Chapter 43 – Her Criteria for a Partner Are Really Quite Unconventional…

“Ah… actually, I’ve always wanted to find someone…” Shen Mo’er snapped back to her senses. Today’s Fu Zhiqing was truly full of surprises. She hadn’t expected him to suddenly return, let alone to ask such a question. But his question made her smile. “I’ve always wanted to find someone… a little poor.”

First, he had to be good-looking. Second, he had to be poor.

In fact, even before she had gotten familiar with Fu Mingze, she had already noticed that there was a Fu Zhiqing at the knowledge youth point — fair-skinned and very handsome. Even among the so-called talented and romantic scholars she’d secretly observed back in Daliang, none were as good-looking as he was. And he was pretty poor too — always dressed in tattered clothes, his garments patched more than anyone else’s. Yet, he was always clean and tidy, which made people naturally inclined to like him.

If it weren’t for the fact that, although he looked quite poor, the pride hidden deep in his bones was also very obvious… If it weren’t for the guess that college entrance exams might resume in the future, and that knowledge youths like him would likely leave the countryside — with so many uncertainties about the future… If it weren’t for those scattered little concerns, she probably wouldn’t have hesitated. She definitely wouldn’t have considered going on blind dates.

After all, having experienced the fear of nearly dying at the hands of rebel soldiers when war was at the gates, and then suddenly appearing in a completely unfamiliar world, Shen Mo’er had come to prioritize a stable life above all else.

Only as she grew more and more familiar with this world, as her life gradually stabilized — after building a new house, finding a job, moving to the city, and experiencing the peace and vitality of this country — did that ever-present feeling of displacement from being in another world slowly begin to fade.

It was like the morning mist blanketing the fields, gradually dissipating under the increasingly blazing sun.

Who cared about the future anymore? Whether it was Zhang Junliang or whoever — even if they were willing to be a live-in son-in-law, so what? He wasn’t good-looking. And even if he didn’t have that unreasonable mother, she still wouldn’t like him.

There was no need to think about anyone else. Just that good-looking, relatively poor Fu Zhiqing.

He was the one.

She didn’t know exactly when it started, but this thought had taken root in her heart.

If it hadn’t been for how busy she’d been since the school term started, she definitely would’ve found a way to pressure Fu Mingze into taking a stance. She had already planned to deal with it after the provincial competition ended. Who would’ve thought that he would…

Shen Mo’er chuckled, looked at Fu Mingze, and said openly and directly, “So, yes — I’m okay with it.”

From the moment Shen Mo’er spoke her first sentence, Fu Mingze had been stunned.

He had thought that Shen Mo’er might agree. Of course, he’d also considered the possibility that she might reject him. But no matter how much he imagined it, he never expected her to say she had always wanted to find someone a little poor.

That kind of requirement for choosing a partner was truly… unconventional.

But then Fu Mingze quickly realized — her words actually sounded very familiar. Before he went to the countryside, his elders had repeatedly reminded him: if he met someone suitable, it would be fine to settle down in the countryside. As long as she was from a poor family — eight generations of poor farmers, three generations of peasants — that was fine. The key was just being poor.

Fu Mingze looked at the girl standing before him. She didn’t look the same anymore, but if you went back just a few months… At the grain distribution on the drying field, that was the first time he’d really noticed her. Back then, her hair was messy, her clothes were tattered, and her family was known in the village as one of the most destitute. She had even fainted from hunger in the fields because their food had been taken.

If you wanted poor — she was truly poor.

But even on that day, he had noticed that although she was dark-skinned and skinny, she was actually very pretty. Especially her eyes — clever, with a hint of mischief. She didn’t seem at all like the docile, submissive girl others described her to be.

His elders had wanted him to find a poor wife to avoid political trouble. If anything went wrong, he wouldn’t be implicated by family ties. If he married a girl from a good political background, even if he cut ties with his family, his own little household wouldn’t be affected too much.

What was strange now was that Shen Mo’er actually also said she wanted someone a little poor.

Her family background was spotless — three generations of poor farmers, part of the Red Five Categories. Her desire to find someone poor clearly couldn’t be for the same reasons he had. That could only mean… her ideological awareness was exceptionally high.

At that thought, Fu Mingze even absurdly began to wonder — was it possible that the reason she hadn’t accepted Zhang Junliang was because… he wasn’t poor enough?

After all, as a skilled technician at the textile factory, Zhang Junliang earned more than a regular worker.

And then, almost immediately, Fu Mingze felt a strange sense of guilt.

If Zhang Junliang didn’t qualify as “poor enough,” then clearly — he was even less qualified.

Although he might appear to meet the standard on the surface, in reality, he was worlds away.

His family had donated a great deal to the public cause over the years, but of course, for the sake of future generations, his elders wouldn’t have truly handed over everything. Surely they’d kept a lot hidden. And not just his family — even he had brought quite a bit of money, ration coupons, and belongings when he came to the countryside. It had nothing to do with being “a little poor.”

If Shen Mo’er was really set on finding someone “a bit poorer,” then Fu Mingze felt he honestly didn’t have much competitive edge. On the surface, maybe a little, but in essence—not at all.

Although Shen Mo’er had said, “Okay,” Fu Mingze thought it over and surprisingly didn’t feel even a trace of joy. On the contrary, a sudden chill rose from the bottom of his heart. He couldn’t help but furrow his brow and asked, “Why do you want to find someone a bit poorer?”

Shen Mo’er hadn’t expected such a reaction from him. Of course, she couldn’t say it was because he and his father were simply too wealthy, and finding someone poorer might give them some peace of mind.

She carefully came up with an excuse: “My family’s poor. If I find someone with better conditions, I’m afraid we’d be mismatched, and I’d end up getting the short end of the stick. Besides, being a bit poorer isn’t necessarily bad. We can work hard together and slowly build a better life.”

After a pause, she added, “Of course, besides being a bit poor, he also has to be good-looking.”

Fu Mingze was a little stunned. “Good-looking?”

Shen Mo’er looked at him with complete confidence. “Yeah, I like good-looking ones.”

Upon hearing this, Fu Mingze’s furrowed brow finally relaxed.

He had just been thinking—if people outside found out she was looking for someone poorer, who knew how many would start scheming? After all, up to now, the villagers all assumed her family wanted a live-in son-in-law. And since both she and her father had jobs, even if they did want one, it wouldn’t be someone too bad.

But as for being good-looking—Fu Mingze truly didn’t think any of the men in the village were particularly attractive. Not hideous, but at best just average.

As for him, well, he’d grown up being praised by the neighbors in the alley for his looks.

The key point was—what Shen Mo’er had said basically meant she thought he was good-looking.

Fu Mingze couldn’t help but turn his head and smile. Shen Mo’er shot him a glare, her eyes lively and flirtatious, and asked sweetly, “What? Just because I said you’re good-looking, you’re this happy?”

Fu Mingze smiled at her. “Of course I’m happy if you say I’m good-looking.” He paused, the corners of his lips curving slightly, and said softly and slowly, “Especially when it’s my future partner saying it.”

Out of the two conditions—good-looking and a bit poor—he at least met one of them.

Moreover, as long as no one dug up his past, and as long as he stayed in the Yangliu Brigade, he’d likely continue to stay poor. All things considered, he could just barely be counted as “a bit poor.”

Round it up a little, and he fit her requirements. Since she’d said “okay,” then that meant they were basically in a relationship now.

Shen Mo’er’s face was almost burning from what he said, yet she didn’t show even a trace of embarrassment. Instead, she acted like she was deliberately challenging him and reminded, “You’re not in a relationship yet. I said okay doesn’t mean it counts. You still have to ask my dad first.”

That was the truth too. She and her father had depended on each other for so many years, so of course she had to get his opinion first on something like this.

Fu Mingze was momentarily speechless, then nodded helplessly. “Alright, ask your dad first. I’ll try my best to behave well so I can officially qualify sooner.”

Shen Mo’er couldn’t help but laugh.

At this point, Fu Mingze suddenly remembered something. “Your dad should be coming back soon, right?”

Shen Mo’er nodded. “He gets back a lot faster now that he has a bicycle.”

Fu Mingze hesitated, then said, “Then I’ll head back first.”

At a time like this, he definitely couldn’t bump into her father. Otherwise, as a father, the man probably wouldn’t feel too pleased. He remembered when his cousin’s boyfriend first walked her home and happened to run into his uncle at the door—the uncle nearly beat him with a broom.

Fu Mingze wasn’t afraid of getting hit, but he didn’t want to make her dad uncomfortable and end up having him disapprove of their relationship.

Though his mind was telling him to leave quickly, his feet didn’t want to move. Fu Mingze couldn’t help but look at Shen Mo’er again. There was a faint blush on her cheeks like morning clouds, and her eyes were especially bright and moist—so pretty they seemed to glow.

He had just said he was going to leave, but he still hadn’t moved. His gaze was so direct and intense that Shen Mo’er’s heart started pounding uncontrollably. She blurted, “Aren’t you leaving? What are you looking at!”

Fu Mingze said in a low voice, “I’m looking at my future partner.”

Shen Mo’er couldn’t help but glare at him. Fu Mingze grinned, then said with a smile, “I’m off. See you tomorrow, Comrade Shen Mo’er.”

With that, he decisively turned around and strode off. When he neared the courtyard gate, he even broke into a run.

The autumn wind made the white shirt on his back puff slightly. Shen Mo’er saw that the back of his shirt was soaked with sweat, outlining his tall, slender figure beneath the damp fabric. It gave off an unmistakably youthful air.

Shen Mo’er had always thought of Fu Mingze as a bit too mature for his age—especially because he didn’t talk much, giving off an air of calm and mystery.

But at this moment, watching him run out of the courtyard like a wolf was chasing him, Shen Mo’er couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

This flustered, panicked, escaping version of Comrade Fu was truly a rare sight.

*

Fu Mingze ran all the way back to the educated youth compound and stopped at the gate. After thinking for a moment, he turned and headed to the vegetable garden.

After Shen Mo’er’s family had their bathroom built, the other educated youths had briefly toyed with the idea of building one too—but gave up soon after due to the high cost.

Eventually, they agreed to dig a pit for composting, and even designated a small plot of land in the garden to be used as an “experimental field.”

Right now, the “experimental field” was mainly managed by Fu Mingze and Zhang Zhiqiang. The idea of composting was Fu Mingze’s; the others didn’t know the first thing about it and couldn’t take charge even if they wanted to.

As for Zhang Zhiqiang, he was technically supervising the project as the head of the youth compound—but Fu Mingze definitely wasn’t going to let him slack off. Though his title was “supervisor,” in reality, he’d been tricked by Fu Mingze into doing a lot of the heavy lifting.

Thanks to their joint efforts, the experimental field was currently thriving.

After entering the garden, Fu Mingze first went to check on the crops in the experimental field, then stood on a ridge of land, lost in thought.

He hadn’t actually planned on talking to Shen Mo’er today. Waiting until after the autumn harvest or even after her provincial competition ended would have been more appropriate.

But after leaving her house and walking along the village path, he suddenly just wanted to go back and see her again. And once he’d rushed back, the words had simply spilled out.

It was very sudden.

So sudden, even he had startled himself.

But it seemed… kind of nice. Even if they weren’t officially in a relationship yet, he could at least be considered a “temp” for now.

Fu Mingze smiled.

“What the heck are you grinning at, standing here staring at the vegetable plot?” Zheng Jiamin suddenly appeared, looking startled. “Wang Qiutong said you came back and went to the garden, and I didn’t believe her. But not only are you actually here, you’re smiling at vegetables. Have you gone crazy?”

Fu Mingze glanced at him. “What do you want?”

Zheng Jiamin replied, “That’s more like it. Your usual cold, can’t-be-bothered look suits you better.”

He didn’t even wait for Fu Mingze to ask again and leaned in to whisper, “I saw Shi Wei rummaging through your stuff.”