“The last time someone was accused of hooliganism, it was Educated Youth Qin. He saved the Ye family’s youngest daughter who fell into the water. You insisted he take responsibility and forced him to marry her, or else you’d report him for hooliganism. In the end, Qin had no choice but to marry her.”
Gu Zhao interrupted Lei Zhenxing before he could continue and said, “You can pair a male educated youth with a village woman. So why can’t a female educated youth be paired with a village man?”
Lei Zhenxing nearly jumped up. “Gu Zhao, that’s twisted logic! This is different from the Ye family girl! She comes from a proper background—her grandfather and father were both soldiers who died for the country. The production team has a responsibility to find her a good match.”
“I admit she’s a third-generation revolutionary, but I’m also a proud poor peasant. Didn’t educated youths go to the countryside to help build the nation and alleviate poverty?” Gu Zhao retorted.
“So alleviating poverty means she has to marry you? You loaf around all day and don’t do any real work. Others start earning work points at five or six in the morning, but you wander in around noon. And your family is already poor!”
“Captain, you’re favoring the rich and despising the poor! I’ve already told you—this Educated Youth Shu, I’m definitely going to marry her.”
“You dare! If you do this, don’t ever come work again! I won’t give you a single work point!”
“What’s there I wouldn’t dare?”
Gu Zhao’s rebellious streak flared. Since no one approved, then he was even more determined to go through with it.
“Shu Ning, wake up! Hurry, wake up!”
“Why isn’t she awake yet?”
“That Gu Zhao is really outrageous—how could he do such a thing?”
Amid the rustling voices, Shu Ning slowly opened her eyes again.
“Shu Ning, you’re finally awake! Tell me, why did you suddenly jump into the river?” Zhu Qiulan said anxiously, her face full of worry and concern.
Looking at Zhu Qiulan, who seemed on the verge of tears, Shu Ning narrowed her glistening eyes slightly.
Why would she jump into the river?
She had been living just fine. Even before her rebirth, when Bai Zhiping ignored her, she hadn’t reached the point of throwing herself into a river.
She had been standing properly on the riverbank—someone pushed her in!
In her previous life, she knew she had been pushed. But when she said it, no one took it seriously.
Because it was embarrassing for a woman to fall into the river, everyone thought she was just trying to save face.
Since nothing serious happened in the end, the matter was dropped.
But this time, if she didn’t find that person, she wouldn’t be surnamed Shu!
“Shu Ning, you have no idea how worried we were!” Zhu Qiulan said, seeing her lower her head as if frightened.
Shu Ning raised her eyes and met Zhu Qiulan’s gaze. Memories from her previous life flooded her mind—how Zhu Qiulan had secretly coveted everything she had, plotted against her with a car accident, made her raise a child, and finally removed her oxygen mask.
You’re worried about me?
What a joke!
A sharp, icy glint flashed in Shu Ning’s eyes. She almost wanted to tear her apart.
Zhu Qiulan shivered under that gaze. She had never seen Shu Ning look at her like that—like a blade ready to slice someone into pieces.
Had she discovered something?
But when she looked again, Shu Ning’s eyes only held the confusion of someone who had nearly drowned.
“Sister, it’s good you’re awake. Can you get up? Do you know? That Gu Zhao actually said he’s going to get engaged to you at his house. He even bought firecrackers and candy.”
“How barbaric! Wherever he goes, he keeps saying, ‘Shu Ning is my wife!’”
“We don’t acknowledge it, and neither does the captain. Just thinking about it is disgusting.”
“Now that you’re awake, let’s go stop him and scold him!”
The speaker was Xin Wenyue, an educated youth who came to the countryside with her and also her cousin.
“He really did that?” Shu Ning asked.
“Yes! Doesn’t he know who he is? How dare he think of marrying you? I’m the first to object!” Xin Wenyue said indignantly. “He even took advantage of you with that kiss—how much more does he want?”
Shu Ning froze slightly, then asked, “Wenyue, was he really taking advantage of me? You’ve studied first aid—you know that was artificial respiration. Why are you deliberately speaking badly of him?”
“I…” Xin Wenyue flushed awkwardly. “Even so, he can’t just say he’s getting engaged. Who agreed to that?”
“I did,” Shu Ning said with a sudden smile.
His engagement.
In her previous life, there was no place for her in that engagement ceremony. How could she, the main character, miss it again in this life?
She jumped out of bed, tied her hair up quickly, opened her trunk, grabbed a small bundle from the bottom, shoved it into her arms, slipped on her shoes, and rushed out.
“Sister, what are you doing?” Xin Wenyue asked in shock.
“I remember that bundle at the bottom of her trunk—it’s all grain coupons, meat coupons, cloth coupons…” Zhu Qiulan muttered, confused.
Inside Shu Ning’s bundle was indeed all her belongings.
She agreed to get engaged to Gu Zhao—had she gone mad?
A flicker of joy crossed Zhu Qiulan’s heart as she hurried after her.
Hongqi Commune.
At the end of Gu Village, there were only five households.
Grandma Chen’s, Grandma Li’s, Grandma Zhao’s, Grandma Qian’s—and Gu Zhao’s house right in the middle.
At this moment, in Gu Zhao’s main hall, he held a rooster by its wings in his left hand and plucked feathers from its neck with his right. A kitchen knife gleaming coldly lay on the stool.
“Zhao boy, are you really getting married?” Grandma Chen asked uncertainly.
“Of course,” Gu Zhao raised his eyebrows.
“Old Chen, why don’t you believe him? The whole world thinks he can’t get a wife—so we’ll prove them wrong!” Grandma Zhao said, fully supporting him.
“When that Ye girl got married, Educated Youth Qin was unhappy and didn’t even show up for the ceremony. She completed it alone, but now they’re living just fine.”
“Old Zhao, why do you sound so unreasonable?”
“You’re the unreasonable one!” Grandma Zhao snorted. “Back when your husband married you, he just carried you home and that was it. Our Zhao boy is even holding an engagement first—he’s already being proper.”
Grandma Chen glanced at her, speechless. “Alright, alright. Proper, proper.”
Grandma Zhao was always decisive—once she made up her mind, she would see it through with fierce determination.
Grandma Chen was gentler. This engagement could be a good thing.
But the captain didn’t agree. Educated Youth Shu didn’t agree. The others didn’t agree either.
And she had heard Shu Ning jumped into the river because Bai Zhiping rejected her confession. If Gu Zhao insisted on marrying her now, how would their future be?
Still, seeing everyone so enthusiastic, she let it be.
Gu Zhao’s younger friend Ergouzi was the most excited. Staring at the rooster, he drooled. “Brother Zhao, forget them. If we say the marriage is set, then it’s set!”
Thinking of how he had been accused of taking advantage of someone after saving her, anger surged within Gu Zhao.
Fine—he would just take that “advantage” all the way!
With a firm resolve, he slit the rooster’s neck.
Blood dripped before the ancestral altar.
Inform the ancestors, set off the firecrackers—since everyone was here, the engagement would be considered done.
Whether Shu Ning came or not didn’t matter.
“Ergouzi, hand out the candy…”
Ergouzi picked up the newly bought sweets and was about to distribute them when he suddenly saw a figure rush in.
His face changed. “Brother Zhao, look… I think she’s here…”
“Even if the emperor himself comes, I’m not afraid today. This is settled!” Gu Zhao threw the slaughtered rooster to the ground, his voice firm.
If not for pride, then for dignity!
“Shu… Shu Educated Youth…”
“Hm?” Gu Zhao turned—and saw Shu Ning already standing before him.
The girl held a large bundle in her arms, her hair slightly messy, her face flushed, breathing heavily. “Later, I’ll explain everything to everyone—it was you who saved me.”
Then she placed the bundle on the table before the ancestral altar and spread it open. “I brought all of these.”
“… ”
Inside were coupons—grain, cloth, meat—everything.
Her beautiful eyes looked at him, moist and bright, filled with gratitude and expectation.
But not anger.
Gu Zhao froze.
All the anger he had been holding vanished instantly.
Why wasn’t she angry?