Mr. Jing and His Little Husband

Chapter 45

Dongkuan Village@@@@

“Please, have a seat. Come and have some honey water. By the way, how should I address you?” Uncle Dan welcomed the esteemed guests into the main hall. While offering them water, he engaged in casual conversation.

“Uncle Dan, my last name is Jing, and my given name is Yi. This is my father,” Jing Yi introduced himself. When he noticed that Dan Tian had entered the hall, he rose and greeted him, saying, “Brother Dan, Happy New Year! We’ve come to collect the six red lanterns we ordered from you earlier.”

As he spoke, Jing Yi took a small package from behind his back, retrieved one hundred wen, and handed them to Brother Dan.

“Jing brothers, no need to be so polite. Completing a business deal in the first month of the new year signifies a prosperous year ahead,” Brother Dan replied joyfully.

He then told his father to keep the guests company and took his spouse to place the six lanterns onto Jing Yi’s donkey cart.

Upon hearing this, Jing Yi insisted on helping with the lifting, saying he could manage the physical work while sparing Brother Dan’s energy. Despite Brother Dan’s polite refusal, Jing Yi followed him outside.

The two of them entered the workshop on the east side of the house, where numerous lanterns of various sizes hung. Some of the lanterns displayed remarkable artistic craftsmanship, exquisite and exceptional.

Even someone like Jing Yi, who had seen a lot in the world, couldn’t help but marvel at the intricate and detailed craftsmanship.

“Brother Dan, your craftsmanship is truly outstanding, almost at a master level,” Jing Yi praised sincerely.

“Crafting lanterns is nothing compared to being a master. These lanterns don’t sell much. Rural folks buy them mostly during the New Year for festivities. I barely make a profit,” Mr. Dan said with a bitter smile.

Their family didn’t have much land, and while they possessed the ancestral lantern-making skill, they only sold a few during festivals to supplement their income.

“Have you ever considered selling your lanterns in the town?” Jing Yi asked.

With both parties benefiting and at ease with the arrangement, they discussed various other details. However, as the day was growing late, Jing Yi asked about the Zhu family without revealing his identity, wanting to gauge what the Zhu family had told the village.

“Brother Dan, is there a family surnamed Zhu in Dongkuan Village? I heard they are quite wealthy. Do they have an unmarried son? A family in our village is interested, and they asked me to inquire.”

Mr. Dan, perplexed, replied, “Yes, there is a Zhu family with plenty of good farmland. However, their son is already married. I haven’t heard of any eligible bachelors in their family.”

Dan’s wife, who had been watching their two children in the yard, chimed in, “Jing brother, my husband isn’t well-informed about village matters. Let me fill you in.”

“In fact, the young man from the Zhu family is indeed married, and it seems his wife didn’t treat her in-laws well. She was lazy and disrespectful, and after some disputes, she was sent back to her parents’ home last year. Before the New Year, the Zhu family announced a new marriage for their son, and they plan to remarry him at the end of February.”

“But we have other young men in our village who are capable as well. You can introduce them to the young ladies from your village.”

These conversations served a dual purpose for the villagers in ancient times. Not only did they indulge in gossip, but they also felt they had performed good deeds by helping others gather information on potential matches.

“Divorced and remarrying already? What could be so severe as to warrant a divorce?” Jing Yi feigned shock.

It appeared that this unscrupulous family was not only tarnishing Lin’s eldest daughter and her family’s reputation in the village but also creating a fabricated narrative to justify their actions. This family’s behavior was truly despicable.

“They claim that the young bride was disrespectful to her in-laws, lazy, and, most importantly, she hadn’t given birth to any children during her time in the family. But we live far from the Zhu family, and we don’t know all the details. Perhaps there are more serious issues,” Dan’s wife said.

In truth, many villagers wondered why such a severe step as divorce was taken for a disrespectful daughter-in-law. It was clear that the husband’s family had used various methods to deal with the situation, and there were likely deeper issues.

“All right, thank you, Sister-in-law. I’ll let the elder ladies in my village know and have them look into other options,” Jing Yi replied.

With all matters discussed, both parties felt content. For Brother Dan, this business didn’t require additional costs and wouldn’t disrupt his family’s current life. Earning money was always a significant benefit, and if they didn’t succeed, they could sell the lanterns slowly in the future.

For Jing Yi, he had also resolved another issue. He had always wanted to find a more suitable job for Jing Feng, something that would make good use of his talents. Regarding the main hall issue, the restaurant had gradually stabilized, and hiring a waiter to help with it in town was manageable.