I Am A Husband Curser, And You Are A Wife Curser. - Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Setting the Date

Early that morning, his sister-in-law woke Xiangxi up to have him sweep the courtyard and scrub the house clean. Finally, he returned to his room to change into his clean new clothes and sat waiting.

His brother and sister-in-law didn’t set up the stall today. Instead, they stood at the gate clutching the baby, waiting anxiously. Xiangxi remained shut in his room, feeling as though none of this had much to do with him.

Before long, he heard movement in the courtyard. The Yang family had arrived.

Xiangxi waited until his sister-in-law came to fetch him, asking him to serve refreshments to the guests. He rubbed his face, forced a smile, and carried the snacks into the east room.

Mother Yang, accompanied by Yang Tongchuan and Matchmaker Chen, had been dissatisfied from the moment they entered the alley. The environment was too filthy; looking at the neighbors, not a single one seemed respectable. When they entered the Xiang courtyard, the house looked so dilapidated it bordered on hazardous. The only redeeming quality was that it was relatively clean.

Seeing that the Xiang brother and his wife looked decent enough, the families exchanged pleasantries before the sister-in-law went to call Xiangxi.

Mother Yang’s first impression of Xiangxi was that this ger certainly wouldn’t be easy to raise children with. His frame was so thin he didn’t look eighteen; one would believe it if someone said he was sixteen. His knuckles were thick—a clear sign of hard labor. Fortunately, his face was well-proportioned and his features were acceptable, not sharp or mean-looking.

Xiangxi placed the pastries on the kanga table, keeping his head low, not daring to speak.

“This must be Xixi. Look up and let me see you.” Mother Yang thought to herself that he was indeed raised in a small, lowly household—not graceful or poised at all. When she had first met Ming Le, she had the air of a true lady.

Xiangxi slowly raised his head, met Mother Yang’s scrutinizing gaze, and quickly looked down again in shyness. He felt extremely uncomfortable because he could sense the man standing next to Mother Yang staring at him. He was terrifying—even more so than the day Xiangxi thought he’d seen a ghost.

Yang Tongchuan hadn’t seen Xiangxi for a while. He had used his patrols as an excuse to eat wheat cakes several times, but he had never run into the boy. Seeing him again, he felt the ger no longer seemed like a stray cat, but more like a quail. He didn’t understand what Xiangxi was afraid of. However, a “quail” had its benefits—he wouldn’t be delicate or need constant pampering. Watching his elder brother pamper Ming Le every day made him feel tired on his brother’s behalf. Someone like Xiangxi, who was obedient and knew how to work, suited him just fine.

Mother Yang looked at her son, and Yang Tongchuan gave a slight nod. She sighed inwardly. Fine, it’s fate.

Mother Yang took Xiangxi’s hand. “I like this child. Take this bracelet as a meeting gift.” She slid a white-and-green jadeite bangle from her own wrist onto Xiangxi’s.

Xiangxi had never seen such a valuable item; his first instinct was to refuse.

“Silly ger, how can you refuse a gift from your future mother-in-law?” Matchmaker Chen joked from the side, helping to slide the bracelet onto his wrist. The bangle was too large for him and sat loosely. Xiangxi could only support his left hand with his right as he bowed to thank her.

The rest of the conversation wasn’t for Xiangxi’s ears, so his sister-in-law led him back to the west room.

“Well? What do you think of him?”

“I didn’t dare look. I was scared.”

“Oh, my dear Xixi, what are you being shy for now? When they leave, crack the window a little and take a good look at Constable Yang. If you’re happy, you’ll marry. If not, we’ll return the gifts.” The sister-in-law was in a hurry to get back to the east room and couldn’t say much more.

The talk wrapped up quickly. As the Yangs walked out, Xiangxi followed his sister-in-law’s advice and peeked through a crack in the window at Yang Tongchuan. Being a constable, Yang Tongchuan sensed someone watching him immediately. He turned his head and caught Xiangxi spying.

Terrified at being caught, Xiangxi slammed the window shut with a loud bang that startled Mother Yang.

“What was that noise?”

“It’s nothing. Just a stray cat running past,” Yang Tongchuan covered for him. Xiang Qiang and his wife stood by, smiling nervously.

After the Yangs left, the brother and sister-in-law came back to ask for Xiangxi’s decision.

“Did you see him clearly? Do you like him?” the sister-in-law asked bluntly.

“I am willing to marry,” Xiangxi replied. He was still a bit afraid of Yang Tongchuan, but seeing how satisfied his brother and sister-in-law were, he figured life would be alright.

“The Yang family said the betrothal gift will be fifteen taels of silver—the same standard as for a girl. If you’re willing, they’ll go calculate the dates.” His sister-in-law’s voice trembled with excitement.

It was currently the tenth day of the twelfth lunar month. Once the date was set, it would surely be after the New Year in the spring. The sister-in-law secretly hoped the wedding would be after she gave birth and finished her recovery month, so Xiangxi could help her and she would have the energy to organize his send-off.

The Yang family moved fast. The next day, they sent the betrothal gifts, an inventory list, and three auspicious dates:

1. The 8th day of the second lunar month.

2. The 15th day of the third lunar month.

3. The 10th day of the fifth lunar month.

Matchmaker Chen brought word that the Yangs wanted it as early as possible.

“Auntie Chen, look at me—I’m heavily pregnant, I have a stall to run, and a child to care for. I don’t have the energy. Let’s settle on the tenth of the fifth month. It’s only a few months’ difference.”

“The Yangs said they understand your situation. If time is tight, they can hire a wedding coordinator to help you,” Matchmaker Chen said. She knew what the sister-in-law was thinking: The marriage is set, the money is in hand, might as well get a few more days of labor out of Xiangxi.

“Marrying a day earlier brings peace of mind a day earlier. I think the eighth of the second month is perfect.” Having taken the Yang family’s commission, the matchmaker naturally spoke for them.

“This…” The sister-in-law wavered.

“Let it be the eighth of the second month,” Xiang Qiang asserted, showing a rare moment of decisiveness. The Yang family lived better than they did; Xiangxi was going there to enjoy a better life. Why make him suffer here for a few months more?

“Spoken like a true elder brother! I’ll go deliver the word,” Matchmaker Chen left happily.

And so, Xiangxi’s big day was set for the 8th of the second lunar month. His first reaction upon hearing the news: So soon?

Once the outsiders were gone, the family counted the gifts. Besides the fifteen taels of silver, there were bolts of fabric, wine, and meat. Most importantly, there was a silver bracelet—smaller than the jade one—that fit Xiangxi perfectly.

Xiang Qiang knew their family’s poverty. He planned to put all the betrothal gifts into Xiangxi’s dowry, find a carpenter to make a nice camphor wood chest for his belongings, and buy two new quilts. As for anything else, as a brother, he truly had nothing more to give.

The sister-in-law had originally hoped to keep some fabric and silver for themselves, but since Xiang Qiang had spoken, she dropped the idea.