Get the marriage certificate
The next morning, Yu Chunsheng squinted and stretched, but there seemed to be something under his feet.
He looked down and was startled, then looked closer and saw it was the same woman from yesterday!
He patted her face a few times, and the woman slowly woke up, softly saying, "I...so...hungry..."
Yu Chunsheng then remembered that she seemed to have said yesterday that she hadn't eaten all day, and that she probably fainted due to low blood sugar.
Without thinking much, he felt in his pocket that there was still a piece of candy, quickly unwrapped it and stuffed it into her mouth, comforting her, "I'll help you lie down for a while, then I'll go buy you some food. Hang in there!"
Just as I helped her up, a sharp shout suddenly rang in my ears: "Aren't you a guest from room 203? What are you doing here? The letter of introduction didn't mention any female comrades!"
Soon, the person in charge of the guesthouse also came over. Looking at the couple behaving intimately and the blanket on the ground, he walked towards the landline with a gloomy expression and without saying a word.
Guests in other rooms came out when they heard the commotion, pointing and whispering about the two of them, "Tsk tsk tsk, they're really bold."
"Isn't that right? There are still 'wild lovers' these days."
"This is a matter of conduct; there's going to be a good show."
Yu Chunsheng was speechless and unable to defend himself.
The woman he was holding hands with suddenly became a hot potato, so he could only gently place her on the stool and defend himself: "It's not what you think!"
Xu Tangmian ate a piece of candy, and her consciousness gradually returned, but she still felt weak. She saw Yu Chunsheng standing in front of her with his hands on his hips, looking somewhat helpless, with a group of people surrounding them.
A moment later, a police officer in uniform walked in with a serious expression. "Where is the hooligan?"
The crowd parted, and through that opening, a policeman walked in and looked him up and down.
"The young man isn't bad-looking, why does he become a hooligan?"
"I'm not a hooligan!" Yu Chunsheng clicked his tongue helplessly and looked in Xu Tangmian's direction. Finding that she was already awake, he said anxiously, "You should explain to them quickly!"
Xu Tangmian said weakly, "He and I have a normal... friendship."
The sounds behind her grew fainter and fainter, until they could only be heard when one was very close. Yu Chunsheng wanted to do it, but remembering that he was facing accusations of being a "hooligan," he stopped himself.
"What's normal?" the policeman asked him impatiently.
Yu Chunsheng hesitated, wanting to say something but unable to utter a single word due to various factors.
"If you can't explain, come with me to the police station." The policeman came up and tried to pull him away, muttering, "You've got some nerve, doing this in broad daylight."
Yu Chunsheng naturally refused. The police's overly rough actions almost unconsciously brought back certain images, causing him to tremble uncontrollably and struggle repeatedly to escape the police's control.
A kind passenger, probably a retired cadre or some kind of intellectual, with gray hair and reading glasses, came over to help him and said meaningfully, "Young man, don't rush, think it over carefully, otherwise you'll get into big trouble if you can't explain it clearly."
With an elderly person present, it was inconvenient for the police to pull him away again. Yu Chunsheng calmed down, as if waking from a dream. He straightened his clothes, his gaze sweeping over Xu Tangmian before finally settling on her pockets, and said firmly:
“We are in a normal boyfriend-girlfriend relationship and we are about to get our marriage certificate. We were in a hurry to get the letter of introduction because we were out running errands.”
The police officer asked skeptically, "Is it really true?"
Some people, always eager for drama, chimed in, "They're just desperate, that's nonsense."
"Why don't you just ask the women? Asking him won't help; men are very shrewd."
Hearing the crowd's discussion, the police officer directed the female officer who had come with him: "Take them back first, and you can interrogate this woman alone."
The policewoman nodded and came over to pull Xu Tangmian away. Seeing that she looked weak and listless, Yu Chunsheng said anxiously, "She hasn't eaten all day. You have to get her something to eat."
The policewoman rolled her eyes at him. "How dare you say that?"
...
The two were quickly pulled into the car.
Although Xu Tangmian was listless, she was still clear-headed. She roughly understood the current situation between the two of them, but she couldn't quite understand the look in Yu Chunsheng's eyes.
The police noticed the two men's shifty eyes, called out "Hey!" and then said succinctly, "Don't try anything funny! If you have any problems, explain them clearly, or we'll let you go."
When she arrived at the police station, she was taken to another room alone.
After separating from Yu Chunsheng, Xu Tangmian's previously peaceful heart became restless again. In both of her lives combined, she had never been to a police station once. Now, facing accusations of "committing illicit sexual relations," how could she not be afraid?
The policewoman poured her a glass of water and gave her two steamed buns, saying gently, "Don't be afraid, we can talk while we eat. Just answer my questions truthfully."
Upon seeing the steamed buns, Xu Tangmian's eyes lit up, and she immediately grabbed one and wolfed it down.
"My first question is, what is your relationship with that man?"
Xu Tangmian swallowed a mouthful of steamed bun. "We are &*'s boyfriend...girlfriend relationship."
The policewoman scribbled on the statement, "Second question: Were you coerced by him?"
Xu Tangmian shook her head. "No, he's very good to me."
"The third question is, did you have any improper behavior before marriage?"
Xu Tangmian shook her head vigorously, "No, we abide by the law, we don't even hold hands."
Before the policewoman could ask any more questions, the officer outside the door gestured to her, and she went out.
Although Xu Tangmian found it strange, there was nothing more important in her mind than eating at that moment, so she just watched them whisper while eating non-stop.
The policewoman nodded and walked over to her, took out a pocket watch from her pocket, and handed it to the male police officer.
The male police officer glanced at his pocket watch, then looked at Xu Tangmian with a probing expression. "After she finishes eating, take her to the hospital for a check-up to see if there are any problems."
——
After undergoing an examination comparable to an obedience test, Xu Tangmian returned to the police station from the hospital, her face ashen.
The police officer told her, "You're relatively honest. Remember to have all the necessary paperwork when you go out to do errands in the future. If you're not married, you should be more careful about your behavior."
Xu Tangmian nodded blankly, then asked, "What about him?"
The policeman raised his head and said, "They're inside. Bring them out immediately."
The two successfully met, and Xu Tangmian felt that Yu Chunsheng's complexion was even paler than hers.
The policeman handed her the pocket watch: "You've explained the problem fairly clearly, but your methods were inappropriate. Even if you're married, you can't just lie together under the same blanket in public."
Yu Chunsheng remained silent.
Xu Tangmian thought he was probably terrified. She was the one who caused all this trouble, and she should take responsibility.
So she said, "Thank you for your guidance, officer. We'll definitely be more careful in the future. Can we go now if there's nothing else?"
"Wait a minute," the policeman said again. "I checked your files, and you're all from Huaifeng Town. I'm in charge of that area. There's no time like the present, so let's get the certificates today."
"Huh?" Xu Tangmian clearly hadn't expected this, and repeated, "Get the marriage certificate today?"
"Yeah, didn't you two elope? I hate those old-fashioned people the most. Why do young people have to be so particular about all that when it's consensual?"
Xu Tangmian didn't dare to say anything, but glanced sideways at Yu Chunsheng.
Yu Chunsheng didn't seem to hear the police at all, as he didn't react at all.
She could only awkwardly say, "How about we don't trouble the police officers anymore? We'll head back now." With that, she grabbed Yu Chunsheng's sleeve and started to leave.
"Wait a minute." The policeman's eyes were sharp. "Why are you so afraid to get your marriage certificate? Is there something more to this?"
“There’s no inside story,” Yu Chunsheng finally spoke. “She just felt that I didn’t buy her anything, and that it was a bit rushed.”
The police officer breathed a sigh of relief and said with a smile, "What's the big deal? The couple is still young. They can work hard together after getting their marriage certificate. They'll have bread, they'll have milk, they'll have everything they need."
As he spoke, he gestured for the two men to follow him and then greeted the people in the next room: "Old Zhang, these are two comrades from my district who want to get a marriage certificate. Let's make an exception and get it done for them today, okay?"
Old Zhang laughed heartily: "Why not? Come on, come on, it's perfect that no one's around right now."
Xu Tangmian felt a chill run down her spine, as if she were being pushed along by something invisible.
She felt that Yu Chunsheng, as a young man who might know her grandfather and was kind-hearted, could bring her a sense of security, giving her, like a drifting duckweed, a harbor to rest in an unfamiliar era.
But that doesn't mean she's going to get a marriage certificate with someone she's known for less than 24 hours!
She knew nothing about his family background, job, character, or lifestyle. This marriage was worse than an arranged marriage in ancient times, and it was not what she wanted at all.
But now that I'm stuck here, it seems I have no choice but to accept it.
The two followed Old Zhang's instructions like puppets on strings: "Come on, sit together. Yes, a little closer, and smile."
Click!
Two marriage certificates have been issued.
The police officer who had brought them back earlier patted Yu Chunsheng on the shoulder with a smile, "Alright, go back now. You have to take good care of your wife, you can't let her go hungry three times a day."
Yu Chunsheng forced a smile but said nothing.
The policewoman smiled and took the flowers from the vase at her workstation and gave them to Xu Tangmian: "Wishing you a happy marriage and a sweet and loving life together."
Xu Tangmian: "...Thank you."
And so, she still got married to this person who wasn't even a friend.
Xu Tangmian looked up at the azure sky, where a few white clouds drifted by and occasionally a few birds flew by, creating a very pleasant scene.
Looking down again, I saw a bright red marriage certificate.
Frustrating.
The sun was blazing, and it was almost noon. Yesterday at this time, she was still on the bus to town, carrying only a few dozen yuan with her. She was single.
She returned penniless, with a married man by her side.
What kind of mess is this?!
The two walked out of the police station, looked at each other, and finally Xu Tangmian couldn't help but speak first: "Since things have already come to this... shall we come back in a month?"
Yu Chunsheng frowned: "A month?"
"Oh right." There's no cooling-off period right now. Xu Tangmian lightly slapped her mouth. "I misspoke. It depends on your schedule. Come any day that's convenient for you, and we'll get the divorce certificate."
Yu Chunsheng understood.
"I'm an innocent young man, and just because you found my wallet, you're going to make me get a divorce?"
Xu Tangmian blushed and stammered, "What do you mean by harming us! We...we were all wrong, okay!"
"My mistake was trusting you, and now I'm in this mess," Yu Chunsheng said coldly, flashing the marriage certificate in his hand.
"I will not get a divorce. If your boyfriend has any objections, let him go find a place to cry."
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