Wang Qiang and Qin Jingru finished packing and each carried a radish out of the cellar. They then covered the opening of the cellar.
Wang Qiang noticed that Qin Jingru's hair was still a bit messy. He gestured for her to tidy it up. Qin Jingru shyly lowered her head, smoothed her hair with her hand, and then the two of them pushed open the door.
Qin's mother had already cut the mutton and put the sorghum in the pot. Seeing the two enter, Qin Jingru lowered her head, her face flushed, and her hair slightly disheveled.
Qin's mother and father exchanged a glance; their prediction was correct.
Qin's mother's smile grew even more benevolent. The more she looked at Wang Qiang, the more she thought he was a good match. He had a good appearance, was tall and handsome, and had a good job—definitely a perfect match for her daughter.
Suddenly, as if remembering something, he spoke to Qin Jingru.
"Jingru, come to my room." After saying that, Qin's mother got up and walked towards the bedroom. Qin Jingru nodded and followed behind.
The two sat cross-legged facing each other on the kang (a heated brick bed), separated by a table.
Qin's mother smiled. "Daughter, you see, you and Wang Qiang have a very good relationship now, don't you?"
Qin Jingru… This was the first time in his life he had discussed this matter with his parents, and he buried his face in his chest, not daring to look at his mother.
But she still spoke softly, "Wang Qiang and I do have a relationship."
Qin's mother nodded in satisfaction. "Don't be embarrassed, I've been through this. It's just that you two aren't married yet, so you need to be careful. It won't sound good if word gets out."
"And what if we don't take proper precautions? We can't have a baby before we're even married."
Qin Jingru... I really hadn't thought of that.
But she and Wang Qiang had already slept together, and there was no point in hiding it now.
Qin Jingru blushed and softly agreed. Qin's mother watched her the whole time, secretly pleased that this young girl's thoughts had escaped her notice; young people act impulsively and recklessly.
Qin's mother suddenly spoke up, "There's only one bottom line. That is, don't cause any trouble before the wedding, otherwise you won't have the face to live in the village."
"If you really can't stand it, then find a way to take measures."
"After all, getting pregnant out of wedlock is a big deal."
Qin Jingru nodded obediently. "Mom, I understand. I believe Brother Wang Qiang is a responsible person."
Wang Qiang, using his mental powers, overheard the entire conversation between the mother and daughter. When Qin Jingru said she would take responsibility, Wang Qiang was speechless.
The reason I'm seeking out Qin Jingru now is simply because she's a better cultivation partner than Qin Huairu. Besides, if I want to continue cultivating, I can't possibly put all my eggs in one basket.
Who knows how many more tripods we'll need to find in the future.
At this moment, Qin's mother came out and busied herself stewing mutton, while Qin Jingru helped wash the radishes.
Seeing Qin Jingru's cheerful appearance, Qin's mother couldn't help but sigh, "After all, daughters grow up and can't stay at home."
Seeing this, Qin's father couldn't help but shake his head and sigh. There were some things he, as a father, couldn't say, so he could only tell Qin's mother that although her daughter was from the countryside, she had never suffered any hardship since childhood.
In that era of male chauvinism, this was quite unusual, so many families looked down on Qin Jingru because she was not good at housework and could not endure hardship.
Back then, finding a wife meant finding someone who could do everything, both inside and outside the home. She had to be able to work in the fields, cook at home, and bear children. The focus was on practicality, not on her looks to be worshipped.
So even though Qin Jingru is quite good-looking, it's not easy for her to find a partner in the village.
At this moment, Qin Jingru was washing radishes while stealing glances at Wang Qiang.
When I saw my father and Wang Qiang, they were drinking water and chatting, laughing happily from time to time.
Qin Jingru was overjoyed, which meant that her parents had now accepted Wang Qiang.
Unlike before, ever since returning from the courtyard house, things have changed. After telling her parents about Wang Qiang, they both believed she had been deceived. Especially after a long period of silence from Wang Qiang, despite sending several letters and asking around, she received no reply.
A few days ago, Qin Huairu sent back a letter saying that Wang Qiang was coming. The whole family waited happily all day, but Wang Qiang didn't come. Unexpectedly, Wang Qiang came to the door today.
Qin's father looked at Wang Qiang and said, "Young Wang, you're a permanent employee at the factory. Our Jingru people are still registered as rural residents. Even if we move to the city, we won't be able to get government-subsidized grain rations. We'll have to rely on you!"
Wang Qiang was stunned and didn't know how to answer. The matter was already settled. Was he going to force Qin Jingru on him?
Qin's father chuckled, "Little Wang, don't worry. Although we live in the countryside, we can still afford to eat and drink. Besides, we're near the mountains, so we can go hunting for wild game every now and then."
Wang Qiang's expression turned serious. "There shouldn't be any wild game left in winter, right?"
"Besides, the mountains are already closed due to the heavy snow. I thought I'd like to see if there are any pheasants or anything like that along the way, and buy some to take back."
"What a pity about the weather!"
"If you find any pheasants, I'll give you twenty catties of flour, or the equivalent amount of money!"
Wang Qiang spoke casually, but Qin's father was very surprised. He hadn't expected that wild chickens could be exchanged for so much flour.
Qin's father pondered for a moment: "Xiao Wang, I think you should stay here for a few more days. I'll go into the mountains and bring back a couple of pheasants. Even if we can't get pheasants, catching a couple of rabbits should be fine."
Then he looked at Wang Qiang and said, "Will the rabbit give us this much flour?"
Looking at his expectant eyes, Wang Qiang thought for a moment and decided that rabbits were indeed a good option, since the factory would be paying for it anyway. So he pondered for a while.
"Uncle Qin, rabbits can't be traded for this much flour."
Hearing Wang Qiang's words, Qin's father was somewhat disappointed, but he pressed on, "How much can we get in return? Five or eight jin would be fine too."
Wang Qiang thought for a moment and then said, "If it's a fatter rabbit, I can exchange it for 8 catties of flour. As for a small rabbit, it'll only be one or two catties."
Looking at Wang Qiang, Qin's father became more and more satisfied. He hadn't expected him to offer such a high price. If he had known, he would have caught more rabbits. Considering they were family, he would have given him an even higher price.
Just as the two were discussing this, Qin's mother's voice came from the mountain where they were hunting pheasants and rabbits.
"Old Qin, Little Wang, the mutton and radish stew is ready. You two stop chatting and come out to eat first. We can talk while we eat."
Then he called out to Qin's father, "Stop chatting and get your liquor out. You and Wang Qiang should have some to warm up on this cold day."
Upon hearing this, Qin's father beamed with joy. He was usually kept in check by his wife and rarely got to drink. Today, thanks to Wang Qiang's gift, he was finally able to satisfy his craving for alcohol.
He took out a 3-jin (1.5 catties) liquor jar from the back cabinet and said to Wang Qiang, "You're used to drinking good liquor in the city, try our local spirits. This is authentic old-style liquor."
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