Lin Wanwan saw a whole crowd of people suddenly emerge from the main hall and the kitchen.
Liu Genfu had four sons and three daughters in total. Two of his daughters were already married and had moved out. His youngest daughter was about the same age as Lin Wanwan this year and was currently being matched with potential marriage partners.
Of his four sons, three were already married. The youngest son was eighteen this year and was also looking for a marriage prospect.
Liu Genfu continued introducing them.
“This is my eldest son, Liu Daqiang. My second son, Liu Erqiang… And my youngest daughter, who’s two months older than you, is called Liu Xiaofang.”
Uh… Daqiang, Erqiang, Sanqiang, Siqiang, and Xiaofang, huh?
To be fair, the names were pretty easy to remember.
Lin Wanwan smiled and greeted them one by one.
The one currently looking for a marriage partner was Liu Siqiang. The moment he saw the young girl standing in the courtyard, his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.
Good heavens!
This Educated Youth from the city was way too beautiful!
She was hundreds, even thousands of times prettier than the village beauty!
If only he could marry such a beautiful wife!
“Come inside and sit down. Don’t be polite with your uncle.” Liu Genfu said.
Lin Wanwan waved her hand.
“No, Uncle Liu. I wanted to ask where Team Leader Li’s house is. I want to discuss something with him.”
Liu Genfu pointed toward the road in front of his house.
“Just follow this road straight ahead. Pass four households, and that’ll be Team Leader Li’s place.”
“Okay, thank you, Uncle Liu.”
Lin Wanwan smiled sweetly and waved.
“I’ll go find Team Leader Li now. Bye-bye, Uncle Liu.”
Liu Genfu responded and walked a few steps forward, escorting her out of the courtyard.
“Be careful on the road. If anyone bullies you, come find your uncle!”
Only after Lin Wanwan’s slender and graceful figure disappeared from sight did the Liu family finally snap out of their daze.
Liu Daqiang’s wife clicked her tongue twice.
“My goodness, that girl is unbelievably pretty!”
“Dad, that’s the daughter of the comrade-in-arms you mentioned, right?”
Liu Siqiang’s face turned red as he fidgeted awkwardly.
“Does she have a boyfriend? Dad, maybe you could…”
“Get those thoughts out of your head!”
The smile vanished from Liu Genfu’s face.
He glared fiercely at Liu Siqiang.
“Take a good look at yourself and ask whether you’re worthy of her. Do you even know what kind of family background she has? I’m telling you right now—we’re not a match for her.”
Liu Genfu’s wife immediately became unhappy.
“Siqiang is your son. What kind of father talks about his own son like that? She’s just an Educated Youth from the city!”
“You women don’t know a damn thing.”
Liu Genfu pulled out the carton of Zhonghua cigarettes from the bag.
“See this? She casually gave me a whole carton of Zhonghua cigarettes. These cost one yuan a pack at the Supply and Marketing Cooperative! Her father is a factory director in the city. Their entire family eats state-supplied grain. Her grandfather and grandmother were martyrs who sacrificed themselves for the country and have their names recorded by the authorities!”
He snorted.
“With a background like that, do you think peasants like us can match up to them?”
Liu Genfu’s wife widened her eyes.
“My goodness…”
“Use your brains, all of you, okay?”
Liu Genfu put his hands behind his back.
“Liu Siqiang, I’m warning you. Drop those thoughts. Don’t ruin my friendship with my comrade-in-arms. I might still need that relationship in the future.”
Shaking his head, he walked back toward the main hall.
He had raised a bunch of idiots.
Not a single one had inherited his brilliant mind.
…
After leaving the Liu family home, Lin Wanwan headed straight for the Team Leader’s house.
Originally, she had planned to bring gifts to the Liu family and see whether they had any spare rooms.
Who would have thought there would be so many people living there?
Even if they did have an extra room, Lin Wanwan was not particularly eager to move in.
There were simply too many men in the Liu household.
It did not feel very safe.
Although Liu Genfu was Father Lin’s former comrade-in-arms, appearances could be deceiving, couldn’t they?
It would be better to find a family with more women.
With that thought in mind, Lin Wanwan arrived at the Team Leader’s house.
“Is Team Leader Li home?”
Li Changsheng was in the middle of lunch when he suddenly heard someone calling him from outside.
Carrying his rice bowl, he walked out.
When he looked up, he saw the female Educated Youth who had arrived yesterday—the prettiest one among them.
“Educated Youth Lin? What brings you here?”
A harmless and innocent smile curved Lin Wanwan’s lips.
Her voice was soft and gentle as she got straight to the point.
“Team Leader Li, I want to move out of the Educated Youth Residence. Do you know any family in the village with a spare room? Preferably one with fewer men and more women.”
Li Changsheng froze.
“What? You want to move out of the Educated Youth Residence?”
“Mhm.”
Lin Wanwan smiled shyly.
“I’m not used to sleeping with so many people. I can’t sleep well like that. If I don’t sleep well, I get sick easily. I was born prematurely, and my health isn’t particularly good. Getting sick would be troublesome.”
The original owner really had been born prematurely.
When Wu Cuifang was pregnant with her, she had accidentally fallen and nearly gave birth before even reaching eight months.
Li Changsheng looked troubled.
Lin Wanwan continued.
“I can pay. Three yuan a month as rent. Would that be okay?”
She was still unfamiliar with prices in this era.
After some consideration, she had settled on three yuan.
“Three yuan?!”
Li Changsheng was stunned.
“Three yuan a month?”
“Ah, is that too little?”
Lin Wanwan asked uncertainly.
If it was too little, she could always add more.
When she had left, Father Lin had stuffed three hundred yuan into her hands and told her that he would mail her another twenty yuan every month.
On top of that, she had the shopping mall space and hardly spent any money in daily life.
Paying a little more rent was no big deal.
“That’s not what I mean. Three yuan a month means… one year would be… one year would be…”
Lin Wanwan supplied the answer.
“Thirty-six yuan a year.”
“Right, right.”
Li Changsheng’s expression became extremely complicated.
He almost wanted to ask whether she would consider staying at his house.
Three yuan a month.
Thirty-six yuan a year!
He worked all year long and could earn, at most, a little over a hundred yuan.
As expected of someone from the city.
She really spent money generously.
Frowning, Li Changsheng thought for a moment.
“Let me think… There are indeed a few families in the village with spare rooms. But if you want fewer men and more women, then there are only three households.”
“One is at the end of the village, Widow Gao’s house… No, that won’t do.”
Widow Gao did not have a very good reputation in the village.
Better not send this girl there.
As for the remaining two…
“Ah, I’ve got it! Xiao Lu’s family! Xiao Lu’s family would be perfect!”
Li Changsheng slapped his palm.
“There’s only one man in that household. His grandfather and father died early. Right now, it’s just his grandmother, his mother, and his younger sister living with him. Their family has had a hard life.”
“Xiao Lu’s mother isn’t in good health either. Sigh.”
As he spoke, Li Changsheng let out a long sigh, his voice filled with sympathy.
He looked at the beautiful Educated Youth standing before him and thought that it would actually be a good thing if she stayed with the Lu family.
Three yuan a month.
That income could help ease some of their burden.
Thinking this, he continued.
“Educated Youth Lin, the Lu family is a good choice. If you’re willing, I can go ask them for you. Besides, the vacant room they have is a brick house.”
The moment she heard that, Lin Wanwan immediately recalled the house she had passed on her way to the Liu family home.
Her eyes instantly lit up.
“Then let it be their house.”
She sounded extremely eager.
“Please help me ask them whether I can rent that brick room. If they agree, I can even add another yuan!”
Wuwuwu!
A brick house was so much better than a mud house.
She absolutely had to move into that room!
Even Li Changsheng was shocked by her generosity.
Smacking his lips, he said: “Alright. I’ll go ask after I finish lunch.”
“Thank you, Team Leader Li! Then I’ll head back first!”
Lin Wanwan smiled brightly and waved before turning around and heading back toward the Educated Youth Residence.
Hmm.
She should probably bring Team Leader Li a gift later as well.
What should she give him?
She would just open a carton of Zhonghua cigarettes and give him a pack~