The two went to town together to get their marriage certificate. Looking at the red seal on it, Li Qi felt a sense of peace.
With their newly issued sugar coupons, the two bought a large bag of fruit candies, as well as some pastries and shortbread. They also bought a bag of glutinous rice strips, which were especially delicious in those days.
The two took photos, two individual photos and two group photos, and then bought a bicycle before riding it back.
On the way, Xiaoli took out the fish, chicken, meat, eggs and side dishes from her space and filled a basket.
"Ah Li, does this mean I'm what people call a gigolo?" Li Qi asked with a smile.
"Is being a kept man good?" Xiao Li asked with a smile, having already handed over a thick stack of banknotes.
"Mmm, delicious, it smells so good!"
"Hahaha……"
☆
Xiang Yang and Zhao Hongying were planning to get married before the Chinese New Year, but Tang Xiaoli got married even faster than them. Although everyone was reluctant to see them go, they could only send their blessings.
In the morning, the brigade leader's wife tidied up Li Qi's house. After buying the groceries, she and several other women got busy.
The local wedding custom is to pick up the bride in the morning and have a banquet in the evening. They came back early in the morning, and the brigade leader had prepared everything. When they returned from town, Li Qi and his brothers came directly to pick them up.
Xiao Li sat on a bicycle adorned with a big red flower, followed by a group of educated youth carrying her packed luggage—they were practically her family.
Besides the new educated youth, all the old educated youth came. After all, you have to give a gift when you come to the banquet. Since there was no connection between the newcomers and Xiaoli, she didn't invite them. She just gave them some wedding candy and received a bunch of blessings in return.
Three tables were set up in the courtyard, just enough to fill them all. The educated youth sat at one table, the brigade leader, the village party secretary, the women's director and their families sat at another, and the Li Dajiang family sat at the third table, which was just enough for them because they were a large family.
Weddings in this era were very simple. After the vows were exchanged and a few drinks were offered, that was considered a complete ceremony.
After everyone left, it was already 10 p.m. The aunties cleaned up the tables, chairs, and dishes before leaving. Li Qi closed the door; now it was just the two of them.
The wind and rain continued all night, and snowflakes fell silently.
When I woke up in the morning, everything outside was covered in white. The light snow of early winter looked like a traditional Chinese ink painting, with the distant mountains layered upon each other, stretching endlessly.
Xiao Li lay in the soft quilt. Sleeping in late in winter is the right way to spend it. It's not convenient at the educated youth settlement. There are too many people and it's hard to sleep. It's more peaceful to sleep in your own house.
They stayed home all winter, keeping the kang (a heated brick bed) warm and using a stove to bake food. They made plans and made arrangements for the future.
Occasionally, Guan Miaomiao and Wang Fen would come over for a visit, bringing her the latest gossip from the educated youth settlement. Xiao Li would quietly enjoy the gossip.
Watch the male and female leads' relationship go through ups and downs, see the love and hate between the female and male supporting characters, and watch the background characters and cannon fodder leave the stage one by one.
The second aunt would also bring some radishes, cabbages, and tofu to check on the young couple, showing her concern for their life and relationship.
Li Qi did receive some care from her family. However, she had essentially severed ties with her biological father.
They studied together, painted together, practiced their skills together, and cooked together, living a happy and fulfilling life.
The rest of the time, Xiao Li would occasionally bring some food to the cowshed. She hadn't seen Yang Ye since she got married.
She didn't know whether she was avoiding her or not, but Xiao Li didn't care. She helped Yang Ye escape death and brought them a lot of food. They were now even.
Giving food to those elderly people was simply an expression of her compassion.
Spring came and autumn went, and time flew by. The cowshed was empty, and the old men had all returned to the city. Before they left, they all came to thank Xiaoli and left her their addresses.
Yang Ye's feelings were complicated. He had been paying attention to this girl, but unfortunately, they were not meant to be. In the end, he also left his address and best wishes.
The educated youth in the settlement came and went. Some had already used their connections to return to the city, while others chose to find someone in the village to marry and move out.
In the end, eight people remained, including the male and female protagonists, Wang Fen, Wen Li, and Chen Wen, as well as Cheng Ling, Wang Zhizhi, and Bai Bolin who arrived later.
Xiao Qingyu eventually married Lu Huaifeng. Her family was not as well-off as Guan Miaomiao's, and her family stopped sending her money. She needed Lu Huaifeng's warmth and someone to rely on.
When the news of the resumption of the college entrance examination came, the whole village was in an uproar. Wang Fen and Guan Miaomiao came to find Xiaoli immediately, they were as happy as if they had been injected with chicken blood.
"Little Pear, we've finally waited for this moment."
"Xiao Li, you and Li Qi should keep up the good work too."
Let's cheer each other on!
Both of them were in tears as they spoke, feeling both excited and heartbroken.
For the next month, the captain gave them a special leave so they could focus on their studies and exams.
Xiao Li and Li Qi are also taking the exam. Over the past two years, they have been studying together from elementary school. With Xiao Li as their "cheat code," Li Qi has also completed high school courses and is very confident about the college entrance exam.
Soon, all the educated youth and high school students in Yangshu Village took the college entrance examination, some happy and some sad. A series of joys and sorrows began.
After the Spring Festival in 1978, people began to receive their university admission notices. Xiao Li and Li Qi were both admitted to universities in Beijing, which not only had the best schools but was also where the original owner's family lived.
Xiao Li wanted to go back and see. Although the original owner hadn't said anything about how she would treat her parents and family, she felt there was always some resentment.
The original owner was forced to change jobs, forced to go to the countryside, forced to get married, and forced to die.
She really missed her family and wished they could take her back when she was in trouble, but in the end, she was left to struggle in the mud until she died.
Xiao Li wants to go back in a glamorous way, to make everyone envious of her, and to live a life they could never achieve in their entire lives.
The educated youth settlement was completely empty. Everyone else received their notification letters, including Xiao Qingyu and Lu Huaifeng.
They both got into the teachers' college in Gushi, which was a pretty good school. However, a few of the educated youth who had married people in the village remained.
After the New Year, Xiaoli and Li Qi set off. Although the cottage was small, it was very cozy. A larger room had been built next to the original hunter's shed, and the smaller one served as the kitchen.
Now that she was leaving, she might never come back. Xiaoli gave all the things she didn't need to her second aunt before embarking on her journey back to the capital.
Riding the old-fashioned green train again was still an unpleasant experience. I barely made it through these past few days before finally arriving at the station in the evening.
The two of them didn't have much luggage, only some light items on the surface, and quickly found a guesthouse to stay in.
"These past few days have been so tiring, I can finally rest." Xiao Li stretched on the bed, then pulled Li Qi to her space, where they took a nice bath and ate and drank their fill before coming out.
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