ICCFVHR 14

Chapter 14

I Am Willing to Marry Him

Su Wanqing tilted her head, staring at his face as she deliberately poked a hole in his confidence. “Do you even have money? Don’t let it be a case where I pick out a bunch of things and you can’t pull out the cash. That would be so embarrassing.”

Lu Shiyan smiled and didn’t speak. He just tilted his chin up with a look of absolute confidence.

Su Wanqing instantly remembered his dealings in the black market. Having a clear idea in her mind now, she didn’t press further. Smiling beamingly, she leaned back against him, even intentionally nudging into his embrace. “Alright then, I’ll trust you just this once. If you lie to me, I’ll ignore you.”

Lu Shiyan let out a low chuckle, reaching out to wrap his arm around her shoulder and pulling her a bit tighter against him.

The tractor drove for nearly an hour before finally arriving in town.

There weren’t many people at the entrance of the town. There were a few vendors carrying shoulder poles selling vegetables, and two people riding bicycles rushing along their way. From a distance, one could see the town’s adobe houses hanging a scattering of shop signs.

Uncle Li parked the tractor under the old locust tree at the town entrance, turning around to shout at them, “We’re here, we’re here. You two get off, I still have to go haul some goods.”

Lu Shiyan jumped down first, standing firmly on the ground, then extended his hand toward Su Wanqing, saying, “Slow down, be careful, don’t fall.”

Holding his hand, Su Wanqing jumped down carefully. The moment her feet touched the ground, she swayed slightly. Once she stood firmly, she lifted her hands to pat away the dust clinging to her clothes.

Lu Shiyan pulled a two-yuan bill from his pocket and held it out to Uncle Li.

Seeing this, Uncle Li quickly waved his hands, repeatedly declining, “Oh, absolutely not, absolutely not! It’s just a ride along the way. Why charge money? That’s far too polite.”

Lu Shiyan forced the money into his hand, saying with a smile, “Uncle Li, please take it. Today is my wedding day. Just accept it to share in the good fortune, consider it a small token of my appreciation.”

Uncle Li froze for a moment, looking at Lu Shiyan and then at the beaming Su Wanqing beside him. A smile instantly broke across his face, “Oh, today is your big day? Then congratulations, congratulations! I won’t be polite about this money then. Wishing you two a happy and harmonious marriage!”

Su Wanqing nodded with a smile, her voice incredibly sweet, “Thank you, Uncle Li. Wishing you good health and that everything goes your way too.”

Only then did Uncle Li accept the money, carefully stuffing it into his pocket, saying with a smile, “Alright, I won’t be polite then. You two have a good stroll and buy whatever you need. If there’s no vehicle to take you back in the evening, just come and wait under this old locust tree. I usually finish work around that time, so I can bring you back to the village along the way.”

“Alright, thank you, Uncle Li,” Lu Shiyan replied, squeezing Su Wanqing’s hand.

Uncle Li waved his hand, started the tractor, and chugged away.

Standing at the town entrance, Su Wanqing looked all around, her eyes not even knowing where to look first.

The town was much livelier than the village.

Both sides of the street were lined with blue brick and tiled houses, packed close together. There was a supply and marketing cooperative, a restaurant, and a post and telecommunications office, all hanging simple wooden signs at their entrances.

There were quite a few people coming and going on the road. Some were riding bicycles, ringing their bells with a ting-a-ling; some were carrying shoulder poles selling vegetables, shouting their cries; others were carrying baskets to the market. Occasionally, a donkey cart would pass by, the donkey’s hooves making a clop-clop sound on the stone road.

She found everything fresh and novel, just like Grandma Liu entering the Grand View Garden.

Lu Shiyan stood beside her, quietly watching her like this, the smile in his eyes impossible to hide.

“Let’s go register for the certificate first.” He reached out to take her hand, his palm warm. “After we register, I’ll accompany you to stroll around slowly.”

Su Wanqing nodded, letting him pull her along as she skipped happily with him toward the commune.

The commune compound was in the middle of the town. A wooden sign hung at the entrance, bordered by walls painted stark white, with large red slogans written on them, looking very solemn.

Lu Shiyan pulled her into the compound, quickly finding the civil affairs section office.

The office door was open, and a woman in her forties was sitting inside. She wore a blue cloth jacket with blue cloth oversleeves on her arms, looking down as she flipped through a newspaper.

Lu Shiyan lifted his hand to knock on the door, “Comrade, sorry to bother you.”

The woman lifted her head, swept a glance over them, her tone flat, “Is there something?”

“Comrade, we are here to register for a marriage certificate.” As Lu Shiyan spoke, he pulled Su Wanqing a step forward into the room.

The woman put down her newspaper, sizing them up from head to toe, and pointed to the stools in front of the desk, “Come in. Have you brought all your documents?”

The two walked into the room. Together, Lu Shiyan and Su Wanqing pulled out their household registration booklets, letters of introduction, and the authorization papers issued by the brigade, placing them all on the desk.

The woman picked up the documents, checking them carefully one by one. First the household registration booklets, then the letters of introduction, and finally the brigade authorization, checking very earnestly.

“You two are from the same brigade?” she asked, lifting her head as her gaze fell upon Lu Shiyan.

“Yes,” Lu Shiyan nodded.

The woman looked at Su Wanqing again, her tone softening a bit, “Young lady, you are an educated youth, right?”

Su Wanqing also nodded, responding with a smile, “Yes, I am an educated youth, sent down to the countryside at the Hongxing Brigade.”

The woman picked up Lu Shiyan’s household registration booklet again. Seeing the “black five categories” written in the family background column, her movements paused.

She lifted her head to look at Su Wanqing, her tone carrying a hint of a warning, “Young lady, have you looked closely? His family background… you might be implicated in the future.”

Before she could finish speaking, Su Wanqing interrupted with a smile, “Comrade, I have looked closely. I know what his family background is. I am willing to marry him, and I won’t regret it.”

The woman froze for a moment, looking at Su Wanqing and then at Lu Shiyan, a flash of surprise crossing her eyes.

She opened her mouth, wanting to advise her a couple more sentences, but seeing the determination in Su Wanqing’s eyes, she swallowed her words back down.

She lowered her head, pulling out two bright red marriage certificates from the drawer, spreading them across the desk, and handed over a fountain pen, “Name, age, native place, fill them out yourselves.”

Lu Shiyan took the fountain pen, turning his head to look at Su Wanqing, his eyes carrying an inquiry.

Su Wanqing blinked at him, nodding gently, her lips still carrying a hint of a playful smile.

Lu Shiyan lowered his head, beginning to fill it out stroke by stroke. His hands were large, his knuckles distinct, his posture holding the pen very steady. His handwriting was exceptionally beautiful, neat and well-structured, each stroke clear, without the slightest bit of sloppiness.

Su Wanqing stood beside him, her eyes unblinking as she stared at him writing.

She really hadn’t expected Lu Shiyan’s handwriting to be this good. Truly fitting for a young master of the past; in this era where not many people could study or write, being able to write such beautiful characters was not easy.

When it came to writing Su Wanqing’s name, he paused, writing exceptionally slowly, exceptionally earnestly.

Su Wanqing.

Three characters, stroke by stroke, falling onto the marriage certificate, carrying his unique strength.

Finishing, he lifted his head to look at Su Wanqing, happening to catch her gaze.

Su Wanqing’s face grew hot, and she quickly averted her eyes, the tips of her ears turning red as her heart pounded wildly.

Lu Shiyan let out a low chuckle, not exposing her fluster as he lowered his head to continue filling out his own information.

After filling it out, he handed the fountain pen to Su Wanqing, “Take a look, see if there are any mistakes.”

Su Wanqing took the fountain pen, looked down to check, shook her head, and said with a smile, “No, I didn’t expect your handwriting to be so beautiful.”