"This time, please marry me."

Ye Qingshui looked at his slightly nervous yet confident face. Facing the gentle breeze, he curled his lips and revealed a faint smile.

In her two lifetimes, this was the first time she heard Xie Tingyu say this: marry him.

Many past events emerged in Ye Qingshui's mind.

In his previous life, he would say "I love you" in a frustrated way that she didn't understand, would care for her in a seemingly cold but clumsy way, and would promise her a future before leaving, but Ye Qingshui never understood him.

That man had never let her understand his heart.

If there hadn't been that accident, would they have had a different ending?

For a moment, Ye Qingshui's nose felt a little sour.

Xie Tingyu held her with his sweaty hands and asked in a slow and puzzled tone, "You don't want to?"

Ye Qingshui looked at Xie Tingyu, who had made her sad all her life, and hated him so much that her teeth were itching.

She shook her head and said, "It depends on your performance."

"You've made me sad for a long time, and I thought about divorcing you at that time. But I thought that if I divorced you rashly these days, I would probably be gossiped about by others..."

She shrugged and smiled, "But now I understand that divorce is not that scary."

Xie Tingyu looked at her smiling face and felt as if he couldn't breathe and it was suffocating in his chest.

The tourist returned the camera to them and said cheerfully, "You two have such a sweet relationship... You got married not long ago, right?"

He looked at the camera in his hand. Cameras were rare and expensive. Except for those specially provided to journalists, ordinary people could not afford them.

Ye Qingshui smiled and said, "You misunderstood, he is not my husband."

Although the capital is more open than smaller cities, the behavior of men and women is strictly enforced, and for a moment the eyes of tourists were a little strange. If they were not a couple, such intimate behavior would be reported to the workplace, and they would lose their jobs, but they would definitely not be able to be evaluated as advanced.

Xie Tingyu's face suddenly turned as black as the bottom of a pot.

He put his arm around her waist and corrected the tourists: "She is angry with me. She is my lover."

Before Ye Qingshui could refute, Xie Tingyu blocked her mouth with his hand.

The tourists looked at the young and handsome couple and smiled kindly.

Xie Tingyu took the time to take his wife to visit the beautiful sights in the capital. After a day's walk, even Ye Qingshui, a rural girl with good physical strength, was out of breath.

…

On the second day of the Lunar New Year, Ye Qingshui began to pack his luggage and prepare to return to the countryside.

Grandma Xie was reluctant to leave.

She said: "Can't you stay a few more days? Then grandma won't be able to eat the meals cooked by Shuiya herself..."

The light and delicious steamed fish, the rich and fragrant meatballs, the sweet braised pork, and the fragrant bacon and sausage, just thinking about these made Grandma Xie feel greedy all over.

The meat cooked by Ye Qingshui has a special flavor that makes people feel happy when eating it.

Just one day after that New Year’s Eve dinner, Grandma Xie began looking forward to next year’s New Year’s Eve dinner.

Grandma Xie still remembers the worry and anger she felt when she first received the "marriage news" from her grandson in the countryside, but now she is becoming more and more satisfied as she looks at the little girl, and there is no one more suitable than her.

She squeezed Ye Qingshui's hand and said lovingly, "Why aren't you wearing the bracelet grandma gave you? Your hand is bare and looks so plain."

Ye Qingshui thought of the jade bracelet that Grandma Xie gave her. It was warm to the touch, and the jade was clear and had good water content. It was a well-deserved heirloom. Although the jade was smashed, looted, and burned during the turbulent times, and its value was depreciated very low, it did not prevent it from being a family heirloom of the Xie family.

How could Ye Qingshui dare to take out such a treasure easily?

She thought for a while and said, "My eldest brother has returned home now, so I should give it back to him..."

The treasure should be passed on to the eldest grandson, how could it be passed on to her instead of him?

Grandma Xie said angrily, "No, it's because he hasn't found a wife yet."

Ye Qingshui folded the last piece of clothing and looked at the old lady's reluctant eyes. She couldn't help but soften her heart and said, "Can I teach you how to make sausages and bacon?"

"When I'm gone, grandma can cut a piece for you if she misses you. I'll also send you some local specialties from the countryside."

Grandma Xie was delighted when she heard this and said, "That's great."

Ye Qingshui does what he says.

Although the Chinese New Year has not yet ended and the supply and marketing cooperatives have not opened for business, the poor black market traders have set up their shops early and are enjoying doing it.

Ye Qingshui secretly bought five pounds of pork belly at a relatively expensive price. The price of pork, which used to be 80 cents a pound, rose to 1.5 yuan a pound during the New Year. She hid the pork carefully and walked around in circles before returning to the compound.

Ye Qingshui told Grandma Xie: "Well-made bacon is translucent and shiny after being cured, with firm and smooth texture. It tastes mellow and fatty but not greasy."

Grandma Xie smacked her lips and thought about the bacon she had eaten these days. Isn’t this exactly the taste?

Ye Qingshui started to prepare. She asked Grandma Xie for white wine. Grandma Xie thought about it and took out the Bamboo Leaf Green Tea that her husband had collected.

Ye Qingshui taught his grandmother step by step as she shaved the hair and skin.

"Wash it, dry it, cut it into slices, and rub the meat with wine to remove the fishy smell."

Slices of distinct red and white meat are doused with sugar, wine, homemade spices, and secret sauces, and a fragrant aroma of pork belly hits you.

Grandma Xie's eyes sparkled with greed, "It's so simple! Shuiya, what are the powder and sauce you just sprinkled?"

Ye Qingshui nodded, "It's that simple. I ground the powder with several spices, and I made the sauce myself. I'll make a jar for you. I'll write the recipe for you later. If you want to make it in the future, just grind some out."

If you smoke the meat with fragrant wood and herbs before drying it, the fragrance will penetrate into the meat and make it taste better. However, it is difficult to find fragrant wood and herbs here, so Ye Qingshui only taught her a simple method.

Spread a layer of bacon with a layer of sauce, stack them together in a ceramic jar, seal it and dry it for three days.

"Grandma, take out the bacon the day after tomorrow, tie it up with ropes and hang it in the yard. It will be ready to eat after a week."

Grandma Xie nodded hurriedly, and Ye Qingshui began to teach her how to cook with bacon.

Ye Qingshui cut the bacon he brought from home into small pieces, put it in a steamer with rice and vegetables, and started steaming it.

The aroma from the kitchen wafted out of the window uncontrollably. The rich and fragrant smell of meat made all the neighbors hungry. Even those who had celebrated the New Year and had eaten their fill of meat were now going crazy with greed.

What's going on with the Xie family? They have good food every other day. Please think about your neighbors and send some New Year's goods! This is really frustrating. The neighbors are looking forward to the Xie family visiting relatives soon, and they are stretching their necks.

The steamed bacon rice was drizzled with sauce. The slices of bacon were bright in color and transparent in texture. Grandma Xie took a bite and her mouth was filled with sesame oil.

This is the taste that the elderly who experienced the famine years miss.

Three days later, Grandma Xie personally hung the bacon left by her granddaughter-in-law in the yard to dry. She felt very proud when she saw the slices of bacon hanging in rows at the door of her house.

However, the couple who had been chatting and spending time with her a few days ago had already gone south and the house was empty.

She looked at the empty yard and the room on the second floor that would never be lit again this year. The old lady couldn't help but burst into tears.

I must go home next year.

…

Ye Qingshui and Xie Tingyu returned to the countryside before the New Year holiday.

The north was frozen for thousands of miles, but the south was already in full bloom. The weather was so warm that Ye Qingshui was sweating profusely just after getting off the train.

The countryside will be busy with spring ploughing in a while, but fortunately there are still a few days of leisure time before that.

Ye Qingshui had just returned to the village, and the villagers he met on the way greeted him warmly:

"Shuiya, I'm back from a trip to the capital!"

"How are your in-laws?"

"Have you seen Chairman M?"

Some children who just started school asked her: "Sister Shuiya, is the temple as big and magnificent as the legend says?"

People coming and going in the village looked at Ye Qingshui with envy, as if she had been to the capital and had seen the world. In the eyes of the older generation, the capital was like a belief, because there lived their most respected Chairman M.

Ye Qingshui answered one by one: "Yes, I'm back!"

"The elders in my husband's family are very nice and take good care of me."

She didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "I haven't met Chairman M. I'm just an ordinary citizen."

Finally, she stroked the child's fluffy hair and said seriously, "*** is very big and impressive. Sanniu must study hard and go see *** in person when he grows up."

Xie Tingyu carried the luggage and said to Ye Qingshui earnestly, "Shui'er, let's give some wedding candies to the villagers."

He was a little depressed.

Because Ye Qingshui had to ask the respected elders in the village to write a divorce letter before returning to the countryside. This realization made the rosy joy on Xie Tingyu's face disappear.

He put down his luggage, and without waiting for Ye Qingshui to say anything, he took out the wedding candies and distributed them to the villagers one by one with a smile on his face.

The villagers had never seen wedding candies so beautifully packaged. The wealthy families in the village would at most go to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy a pound of fruit hard candies for their wedding banquets. But look at the wedding candies distributed by Xie Tingyu, which were wrapped in red plastic and contained melon seeds, peanuts, milk candies, and fruit candies. Which one was not a rare item?

Suddenly the atmosphere became lively and the villagers were very excited, as if they had picked up good luck for free.

These wedding candies were prepared by grandpa and grandma, and Ye Qingshui did not stop them.

She recalled Grandma Xie's regret before she left.

The old man said, "It would be great if your mother could come to the capital, and we could have another wedding banquet."

Grandma Xie was very unhappy that she had worked so hard to raise the little brat, but he didn't even get to drink a glass of wedding wine.

Ye Qingshui had never thought about these things before she came. The change in the Xie family's attitude towards her was something she had not expected.

Grandpa Xie comforted his wife: "Let's pick a good day in the future and invite the in-laws to the capital to hold the wedding."

To make up for the regret, they carefully prepared wedding candy.

Ye Qingshui likes milk candy very much. Xie Tingyu bought several kilograms of milk candy, mixed and kneaded it, and put it into the wedding candy bags, which totaled ninety-nine portions, symbolizing a long and happy marriage.

Xie Tingyu distributed the wedding candies, handed a peeled piece of candy to his wife and said, "Shui'er, have one too."

After the couple distributed the wedding candy, they returned home.

Ye Qingshui looked at the brand new house, which was bright and clean, and strode in.

The new house has been completed, but she hasn’t lived in it yet!

When the old lady saw her granddaughter coming back, she shouted with full energy: "Shui Ya is back!"

Ye Qingshui nodded and took out the things she had brought back from the capital for her family from her luggage. She took them out one by one, listing them like treasures. The joy in her clear voice was simply uncontrollable:

"Grandma, these are the shoes I bought for you. The old cloth soles are soft, breathable and comfortable."

"Mother, this dress is for you. It's elegant and beautiful, and it's made of pure cotton. Try it on to see if it fits you. If it doesn't, I'll alter it for you later."

"And the nutritious milk powder is for Auntie to nourish her body, and these bone and muscle patches are for you. Put them on when it rains and the weather turns cold, and your legs and feet won't ache so much."

Ye Qingshui talked incessantly.

These rows of words and the bulging luggage were all bought for their families, which made them feel warm in their hearts.

"These things are so expensive. Grandma is old and doesn't need such good things. These are all precious goods in the city..." The grandma pursed her lips, feeling sorry for her granddaughter and the money.

"Is it cold in the capital? You've come all the way here and brought back so many things. You must be tired, right?" A'niang wiped the sweat off her daughter's face with a smile.

Uncle Ye said: "These must have cost a lot of money."

Xie Tingyu asked anxiously, "Where's mine?"

My uncle immediately burst out laughing, and my grandmother and mother also started laughing.

Grandma said happily: "Shuiya is so thoughtful that she specially brought milk powder for your aunt. Shuiya, you will have a brother or sister soon."

"You and Tingyu should hurry up and get married before your uncle. You are not as fast as your uncle."

Uncle Ye couldn't help scratching his head. As an old man in his thirties, a rare look of shyness appeared on his dark face.

How can you not have children if you work hard every night?

My aunt was thin-skinned and couldn't stand the torture, so she turned her face away.

Xie Tingyu happily agreed: "I'll try harder."

My uncle said, "Tingyu looks like a scholar, and he doesn't seem to have any strength. You need to nourish your body more and have more strength so that you can have a baby. Don't you think so, Shui girl?"

Xie Tingyu readily agreed and said with a smile: "It's time to nourish me more. Shui'er, did you hear me? My uncle asked you to nourish me more."

Ye Qingshui resisted the urge to correct his uncle.

Although Xie Tingyu looks gentle, he only looks tall and handsome when he is dressed. If he were in later times, he would have the figure of a supermodel, a clothes hanger, and when he takes off his clothes, he would have firm muscles and no extra fat.

It is not a problem for him to carry 200 kilograms of water for ten miles at a time. How can such a person be given nourishment?

Ye Qingshui avoided the topic and turned back to his room.

When the new house was completed, Ye Qingshui was still in the capital. This was the first time she saw the finished house.

The newly built house was spacious and bright. Two tables were placed under the window, and Xie Tingyu's books were neatly stacked one by one, making it very warm. The quilt on the bed was specially changed and washed, exuding a light scent of soapberry.

In the previous life, the Ye family's house was built five years after Ye Qingshui went to the city to work hard. But now it has been built five years earlier.

In this life, my uncle got married and had children early, and my grandmother did not break any bones while digging a well and spent the winter of 1976 in good health. Although these three things seem insignificant, they are enough to change Ye Qingshui's life.

The trajectory of this life has changed, but history is not unchangeable. As long as you are willing to work hard, your efforts will pay off.

Ye Qingshui faced the faint sunlight coming in from the window, squinted his eyes, and felt as if he had drunk sugar water, which made him feel sweet to his heart.

She took out her luggage, put everything away, and took out a letter from the gap in her backpack. She closed the door and read it secretly.

This was written to her by her elder brother Xie Tingjue.

In the letter, Xie Tingjue clearly explained how Xie Tingyu had the car accident that year. On February 23, in the spring of 1978, Xie Tingyu went north to report to the university and met Xie Tingjue who had just been looking for his relatives, and the two had a car accident.

Xie Tingjue said: "I hope you can take good care of him. Don't return to the capital before 1978. Leave the rest to me."

Xie Tingjue was afraid that the couple was still arguing, so he jokingly mentioned it at the end of the letter: "You can go and see Tingyu's box when you have time."

Ye Qingshui's eyes fell on Xie Tingyu's old wooden box. The sturdy and hard wooden box was painted with a layer of paint, making it particularly shiny.

In her previous life, she never dared to touch his box, because one time when she was looking for something, she accidentally touched it, and in return, Xie Tingyu angrily scolded her.

"Do you understand? How dare you rummage around? Don't touch my box..."

Ye Qingshui looked at it silently for a while, and finally looked away.

Xie Tingyu had just walked to the door when his wife was looking at his box. Her eyes had been fixed on it for a while. He interrupted her attention:

"Shui'er, what are you going to do?"

Ye Qingshui didn't want to pry into other people's privacy, but when he saw Xie Tingyu's subtle expression, he suddenly became interested.

"Can I see your box?"

Xie Tingyu seemed to be forcing himself to brush it off and change the subject, "What's so good about this? How about I show you what I got from grandma and grandpa?"