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“She’s not going to anyone else’s home—she’ll only come to mine. She’s my fiancée. We’re about to get married. After the harvest, I’ll invite everyone to our wedding banquet!”
There! Someone volunteering to take trouble upon himself!
When Feng Dabing heard the second half of the sentence, he was utterly shocked.
What?! Fiancée? Getting married?
This wolfish boy couldn’t be serious, right?
Even if this Wen youth was beautiful, bringing her home was like signing himself up to become a widower.
Besides, how could this delicate, sickly beauty withstand Yan Xiao’s huge, muscular frame?
Bringing her home would make her a porcelain doll—look, but don’t touch.
And thinking about how full of energy the boy was at work, while others earned ten work points a day, he earned ten in just a few hours.
Feng Dabing shook his head helplessly. Everyone else was glad to dodge a troublesome guest, while secretly shocked that Yan Xiao had picked a sickly girl as his fiancée…
Yan Xiao pressed his lips together, thinking they didn’t recognize a treasure when they saw one. This delicate gem was coming home with him.
Anyway, he only needed to give notice. Seeing that no one objected, he carefully held the girl in his arms and headed down the mountain.
Only then did everyone notice he was holding something.
Judging by how he treated it as precious, they slowly realized they were witnessing something extraordinary.
Could it be that frail little educated youth in his arms?
A fragile, sickly beauty and a wolfish boy—strangely, yet somehow, they suited each other.
——————————————
After confirming the girl’s placement, Yan Xiao gently laid Wen Qinghe on the bed and covered her with the quilt she had brought last night.
Since last night’s rushed outing, her delicate, pretty clothes were soaked. After morning acupuncture, Yan Xiao had Doctor Ling Qing take care of her while he went to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy her many sets of soft cotton clothes and a new cotton quilt cover.
Her skin was tender, so the clothes had to be washed before she could wear them.
Wen Qinghe’s fever had subsided after the acupuncture, but Doctor Ling Qing said she still needed to take a decoction at home to prevent a recurring fever.
While she slept, Yan Xiao prepared medicine, cooked meals, and washed clothes.
Though there was much to do, he moved methodically—every task mattered when it came to her health, and he didn’t want to entrust anyone else.
——————————————
He boiled the medicine for an hour. When it cooled, the girl was still asleep.
He carefully held her in his arms and tried feeding her a small sip. But she likely smelled the medicine, furrowing her brows and pressing her lips together.
The man had no choice—he took a sip himself, placed it over her lips, and gently pried her teeth open to help her swallow.
Once he felt she had swallowed, he exhaled in relief.
The bitter taste roused Wen Qinghe. Feeling unwell and still fragile from her illness, she whimpered pitifully:
“Ugh… I said I don’t want bitter medicine…”
The man’s low, coaxing voice was persuasive: “Qingqing, be good… just this once.”
He fed her another sip, lingering longer this time.
Not wanting to see her frown, he licked away the bitterness from her lips and lightly tasted her tongue.
Only when her brow relaxed did he stop.
Feeding the entire bowl took more than half an hour.
The man, satisfied, left the room for the kitchen to cook.
In the room, the girl’s eyes were red at the corners, her brows soft and blooming. Her once pale, sickly face now had a touch of healthy color.
——————————————
After the brigade leader’s meeting, the educated youths moved into villagers’ homes.
Tang Lingling moved into the brigade leader’s home.
She didn’t expect the brigade leader’s wife to be so warm. Not only did she have a separate room, but the bed and wardrobe were fully furnished.
“From now on, you can call me Aunt. Before, when you worked in the fields, I thought you were to my liking. I’ve cleaned the room—go check if you like it.”
Tang Lingling was unaccustomed to such hospitality and felt a little awkward.
“Thank you, Aunt.”
She had longed for this moment!
Chen Guiru had her own reasons.
When she worked with Tie Zhu, it was winter. Within three days, she had to work in the fields.
Later, during confinement, she washed clothes in the river. The ice was slippery, and she fell in.
Though she was rescued, her health suffered. Over the years, she only had Tie Zhu to care for.
Her son was finally grown, yet all the other children his age were out and about.
Her son was twenty-five, yet still unmarried.
Her husband, though brigade leader, had only modest means; their family wasn’t much better off than anyone else.
Though she had tried to arrange matches for her son, somehow nothing worked—the meetings always seemed fine, but nothing came of it.
When she tried to let her son and the girl spend time alone together, the girl refused…
She was worried sick, not understanding what the problem was. Her son wasn’t ugly! Sure, he was a bit darker, a bit shorter.
The key was that her son was strong. Over the years, he had often gone hunting with Yan Xiao. With proper meals and enough physical activity, he was in great shape. He wouldn’t collapse like those skinny sticks.
From a girl’s mother’s perspective, first, you look at the conditions, and second… isn’t it about the body?
When the educated youths arrived, apart from Wen Qinghe, she had interacted with them all.
Though Tang Lingling had been there for a while, at first, she didn’t pay her much attention.
Tang Lingling looked somewhat androgynous and was tall. She instinctively felt someone like that wouldn’t be interested in her equally tall son.
But after meeting the other youths, none were satisfactory.
Later, she thought Liu Meihua looked good—pretty and delicate.
However, during a work assignment together, she noticed this girl wasn’t quite right: petty in speech and manner, always taking advantage of others.
Tang Lingling saw that Tang Qinghe was capable, quick at fieldwork, and kind to people. But she had yet to find a chance for her son to spend time with her.
Now, under the same roof, if her son still didn’t take the chance, there was nothing she could do as a mother.
“Mom! Mom! Is dinner ready?”
Chen Guiru was thinking, and her troublesome son returned.
Just as she was about to scold him for disappearing, she remembered there was now a girl educated youth in the house.
She unconsciously softened her voice, her tone strangely gentle:
“Tie Zhu, dinner’s not ready yet. Wait a bit, okay?”
Feng Tiezhu was struck as if by lightning, staring at Chen Guiru in terror:
“Mom? What’s wrong with you? Are you possessed? Don’t scare me!”
Chen Guiru rolled her eyes. Before she could speak, her troublesome son teased:
“Yes! That’s my mom! Let’s see you roll your eyes again!”
Chen Guiru couldn’t hold back, grabbing the broom by the door to start scolding him: “You little brat! Dare to tease your mother! I’ll show you!”
“Ah! Mom! Don’t! I’m wrong! I’m hungry! Haven’t eaten yet!”
“Eat, eat, eat! You’re hungry before even getting home! How did I have such a troublesome son?”
“Aunt, um… should I help with dinner?”
Chen Guiru was about to hit him again but hearing that, she stopped.
“Lingling? Oh, I’m just exercising!” She tossed the broom and stretched…
“No need, auntie! It’s almost ready! Wait a bit!”
Feng Tiezhu stared in disbelief at how quickly his mother’s mood changed.
When Chen Guiru entered the kitchen, he noticed there was a new person in the house.
“Tang Qinghe? It’s almost mealtime, why are you at my house?”
“I…”
Smack! A hand waved across Feng Tiezhu’s head.
“You little brat! What are you saying? Go to the kitchen and serve the dishes!”
Chen Guiru had mysteriously appeared behind him, giving him a hard slap.
“Lingling, don’t mind—this boy just got back and doesn’t know the educated youth dorms can’t be used temporarily.”
Tang Lingling understood: “It’s okay. Comrade Feng is straightforward—I don’t mind.”
Knowing she wouldn’t take offense, Chen Guiru relaxed.
In the kitchen, she grabbed Feng Tiezhu’s ear, lowly scolding:
“Pay attention! Tang Qinghe will stay at our house for a while. Watch your words! I’m counting on my future daughter-in-law! If you scare her away, you’ll have to find your own wife later!”
Feng Tiezhu was astonished—his mother really knew how to handle things.
Usually, rabbits don’t eat near their nest, yet all the educated youths were brought home.
No wonder his mother was so formidable!
But thinking about that tall girl, she must be over 1.7 meters.
He was 1.78 meters; standing together, they were almost the same height, hurting his pride…
He still preferred the delicate, soft type. Too bad, his “Yan-ge” had already taken her back…
Sigh, his first love hadn’t even begun before it was already gone.
He resolved to turn his frustration into appetite—planning to eat two extra bowls.
At the dinner table, Tang Lingling watched the brigade leader’s son eat like a small mountain, gobbling nearly twenty cornbread buns.
In a few bites, one after another, he finished them all.
Tang Lingling held the last bun in shock, jaw almost dropping…
Chen Guiru: Ridiculous! This unlucky boy has no sense of moderation!
Even a good girl like Tang Lingling would be scared off.
No hope left! Let it be! Let him find his own wife if he can!
…
Later, Chen Guiru watched the new daughter-in-law enter, smiling from ear to ear. Ah, a son who can eat is a blessing! Eating well means working well! Her son had finally found a wife…