Du Lingxiang wanted to collect the bride price from Shen Jiao’s marriage, so she dragged Shen Chunshan straight to the brigade office without stopping to rest.
Although she had received more than a thousand yuan when Shen Jiao divorced, money truly disappeared far too quickly. She had only gone into the county town for two consecutive days, yet she had already spent almost five or six hundred yuan.
Just thinking about it made her heart ache.
Now that Shen Jiao was getting married again, it was practically as though she were delivering more money directly into Du Lingxiang’s hands. How could Du Lingxiang not be excited?
No matter what happened, she had to demand a larger sum this time.
Their house was due to be rebuilt, and the money they currently had was nowhere near enough. She might as well ask for two thousand yuan as the bride price.
Unfortunately, no matter how perfectly she planned everything, she could not get the address of Shen Jiao’s new boyfriend from the brigade captain.
The brigade captain had originally intended to act as a mediator and ease the relationship between the two sides. However, the moment Du Lingxiang arrived, she began interrogating him as though he were a criminal.
That immediately made him clamp his mouth shut.
This woman was completely unreasonable. Judging by her tone, anyone would think he had personally hidden Shen Jiao away.
Looking at the aggressive Du Lingxiang, the brigade captain finally understood why Shen Jiao would rather have no maternal family at her wedding than allow her brother and sister-in-law to attend.
With Du Lingxiang’s money-grubbing attitude, no one would want to continue associating with her.
Whenever trouble arose, not only did she refuse to help, but she even kicked people while they were down. Yet the moment there was some benefit to be gained, she swarmed over like a fly.
Even blood relatives would be desperate to cut ties with someone like that.
“That wretched girl! The moment she sees a man, she forgets how to walk properly. She doesn’t even remember whose family raised her! She didn’t ask for her family’s permission, and the man never came to our home to present the betrothal gifts. The Shen family will never recognise this marriage!”
Du Lingxiang cursed continuously as she walked away.
Even the brigade captain felt his scalp go numb listening to her filthy language.
However, he sneered inwardly.
What did it matter whether the Shen family recognised the marriage?
The moment Shen Jiao and the man registered their marriage, they would become a lawful couple recognised by the state.
Besides, Shen Jiao had already severed ties with their family. What right did Du Lingxiang have to interfere in her marriage?
Du Lingxiang had originally planned to go to the village entrance and catch a bus so she could chase after Shen Jiao.
However, before she could even leave the village, her maternal family arrived to borrow money from her.
They claimed they were borrowing it, but everyone knew that once the money left her hands, it would never return.
Naturally, Du Lingxiang refused.
Her maternal family, however, was unwilling to accept that answer.
One side insisted on borrowing money, while the other firmly refused. Soon, the two sides began quarrelling and even came to blows.
This was exactly the result Shen Jiao had predicted.
Some people simply had far too much free time. She needed to find them something to keep them occupied.
After Old Chatterbox spread the news, everyone would soon know that Shen Chunshan’s family had money.
Their troubles were only just beginning.
Meanwhile, Shen Jiao and Gu Xinguo arrived in Anyuan County’s town centre.
Their first stop was a state-run restaurant, where they planned to have a meal.
Although it was already 1979, the market in a small place like Anyuan had not yet fully opened up.
There were a few small vendors along the streets, but not many. Most sold local products from their own homes, such as surplus grain and vegetables, homemade coarse cloth, or little items like needles and thread.
There were no privately run restaurants operating openly yet.
“Brother Gu, I’m paying for today’s meal. No matter how you look at it, I’m the host here in Anyuan County. How could I possibly let you treat me?”
“All right.”
After thinking for a moment, Gu Xinguo agreed.
Although Shen Jiao being so polite with him made him slightly unhappy because it felt as though she still regarded him as an outsider, he nevertheless accepted.
The last time they had been in Anyuan, she had offered to buy him a meal, but he had refused and embarrassed her.
He could not reject her again.
At worst, she could say she was treating him while he quietly paid the bill.
Shen Jiao had one hundred and eighty yuan in her pocket.
Compared with the single yuan she had possessed last time, she felt far more confident.
The moment she sat down, she began ordering the expensive meat dishes on the menu.
She immediately ordered two large meat dishes—red-braised pork and roast chicken.
When Gu Xinguo saw that she was preparing to order even more, he quickly reached out and stopped her.
There were only two of them. They could not possibly finish so much food.
“Brother Gu, you saved my life. Now that you’ve come to Anyuan, shouldn’t I at least treat you to one proper meal?”
“Haven’t you already repaid me for saving your life by offering yourself in marriage?”
“Does that mean Brother Gu has agreed to let me become your wife? I mean your real wife?”
Gu Xinguo was almost defeated by the young woman in front of him.
What kind of woman asked such a question so bluntly?
Despite his helplessness, the corners of his mouth curved upwards.
“I’ve already been divorced once. If I marry again, I don’t intend to divorce a second time. Otherwise, if I become a man marrying for the third time, it might be difficult to find another wife.”
“Oh, so Brother Gu is only reluctantly accepting me because you don’t want to become a three-time groom.”
“That’s not what I meant. I—I actually have a very good impression of you. Otherwise, I never would have agreed to your proposal.”
He paused before continuing seriously.
“I was thinking that since we both like each other, why shouldn’t we get along properly, put effort into this marriage, and continue walking through life together?”
After saying this, he looked directly at Shen Jiao, his gaze burning.
“Comrade Shen Jiao, are you willing to form a family with me?”
Shen Jiao had not expected Gu Xinguo to suddenly propose to her.
Her heart abruptly began pounding.
The loud thumps seemed to shake her eardrums.
Across both lifetimes, this was the first time anyone had ever proposed to her.
Even someone as thick-skinned as her could not stop her face from heating up.
“Comrade Shen Jiao, are you willing to form a family with me and have children together?”
“I am!”
Her answer was clear and crisp.
Shen Jiao also wanted to behave a little coyly like other women, but she genuinely did not know how.
Her life experiences had long since made her forget how to be delicate and wilful.
A woman could only act coy when someone was willing to indulge and coax her.
Whenever Shen Jiao had behaved that way in the past, her parents had either scolded or beaten her.
Once she entered society and began earning money, no one had been willing to indulge her either.
“Although we’re already somewhat familiar with each other, you probably don’t know much about my circumstances. I’ll briefly introduce my personal situation.”
After receiving Shen Jiao’s definite answer, Gu Xinguo was in an excellent mood.
A marriage proposal was something the man should do. How could he allow the woman to take the initiative?
Now that he had finally completed this important task and regained some ground, his brows and eyes were filled with delight.
Shen Jiao’s straightforward personality suited him perfectly.
He had suffered enough from women who expected him to guess everything.
An Qing had been the queen of coyness. She always demanded that he guess what she was thinking, and whenever he guessed incorrectly, she would make a scene.
Was a grown man like him supposed to abandon everything else and spend his entire day guessing what was on her mind?
If she needed something, why couldn’t she simply say it?
How was he supposed to know otherwise?
Shen Jiao was much better.
“I currently drive a lorry for the transport team in Linqing County. The only person at home is my sick Grandma. My older sister is already married.”
“My monthly salary is fifty yuan. Including the various subsidies, I receive around seventy or eighty yuan each month.”
“As for personal habits, I occasionally smoke a cigarette or have a drink with friends, but I don’t have any other bad habits.”
“If you marry me, I can’t promise that you’ll live an extremely wealthy life, but I can guarantee that you’ll never lack food or clothing.”
“In addition, I will give you my loyalty as your husband.”
As Gu Xinguo spoke, Shen Jiao’s heart gradually settled.
Across both her previous and current lives, the only thing she had ever wanted was a home.
She wanted somewhere she could finally lower all her defences and reveal her vulnerability, rather than silently licking her wounds alone before armouring herself with strength once again.
“Comrade Shen Jiao, do you have any other requirements for me?”
“After we’re married, who will keep the family savings book?”
“My wife, of course.”
Gu Xinguo answered solemnly.
At that moment, his instinct for survival was operating at full strength.
His nerves were stretched tight, and he was terrified that he might say the wrong thing and cause the wife already within his grasp to fly away.
He was genuinely satisfied with Shen Jiao.
“Then who will make the decisions at home?”
“I’ll decide the major matters, and my wife will decide the minor ones.”
“What counts as a major matter, and what counts as a minor matter?”
“If my wife says something is major, then it’s major. If she says it’s minor, then it’s minor.”
“You said that yourself. You’re not allowed to go back on your word.”
“A real man’s word is as firm as a nail hammered into wood. I will absolutely keep my promise.”
“Pfft!”
Shen Jiao laughed.
“All right, the food is getting cold. Hurry up and eat.”
Without making it obvious, Gu Xinguo wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.
Women truly were not easy to deal with.
Fortunately, he seemed to have passed this test.
After they finished eating, Shen Jiao prepared to pay the bill.
Gu Xinguo quickly followed her.
It was fortunate that he did, because he saved her from an embarrassing situation.
She had completely forgotten that in the seventies and eighties, paying cash was not enough when eating at a restaurant.
They also needed grain coupons.
In the end, Gu Xinguo naturally paid for the meal once again.
Although Shen Jiao felt the tiniest bit embarrassed, she did not say anything about repaying him.
Gu Xinguo was about to become her man. If they continued pushing the cost of a single meal back and forth between them, it would make them seem far too distant.
Gu Xinguo was also particularly pleased that she no longer treated him like an outsider.
He was perfectly willing to spend money on his wife.
If she insisted on settling every expense clearly with him, that would truly hurt him. It would mean she still regarded him as an outsider.
The two of them did not linger in Anyuan County.
After eating, they immediately caught a bus back to Linqing County.
They still needed to register their marriage that day and had to complete everything before the Civil Affairs Bureau closed.
After returning to Linqing County, Gu Xinguo first went to his work unit to obtain a letter of introduction.
Only then did he take Shen Jiao to the Civil Affairs Bureau.
While issuing the marriage introduction letter, his supervisor teased him for moving so quickly.
He had only just divorced, yet he had already found himself such a fresh and pretty wife.
Gu Xinguo kept a straight face and allowed his supervisor to joke around.
At a time like this, it was best not to respond.
Otherwise, they would only tease him even more enthusiastically.
The process of obtaining their marriage certificate went very smoothly.
There were no unexpected incidents or troublesome complications.
When they walked out of the Civil Affairs Bureau, Shen Jiao stared at the brand-new marriage certificate in her hands, her eyes curving happily.
In this unfamiliar era and foreign place, she had successfully married herself off.
“Comrade Gu Xinguo, please take care of me for the rest of our lives.”
“Comrade Shen Jiao, I hope to grow old with you for the rest of our lives.”
The solemn promise from the man before her flowed into Shen Jiao’s heart like a warm current.
Her eyes became slightly moist.
She had shamelessly fought for this marriage herself, and for now, everything seemed rather good.
As for the future, she would deal with it when it arrived.
Even if something went wrong, she had hands and feet of her own.
It was not as though she would die without a man.
The newly married couple returned to the hospital carrying their marriage certificate.
Grandma and Gu Xinmin were both delighted.
Gu Xinmin immediately announced that she would return home and consult the old almanac to find an auspicious day for the wedding banquet.
Neither Gu Xinguo nor Shen Jiao particularly cared about such things, so they simply allowed Grandma and Gu Xinmin to enjoy making the arrangements.
However, another problem soon emerged.
Shen Jiao had no maternal family.
When they held the wedding banquet, where was Gu Xinguo supposed to go to fetch his bride?
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