Getting Married?
Su Su didn’t expect the plot to have progressed to their marriage already. Was Lin Chuan back to marry the heroine this time?
It seemed very possible.
However, after this marriage, Lin Chuan’s hardships would begin. Firstly, their marriage would only involve a wedding banquet without an official marriage certificate. In this era, people still had a casual attitude towards the necessity of such documents, especially in rural areas. A wedding banquet was considered sufficient for marriage, and there was no perceived need for a certificate.
Thus, the heroine could later claim she had never been married, while everyone in the village would see Lin Chuan as having been married twice.
This eventually led to him marrying a young widow.
The crucial part was that during this time, the heroine and the male lead, Lin Dong He, had an affair and a child. When the heroine realised she was pregnant about a month later, she used Lin’s mother’s illness to bring Lin Chuan back, got him drunk, and slept with him. He then returned to the army the next day.
She then wrote to Lin Chuan, saying she was going to college and asking if she could abort the child. She even went to the army to discuss it with him. Lin Chuan not only took the blame but also endured the pain of losing a child, agreeing to the abortion to not hinder the heroine’s future.
However, the male lead blamed Lin Chuan for this, thinking he intentionally killed his own child. He even secretly told Lin’s parents, causing them great distress.
While reading the book, Su Su thought the heroine was protecting herself and found no fault in it. But now, being part of the situation, she felt immense sympathy for Lin Chuan.
Damn it, he did nothing wrong and still had to take the blame. It was too unfair.
No way, she couldn’t agree to this marriage. She had to disrupt it.
But her current identity didn’t give her a valid reason to interfere, which was frustrating.
She looked at the male lead. Given his current ambiguous relationship with the heroine, he probably wouldn’t agree to this marriage either.
“This isn’t right. It puts too much pressure on the family, and rushing into marriage isn’t fair to either of them,” Lin Dong He said, clenching his fist as he thought about the heroine. Why did she have to get engaged so early? If it weren’t for his second uncle’s family, there might still be hope. For now, delaying the marriage was the best option.
Lin’s mother frowned. They knew this too. But Lin Chuan’s leave was so short. If they didn’t arrange the wedding now, who knew when it could happen again, maybe not until the end of next year or even the year after.
After all, he was already twenty-five or twenty-six. In the village, many at that age already had their second child. It was impossible not to feel the urgency.
“There’s no way around it,” she said, sweeping the kang, clearly displeased.
Su Su was good at reading the room, so she lent a hand to Lin’s mother with the chores. At least she had secured a place to stay, which was a relief.
“How about asking Comrade Qin’s opinion?” Lin Dong He persisted, looking as if he was genuinely considering the family’s best interest.
Lin’s mother stiffened for a moment. That girl, Qin Yue Yue, was always slick, doing little work but talking a lot. Most importantly, she fell silent whenever marriage was mentioned. Lin’s mother feared her son might suffer if he married her.
“Shall I go ask her for you?” Lin Dong He offered.
“Hey, does the team leader even handle this kind of thing? Since they’re engaged, it’s best if Comrade Lin Chuan asks her himself,” Su Su joked.
Before Lin Dong He could respond, Lin Chuan coughed lightly and turned to tend the fire, neither agreeing nor refusing.
What did that mean?
The book described Lin Chuan sacrificing a lot for the heroine, but it didn’t detail how much he liked her. Su Su had expected him to confront the heroine and then refuse to marry out of heartbreak.
But instead, he just walked away.
As she pondered this, someone knocked on the door, and a voice called out, “Auntie, it’s Qin Yue Yue.”
Oh, speak of the devil. Su Su was quite excited to finally see the heroine who had captivated so many supporting characters. She peered out quietly, eager to see what the fuss was about.
When Qin Yue Yue entered, Su Su’s first impression was that she was indeed quite pretty. But upon a closer look, she thought there wasn’t anything particularly remarkable about her. Qin Yue Yue had fine features, but her skin wasn’t great, which detracted from her overall appearance.
Comparatively, Su Su felt she had seen more beautiful girls. Qin Yue Yue could be considered pretty but not stunning. Was it possible that in this story, heroines were meant to be more modest in looks, while only the female antagonists were exceptionally beautiful? This would highlight the male lead’s discerning taste, preferring the right person over the most beautiful one.
While Su Su didn’t find the heroine’s looks extraordinary, her bright, expressive eyes stood out. When she first looked at Su Su and smiled, it naturally improved her impression. Her voice was sweet as she said, “You must be Comrade Su Su from the city. You’re indeed a beautiful girl.”
Su Su smiled politely, “Thank you, Comrade Qin. You’re very pretty yourself.”
Qin Yue Yue’s smile widened, “Thank you. I’ve heard a lot about you. It’s wonderful to finally meet you.”
As they exchanged pleasantries, Su Su couldn’t help but think about the complexities of the story she was now living in. She had to be cautious in navigating these relationships, especially with Lin Chuan and Qin Yue Yue.
If not for analysing the heroine’s words carefully, it seemed like a simple compliment. But on closer inspection, pointing out that she was from the city seemed to create a divide.
Su Su smiled, holding the hem of her clothes, and said, “Thank you for the compliment, sister. You are very pretty too.” Although the heroine was younger than her, Su Su’s face looked much younger since she had checked in the mirror that morning—perhaps a benefit of time travel?
Gentle and sweet girls were always liked, especially those who were humble and without sharp edges. Lin’s mother smiled and said, “This girl makes people feel close, unlike the other city folks.”
“Yes, indeed,” the heroine agreed, standing awkwardly. Su Su noticed that since Qin Yue Yue’s arrival, there had been zero interaction with Lin Chuan. That fool hadn’t moved from the kitchen since his fiancée entered; was he planning to cook himself into the stove?
Lin’s mother made room for Qin Yue Yue, acknowledging her as her son’s fiancée.
After sitting down, Qin Yue Yue glanced at Lin Dong He, then said, “I came today to ask if Comrade Su has any specific needs for the educated youth point. We want to make sure you’re comfortable, especially since you’re new here and might not be used to things.”
Su Su immediately clung to Lin’s mother’s arm and playfully said, “I don’t need to stay at the educated youth point. I want to stay at Auntie’s house.”
“Really? Won’t that be inconvenient?” Qin Yue Yue asked, surprised.
A newly arrived city girl wanting to stay with one of the poorest families in the village, a family with many boys—wasn’t she worried about the implications? Besides, wasn’t the Lin family supposed to be discussing marriage with her? How could they proceed if this girl occupied the space?
As Qin Yue Yue pondered, Lin’s mother patted Su Su’s hand and said, “What’s inconvenient? This girl will stay with us.” Then, turning to Qin Yue Yue, she continued, “Since you’re here, let’s not use others to convey our message. Back then, your father needed a guarantee to move to the city, so he arranged this marriage with our family. Now that you’re both grown up, and with our Lin Chuan always away in the army, we should take advantage of this winter to hold the wedding.”
Qin Yue Yue’s face showed a hint of unease. “Isn’t it a bit rushed? Maybe we should discuss this more thoroughly.”
Lin’s mother sighed, “We’ve been waiting a long time, and we’re not getting any younger. It’s better to settle things sooner rather than later.”
Su Su watched the interaction carefully. She knew the storyline and the unfortunate future that awaited Lin Chuan if this marriage went through. She had to find a way to disrupt this plan without overstepping her bounds.
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