It is a distance of twelve kilometers from Li'an City to Qishui Village. I rode a bicycle all the way, stopping and starting, and it took me an hour to cover half of the distance. This is because the road is not a flat concrete road. It becomes bumpy as soon as it enters the suburbs.

These days, public facilities are backward, and buses connecting urban and rural areas have not yet begun to develop. If rural people want to go to the city or if urban people want to go to the countryside, they either have to walk or ride a bicycle.

When Qiao Yan went back to the countryside to pick up Qiao Lu, she also rode a bicycle, but it was not her who rode the bicycle. She sent Yuan Jianghe to pick her up.

That time when Qiao Lu returned to the city, she also brought her son with her and carried some luggage in her hands. It wasn't much but it was a burden. Yuan Jianghe was really annoyed by the trip back and forth, and he said that he would never come to the countryside again in his life.

"Thank you for your hard work. The conditions in the countryside are poor. I may not have anything delicious to give you when you get home."

"It's okay." It's not like I have to go back and forth every day, so I can tolerate it once or twice occasionally. Besides, I came here to get married. I don't feel tired at all when I think about it. Instead, I feel happy.

Qiao Lu took out her handkerchief and wiped Xu Haizhou's sweat with concern. He stopped and waited until the sweat on his forehead was wiped clean by her before continuing to move forward.

"Let me get your clothes for you."

Xu Haizhou took off his cotton padded jacket because it was so hot. He still had another five kilometers to walk and would sweat even more.

He did not try to show off. After handing the cotton-padded jacket to Qiao Lu, he continued pushing the bike because the dirt road was impassable for riding and he could not walk side by side with the mother and son. Qiao Lu led the way in front, her son was in the middle, and Xu Haizhou followed behind.

Little Qiao An was not sentimental. He was so tired that he groaned but never complained.

The dirt roads in the countryside are difficult to walk on, especially after rain. Try to find drier areas to walk on. If you accidentally fall into the mud, it will take a lot of effort to pull your feet out.

Qiao Lu was a city dweller who was born and raised in the city. It was not easy for her to walk on this road. Every step was difficult.

"Do you have muddy roads like this in rural areas in the north?"

Xu Haizhou shook his head and wiped his sweat: "I'm not sure, I haven't been to the countryside much."

"Didn't the educated youth go to the countryside before? Didn't you go?"

Xu Haizhou still shook his head: "I was going to college at that time, so I didn't go. There are many reasons, and I can't explain them in one sentence."

Anyway, I didn't go.

Qiao Lu didn't ask any more questions. It didn't matter to her whether she knew about it or not.

Tired from walking, the three of them stopped to rest. There happened to be a bicycle, so they could sit on it and rest. The three of them snuggled together, which was quite warm and cozy, and the fatigue of their bodies seemed to dissipate a lot.

It took two hours to get there, stopping here and there to cover the five kilometers. It took a total of about three hours from Li'an, and we finally saw the iconic banyan tree at the entrance of Qishui Village.

The group of people walked more briskly.

There is not much farm work in winter, so farmers are very idle. In addition to plowing the soil every day to ensure good farming conditions next year, the villagers have more time to rest than usual.

Just then, Qiao Lu led Xu Haizhou into the village, and everyone's eyes turned to them.

They were at a distance, and when they looked over there, Qiao Lu also squinted her eyes to see that they were all young people who were not afraid of the cold. There were about seven or eight of them gathered around, all of whom Qiao Lu knew.

She was dressed beautifully today, a change from her previous gray rural attire, and was accompanied by the tall and strong Xu Haizhou. Some people thought she looked familiar, but because Xu Haizhou was next to her, they did not dare to recognize her. It was not until she had walked several meters away that someone asked in confusion.

"Doesn't that lesbian just now look a bit like Qiao Lu?"

"It seems so, but who is that man?"

“No.”

"Isn't there a child following them? Oh! It really seems to be Jolu!"

The young people all rushed up and followed at a distance of about 70 to 80 meters.

Qiao Lu turned her head, took a quick glance and quickly retracted her gaze: "I guess it looks like me but also doesn't look like me, so I didn't dare to recognize it."

Compared to the budding fashion trendsetters in Li'an City, the villagers of Qishui Village seemed too plain. Looking around, they were all wearing gray-black or self-dyed blue homespun cotton shirts. Qiao Lu's floral cotton shirt was even more eye-catching.

Xu Haizhou looked back and smiled: "It shows that you have changed a lot."

"Really? I just changed my clothes." Qiao Lu smiled and tucked her hair behind her ears.

Every time Xu Haizhou looked at her, he couldn't help but sigh in his heart: his girlfriend is really beautiful.

…

The Qiao family's living conditions were average in the entire Qishui Village. They didn't have to go hungry but their living conditions weren't that great either. Their house was rather bare, and they didn't even bother to build the courtyard wall.

After entering the house, he asked Xu Haizhou to park the bicycle at the door.

The door to the main room was not closed, and when she entered, she saw her sister-in-law squatting on the ground peeling peanuts.

The woman had a flat face and thick lips, and was wearing a patched gray cotton jacket and an apron. When she noticed that the light in front of her eyes suddenly dimmed, she raised her head and let out a sharp scream.

"Oh! Mom! Mom! My little sister is back!"

A woman came out of the bedroom connected to the main room quickly and slowly. Behind her was a little girl who looked about six years old. She had big eyes, an apple-shaped face, and wheat-colored skin that was a little rough. When she saw Qiao Lu, she ran towards her.

"aunt!"

The girl ran fast and rushed directly into Qiao Lu's arms. Fortunately, she was not holding Qiao An at that time, otherwise the mother and son would have been knocked over by this silly child.

"After not seeing you for a month, it seems like our Minjuan has grown taller again." Qiao Lu said with a smile while rubbing Qiao Minjuan's head.

"Really? I've grown taller again? Then I must be taller than Wang Mengmeng!"

"Great." Qiao Lu raised her head and looked at Lu Xiuhua with a smile: "Mom."

"Qiaolu, is it really you?" Her mother thought it was an illusion.

Qiao Lu didn't know whether to laugh or cry. She walked over and hugged the man. The familiar smell of grass in her memory came into her nose, light and soft.

"Do you think I'm fake?"

When she looked up again, Lu Xiuhua's eyes were filled with mist, and she patted her on the shoulder: "Really! It's more real than gold! My daughter is finally back."

"grandmother……"

Hearing the voice, Lu Xiuhua realized that Xu Haizhou was behind her and Qiao An was in his arms. She was very excited: "My darling grandson is back! How great! Come in and sit down. You must be tired after walking so far. Grandma will pour you some water."

Several people sat down in the main hall. After Lu Xiuhua finished pouring the water, she found Xu Haizhou and pointed at him and asked her daughter: "Hey, who is he?"

"Mom, this is my boyfriend, Xu Haizhou."

Lu Xiuhua's heart skipped a beat. Not only her, but Niu Qiaoli and Qiao Minjuan also looked at Xu Haizhou curiously.

"Hey, this... you have a date?" Niu Qiaoli clapped her hands and stood up, looking Xu Haizhou up and down carefully: "He looks pretty good, taller than Ge Wenrong."

This is just bringing up irrelevant things. Why is she bringing up that scumbag Ge Wenrong for no reason? This sister-in-law is really looking for trouble.

Lu Xiuhua was also a little unhappy, so she quickly asked her daughter and Comrade Xu to sit down.

"Comrade Xu, right? Come and have some water." Lu Xiuhua handed over the enamel cup: "You must have had a hard time on the road. How did you get here?"

Xu Haizhou pointed to the bicycle in the yard and said, "I rode here."

“Oh, that’s hard work.”

Xu Haizhou smiled and opened a package he had brought with him, which contained gifts prepared for the Qiao family.

Brown sugar, peach cakes, a few bags of wedding candy, and two pounds of pork. Because the journey was long, I didn't bring anything else, just some expensive food for rural people.

Xu Haizhou originally felt that these snacks were not sincere enough, but Qiao Lu did not let him bring more, saying that his sister-in-law did not have a good relationship with her family and the good things would be taken away by her for herself if he brought them back.

Niu Qiaoli married into the Qiao family at the age of 18. After the marriage, her parents handed over the financial power to the eldest son, and the son gave the family financial power to his wife, so that everyone in the family had to report to Niu Qiaoli before they could get money to buy anything, from clothes and pants to a box of matches.

Sisters Qiao Lu and Qiao Yan both disliked their sister-in-law, and their memories of her were not very good.

I remember that when Qiao Lu first married into the Qiao family, she was exactly eleven years old. When she was in junior high school, she got her period. All the money in the family was in the hands of her sister-in-law. She wanted her to give some money to buy a menstrual pad, but she refused to give it to her!

The brother only comforted his two sisters in a symbolic way, saving some money privately to help them occasionally, and did not dare to blame his wife openly.

"I came home in a hurry this time and didn't bring anything good. I just bought some snacks." After handing over the things, Niu Qiaoli put them away out of habit. She didn't think it was wrong at all. After all, in her heart, she was the head of the Qiao family.

After receiving the gifts, Niu Qiaoli's expression changed 180 degrees. She snatched the teapot from Lu Xiuhua's hand and poured water for them.

"Look at you, you're so polite after going out. We're all family, why bring snacks? It's a waste of money!" The eldest sister-in-law complained while her hands kept working. "Come on, drink some water. You must be tired from walking all the way."

"Thank you, sister-in-law." Qiao Lu took the teacup with a forced smile, fed her son a sip and then drank it herself.

"Wow, aunt, are all the things you brought food? What are they?" Qiao Minjuan asked curiously while lying on the table and looking at the cloth bag.

"What are you looking at? Do you want to eat more?" Niu Qiaoli was good at pretending. "Save it for guests during the New Year and other festivals!"

As she spoke, Niu Qiaoli hurriedly packed up the bag of food and locked it in the house.

She said it was for the guests, but actually she was reluctant to give it away, as she knew in her heart who it was for.

Qiao Lu has always been curious about where his brother found such a capable wife.

Seeing this, Lu Xiuhua was not very happy, but she didn't know what to say, so she called her granddaughter: "Juan'er, go and call your father and grandfather back."

"good!"

Farmers are idle in winter, and the end of the year is the most leisurely. My grandfather and I don’t have any urgent work today, so we are digging bamboo shoots in the back mountain.

The little girl disappeared like the wind, while Lu Xiuhua pulled Qiao Lu aside and had a lot to say.

"Are you doing well in the city? Is your second sister treating you well?"

Qiao Lu: "Look at what you said, my second sister must be good to me."

"Okay, that's good. During the time you were gone, Mom really couldn't eat or sleep well. I just hope you can send a letter back."

Qiao Lu: "Mom, I wasn't careful enough and forgot to tell you that I'm safe."

Lu Xiuhua sighed deeply: "I'm relieved that you're fine. The money from sending a letter can buy a box of matches, right?"

"Maybe." Qiao Lu smiled. Actually, she didn't know because she had never sent a letter.

Qiao Minjuan was used to walking on mountain roads, so her legs were very nimble. She ran out and came back in less than five minutes. She said proudly: "I shouted! They are behind us, so slow!"

Qiao Lu called the child over with a smile and gave her two orange-flavored fruit candies.

If I had known that my sister-in-law would not share the things with everyone, she would have prepared some in her pocket in advance.

"Oh! Candy!" The little girl took it excitedly, and happily peeled off a piece and threw it into her mouth, "It's so sweet! So sweet! So delicious!"

Niu Qiaoli glared at her: "What's the point of eating candy, little girl? Save it for your dad."

The only good thing about Qiaolu's sister-in-law is that she is nice to her man...

Qiao Minjuan was used to her mother's personality. She stuck out her tongue, put another piece of candy in her pocket, and skipped out of the yard: "I'm going to play!"

When she went out, she happened to meet Qiao Lu's elder brother Qiao Guobin and father Qiao Yuefu who were rushing home.

He threw the hoe and bamboo shoots in his hands and rushed into the house: "Qiaolu is back? Qiaolu?"

"Dad! Brother!"

After not seeing each other for a month, Qiao Guobin was more excited than his father, and his eyes were red.

"You've been gone for a month. How come you're just back now? I thought you'd never come back. I was thinking of going to the city to see you someday when I had time."

Qiao Lu smiled and said, "Isn't that why I'm back?"

Qiao Guobin kept nodding: "Yes, yes, it's good to be back."

"Are you leaving again this time?" Qiao Yuefu spoke only after watching the brother and sister reminisce about the past.

"Let's go." Qiao Lu took Xu Haizhou's arm and led him to everyone: "Dad, big brother, this is my boyfriend Xu Haizhou. We are planning to get married. I brought him back today to see you and get the household registration booklet and go to the secretary's house to get a letter of introduction. I have to get the marriage certificate with him."

Normally, marriage should be reported to parents before being decided, but in fact, Qiao's family is special. After Qiao's father and mother handed over the financial power to their son and daughter-in-law, they no longer have a say in the family.

The old couple are gentle and docile in nature. No matter what you discuss with them now, basically no one will care even if they disagree.

Compared to my parents, my second sister Qiao Yan was more respected and feared by me. I even regarded my second sister as my mother, especially after Qiao Yan got married. Basically no one in the family dared to object to what she said.

Why? Because Qiao Yan married a good man! She married a city man, who was a government employee and a small leader. Who wouldn't flatter him?

Therefore, a person's financial power at home is basically equivalent to the right to speak.

Xu Haizhou curled his lips: "Hello."

The two men from the Qiao family looked at Xu Haizhou in astonishment, sizing him up and down, with surprise and confusion in their eyes.

"Didn't Qiao Yan say she would pick you up to go to work in the city? Why is this happening?"

Qiao Lu smiled and said, "I haven't found a suitable job, but I have found a suitable marriage partner. I'm thinking of getting married first, and then looking for a job later."

"Is that so? That's fine..." Qiao Guobin nodded, looked at Xu Haizhou and asked, "Are you from the city?"

Qiao Lu: “Yeah.”

Xu Haizhou had strong facial features and an upright and handsome figure. When he stood there straight, he had a natural majesty, which made people wonder if he was a soldier.

The Qiao family members secretly thought in their hearts that this gay man looked really good, with good looks and excellent temperament, and the most important thing was that he was a city dweller!

Of course, Qiao's family had no reason to object to Qiao Lu marrying him with a little burden. Not only did they not object, but when they heard about his income, they were eager for the two of them to sign the introduction letter and get the marriage certificate as soon as possible!

The Qiao family continued to ask Xu Haizhou some questions about his situation. When they had rested for a while, they asked Qiao Guobin to take two people to the secretary's house to write an introduction letter.

They met many villagers on the way, and Qiao Guobin did not miss the opportunity to introduce them to everyone he met: "This is my third sister Qiao Lu, she is back, and this is my brother-in-law, he is from the city!"

"Hey, Qiaolu has a date? Someone from the city? Which city, Li An?"

Qiao Guobin smiled proudly: "Yes, she is from the same place as my second sister and her husband."

"Your sister is really amazing. Didn't she have a son? The man is also a second marriage?"

"First marriage!" Qiao Guobin was even more proud: "The gay man doesn't care about this, he just likes my sister!"

"Good fellow!"

Before long, the news spread like wildfire, and everyone in the village knew that the unmarried pregnant daughter of the Qiao family had found a boyfriend in the city. The boyfriend was tall and handsome, and his conditions were said to be good too. Qiao Lu was going to marry into the city and enjoy a good life!