Chapter 61 Proposing Marriage
Lu Kai became anxious: "Mother! Xia is a young girl, how can she stand hearing this every day?"
Aunt Zhou was amused by her son: "Someone who can slap Gu Zhiqing's face into a pig's head, you're worried she'll suffer? Silly son! It seems you really need a clever girl by your side!"
Shen Yi sat on the edge of the bed, looking at the moonlight in the courtyard, and did not sleep all night.
Lu Kai walked out of his mother's room looking sullen.
The two exchanged a glance but did not speak. Lu Kai then returned to his room.
The next day, before dawn, Shen Yi shook Xu Zhigang awake from his bed.
"What? Did the sky fall?" Xu Zhigang asked sleepily.
"Come with me to the city," Shen Yi's voice left no room for argument, "to buy some things."
What to buy?
"Stop talking nonsense! Get up now!"
The two of them left quietly without even having breakfast.
At the Liu family's place, things were already bustling about in the courtyard as soon as it was light.
In the kitchen, Liu Zhixia chopped the cured pork into minced meat, mixed it with pickled vegetables, and stir-fried it in a pan. The pungent aroma instantly filled the entire courtyard.
The two little gluttons, Da Bao and Er Bao, stood by the stove, their mouths watering.
Liu Zhixia chuckled: "You just ate a fried egg by yourself, and now you're craving it again?"
Da Bao said in his childish voice, "Auntie's cooking smells so good!"
Erbao also shouted, "Meat! Delicious!"
Even Shen Hongmei couldn't resist peeking in, staring longingly at the pot: "Little sister, this... this is for Comrade Shen, right? It smells so good, can we try some?"
"Don't worry," Liu Zhixia said with a smile, "I cooked extra today, I'll make you twice-cooked pork for lunch."
"There's twice-cooked pork too!" Shen Hongmei exclaimed with delight. "What a special day it is! This pork... is it your treat?"
Zhang Xiuying glared at her: "Why are you always eyeing the little money your little sister has? The money for the meat comes from the public funds!"
"Mother!" Shen Hongmei said, feeling wronged. "My little sister earns so much money, what's wrong with giving us some to eat? We've worked hard all the time..."
"Didn't you get a share of the profits?" Zhang Xiuying retorted. "Is it reasonable for the whole family to eat together and have your younger sister pay for everything?"
Liu Zhixia smiled and smoothed things over, "Mom, it's just a bite to eat, don't be so picky. This meat is on me today!"
She looked at the people in the courtyard, her eyes and brows full of smiles: "As for why I'm so happy... it's because today is the auspicious day of Lu Huaiyuan and Gu Mansheng's engagement!"
The thought of that despicable couple finally being locked up and torturing each other from now on made her lips curl into a wild smile.
Upon hearing this, Shen Hongmei smiled smugly, and her energy for work increased even more.
Zhang Xiuying smiled and said, "Okay, it's good that you know what I mean."
Zhang Xiuying was just about to go back to work when she looked up and saw Shen Yi and Xu Zhigang carrying large and small bags, walking straight towards her yard.
"These two comrades...have come to our house?"
Upon hearing this, Liu Zhixia also went out and saw the two standing at the gate. She knocked on the door.
"Aunt Zhang, we've come to visit."
"What are you doing..." Zhang Xiuying asked, puzzled.
Shen Yi raised his head, looked past the crowd, and fixed his gaze intently on Liu Zhixia, speaking clearly and distinctly, word by word:
"We've come to propose marriage."
The courtyard instantly became so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Seeing everyone frozen in shock, Xu Zhigang chuckled and tried to smooth things over: "Auntie, isn't Uncle home? Such a big matter needs to be discussed with him!"
Zhang Xiuying's lips gradually parted into a wide smile, until she burst into a bright, triumphant grin: "Quick! Come in and sit down! Eldest daughter-in-law, what are you waiting for? Go and call your father and husband back!"
"Alright!" Shen Hongmei snapped out of her daze, dropped what she was doing, and ran outside.
Liu Zhixia was completely stunned, staring at Shen Yi in disbelief.
Shen Yi looked at her earnestly and explained, "I've thought about this all night. I can't run away from this. We've been intimate... I have to take responsibility for you!"
"I already said, you don't need to take responsibility!" Liu Zhixia's eyes narrowed.
She didn't want their relationship to start simply because of the word "responsibility."
Unexpectedly, Shen Yi nodded and said seriously, "Then, you can take responsibility for me."
"Oh dear! Comrades, don't stand here, come inside and sit down, let's talk inside!" Zhang Xiuying was afraid that her daughter would say something foolish again, so she quickly came over to smooth things over.
She glared at Liu Zhixia and deliberately said loudly, "What are you standing there for! Go make some tea for your comrade! You acted like a hooligan, and now that he's come knocking on your door, you think you can just shirk responsibility? Our Liu family doesn't have a daughter like that!"
Liu Zhixia stared at her mother in disbelief, muttering, "Yesterday she said she respected my choice... And when did I ever act like a hooligan?!"
When Liu Zhixia brought in the tea, Liu Shouren had already rushed back from the fields.
Looking at the upright and serious Shen Yi, he still found it hard to believe and asked nervously, "You...you really came to propose marriage?"
A battalion commander wants to marry his own daughter, who was previously rejected by her fiancé? This sounds like a dream!
Before Shen Yi could answer, he nervously repeated, "You... really want to marry my daughter?"
“That’s right.” Shen Yi’s answer was firm and powerful, his gaze sweeping over everyone present. “This is a decision I have made after careful consideration, not an impulsive one. Please rest assured, I will never let her suffer the slightest grievance in the future.”
Shen Hongmei couldn't help but interject, "Comrade Shen, our little sister... she was engaged to Lu Huaiyuan before..."
"What nonsense are you talking about!" Liu Xiangyang quickly glared at his wife.
Shen Hongmei, however, said matter-of-factly: "This matter must be made clear first! What if Comrade Shen regrets it later and cancels the engagement again? What about my reputation then?"
Upon hearing this, Zhang Xiuying calmed down. Her eldest daughter-in-law's words today made sense.
She looked at Shen Yi seriously: "Comrade Shen, marriage is a major life event. Shouldn't you discuss it with your family?"
Shen Yi shook his head: "My parents are gone, so I can make my own decisions about my marriage."
Liu Zhixia, standing to the side, finally couldn't help but speak up: "Is it because of the rumors in the village? Actually, I really don't care..."
"You may not care, but I do!" Shen Yi suddenly looked up, staring intently at her, but his tone carried a hint of grievance. "I'm a battalion commander, and you think you can just let this go after you've treated me like a scoundrel? You have to take responsibility for me!"
"What?!"
Liu Shouren and his two sons were completely dumbfounded.
Liu Xuejun was even more shocked. He tugged at Liu Zhixia's sleeve and asked in a low voice, "Sister, you...you really did something indecent to Comrade Shen?"
Liu Zhixia: "..."
She was utterly speechless. She hadn't expected that a casual joke her mother made would be used so readily by him!
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