Chapter 44: Let’s Break Up

Without the kite, the three of them sat on the hillside for a while before returning.

He Weiyuan, having settled the family division, rushed to the educated youth point to find Zhao Leyi, only to find her door closed and unwilling to see him.

“Leyi, my dad’s split the family. I can build a new house soon. After we get married, we’ll live there together.”

After a moment’s hesitation, Zhao Leyi said from inside the door, “Now everyone in the village says it’s because of me that your family fought. I’m upset. Your parents clearly aren’t serious, so let’s just call off this engagement. I’ll write to my parents tomorrow and tell them not to come.”

He Weiyuan’s brow furrowed. This wouldn’t do. The fight was about the dowry. If he didn’t get married, who would cook, do laundry, and have children for him after the new house was built?

The whole village knew he was going to marry Zhao Leyi. If it didn’t happen, where would he put his face?

“Leyi, no matter what my parents say, I’ve chosen you. Now that we’re on our own, no one can take advantage of us. I’ll definitely treat you well.”

Zhao Leyi refused to open the door, preventing the other female educated youths from entering, leaving them waiting outside.

Liu Sucun frowned. He Weiyuan had actually quarreled with He Liangliang because of Zhao Leyi, even splitting the family.

Zhao Leyi worked in the third production team. Father and son didn’t hold grudges overnight, but Zhao Leyi was an outsider. He Liangliang would definitely make things difficult for her when she went to work. Liu Sucun had always had a good relationship with her, and this might even implicate her.

More and more educated youths began to gather, but Zhao Leyi remained slow to open the door, only responding with a few words. This made He Weiyuan feel very embarrassed. The village elders were a generation older than him, but these educated youths were his age.

“Leyi, if you have concerns, open the door, and we can talk privately. The room is locked, and your friends can’t get in.”

Compared to Liu Sucun’s displeasure, Li Xiamei’s face was expressionless. Zhao Leyi’s actions had indeed caused her trouble. The hot water in the kitchen was ready, and she was carrying a kettle, preparing to go inside to wash up and go to bed, but she couldn’t get in.

Thinking of the other female educated youths she lived with, Zhao Leyi hesitated for a few seconds before opening the door.

“Leyi.” Liu Sucun came over and stood beside Zhao Leyi, subtly protecting her.

Seeing her come out, He Weiyuan immediately reached out to pull her. “Leyi, I really love you. No one can stop us from being together, not even my dad and brother. Now that the family is split, no one can stop us. I’ll give you all the money I got from the division after the new house is built. Shall we go to the county to get our marriage license tomorrow?”

Li Xiamei, carrying a water bottle, stepped aside and entered the room, not even bothering to glance at Zhao Leyi and He Weiyuan.

The uninformed educated youths, hearing He Weiyuan’s words, understood that marriage was now about freedom. If Zhao Leyi and He Weiyuan were in a free love relationship, even if He Weiyuan’s parents and brother opposed it, it wouldn’t stop them from getting married.

Zhao Leyi widened her eyes. “My parents haven’t even met you. How can I possibly get a marriage license with you tomorrow?”

Without even settling on the dowry, getting married first and then dealing with the details afterward was something Zhao Leyi would absolutely not do. Given He Weiyuan’s conditions, it shouldn’t have come to this. If it were Lü Beichu, she might consider it.

He Weiyuan felt both sad and guilty, lowering his head. “I’m sorry. I didn’t think things through. I was so eager to marry you home that I was afraid someone else would stop us.”

His heartfelt words moved the onlookers, who began to urge Zhao Leyi to forgive He Weiyuan. It was his family’s opinion, not He Weiyuan’s.

He Weiyuan had quarreled with his parents and brother for Zhao Leyi. If Zhao Leyi didn’t show understanding, she would be heartless.

Zhao Leyi looked at He Weiyuan with a troubled expression, lowering her head softly. “Come out with me for a moment.”

He Weiyuan’s eyes flickered, noticing several educated youths nearby. He smiled. “Leyi is shy; she’s not comfortable saying certain things in public. I’ll go now so as not to waste everyone’s time.”

Zhao Leyi walked until she was out of sight, then stopped. “How much did you get from the family division?”

He Weiyuan answered proudly, “Including the forty yuan from selling the room, it’s two hundred and thirty yuan.”

Zhao Leyi recoiled in shock, almost falling. Two hundred and thirty yuan? So little, and he still wanted to marry her? After building the two-room house, he would only have half left. A dowry of a little over one hundred yuan. If her mother found out, she would laugh herself to death. It wasn’t even half of Sanhua’s.

“I said this morning, ‘three turns and one ring’ is not necessary, ‘two turns and one ring’ would be fine, but two hundred yuan is non-negotiable. You only have this much now. How are we supposed to get married?” Zhao Leyi became increasingly angry. He Weiyuan’s words were sweet, but he hadn’t taken her words seriously at all. He was just deceiving her.

He acted like a devoted man at the educated youth point, making everyone else think poorly of her.

He Weiyuan grabbed Zhao Leyi’s wrists tightly. “Leyi, we’ll have all those things later.”

Zhao Leyi wasn’t a mindless romantic. She had chosen He Weiyuan and wanted to marry him because of his family background as the son of the production team leader, and because he liked her and was obedient.

But she hadn’t expected that he couldn’t even meet her basic requirements for the dowry, causing a family scandal that was known to everyone. It was utterly embarrassing. She simply couldn’t marry him.

“Let’s break up. I don’t want a useless husband. You’re inferior to me in every way. I was willing to compromise a bit in a free love relationship, but I didn’t expect the gap to be so huge. Let’s pretend our engagement never happened.” Zhao Leyi shook off He Weiyuan’s hand and turned to leave without hesitation.

He Weiyuan was hurt in his male pride by the words “inferior to me in every way.” After wasting so much time, the marriage fell apart right before the wedding. This wasn’t over. Even if they were breaking up, it couldn’t be Zhao Leyi who initiated it.

Passing He Zhuzhu’s house, He Weiyuan saw Wang Shuning teaching He Guoyue to ride a bicycle in the yard. He hadn’t even touched a bicycle, yet He Zhuzhu’s poor children were enjoying it first.

He remembered how poor He Zhuzhu’s family was, renting a dilapidated house to Wang Shuning. In just a few months, Gou Dan had put on weight—all thanks to Wang Shuning.

He thought that even if Zhao Leyi wasn’t as pretty as Wang Shuning or didn’t have her family background, at least her personality was good, unlike Wang Shuning, who had a bad temper and was unfriendly. But he hadn’t expected that she couldn’t even get the dowry and dared to break up with him directly. She was colder than ice. They had been dating for almost half a year. Even if they hadn’t kissed, they had held hands and hugged; they weren’t strangers.

Since the educated youths from the city were so high and mighty, why not find the best one? But before that, he absolutely wouldn’t let Zhao Leyi off easy.