Lu Shiyan’s expression was extremely serious. “Tomorrow, I’ll take you to town to get our marriage certificate.”
Su Wanqing blinked. “Tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow.” Lu Shiyan looked at her. “What? Are you going to change your mind again?”
Su Wanqing stared at him, then suddenly smiled.
“Who’s changing their mind? I just wanted to say…” She paused and tilted her head at him. “If other people have these things, I should have them too, right?”
Lu Shiyan was stunned for a moment. “What do you want?”
Su Wanqing held out her hand and counted on her fingers one by one. “The ‘three turners and one sounder.’ A bicycle, a watch, a sewing machine, and a radio. I’m marrying you, so I can’t have nothing at all, right?”
Lu Shiyan looked at her, and something shifted in his eyes.
Su Wanqing thought he was finding it difficult, and was about to say something when Lu Shiyan suddenly smiled.
He had thought this little vixen was going to change her mind. These things were nothing to him.
“Fine. Anything else?” he asked.
Su Wanqing looked at him expectantly. “You can get me whatever I ask for?”
“Just tell me what you want.” Lu Shiyan said, “I’ll find a way to get it for you.”
Su Wanqing blinked, unable to believe it. “Really?”
There was a smile in Lu Shiyan’s eyes. “Really.”
She immediately remembered that the original novel had mentioned that Lu Shiyan was a key figure in the Black Market. He had connections everywhere and there was practically nothing he couldn’t obtain.
Su Wanqing immediately stopped being polite. “Then I also want a big gold bracelet, gold earrings, and a gold ring.”
“Fine. I’ll find a way to get them for you, little spendthrift.” Lu Shiyan reached out and gently tapped her nose.
Su Wanqing suddenly realized that it was already 1973.
Her heart tightened.
“Wouldn’t that be dangerous?”
Lu Shiyan looked at her.
Su Wanqing frowned, her voice full of concern. “Bicycle coupons aren’t easy to get, and neither are sewing machine coupons or watch coupons. Ordinary people can’t get these things, right? If you go to the Black Market and take your chances, what if someone notices you? And what are we going to tell the people in the Village?”
The more she thought about it, the more uneasy she became. “Don’t get yourself into trouble over these things. I was only saying it casually. It’s fine whether we have them or not. Really.”
Lu Shiyan looked at her, and his heart softened completely. He almost wanted to pluck the moon from the sky and give it to her.
He reached out and pulled her into his arms, resting his chin on top of her head.
“Don’t worry.” His voice was very low. “Leave everything to me.”
Buried in his arms, Su Wanqing said in a muffled voice, “Are you really sure it’s okay?”
“It’s fine.” Lu Shiyan said, “Your man knows what he’s doing.”
Su Wanqing froze for a moment and looked up at him. “Hmph, shameless.”
The corners of Lu Shiyan’s lips lifted. “Even if I’m shameless, I’m still your man.”
The moment she heard the words “your man,” Su Wanqing’s face turned red. She pushed him with her hand. “That’s only because you forced me! It doesn’t count!”
Lu Shiyan chuckled and held her even tighter.
Su Wanqing struggled twice but couldn’t break free, so she stopped resisting.
Leaning against his chest, she quietly began planning how she was going to live a good life in this era.
There wasn’t much else she was good at. She simply knew a little more about what would happen in the future than other people. She couldn’t remember the details very clearly and only vaguely remembered the years.
But she was good at cooking.
When the time came, she could make some food and sell it at the Black Market. She should be able to make some money…
She was deep in thought when Lu Shiyan gently patted her head.
“What are you thinking about? I’ll come pick you up first thing tomorrow morning. We’ll go to the Brigade first to ask for leave and submit the application, then head to town. Uncle Li needs to go to town to pick up fertilizer and seeds for the Brigade anyway, so we can ride his tractor there.”
Su Wanqing came back to her senses and nodded. “Okay.”
After the two separated, Su Wanqing quietly ran back to the Zhiqing residence.
The room was pitch-black and completely silent. She stuffed the cloth bundle under her pillow, took off her shoes, and lay down on the bed. Her heart was still pounding.
She turned over and buried her face in the pillow, suddenly feeling a little dazed.
She had only been transported here a few days ago, and she was already going to get married?
But when she thought about Lu Shiyan’s eight-pack abs, his handsome face, and those eyes that looked affectionate even when he looked at a dog, she felt that she wasn’t losing out at all.
Anyway, in this era, she would have to get married sooner or later.
The next morning, Su Wanqing was awakened by the sound of people talking outside.
She sat up and rubbed her eyes. Then she saw Zhang Hongying standing at the doorway, whispering with Li Xiulian.
When Zhang Hongying saw that she was awake, she let out a cold snort and turned her head away.
Su Wanqing couldn’t be bothered with her. She got up, got dressed, combed her hair, and washed her face.
Li Xiulian, however, took the initiative to approach her. Her face was covered with a smile, making her look genuinely concerned.
“Wanqing, have you really thought this through?” She moved very close to her, speaking in a gentle voice. “I heard from Hongying that you’re going to get your marriage certificate with Lu Shiyan?”
Su Wanqing was facing the mirror and filling in her eyebrows. She glanced at Li Xiulian through the mirror but said nothing.
Li Xiulian wasn’t annoyed. She continued persuading her. “Wanqing, although we haven’t known each other for very long, I’m genuinely thinking of you. That Lu Shiyan… What kind of good life can you possibly have with him? Don’t act on impulse and regret it later.”
Su Wanqing still said nothing. She switched to her other eyebrow and continued filling it in.
Seeing that she wasn’t responding, Li Xiulian moved even closer. “Besides, weren’t you and Educated Youth Lin engaged since childhood? Your parents and Uncle Lin agreed to it back then. Quite a few people know about it. Now you’re suddenly getting your marriage certificate with someone else. Wouldn’t that be… unfair to Educated Youth Lin?”
Su Wanqing’s hand paused.
She suddenly remembered.
Oh, right. There was also the engagement.
She had indeed read about this part in the original novel.
Back then, the two families had been close. Su Wanqing’s parents knew that their family was about to face trouble, and they were afraid their daughter would suffer with them, so they sent her to the countryside first. Her father had even specifically given the Lin family one thousand yuan as her dowry, saying that they could use it to prepare things when she eventually got married.
Later, the Su family fell from grace. Although Lin Wenxuan went to the countryside with her, he never mentioned their engagement again.
Only the foolish original owner kept following Lin Wenxuan around, believing that if she stayed devoted to him, she would eventually be able to return to the city with him and live a good life.
Little did she know that Lin Wenxuan had already gotten involved with Li Xiulian, the Village Leader’s daughter.
He refused to acknowledge the engagement but never refused any of the benefits. He accepted every egg and tin of malted milk that the original owner gave him. He had never even mentioned returning the one thousand yuan.
Su Wanqing put down her eyebrow pencil and turned around, looking at Li Xiulian with a bright smile.
“Xiulian, if you hadn’t mentioned it, I would have almost forgotten.”
Li Xiulian froze. “Huh?”
Su Wanqing stood up and clapped her hands. “Now that you mention it, I remember. Back then, my father gave the Lin family one thousand yuan as my dowry. Now that my engagement with Lin Wenxuan is no longer valid, shouldn’t he return the money to me?”
Li Xiulian’s expression changed slightly. She gave an awkward laugh. “Well… How would I know? That’s between you and Educated Youth Lin…”
Looking at her expression, Su Wanqing understood everything perfectly.
Li Xiulian had gotten involved with Lin Wenxuan a long time ago. It was clearly written in the original novel.