Xu Haizhou never expected that Qiao Lu's next words would be so blunt. His heart seemed to have become an exploding powder keg, and even his ears were burning.

He originally had a lot to say, but now his mouth seemed to be stuck with glue and he couldn't open it.

Looking at Qiao Lu again, she had a faint smile, like a spring breeze, the warm light reflected on her face, her eyes were focused and serious.

Xu Haizhou asked her: "Are you kidding?"

Xu Haizhou didn't think he had such great charm that the female comrade could not wait to marry him after just being together for a short while. He looked at Qiao Lu's serious eyes, without any falseness at all.

But she said, "I am serious."

Xu Haizhou's expression gradually became serious: "Comrade Qiao Lu, marriage is not a joke. Once you get married, you can't regret it easily. Have you thought about it?"

"A relationship that is not aimed at marriage is called hooliganism. If you are willing to date me, wouldn't it be easier to just do it in one go?" Anyway, the result is marriage, so it's better to just rush to the last step.

Before she traveled through time, Qiao Lu lived for 35 years and had never married. It was not that she did not like men. She had a lot of experience in love and had a lot of ex-boyfriends. It was just that love in the fast-food era was mostly filled with desire and material things, which were all degraded things to her. She longed for love and believed in the existence of love, but no one could make her want to get married. In addition, her career was busy and fulfilling, so she would rather choose to be single and enjoy freedom than be dominated by men.

The point is, after traveling back to the 1980s, marriage is a very suitable choice for her. The appearance of Xu Haizhou actually hits her fantasy of a partner, and he looks very innocent, so why not try to develop a relationship?

"Comrade Qiao Lu, if that's what you think, then I should also say a few words."

Qiao Lu waited quietly for his words. It was the first time she saw such a determined look on his face.

"If you really want to marry me, I will do my best to treat you well, and I will treat Qiao An as my own daughter. However, marriage is sacred and cannot be taken lightly. Once you get married, you cannot regret it at will. I am not sure whether you are just impulsive or..."

"I've thought it over, really." Qiao Lu interrupted him: "If you think I just said this because I was confused, then you can rest assured. My purpose of blind dating has always been to get married. If you just want to date me without getting married, then I'm sorry, there's no hope for us. If you also have the intention of getting married, then don't hesitate. You can only know whether it works after trying. I'm not afraid, so what should you be afraid of?"

It was hard to imagine that such bold words came from the mouth of a woman who looked so delicate and weak. Xu Haizhou couldn't help but look at her a little more.

While the two were talking, Qiao An held Qiao Lu's hand and placed it against her thigh. He could understand every word they said, but when they put them together, he didn't understand what the adults meant. He raised his head in confusion, sometimes looking at his mother, sometimes looking at Uncle Xu.

"I'm a gay, what am I afraid of?" He paused and swallowed as the words rolled to the tip of his tongue. "But you're a lesbian, so you're vulnerable."

He was worried that Qiao Lu was just acting on impulse, and he needed to get things clear before he could feel at ease.

Qiao Lu smiled and said, "I suffered a loss a few years ago. I am on guard now. Comrade Xu Haizhou, don't worry. I am very sober now."

Facing the painful past, she laughed and talked calmly. Xu Haizhou was unconsciously infected by her optimistic attitude, and the atmosphere suddenly became relaxed.

Qiao Lu was so bold in expressing her love, and as a man, Xu Haizhou couldn't back down.

Now that it was out, there was no need to be shy. Qiao Lu was surprised at Xu Haizhou's transformation. Although this man was introverted, he was very clear about the big things and gave people a sense of reliability and trust.

"Comrade Qiao Lu, since you are serious." He looked tense and serious, and people who didn't know him would think he was swearing an oath to the party.

"I will never let you down! I will treat you well and Qiao An well. I hope that in the future, when I am busy with my career, you can help me take care of the family. When you also want to pursue your career, I will take on more family responsibilities. We should support each other and understand each other."

At that time, the noisy environment suddenly became quiet, the streets that were originally crowded with people were suddenly empty, and the light blue sky outlined the edges of his body, straight and tall.

The time, the place and the people were all right, and even God was creating a solemn and sacred atmosphere for the two of them.

"Qiao Lu, from now on, I will support you."

He said: I will support you. I support you, not you.

Somehow, a sentence suddenly popped up in Qiaolu's mind:

'If you meet a good person, get married first; if you meet a noble person, start a career first.'

She seemed to suddenly have trouble seeing his face clearly, and only those words that fell loudly to the ground kept echoing in her mind.

So firm, so reliable.

What he showed Qiao Lu was not a hand reaching out from the shore, but a dashing boat that could take her away from the mud.

…

The craziest thing Qiao Lu has ever done in her life is undoubtedly getting engaged to a man after just one meeting. If it were her before she traveled through time, she would definitely be more shocked than discovering that there are aliens on Earth.

Are you just going to give yourself up like that?

But... a pure and innocent young man, hiss - who can not be greedy?

I can't help but sigh, love in this era comes slowly and quickly, it's really amazing.

"Although I'm eager to get married and want to move out of my sister's house, I have a really good impression of you. I'm not a casual woman... that is, I'm not a casual woman, you know?"

Xu Haizhou smiled and nodded: "I understand."

Qiao Lu curled her lips in satisfaction: "Anyway, I'm sincere, don't let your imagination run wild."

He still nodded: "No."

What a good and obedient little puppy. Really nice.

Xu Haizhou rode his bike to take the mother and son home. He walked with a brisk pace and seemed to have no pressure at all carrying two people. The cold wind blowing along the way felt warm to him, and even every strand of hair was excited.

When passing by a grocery store, he stopped the car and went in to do some shopping. He bought a lot of snacks as if they were free, and finally gave them to Qiao Lu, who was very happy and asked her secretly.

"Mom, who's this?"

Qiao Lu rubbed the boy's head and said, "Uncle bought this for you."

The boy was happy and shy, which was rare. After sitting in the back seat, he took the initiative to whisper to Xu Haizhou from behind: "Thank you, uncle."

Such a change was also unexpected by Qiao Lu and Xu Haizhou.

Now, Xu Haizhou rode faster and faster, and soon he arrived at the bottom of the tube building.

I sent Qiao Lu and her son home with a bunch of snacks. At this time, most people were working in the factory, so I didn't meet any acquaintances along the way.

After sending the person there, Xu Haizhou didn't stay for long. He turned around and was about to leave, but Qiao Lu stopped him with amusement.

"Why are you in such a hurry? At least drink some water before you leave."

Xu Haizhou was not anxious at all, he was just nervous. He was eager to find a secret place to release his excitement.

However, in front of Qiao Lu, he had to restrain himself and act naturally... He didn't even dare to look around the room.

Xu Haizhou was sweating profusely, but he said calmly: "Well, then drink a sip."

Qiao Lu laughed, her eyebrows and eyes curved like a playful little fox, and her clear laughter made his ears itchy.

To be honest, Xu Haizhou had never been so nervous in his twenty-four years of life. The more he saw her smile, the stronger his desire grew in his heart.

He wanted to marry her right now, hold her hand, and hug her. He couldn't wait for everything to settle down, and didn't want to wait even a second.

But not yet, as this is only the first day they have met... It is such a feeling of both fast and slow, torturous yet enjoyable.

After gulping down a bowl of cold water, Xu Haizhou's anger subsided a little.

He stood straight in front of Qiao Lu, his tall figure like a wall, staring at her straight.

Qiao Lu's face turned red, and she decided to let him go quickly.

She lowered her eyes and patted Qiao An's shoulder: "An An, say goodbye to uncle."

The little guy was very well behaved today. He waved softly and said, "Goodbye, uncle."

Xu Haizhou finally came back to his senses, his throat rolling up and down, and he said with a smile: "Goodbye, An'an."

He turned around and slowly left the room. When he reached the door, he suddenly turned to Qiao Lu and said, "See you tomorrow."

Qiao Lu smiled and watched him leave.

When they reached the corridor, Xu Haizhou looked back for some reason, his dark eyes fixed on her face. The mother and son were standing at the door of the room, watching him walk further and further away.

Xu Haizhou's heart softened, and his chest was suddenly filled with something strange. The feeling was so wonderful.

…

Purple-red waves appeared on the horizon, leaving an orange-red imprint on the wall.

In the workshop of the production team of the chemical plant, Qiao Yan sat by the window, staring at the sunset in a daze. She didn't know how Qiao Lu and that gay man were getting along. If the two of them really fell in love with each other...

The more I think about it, the more restless I become.

With half an hour left before getting off work, she ran away early for the first time.

Qiao Yan did not go home directly, but turned to a free trade market one kilometer away from the factory.

She had never been here before and didn't want to come. Today was her first time here. She had only heard of this place from her colleagues before. Now that she came to see it in person, she realized that Li An's market stall was more lively and prosperous than she had imagined.

The scale of private transactions in the early 1980s was not as grand as that in later generations. A small alley was the gathering place for individual retail traders in the center of Li'an City. The free market at that time was truly "free". It was an unmanaged area with individual merchants scattered around the walls. The stall owners came from all over the world with all kinds of accents. It was very mixed.

Qiao Yan could only understand the Li'an dialect and Mandarin, and everything else was like a foreign language to her.

"Selling leather shoes! Genuine cowhide and pig leather shoes!"

"A broom! A hand-woven broom!"

"Medicinal wine! Ginseng, deer antler and wolfberry medicinal wine! A specialty of the Greater Northeast, I'll make my nose bleed!"

“The authentic second pot of the capital, the only one in Li’an!”

Qiao Yan was dazzled by the dazzling array of small commodities. From small commodities to large items, this is no different from a department store, right?

"A wardrobe! A purely handmade wardrobe! Come and take a look at this one! It's purely handmade, new, not second-hand. I was planning to give it to my daughter as a dowry. If the wedding fails, I'll have to sell it for some money. Oh, yes, it's never been used, it's in great condition! It's made by an old carpenter, made of basswood, the quality is guaranteed!"

The more Qiao Yan looked at this purely handmade wardrobe, the more she liked it. The front of the wardrobe had two doors that opened opposite each other. The top was empty, and there were two drawers on the bottom. The handles on the cabinet doors and drawer doors were both made of copper rings, and the door panels were decorated with auspicious cloud patterns and could be locked.

This wardrobe is really nice. It would be very impressive if I bought it for Qiaolu's wedding dowry.

The wardrobe owner noticed the surprise in Qiao Yan's eyes and hurriedly greeted her: "Comrade, do you like it? If you like it, buy it! I'll give you this price, it's definitely cheaper than what you can buy in a department store! I'll deliver it to your door, and you can always contact me if you have any questions!"

The man pointed to the number two with his finger. Qiao Yan was flattered and stepped back repeatedly: "Oh no, I don't want to buy it, thank you."

Qiao Yan usually doesn't get this kind of treatment when she goes to grocery stores and department stores. It's up to you to buy or not. How can the salespeople be as enthusiastic as these stall owners?

Qiao Yan felt uncomfortable and walked in hurriedly. She was attracted by a stall selling leather shoes.

"The styles are quite new, I haven't seen them in department stores. Comrade, how do you sell these?" Qiao Yan asked, picking up a pair of leather shoes.

The owner of the leather shoe stall was a middle-aged man wearing mink shoes. He was big and strong and looked a bit like a northerner. He glanced at her and raised two fingers: "12 a pair, no bargaining, what size do you want?"

Qiao Yan was stunned for a moment, thinking that the shoes were too expensive, but she replied unconsciously: "My husband wears size 43."

The man immediately threw her a pair of the same style, size 43, and Qiao Yan took them, rubbed them, and liked them more and more, but she just didn't say she would pay.

But she suddenly asked, "Comrade, I want to ask, how much can a stall like yours earn in a month?"

The boss immediately became alert and snatched the shoes from her hands: "I asked you whether you want to buy them or not? Why are you asking me about my income?"

Qiao Yan waved her hands anxiously: "Don't get me wrong, I don't mean anything else. It's my sister, she also wants to do this business, so I just want to ask if she can make a living doing this business?"

"Women?" The man's eyes swirled around Qiao Yan's face like a searchlight, and he raised his eyebrows and said with a smile: "Do you think there are any women here?"

Qiao Yan looked around. It would have been better if she hadn’t looked around. But when she did, she was really shocked.

All the people setting up stalls in this alley are gay! Many of them are rough old men from the north, and some of them look scoundrels. Qiao Yan can't let her sister stay in such a place.

She was glad she didn't agree to let Qiao Lu set up a stall!

Patting her chest in fear, Qiao Yan asked again: "Boss, let me ask you one more question. How much money can you make in a day setting up a stall here? Can you support your family?"

"A family?" The man stroked his chin and thought for a while. He glanced at the words "Li'an City First Chemical Factory" embroidered on the chest of Qiao Yan's factory uniform. The man suddenly raised his lips and said, "When it's less, it's five or six yuan. When it's more, I can make more than ten or twenty yuan a day."

"So high?" Qiao Yan was surprised.

The man looked up and sneered proudly: "That's right, it's no worse than your iron rice bowl."

Qiao Yan put down her shoes and stood up to express her gratitude: "Thank you."

The boss waved his hands in a grand manner, and only responded after everyone had walked a long way away: "Hey! You haven't bought the shoes yet!"

Looking again, there was no trace of Qiao Yan.