Integrity Pension System

The next morning, Zhang Xiaoran got up on time, went for a small morning run around the village as usual, practiced Tai Chi again, went home and made some noodles to eat, then tidied up and looked in the mirror again.

In order to make himself look younger, Zhang Xiaoran deliberately chose a casual outfit suitable for young people, and even dried his hair with a hair dryer.

After messing around for more than an hour, Zhang Xiaoran went out to the fifth mother-in-law's house satisfied.

According to the custom in Yunshui County, a matchmaker brings a boy to propose marriage, but the boy is not allowed to bring gifts to the woman's house.

After all, whether the marriage will be successful or not is still a matter of course, and it is not good to accept the gift, and it would be embarrassing not to accept it, so the matchmaker brings the man to the door for the first time to propose marriage, basically empty-handed, just to introduce the man's situation to the woman's family, so that The woman girl sees if the boy can make eye contact.

And you can't make it public. When you come to propose marriage, you must try your best to avoid people's eyes and ears, otherwise not only will the marriage fail, but you will also be reviled.

Those who ask someone to tell a matchmaker, especially the woman, are the most taboo of a matchmaker. Everyone in the neighborhood knows it, and if they are not careful, the woman's reputation will be ruined. If it doesn't work out in the end, the woman will It is considered a loss of reputation, and in the end it may make it difficult for the woman to find her husband's family.

The matchmaker brings the boy to the door to ask for marriage for the first time. Once both parties are satisfied, then such a marriage can go through the latter process.

At that time, you can't keep a low profile, you have to make a big fanfare, and you have to prepare sample gifts for courtship. In some places, there are 8 gifts, but Yunshui County only needs 6 gifts.

……

"Fifth wife, can we go there earlier!"

At the fifth wife's house, Zhang Xiaoran looked anxiously at the fifth wife who was still working slowly, and couldn't help urging her.

He has been a bachelor for more than 40 years, and now he is unwilling to wait any longer, and wants to make the marriage earlier.

"It's not even eight o'clock, isn't it too early? I've lived such a long time, and I haven't gone out so early to make a matchmaking match!"

The fifth lady looked at her junior with a smile.

Zhang Xiaoran is crazy about his wife, he really doesn't want to wait for a moment!

What time is it? If it is in the city, many people are still sleeping.

But I can also understand him. He is 42 years old and doesn't even have a daughter-in-law. There is a young and beautiful girl who is willing to marry him so suddenly. It's no wonder he is not in a hurry!

"Don't be in a hurry, fifth wife. If Zhang Xiaodong and his wife go back on their word and don't agree with me being together with Qianqian, what should we do? It's better to make this marriage as early as possible!"

Zhang Xiaoran said hastily.

"Okay, let's go right away!"

The fifth lady stopped dawdling, and walked quickly to Zhang Xiaodong's house together with Zhang Xiaoran.

"I'm sorry, fifth wife, I'm too impatient!"

Zhang Xiaoran, who was walking quickly in front, stopped, and waited for the fifth wife to follow up, and apologized in a low voice.

"It's okay, it's okay, when we get engaged, just give the fifth wife a big red envelope."

The fifth woman said with a smile.

"No problem, I will definitely give a big red envelope to the fifth wife, you, a great matchmaker." Zhang Xiaoran said with certainty.

……

When they reached the door of Zhang Qianqian's house, Zhang Xiaoran was a little afraid to go in.

The main reason is that I don't know how to face Zhang Xiaodong and his wife.

Don't look at how anxious he was just now, but when the matter came up, Zhang Xiaoran became a little timid instead.

This has something to do with Zhang Xiaoran's personality, low self-esteem, introversion, and timidity for more than [-] years. Although after the establishment of the "Integrity Pension System", his pockets are bulging and he is confident, but the underlying inferiority, introversion, and timidity are not one or two. Months can cure it.

"What are you afraid of? There are more than ten generations between Zhang Xiaoran and our ancestors. If we were in the city, we would have been strangers hundreds of years ago. That is to say, we all lived in the same village. It's quite normal for you to marry his daughter if you call yourself a brother."

"It's too normal for a village to marry, don't talk about other villages, there are many people in our village who marry people from our own village." Seeing that Zhang Xiaoran hesitated to enter the yard, the fifth wife could see that he had a knot in his heart.

"If you want to marry a wife, you don't even show your face. How can there be such a good thing!"

The fifth lady laughed and cursed at Zhang Xiaoran.

"Fifth wife, I...I just don't know how to greet Xiaodong and his wife later!"

Zhang Xiaoran touched his head, frowned and said.

It was the first time to meet the woman’s parents during a blind date. Under normal circumstances, when the man saw the woman’s parents, he would either call him uncle or aunt, or call him uncle or aunt.

But what about yourself?

In the past Zhang Xiaodong called himself "Big Brother" and Wu Guifang called himself "Uncle", how should I call them now!

Shouting "Uncle" and "Auntie", Zhang Xiaoran felt so thin-skinned that he couldn't say it.

Just call them by name?

It also seemed that he was ignorant, and even called the name of the future father-in-law and mother-in-law.

"What's so difficult about it, Zhang Qianqian calls her whatever she calls, you just follow her call. If you want to marry a daughter-in-law, what shame do you need!"

The fifth woman looked at Zhang Xiaoran speechlessly and said.

Hey……

The older I get, the more I can't let go of my face!

If it's a young man in his twenties, how can he be taught!

The fifth wife's words were like enlightenment, making Zhang Xiaoran suddenly enlightened: "Yes, if you want a daughter-in-law, what shame do you need!"

Just as Zhang Xiaoran made up her mind, the fifth wife scolded Zhang Xiao in a rough voice, and then she patted the open yard gate and shouted loudly, "Is Guifang at home?"

Soon, the well-dressed Wu Guifang came out from the main room, greeted the fifth lady with a smile and said, "The fifth lady is here, come in quickly!"

Then he glanced at Zhang Xiaoran, and said with a little embarrassment: "Zhang... Zhang Xiaoran, come in too, don't bask in the sun outside!"

"Hey, good... good!"

The nervous Zhang Xiaoran responded subconsciously, and followed into the house anxiously, completely oblivious to the change in Wu Guifang's address and tone of voice.

Although Zhang Xiaoran was already 42 years old, this was the first time he formally followed a matchmaker to propose a marriage. Although he was familiar with the woman's family, he was still very nervous and even panicked.

He cared too much about Zhang Qianqian, he was afraid that Zhang Xiaoran and his wife would not agree to betroth her to him.

In Zhang Xiaoran's eyes, Zhang Qianqian is so pure and incomparable, he is the most precious thing in this world... It's hard to describe in words, more than he cherishes his own life.

That's why Zhang Xiaoran was so nervous that he almost panicked.

In the main room, Zhang Xiaodong sat on the armchair, and said to Zhang Xiaoran and the others who entered the room: "Fifth wife, you are old, sit down quickly, Xiaoran, you sit too."

Compared to Zhang Xiaoran's nervousness, Zhang Xiaodong and his wife behaved much more naturally.

Looking at Zhang Xiaodong's natural expression and the tone and attitude of an elder greeting a junior, Zhang Xiaoran couldn't help but sighed.

Hey……

The former brother became the son-in-law! ! !

His seniority has grown, and his seniority has fallen! ! !

He has become his father, and he has become his half son! ! !

And he did it voluntarily, and even worried that he wouldn't be able to become his half son.

Hey……

Who let himself miss his daughter! ! !

After the tea was served, the fifth wife and Zhang Xiaodong exchanged some cold words with each other, and the marriage proposal began.

"Xiaodong, Guifang, your daughter is eighteen, isn't she the age to say goodbye?"

The fifth lady put down the teacup in her hand, and looked at Zhang Xiaodong and his wife with a serious expression.

There are rules for matchmaking. Although the fifth wife is very clear about Zhang Qianqian's situation, the rules are the rules, and you must ask like this.

"Yes... my daughter Zhang Qianqian is this year, and she is old enough to say goodbye."

Zhang Xiaodong said nervously, although the couple had rehearsed several times at home last night, he was still a little rusty and nervous.

For him, it was also the first time to tell his daughter about his marriage.

"Oh, I don't know how many years your daughter has been studying, and she was married to someone before?" The fifth woman continued to ask, with a meticulous expression.

"My... daughter Qianqian has studied for nine years, and she stopped studying in her sophomore year of high school. She never kissed anyone before..."

See Zhang Xiaodong continue to stutter and answer.

Sitting on the side, Wu Guifang was anxious for her man, wishing she could go back for him.

It's just that according to the customs in Yunshui County, when a matchmaker comes to say goodbye, the man in charge must answer, and the woman can only listen from the sidelines.

Even if the man in the family dies, the girl's uncle has to be invited to help follow this rule. If it was in the old society, the decision-making power was still in the hands of the uncle, but now times have changed, and the decision-making power rests with the girl Mother has it.

"Xiaodong, I heard that your daughter is pretty, with bright eyes and bright teeth, well-behaved and obedient, smart, filial to her parents, beautiful and intelligent, and ingenious. She is good at everything, right?" The fifth woman continued to ask. .

"Yes!" Zhang Xiaodong said with certainty.

"Okay, now there is a good-looking, smart and capable, wealthy, young and promising young man who respects his parents and wants to marry your daughter as his wife. I don't know what you want!"

The fifth woman asked Zhang Qianqian's parents with a serious expression, without even looking at Zhang Xiaoran who was sitting next to her. No matter what "good looks" and "young and promising" words were, they were purely false.

A man in his forties, how can he be young, promising, and handsome!

But the script is like this, just listen to it!

"Since this young man is handsome, smart and capable, has a wealthy family, is young and promising, and respects his parents, then choose a good day and come to the door with six gifts and talk about it."

Zhang Xiaoran wasn't nervous anymore, and said according to the words he had prepared in advance.

Prepare 6 kinds of gifts and come to the door, which is to agree to this marriage.

After going through this process, if nothing unexpected happens, Zhang Xiaoran is certain that he is his son-in-law.

I used to call myself Big Brother Zhang Xiaoran!

From now on, Zhang Xiaoran will call him father!

It's interesting to think about it!

Hey……

I'm just such a juicy girl, I'm so cheap for this old guy!

He was so kind to himself when he was a child, so he was here waiting for him!

However, I am not at a disadvantage!

He has become his son-in-law, Zhang Xiaoran will be a generation shorter than him in this life, and he has to respect himself.

Son-in-law, son-in-law, half!

In the future, if I call him "Son", he will have to respond smugly.

Thinking of that scene, Zhang Xiaodong's heart was also balanced.

"I've counted the days. Tomorrow will be a good day. It's a good day to get married. Let's set it on tomorrow. The younger generation will come with six gifts!"

The fifth wife said happily.

Everything is going well, the marriage is considered a deal, and we are just waiting for the next process.

According to the rules, after the matchmaker visits the door, the man will come to the door with a prepared sample gift after looking at the almanac and choosing a good date.

Generally, at least three to five days are left for the woman's family to secretly inquire about the man's situation. During this period, if the woman feels that the man's character is not good or the woman wants to go back on his word, it is all right.

At the same time, the man also has enough time to carefully prepare the sample ceremony.

Just seeing Zhang Xiaoran's eagerness and stepping on his own foot secretly, the fifth wife could only "accept" that the time was set for tomorrow.

In ancient times, marrying a daughter-in-law paid attention to "three letters and six rituals". "Three letters" refer to the documents used in the process of "six rituals", including the letter of appointment, letter of ceremony and letter of welcome.

"Six Rituals" refers to the whole marriage process from proposal to completion. "Six Rituals" refers to the six etiquettes, referring to Nacai, Asking Names, Najib, Nazheng, Asking Dates and Greeting.

This ancient marriage process is a bit different from the modern meaning.

The modern marriage process generally refers to the etiquette held on the wedding day, while the marriage process of the three books and six ceremonies includes the documents and etiquette in the process from marriage discussion, engagement to marriage.

Similar to modern times, the entire traditional marriage customs and etiquette informed relatives and neighbors to gain social approval and security.

In addition, traditional marriage customs and etiquette enable married couples to obtain the approval of ancestors and gods and undertake to fulfill their rights and obligations to their parents and relatives.

Therefore, in some ancient times, if a man and a woman did not complete the process of the three scriptures and six rituals, the marriage would not be recognized as a legitimate marriage; the completeness of the marriage ceremony directly affects the auspiciousness of the marriage.

Although the three steps of marriage, engagement, and marriage have replaced the ancient "three books and six rituals", many procedures still refer to the "three books and six rituals".

For example, in this engagement, you must accept it, that is, you must give the woman a gift that symbolizes auspiciousness.

However, in the ancient "Na Cai", about [-] kinds of auspicious gifts were required to be given to the bride's family, but now there are not so many. The customs of each place are different, and the gifts are also different.

In Yunshui County, "six rituals" are generally enough, and if the man's family is rich, there are only "eight rituals".

"Okay, I'm going to prepare the sample ceremony today!"

After hearing the exact reply, Zhang Xiaoran couldn't wait to speak without waiting for the fifth wife to speak.

As long as the adoption is completed, the marriage will be considered a certainty, and it will be difficult for Zhang Xiaodong to go back on his word.

Of course, it was impossible for Zhang Xiaoran to give him a chance to repent.

"It's so old, so I can't hold my breath!"

The fifth woman looked at Zhang Xiaoran who was sitting next to her speechlessly.

"Then let's go back and get ready, and come tomorrow with a sample gift." The fifth woman stood up and said to Zhang Xiaodong and his wife.

……