After groping around for a while, he paused when his fingertips touched a small, hard object inside.
A glint of light flashed in Rong Zhaonan and Ruifeng's eyes—they'd found it.
Last time he helped her pick up her luggage, he even searched through her underwear, but he couldn't find anything she had hidden.
It was hidden inside the pillow.
Rong Zhaonan pulled a faded little velvet bag from inside the pillow and poured out a jade chili pepper.
He held the jade chili pepper in his hand up to the light from the window and saw a seal engraved with the character "Ning".
This jade chili pepper is a deep, rich green with excellent translucency and exquisite carving; it is clearly the work of a master craftsman.
What kind of family does Ning Yuan have that they possess such a top-quality jadeite pendant?
Rong Zhaonan seemed to be deep in thought, his suspicions growing stronger.
...
Before going to the village committee office, Ning Yuan spent more than an hour going to the supply and marketing cooperative near the commune.
I reluctantly spent one yuan of my only three yuan to buy a paper bag of fruit candy.
It was almost noon by the time she arrived at the village committee office.
The old Party Secretary frowned as he watched her come in carrying things: "Ning, the educated youth..."
Ning Yuan coughed lightly, placed the fruit candies on the table, and said somewhat embarrassedly, "These are wedding candies. Thank you to the old Party Secretary for speaking up for me yesterday."
The old Party Secretary was taken aback. He put down his water pipe and frowned. "Ning Zhiqing, are you really sure you want to get married to that sent-down youth?"
These fruit candies aren't cheap either; these days, villagers only buy candies during festivals and weddings.
She was such a pretty young woman, and from the provincial capital, how could she be so foolish?
Ning Yuan sighed: "Old Party Secretary, do you think I can still maintain this reputation if I don't get the marriage certificate? Will the people from the Ningnan City Silk Spinning Factory's recruitment office still want me?"
The old Party Secretary raised his eyelids and glanced at her, then lowered his head and puffed on his water pipe without saying a word.
Last night, Ning Yuan and Rong Zhaonan suddenly became "partners" and were even in the same room. They had never interacted before.
He knew, of course, that something was wrong.
He had heard about the troubles that the educated youth who went to the countryside had caused in the past two years in their struggle for quotas to return to the city.
However, just as Ning Yuan said, if she doesn't get the marriage certificate, her reputation will only be ruined.
Who would want someone with a bad lifestyle and corrupt morals?
Even if the recruitment office originally had their eye on Ning Yuan, after this incident, they won't give her the recruitment quota to return to the city.
"Alright, I'll have the clerk issue you a certificate." The old Party Secretary sighed and nodded.
This girl is pitiful; she's going to ruin her life.
Looking at the village secretary's expression, Ning Yuan knew that the old secretary was sympathizing with her.
What she needs is this sympathy.
Ning Yuan sat down and looked at the old Party Secretary with pleading eyes: "Old Party Secretary, you see, Dr. Rong can't leave the village, but we need to go to the county office to get the certificate. What should we do?"
Their village wasn't far from Naning County, only about forty li away, but Rong Zhaonan had no way to leave the village.
The old Party Secretary frowned. This was a problem.
There are marriages among the educated youth here, but there are indeed no special cases like those who were sent down to the cowshed for reform who are still able to get married.
"Could I... ask someone to collect it for me?" Ning Yuan asked cautiously, seeing the old Party Secretary frowning.
As she walked over, she realized that in this day and age there were no cameras, facial recognition, or online registration and ID cards.
It's not unusual for someone to collect a marriage certificate on behalf of another.
As long as she can get the necessary certificate for Rong Zhaonan from the team, find a man to go to the county to get the certificate, and doesn't say anything out of line, that's fine.
The old Party Secretary was taken aback, looking at her with a somewhat strange expression.
In his memory, this girl was an honest child, mostly reserved and silent, working hard without complaint.
Is there any other way to get the certificate collected on behalf of someone else?
Ning Yuan lowered her eyes, which flashed with coldness, and feigned helplessness: "Otherwise, what else can I do? I have no official status or recognition?"
If she and Rong Zhaonan register their marriage, they will be legally married.
At least, if that bastard Wang Jianhua dares to harass her again, let alone his desire to return to the city, that would be harassing a woman, a crime of hooliganism!
She has lived a lifetime longer than others, so how could she still have the same timid personality she had in her teenage years?
After all, throwing meat buns to a dog is a one-way street.
Seeing the little girl's dejected and pitiful appearance, the old Party Secretary's sympathy prevailed again.
He thought for a moment and said, "Okay, I'll have someone get you the certificate first. Tomorrow I'll have Hua Zi go to the county to pick up a batch of pesticides, and he'll help you get the certificate there too."
Hua Zi was the third son of the old Party Secretary, and he was an honest and simple man.
Ning Yuan immediately perked up, stood up and bowed to the old Party Secretary: "Thank you so much, old Party Secretary!"
"You should take the candy back. Life won't be easy from now on." The old Party Secretary shook his head and pushed the fruit candy back.
He has three sons, and his only daughter is the same age as Ning Yuan, so he can't help but feel that this girl has jumped into a fire pit.
If you marry a man with a bad family background, your children will have no chance of joining the army or finding a job.
If you have difficulty studying and taking exams, you'll likely be a failure your whole life.
Ning Yuan shook her head and pressed down on the candy: "You helped me, this is wedding candy! Give it to Xiao Guohua and the others!"
The old Party Secretary's family has several grandchildren.
She has to do this favor properly!
Seeing that she was determined not to accept it, the old Party Secretary thought for a moment and said, "How about this, the village primary school warehouse still has some old office furniture and other things that the brigade used to salvage. See if there's anything you can use, and find a cart to haul it back to the cowshed."
Although Rong Zhaonan treated villagers, he was penniless, his pockets were emptied as much as his face showed.
He knew exactly what was going on inside the dilapidated cowshed.
Ning Yuan was overjoyed to hear this; it was an unexpected delight. She bowed to the old Party Secretary again, saying, "Thank you, old Party Secretary!"
Anything that's been salvaged by the team and can still be used is a good thing!
It can't be worse than Rong Zhaonan's dilapidated beggar's hut from before liberation, can it?
Ning Yuan quickly borrowed a cart, put on the rope, and dragged the cart towards the cowshed at the foot of the mountain.
Rong Zhaonan cannot leave the village, but he can help her move things around the village!
It was already noon, the time to finish work, and many villagers and educated youth were going home for lunch.
As Ning Yuan dragged the cart and walked with her head down, no one greeted her; they just watched from afar and whispered among themselves.
After all, she was someone who "willingly degenerated" and mingled with reformers.
Tang Zhenzhen, Huang Xuehong, Qin Xiaoxia and a group of others carried hoes and looked at Ning Yuan.
Huang Xuehong gloated: "Look at her unlucky state, she deserves it!"
Tang Zhenzhen's eyes flashed with suspicion. Strange, Ning Yuan didn't look like she had been violated by Wang Jianhua.
Did Wang Jianhua fail to get it?
...
Ning Yuan ignored the stares of others and dragged her cart back to the cowshed and hut at the foot of the mountain.
But from a distance, she saw Rong Zhaonan being held against a wall by four or five people wearing red armbands.
Startled, she dropped the cart and ran towards the cowshed.
"Comrades, what's going on? What's happening?!"
She and Rong Zhaonan are now in a situation where they are both in danger, and she cannot let anything happen to him until he returns to the city.
At this moment, a person of medium height, sturdy and upright, walked out of the small house.
"Ning Yuan, don't be afraid. The brigade already knows about Rong Zhaonan's lewd behavior and insults against women!"
Ning Yuan was stunned as she looked at the other person.
The young man in front of me, wearing a worker's hat, had a typical square face that was currently the most popular aesthetic choice, with a straight nose, single eyelids, and an upright demeanor.
The man wore a sailor shirt, a rare sight in the village, with a green military jacket over it and dark blue work pants, making him look very dashing.
Ning Yuan stared blankly at the young man for a moment, then involuntarily clenched her fists, overwhelmed with mixed feelings—
"Li Yan...Secretary Li."
He was the brigade secretary in charge of several village teams, and also...
Her husband in her past life.
...
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