"What about the marriage you mentioned, Xiao Nuan? Why is it so sudden?" After the warmth, Xie Sufang continued to ask.
"Last year when we just confirmed our relationship, we agreed that we would register for marriage after my birthday this year, and then I would go with him to join the army. Today I received a letter saying that the marriage report had been approved and the marriage leave had been requested. He came back on my birthday."
After hearing Wen Nuan's words, the room fell silent again. After a while, Xie Sufang's somewhat melancholy voice was heard: "It's good. You can follow the army without being separated from your husband and wife. And you don't have to work in the fields anymore. It's good!"
"If she's going to join the army, then Xiao Nuan will have to leave the educated youth camp, right?" Liu Xiaoling now caught up with the idea.
"Yes, I'm joining the army and I have to leave," Lin Yiman's voice also sounded a little melancholy.
"Wow, I can't bear to leave Xiao Nuan..."
"I can't bear to leave you..."
The originally cheerful atmosphere in the room disappeared without a trace, and now the whole room is filled with reluctance to part and confusion about the future...
The educated youths were feeling reluctant and confused, while Aunt Yang's family on the other side of the village were surprised and happy. They were happy because their son wrote to say that he wanted to come home to get married, but they were surprised because the girl was an educated youth in the village, and the youngest one at that!
"When did my brother kidnap that young educated youth?" Wang Xiaomei was so shocked that her jaw dropped open, and she asked her mother, also known as Aunt Yang Chunhua, in a daze.
"How would I know!" Aunt Yang, who was still shocked by her son's letter, rolled her eyes at her silly daughter and said unhappily.
"Wen Nuan, Wen Zhiqing, that kid is pretty good," the head of the family, Wang Fugui, took a puff of his pipe and said slowly.
"I also know that the child is good, but when did your son kidnap the girl? He didn't say a word and just wrote to tell us that they are getting married next month. Isn't this ridiculous!" Aunt Yang rolled her eyes at her own man again.
"Oh, mother, didn't big brother tell us that he and sister-in-law were dating when he came back last winter? But because he was about to return to the team, he was afraid that the old women in the village would talk nonsense, so he kept it a secret from us temporarily. Now big sister-in-law is old enough, and big brother's marriage report has been approved. Didn't you always say that big brother wanted to get married? Look, your wish will come true soon!"
"You are the only one who talks too much! And I call you sister-in-law. What benefit have I given you that you are calling me so quick?" Aunt Yang was still angry.
"Mom, are you dissatisfied with... No, it's Wen Zhiqing?" Wang Xiaomei approached Aunt Yang and asked.
"There's nothing I'm dissatisfied with," Aunt Yang said awkwardly.
"I'm not dissatisfied, so why are you being so awkward?"
"I just can't accept it for the time being. It happened so suddenly, no one can accept it, okay!"
"Brother, this is a bit unkind, but seriously, mother, what do you think of Wen Zhiqing?"
"This girl has been in our village for four or five years. She looks honest and decent. But before, she always hunched her back, lowered her head, and didn't like to talk. Since the second half of last year, she has gradually changed. She likes to talk now and can say hello. But she is skinny and small. Can she have children?"
"Oh, mother, are you overthinking it? She is not skinny anymore. Didn't you see that after lying down for a whole winter, Wen Zhiqing has gained weight, grown taller, and become whiter. She is so pretty now!"
"Really? I really didn't notice it." Aunt Yang didn't work with the educated youth, so she didn't see Wen Nuan and the others very often. But Wang Xiaomei, because she was a girl, did similar work as the female educated youth, so she was often assigned to work with them.
"Oh, when I first started working this year, I noticed that Wen Zhiqing had grown fatter, taller, and especially whiter. You don't know how white and tender her face is now. You know, my brother has good taste. He has grabbed the most beautiful girl in the Zhiqing Point!"
"Go away! How can you talk like that!" Aunt Yang rolled her eyes at Wang Xiaomei again.
"Okay, let's pack up and take a break. Since Jianshe has been decided, just do as he says," Wang Fugui tapped his pipe on the edge of the table and made a closing speech.
"Okay!" Wang Xiaomei collected the dishes diligently, washed up, and went back to her room to sleep.
After lying on the kang, Aunt Yang couldn't fall asleep no matter how hard she thought. She kicked Wang Fugui who was snoring, "Hey, what's wrong?"
"Old man, there is something that I am increasingly worried about..."
"What's the matter that's worth your sleepless nights thinking about?"
"It's about that educated young woman Wen. Something seems to have happened to her family. Didn't she lie about her age when she came to our village to work in the countryside? Do you think this will affect our son? What if it's because of her bad background that affects construction..."
"Oh, I say you are just imagining things, old woman. Jianshe's marriage report has been approved, what can possibly happen? Besides, when Wen Zhiqing went to the countryside, she said she had severed ties with her family, so even if her family background is problematic, it has nothing to do with Wen Zhiqing. Stop imagining things and go to sleep!"
"Sleep, sleep, sleep, all you do is sleep!" Aunt Yang kicked Wang Fugui again in anger.
"I say, old woman, are you going to sleep or not?"
"Why are you sleeping when the matter is not yet settled?"
"What else?"
"My son told me to find a time to go to the educated youth camp and talk to educated youth Wen first, so that he can propose marriage when he comes back. He also said that the betrothal gift is 188 yuan. Is this too much? You said that the average bride price in the village is 18 or 28 yuan, and the highest is only 68 yuan. Is this too much?"
"What's too much? It's your son's own money, and he didn't spend yours. Besides, Wen Zhiqing is alone, and the betrothal gift is still theirs. Why are you worried?"
"Yeah, hey, you said..."
"Stop talking, okay? Let's go to sleep. We have to go to work tomorrow!"
"You old thing! Go to sleep!"
Aunt Yang turned over and continued to think. She probably couldn't sleep tonight. Wang Fugui didn't care about Aunt Yang's random thoughts. She was already exhausted after a day's work. She turned over and fell asleep in a second, leaving Aunt Yang tossing and turning alone...
The night in Wawu Village was dark and silent. Just like Aunt Yang, Wen Nuan was also tossing and turning, still feeling very excited...
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