The ninth day of the first lunar month was an auspicious date.
Doctor Yang, along with the matchmaker Auntie Niu and his apprentice Yuan Man, brought eight betrothal gifts prepared by the apprentice – cigarettes, liquor, tea, candy, noodles, eggs, crucian carp, and pork – and went to the end of the village.
Kushan Village immediately buzzed with excitement.
Although Doctor Yuan was a bit older, he hadn't aged in the past decade.
Even though Doctor Yuan was only about 1.7 meters tall, and had been dark and thin when he first arrived, his physique had improved significantly over the past ten years, and his skin tone had become a pleasing wheat color.
Adding his medical skills, the term "distinguished-looking" seemed insufficient, yet an appropriate idiom couldn't be found at the moment.
Their esteemed Elder Xiao had once said, "Knowledge is only useful when it's needed," and they now understood the meaning of that saying.
Oh? Getting sidetracked.
Doctor Yuan's excursion clearly indicated he was going for a betrothal.
Whose betrothal was it?
Upon seeing which courtyard Auntie Niu entered, the villagers understood.
Da Mai and Xiao Mai had been working in the capital these past few years, and the changes in them were significant.
Their fashionable and stylish attire, coupled with the aura of city girls, made them a good match for Doctor Yuan.
The magnanimous villagers thought so.
The petty-minded villagers grumbled inwardly, "If they had any eligible daughters at the right age, would Doctor Yuan even have a chance with Da Mai and Xiao Mai?"
Then they thought again, no household could possibly keep their daughters at home until they were twenty-five or twenty-six like the Li family.
Fine, no more sour grapes.
Let's go watch the excitement.
As soon as Sister Guihua brought out her little notebook, the villagers immediately became civilized, gathering in twos and threes and heading towards the end of the village.
Li Liguo was informed by his wife and only then learned that his elder daughter had taken a liking to Doctor Yuan.
With only a six-year age gap between father-in-law and son-in-law, Li Liguo felt uncomfortable, "Isn't this like an old ox eating young grass?"
Ouyang Meihua glared, "Are you talking about me?"
"No, no."
Li Liguo, prioritizing his survival, quickly added, "I was worried people might say that. If my wife approves, then I definitely agree."
"People? Who dares? Sister Guihua doesn't just target me alone."
Li Liguo fell silent. In his household, his wife was the boss.
Therefore, when Yuan Man entered, Li Zhengguo scrutinized him carefully.
His gaze, previously respectful, was now critical.
However, Doctor Yuan's face, almost free of wrinkles and even laugh lines, making him appear to be only in his thirties, evoked envy in Li Liguo.
Was he getting too old?
Ouyang Meihua pinched her husband, who was lost in thought.
Li Liguo quickly snapped back to attention, "Doctor Yang, Doctor Yuan, Auntie Niu, please, have a seat."
Yuan Man dared not sit carelessly. He cupped his fists towards Li Liguo, "Uncle Li, please call me Yuan Man or A'man."
Uncle Li?
An uncle who was six years older?
Li Liguo's discomfort resurfaced.
Ouyang Meihua was truly exasperated with her husband.
"Yuan Man, don't mind your Uncle Li. He hasn't gotten used to his new identity as a future father-in-law yet. Give him some time. Come, sit down and talk."
The villagers outside the courtyard smiled knowingly, everyone needed time to adjust to a new identity, especially that of an 'elder' son-in-law, which would likely take even longer.
The betrothal proceedings began. After the pleasantries, the discussion moved to the engagement conditions.
In every aspect, Yuan Man did not want to shortchange Da Mai.
Therefore, for the first time, the groom not only did not subtly imply that the bride's proposed conditions were too high,
but instead, he directly and voluntarily added to them. The bride's family hadn't even mentioned clothing, jewelry, or banquet gifts, but the groom automatically included them.
Li Liguo felt much better. His wife was right, older men are more caring.
This was to elevate his eldest daughter's status, and Ouyang Meihua found it difficult to refuse. However, she knew the clinic's income wasn't high.
She anxiously blinked at Auntie Niu.
Auntie Niu gently shook her head; she was like a deaf person's ears, just for show.
Everything was settled according to Yuan Man's proposal.
Finally, Yuan Man suggested the twenty-second of the first lunar month as an auspicious day for the engagement. It wasn't that he was being hasty, but he wanted to give Da Mai a proper title.
The wedding date would be set by the bride's family.
Li Liguo was very satisfied, and father-in-law and son-in-law conversed amicably.
Auntie Niu suspected that if Doctor Yuan changed professions, no one in the village would ask her to be a matchmaker again.
After lunch, the guests had just left, and Li Liguo hadn't had time to express his sentiments when A Feng arrived with the engagement money.
Red paper was wrapped around a cloth bag, making a metallic clink as it was placed on the table.
Ouyang Meihua was startled, "This? Is this gold bullion?"
A Feng nodded, "There are ten one-ounce bars here. My cousin mentioned five hundred, which actually refers to five hundred grams of gold."
"I know Auntie Ouyang is worried about A'man's income, but there's no need to worry. We have ancestral wealth."
"Now that we can openly display it, there's no need to mistreat Da Mai."
"Da Mai is a good girl, my cousin is fortunate."
Auntie Ouyang was speechless. She finally understood her husband's feelings.
She used to address A Feng as an elder sister, but suddenly being in a senior generation was difficult to accept.
Li Liguo was even more satisfied. He hadn't expected his eldest daughter would unintentionally find such a wealthy husband.
A Feng chatted for a while and then left with Da Mai's birthdate information.
Mother Li patted her elder daughter-in-law, "You truly have a good eye. With a casual suggestion, you've pointed Da Mai towards a golden nest."
Ouyang Meihua didn't take credit, "That's Da Mai's good fortune; Yuan Man simply fell for her."
"I now understand why A Feng isn't married. Guarding so much wealth, getting married would just benefit another man, wouldn't it? At least she should consider her own descendants."
"If she doesn't marry, all of this still belongs to her Yuan family's descendants."
Tian Jing looked at her husband, "With A Feng being so wealthy, why was she pressured to death by her business partner? Could she have been murdered?"
Li Zhengguo gently shook his head. Now that Yuan Man and Yuan Feng were in their Kushan Village, no one would be allowed to interfere.
Ouyang Meihua handed the gold bars to Da Mai, "Keep these yourself as your dowry. The household will prepare the rest of what you need."
"Mom~"
Da Mai waved her hand, "I don't want them. I only want the dowry prepared by Mom and Dad."
After several refusals, the gold bars were entrusted to Ouyang Meihua for safekeeping, to be dealt with on the wedding day.
...
Teachers assigned by the County Education Bureau had begun to arrive.
The teachers' dormitory was arranged on the fifth floor. The staircase was in the center, with iron doors on either side, separating the male and female dormitories.
Kitchen? None.
The school had arranged a teacher's cafeteria on the first floor of the small Western-style building in front of the teaching building, the same as the villagers.
This small Western-style building belonged to the village committee and was used for receiving guests.
Toilets? Yes.
On each side of every floor, there was one male and one female toilet.
Shower rooms? None.
The difficulty of showering was up to each individual to overcome.
The village provided 150 briquettes of honeycomb coal each month. If this was insufficient, additional amounts could be requested from the village committee.
All things considered, the benefits were quite good.
Although the salary was the same as in the county town, there was a monthly subsidy of 150 yuan for meals and a 20 yuan transportation allowance.
This 170 yuan was also one of the reasons that attracted teachers to volunteer for rural teaching. With a little saving, they could supplement their families.
They were participating in rural teaching and would not be stationed here long-term.
This was a point of satisfaction for the teachers; no one wanted to sacrifice their families for work.
On the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, the village loudspeaker once again broadcast the voice of Village Head Li.
"Children between the ages of six and sixteen, inclusive, must attend school to experience the atmosphere of a school and to interact with teachers and classmates."
"The school facilities are somewhat rudimentary, please bear with them, teachers and students. These are the best conditions that Kushan Village can provide."
"We cannot only focus on the economy and neglect the education of our children."
"Therefore, the school will temporarily be located at the original site of the village committee. Therefore, parents must support the village committee's efforts in education."
"Tuition fees are a drop in the bucket for parents. Time is the most precious asset for parents."
"However, education is the most valuable thing for children. Education is the cornerstone of their success."
"No one, under any excuse or reason, shall block the children's path forward."
"The village will implement a 'one violation, ten punishments' policy, forfeiting ten greenhouses."
Upon hearing this punishment, the villagers immediately flipped through their household registration books, checking their children's birth months to see if they were under sixteen.
If they were, they rushed to take their children to the school to register.
At sixteen, they could at most study for two more years before getting married.
Go to school, go to school.