CHAPTER 356: CHAPTER 356: MOSQUITO COIL

Three days later, Chang Errui once again sought out Yuan Laorong and his wife, stating his decision not to marry into Gu Dafu’s family.

Upon seeing his resolute decision, Yuan Lao Rong’s wife felt it improper to delay the girl’s prospects any further, and sent someone to inform Gu Dafu’s family, along with a generous gift.

Mrs. Chen was so furious upon learning that the Yuan Family had rejected the marriage proposal that she wanted to kill someone. After sending off the messenger with a rigid face, she barely managed to wait until closing the shop before storming home. As soon as she entered, she shouted, "Gu Yumei, come out and die, what on earth did you do to make the Yuan Family reject this marriage?"

Gu Yumei was at home blending spices when she heard this. She was surprised, angry, and even a bit relieved—she no longer had to marry into a family in Yanfu Village to farm the land.

She retorted, "Second Aunt, I have only met the Yuan Family once, and you were present then. You saw what I did, so how is the success of this marriage anything to do with me? Besides, I did nothing to upset the Yuan Family."

Mrs. Chen, unaware of the incident where Chang Errui encountered Wan Lifang escorting Gu Yumei and her brother to the town, considered Gu Yumei’s response. Recalling how well they had hosted Elder Yuan’s wife on the day the shop opened, she too felt that Gu Yumei was not at fault.

But why did the marriage then fall through?

After all, Yuan Lao Rong’s wife had seemed quite fond of Sister Mei that day.

Mrs. Chen felt that her family had been played by the Yuan Family, which left her seething with anger. She stood in the house, furiously cursing the Yuan Family for a good while.

Gu Dafu and Gu Dagui returned home to hear the news of the marriage rejection, feeling uncomfortable about it.

Gu Dagui comforted Gu Dafu, "Big brother, let it be. If the Yuan Family won’t do, we’ll find another. Haven’t several families recently come to propose to Sister Mei? Let’s select carefully, and we’ll surely find a good match."

Gu Dafu responded, "Those families are all aiming for our workshop and shop. Their intentions are impure; where is the ’good family’ among them?"

To marry into those families would be a disservice to Sister Mei.

Gu Dexing suggested, "There’s still Scholar Wan’s family. Dad, Scholar Wan’s family truly are good people. Wan Lifang is decent in character and learning. Perhaps you should consider it. If it works out, Sister Mei’s future won’t be too bleak."

Mrs. Chen’s eyes lit up, "Right, there’s the Wan Family. Although Scholar Wan might be a bit lofty, at least he has the title of a Scholar. If we form an alliance with his family, it would bring honor to our household."

Previously, Gu Dafu hadn’t been fond of the Wan Family, but after Yuan Family’s rejection, and now hearing about Scholar Wan’s family, he started to take it seriously. After pondering, he said, "The Wan Family does seem decent, but marriage is a significant matter that can’t be decided hastily. I’ll think it over."

Gu Yumei, overhearing her father considering the Wan Family, felt very pleased. If she could marry into Scholar Wan’s family, she’d become a young madam.

...

Third Grandpa and Third Grandma, upon hearing of the Yuan Family’s rejection of the two families’ union, were deeply regretful, "What a pity, the Yuan Family is so good, yet it didn’t work out."

"Why would the Yuan Family be unwilling? Could it be that they disdain us for fleeing famine? Or did they hear some idle gossip?"

On the road escaping famine, anything could happen, and many families were reluctant to marry girls who had fled famine, fearing that the girls’ health would have been compromised.

Third Grandma had always been worried about this and, hearing of the Yuan Family rejecting the marriage proposal, she could not help but ask.

Third Grandpa sat beside Brother Cheng, watching him write on sand, and sighed upon hearing the words, "Who knows what the reason is, but whatever it is, it wouldn’t be just because of a few idle remarks. Village Chief Yuan is not the kind of person to believe rumors easily. If he brought his daughter-in-law to the shop opening, it means he found the girl to be fine; if he really looked down on her, he wouldn’t have let his wife come that day."

Third Grandma sighed deeply upon hearing this.

Gu Jinli was tinkering with her mosquito incense in the courtyard. Hearing their conversation, she comforted them, "Third Grandpa, Third Grandma, don’t worry. Recently, many families have come to propose to Uncle Dafu’s family. Gu Yumei won’t lack suitors. Scholar Wan’s family has visited twice already, and from what I see, Gu Yumei quite likes the Wan Family. It’s quite possible she might become a scholar’s wife someday."

Gu Yumei was carefree and liked the idea of marrying a scholar, dreaming of her husband succeeding in every exam; this year a scholar, next a higher-level scholar, and in the following year the top scorer. She would rather the match with the Yuan Family fall through so she could marry into Scholar Wan’s family.

Third Grandma said, "Becoming a scholar’s wife is not that easy, besides, Sister Mei doesn’t know many characters. As a girl from a farming family, marrying into a scholar’s family, she won’t be able to converse much with them. Her life won’t be easy."

Gu Jinli didn’t reply, feeling that whether the life was easy or not was for Gu Yumei to decide, and it was none of her business.

She continued to mix the incense mud in a clay basin, and after mixing it well, she took out a dozen or so molds.

The molds had been made by Gu Dashan for her, simply carved with small grooves the size of soybeans and half an arm’s length into a wooden board.

She poured the mixed incense mud into the small grooves, filling them one by one before setting them out in the courtyard to dry.

Third Grandma, seeing this, asked, "Can this dried mud really be lit as incense?"

After the busy farming season, Xiao Yu had spoken about making mosquito incense. For half a month, she had been tinkering with it, running to Xuanhu Fang to buy many herbs, and collecting some old tree bark, then grinding the bark and herbs into powder and mixing them together.

Luckily, those herbs were cheap; otherwise, Xiao Yu mixing them up with the old tree bark would have broken her heart.

Gu Jinli said, "Yes, in a couple of days, we can start using the mosquito incense at home. No more mosquito bites, nor suffering from the mugwort smoke stinging our eyes."

In Great Chu, there was no mosquito incense. Every summer, people could only smoke their houses with mugwort, but the smoke from mugwort was intense. Even sitting at the door, one could get choked by the smoke from the mugwort inside the house.

Moreover, too much smoke was bad for the lungs.

The mosquito incense she was making didn’t contain mugwort, only white rod daisy, Mingya Grass, and red back vine—three kinds of herbs effective at repelling insects. The incense she made produced little smoke and was very proficient at killing mosquitoes.

"Then I’ll wait for it. If the incense you make doesn’t kill mosquitoes, don’t make it again. It’s a waste of money," said Third Grandma. She was a bit scared of Gu Jinli’s spending habits. This girl must have suffered too much when they were escaping the famine. Once she settled down, as long as she had money, she would eagerly spend it without ever seeming to stop.

After Gu Jinli finished sunbathing one set of mosquito incense, she proceeded to fill another set of molds with the incense mud from the clay basin. Hearing Third Grandma’s words, she laughed and said, "Third Grandma, how about we make a bet? If the mosquito incense I make works, you give me one tael of silver."

"One tael of silver, you really think money grows on trees. Alright, it’s just one tael of silver. I have some savings now; I can afford to lose one tael," agreed Third Grandma readily. Even if she lost the silver, it would go to Gu Jinli, so she wouldn’t mind.

Gu Jinli said, "Alright, we have a deal. When the time comes, Third Grandma, you can’t renege on the debt."

Brother Cheng quickly said, "Second Sister, I’ll be your witness. If you win, I’ll help you get the money from Third Grandma."

Third Grandma glared at him, "You ungrateful little thing, after all the love Third Grandma has given you, you still side with your Second Sister."

Brother Cheng giggled, knowing that Third Grandma loved him and thus wasn’t afraid.