Chapter 14 : Setting the Date

After breakfast, the whole family felt much more energetic.

Since it was Monday, Fang Jie and the others had to go to school, but Fang Qiang asked some people from the village to help him deliver a message to the city, as he was taking the day off.

Around ten o’clock, a child came running to the Fang house.

“Captain Shen is here! Captain Shen is here!”

The villagers were all watching. The day before, Captain Shen had brought a lot of things. Today, he didn’t come alone but drove a car, bringing even more.

The small truck parked right in front of the Fang house. Shen Zheng jumped out of the truck first and then called the two people in the car to help bring the items inside.

“Why are you bringing so many things?” Fang Xiaoluo asked, astonished.

Shen Zheng seemed to smile slightly, his whole demeanor warming up. “It’s not too much. I’ve been preparing more for the family. Since we’ve decided to get married, I’ll do my best to give you the best.”

The front of the Fang house was packed with people, all there to watch the spectacle.

A sewing machine, a radio, a bicycle, all these items were unloaded from the truck, and there were even more things inside, causing many people to envy them. In the crowd, there was much gossip, who wouldn’t be jealous?

In all of Honghe Village, no one had ever seen a suitor bring so many things when asking for a girl’s hand in marriage.

“Fang Xiaoluo, Fang Xiaoluo, come out here!”

This call was very ill-timed. Fang Xiaoluo looked up and saw that it was Zhou Yanwen, who was jumping up in the crowd.

Although no one knew Zhou Yanwen, his decent clothes and soft, delicate appearance made it clear that he was a city person. Moreover, he was coming to find Fang Xiaoluo, so the crowd parted to let him through.

Zhou Yanwen rushed straight up to Fang Xiaoluo. “I won’t allow you to marry Shen Zheng!”

“You really have no boundaries, do you?” Fang Xiaoluo felt disgusted by Zhou Yanwen’s face. “You should take a look at yourself before criticizing others.”

Zhou Yanwen had never been humiliated like this before. After all these days of Fang Xiaoluo ignoring him, she was now going to marry someone else and even scolded him!

Last night, Xu Yaqiu had told him that Shen Zheng and Fang Xiaoluo were getting married. Shen Zheng had given her a 3,000 yuan betrothal gift and had asked the Zhou family to contribute more to make sure they didn’t fall short.

What a load of nonsense! He didn’t even want to give her 2,000 yuan!

Zhou Yanwen tried to grab Fang Xiaoluo’s arm, but she stepped back, avoiding him. Shen Zheng stood in between them.

He tilted his head, “Xiaoluo, didn’t you say you loved me the most? You don’t like Shen Zheng, do you? As long as you don’t marry him, I’ll break up with Xu Yaqiu.”

“You like these things, right? I’ll buy them for you. Whatever you want, I’ll get it for you.”

The villagers, who were just watching for fun, now wore curious expressions.

Fang Xiaoluo saw Xu Yaqiu in the crowd.

Was she following Zhou Yanwen?

Fang Xiaoluo stood next to Shen Zheng, looking like a perfect couple. From a distance, Xu Yaqiu, seeing this scene, felt an unbearable sting in her heart.

She suddenly felt uneasy, as if something was slipping away.

But then, she thought, once Fang Xiaoluo enters the Shen family, sees those three children and the old, stern woman, she’ll definitely regret it!

In her past life, the first day she entered the house, she was bitten by the crazy second child, and that damned old woman scolded her for it!

Fang Xiaoluo crossed her arms and looked at Zhou Yanwen. “What do I want? I want a 1.85-meter tall man. Do you have that?”

Zhou Yanwen froze. He wasn’t that tall, he was only 1.75 meters.

“You don’t have it, but Shen Zheng does.”

Zhou Yanwen clenched his fists. “Being tall doesn’t put food on the table!”

Fang Xiaoluo shrugged. “But what can you do? Shen Zheng is taller than you, better looking than you, and more capable than you. You don’t make any money, and here you are bragging about buying me whatever I want.”

“Zhou Yanwen, from the moment you and Xu Yaqiu secretly met, we were done. You accepted things from her, hung out with her, kissed her…” Fang Xiaoluo spoke slowly, each word striking Zhou Yanwen’s heart.

The people around them understood perfectly. Xu Yaqiu and Zhou Yanwen had been secretly together all along.

Fang Xiaoluo was truly pitiful.

Zhou Yanwen didn’t see any of this as a problem. “But you like me, don’t you? You love me the most. How could you care about these small things?”

Fang Xiaoluo didn’t know whether to be angry or laugh. Was this what a scumbag said?

She nodded. “You know, you’re right. I do like you.”

As soon as Fang Xiaoluo said this, the crowd gasped in surprise.

Zhou Yanwen was overjoyed.

Shen Zheng’s heart tightened.

Fang Xiaoluo then smiled brightly, her smile as radiant as a blooming flower in July. “I like you, but I like you staying far away from me!”

Ignoring Zhou Yanwen’s darkening face, Fang Xiaoluo tilted her head slightly and looked at Shen Zheng. “How about we go register our marriage in a few days?”

Shen Zheng nodded. “Okay, once we get approval from the army, we’ll go.”

Fang Xiaoluo then turned and called out, “Brother, there’s a crazy person here. Help me get rid of him. Today is Shen Zheng’s big day to come and propose, I don’t want a mad dog ruining it.”

Fang Qiang had never liked Zhou Yanwen from the start. As soon as Fang Xiaoluo spoke, he grabbed a shovel and rushed over, swinging it at Zhou Yanwen.

Zhou Yanwen screamed and ran off, disappearing as he fled.

Shen Zheng had come to propose with a matchmaker.

The proposal gift list included 3,000 yuan in cash, national ration tickets for food, fabric, and meat, all packed in an envelope.

There was a sewing machine, a radio, a bicycle, and a woman’s wristwatch.

A pair of silver bangles and a pair of silver earrings.

In addition, there were a large number of items not listed on the gift list.

Two enamel basins with a dragon and phoenix design, two red soap dishes, two red towels, two red thermos bottles, two enamel tea trays, tea mugs, and spittoons. Also, a red cloth roll.

There was also a large red satin quilt cover, a festive green quilt cover, cotton fabric, pillowcases, pillow covers, and two sets of mattress covers. Plus, 26 pounds of cotton.

Anything Shen Zheng could think of, he made sure to prepare.

He had started shopping right after lunch the previous day and woke up early today to finish buying everything that was left.

For Shen Zheng’s marriage, the brigade Captain and political commissar had both gotten involved, and the entire family compound was also busy preparing.

At this moment, Shen Zheng’s mother was busy making quilts and cotton clothing with others from the family compound.

The brigade leaders were helping by finding carpenters to build a bed, cabinets, tables, and chairs for Shen Zheng’s house.

The brigade Captain had ordered that Shen Zheng’s marriage must not be taken lightly, and since Shen Zheng cared so much, even emptying out his savings to marry this woman, nothing could be overlooked.

In addition to the items on the gift list, Shen Zheng had brought two bottles of wine, two packs of candies, two packs of snacks, two cans of preserved food, two chickens, two fish, 66 pounds of rice, 66 pounds of oil, and 66 pounds of flour.

Initially, there were supposed to be four boxes of gifts, but the brigade Captain had slammed the table and said it was too little. He ordered ten items instead, saying that ten was a perfect number, symbolizing perfection.

The villagers, watching the spectacle, were left speechless by the sheer scale of it all.

This was a big deal, absolutely a big deal.

Yesterday, Xu Yaqiu had flaunted her 2,000 yuan betrothal gift, but now, in comparison, it looked insignificant.

The 3,000 yuan was handed over to Zhang Xinyan without a single penny missing.

Xu Yaqiu watched everything unfold with her heart bleeding. Shen Zheng had spent so much money, giving Fang Xiaoluo so many good things. What was she lacking compared to Fang Xiaoluo?

Holding 30 large banknotes in her hand, Zhang Xinyan felt emotional. She had never seen so much money in her life.

The matchmaker was all smiles. “Xiaoluo and Captain Shen really are destined for each other. You can tell they’re a perfect match.”

With the matter concluded, she was also happy, as though she had accomplished something monumental.

Shen Zheng said, “Our brigade has helped pick a wedding date. They say two dates in the next three months are suitable for a wedding. Uncle, Aunt, what do you think? Which one is better?”

Zhang Xinyan and Fang Shijun took the paper, and Fang Xiaoluo leaned in to look as well.

One date was the 25th, the sixth day of the fourth lunar month, which was only ten days away. The other was the 14th of next month, the 26th day of the fourth lunar month.

No wonder Xu Yaqiu had said that the sixth day of the fourth lunar month was an auspicious day for weddings.

Fang Xiaoluo pointed at the sixth. “Let’s go with this one.”