The Daily Life of Farming and Raising Children in Ancient Mountain Residences

Chapter 200: The Proposal

The area around the inner valley had truly changed.

Mrs. Chen, who had never left the valley since arriving, felt it the most. Previously, apart from their group, there had been no sign of human life. Now, aside from the several small wooden houses and fenced gardens and chicken coops outside the village, just walking a short distance from the village revealed that people were living in the mountains. Not just one family, but several, with visible pathways and cleared fields indicating habitation, though no actual houses were seen.

The Zhou family’s home was originally a half-hour’s journey from the village, but now, as Sang Luo and the others headed toward the Zhou family, within a little over an hour, they could already see large areas of fenced land. Further along, they entered a residential area, where they could vaguely hear sounds of long stick practice, though no people were visible, indicating they were likely further inside.

In the outer area, several idle women were weaving straw mats. Seeing Shen Lie and his party from a distance, they became excited.

“It’s Young Master Shen and Miss Sang!”

“Miss Sang has arrived!”

They all stopped their work, with some coming out to greet them and others calling people inside. The welcome committee was well-organized. The men greeted Shen Lie, while the women and young girls addressed Sang Luo as Miss Sang.

Sang Luo didn’t recognize most of them, but every person in the village, young and old, seemed particularly familiar with her. Even if they hadn’t met Sang Luo before, hearing her being called Miss Sang made them feel a sense of warmth and affection, showing genuine enthusiasm and joy.

Sang Luo responded, and soon a group of boys carrying long sticks, led by Feng Erlang, came running out. They greeted Sang Luo and the others, and when they learned that Shen Lie was just here for a visit with no other business, they eagerly asked if they could watch their practice and receive some guidance.

Sang Luo laughed and said, “Go ahead. I’ll accompany Granny and Aunt to the Zhou family.”

The village itself was quite safe, and it wasn’t too far from where they were. The homes were arranged in a large circle, and they could continue on a small path inside.

Initially, Mrs. Chen hadn’t noticed much, but as they walked further into the village, more unfamiliar women came out to greet Sang Luo. She wondered, “Do you know so many people?”

Mrs. Gan laughed and said, “A Luo might not know them, but everyone in this area knows her.”

She then explained how Sang Luo had shared her knowledge of profitable trades, recipes, and things like yams with the locals.

Mrs. Chen was momentarily stunned, then smiled and patted Sang Luo’s hand, saying, “This is a good thing. It’s accumulating merit. Heaven keeps track of every bit of good done.”

Merit?

Hearing this, Sang Luo thought that if there were truly merits, she would prefer to accumulate them for her original self, hoping for her to find a good family in her next life. After all, she had already lived another life through her reincarnation. As for herself, simply living this life was already a great blessing from the heavens.

—

Wild animals are actually afraid of people. Since the village was established, most households no longer needed to keep their gates tightly shut during the day. The Zhou family’s mother and daughter had heard someone mention Miss Sang and came out to greet them. Upon learning that Sang Luo and Shen Lie had arrived, they both went out to welcome them.

From a distance, Zhou Ge glanced behind her, but the person she hadn’t seen for the past two months wasn’t there. However, seeing Mrs. Chen, she forgot her disappointment and hurried to join her mother in the welcome.

Mrs. Chen had been observing Zhou Ge discreetly since she came out. After not seeing her for nearly a year, the girl had clearly grown. Remembering how her grandson had urged her to find out about the Zhou family’s situation last night, Mrs. Chen’s eyes crinkled with smiles as she held Zhou Ge and began to praise her profusely.

The Zhou family’s ability to survive and live well was entirely due to Shen Lie and Chen Dashan’s help. Seeing Mrs. Chen and Sang Luo arrive, Zhou Laizi’s wife was very enthusiastic and immediately invited them all to sit down at her home.

Mrs. Chen would never refuse and, smiling, glanced at the direction the Zhou family had come from and the high courtyard walls behind them. “Is that where you live?”

Zhou Laizi’s wife smiled. “Yes, and it’s all thanks to Dashan, Shen Lie, and Master Xu for their help.”

She then led the three to her home. They entered the first courtyard, and inside a small inner courtyard, there was a small table. Zhou Ge went to boil some water.

In the winter, a fire was already burning for warmth, so the small kettle boiled water quickly. On this cold day, a pot of hot jujube tea was brewed, and clean bamboo cups were prepared for each guest.

Mrs. Chen held the warm tea, savoring the unique sweet fragrance of jujubes in the air, and looked at Zhou Ge with increasing fondness. She praised Zhou Laizi’s wife, “Your Ge must take after you in her dexterity.”

Zhou Laizi’s wife was very fond of her eldest daughter. Hearing Mrs. Chen’s praise, she downplayed it verbally but had a beaming smile on her face.

Mrs. Gan looked around the cave but didn’t see the Zhou family’s two younger children. She asked, “Where are your Sanlang and Ah Kui? Are they also practicing with the long sticks outside?”

Zhou Laizi’s wife nodded, smiling. “Ge’s father and Dalang went to the mountains with others today. Er Lang and Sanlang are practicing, and Ah Kui is just watching for fun.”

Zhou Ge noticed the long stick Sang Luo had casually placed against the wall of the courtyard and, curious, asked, “Sister-in-law, did you learn that stick technique too?”

Sang Luo, hearing the term “sister-in-law,” felt a twinge, thinking that soon she might be called Zhou Ge’s sister-in-law. She smiled and replied, “Yes, I’ve learned it. It’s quite useful. We’re about the same age, so you can just call me A Luo.”

In ancient times, proposals were not discussed in front of the girl, so Mrs. Chen and Mrs. Gan were likely about to bring up the main topic. Sang Luo smiled and asked, “Where do you practice around here? Ge, could you take me to see?”

“Sure.” Zhou Ge wondered if Chen Dashan might come, but since Sang Luo wanted to see the practice grounds, she nodded, said goodbye to her mother and Mrs. Chen and Mrs. Gan, and led Sang Luo out.

Sang Luo took the long stick with her and followed Zhou Ge outside. Once they were a bit away, Mrs. Chen, Mrs. Gan, and Zhou Laizi’s wife had the courtyard to themselves.

—

Zhou Ge was unaware of Mrs. Chen’s intentions and chatted casually with Sang Luo as they walked to the practice grounds. She looked at the crowd several times.

Sang Luo observed and realized what was going on. She couldn’t help but smile and didn’t point it out. Instead, she asked, “Don’t women practice martial arts here?”

Zhou Ge snapped back to focus and said, “No. My father did teach me archery, and I’m okay with aiming, but I don’t have much strength. I’ve been taught a bit of the stick technique by my Sanlang, but I’m not very talented and haven’t learned it well.”

Sang Luo thought that if someone wasn’t good at learning, it might be due to a lack of coordination or reluctance. Zhou Ge seemed quite gentle, so Sang Luo suggested, “If you have the chance, practice with me sometime. You don’t have to be perfect; just moving around is good for your health.”

In ancient times, the conditions for childbirth weren’t ideal, and most young women married at fifteen, so they often lacked a strong physical foundation. This was one reason Sang Luo learned these skills with Shen Ning.

Zhou Ge was puzzled about how they could practice together since the villages were quite far apart, but Sang Luo didn’t pursue the topic. Many village women came up to talk to Sang Luo, and Zhou Ge assumed Sang Luo’s comments were just polite remarks, so she didn’t ask further.

When Shen Lie had finished giving guidance and joined Sang Luo to head to the Zhou family, Mrs. Chen and Mrs. Gan also took their leave. After everyone had been sent off, Zhou Laizi’s wife looked at Zhou Ge with a smile, studying her closely, and then smiled more broadly.

Once mother and daughter returned indoors, Zhou Laizi’s wife smiled at her daughter and mentioned that the Chen family had come today to discuss a marriage proposal. Zhou Ge was stunned for a while, feeling both joy and embarrassment, with her mind a whirlwind of emotions. It took her a while to fully understand the implication of Sang Luo’s words.

If their family accepted the proposal, wouldn’t she be able to practice with Sang Luo?

Realizing this, her cheeks turned bright red.

Seeing her daughter’s reaction, Zhou Laizi’s wife understood her feelings and smiled widely. “I never imagined such a good match. The Chen family has a great reputation, and Dashan is an exceptional young man, one you won’t find easily.”

Zhou Laizi’s wife teasingly asked Zhou Ge, “Your mother hasn’t agreed to the marriage yet, only saying she’ll discuss it with your father and give an answer in a couple of days. But you tell your mother—are you willing or not?”

Zhou Ge’s cheeks were so flushed she could have cooked an egg on them. Embarrassed, she buried her head, thought of Chen Dashan, and struggled to suppress her shyness. She whispered, “I’ll listen to Mother.”

That was essentially an affirmation.

Zhou Laizi’s wife laughed, “Alright, I’ll mention it to your father tonight. I’m sure he’ll agree without hesitation.”

She reminisced about being saved and said with a smile, “It’s fate.”

Thinking about how Chen Dashan later taught her family’s men and sons archery, sent well-made bows and arrows, and even sent skins and meat several times, she suspected Chen Dashan had his eye on her daughter.

Zhou Laizi’s wife was even more pleased.

In another month, her daughter would turn seventeen—how fast time flies.

Her children often said that her own health had delayed the marriage arrangements. While it was one thing for a son to be delayed, it was another for a daughter, which wasn’t ideal. Given the current circumstances, she occasionally thought about it, never expecting such a good match to come along.

Zhou Ge, feeling shy and unable to endure her mother’s repeated, smiling looks, quickly found an excuse to work on some sewing and slipped into the cave.

Speaking of sewing, the few rabbit skins she had, many of which were from Chen Dashan and were of particularly good quality, made her heart swell with an indescribable joy.

While cutting the cattails, Sang Luo quietly asked Mrs. Chen, “Granny, what’s the news? What did Zhou’s wife say?”

Mrs. Chen smiled broadly and leaned closer to Sang Luo, also speaking softly, “Such matters don’t get decided on the spot. We’ll need to visit again in a couple of days, but I think it will work out.”

She was so pleased her eyes nearly squinted shut.

Sang Luo smiled and said congratulations, “It looks like I’ll need to prepare a good gift for Brother Dashan.”

This made Mrs. Chen laugh heartily.