Liu Maocai nodded after hearing Zhang Shouyi's words. He put down his pipe, got off the kang (a heated brick bed), and put on his shoes. He realized he needed to talk to his wife about this.
Watching Liu Maocai rush out, Zhang Shouyi smiled, a satisfied smile. It was much easier than he had expected.
She also stood up and followed him out of the room. When he came out, the cheerful chatter suddenly stopped. Zhang Shouyi didn't feel embarrassed. He walked to Zhang Hongmei's side, and Sanya quickly stood up and moved to the seat behind Erya, making room for Zhang Shouyi.
Zhang Shouyi smiled slightly and sat down. "Hongmei, have you explained everything we brought?"
"Yes, Auntie has sent people to prepare the tofu and bean curd sheets. She forgot to tell Uncle about the pig slaughter."
"Sister Hongmei, I'm going." Shi Tou said and ran off.
Sanya looked at her second brother's retreating figure with a mournful expression. "Really, why so fast? I still want to go."
Zhang Hongmei was amused by Sanya's expression. It was more terrifying than a mouse seeing a cat.
"Er Ya, San Ya, I'm going back first. When Shi Tou comes back, you can go get the stationery. I bought a pencil case and notebooks."
"Okay, you should go back and rest too. The house is all cleaned up, so you don't need to clean anymore."
"Okay, I'll come over when we're making dumplings." Zhang Hongmei mainly wanted to get rid of Zhang Shouyi, and Sanya didn't even dare to lift her head now.
"No need for you, just come over at seven o'clock for dumplings, the three of us will be here soon."
“Okay, then I’ll wait to eat.” Zhang Shouyi followed behind Zhang Hongmei, and the two left the courtyard.
"Hongmei, do you think I'm that scary? Why is that girl so afraid of me?"
"I don't know either. Maybe the child is sensitive to good and evil."
"Heh, so you mean I'm a bad guy?"
"How could that be?" Zhang Hongmei blinked innocently, looking at Zhang Shouyi.
"Let's go, I'll go back and boil water for you to wash up."
"Hehe, okay." Zhang Shouyi didn't dwell on the topic, which put Zhang Hongmei at ease. Oh dear, why did I blurt it out?
Back home, Zhang Shouyi pressed Zhang Hongmei down on a stool, saying, "Just wait for me, it'll be over in a bit."
"That's great. I'll go get the clothes ready. Call me when you've boiled the water."
"Okay, go ahead, I'll call you when everything's ready."
Zhang Hongmei returned to the room. She touched the table, windowsill, and kang mat; there wasn't a speck of dust. Wang Ying and Er Ya must have cleaned them.
I opened my purse and took out a change of clothes. I felt so uncomfortable on the train these past two days. If I weren't going back to Liujiatun, I would have taken a shower long ago and wouldn't have been worried about wasting time.
She found the stationery she had brought back and put it aside. After thinking for a while, she took out a piece of polyester fabric. Girls love to look beautiful, so she would keep it to make clothes for Er Ya and her sister.
I'll put the mattress on now, and take a nap after my shower. We'll talk about dinner later.
Half an hour later, Zhang Shouyi had filled the bathtub with hot water. "Hongmei, you can take a bath now."
Hongmei was carrying clothes and a cage woven from willow branches, inside which were soaps.
"Thank you, Brother Zhang."
"Why are you being so polite with me? You go take a bath, I'll go find Uncle San and ask if he needs anything else."
"Okay, just lock the door from the outside."
Zhang Shouyi found Liu Maocai at the brigade headquarters, where Wang Hongxi was also present.
"Uncle, village chief, I've come to talk to you about something."
Liu Maocai was still feeling hot and bothered, so Wang Hongxi warmly invited Zhang Shouyi to sit down.
"What's the matter?"
"Village chief, I plan to treat everyone in the village to a meal over the next two days. Firstly, Hongmei is going abroad soon and won't be back for several years. Secondly, Hongmei and I are now legally married. Others may not care, but I need the village's approval."
Wang Hongxi was stunned. What did he just say? A legally married couple? He frowned and looked at Zhang Shouyi seriously. "What do you mean by a legally married couple?"
"It's because Hongmei and I got our marriage certificate, and we're husband and wife now. It's such a happy occasion, I have to throw a banquet to celebrate."
"That's not right, Hongmei is only fifteen years old (by Chinese reckoning), how can she get a marriage certificate?"
"I have special privileges to guarantee that this is legal and valid."
Wang Hongxi looked at Liu Maocai sitting to the side. "Maocai, you knew all along?"
"I just found out, and that's what I was worried about."
"Please don't worry, Hongmei is still your family. It's just that I will take care of her from now on."
"But the bride's parents haven't agreed yet! How can the marriage be finalized like this?"
Zhang Shouyi laughed; Wang Hongxi's mind was really quick.
“Village chief, I’m just afraid that Hongmei will be snatched away by someone else after she goes abroad for a few years, so I’m in a hurry to establish a formal relationship with her.”
Liu Maocai looked like he knew what was going on, and finally told the truth.
"Village Chief, Third Uncle, you two need to help me make arrangements. See what we need so we can prepare as soon as possible. We brought some candy, and sent someone to buy cigarettes and alcohol. I didn't prepare any peanuts or melon seeds. I don't know if this is okay?"
The other dish is stewed meat. I also didn't prepare tofu, bean curd sheets, or any green vegetables.
Liu Maocai rubbed his aching temples. "I've made all the arrangements. We'll slaughter the pig at three o'clock tomorrow morning, and we can have it for lunch. You've brought enough rice, and the tofu and bean curd sheets can be made tomorrow morning. The potatoes from the village are all harvested, along with cucumbers, tomatoes, and bok choy. That's enough for the feast."
"You're inviting the whole village to dinner tomorrow? You mean you want the whole village to recognize and accept you, right?" Wang Hongxi asked Zhang Shouyi, clicking her tongue.
"Yes, that's exactly what I mean. To be honest, I only came here with Hongmei's permission. I was afraid she wouldn't want me in the future. Hongmei's feelings for the villagers are different. She doesn't care about others, as long as the villagers accept me, I'm satisfied. The fact that she brought me back means that she acknowledges me."
Liu Maocai and Wang Hongxi were both surprised. They knew how high-ranking Zhang Shouyi was, but they hadn't expected him to value Hongmei so much. Well, it's not easy for a woman to find someone who values her like this in her lifetime.
That's fine, as long as it's good for your child. Usually, it's the girl who feels insecure, but this time it's the other way around; the man is the one feeling anxious.
"Do you still want the ceremony?" Wang Hongxi's attitude towards Zhang Shouyi had changed, and she became much more friendly.
"Of course I want a ceremony. In our countryside, it's not common to get a marriage certificate. We just have a ceremony and invite relatives and friends for a meal. So I also hope to have a wedding ceremony like the ones we have here. I want everyone to know that we are together, so that if Hongmei really wants to leave me in the future, she will have to consider everyone's opinions."
Liu Maocai shook his head, saying that this man was truly useless.
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