“What about the furniture?”
“It’s all ready. Kang cabinets, tables, chairs—everything is there. A bit old, but sturdy. My father said since you don’t want a bride price, we can’t treat you badly. The bedding will all be newly made, the cotton has already been cleaned and fluffed, and they’re being sewn now. Pots, bowls, and all household necessities will be fully prepared—nothing will be missing for daily life.”
Lin Wan nodded. This was better than she had expected.
“I have a few sets of clothes, some books, and…” she paused, “a little money and some ration coupons from home.”
“Keep them yourself,” Lu Zhanye said. “After we’re married, you’ll manage the household money. Whatever I earn, I’ll hand over to you.”
He said it so naturally that Lin Wan’s heart gave a slight jolt.
In this era, it was not common for a man to voluntarily hand over his wages to his wife.
“Aren’t you afraid I’ll spend it recklessly?” she asked.
Lu Zhanye looked at her. “Will you?”
Lin Wan shook her head.
“Then that’s enough,” he said. “I trust you.”
Just three words—but they carried weight.
After resting for a while, the work whistle sounded again. They stood up, and Lu Zhanye said, “After work this afternoon, I’ll take you to see the house.”
“Alright.”
..
In the afternoon, they continued turning the soil. Lin Wan gradually became more skilled. Although still exhausted, she was now able to keep up with the rhythm of the older villagers.
Wang Cuihua was also working in the same field and kept glancing at Lin Wan with a complicated expression.
During the break, Lin Wan went to the field edge for water. Wang Cuihua sidled over and asked casually, “Comrade Lin, are you really going to marry Lu Zhanye?”
“Yes,” Lin Wan replied.
“He does have a decent family background, but…” Wang Cuihua lowered her voice, “do you know what he’s always running around doing? Mysterious business. People in the village say he doesn’t do proper work.”
Lin Wan put down her water bottle and looked at her. “Auntie, I know what Zhanye does. Thank you for your concern.”
Her tone was calm, but her gaze was clearly distant.
Wang Cuihua hit a soft wall and left awkwardly.
Lin Wan watched her back. She understood these people very well. Every village had them—those who couldn’t stand seeing others do well and always tried to stir trouble.
But she wasn’t afraid.
Her choice of Lu Zhanye was not blind. Over the past half month, she had observed carefully—his family had high standing in the village, and although Lu Zhanye was quiet, he was reliable in action. Most villagers spoke of him with curiosity, not hostility.
As for what exactly his “outside dealings” were… she would know after marriage.
When work ended in the afternoon, the sun was already low.
Lu Zhanye was waiting at the field edge. They walked together toward the eastern side of the village.
The house was indeed good. Earthen walls, tiled roof, and a wooden fence enclosing a small but neat yard. The main room had glass windows, cleanly wiped. When they pushed the door open, a faint smell of dust drifted out.
The kang bed was large enough for three or four people. The wooden kang cabinet was old but intact. There was a square table, two chairs, and a washbasin stand in the corner.
The east wing was the kitchen. The stove had already been built, though the iron pot had not yet been installed. The west wing was mostly empty, with some firewood and a few tools stored inside.
“What else do you need to add?” Lu Zhanye asked.
Lin Wan looked around. “A cupboard for dishes in the kitchen. A chicken coop in the yard—raise a few chickens. And a vegetable patch.”
“Alright,” he nodded. “I’ll have a carpenter make the cupboard. I’ll build the chicken coop. The garden will be done in a few days.”
They stood in the yard. The setting sun stretched their shadows long.
“I don’t have parents or relatives,” Lin Wan said suddenly. “A simple wedding will be fine.”
“I understand,” Lu Zhanye replied.
“You don’t mind?”
“What is there to mind?” he asked. “As long as you are here, that’s enough.”
Lin Wan felt a warmth in her chest.
This man spoke little, but every word was solid.
“What date next month?” she asked.
“The fifteenth,” he said. “I checked the calendar. Third lunar month, fifteenth day—April 20th.”
“Alright.”
They said nothing more, but both understood.
This was a marriage of mutual need—but also a partnership built on respect.
As for feelings… there was still time.
They could grow slowly.
When they left the house, it was already dark. Lights were lit in every household, and smoke rose gently from cooking fires.
“I’ll walk you back to the educated youth dorm,” Lu Zhanye said.
“No need, I can—”
“Walk you back,” he insisted.
They walked side by side, a fist’s distance between them. Neither spoke, but the silence was not awkward.
At the dorm entrance, Lu Zhanye stopped. “I’ll come again tomorrow morning.”
“Okay,” Lin Wan nodded. “See you tomorrow.”
“See you tomorrow.”
Lin Wan watched his figure disappear into the night before turning inside.
The other educated youths were all staring at her.
“Lin Wan…” Zhou Xiaomei asked carefully, “are you really getting married?”
“Yes.” She began taking off her coat. “The fifteenth next month.”
“My god…” Sun Xiuying exclaimed. “That’s like a rocket speed marriage.”
“What kind of person is Lu Zhanye?” Zhao Jianguo asked. “Is he reliable?”
Lin Wan thought for a moment and gave a very straightforward answer:
“He can live a proper life.”
The others exchanged glances, but seeing her calm expression, they didn’t ask further.
That night, Lin Wan lay on the kang bed, looking at the moonlight outside the window.
Her palms still ached, her waist was still sore—but her heart was steady.
She now had a house, furniture, and soon even kitchenware and utensils.
Most importantly, she had a partner—someone she could walk this black soil road with.
As for Wang Cuihua, who said she might run back to the city…
Lin Wan closed her eyes.
She would prove with time that staying here was not a temporary choice.
But a decision to take root, grow, and eventually flourish.
..
Meanwhile, at the Lu family home.
Wang Xiulan was sewing a new quilt under the lamp, stitch by stitch.
Lu Guangcai smoked his pipe. “That Lin Wan girl… seems like someone who knows how to live.”
“Yes,” Wang Xiulan nodded. “Clear eyes, steady mind. No bride price, willing to live separately—she has her own ideas.”
“It’s good that Xiao Ye is settling down,” Lu Guangcai said slowly. “I just wonder whether Lin Wan can accept what Xiao Ye does…”
“Let the children figure it out themselves,” Wang Xiulan interrupted. “Xiao Ye knows his limits. That girl is smart—she can tell he’s not reckless.”
“True,” he agreed.