Chapter 53: Keep Your Distance
"Okay, I won't touch you. Then don't make trouble with me! Just pretend you just arrived and didn't hear anything."
Wen Wan stood up and walked out: "Who made trouble with you? If I heard it, I heard it." As soon as she went out, she met Lu Donglin who was peeking outside the door. Lu Chun'e failed to keep an eye on him and let him run out of the kitchen.
"Sister Wen Wan, your eyes are so red! Did my brother bully you? Don't be afraid of him, I will help you deal with him. I will always stand on your side." After saying that, she snorted twice at Lu Dongping with her nose turned up.
Lu Dongping didn't bother to pay attention to him and pulled Wen Wan into the kitchen.
Wen Wan felt so embarrassed. When she greeted Zhang Hongying and Lu Mingjiang, her voice was as soft as a mosquito's.
Zhang Hongying was feeling a bit upset because of the argument she had with Lu Dongping. She gave her a forced nod as a sign of agreement. Lu Mingjiang, on the other hand, greeted her as usual: "Come and grill something when you come. We'll be eating soon."
Wen Wan didn't dare to look up during the entire meal.
After dinner, she insisted on washing the lunch box herself, holding it in her hands, and said to Zhang Hongying and Lu Mingjiang, "Aunt, Uncle, I heard everything you said just now, and I think what you said makes a lot of sense. I came here from afar, and Lu Dongping has been helping me since I got off the train. And you've been taking care of me since I started working in the team. I think the greatest and best luck I've had in my life is meeting you here."
This is her personality. She must speak out clearly about everything. She won't deceive anyone and will never live her life in a muddle.
She had prepared herself mentally when she spoke. After that, it would be inappropriate for her to come and live with them. She was embarrassed, and so were Lu Dongping's family. She now knew what Lu Dongping's family's attitude towards her was.
That is, it must be good for you, me, and everyone involved. If it doesn't work out, she will be the sinner who delayed Lu Dongping.
When she came here, she didn't think about dating here, and now she doesn't think that she will be able to spend the rest of her life with Lu Dongping.
They had only known each other for a few days, and Lu Dongping was only showing his good side to her. What about his shortcomings? What about the incompatibilities? She didn't understand these things, and she didn't know if she could accept them.
How could she guarantee that the two of them could be married and live together for life?
Lu Dongping felt his eyebrows throbbing, and shouted, "Wen Wan, let's go. I'll take you to the commune to play today."
Wen Wan ignored him and continued, "I don't look down on Lu Dongping, nor do I despise him for being poor or uneducated. He is a very good person. But things like feelings are not something that anyone can control. Maybe here a gay man and a lesbian will get married if they fall in love with each other, but that's not the case with me. In our family, all the education I received at home and school was not like that. Marriage is based on love between two people. I love him, so no matter if he is from the city or the countryside, or rich or poor, I am willing to spend my whole life with him. If I didn't love him, even if he was more handsome than Song Yu and his family had mountains of gold and silver, I wouldn't compromise."
"Lu Dongping and I have only known each other for about two months at most. I don't know if he has a crush on me, likes me, or loves me, but I definitely don't love him. Your concerns are reasonable, and I understand them. This is a process of mutual understanding between two people, and no one can guarantee whether it will succeed in the end."
"I'm a person who sticks to my principles in everything I do. I like to make things clear and don't want to be muddled. I've said everything I need to say. If Lu Dongping is willing to continue, then he can continue. If he doesn't want to continue, that's fine too."
As he spoke, he bent down and bowed: "Thank you, uncle and aunt, for taking care of me during this period. I'm sorry to have caused you any trouble." After that, he hugged his lunch box tightly, turned around and walked outside.
Lu Dongping followed and caught up.
Wenwan usually spoke very little and always smiled before anyone opened their mouth. Suddenly, she started talking so much that Zhang Hongying was stunned. "She, what does she mean by this?"
Lu Chun'e said, "You've taken away the lunch boxes. Does that mean you won't come to our house for dinner anymore?"
Lu Donglin nodded solemnly: "Of course it is."
Zhang Hongying took a few breaths. "What does this mean? Not living together anymore? She's the one who wants to live together, and she's the one who doesn't. What does she think of our family?"
Lu Donglin yelled, "She must have heard you yelling at my brother!"
"What does my quarrel with your brother have to do with her? What's with her temper? She's already so angry before it even happens. If she gets angry every now and then, how are we going to live?"
Lu Chun'e said, "You should think about how to live now! Sister Wen Wan is fine and doesn't want to come and live with us. I doubt my brother would agree!"
Lu Dongping was unwilling, so he followed Wen Wan out as soon as she left.
Wen Wan had never spoken to anyone in such a righteous manner in her life, nor had she said so many words in one breath. After she finished speaking, she began to feel timid and her heart began to beat wildly.
She didn't dare stop along the way because her legs were weak and she was afraid that if she stopped she wouldn't be able to walk back.
But she would do it again.
She had never experienced anything like love before, so she had to rely on trial and error. No one could give her any guarantees.
Anyway, she has been well protected by her family since she grew up, so there is no reason for her to suffer injustice or loss from others.
She arrived at the educated youth point in one breath with a tense face, and she was so tired that she couldn't help but want to breathe.
Lu Dongping reached out to pull her sleeve, but she shook it off, so Lu Dongping pulled it again.
He usually looks gentle and smiles at everyone he meets, but when he gets angry he can be quite violent.
Zhu Feng had also gotten up and was cooking in the shed. He heard some noise outside and peeked out. He said rudely, "Hey, what are you two doing so early in the morning? Are you having a fight?"
No one was in the mood to pay attention to him. Wen Wan went into the house and closed the door, but Lu Dongping was so fast that he squeezed into the house.
Wen Wan raised her foot and kicked him: "Get out, get out!"
Lu Dongping felt that if he didn't make things clear now and just left like that, there might not be any chance for him in this life.
He just stood there motionless like a piece of wood, allowing Wen Wan to punch and kick him.
Wen Wan panted and stopped to look at him: "Lu Dongping, you're not going to the commune? Why are you following me?"
Lu Dongping turned his gaze away and smiled, "Why would I go to the commune? I'm almost dead, so why would I go to the commune?"
He didn't know why he was so rude so early in the morning. What happened between him and Wen Wan was just their business. Why did he have to say it out loud? He knew that Wen Wan should be here by then.
"Lu Dongping, I heard you're already 24 after the Chinese New Year. You're not a child anymore. Could you please stop being so childish? Think carefully about what your family said. It actually makes sense, right?"
"That makes no sense!" Lu Dongping was so annoyed that he could hardly suppress his anger. "Dating is a matter between the two of us. What does it have to do with them?"
"But marriage is no longer just a matter between the two of us, it's a matter for the whole family. Lu Dongping, I can't guarantee that I'll truly fall in love with you and marry you after just one or two years of being with you, so I really can't keep you hanging around like this."
"I'm happy to do that. I'm happy to be kept hanging and to be delayed by you, isn't that enough? Wen Wan, you said it before, and judging by my performance, you can't go back on your word."
Wen Wan was a little afraid to look at his persistent eyes. She turned around, poked her fingers for a long time and said, "I'm not going back on my word. I just feel that I can't make a promise to you. So let it go, okay?"
Lu Dongping reached out and pulled her over, hugging her: "What do you mean by letting things take their course? I'm uneducated, so explain it to me."
Wen Wan tried to pry his hands apart, but she couldn't move them even with all her might.
"Let go!"
"Don't let go!"
"Lu Dongping! What exactly do you want? I told you I couldn't guarantee anything, and you agreed. Now that your family disagrees, can you please stop being so stubborn?"
"No! Wen Wan, you can't go back on your word. In the morning, that's just idle chat. My mother..."
"She's very nice, and your family is very nice. I didn't say I wouldn't try to get along with you, but we should keep a little distance from each other, a suitable distance, otherwise it will be very awkward."
"What the hell is distance? Isn't our distance far enough? Do we need to keep it even longer?" Lu Dongping reached out and pulled the man over, holding him tightly in his arms. "Don't even think about it. If I still can't bring you home and get into your heart in three years, then I, Lu Dongping, am such a failure. I deserve to be single for the rest of my life!"
Wen Wan knew that she was weak and this man was as strong as an ox. She couldn't pry or break the knot open, so she simply gave up the effort.
She reached out and poked him: "Lujiazui, no, Ganling is short of girls?"
Lu Dongping calmed down, "I don't need it, but I don't cherish it. I cherish you. My mother is right, you are a gold nugget. If I don't cherish you, would I be stupid? For this piece of gold nugget like you, I am willing to sacrifice my whole life!"
Who doesn’t like to hear nice words and sweet words?
Wen Wan didn't want to argue with him anymore, so she pursed her lips and said, "It's getting late. If you don't go to the commune, your salary will be deducted."
Sensing that her attitude was softening, Lu Dongping pressed the issue further: "How about we go over for dinner this afternoon?"
"No!" I've already brought back the lunch box. If you say you don't want to go, then don't go. Can you scoop back the water that has been spilled?
"Listen, if you don't go over to eat, what are you going to do here? All the rations have been taken to our house. You can't carry firewood or water, and you can't even cook. If you don't go over to eat, what are you going to do here?"
"If I don't know how, I can learn. I went to the countryside to learn. If others can learn, I can learn too."
Lu Dongping rested his chin on the top of her head and stroked it. "What are you learning? How to make grits porridge? Can you eat that all the time? Can you get used to it? There are only a few of you here at the educated youth center right now. Liu Changqing and the others might be able to do more work to take care of you. But when the new year comes and more educated youth come, there will be more people and more things to do. No one will be able to take care of you."
Wen Wan was stunned for a moment: "There are more educated youth coming at the beginning of the new year?" Then she would have to clean up. Then there would be several people living in one room, and it would not be as comfortable as it is now.
Lu Dongping didn't answer her, but insisted on what he had said before: "So, let's go to my house for dinner this afternoon?"
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