It seemed the Zhou family was especially fond of this match. On the third day, Aunt Fang, Commune Secretary Zhang Wei, and Zhou’s parents arrived to formally propose the marriage.
Huang Hongmin, the head of the village women’s federation, hurried off to the fields to call everyone back.
Qiaoqiao didn’t return; she figured her grandfather would handle the engagement, and if she worked an extra day, she’d earn seven more work points.
Qiaoqiao’s grandfather, father, and mother hurried home carrying their hoes. Along the way, Qiaoqiao’s mother muttered, “Isn’t this moving a bit too fast? They’re coming to propose after just a few days.”
“Once it’s settled, the Zhou family can rest easy.”
“Once it’s settled, does that mean Zheng-er can go to the city?”
“Who knows? In the end, it’s still up to them.”
They arrived home shortly. A jeep was parked at the gate, surrounded by local children staring in wide-eyed wonder.
“Division Commander Zhou, Secretary Zhang, the family is here—they’re back!” Huang Hongmin shouted warmly.
Zhou Zhonghai and Luo Meiyun, who had been drinking tea in the inner room, came out to greet them.
Qiaoqiao’s grandfather put down his hoe, not even having time to wash his hands, before Zhou Zhonghai stepped forward and grasped that calloused pair of hands. “Old sir, you’ve worked hard.”
He then shook Qiaoqiao’s father’s hand. “In-law, forgive us for dropping by so abruptly. Don’t mind it, please.”
The marriage hadn’t even been officially decided yet, but calling him “in-law” already left Qiaoqiao’s father too nervous to know what to do with himself.
It was up to Zhang Wei to step in, smiling obsequiously. “Old sir, Division Commander Zhou, let’s go inside to talk. Let’s go inside.”
Zhou Zhonghai waved a hand. “I’ll go get the betrothal gifts out of the car first.”
With that, he strode toward the courtyard exit, with Zhang Wei trotting closely behind.
Luo Meiyun smiled as she spoke to Qiaoqiao’s mother. “In-law, look at all that sweat. You must be exhausted.”
As she spoke, she rolled up the sleeves of her olive-green military uniform and wiped the sweat from Qiaoqiao’s mother’s brow.
At that moment, Qiaoqiao’s mother felt an urge to cry. In all her life, she had never been treated with such respect.
“We’re just farming folk, dealing with the earth every day. It’s not tiring. Please, come inside and have some tea.”
Soon, Zhou Zhonghai and Zhang Wei carried the betrothal gifts onto the kang.
“In-law, here are ten catties of pork, a sheep’s leg, two bolts of fabric, and five catties of hard candies.”
Luo Meiyun introduced the items, then pulled a thick envelope from her pocket and handed it to Qiaoqiao’s father. “This is one thousand yuan, to thank the family for raising such a fine daughter. It’s not much, just a token of our sincerity.”
Qiaoqiao’s father was too terrified to accept it. After a hard year of labor, subtracting food and living expenses, his family could only scrape together two hundred yuan.
One thousand yuan now—it was an astronomical sum.
Zhang Wei hurriedly smoothed things over. “Uncle, take it. This is the Division Commander’s sincerity.”
Qiaoqiao’s father had no choice but to take the envelope, which felt scorching hot in his hands.
Zhou Zhonghai pulled a piece of paper from his military tunic pocket and handed it to Qiaoqiao’s father. “This is an induction introduction letter for the municipal machinery plant. Yang Zheng can report whenever he likes, and someone will be there to receive him.”
Qiaoqiao’s father hurriedly waved his hands. “No, no. The kids’ marriage hasn’t even been finalized yet.”
Zhou Zhonghai shoved the introduction letter right into Qiaoqiao’s hands—into Qiaoqiao’s father’s hands [self-correction: keep to father]. “You’re an honest man, and I’m a straightforward one. We can talk about the marriage details slowly.”
Qiaoqiao’s father looked helplessly at Zhang Wei, who chuckled awkwardly. “Just take it! Yang Zheng can report for work tomorrow. From now on, he’s a man of the state.”
“I… I…” Qiaoqiao’s father smacked his lips together and ultimately accepted it.
Aunt Fang, Huang Hongmin, and Qiaoqiao’s mother took the pork and mutton leg into the kitchen, where they set about slaughtering a chicken and starting the fire to entertain their distinguished guests.
Inside the house, only Zhou Zhonghai and his wife, Zhang Wei, Qiaoqiao’s grandfather, and Qiaoqiao’s father remained.
Luo Meiyun asked with a warm smile, “Where is Qiaoqiao?”
“Out in the fields. We told her to come home, but she said if she works an extra day, she’ll earn seven more work points,” Qiaoqiao’s father answered honestly.
“Such a good girl, what a fine child—steady and down-to-earth. Old sir, in-law, don’t worry. Once Qiaoqiao comes to our family, I will treat her just like my own daughter,” Zhou Zhonghai praised.
What rural child didn’t work in the fields? In Zhou Zhonghai’s eyes, it all translated into virtues.
“Thank you, Division Commander Zhou, for thinking so highly of our Qiaoqiao…”
Before he could finish, Zhou Zhonghai interrupted. “Hey, in-law, stop calling me Division Commander. Sitting here today, I’m just like you—a father to our children.”
Luo Meiyun took a photograph from her bag and handed it to Qiaoqiao’s grandfather. “Old sir, take a look. This is my son.”
Grandpa looked at the photo. The young man looked spirited, bold, and imposing. It was a shame about his legs—ah, what a pity.
“Division Commander Zhou, it’s not like there haven’t been wars these past few years. How did Wenhui end up like…?” Grandpa voiced the doubt in his heart.
Zhou Zhonghai let out a long sigh, his tone heavy. “There are some things I cannot say. Old sir, my son is a good boy, a man of iron backbone and integrity. You can rest completely assured regarding his character.”
Naturally, Grandpa didn’t understand the specifics, so he could only say, “Defending the country—they are fine men.”
Zhang Wei chimed in with sentiment. “The peace and prosperity we enjoy today are because someone is carrying the heavy burden for us. Today, we only talk of our children’s joyous union.”
Zhou Zhonghai laughed heartily. “Indeed. In-law, Comrade Fang Guiying should have explained our family situation in detail, right? If the in-laws have no objections, can we set the wedding date?”
Ah, so soon? Qiaoqiao’s father looked at his own father, unable to make the decision himself.
Zhou Zhonghai explained, “I only have a fifteen-day home leave. Once I return to the unit, I might not be able to come home for three months, half a year, or even a year. While I have this leave, I want to get the wedding settled so this father’s mind can be at ease.”
Grandpa said, “Since that’s the case, we’ll follow the Division Commander’s arrangements.”
Zhou Zhonghai took up the thread: “How about the eighth of next month?”
That left barely ten days.
“All wedding expenses and supplies will be covered by me. You just need to write up a list and give it to me,” Zhou Zhonghai said.
“No, it’s just… it’s all happening a bit too fast,” Qiaoqiao’s father stammered.
Less than half a month from engagement to marriage!
“Let’s set it. The eighth of next month it is. The Division Commander is a man of the state, handling national affairs; we can’t let family matters delay important business,” Grandpa decided.
“Old sir, you should just call me Xiao Zhou, or Zhonghai. Calling me Division Commander at home makes us seem like strangers.”
For the first time, a smile broke across Grandpa’s face as he nodded and said, “Fine, then I’ll call you Zhonghai.”
After meeting the Zhou family, Grandpa was completely reassured. They were straightforward and decisive, sending gifts before the marriage was even officially set.
The family couldn’t possibly keep that money—they would have to make sure Qiaoqiao took it back with her—but the Zhou family’s attitude made people feel truly grounded.
In the kitchen, Grandma tended the stove while Qiaoqiao’s mother slaughtered the chicken. Aunt Fang and Huang Hongmin helped chop the meat and wash the side dishes.
“Division Commander Zhou’s bearing is truly unlike ordinary people.”
“Look at the Division Commander’s wife—she’s around our age, but she looks at least twenty years younger. Fine-skinned and tender, she’s a surgical doctor who’s now risen to be a department head.”
“Rongfang, when Qiaoqiao marries over there, she’ll be living in clover. That’s something countless people pray for.”
“That’s right. The Division Commander is picky, too. He said the Yang family elders are educated and reasonable people. If they’d run into some unreasonable rabble, even if they threw themselves at him, he wouldn’t want them.”
Qiaoqiao’s mother plucked the chicken feathers in silence, nursing a persistent worry in her heart: she just didn’t know if her future son-in-law was still functional in that department.
If they could have a son or a daughter, this marriage would be complete.
Yet she couldn’t very well ask out loud—what kind of mother-in-law asks a question like that?