Chapter Eight: All Because of Poverty

Page 1/3

Qin Zhihe was willing to dig for bluestone because even if the third son didn’t know how to burn lime, the bluestone they unearthed wouldn’t go to waste—they could always trade it for lime at the kiln. The only downside was the waiting time, and they’d have to slip a few packs of cigarettes to that accountant Feng. If all else failed, they could crush the stones and use them as gravel for paving. Having settled on this plan, the whole family immediately set to work. Winter was a slow season anyway; after meals, it was just the right time to find something to do.

“Third son, where are you and your five uncles off to?” As they stepped outside, a neighbor greeted them—one of Qin Jun’s elder relatives, well within the kinship limits of the clan.

“We’re going to dig some bluestone,” Qin Zhihe replied.

“Why dig that stuff? It’s useless. The lime kiln won’t take it, and giving it as a gift won’t work either. I heard that accountant Feng is a real piece of work.”

Qin Zhihe fell silent. What else could he say? He had just been insulted!

“Burning lime!” After a pause, Qin Zhihe shouted loudly.

“Ah? Burn lime? Who’s burning it? Your family yourselves?”

But this time, there was no response.

They continued on in silence. By the time they reached the west side of the village, five or six villagers had gathered, asking questions. So now, about half the village probably knew what their family was up to.

Qin Jun paid no mind to the inquiries; after all, it was the old man and his two elder brothers who had to deal with all that.

At this moment, Qin Jun’s gaze was drawn to the small village bathed in sunlight. It was about eight or nine in the morning, and under the golden rays, the little mountain village no longer looked so dilapidated. Many had finished breakfast and were already out and about, filling the morning with vitality and life.

Such a scene would be rare decades later.

In the future, the village would be left mostly to the elderly, with few children remaining as most had been taken by their parents to work in the cities.

This was the village as he remembered it: with calls to children to come home for meals, work accompanied by laughter and chatter, occasional quarrels—a village brimming with the warmth of everyday life.

As Qin Jun lingered in nostalgic thought, Qin Zhihe suddenly stopped.

Qin Jun nearly bumped into their father and didn’t know what was happening, so he followed suit and paused.

“Qin Shi, what’s going on at Old Ninth’s place this time?” Qin Zhihe tugged at Qin Shi and pointed to a nearby household.

Qin Shi was the eldest son of their great-uncle Qin Zhiqi and the village accountant.

“Old Ninth’s eldest son is having a matchmaking meeting today!” Qin Shi answered, watching the commotion.

Qin Jun also looked over. In a yard surrounded by a fence made of twigs, three or four women were gathered, whispering among themselves.

But their voices sounded somewhat off.

Perhaps they had heard the stir or maybe the winter mountain village was simply too dull—many who had finished breakfast gathered around.

Page 2/3

“Old Ninth’s eldest son must be twenty-five by now, right?”

“The New Year’s coming soon! After that, he’ll be twenty-six.”

“Yeah, twenty-six already. Time flies.”

“Hmph, what’s that got to do with the passage of time? It’s all poverty. If he can’t find a wife, he’ll remain a bachelor.”

“Don’t talk as if we’re not poor and can easily find wives.”

“I’m telling you, as long as you have money, you can definitely find a wife.”

“Heh, I don’t buy that. The Old Ninth couple has been scrimping on even cornmeal these past few years, switching entirely to sweet potato flour just to save money for their son’s marriage.”

As he spoke, a cold sneer deepened on his face.

“Just watch. Even if they had money, this match won’t come off today.”

“Why say that? Can’t you hope for the best for others?”

Qin Zhihe slapped the head of the man who had made the cynical remark.

“Third Uncle, does saying nice things make it happen? If it did, I’d be off to wish my Ninth Uncle a long life like the evergreen pine on the southern mountains!”

Qin Jun burst out laughing.

“Enough, Zhihe. Look over there—can’t you tell what’s going on?”

One of the villagers stopped Qin Zhihe from saying more.

The man who had made the cynical jokes was an old bachelor in his late twenties who had yet to find a wife.

He had been diligent and hardworking, embodying the spirit of the Chinese people’s perseverance and struggle to the extreme.

Yet, despite saving a fair amount of money, he never married.

Judging from his age, Qin Jun knew he was born at the wrong time.

The prime years for him to marry were around 1960.

That was a difficult period. Without grain in the household, it was impossible to talk about marriage.

For villagers paid in work points, even in good years, grain barely sufficed—not to mention during the three years of hardship.

During that time, families were close to starvation—where could they get grain to exchange for a wife?

Take their own family, for example. It was said that their grandfather had traded three large yellow croakers for three hundred jin of sweet potato flour just to keep everyone from starving.

Of course, Qin Jun only heard this twenty years later; at the time, no one dared mention it because gold trading was illegal.

Three large yellow croakers equaled thirty small ones, meaning during the hardest years, one small yellow croaker was worth merely ten jin of sweet potato flour.

Grain that saved lives was worth whatever it cost. No one complained about the price.

In such circumstances, without some family wealth, who could marry during those hard times?

Missing that chance meant several difficult years ahead in the countryside.

By 1965, when families had somewhat recovered, the cousin’s age would be around twenty-four or twenty-five.

Just like Old Ninth’s eldest cousin now, twenty-five years old—if he missed a few more chances, bachelorhood was almost certain.

Qin Jun glanced at Old Ninth’s household. The entire family was crammed into five thatched rooms, with no courtyard gate.

No wonder the cousin’s marriage prospects were bleak—if his own sister were to marry into such a family, she wouldn’t be happy either.

For instance, although Qin Jun’s family was bare, at least they had four walls!

But this family? Just five thatched rooms.

No one knew how long it had been since the roof had been repaired. The thatch was badly rotten, with clear signs of water erosion.

The thatch had been washed into channels by rain—meaning the roof had never been replaced since it was built.

The earthen walls weren’t any better. The lime plaster on the outer walls had all fallen away, exposing soil that had been deeply eroded by rain and pocked with holes—clearly a dangerous dwelling.

As for their son’s matchmaking, even if they couldn’t build a new house, a simple repair to make it look habitable would suffice.

Sure enough, outside, a group of uncles and cousins were anxiously watching. Their worst fears were about to come true.

Two older women, leading a young girl, quickly left.

Then a middle-aged woman who had stayed inside Old Ninth’s home emerged, face full of anger.

“What’s being said?”

“If you can’t speak properly, then shut your mouth!”

“Old Ninth’s family, don’t blame me this time. Didn’t I warn you at the start of the year?”

“Do you think I arranged this match for your three or five yuan? Or for the old hen you gave me?”

“Enough said. I’ll return the gifts.”

“From now on, no one in your family should look for me. In fact, no one in the village should. I can’t serve you anymore.”

Qin Jun watched the woman stride away briskly. Judging by her attitude and slick tongue, she was obviously the matchmaker.

This was serious—she actually declared she would no longer serve anyone in the village.

Could this be allowed? This effectively cut off all marriage opportunities for the village’s unmarried youth.

The onlookers, who had been enjoying the spectacle, suddenly grew somber.

They had been watching Old Ninth’s family, nearly snacking on sunflower seeds, but now, if this wasn’t handled properly, the village’s reputation would be ruined.

Every family had young men soon to marry. If the village’s name was damaged, finding brides would become much harder.

“Mrs. Li, what’s going on? Did Old Ninth’s family say something wrong? Explain it clearly. If they’re making trouble, I’ll deal with them immediately.”

Without anyone noticing, the village leader had slipped out from the crowd and caught hold of the matchmaker.

Judging by his anxious tone, he must have eligible youth at home as well.

The more enjoyable the spectacle earlier, the more frustrating it was now.

Page 3/3