The Zhao family had lived better than anyone else in the surrounding villages over the years, largely thanks to the military allowances and subsidies Zhao Yunzheng regularly sent home. Their house had even been renovated into the largest one around.
Yet the room Zhao Yunzheng stayed in was the smallest in the house.
It didn’t even have a window, making it dim and gloomy.
The tall, broad-shouldered man lay motionless on the bed with his eyes closed. The oppressive atmosphere in the room felt even heavier because of his stillness.
Zhao Ziming sat down beside the bed and looked at him with complicated emotions.
Growing up, his eldest brother had always been the most accomplished of the siblings.
Even in Zhao Ziming’s previous life, it wasn’t until Zhao Yunzheng never woke up that he himself became the only son praised by his parents and neighbors.
Though they were brothers, he had never been particularly close to Zhao Yunzheng. In his memories, the man had always worn the same stern, cold expression.
“Big Brother, seeing as you’ve indirectly helped me out, I’ll do one last thing for you.”
“Although Zhou Yu isn’t much, at least she can take care of you for the rest of your life. In a couple of days, I’ll have her marry into the family.”
“Don’t object. In your current condition, even Mom and Dad dislike taking care of you. The fact that you’re getting a wife at all is already more than anyone could ask for…”
Zhao Ziming rambled on to himself.
Seeing that the man showed no reaction whatsoever, a sense of superiority surfaced in his eyes.
From now on, he would be the Zhao family’s most successful son.
And in another half year, when the college entrance examinations resumed, he would become the first university student in the area.
So what if Zhao Yunzheng had once been more capable and admired than him?
Now he couldn’t compare.
Thinking this, Zhao Ziming smiled in satisfaction, got up, and left.
What he didn’t notice was that just as he stood and walked away, the motionless man on the bed twitched a finger ever so slightly.
Back at the Zhou family home.
That afternoon, Zhao Ziming really did come to take Zhou Rulan into the county to buy clothes.
In just a few hours, news had spread throughout Erniu Village that Zhao Ziming was going to marry Zhou Rulan, while Zhou Yu would marry Zhao family’s eldest son, Zhao Yunzheng.
After finishing their work, many villagers came by to watch the excitement.
They personally saw Zhao Ziming and Zhou Rulan leaving together, chatting and laughing.
The villagers were stunned.
“This is unbelievable! Didn’t Rulan already marry Zhao family’s second son? He hasn’t even been dead that long, and she’s remarrying already?”
“Remarrying is one thing, but marrying her own brother-in-law?”
“And what’s going on with Zhou family’s eldest daughter? Why is she marrying Zhao family’s crippled eldest son?”
“Zhou Dajun and his wife have never treated that girl well. Maybe they’re forcing her into it!”
As soon as Li Juying stepped outside, she heard the gossip.
She immediately objected.
“What nonsense are you all talking about? Zhou Yu is the one who insisted on marrying him! She’s the one who can’t wait to marry into the Zhao family in a couple of days!”
“As for Rulan, Ziming was the one who begged us to let him marry her. He’s even offering several hundred yuan in bride price, plus the Three Transistors and One Sound System!”
“The Zhao family wants him to carry on both family lines, so we agreed!”
Li Juying vividly described how generous the bride price would be.
The villagers’ attention immediately shifted.
Their faces filled with envy and jealousy.
Inside the house, Zhou Yu listened to the chatter outside, rolled over, pulled the blanket over her head, and went back to sleep.
A while later, Li Juying returned.
Seeing Zhou Yu lying down resting immediately irritated her.
“All you do is laze around! The clothes aren’t washed, the dishes aren’t cleaned, and the water jars are still empty. Did we raise you just so you could sit around eating for free?”
In the past, all of those chores had been Zhou Yu’s responsibility.
Not only did she handle every household task, but she also worked in the production brigade and earned enough work points for two people.
But now?
Why should she continue?
Without even opening her eyes, Zhou Yu replied coldly,
“Then you do it yourselves. And from now on, the work points I earn won’t be credited to you anymore.”
“What did you say?!”
Li Juying rolled up her sleeves and stormed toward her.
This time Zhou Yu opened her eyes and sat upright.
“If you want me to work, that’s fine. There are plenty of neighbors outside watching the excitement, right? I’ll go tell them right now that marrying into the Zhao family wasn’t my idea—you forced me.”
“Zhou Yu!”
Li Juying nearly exploded with rage.
Zhou Yu glared right back without backing down.
In the end, worried that such a scandal would damage her precious daughter’s reputation, Li Juying swallowed her anger and stormed out, slamming the door behind her.
Not only did Zhou Yu refuse to work, but toward evening, while Li Juying was out and Zhou Dajun was visiting relatives and boasting about Zhou Rulan’s upcoming marriage, she went into the kitchen and cooked herself a proper meal.
For years, she had always eaten the worst food in the household.
This time she didn’t hold back.
She dug out the family’s white flour and even used the quarter-kilogram of pork Li Juying had hidden away, turning it into a rich meat sauce for noodles.
The meal was delicious.
After eating, she didn’t bother cleaning up.
Leaving everything where it was, she grabbed a basket and headed into the hills behind the village for a leisurely walk.
Not long after she left, Zhou Dajun, Li Juying, and Zhou Rulan returned home.
Out of habit, they called for Zhou Yu and asked whether dinner was ready.
When they discovered she wasn’t home, they cursed a few times before urging Li Juying to cook.
Having not cooked for herself in ages, Li Juying grumbled all the way to the kitchen.
Since it was supposed to be a happy occasion, she even decided to make a meat dish for the family.
But the moment she entered the kitchen, she froze.
The evidence of Zhou Yu’s feast was still there.
“ZHOU YU, YOU LITTLE DEVIL!”
Li Juying’s scream echoed through the house like a pig being slaughtered.
Startled, Zhou Dajun and Zhou Rulan rushed over.
When they saw that all the good food had been used up, they immediately began shouting curses as well.
Meanwhile, Zhou Yu was peacefully wandering around the hills behind the village.
Only when she felt she had spent enough time outside did she return home and go to sleep.
Zhou Yu had expected another couple of days of this.
Instead, early the next morning, Wang Hongmei showed up at the Zhou family home wearing a broad smile.
She wanted to arrange the marriage registration for Zhou Yu and Zhao Yunzheng.
Wang Hongmei had never liked taking care of her eldest son.
Now that Zhou Yu was willing to do it, she didn’t want to wait another minute.
That suited Zhou Yu perfectly.
She immediately followed Wang Hongmei to the production brigade to get the necessary approval papers.
Then, carrying the household registration booklet, the two women rode an ox cart into the county seat to register the marriage through the Revolutionary Committee’s civil affairs office.
They had a certificate proving Zhao Yunzheng’s condition and signatures from his family.
Even though Zhao Yunzheng himself wasn’t present, that wasn’t a problem.
However, just as Zhou Yu had expected, Zhao Yunzheng still technically held military status.
After seeing this, the staff informed them that they would need to verify matters with his military unit and asked them to return in a few days for the results.
“Why can’t it be done right now?” Wang Hongmei complained. “Why do we have to wait so long?”
Zhou Yu remained calm.
“It’s fine. Since the application has already been submitted and neither side plans to back out, Brother Zhao and I are already practically husband and wife.”
She had even changed the way she addressed Wang Hongmei.
“Mom, why don’t you take me home to meet Brother Zhao? Starting today, I’ll take care of him.”
The moment Wang Hongmei heard that, she beamed with delight.
All her complaints disappeared.
She immediately took Zhou Yu back to the village and headed straight home.
“There. Eldest Son is inside,” Wang Hongmei said, looking toward Zhao Yunzheng’s room with undisguised dislike in her voice.
Zhou Yu pretended not to notice.
She walked over, pushed open the door, and fixed her gaze directly on the man lying silently on the bed.