91. 091 Wedding

As the year passed, under the threat of anonymous whistleblowing and the pressure of being suspected, Su Yu lived a quiet life, no longer bothering with new varieties in the orchard. She focused more on her studies and life, working half a day and studying the other half, spending half a week planting trees. Ning Jin brought her a few ginkgo trees when he drove back; she planted one in her own yard, and moved the others back to her parents' home, planting them on the edge of the private plot that her father-in-law had cultivated.

For the first six months, life was peaceful and smooth until mid-June when Su Yu was notified to go to the county high school to take the graduation exam. Xiao Yuan and Ping An, who were going to attend the county high school in the fall, also rode their bikes with her.

The timer started from when she left home. She didn't stop to rest along the way. When she arrived at the school gate, Su Yu checked her watch and it had been a full 40 minutes.

“When we get back, I’ll find someone to buy you a used bicycle. When school starts, you two can each ride one. When the weather is nice, you can ride here and back after school,” Su Yu said, looking up slightly.

"Okay, I won't take Xiaoyuan. I can ride over in half an hour."

Xiao Yuan paused slightly, moved his lips and nodded, but still didn't say anything.

Su Yu went in to take the exam, while Xiao Yuan and Ping An pushed their bikes around the school for a short while before leaving. They rode around the county all morning, and only returned to the school after the workers finished their shifts. Su Yu had already been waiting at the school gate for more than half an hour.

"Didn't you say you were here to visit the school?" Su Yu glanced at them, took the hawthorn balls that Xiao Yuan took out of his pocket, sat on the back seat and said, "You've found a good spot at the state-run restaurant, right? Let's hurry up and leave before we miss the mealtime."

"Impossible, there weren't many people inside when we came over." Ping An rode alongside Xiao Yuan's bike, answering his mother with a grin.

When the three arrived, the restaurant was already full. As they were about to wait outside, someone at the innermost table waved and called out, "Ning Ping'an, Xu Yuan, come sit here."

"Your classmates?" Su Yu asked, standing still and letting the two of them decide whether or not to go over.

“Yeah, a junior high classmate. Come on, let’s go sit down.” Ping An pushed his way through the crowd first, Xiao Yuan pushed his mother to follow, and he walked at the back.

"Mom, his name is Chen Min'an. He was in the same class as us in junior high," Ping An introduced, then asked, "Chen Min'an, when did you come here? Are you here to visit the school too?"

“No, my home is in the county. I came back the day after the exam. This is my younger brother, Chen Minqiang, and my neighbor, Anmin. He's already in his first year of high school.” After introducing them, Chen Minan greeted Su Yu: “Auntie, this is the third time I've seen you, but this should be the first time you've seen me.” He had seen her taking Ping An and Xiao Yuan to school every year when school started in the first and second years of junior high. Because he knew she was his stepmother, he could always spot her immediately when she appeared.

"It is indeed our first time. Please have a seat. I'll go and order two more dishes. I just saw that we have braised fish. None of the three of you are allergic to fish, are you?"

"No need, Auntie, you don't need to order any more dishes."

"I was just thinking of trying the braised fish at the restaurant in the county, but I was afraid I wouldn't be able to finish it, so I didn't order it. It just so happens that I ran into the three of you. Eat more later, so we don't leave any food behind," Su Yu said with a smile, walking to the window to pay her ticket and ordering an extra plate of braised fish and stir-fried lean pork with wood ear mushrooms.

When the dishes were ordered, Xiao Yuan and Ping An went to fetch them. In addition to the two extra dishes, there was braised pork with preserved mustard greens, stewed pig's trotters, and a plate of seasoned greens.

After finishing their meal, the group dispersed, splitting into two teams. They watched as Su Yu and the other two left the county and returned to their town. Chen Min'an, clinging to his brother's shoulder, walked back, saying, "You're so stupid, acting like you haven't had a decent meal in years."

He was saying that his brother had just stood up after finishing his meal when he burped, and he saw Ping An trying not to laugh.

Chen Minqiang burped again, clutching his stomach. He wasn't angry when his brother pushed him away. He said somewhat embarrassedly, "That auntie spoke so gently. She told me not to be polite and offered me pig's trotters, braised pork belly, and lean meat. I couldn't help but refuse."

"You're making it sound like you're refusing," Chen Min'an said disdainfully. It was so embarrassing; from now on, he would feel inferior to Ning Ping'an.

An Min, who hadn't spoken until now, interrupted and asked, "I heard your two classmates call that auntie 'Mom,' but why do they have different surnames? They don't even look alike." One had a round face, and the other had a thin face.

“Different fathers and different mothers, it would be strange if they didn’t look alike. That aunt is Xu Yuan’s biological mother and Ning Ping’an’s stepmother.”

"I can't tell." Anmin thought about his relationship with his stepfather, his mother's relationship with his stepsister, and then about the relationship between the girl named Ping An and his stepmother. The way she called him "Mom" so clearly and without hesitation or reluctance made it seem like they were mother and son. There was no sense of distance between them.

"Mom, Er Ya said she's not going to continue her studies." Xiao Yuan finally said what he hadn't said before.

Su Yu hummed in agreement. Even without him saying it, she had already guessed. The county was different from the town. High school in the county required leaving early and returning late. If Er Ya wanted to continue her studies, she could only manage to prepare breakfast and dinner at home, let alone take care of Xiao Hu, who was always at school and sat under her desk in the back of the classroom. Moreover, Du Xiao Juan was used to an easy life. Er Ya had managed the household chores very well over the years while she was studying, so she was unwilling to let Er Ya continue her studies and leave the household chores to her.

Ping An rode ahead on his bike. When he heard no more noise behind him, he made a turn to let the two bikes pass side by side. He looked his mother up and down and asked, "Don't you have anything to say?"

What do you want me to say?

“We thought you would continue to help Er Ya, after all, you value your schooling so much.” We’ve never seen her treat her fourth child this well in all these years. Whenever the family cooks something delicious, she asks Xiao Yuan to send some to Er Ya. She also sews thick cotton socks for Er Ya and buys her shampoo. She’s never been this good to Xiao Yuan’s older and younger cousins.

“It’s already quite an achievement for her to graduate from junior high school; she’s much better than many other kids. I’m not her mother, and I can’t solve her current predicament, so I can’t make higher demands. She’s the one who suffers, and I can’t just stand there and talk without understanding the situation.” Besides, Er Ya knows what she’s doing. She’ll fight for what she can. Just like when she was in junior high, she felt she could handle the consequences of making a scene, so she did. Now that she’s voluntarily said she won’t go to high school, it means she knows in her heart that this isn’t something that can be resolved by making a scene once or twice.

"Er Ya is a smart girl, you two shouldn't meddle in other people's business and talk nonsense," she warned the two boys.

"Don't wrong me, neither Xiao Yuan nor I said anything."

"It wasn't said to be the best."

Ping An grumbled unhappily and called for Xiao Yuan to come down and ride in his car.

Just then, Su Yu also felt tired, so she immediately stopped the car and let Xiao Yuan get out. She only started pedaling after the two of them had walked ahead. Staring at Xiao Yuan's bent legs, she thought that she had to buy a car as soon as she got back, because it looked so uncomfortable to sit on the back seat with his legs bent.

Su Yu had just received her secondhand bicycle and was riding it back home when she saw a group of people gathered in front of Du Xiaojuan's house as soon as she entered the alley. She walked over and the group of people went into Du Xiaojuan's house. She asked Xiao Yuan, who was standing there in a daze, "What are you doing standing here?"

"That's someone who came to meet Er Ya. The man is so old and ugly," he said, glancing at his mother.

"Looking for a partner? Er Ya is getting married? Xiao Hu is only four years old, can't he go to school yet?" Su Yu was surprised. Er Ya was only eighteen years old. She thought that with Du Xiao Juan's lazy nature, she would keep Er Ya at home for a few years to take care of the children and do housework. When the reform and opening up came, Er Ya saw new hope. She could go out to work or continue her studies. Even if she got married, she would be twenty-one or twenty-two years old by then, and she would be able to see the quality of a man better.

"That old man must have taken more money," Xiao Yuan said indignantly.

The only reason must be this: the more money a man takes, the more flaws he has. Su Yu didn't go inside. She leaned her bicycle against the wall and sat with Xiao Yuan in front of the door waiting for the old man to come out.

Less than ten minutes after they sat down, the old man that Er Ya and Xiao Yuan had been talking about came out.

"Auntie," Er Ya stammered, not intending to introduce the man, nor knowing what to say. Her mind was blank. Although she had always worried about having problems having children after marriage, now that the man was actually standing in front of her, facing the possibility of being married off at any time, she began to panic.

Su Yu responded, her eyes fixed on the man next to her. He had thick hands and big joints, indicating he was a heavy laborer. He was a finger shorter than Er Ya, with a dark face and wrinkles around his eyes. Damn, he looked older than her man.

"Where is this comrade from? How old are you?" she asked.

The man stared at her for a moment without saying a word, then urged Er Ya to keep walking.

“From Huangkou Town, twenty-eight this year.” Er Ya didn’t move, replying to Su Yu.

"Who are you? Why are you asking all this nonsense? Do you think some girl wants to marry me?" The man said impatiently, urging Er Ya, "Are you coming or not? I'm calling for your mother."

Er Ya frowned. "Auntie, I'll go get the vinegar first, we'll talk when I get back." She left with the man.

"Pah, you scoundrel." Xiao Yuan spat out a mouthful of saliva.

This time, Su Yu didn't correct his undignified behavior, and stared at the two people walking away, lost in thought.

Ten or twenty minutes later, the two left empty-handed and returned empty-handed. They went inside and within five minutes, seven or eight people came out. Apart from Du Xiaojuan and Er Ya's father, the others were all relatives from the man's side.

"Oh my!" Du Xiaojuan beamed with joy, waving her hands at her sides and giving Su Yu a rare smile. "Thanks to you, Xiaoyuan's mom! If you hadn't brought the police and the Women's Federation to force me to send Er Ya to school a few years ago, I wouldn't have received so much dowry." She clicked her tongue twice, made a gesture, and boasted in a low voice, "Eight hundred! Da Ya only got one hundred and thirty back then. I should have let Da Ya go to school too. Girls who graduate from junior high school are really valuable."

“High school graduates are more valuable. In two years, their value might double. They can not only get an 800 yuan dowry, but also buy three major items.” Su Yu said disdainfully, “Shallow-eyed fool.”

Du Xiaojuan was stunned for a moment, rolled her eyes and said, "You bought three big items but they won't end up in my house. You're the fool."

"What about Xiaohu? Are you taking him to work?" Su Yu stood up, looking down at Du Xiaojuan from the steps, as if she were watching a good show: "Let's see how long you can keep it easy. After Er Ya gets married, you'll be getting up at six in the morning to cook, wash the dishes, and then take the kids to work. You'll rush back to cook lunch, wash the dishes, and then go to work again. After work, you'll gather firewood, come back to cook, and not be able to lie down in bed until the moon is high in the sky. Er Ya's past and present are your future."

"What are you talking about with her? You're wasting your breath. Come in." The man at the door quickly called to Du Xiaojuan.

"Er Ya, before you get married, teach your mother how to cook properly. She hasn't cooked in ten or twenty years, so don't burn the bottom of the pot." She shouted at Du Xiaojuan's back.

"Xiao Yuan, let me tell you, Er Ya's dad is a real scoundrel, a coward. When there's a storm outside, he hides his head in his shell, but when there's something to gain, he immediately comes out and will even try to bite people. He's like a dog that bites without barking."

Su Yu angrily cursed for a while before going inside.

The next day, after everyone in the family had gone out, Er Ya came next door. She sat on a stool, hugging her legs and staring blankly. Su Yu asked her how things were going.

"There's been no word from the guy yet; his mom seems to think I'm too thin."

"Where's your mother? Is she in a rush to get you married?"

Er Ya frowned and thought for a moment, then said with some difficulty, "I'm a little confused too. She was in a great hurry before, after all, she didn't get a single penny of the eight hundred yuan. But last night I overheard her saying that she wanted me to stay for two years, but my dad didn't agree and even scolded her." After saying that, she glanced at Aunt Su.

Su Yu understood the meaning behind that glance; it was nothing more than the cowardly woman accusing her of gossiping.

"And you? What do you mean? You want to get married too?"

Er Ya reflexively shook her head. After shaking her head, she realized what was happening and smiled knowingly: "It seems I don't want to get married. How strange. Before, I was in a hurry to grow up, in a hurry to get married and leave home."

"Because you have gained experience and have other options besides getting married."

Er Ya neither nodded nor refuted. She didn't know what other options she had. She had looked around, but no one was willing to give her a job. However, compared to marrying a stranger, she would rather stay at home to work and take care of the children.

Neither side has given a concrete opinion yet, and judging from Er Ya's attitude, she isn't particularly resistant. Su Yu also remains silent, the situation is unclear, and she might end up making a mess of things.

Two days later, the man's side came, and the man himself came too. It seemed that if Er Ya's parents agreed, Er Ya's marriage would be settled.

For a moment, Su Yu was at a loss. Er Ya had reached marriageable age, and the man's side was openly looking for her and getting engaged. Even Er Ya didn't seem to be resisting. As an outsider, Su Yu's disapproval of the marriage was completely useless.

A woman with a hunched back and a hunched neck floated past Su Yu. Su Yu only realized that this was Du Xiaojuan's eldest daughter after she entered the neighboring yard. Then, painful and aggrieved cries came from next door.

Su Yu squeezed into the neighboring courtyard with the old lady who was watching the commotion. She saw that Daya's face was bruised and swollen, and her legs were bent unnaturally.

"Mom and Dad, Dazhu divorced me. He's seeing someone else, and that woman is pregnant. He... he said I can't have children and he doesn't want me anymore." She cried, hugging Du Xiaojuan's legs.

"What utter nonsense! If I can have children, why can't you?" Du Xiaojuan's eyes darted around as she said to the person opposite her, "Father-in-law, I'm sorry you had to see this. It's alright, it's alright. This is my eldest daughter. She had a little argument with her husband."

Daya was already immersed in despair and didn't care about her surroundings at all. She said in a hoarse voice, "I really can't have children. I saw a doctor, and the doctor said I have a cold uterus and it's not easy for me to get pregnant. Also, I'm too thin, so even if I get pregnant, I won't be able to keep the baby." After saying that, she continued to cry.

The old woman, who had been leaning against the table watching the show, suddenly stood up. She looked at Er Ya, who was only a few pounds heavier than Daya, and remembered what the matchmaker had said about how capable this girl was, able to do laundry, cook, and take care of the child. She went over and touched Er Ya's cold hand, then immediately told her son to leave.

"In-laws, please stay for lunch," Du Xiaojuan hurriedly called out, as the betrothal gifts hadn't been given yet.

"I'm here today to tell you about this marriage proposal that I didn't approve of."

The mother and son were pushed out of the crowd as if they were being chased by ghosts. Su Yu glanced at the mess inside the house and then turned and went out.