After the successful assembly of the first ordinary agricultural tractor, Machinery Factory No. 1 and the supporting parts factory once again invested in intensive production. While continuing to produce ordinary agricultural tractors, they also wanted to produce all-round agricultural tractors before next year's Canton Fair.
For this reason, the No. 1 Machinery Factory often had to work overtime, and Zhu Youliang and Liang Yuan were extremely busy, and they had no time to go home during holidays.
At the end of December, Zhu Youjie suddenly arrived at the Machinery Factory, announcing that Zhu Youxian was getting married and asking them to return. Despite his words, his expression showed no sign of joy. Zhu Youliang and Liang Yuan were completely bewildered. After all, Zhu Youxian had just broken up with Wang Zhao, so why was she suddenly getting married? When they asked Zhu Youjie about it, he replied that he had only recently returned from school and wasn't entirely sure, so they told them to go back and ask Huang Mei.
The couple had no choice but to ask for leave and returned to their hometown that same day. When they saw Zhu Youxian and her slightly bulging belly, they immediately understood. In that era, being pregnant before marriage was still considered a scandal, so it was no wonder they were so anxious to get them back. It seemed that the secret was about to be revealed. But when they found out who the child was from, they felt even more humiliated. This child was none other than Wang Zhao's. The child should have been conceived a few days before Zhu Youxian and Wang Zhao broke up, and it was more than two months old.
After listening to everyone's explanation, they finally understood the specific reason.
It turned out that Zhu Youxian was tall and thin, so she didn't react at first and didn't notice it. When she found out she was pregnant, she was unwilling to accept it and thought about going to Wang Zhao to reason with him. Wang Zhao didn't end up with Xiaofang, and Xiaofang's mother went to his house to make trouble, so the girls in the neighborhood didn't like him and he was lonely. Seeing Zhu Youxian coming and being pregnant with his child, he thought Zhu Youxian was good and said he wanted to marry her. During this period, there was naturally a lot of apology and flattery. According to Zhu Youxian, it would be difficult for her to marry someone else after she had Wang Zhao's child, and she couldn't bear to beat the child, so she had no choice but to marry. In addition, she felt that she had caught Wang Zhao's handle, and the Wang family promised to help raise the child after it was born, so she agreed.
Zhu Youxian had kept all of this a secret from her family until she agreed to marry Wang Zhao. Huang Mei naturally disagreed and urged her to abort the child. But Zhu Youxian felt she wouldn't find a better partner after the abortion, so she might as well marry Wang Zhao, since he was the father. Most importantly, after not seeing him for a while, she felt Wang Zhao's previous betrayal wasn't as unforgivable.
No one in Old Zhu's family could understand her choice. No matter how much they tried to persuade her, it was useless. Just like countless times before, no matter how much they argued with her, it was useless because she always had a reason to refute it. In the end, when she got annoyed, she would throw a tantrum, reverting to her usual argument that she was solely responsible for her future. Since she was pregnant, no one dared to really argue with her. In the end, Old Zhu made the final decision and let her go.
The reason for calling Zhu Youliang and Liang Yuan back was because Zhu Youxian had her eye on the money from selling headdresses. Huang Mei had saved a considerable sum from the headdress sales. She had originally intended to give most of the money to Liang Yuan, after all, she had been the one who had both invested and come up with the idea. However, Liang Yuan only took a small portion, saying the rest was for their retirement. Naturally, she was pleased that her daughter-in-law was thinking of her, so she shared this with others during a conversation. Upon learning of this, Zhu Youxian demanded an additional two hundred yuan in dowry. Huang Mei naturally disagreed, arguing that her dowry was already much larger than her sisters', and adding more would be a big deal. However, Zhu Youxian disagreed, believing Huang Mei was biased and simply didn't want to give her any money. After all, the situation was different, and she even mentioned that Zhu Yourong had two dowries. This led to a daily argument in the room. Huang Mei, deeply concerned about her daughter, wanted to give Liang Yuan some, but was afraid Liang Yuan would object, so she called both of them back. Firstly, Zhu Youxian's pregnancy couldn't be delayed any longer, and secondly, she wanted to let them know.
Liang Yuan didn't mind, saying she could make her own decisions after the money was given to her. Huang Mei, feeling relieved, agreed to give Zhu Youxian an extra 200 yuan as a dowry. Zhu Youxian was finally satisfied. Song Hehua and Miao Miaomiao, however, were somewhat critical, but since Zhu Youxian was pregnant, they didn't dare to argue with her, after all, Liang Yuan hadn't said anything wrong.
Zhu Youjie was actually quite upset. After all, he wasn't married yet, and his parents would be the main financial backers of the wedding. If they gave the money to Zhu Youxian, it wouldn't be enough for him. But he was a smart man and didn't say anything. Furthermore, thinking about his family's attitude towards Wang Zhao, he wondered if Zhang Yanyan's family also viewed him in the same way. Even if he married Zhang Yanyan, he wouldn't be in a good situation. With this in mind, he decided to give up.
Seeing her family's approval, Zhu Youxian immediately sent Zhu Youtian to find Wang Zhao. Wang Zhao arrived quickly, bringing his parents along. Wang Zhao's parents had few requirements for their daughter-in-law these days; as long as someone was willing to marry them, they were happy. So, they were particularly enthusiastic. They agreed to everything Zhu Youxian said, including the new three major items. And because she was already showing signs of pregnancy, they chose a date that was close to home.
Huang Mei thought it was too hasty, but Zhu Youxian thought it was a good idea. Despite her fuss at home, she was very proud outside. She was always proud, terrified that her pregnancy would be known, and she couldn't wait to get married. Huang Mei wanted to persuade her again, but seeing that no one else was talking, she kept quiet.
Because the wedding was still a few days away, Zhu Youliang and Liang Yuan returned to the factory, planning to return on the wedding day. Zhu Youxian's wedding was scheduled for the 22nd day of the 12th lunar month, when most factories were closed for the holiday, so there was no need to take a holiday.
On the twenty-first day of the twelfth lunar month, the couple packed up their things and returned home early. The children were also on holiday, and the house was quite lively.
Zhu Youxian was getting married, leaving the old house. When the couple arrived, the room was already filled with relatives, all discussing Zhu Youxian's betrothal gifts and dowry. As Liang Yuanpu entered, someone asked her what she had brought for her dowry. She explained that she had the same silver bracelet as her sisters-in-law: a twisted wire bracelet. The person nodded in agreement and enthusiastically asked about her work at the factory.
Zhu Youliang's side was even more lively. As soon as he entered the house, someone started talking about his newspaper appearance. His relatives immediately began to ask for details. When they heard that he and Liang Yuan had designed a new agricultural tractor, they surrounded him and showered him with praise. Of course, some were seeking jobs for their children, but he fooled them all. When Zhu Youjie returned with Zhang Yanyan, they turned to him again, which finally made Zhu Youliang breathe a sigh of relief.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
