Li Xiaoyuan smiled and said, "I am Lanlan's mother. This is Wu, the matchmaker I invited. Men should marry when they are of age, and women should marry when they are of age. Cadre Gao has come all the way from afar to support the rural construction in our Shangfen Brigade. He is one of our brigade's people."
“You’re not young anymore. Your parents live far away and it’s inconvenient for them to arrange your marriage. We elders can’t just leave it to you. My Lanlan is eighteen years old this year and is a good match for you. That’s why we asked Matchmaker Wu to come and propose marriage.”
“Once you get together with my Lanlan, you won’t have to do these housework anymore. You men are meant to do great things, not just spend all your time around the stove, right?”
Matchmaker Wu said, "Officer Gao is handsome and Lanlan is beautiful. You two are a match made in heaven. Let's sit down and talk about the wedding date."
"How about the ninth day of the month? The ninth day, the ninth day, symbolizes longevity and happiness. I'm sure you'll grow old together if you get married on this day."
Li Xiaoyuan: "Yes, Officer Gao, you don't need to worry about the wedding. We will arrange everything. You can just focus on being the groom."
Without Gao Shujing saying a word, the two of them unilaterally set the wedding date and everything for the wedding ceremony, but unfortunately, none of these were what he wanted.
Gao Shujing: "Aunties, I have a boyfriend and can't marry your Lanlan. I'm really sorry."
Li Xiaoyuan's expression changed drastically: "Who is your girlfriend? Tell her to step forward and let us see her."
Everyone in the village knew that Yu Rujia and Gao Shu were a couple, but some people still refused to give up and believed that they weren't officially engaged until they got married. Li Xiaoyuan was one of those people.
Yu Rujia kept a low profile when she arrived at the Shangfen Brigade. Even though she had beaten up Li Haisheng and his mother before, it was only a matter of a few days. After that, she returned to her usual low profile, and the people in the brigade selectively forgot about it.
Many people in the Shangfen Brigade are unaware of her capabilities and believe that she is doing well in the brigade because Gao Shujing is protecting her.
If Gao Shujing really dared to say her name, Li Xiaoyuan believed she could handle Yu Rujia, this city girl.
Gao Shujing: "Auntie, this is my business. You don't need to find me a partner. The country is eliminating the Four Olds and prohibiting arranged marriages. I have no relation to your Lanlan, and there is no question of marriage between us. Please go back."
Li Xiaoyuan pretended not to know: "You and Lanlan were dating before, how come you turned your back on her so suddenly? Is it because you became a commune cadre that you look down on my Lanlan, a girl from the countryside?"
Gao Shujing's face turned cold: "I've barely spoken to your Lanlan. She came to my door on her own. I even asked Captain Huang to stop her from coming to my house and disturbing my work."
"When did it become that I was dating her? Auntie, please make this clear, otherwise I don't mind reporting you to the police for spreading rumors. There are laws in this country, and you can't just say whatever you want."
Having trained in the military for many years since childhood, Gao Shujing had a certain imposing presence. Even though he was usually gentle, when he turned cold, Li Xiaoyuan and Matchmaker Wu both trembled.
Matchmaker Wu quickly tried to smooth things over, saying, "Officer Gao, don't be angry. Old Zheng's family is a bit impatient, but they're not bad people. They just think you're outstanding and want you to be paired with Lanlan. They don't mean anything else."
Gao Shujing: "I said I don't want to, please go back. If any rumors about me and Zheng Lanlan spread outside, I will report you to the police station for forcing me into marriage. I want to see if the people in the Shangfen Brigade don't care about the law."
Li Xiaoyuan wanted Zheng Lanlan to marry into the city so she could become a city dweller, but unfortunately, no one was there to match them up, and Zheng Lanlan's marriage was delayed.
When they learned that Gao Shujing had become a technician at the Shangfen Brigade and could repair tractors and bicycles, they asked Zheng Lanlan to talk to him first.
Thinking that since there were no city people available, finding someone from the city with skills would also work. When Gao Shujing returned to the city, he could bring Zheng Lanlan back with him, which would be considered as marrying a city person.
Unexpectedly, Gao Shujing didn't take a liking to Zheng Lanlan and even sent Captain Huang to their door to persuade them to keep an eye on Zheng Lanlan and not let her disturb Gao Shujing's work.
Li Xiaoyuan was annoyed by Gao Shujing's lack of tact. All he knew was how to fix things; compared to the workers in the city who earned a few dozen yuan a month, Gao Shujing was far inferior.
Li Xiaoyuan wanted to find a working-class husband from the city to boost her pride, so she stopped sending Zheng Lanlan to find Gao Shujing.
Even though Zheng Lanlan did fall for Gao Shujing because of his face, with Li Xiaoyuan keeping her hooked up with a worker in the city for a few dozen yuan, Zheng Lanlan didn't come over again.
As a result, Gao Shujing became a commune cadre in less than two months, earning a monthly salary of fifty-six yuan, meat coupons, and New Year's gifts during festivals.
On New Year's Eve, the commune gave Gao Shujing a huge amount of New Year's gifts, including fine grains, meat, fruit, and biscuits. No matter what they were, they all stimulated Li Xiaoyuan's nerves.
The workers in the city only earn thirty or forty yuan a month. Gao Shujing's salary is higher than that of the city people. He also has another source of income from the brigade. One person's income is equivalent to that of two workers. He also lives in Shangfen Brigade.
Li Xiaoyuan retracted her previous opinion of Gao Shujing, feeling that he was practically made for her Lanlan. That's why she couldn't wait to ask Matchmaker Wu to propose marriage on the third day of the Lunar New Year, only to be met with a firm rejection.
Li Xiaoyuan felt utterly humiliated and immediately launched into a tirade: "You're just an outsider sent-down youth, what are you doing acting so arrogantly here? People used to say that a phoenix that has lost its feathers is no better than a chicken. Even if you're a dragon, you'd have to coil up here."
"This is Shangfen Brigade, not your Jiangcheng. Letting you marry Lanlan is a favor to you. Be careful not to anger me, or I'll make it impossible for you to live here."
Gao Shujing: "Oh, I'd like to see how you're going to make it so hard for a commune cadre like me to make a living in Shangfen Brigade? Why don't you go and talk to Brigade Leader Huang first?"
Li Xiaoyuan was quick to make harsh statements, but in reality, she didn't seem to be able to do anything to Gao Shujing. Not to mention that he was from the commune, if she messed with Gao Shujing, would the commune let her off the hook? As for Captain Huang, he was someone she would have a hard time dealing with.
If they offend Captain Huang, their family will have a hard time earning work points in the future.
Thinking of this, Li Xiaoyuan regretted arguing with Gao Shujing just now, just to save face.
Matchmaker Wu thought to herself that she shouldn't have believed Li Xiaoyuan's nonsense, saying that Zheng Lanlan was beautiful and had many admirers. She also said that Gao Shujing had dated Zheng Lanlan before, and that if they came to propose, Gao Shujing would definitely not refuse.
At that time, she felt something was wrong. If Gao Shujing really liked Zheng Lanlan, it should be the man who went to the woman's house to propose marriage. How did it become the woman who went to the man's house to propose marriage?
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
