Two days passed in a flash. After work that day, Aunt Yang came running over and called out at the entrance of the educated youth point, “Comrade Xiang! Comrade Xiao Xiang!”
Hearing her voice, Xiang Wenshan stepped out. When she saw it was the carpenter’s wife, her eyes lit up slightly. “Aunt Yang.”
Aunt Yang smiled. “Comrade Xiang, my husband has finished making the things you ordered. We’ll bring them over shortly.”
Xiang Wenshan quickly nodded. “Alright, great.
“Auntie, it’s all done already?”
“All done. What do you mean fast? I thought it was slow—I was worried it would delay you.”
“No, no, it’s perfect timing.”
Aunt Yang smiled. “Then you go on with your work. I’ll have my husband deliver everything in a bit.”
“Okay. Thank you, Auntie.”
She waved her hand. “No need to be so polite. It’s only right.”
After she left, Xiang Wenshan went back inside.
Xiang Wenhui, who had been tending the fire, ran out. “Sis! I heard Aunt Yang say our furniture is ready!”
“It’s ready. They’ll bring it over soon.”
“That’s great!” Her eyes sparkled.
After dinner, Uncle Yang arrived with a whole group of people—four grown men carrying cabinets, two carrying a table, several children holding stools, all walking toward the youth point.
And trailing behind them was a crowd of onlookers.
Once Xiang Wenshan finished tidying up and stepped outside, she saw the large procession and felt her scalp prickle.
She quickly grabbed the key and unlocked the door.
Aunt Yang, holding a bedside table, came over and asked, “Comrade Xiang, where should we put these?
“Just tell them where to place everything so you won’t have to move it around later.”
“Thank you, Auntie. The rooms still need cleaning, so just put everything in the main hall for now.”
As everyone watched the furniture being moved in, they were calculating silently. It seemed these two educated youths had quite a bit of family backing.
Some people even began entertaining small schemes.
“Well, looks like the Xiang sisters really plan to settle down here.
“They’ve got all the furniture neatly arranged and everything.”
Sun Pandi curled her lip. “Just two little girls—why are their hands so loose with money?
“Spending that much. If that were my granddaughter, I’d have slapped her already. No sense of how hard money is to earn.
“Who knows how their parents raised them.”
Song Lao Wu squeezed his way in and happened to hear her. “Oh? Aunt Sun’s mouth itching again—starting to scold people?”
Seeing it was him, Sun Pandi’s expression stiffened. “You little punk, why are you everywhere?
“I wasn’t even talking about you today. Go away.
“Stay away from me.”
Song Lao Wu squinted and smiled. “Auntie, don’t say that.
“Aren’t you always saying you watched me grow up? I’ve barely stood beside you for a moment and you’re already disgusted.”
Sun Pandi rolled her eyes in disdain and took a few steps back into the crowd. For some reason, this boy always had to needle her whenever he saw her.
It had been days now—ever since she’d offered Yu Zhaodi a few ideas about how to properly discipline him.
Did he really have to follow her around every day because of that?
Song Lao Wu looked at the fully arranged furniture in Xiang Wenshan’s house with anticipation.
After Yang Damin finished placing everything, he led his family out.
Seeing everyone still gathered at her doorway, Xiang Wenshan said, “Everyone, please disperse. There’s nothing to see. It’s time for dinner—go home and eat.”
An old woman in the crowd called out, “Comrade Xiang, are you two especially wealthy? Building a house and buying all this furniture?”
Everyone stared at the Xiang sisters, full of curiosity.
Xiang Wenshan frowned slightly. “Please don’t look at us like that. We’re just children from ordinary families.
“The money for building the house and buying furniture comes from the settlement allowance given to educated youths sent to the countryside.
“It’s almost all spent now.”
Song Lao Wu cleared his throat and called out, “Exactly! Educated youths come to the countryside to help with development. The leaders worry they won’t adapt, so they provide an allowance.
“What’s there to be jealous about?
“They’ve left their parents and hometown at such a young age. It’s not easy.
“And who even knows when they’ll be able to go back?”
The brigade leader’s wife also said a few words, and gradually the crowd dispersed.
Still, some of the women were quietly making plans in their hearts.
After everyone left, Song Lao Wu lingered. “With this move, you’ve stirred up some envy in the village.”
Xiang Wenshan replied, “Honestly, the moment we decided to move out and build a house, plenty of people were already envious.
“But we can’t stop living our lives just because others are jealous.
“After all, we’ll be here for quite a long time.”
He understood that “quite a long time” all too well. Going anywhere required a letter of introduction, doing anything required ration coupons—nothing was convenient.
“You’re right.”
As soon as he finished speaking, he noticed Xiang Wenhui looking at him warily.
He was puzzled.
Then she asked, “You’re going to marry into someone’s family?”
Song Zhaohua finally realized. “You know?” Then he glanced at Xiang Wenshan.
She nodded. “Mm, I told her.
“The house is finished. We’ll clean up tomorrow, and then we can move in. When do you want to hold the wedding banquet?
“The main thing is—you need to make things clear with your family.
“I’m afraid we’ll end up with a bunch of relatives showing up to freeload, you know?”
Song Zhaohua nodded. “That’s simple. Don’t worry.
“They already said that if I marry into the family, it’ll be like marrying off a daughter. They won’t consider me their son anymore.”
The corner of Xiang Wenshan’s mouth twitched. This man really was something—always talking about “getting married off.”
Xiang Wenhui looked utterly confused. He was a grown man marrying into someone else’s family—how could he sound so self-righteous about it?
“Then I’ll head back first and tell my family about this.
Three days from now is an auspicious day. How about we hold the wedding banquet then?”
Xiang Wenshan thought for a moment. “Alright.”
After Song Lao Wu ran off, Xiang Wenhui panicked. “Wait, Sis—this fast? You’re not even going to get to know each other a little more?”
The sky gradually darkened. Xiang Wenshan locked the door to the new house.
“Let’s go. Getting to know each other after marriage is the same thing. If it really doesn’t work out, we can just divorce.”
They hadn’t even registered the marriage yet anyway—at worst, it’d just count as dating.
Xiang Wenhui’s mouth fell open in shock at her sister’s words.
Seeing her still standing there stunned, Xiang Wenshan took her hand and led her back to the educated youth dorm.
After washing up, Cao Yu saw them return and asked, “All settled?”
They’d originally planned to go help, but seeing how many villagers had gathered, they figured the house would be too crowded and didn’t go—just watched for a while from outside.
“Everything’s in the main room for now. We’ll clean up tomorrow and then move things in.”
“Mm. The water’s already boiled. Hurry and wash up and get some rest.”