Chapter 46.2

Translated by Aviana

The various aunts and young married women seethed at once. The inside matter of the Yang Tiezhu’s accident rapidly spread across the Luoxia village like a thunderbolt….

Apparently, Yang Tiezhu was injured when he went to earn money for Yang jia’s laosi, to bribe for his exam….

Laosi: fourth child of the family

Apparently, when Yang Tiezhu got injured, apart from Yang jia’s third son and daughter-in-law, none of the family showed up….

Apparently, Yang Tiezhu’s injuries were very serious, and he almost lost his life. When they rushed to the medical center in the town, the doctor said that his condition was treatable, but the treatment wouldn’t be cheap…

Apparently, for Yang Tiezhu’s treatment, Yang jia didn’t even take out a single penny. Not only that, they didn’t even go to see the person….

Apparently, Yang Tiezhu’s delicate and charming young wife nearly cried to death. She went and begged Yang jia for help but didn’t get any silver. In the end, with no choice, she sold all her jewelry and borrowed a bit of silver from her eldest gu. Only then did she manage to pull Yang Tiezhu from the gates of hell…

Apparently, it wasn’t that Yang jia couldn’t put out that much sum of silver. Rather they had to use that silver for Yang jia’s laosi’s exam. That’s why they couldn’t save Yang Tiezhu….

Furthermore, Yang Tiezhu’s condition of the injury was extremely serious. Above all, he was strongly thrashed at his left shoulder by a bear, causing his left arm to become crippled…..

The one at the end was the most horrifying!

Who is Yang Tiezhu? Naturally, in the nearby ten li and eight villages, he was a well-known robust man. He was tall and strong – strong as an ox. Even playing with a wild boar and tiger wasn’t that of an issue for him, a true expert. But, unexpectedly, this time, his arm got crippled!

Li (Chinese: 里, lǐ, or 市里, shìlǐ), also known as the Chinese mile, is a traditional Chinese unit of distance. The li has varied considerably over time but was usually about one-third of an English mile and now has a standardized length of a half-kilometer (500 meters or 1,640 feet)

In the countryside, having a crippled arm is a huge matter. Because farmer households would have to go into the fields to do work, which was a physically laborious work. A man with a crippled arm is equivalent to the loss of a strong able-bodies worker.

The man was originally a well-known strong, able-bodied one but now has become disabled – evoking pity in all the villagers at his bitter experience. Of course, there wasn’t also a lack of people, who formerly used to be green with envy at Yang Tiezhu’s ability to hunt, now took joy in others’ calamity and delight in disaster.

幸 灾 乐祸 (xìngzāilèhuò): lit. to take joy in calamity and delight in disaster (idiom); fig. to rejoice in other people’s misfortune / Schadenfreude

In any case, the rumor that Yang Tiezhu got crippled spread rapidly in the entire village like a wildfire, and the situation developed to the point that almost every household got wind of it.

Many wanted to drop by to visit the poor comrade, Yang Tiezhu to express their consolations. However, with an eccentric and shrewish He-shi in the Yang jia, no one dared to visit.

He-shi’s stinginess, shrewish temperament, and eccentricity were widely known across the entire Luoxia village. Apart from few people who dared to provoke her, others couldn’t do the same. And also, with her being not being close to many people in the village, almost none of the furen came to her to speak about this matter. As such, He-shi wasn’t aware of the rumors outside at the moment.

妇人 (fùrén): married woman

However, sooner or later, anyhow, she will come to know of these rumors. Because in Yang jia, there is still Wang-shi, a gossipmonger, and Yang Tieshuan, who liked gambling and drinking with few rogues of the nearby village.

As of now, the rumors haven’t yet reached the ears of the members of Yang jia. Others only talked behind their backs. But after a while, they would surely get wind of it when these rumors escalate beyond a certain extent.

Lin Qingwan’s idea was this – she would pretend to be pitiful and lay out her grievances. Further emphasizing that Yang Tiezhu’s hand might get crippled in the future. Rumors are the best sharp weapons. Once members of Yang jia get wind of it, she shall see if they can sit still.

****

Conversely, He-shi was in good spirits and jubilant this while.

Yang Tiezhu was injured, but she didn’t have any silver to treat him. Although the second branch said they had taken Yang-shi’s help and had to pay the debt back, she would absolutely not acknowledge that debt when that moment arrives. Yang Chunhua had to fill this debt by herself.

Furthermore, this time her dearest son would return as a xucai, surely a matter set in stone.

She couldn’t refrain herself from thinking of her son’s marriage affairs after he became a xucai. There is also Yang Ermei, who is already fifteen years old and has reached marriageable age.

She had delayed Yang Xuezhang’s marriage till now because she firmly believed that her son would become a xucai. Once he becomes a xucai, what sort of marriage proposals wouldn’t come for him? He-shi’s wish has always been to give her son a wonderful marriage!

There is also Yang Ermei. As a younger sister of a xucai, she can also become a furen of a rich household.

After seeing off her son, Yang Xuezhang, on his journey to the county to take the exam, and Yang Tiegen, who was accompanying him, He-shi couldn’t help but ponder happily in the heart.

She had already considered all the young girls in the Luoxia village but didn’t find anyone suitable. In the nearby villages also, she didn’t hear of anyone good. Thus, He-shi planned to find a wife for Yang Xuezhang from the town.

However, He-shi wasn’t good at the the aspect of inquiring about which family’s girl was good. After contemplating for a while, she couldn’t help but think of looking for a good matchmaker for Yang Xuezhang’s marriage.

The more she thought about it, the more she felt it was right. Yang Tiegen had accompanied Yang Xuezhang to the county. So, He-shi had Yang Tieshuan go and invite the best matchmaker among nearby ten li and eight villages.

Yang Tieshuan was originally unwilling to go but was admonished by He-shi and was forced to get up and go.

After half a shichen, Yang Tieshuan came back with Matchmaker Ma.

时辰 (s híchen): time / one of the 12 two-hour periods of the day (1 shichen is equivalent to 2 hours.)

He-shi cordially invited Matchmaker Ma into the main room and even had Yao-shi serve her tea and fruits, which He-shi rarely ever did.

After the two exchanged pleasantries, He-shi expressed her wish to Matchmaker Ma.

Mediating as a go-between was but an easy drive on a familiar path from Matchmaker Ma. Realizing that He-shi wanted her to matchmake for her son, she began introducing suitable girls to her.

驾轻就熟 (jiàqīngjiùshú): lit. an easy drive on a familiar path (idiom); fig. experience makes progress easy / a task that is so familiar one can do it with one’s hand tied behind one’s back

After listening to her, He-shi remained silent for a moment before she expressed her dissatisfaction.

“My son is about to become a xucai. Matchmaker Ma, can’t you talk about the girls with better prospects?”

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