Su Wanqing tilted her head and stared at his face, deliberately teasing him.
“Do you even have money? Don’t embarrass yourself later when I pick things and you can’t afford them.”
Lu Shiyan smiled but said nothing. He only lifted his chin slightly, looking confident and composed.
Su Wanqing immediately remembered his ties to the Black Market. She understood at once and did not press further. Instead, she leaned back into him with a smile, even deliberately pressing closer into his arms.
“Fine, I will trust you this time. If you lie to me, I will ignore you.”
Lu Shiyan let out a low laugh, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her closer.
The tractor drove for almost an hour before finally arriving at the town.
At the town entrance, there were not many people. A few were carrying baskets of vegetables for sale, and a couple of bicycles passed by. In the distance, rows of simple mud-brick houses could be seen with scattered signboards hanging outside.
Old Li stopped the tractor under an old locust tree and turned back.
“You are here. Get down. I still have work to do.”
Lu Shiyan jumped down first, standing steadily on the ground. Then he reached out his hand.
“Careful. Do not fall.”
Su Wanqing held his hand and jumped down carefully. Her foot wobbled slightly when she landed, then she steadied herself and brushed off the dust from her clothes.
Lu Shiyan took out two yuan from his pocket and handed it to Old Li.
Old Li quickly waved his hands.
“No, no, I cannot take this. It was just a ride. No need for money.”
Lu Shiyan still placed it into his hand.
“Old Li, take it. Today I am getting married. Take it as a bit of good luck.”
Old Li paused, then looked at Lu Shiyan and Su Wanqing, smiling warmly.
“Oh, it is your big day? Congratulations! Then I will accept it. Happy marriage to you both!”
Su Wanqing smiled sweetly.
“Thank you, Old Li. I wish you good health and smooth days ahead.”
Old Li carefully tucked the money away, still smiling.
“Alright, I will leave you two to enjoy your day. If you cannot get a ride back at night, wait under the locust tree. I usually pass by then and can take you back.”
“Alright, thank you,” Lu Shiyan replied, holding Su Wanqing’s hand.
Old Li waved and drove off with a rumbling sound.
Su Wanqing stood at the town entrance, looking around with wide eyes.
The town was much livelier than the village.
The streets were lined with blue brick houses, one after another. There were supply stores, small restaurants, and a post office, each with simple wooden signs.
People came and went. Some rode bicycles with bells ringing, some carried baskets calling out to sell goods, and others went to the market. Occasionally, donkey carts passed by, their hooves clacking on the stone road.
Everything felt new and interesting to her, like a country bumpkin entering a grand estate.
Lu Shiyan stood beside her, quietly watching her, the smile in his eyes impossible to hide.
“Let’s go. First we get the marriage certificate,” he said, taking her hand. “After that, I will take you around slowly.”
She nodded and followed him, happily bouncing as they walked toward the commune office.
The commune courtyard was located in the center of town. A wooden sign hung at the entrance, and the whitewashed walls were covered with bold red slogans, giving it a serious atmosphere.
Lu Shiyan led her inside and quickly found the civil affairs office.
The door was open. Inside sat a woman in her forties wearing a blue cloth jacket and armbands, reading a newspaper.
Lu Shiyan knocked.
“Comrade, excuse us.”
The woman looked up.
“What is it?”
“We are here to register our marriage,” Lu Shiyan said, stepping inside with Su Wanqing.
She put down the newspaper and examined them.
“Come in. Do you have all your documents?”
They placed their household registration books, introduction letters, and brigade certificates on the table.
She checked them one by one, carefully and seriously.
“You are from the same brigade?”
“Yes,” Lu Shiyan nodded.
She turned to Su Wanqing.
“You are a Zhiqing, right?”
“Yes,” Su Wanqing smiled. “I am a Zhiqing from Red Star Brigade.”
The woman then picked up Lu Shiyan’s household registration book. When she saw the “Black Five Categories” classification, she paused.
She looked at Su Wanqing with a warning tone.
“Girl, have you thought this through? His background may affect you in the future.”
Before she could finish, Su Wanqing interrupted with a smile.
“I have thought it through. I know his background, and I am willing to marry him. I will not regret it.”
The woman froze slightly, then looked between the two of them, surprised.
She opened her mouth as if to say more, but seeing Su Wanqing’s firm expression, she swallowed her words.
She took out two red marriage certificates from the drawer and placed them on the table, along with a pen.
“Fill in your names, ages, and places of origin yourselves.”
Lu Shiyan took the pen and looked at Su Wanqing, silently asking.
She blinked at him and nodded with a playful smile.
He lowered his head and began to write carefully, stroke by stroke. His handwriting was neat, strong, and elegant.
Su Wanqing watched him without blinking.
She had not expected his handwriting to be so good. As expected of someone from a wealthy background, it was rare in this era for anyone to write so beautifully.
When he wrote her name, he slowed down, writing it especially carefully.
Su Wanqing.
Each stroke carried his steady strength.
He looked up at her just as she looked at him.
Her face immediately flushed red. She quickly looked away, her ears turning pink as her heart raced.
Lu Shiyan chuckled softly but did not tease her. He continued filling in his information.
When he finished, he handed her the pen.
“Check if there is any mistake.”
She took it, glanced over it, then shook her head with a smile.
“No mistakes. I did not expect your handwriting to be this good.”