Lin Wan did not answer immediately.
She looked at the man in front of her—dark-skinned, sharp-featured, with an open, straightforward gaze. He spoke directly, without detours. She could sense something about him that differed from ordinary villagers. Not the aura of an educated man, but something steadier… someone who had seen the world a little, someone who knew what he was doing and carried quiet confidence.
“If I marry you,” she finally said, her voice calm, “can you give me a good life?”
Lu Zhanye raised his brows slightly, as if surprised she would ask so directly. But he quickly nodded.
“Yes.”
“How good?” Lin Wan pressed. “Enough to eat full meals, wear warm clothes in winter and light clothes in summer. Not just corn porridge and pickled vegetables every day, but meat sometimes. Not doing the heaviest work, not getting blood blisters on my hands.”
She paused, then added, “And no preference for sons over daughters. If I give birth to a girl, she must be treated the same as a boy.”
This was bold for this era. But Lin Wan said it calmly, her gaze clear and steady.
Lu Zhanye looked at her for a few seconds, then suddenly smiled—not a laugh, just the faint curve of his lips, softening his otherwise hard features.
“As long as you’re willing to stay with me and not think about going back to the city,” he said, “I’ll definitely give you a good life.”
“How good?”
“Better than you imagine.” Lu Zhanye replied. “Meat won’t just be occasional. In winter, your cotton coat will be stuffed with fresh cotton. Your hands won’t get blisters anymore because you won’t be doing the hardest work. As for children—”
He paused.
“Whether boy or girl, they’re mine. I’ll treat them all well.”
Lin Wan’s heartbeat quickened—not from romance, but from the sincerity and confidence in his words.
This man had ability.
“Why me?” she asked. “There are plenty of girls in the village.”
“They’re not suitable,” Lu Zhanye said simply. “You are. You’re smart, you can endure hardship, you’re not spoiled, and you have a clear mind. I’ve been watching you for half a month. You’re not good at farm work yet, but you never complain and never slack off. Your eyes are clean. Your thoughts are steady.”
Lin Wan fell silent for a moment.
The sun had already fully set, leaving a dim red glow on the horizon. The wind by the river grew colder, making her shiver slightly.
“I agree,” she said.
Two words—clean and decisive.
Lu Zhanye nodded, as if he had already expected it. “Alright. I’ll go to the educated youth dorm tomorrow and speak to them. We’ll start as a couple. Marry in a month.”
“No bride price,” Lin Wan suddenly said. “I don’t need one. But after marriage, I want to live separately, like your eldest brother.”
This time, Lu Zhanye was genuinely a little surprised. He looked at her deeply.
“Think it through. No bride price—people will say you’re foolish.”
“I want a life, not appearances,” Lin Wan said. “If there’s a bride price, there’s debt and obligation. Too many complications. Living separately is cleaner.”
Lu Zhanye studied her for a long while, then nodded.
“Alright. As you wish.”
They stood there a moment longer in silence. It wasn’t awkward—rather, there was a strange sense of tacit understanding, like two business partners who had just closed an important deal, both satisfied, both already planning the next step.
“Let’s go back,” Lu Zhanye said. “It’s dark.”
They walked side by side. The moon had risen, casting pale silver light over the black soil. The village lights twinkled faintly in the distance, smoke from cooking fires already dispersed, leaving only the faint scent of burned wood in the air.
At the entrance of the educated youth dorm, Lu Zhanye stopped.
“I’ll come for you tomorrow,” he said.
“Okay,” Lin Wan replied.
She watched him turn and leave. His figure stretched long under the moonlight, his steps steady and powerful.
Back in the room, Zhou Xiaomei was soaking her feet.
“You came back late,” she said casually.
“Something came up,” Lin Wan replied.
She sat on the edge of the kang bed, looking down at the calluses and new blisters on her hands. Half a month of exhaustion had bought her an opportunity.
An opportunity to take root. An opportunity to change her fate.
She didn’t know exactly what kind of “connections” Lu Zhanye had, but she could sense it wasn’t ordinary farm work. In this era, any man who could confidently say “I’ll give you a good life” either had background—or real capability.
And Lu Zhanye seemed to be the latter.
That was enough.
Lin Wan had never wanted illusory romance. What she needed was a reliable partner, someone who could help her survive and settle in this black soil.
As for feelings… they could be built slowly.
..
The Lu family home.
After dinner, Lu Zhanye finished his cigarette in the courtyard and went inside.
Lu Guangcai and Wang Xiulan were sitting on the kang talking. They looked up when he entered.
“Dad, Mom,” Lu Zhanye said, sitting on the edge of the kang. “I’ve spoken to Lin Wan.”
Wang Xiulan’s eyes lit up. “And?”
“She agreed,” he said. “No bride price. After marriage, we live separately.”
“No bride price?” Wang Xiulan froze. “That… that’s not how things are done!”
“She said she wants a life, not appearances,” Lu Zhanye repeated. “I think it makes sense.”
Lu Guangcai smoked his pipe in silence for a while. “She proposed living separately herself?”
“Yes.”
“This girl…” he exhaled smoke slowly. “She has her own mind.”
Wang Xiulan still hesitated. “No bride price… won’t people say we’re taking advantage of her? Say she’s throwing herself at us?”
“Mom,” Lu Zhanye said, looking at her. “Does Lin Wan look like someone who can be taken advantage of?”
Wang Xiulan thought about it, then shook her head.
No, she didn’t.
She looked gentle, but her eyes carried strength. Not someone easily controlled.
“Then let it be,” Lu Guangcai decided. “No bride price, living separately. But we won’t treat her badly—new bedding, furniture, pots and bowls, everything prepared properly. She must have dignity.”
Lu Zhanye nodded. “That’s what I meant too.”
Wang Xiulan finally smiled. “Alright! Then let’s prepare. Next month?”
“Mm.” Lu Zhanye stood up. “Tomorrow I’ll formally tell the educated youth dorm. We’ll start dating. Marry next month.”
He stepped outside again.
The night sky was clear and full of stars. Dogs barked in the distance, and somewhere a child cried.
Lu Zhanye thought of Lin Wan’s eyes by the river—clear, steady, asking “can you give me a good life?” without hesitation or shame.
He felt his half-month of observation had not been wasted.
This girl from Beijing… might truly be able to walk alongside him.
In the educated youth dorm, Lin Wan lay on the kang bed, watching the bright moonlight through the window.
Her palms still ached, but her heart had settled.
A path had opened beneath her feet.
She didn’t yet know where it led—but at least, she was no longer the lone girl digging frozen stubble in the black soil.
She had a stepping stone, a partner, and something that could be called a “home.”
That was enough.
As for the future—she and he would build it together.