Chapter 46

Lu Yun had made up her mind, and she would not waver or second-guess herself. She simply waited calmly for He Cheng’an to come and propose to her.

After the New Year, He Cheng’an no longer stayed at the Lu family home. Lu Yun had not thought much of it before, but now she realized that He Cheng’an had likely planned to propose all along. Therefore, after the third day of the New Year, even though she had not yet started working, she had moved back home.

Lu Yun held her identification card, but the household registration book was with Zhang Meili. She asked Zhang Meili for the household registration book, which was necessary for applying for a marriage certificate.

In addition to handing over the household registration book, Zhang Meili took out a handkerchief. When she opened it, it contained 600 yuan, not all in one-hundred-yuan bills. The one-hundred-yuan bills were issued starting in 1987, and the few that Zhang Meili produced were all very new. There were also some ten-yuan bills among the great unity.

Zhang Meili said, “A total of 600 yuan. This is your dowry.” Her expression softened as she gently stroked Lu Yun’s hair. “That child, with this, you can marry.”

Although Lu Yun was not yet married and only had He Cheng’an coming to propose the next day, Zhang Meili felt both joy and a hint of sadness. She chatted with Lu Yun in the room for quite a while before finally going out.

Lu Yun still held the dowry money that Zhang Meili had given her, feeling as if she was about to start a new life—a new life in which she would build a family with He Cheng’an.

Perhaps in the future, they would even have a child together. The images she had never dared to imagine slowly began to surface, and Lu Yun couldn’t help but smile.

—o—o—o—

The next day, when He Cheng’an arrived, he brought with him a tricycle, a sewing machine, a watch, and a radio, with the watch being a Rolex.

Zhang Hao accompanied He Cheng’an, and they moved the items inside together. It was still the Spring Festival, and these things were not easy to come by; He Cheng’an had put in a lot of effort.

Although it was still winter, He Cheng’an dressed formally, wearing a white shirt and black trousers, topped with a coat. Standing there, he took Lu Yun’s hand and then lowered his head, seriously and intently putting the watch on Lu Yun’s wrist.

When He Cheng’an lifted his head, the two of them locked eyes and smiled at each other.

Once inside, He Cheng’an didn’t say much. He simply took out his savings book. He had spoken to Zhang Meili before, and she understood his intentions. However, when Zhang Meili opened He Cheng’an’s savings book and looked at the numbers, she was stunned.

He Cheng’an said, “All the money I’ve earned over the years is in here. It’s for Ah Yun’s bride price.” He and Lu Yun stood hand in hand in front of Zhang Meili. “Uncle, Aunt, don’t worry. I will take good care of her in the future and won’t let her suffer.”

Zhang Meili had no further questions. “Alright, go to the civil affairs bureau to get your marriage certificate. Have you bought the wedding candies? When you get the marriage certificate, don’t forget to give the staff some wedding candies.”

Zhang Hao, standing by, chimed in happily, “Aunt, don’t worry. I bought them. A few days ago, my brother He came to ask about the wedding.”

Zhang Meili then asked, “What about the wedding? After you get the marriage certificate, when do you plan to hold the ceremony?”

He Cheng’an looked at Lu Yun, waiting for her response. Lu Xiang’an, who had remained silent, finally smiled, seemingly ready to follow Lu Yun’s wishes.

Zhang Meili interjected, “Alright, alright. She wouldn’t know, would she? Let’s set the wedding date for May 1st.”

When Lu Yun and He Cheng’an arrived at the civil affairs bureau, there was still a line to wait in. They stood at the back of the queue and later took photos for the marriage certificate. As they sat down to process the marriage certificate, He Cheng’an asked, “Ah Yun, are we really getting married?”

Lu Yun replied, “Yes, I’m going to marry you.”

The staff couldn’t help but smile. Following the procedure, they began processing the marriage certificate for Lu Yun and He Cheng’an. At that time, the marriage certificate was not yet a red booklet; it was just a piece of paper that resembled a certificate.

Once the process was completed, the staff handed them the marriage certificate and said, “Congratulations to the newlyweds!”

He Cheng’an sat there, his smile growing brighter. He handed some wedding candies to the staff, saying, “Thank you.”

As they exited, He Cheng’an gave Lu Yun a piece of candy and took one for himself. The sweetness filled his mouth, and he felt a satisfaction in his heart that he couldn’t articulate. His excitement bubbled over, and he felt as if he were floating.

He Cheng’an asked again, “Ah Yun, are we really married?”

Lu Yun replied, “Yes, we are married. Look, you have the marriage certificate, don’t you?”

—o—o—o—

After receiving the marriage certificate, Zhang Meili and Lu Dong didn’t let Lu Cheng’an stay at home.

During the New Year, they had all lived together, and now it was fine for him to stay in Lu Xiang’an’s room.

Although the wedding was set for May 1st, Lu Yun and He Cheng’an had received their marriage certificate and wanted to have a meal together to celebrate.

They invited Li Ling’s family to join them.

He Cheng’an and Lu Xiang’an had grown increasingly familiar with each other. Lu Xiang’an had come to understand Lu Cheng’an better than before. Lu Cheng’an was capable, and many things that Lu Xiang’an and He Cheng’an discussed were easily resolved by Lu Cheng’an.

Lu Xiang’an liked He Cheng’an as his brother-in-law.

When Lu Xiang’an entered the room, He Cheng’an had already consumed a considerable amount of candy.

Typically, He Cheng’an rarely ate snacks apart from meals, but Lu Xiang’an quickly figured out that this candy was the wedding candy he shared with Lu Yun.

Lu Xiang’an wanted to tell Lu Yun about this, but when he entered Lu Yun’s room, he found her lying on the bed, holding a piece of wedding candy and looking overjoyed.

Lu Xiang’an thought to himself, “…”

He really wanted to say, why don’t you both just enjoy your wedding candy together?

When Li Ling’s family arrived, the Lu family became lively once again. Li Ling brought Han Jiangang along, but when it came to whispering secrets, Li Ling preferred to talk with Lu Yun, ignoring Han Jiangang, who had become familiar with everyone by now.

Li Ling lay on Lu Yun’s bed, listening to the voices outside as she looked at Lu Yun, who was swinging her legs. She smiled and asked, “I thought you’d wait for a while before getting your certificate. When I walked in just now, I heard my aunt say your wedding is set for May 1st?”

Lu Yun nodded, “Yes, it’s set for May 1st.”

Li Ling asked, “Are you nervous? When I was about to marry Han Jiangang, I was really nervous. After we got the marriage certificate, I started thinking about all kinds of things. I even wondered if I would regret it. But I only thought about it once. When Han Jiangang came to see me, I looked at him, and all that regret turned into anticipation.”

Lu Yun shook her head. “I don’t regret it. I don’t know what our future will look like, but I know I’ve never felt regret. He has chosen me with conviction, and I will choose him just as steadfastly.”

Li Ling leaned against Lu Yun’s shoulder. She was the one who knew the most about Lu Yun’s feelings, from when Lu Yun secretly confided in her about her crush on Chen Zhiqiang to when she no longer liked him and eventually wanted to be with He Cheng’an.

The two of them lay in the room together, and Lu Yun later noticed that Li Ling had some acne on her face. She looked closely at Li Ling’s spots, and they both shared a serene moment, as if nothing had changed, just like before.

—o—o—o—

The next morning, Lu Cheng’an sent Lu Yun to work, carrying a bag full of wedding candies. Candy was quite expensive at that time, but He Cheng’an didn’t mind at all. He walked Lu Yun to the entrance of the Cotton Textile Factory and handed her the bag of candies.

He said, “Take these to your office and share them around.”

Lu Yun replied, “How can I do that? This wedding candy shouldn’t be in your hands; you should go to my office and distribute it. Otherwise, when we go back later, people will start doubting whether we’re really married.”

Hearing Lu Yun, He Cheng’an looked at her with a gentle and indulgent expression. “Ah Yun, you’re right.”

Lu Yun took He Cheng’an into the Cotton Textile Factory. When she pushed open the office door, she noticed that everyone was present. The moment they saw He Cheng’an, they were taken aback for a moment before warmly welcoming him.

Sister Sun even went to make tea for He Cheng’an. They usually just drank boiled water and rarely had tea, so making tea for He Cheng’an was a sign of special treatment in their office.

He Cheng’an smiled and said, “Ah Yun and I have received our marriage certificate, and the wedding is set for May 1st. If everyone is free, please come celebrate with us; if not, enjoying some wedding candy will be just fine.”

As he spoke, he took out the candy and distributed it to everyone, leaving the remaining candy in Lu Yun’s office.

He Cheng’an didn’t let Lu Yun walk him out. Usually, when Lu Yun and He Cheng’an were together, it was He Cheng’an who walked Lu Yun home. If Lu Yun walked He Cheng’an out, he would likely insist on escorting her back afterward.

So Lu Yun didn’t insist on walking He Cheng’an out.

At noon, the news about Lu Yun and He Cheng’an getting married spread through the Cotton Textile Factory during lunchtime, along with the news about Li Chunxia resigning due to her pregnancy.

“I saw our factory’s Changhua and her partner today. He was holding wedding candy. They looked so perfect together!” one person remarked.

“I heard Li Chunxia resigned because she’s pregnant,” another added.

“I know about that. Li Chunxia even said she wants to take the university entrance exam, so she doesn’t have time to work at the Cotton Textile Factory. But her family isn’t in great financial shape either,” someone chimed in.

“Look, isn’t that our Changhua over there? The watch she’s wearing looks like a Rolex.”

“It really is a Rolex!” another exclaimed.

—o—o—o—

When Lu Yun encountered Chen Zhiqiang, she was discussing the different styles of Rolex watches with Sister Sun.

Lu Yun didn’t know much about watches, but Sister Sun did. When she got married, she had specifically gone to look at watches but found that Rolex was too expensive; she ended up buying a Seagull brand watch instead, which was more affordable.

Sister Sun said, “First it was pagers, and now it’s Rolex watches. All the gifts are high quality. You can tell how much a man cares for you just by these things.”

This sentiment echoed what Lu Yun had heard from her friends before she time-traveled. A man’s love for you couldn’t be measured solely by how much he spent on you, but if he didn’t spend money for you at all, it certainly indicated a lack of love.

Sister Sun sighed, “But you know, businesspeople earn much more than we do with our salaries.”

When Lu Yun saw Chen Zhiqiang approaching, she merely glanced at him and continued her conversation with Sister Sun. However, Chen Zhiqiang’s gaze was fixated on the Rolex Lu Yun was wearing.

In Chen Zhiqiang’s office, others were talking about how Lu Yun had received her marriage certificate and that her partner had bought her a Rolex.