Sister-in-law Sanmei listened to Chen Lan's words and waved her hand, saying, "The distance isn't the issue. If they could visit me once every two or three years, I'd be content. I also understand that once a daughter is married, she belongs to her husband's family. She needs to think about her own small family and can't always be thinking about her maiden home. As long as they are living well as a couple and their little family is harmonious, I'll be at ease!"
Chen Lan really hadn't expected Sister-in-law Sanmei to be such an ideal mother-in-law, so understanding. Truly, a parent's heart always worries for their child. Even if they are reluctant to part with their daughter, they still hope she finds a good home.
Yulia, her little face flushed, greeted Sister-in-law Sanmei and Chen Lan, then took her sister Milana to the kitchen to help.
With the conversation having reached this point, Chen Lan and Sister-in-law Sanmei, while winding yarn, began to discuss matters concerning a matchmaker. As the valley was quite far from here, Chen Lan, after conferring with Sister-in-law Sanmei, decided to forgo the traditional meeting of both sets of parents. Chen Lan and Xu Mingxuan, as a couple, would act as representatives. Since Sister-in-law Sanmei had already met Xiangxi and was very pleased with him, she agreed to directly invite a matchmaker to their home. Chen Lan intended to ask Yulia's maternal aunt, Sister-in-law Da, who was Sister-in-law Sanmei's second sister-in-law, to be the matchmaker.
Chen Lan happily confirmed with Sister-in-law Sanmei, "Aunt Sanmei, after our return from Vladivostok where we've finished our business, we'll directly go to Honghualing Village to invite your second sister-in-law, Aunt Chang, to our home to arrange the match. Do you think that's alright?"
Sister-in-law Sanmei was naturally overjoyed. She smiled and said, "Mila, to be honest, when I was a girl at home, my second sister-in-law and I were the closest! Ever since my mother passed away, although our homes weren't very far apart, each family had its own affairs. Your Uncle Ivan doesn't help with anything, and I haven't been back to my maiden home in two or three years. You know, I really miss her!"
The most important things to discuss with Aunt Chang as the matchmaker would be the betrothal gifts and the wedding date. Sister-in-law Sanmei felt too embarrassed to bring these matters up herself, but it was different when speaking with a matchmaker.
Moreover, Chen Lan knew that in the Soviet era, native-born Russians attached great importance to betrothal gifts, as well as dowries. It was said that at that time, it would be difficult to forge a good union if the betrothal gifts were meager or the dowry was insufficient.
Under normal circumstances, when proposing, the groom would present his beloved with a jewelry box containing a veil, hair ornaments, wedding candles, perfume, a comb, an engagement ring, and other precious jewelry. The bride-to-be would, in return, give the groom items she had personally embroidered, such as scarves and gloves. Su Dan Novel Network.
These external possessions were a trifle to Chen Lan. The most crucial thing was to find a wife for Little Watermelon. Fortunately, the two had already met successfully, and from her observation, their first impressions of each other were good. That was enough; other matters could be dealt with slowly. One couldn't rush things.
Chen Lan chatted with Sister-in-law Sanmei while her hands were busy winding yarn. The yarn was a bit tangled, requiring her to pause and untangle it from time to time.
Before long, the Yulia sisters and Sister-in-law Sanmei's two daughters-in-law brought a lavish lunch into the living room. The table was soon laden with fragrant dishes, and the aroma of food filled the air.
Chen Lan exclaimed, "My goodness, this is too extravagant!" She had heard that Russians liked meat, and looking at the large pieces of meat on the table – roasted lamb, braised beef, sausages, ham, eggs, meat patties, vegetable salad, salted fish, pickles, caviar, mashed potatoes, and roasted potatoes, among other things. It was evident that Sister-in-law Sanmei's family had gone to great expense for this lunch; it might have consumed their entire week's meat ration.
Just then, Uncle Ivan returned, drawn by the aroma, for lunch. He greeted Chen Lan in Russian, washed his hands, and sat down at the table. He first poured himself a glass of wine. Sister-in-law Sanmei asked Chen Lan to sit beside her, and the others gathered around the table, ready to eat.
Chen Lan, curious, asked, "Aunt Sanmei, where are the children? Aren't they coming back for lunch?"
Sister-in-law Sanmei smiled and said, "They aren't coming back. They eat lunch at school and only eat at home in the mornings and evenings."
Sister-in-law Sanmei offered Chen Lan a drink. Chen Lan shook her head and waved her hand, "Aunt Sanmei, you have a drink! I won't. I haven't been resting well lately, and my appetite isn't very good. I always feel a bit uncomfortable in my stomach." Hearing this, Sister-in-law Sanmei didn't insist, only reminding Chen Lan to get more rest.
As Chen Lan ate, she nodded and politely praised the dishes, saying they were very fragrant and delicious. Sister-in-law Sanmei smiled and said, "Mila, eat more if you like it."
Chen Lan didn't stand on ceremony and ate quite a bit. However, her appetite was naturally small, so she soon felt full. When Sister-in-law Sanmei urged her to eat more, Chen Lan placed her hand on her throat, indicating she was full and could not eat any more.
After the meal, the Yulia sisters and Sister-in-law Sanmei's two daughters-in-law were responsible for cleaning up. Uncle Ivan, having eaten his fill, ambled out again. Sister-in-law Sanmei was indeed right; the women here were responsible for earning money and supporting the family, while the Russian men, well, they were responsible for drinking vodka.
It was no wonder Sister-in-law Sanmei was unwilling to marry her daughter to a local to suffer. Although the men here retained their valiant and courageous spirit, daring to face danger, they had forgotten their responsibilities as protectors of the family. Even worse, the men here were quite barbaric and chauvinistic, prone to hitting their wives, and difficult to communicate with. The most fatal flaw was their insatiable thirst for alcohol; almost all of them were heavy drinkers who drank with reckless abandon.
Faced with men who never grew up, the women here had to be both good wives and good mothers. They wished they could give birth to children for themselves, as they couldn't rely on their husbands at all. It could be said that the men here were pampered to the extreme by the women. They had no idea how to please their women, nor were they willing to spend time appeasing their wives.