personality."
Their family is well-off, and their parents are honest and hardworking people.
Lin's mother: "That sounds good. How old is that girl?"
Matchmaker: "She'll be eighteen after the New Year, about the same age as Lin Jiang."
Lin's father: "Hmm, the age is quite suitable. What does that girl do?"
Matchmaker: "She works at an embroidery shop in town; her job is fairly stable."
Lin's mother: "I see. Does she have any requests for Xiao Jiang?"
Matchmaker: "She just wants to find someone reliable, hardworking, and good to her. I think your Lin Jiang would be a good fit. What do you think?"
Lin's father: "We think it's alright. However, we still need to see Lin Jiang's opinion first."
Matchmaker: "Of course. I've already spoken with the girl. As long as you give me a yes, I'll arrange for them to meet and get to know each other. What do you think?"
Lin's parents: "Alright, alright, eldest sister, then we'll trouble you."
Matchmaker: "No trouble at all. It's my duty. I'll head back now and come back tomorrow."
Lin's parents: "Okay, thank you."
Matchmaker: "You're welcome, you're welcome. I wish your Lin Jiang will find a suitable wife soon."
"Big brother, you're getting married soon," Yun Dan teased Lin Jiang.
"Go away, go away, what marriage? It's not even close to happening yet."
The matchmaker came again the next day, saying that she had already made arrangements with the woman and that she would go to her house in three days to meet her and see if they were compatible.
Grandma and Auntie have been busy thinking about what to prepare these past few days, but in the end Yundan just took two pounds of meat, one pound of sugar, and one foot of cloth.
The Lin family went there early in the morning.
For some time now, Yun Dan has been leading a group of children in cultivation in the valley.
She felt that her internal strength had become exceptionally powerful, but it seemed to have reached a bottleneck, and no matter how hard she tried, she could not go any further.
Left with no other choice, she had to focus her energy on guiding these children in their spiritual practice.
The little snotty guy remained unchanged. Whether it was because he was too lazy or because something inside his body had absorbed too much internal energy, his internal energy had not increased significantly.
Every time I asked him, he would always answer that he would diligently practice for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn every day, but in reality, he made no progress.
At this moment, Xiaoyue, Linhe, the hunter, and several others held swords and knives, while the girls held whips and practiced diligently in the open space.
After this period of training, they have basically become the best among the third-rate masters.
Yun Dan also continuously provided them with guidance and instruction, hoping that they could reach a higher level.
"Everyone, stop for a moment," Yun Dan called out.
"Little girl, what's wrong? Is something the matter?"
"You've already practiced for so long today, you can't overwork yourselves yet, you need to balance work and rest."
"Do you remember what I said to you at the beginning?"
"I remember, I remember. I practice martial arts to strengthen my body."
"Yes, we must not bully others."
"And another thing, we must not cause trouble, but if someone hits us, we should hit back. We can't lose face for Sister Xiaoya."
Pfft... Yun Dan burst out laughing when she heard what a little kid said.
"Good, good, it's good that you can remember these. What I really want to tell you is that you should be well-mannered and have good manners."
"Come forward and tell me what you see."
"Little girl, this ground looks like a ball of fire."
"And what can you see?"
Some of the smaller ones are indeed not clear on what they depict; you can only tell that there are drawings on the ground.
"You should remember this symbol. If you encounter any difficult situations while traveling in the future, you can leave this symbol behind."
This symbol should only be left in the most dangerous situations, understand?
"understood."
In truth, Yun Dan didn't expect them to understand now. Anyway, they wouldn't be in any danger, and it would be so nice to live a peaceful and carefree life in Sujia Village.
A group of people took twigs and began drawing the flame symbol on the ground.
"It's almost Chinese New Year again. The academy is now completed, covering an area of over 200 square meters. There's only one large classroom; the rest are rooms, and there's also a large hall."
Now every household in Sujia Village has a toilet, which is located next to the back wall. The sewers are all open ditches, which are then covered with bricks, and the sewage flows into the original cesspools.
It's much more convenient than before. The old outhouses were dirty, messy, and smelly, but now they're clean and tidy.
Next spring, we'll have to go to town to find a teacher to teach them to read.