Chapter 14

Lu Chen paused for a moment after hearing her words, then said, “It won’t take long. I’ll go send the letter now.”

Meng Yinyin responded with a simple “Okay” and wasn’t at all curious about what Lu Chen was going to send or who the letter was for. She just said, “I’ll wait for you outside the post office.”

After all, sending a letter wouldn’t take long, it wouldn’t delay things for too much.

Seeing that she wasn’t asking any more questions, Lu Chen felt a sense of relief.

“Alright, I’ll be quick,” he replied.

With that, the two of them made their way to the post office.

The town that Lu Chen had brought Meng Yinyin to was fairly large, with several state-owned factories, and other basic facilities were also complete. As they walked to the post office, Meng Yinyin couldn’t help but look around curiously at her surroundings.

When they passed by a textile factory, she suddenly felt a sense of familiarity.

After they passed the factory, she finally recalled where she had heard the term “textile factory.” It was when Jiang Guihua had mentioned it to her, saying that her in-law worked at the textile factory in the town. She had also said that if Meng Yinyin ever came to visit the town, she should stop by the factory to look for her.

But Meng Yinyin had no real reason to go visit.

So, after a quick glance at the factory gate, she quickly dismissed the thought.

Soon, they arrived at the post office. Meng Yinyin stood outside, waiting for Lu Chen to handle his business inside.

Inside the post office, Lu Chen took out the letter he had written overnight and also retrieved the long-unused, dusty address—an address that even the brigade leader wasn’t sure was still valid—and sent the letter off.

Watching the postal worker take the letter, Lu Chen stared at it for a long time, not turning his gaze away until he could no longer see the letter, before he finally turned and left.

This letter carried so many of his hopes. If it failed, he would really have no choice but to resort to more forceful measures.

Outside the post office, Meng Yinyin found a spot under an eave to stand, shielding herself from the sun while waiting for Lu Chen.

With her fair skin and striking looks, she had dressed in a bright-colored outfit for the town visit. Every passerby couldn’t help but take notice of her.

A beauty like her was truly rare in this town.

However, Meng Yinyin had long since become accustomed to such stares. She didn’t even glance at the people around her, only keeping her eyes fixed on the door of the post office, waiting for Lu Chen to come out.

Just as she watched Lu Chen step up to the counter and begin speaking with the postal worker, a delighted voice suddenly called out from behind her.

“Educated Youth Meng, you’ve come to the town?”

Startled, Meng Yinyin turned around and saw Mother Wang, the woman she had met before.

Mother Wang was smiling broadly, looking at Meng Yinyin as though she had found some rare treasure. This left Meng Yinyin feeling confused, even a little on edge.

“Uh, Wang…” Aunt?

She remembered that Jiang Guihua had told her Mother Wang’s name, but she had forgotten it.

Since Meng Yinyin hadn’t expected to run into her again, she hadn’t bothered to remember.

Mother Wang, not at all offended, smiled and introduced herself again.

“Educated Youth Meng, I’m Zhao Shufen. You can just call me Aunt Zhao.”

Meng Yinyin obediently addressed her, “Aunt Zhao.”

Her soft voice made Zhao Shufen feel quite pleased.

Indeed, not only was she beautiful, but her voice was lovely as well. A well-behaved girl like her would surely make anyone happy just by having her around.

Of course, Zhao Shufen had another reason for being so fond of Meng Yinyin. After her two sons returned yesterday, her second son had expressed his satisfaction with Meng Yinyin.

After so many girls, he had finally found one he liked, even going so far as to say he had feelings for her. As a mother, Zhao Shufen couldn’t help but take notice.

If things went well, Meng Yinyin would likely become her daughter-in-law in the future!

“Yinyin, why are you in the town today? Have you finished your business? If you’re done, why don’t you come to my house for lunch? I’m good at cooking! Just tell me what you’d like, and I’ll make it for you!”

Meng Yinyin was once again taken aback by Zhao Shufen’s overwhelming warmth. She was almost at a loss for how to handle it.

While she understood that people liked her, she also knew that “nothing ventured, nothing gained” didn’t always come from the most genuine intentions.

So, without hesitation, she politely declined.

“Aunt Zhao, thank you for your kindness, but I don’t have much to do. I’ll be heading back soon. I have to work this afternoon, and I don’t want my personal matters to affect the work of the entire brigade.”

Meng Yinyin said this in a serious manner, as if she was not the one who was desperately trying to avoid labor every day.

Zhao Shufen hadn’t expected her to use work as an excuse to decline, and she didn’t know how to continue persuading her.

She wanted to say that she could only earn a few work points by working for a day, so it would be better to marry into their family and enjoy a good life, but she didn’t dare to say it.

“It’s just lunch! Afterward, I can ride my bike and send you back to the brigade. It won’t take long, and I promise it won’t delay your other matters.”

Zhao Shufen was still unwilling to give up on creating a chance for Meng Yinyin and her son to interact.

However, Meng Yinyin remained steadfast with her “I must not neglect the entire brigade” expression.

Seeing that there was no reason left to convince Meng Yinyin to visit her house, Zhao Shufen finally had to give up and hesitantly speak the truth.

“Uh, Educated Youth Meng, Aunt wants to ask you something. Could you tell me?”

Here she comes, she knew that this Aunt Zhao must need her help with something!

She immediately became alert, eyes wide open, ready to handle whatever came next.

What she didn’t expect, however, was that Aunt Zhao would say—

“Educated Youth Meng, are you thinking of getting married? Actually, I have a second son, he’s 23 this year. He’s not bad looking, I’m not exaggerating, he’s quite handsome, and he’s also an important worker at a furniture factory. He has a bright future ahead, and our family owns a house. If my second son gets married, they could easily live there. What do you think?”

Zhao Shufen counted on her fingers as she listed her son’s qualities and their family’s advantages. The conditions she mentioned were rare, even in this town, let alone the Nanjiao Brigade.

In fact, many young women had tried to get close to her second son before, hoping to marry him. He was handsome, well-off, and marrying him would mean having everything.

She laid all this out confidently, sure that Educated Youth Meng would be moved.

After finishing, Zhao Shufen eagerly watched Educated Youth Meng.

And finally, it dawned on her—this warm Aunt Zhao had been eyeing her for a potential match with her second son!

After realizing Zhao Shufen’s intentions, Meng Yinyin felt a sense of relief.

To be honest, Zhao Shufen’s sudden and intense enthusiasm had left her on guard. She had been overly cautious before, but now that she understood, she felt more at ease.

As for Zhao Shufen’s second son and their family’s conditions—

If this had been the old Meng Yinyin, she probably wouldn’t have even considered it. But now, having fallen on hard times, this kind of offer seemed pretty good.

If Zhao Shufen had brought it up a few days ago, she might have seriously thought it over.

However, at this point, she had already made up her mind to be with Lu Chen. She was determined and devoted, and once she chose someone, she wouldn’t backtrack.

So, no matter how good Zhao Shufen’s words were or how excellent her second son seemed, Meng Yinyin had to refuse.

She didn’t want to be the kind of woman who couldn’t make up her mind.

“Aunt Zhao, I’m sorry, although I’m not married yet, I actually already have someone I’m interested in.”

Meng Yinyin didn’t want to mislead her, so she rejected the offer plainly.

When Zhao Shufen heard this, she was completely stunned.

“Educated Youth Meng, when did you… weren’t you just saying you didn’t have anyone?”

Meng Yinyin tilted her head in confusion. “I don’t have anyone right now, but I do have someone I’m interested in. Maybe soon, he’ll become my partner and then my husband!”

Just thinking about possibly living in Lu Chen’s house, having a big house, plenty of food, and not needing to work made her so happy.

Of course, she had to admit, being with Lu Chen made her feel safe and relaxed.

So, even if someone else had the same qualities as him, she probably wouldn’t agree to anyone else as quickly.

Seeing the joy in Meng Yinyin’s eyes, Zhao Shufen’s heart sank.

She hadn’t expected that, after all this effort, the girl had already chosen someone else.

Although Zhao Shufen was very fond of Meng Yinyin, she couldn’t bring herself to break up a couple. Besides, who knew if Meng Yinyin would even let her interfere.

But there was still a question in Zhao Shufen’s mind—

“Educated Youth Meng, may I ask, is the person you like someone from your hometown, or someone you met after coming to the countryside?”

If he was from her hometown, Zhao Shufen felt her son wouldn’t stand a chance.

Though she didn’t know where exactly Meng Yinyin was from, she could tell by her bearing and grace that she had grown up in a wealthy family, surrounded by well-off people.

Though her family was comfortable in this town, they couldn’t compare to the people from the big cities.

But if her crush was someone she met after coming to the countryside…

Then maybe the young men from the Nanjiao Brigade wouldn’t be able to compare to her son!

Zhao Shufen thought her son might still have a chance.

Seeing that Zhao Shufen was still hanging on, Meng Yinyin couldn’t help but silently sigh. Sometimes, being too charming really was a burden. Now, Aunt Zhao was hoping she’d marry her son.

But with Lu Chen in her life, she had to disappoint Aunt Zhao’s hopes.

So, after a moment, she said, “The person I like is someone I met after coming to the countryside.”

Zhao Shufen, still not ready to give up, pressed on.

“Is it another Educated Youth? You know, maybe being with someone who shares the same experience can create feelings, but as someone who’s been through this, I think this kind of closeness in a new environment may not be love—it could just be…”

She didn’t finish her sentence before Meng Yinyin quickly shook her head.

“No, not an Educated Youth.”

Not an Educated Youth!?

Then the only other people she could have met were the local villagers!

Could it be that Meng Yinyin had fallen for a local young man from Nanjiao Brigade?!

Zhao Shufen was utterly stunned.

Meng Yinyin’s choice was even more surprising than her decision to become an Educated Youth.

“Yes, he’s not an Educated Youth, but he’s a really good person, and he’s been really kind to me. I also quite like him.”

Actually, Meng Yinyin wanted to say that she was quite satisfied with him. However, she didn’t want to directly admit that she was attracted to Lu Chen’s qualities, because if Lu Chen heard that, it would spoil everything.

But there was no need to explain so much. As soon as Zhao Shufen heard that Meng Yinyin had fallen for a rural boy, her expression turned to one of disbelief, as if she thought, “How could it be him?”

Meng Yinyin didn’t want to care about Zhao Shufen’s thoughts. After all, she was living her own life, and as long as she was happy with her choice, that was enough.

Seeing that Lu Chen had finished his task and was coming out, Meng Yinyin waved at Zhao Shufen and said goodbye with a smile: “Aunt Zhao, we’re leaving now. See you next time!”

She then quickly jogged up to Lu Chen and looked up at him.

“Is everything done?”

Lu Chen nodded. Before leaving, he had noticed Meng Yinyin talking to Zhao Shufen. He had met Zhao Shufen once before, when the Wang family had gone to Lu Dashan’s house to discuss the marriage arrangements. He still remembered her, but since Lu Dashan and Jiang Guihua hadn’t introduced him to the Wang family, he didn’t feel the need to greet Zhao Shufen now. He simply lowered his head and asked Meng Yinyin, “What about you?”

“Me?” Meng Yinyin only realized what he meant after noticing his gaze. She quickly shook her head. “I’ve finished talking with Aunt Zhao. There’s nothing else, so we can head to the next place!”

Upon hearing this, Lu Chen didn’t ask further. He just nodded and led Meng Yinyin away.

Meanwhile, Zhao Shufen, after watching the way Meng Yinyin and Lu Chen interacted, suddenly furrowed her brows and looked at Meng Yinyin in disbelief.

“Educated Youth Meng, the person you were talking about, could it be him?”