Since they had invited Educated Youth Chen to stay for dinner, Grandma Yang instructed the eldest sister-in-law to prepare two additional dishes besides the stir-fried cucumbers.
One was made using the slab of pork that Educated Youth Chen had brought. Combined with the family’s dried bamboo shoots, it became a dish of braised pork with bamboo shoots.
The other was stir-fried dried long beans with eggs.
By the time the marriage arrangements had been settled, dinner had been eaten, and Educated Youth Chen had been seen off, it was already close to nine o’clock at night.
Throughout the entire process, Yang Tao and Educated Youth Chen had not exchanged a single word.
It wasn’t that Yang Tao didn’t want to talk to him.
She simply never found an opportunity.
As a result, she still didn’t even know his full name.
After the guest had left, the family returned to their evening routines.
Some people cleared away the dishes, some went to bathe, and others went to fetch water.
By the time everyone finished their chores and gathered together again, it was already quite late.
Grandma Yang was the first to speak.
“It’s getting late, so I’ll keep this brief. Otherwise, you youngsters won’t be able to sleep.”
As she spoke, she deliberately glanced at Yang Tao.
“Tao Ya from the eldest branch is now officially promised to Educated Youth Chen.”
“However, there’s no room for him at the educated youth residence, so he plans to build a house of his own.”
“Tomorrow, Eldest Son will accompany him to the team leader’s house and ask whether he can build it on the vacant land behind our home.”
Yang Tao heard her father acknowledge the instruction.
Grandma Yang continued.
“Once the spring planting season is over, everyone will help them build the house.”
“This month will probably be too rushed, so the wedding has tentatively been set for next month.”
“We’ll discuss the rest tomorrow.”
“It’s late, and everyone still has work tomorrow. Go back to your rooms and sleep.”
As Grandma Yang finished speaking, everyone got up and headed toward their respective rooms.
Yang Tao followed behind Yang Ju and entered their room.
The moment they stepped inside, Yang Ju spoke.
“Why are you being so obedient tonight? You’re actually willing to marry a man who’s got nothing going for him except his looks?”
“Didn’t you always say you wanted to marry a city worker like Eldest Cousin did?”
Listening to Yang Ju’s question, Yang Tao figured that must have been the original owner’s dream.
Honestly, she agreed with it.
After all, who would willingly spend an entire lifetime in the countryside, working the fields from dawn to dusk?
So she replied,
“That’s right. I’ve always wanted to marry a city man.”
“Educated Youth Chen is from the city.”
“Not only that, he’s from Beijing.”
“If I marry him, then when he eventually gets the chance to return to the city, I can go back to Beijing with him.”
“That’s dozens, even hundreds of times better than marrying someone in our town or city.”
“Tch.”
“Whether he can even return is another matter.”
“Look at those educated youths who came to our village first. They’ve been here for five or six years already, haven’t they?”
“Return to the city?”
“You’d have better luck dreaming.”
“Getting ten days or so of family-visit leave is already considered good.”
“If you marry him, you’ll be stuck with someone who can’t carry loads and can’t do heavy work.”
“He earns fewer work points than you do.”
“You’ll have plenty of hard days ahead.”
Yang Ju’s view was actually shared by most of the villagers.
Taking an educated youth as a daughter-in-law was one thing.
Marrying a daughter to an educated youth was another.
Most people didn’t think it was a good idea.
Yang Tao knew Yang Ju meant well and was worried she would suffer in the future.
Even so, she couldn’t help rebutting her.
“Even if I can’t return to the city with him, I’ve accepted that.”
“Who told him to be so handsome?”
“Just looking at him makes me happy.”
“I could probably eat two extra bowls of rice.”
“Even if I have to work a little harder, I’d still be willing.”
“Fine, fine, fine.”
“If you want to marry him, then marry him.”
“You’ll see what hard days are like later.”
After saying that, Yang Ju stopped talking to her altogether.
The two younger girls hadn’t joined the conversation from the beginning.
Once all her cousins had gone to sleep, Yang Tao still couldn’t fall asleep.
Perhaps she had slept too much recently.
Or perhaps it was because her lifelong marriage had been decided so hastily today.
She tossed and turned in bed.
Countless thoughts flashed through her mind.
Although she had spoken confidently to Yang Ju earlier, deep down she was still worried about the future.
The reason she was willing to marry Educated Youth Chen wasn’t just because she had been captivated by his handsome appearance.
She also wanted to leave the Yang family.
Unlike the original owner, she hadn’t inherited any memories.
For now, the Yang family treated her very well.
But she was afraid that if she stayed with them long enough, she would eventually reveal flaws in her behavior.
When that happened, who knew what might occur?
In fact, she had initially considered pretending to suffer from amnesia due to her head injury.
But at first she had believed she had been kidnapped.
Afterward, she spent her time pretending to be unconscious.
By the time she realized the truth, she had already missed the perfect opportunity.
And just like that, she had cut off that path of escape herself.