With Zhou Yan gone and the young couple clearly having things they wanted to say to each other, Third Grandma and Aunt Hu, having once been young themselves, tactfully gave them some space and returned to cutting grass.
“I’m fine. My head injury is almost completely healed. What were you doing out there today?” Yang Tao finally managed to suppress the sweetness bubbling up in her heart and answered Chen Yichen’s earlier question.
“I took leave this morning and went to Linquan Town to ask about the blue bricks. They’ll be ready for pickup in five days. I’ve also ordered cement and lime,” Chen Yichen replied.
Then he added,
“You still look a little pale. Go sit and rest for a while. I’ll cut the grass for you.”
“It’s okay. Cutting grass isn’t tiring. You’re not fully recovered yourself, and you’ve spent the whole day riding around on your bicycle. Why don’t you go back and rest instead?”
“I’m fine. I’ll cut with you. The sooner we fill your quota, the sooner you can go home.”
With that, Chen Yichen picked up the sickle Zhou Yan had left behind and began cutting grass.
Yang Tao also resumed working.
She wanted to talk with him more but didn’t know how to begin or what topics to bring up.
For a while, both of them kept working with their hands while remaining unusually quiet.
After some time, Yang Tao couldn’t help sneaking glances at him.
His sleeves were rolled up, and the hand gripping the sickle was long-fingered and elegant.
What beautiful hands, she thought.
They’d look even better holding a pen or playing the piano.
It’s a shame they’re stuck holding sickles and hoes now.
She became so absorbed in staring at his hands that her thoughts wandered far away.
Only when she heard him cough beside her did she finally lift her gaze to his face.
She immediately noticed that his face—and even his ears—had turned red.
Only then did she realize how embarrassing her behavior had been.
Perhaps to ease the awkwardness, Chen Yichen spoke first.
“I’ve already written home and told my family that we’re getting married.”
“Oh.”
Yang Tao followed up naturally.
“Who do you have at home? Are they easy to get along with?”
“There are six people in my family altogether.”
“My grandfather, my parents, an older brother, a younger sister, and me.”
“My parents and older brother are all in the military, so they rarely come home.”
“My grandfather and younger sister live in Beijing.”
“I grew up with them.”
“They’re all easy to get along with, so you don’t need to worry.”
Just from that brief description, Yang Tao could tell his family background was anything but ordinary.
Curious, she asked another question.
“Then why did you come to the countryside in the first place?”
“I heard you’re a university graduate.”
“Didn’t your family arrange a job for you?”
“I actually had a job before.”
“But my younger sister had just graduated from high school.”
“According to policy, someone from our family had to be sent down to the countryside.”
“I couldn’t bear to let my sister come.”
Listening to him, Yang Tao thought that a man who cared so much about his sister would probably treat his wife well too.
Yet when she remembered how their marriage had come about, she couldn’t be completely certain.
She still hadn’t asked how he truly felt about marrying her.
Since the opportunity was right in front of her, she decided not to wait.
“What do you really think about the two of us getting married?” she asked.
“Do you think my family is using your debt of gratitude to force you into it?”
Chen Yichen fell silent for a moment.
He clearly hadn’t expected her to ask such a direct question.
Instead of answering immediately, he asked one of his own.
“What about you?”
“Do you really want to marry me?”
“I’m not very good at farm work.”
“And I don’t even know whether I’ll ever be able to return to the city.”
His voice grew noticeably quieter toward the end.
“Of course I do!”
Yang Tao replied without hesitation.
“You’re so handsome.”
“You went to university.”
“You must know so much more than ordinary people.”
“Even if you can’t go back for now, it doesn’t matter.”
“Gold will shine no matter where it’s buried.”
“I believe you’ll be outstanding wherever you are.”
“And if you can’t farm well, you still have me.”
“I’ll support you in the future!”
She declared the last sentence with heroic confidence.
A smile finally appeared on Chen Yichen’s face.
“I sincerely want to marry you too.”
“Thank you for saving my life.”
“I’ll treat you well from now on.”
“My strength may not be great, but I’ll do my best to give you a good life.”
What Chen Yichen didn’t say was that his decision to marry Yang Tao wasn’t solely because she had saved him.
Beyond her kindness and good nature, there was another reason.
The Yang family.
The family was honest, simple, and harmonious.
Having lived in the village for over a year, and having been influenced by his grandfather’s teachings since childhood, he had learned to judge people’s character reasonably well.
To him, the Yang family might not become a source of support in the future.
But they would never drag him down either.