“You don’t have to do this.”
Jiang Jiyuan thought she was only saying this to repay his help.
“I’m serious about what I’m saying. Don’t rush to refuse me yet—listen to me first. If you still don’t agree after that, just treat it as nonsense I said today.”
Seeing the girl beside him so serious, Jiang Jiyuan felt his heartbeat skip for a moment.
Song Yunqiao noticed he wasn’t speaking and assumed he had silently agreed.
“Your aunt already mentioned this before. I think you know about it. Since you didn’t stop it, it means you probably don’t completely dislike me. At least marrying me wouldn’t make you feel too uncomfortable.
Ever since coming down to the countryside, I’ve done all kinds of hard labor that I’ve never done in my life. Honestly, I really can’t stand this kind of life anymore. I can marry you, but I have conditions.
After we get married, I won’t go down to the fields to do farm work. As for food and supplies, I’ll pay you—I won’t take anything for free.
And if one day you meet someone you like, you can tell me. I’ll leave. I won’t cling to you. Is that okay?”
In truth, Song Yunqiao said all this because she genuinely felt Jiang Jiyuan was a good man—at least so far. So she was willing to marry him.
“Okay.”
Since she had already said it, how could Jiang Jiyuan refuse? No matter what she said, he felt he wouldn’t refuse her anyway.
Song Yunqiao finally felt relieved. For some reason, she had actually been a little afraid he would reject her.
She didn’t know yet—but much later, she would understand. The reason she was nervous was because she cared. And because she cared, she was anxious. At that time, she had already developed feelings for Jiang Jiyuan, but she simply hadn’t realized it.
“Do you want me to go with you to tell your aunt?” she asked.
She felt Ji Peilan would definitely be shocked—after all, she had personally rejected her before.
“No need,” Jiang Jiyuan said.
Now that she had agreed to marry him, whatever difficulties came in the process, he would handle them himself.
They walked side by side. Song Yunqiao occasionally glanced at the man beside her. This feeling… didn’t seem bad.
When they reached the village, Jiang Jiyuan sent her to the entrance of the educated youth dormitory and only left after she went inside.
Meanwhile, Wu Dexiang had already returned home earlier. He had first gone to Ji Peilan to tell her that Jiang Jiyuan was fine so she could stop worrying. Ji Peilan had been waiting at home ever since.
But she didn’t expect her eldest son to bring back such news.
“Big brother… you’re marrying Comrade Song?!”
Jiang Jijing, the second son, looked shocked. He was only ten years old and still only vaguely understood some things.
Jiang Jianan was also shocked, though quieter than his younger brother.
Ji Peilan said, “You two go back to your room.”
Jiang Jijing frowned and didn’t want to leave.
Jiang Jiyuan glanced at him. Jiang Jijing immediately went obediently back inside—he could still argue with his mother a bit, but not with his big brother.
Jiang Jianan followed quietly.
Back in the room, Jiang Jijing sat on the kang with a gloomy expression, looking like a little adult.
“Second brother, what’s wrong?” Jiang Jianan asked.
“You didn’t hear? Big brother is marrying that Comrade Song!” Jiang Jijing said unhappily.
“I heard.”
Jiang Jianan didn’t understand why his brother was so upset.
“You’re dumb! Remember what I told you about Xiaoshi?” Jiang Jijing said.
Xiaoshi was a friend of his. His older brother had married an educated youth, and that sister-in-law always bullied them. He and Xiaoshi had even secretly played tricks on her.
Jiang Jianan rarely went out, and most of what he knew came from Jiang Jijing. Hearing this, he suddenly became a little scared of this future sister-in-law.
Meanwhile, Song Yunqiao had no idea she had already been mentally labeled a “bad sister-in-law” by her two future brothers-in-law.
..
The next day during work, Song Yunqiao was doing her labor when Jiang Jiyuan came over to help her. This time, he did not avoid attention at all. Not only the educated youths saw it, even villagers noticed—and some even mocked Jiang Jiyuan for overestimating himself.
Song Yunqiao was good-looking, and many young men in the village usually volunteered to help her, but she always refused. In this era, reputation mattered a lot, and she didn’t want any rumors spreading. Jiang Jiyuan had only helped her before when no one was around.
But today, everyone was stunned.
Not only did she let Jiang Jiyuan help her work, she even handed him water.
What was going on?!
He Suxia pulled Song Yunqiao aside and whispered, “What’s happening?”
“I… I’m dating Comrade Jiang Jiyuan.”
She said it loudly enough that several nearby people heard her.
He Suxia was so shocked she couldn’t even speak. Then Song Yunqiao’s next sentence completely stunned her.
“We’re getting married soon.”
!!!
Jiang Jiyuan heard her openly admit it and couldn’t help but curve his lips slightly—though no one noticed.
“You… you…” He Suxia stammered, thinking she might be forced into it.
“I’m not being forced. I agreed willingly,” Song Yunqiao said calmly, giving her a reassuring look.
Soon, news that Song Yunqiao and Jiang Jiyuan were dating spread throughout the entire village. Ji Peilan was even asked directly by villagers, and when she nodded, the matter was confirmed.
This caused quite a stir.
A city-born educated youth from a good family and a poor village boy—no one could understand how these two had ended up together.
At dinner time, villagers even brought bowls outside to gossip.
“Who knows how that Jiang boy tricked the educated youth Song into agreeing.”
“Honestly, apart from being poor, Jiang’s eldest son is decent-looking and capable.”
“But looks can’t fill your stomach. Everyone knows his family situation—they’re so poor they can barely get by.”
“That’s true.”
Some people even gloated, “Just wait—there’s going to be trouble in the Jiang family after this marriage.”
“Why?”
“Haven’t you seen it before? Other educated youth who married into villages—how many of them lived well? And this Song educated youth looks so delicate. She doesn’t seem like someone who can handle rural hardship.”
“That’s true…”
The gossip mostly came from women. Meanwhile, the young men in the village without girlfriends were all secretly envious of Jiang Jiyuan.
But Song Yunqiao and Jiang Jiyuan didn’t care at all what others said.
Ji Peilan even asked someone to pick an auspicious date—and soon, the wedding date was set.