【Gu family has already bought livestock medicine. If you don’t want to be forced into marriage, stay far away.】
After reading the note, Zhang Wenyuan immediately broke out in a cold sweat. His legs went weak with fear.
He tore the note into pieces and trampled them into the mud before looking up at the educated youth who had delivered it. “Niu Jianguo, who exactly told you to give me this note?”
Niu Jianguo thought for a moment and said, “It was the tractor driver from the production brigade.”
Zhang Wenyuan immediately lifted his head and scanned the crowd. Gu Shiye was tall and striking, so he found him quickly.
He was about to call out and thank him.
But Gu Shiye suddenly turned his head, glanced at him casually, smiled, and waved.
Zhang Wenyuan nodded back and said nothing more.
It was almost time to get off work. Gu Shiye wanted to go home early to cook dinner for his wife. He planned to leave directly since Gu Xiaojun would return the tractor for him.
On his way past the roadside grass, he noticed a fat gray rabbit quietly foraging.
Gu Shiye stopped and carefully picked up a small stone from the ground. He wanted to test how much strength the Strength Pill he had taken last night had enhanced in his body.
The moment he flicked the stone from his fingers, the sound of it cutting through the air could actually be heard.
With a sharp whoosh, the fat gray rabbit dropped instantly.
That force was comparable to a martial arts master in wuxia dramas.
Gu Shiye himself had not even reacted when a nearby older woman suddenly jumped up in excitement and shouted, “Oh my heavens! The third son of the Gu Dahai family actually killed a fat rabbit with just one small stone!”
Very quickly, the news that Gu Shiye had taken down a rabbit with a pebble spread throughout the village.
Everyone knew their village was close to the mountains, and many villagers could hunt, but hunting required not just skill, but real strength. In this era, people were already struggling to eat enough, and building physical power was extremely difficult. Skill alone was not enough in the mountains, one needed real brute strength.
After hearing the news, Gu Dahai immediately began mocking Mother Gu in the fields. He bitterly complained that their three capable sons had clearly been strong men, yet the family had been split apart because of Fourth Brother’s insistence on high bride prices.
Mother Gu could not be bothered to argue. She ignored him and walked straight to Gu Shiyu, lowering her voice to instruct her.
“Stop working. Go back and wash yourself, change into something nice, and go find him. Remember to use the soap your fourth sister-in-law gave you last night.”
Then she secretly stuffed a small packet into her daughter’s hands. “Don’t soften your heart. Once a woman becomes soft, her life is ruined.”
Gu Shiye took the rabbit to the river, cleaned it thoroughly, and brought it home. Once back, he told his wife everything he had learned about Gu Shiyu and Zhang Wenyuan.
Li Wenxiu’s eyes lit up instantly after hearing it.
Greedy Lin Baozhu was about to cause trouble again. She was already looking forward to the sign-in shop giving them another big surprise.
Fortunately, she had been wise enough to save today’s sign-in opportunity.
After night fell, the kitchen of the small courtyard was filled with the rich aroma of spicy boiled rabbit and stir-fried spicy rabbit cubes. Li Wenxiu pulled a high stool to the wall and, under the moonlight, looked toward the direction of the educated youth compound.
Finally, she saw Gu Shiyu wearing the outfit Mother Gu had bought her during last year’s New Year heading toward the educated youth compound.
At the educated youth compound, the students who had been surviving on plain watery meals were once again tortured by the overwhelming smell of meat drifting from the neighboring courtyard. Some could not resist and even considered using money and ration tickets to buy a portion of meat.
Zhang Wenyuan was among the wealthier educated youths, and he rarely missed good food. Someone suggested informing him.
But another person said, “Let’s not look for him today. I think he’s dealing with something.”
At that moment, Zhang Wenyuan was pacing anxiously inside the male dormitory.
After receiving the note earlier, he had originally planned to escape to the commune and stay in an inn for the night. However, without a proper reason, the brigade leader refused to issue him an introduction letter.
Now he was so anxious he could not even eat.
He had heard of educated youths being forced into marriage in rural areas. Once villagers targeted you, they had countless ways to pressure you.
He had thought Gu Shiyu, as a high school educated woman, would be different from ignorant village girls. He thought he had already handled her. He had been too naive.
Now he deeply regrets ever getting involved with Gu Shiyu.
If he married a rural woman here, he would have no future when he returned to the provincial city.
Suddenly, there was a knock at the door of the educated youth compound.
Zhang Wenyuan’s heart jumped into his throat. He knew only the polite and proper Gu Shiyu would knock before entering.
He pressed his ear against the door and indeed heard Gu Shiyu’s voice.
“Hello, Comrade Niu. I’m here to see Comrade Zhang Wenyuan. Could you please ask him to come out?”
Luckily, he had already instructed Niu Jianguo in advance.
Niu Jianguo followed instructions and replied, “Sorry, Comrade Gu Shiyu. Wenyuan had something to do at the commune today and might be staying at the inn. He won’t be back tonight.”
Gu Shiyu’s heart tightened. She felt something was off, but could not be sure.
She turned and left.
Niu Jianguo, however, grew suspicious. When he saw her walking toward the brigade leader’s house, his heart sank and he immediately went to report back to Zhang Wenyuan.
“Wenyuan, that girl is not easy to fool. I saw her heading toward the brigade leader’s house.”
Zhang Wenyuan panicked completely.
Niu Jianguo, being an honest person, could not help but ask, “Wenyuan, did you do something wrong to that girl?”
Zhang Wenyuan looked at him and said, “We were originally just sent here by our families. If I really did something, I’m finished.”
Niu Jianguo said, “You know that’s good. I already told you not to mess with those village girls. They are not like the city girls who can freely date whoever they want.”
“Alright, shut up already,” Zhang Wenyuan snapped irritably.
He glanced toward the brigade leader’s house, and his heart suddenly sank.
Gu Shiyu, don’t blame me for being ruthless. You forced my hand. We agreed not to make this public, I treated you as a confidante, as someone I loved, but you are forcing me into marriage.
In the neighboring courtyard, Gu Shiye had sent away the educated youths who came begging for meat. Although he did not give them cooked food, he told them that in the future, if he hunted anything good, he could sell it to them.
This winter, they still had an important plan to carry out, so it was best to maintain good relations with these educated youths.