◎ Exchange of Marriages ◎ 

Hearing Xu Shengjie’s words, Liang Baozhen’s long eyelashes fluttered slightly. She merely pressed her lips together, turned around, and left. 

Sitting on the donkey cart on the way back to the village, looking at the fields passing by on both sides, the golden corn cobs swaying in the wind, the old ox plowing the land, and the villagers working non-stop, everything seemed to be going on normally. The warm sunlight on her shoulders made her feel entirely content. 

This time, everything seemed to be moving in a good direction. Looking at the road ahead and thinking about the future, it seemed like it would be a smooth journey. 

*** 

After dinner, in the Liang family’s main room, several people gathered around Liang Baozhen and asked her how the matchmaking went. 

“Baozhen, tell us how it went?” Liang Zhigao was also waiting for his daughter’s opinion; this time he would only proceed if it was someone she liked. 

Liang Baojun perked up his ears and shook Liang Baozhen’s arm, “Sister, hurry up and tell us.” 

Liang Baozhen felt a little embarrassed for the first time, “It was okay.” 

“What do you think of that person? Do you find him acceptable?” Everyone knew Xu Shengjie’s family situation. Song Chunhua thought that a small family was both a good thing and a bad thing. It would allow her daughter to worry less. However, if there were fewer people, she wasn’t sure if they could stand on their own and avoid being bullied. 

“He’s a decent guy. After talking for a while, I think there’s nothing wrong with him.” 

Liang Baojun sighed in relief upon hearing this. It seemed that his sister was quite satisfied. He had also asked around in the city a few days ago. “The Xu family has a good reputation in the alleys. They are all kind. I asked around and no one could say anything bad about them. It was just that Xu Shengjie’s sister was weak and had to spend money all the time.” 

“Poor child.” Liang Baoying, as a mother, felt sad to hear about such an experience. 

Song Jianguo listened for a while and then spoke up, “Then the family will have a heavy burden in the future. Baozhen is also from a rural household, and the family had to buy commercial grain. The whole family is old, young, sick, and weak, and Xu Shengjie is the only one who earns money to support them? Baozhen might suffer if she marries into that family.” 

He left unsaid the fact that no one could compare to Chen Siming’s family. Seeing Liang Baozhen going on a matchmaking, he was anxious and just hoped that the marriage would not go through. 

Song Chunhua knew her daughter well and could tell from her tone that she was satisfied. She decided immediately, “I’ll have Aunt Lai bring Xiao Xu to visit. If everything seems fine, we’ll settle it.” 

*** 

“Xiao Xu?” Liang Zhigao tapped his wife’s arm with his pipe. “Don’t be too friendly. This time, make sure to have a good look.” 

Song Chunhua knew the importance of being cautious. She had been deceived once before and was determined to keep a sharp eye out. If it weren’t for a lot of people paying attention, she might have preferred to keep her daughter around a little longer. 

“Mother, what Father said makes sense. We really need to take a close look at Baozhen’s marriage. What if the man is not good…” Song Jianguo, who had always been reserved in the Liang family, was particularly concerned about his sister’s affairs today. Liang Baoying glanced at him a few times. 

“Alright, I’ll check with Fengxia. If both sides are satisfied, we’ll finalize it. It’s been weighing on my mind, and it’s unsettling. I’ve been sleeping poorly at night.” 

After saying that, Song Chunhua went to Lai Fengxia’s house. 

While the Liang family continued their discussion inside, Liang Baoling’s voice came from outside. 

She had been playing outside with Mengmeng but ran back into the house holding the little girl. “Father, brother, sister, next door, next door…” 

“What happened next door?” Liang Zhigao and Dong Xingqiang are old neighbors with a good relationship. Because of Dong Jiayan’s recent actions, Dong Xingqiang brought a pot of wine to apologize. Since then, he has avoided seeing Liang Zhigao and even avoided him when they met on the road. 

“Just now… I just heard that Dong Jiayan is getting married to someone from the city, to… Chen Siming.”

 

This news not only shocked the Liang family but also the villagers of Damei Village. 

Everyone believed that no matter how much Dong Jiayan caused a commotion, she would never be able to marry into the city. Despite Chen Siming losing his power, he was still the son of the factory director and could regain his status at any time. 

At this moment, the Dong family finally opened their doors, and Dong Jiayan, who had not appeared in Damei Village for many days, finally showed up. She looked very happy and was wearing a beautiful dress that highlighted her beautiful figure. 

Even the gloomy Dong family parents had changed. No matter how ashamed they had been in the past few days, now that their daughter was marrying into a wealthy family. After a few years, who would still remember the commotion of the past few days? 

“Jiayan, why are you going to marry someone from the city?” 

“Are you really marrying Chen Siming?” Many villagers were confused, and some even looked down on her. 

“So she really did climb up, huh? This vixen is so good at using tricks and made the Liang family’s daughter suffer in vain.” 

“I don’t think she’ll have a good life after marrying in.” 

There were a lot of people gathered at the door of the Dong family’s home, and everyone was talking at once, with some disagreements. 

Seeing this, Aunt Hu ridiculed the Liang family, “Jiayan is capable, unlike the one next to her, who couldn’t even keep her marriage and let someone else pick the fruit for nothing.” 

“Hu Guifen, stop talking nonsense. You are just as shameless as the Dong family.” 

Song Chunhua, who happened to pass by, couldn’t stand the Dong family’s behavior and immediately started arguing with Hu Guifen. 

*** 

Dong Jiayan had no intention of paying any attention to the villagers outside. She was feeling very proud at the moment and didn’t want to bother with these people. 

After the Dong family’s door closed, He Yujiao asked her daughter what happened. The news brought back by Dong Jiayan, who had suddenly returned today, really confused her. 

“Jiayan, can you please tell us what’s going on?” 

Ever since Dong Jiayan was arrested and taken to the Revolutionary Committee with Chen Siming in the city last time, she has been talking to Chen Siming’s mother, Guo Mingli. She knows that the Chen family does not want a daughter-in-law from the countryside, and Chen Siming’s marriage to Liang Baozhen was due to his persistence. Now that something like this has happened, it is even more impossible for them to accept a daughter-in-law like her. 

Dong Jiayan, on one hand, pretends to be a good girl and leaves a positive impression on Guo Mingli, even claiming at the Revolutionary Committee that her behavior was inappropriate and that she tried to distance Chen Siming from the situation. On the other hand, she waits for the right moment to threaten them. 

Chen Siming’s reeducation and reform was nearing its end. Seeing that the matter was about to be resolved, Dong Jiayan found Guo Mingli and said that her parents had discovered that she and Chen Siming had had physical contact, and they insisted that Chen Siming marry her. 

Otherwise, they would report it! 

Upon learning of her son’s improper relationship with Dong Jiayan, Guo Mingli scolds Chen Siming but has to swallow this bitter pill to protect her husband’s position. She reluctantly agrees to let Dong Jiayan into the family. 

The earlier issues were related to discipline problems, but if it was formally classified as a scandalous relationship, especially with the girl’s family causing trouble, it could even affect Chen Yong’s position as factory manager. 

Dong Jiayan didn’t tell her parents exactly what happened; she just told them to wait for a better future. 

Dong Xingqiang, who always had a bad temper, also looked up to his daughter at this time. He didn’t expect that his child would have such ability! She could really marry the factory director’s son. 

*** 

After listening to the commotion for a while, the Liang family returned to their house. Liang Baozhen had already broken off the engagement, and if the Liang family continued to interfere, they would be jumping into a hole themselves. Besides, the whole village knew that it was Chen Siming and Dong Jiayan’s fault, so even if someone spread rumors, they would not dare to say it to their faces. 

“Dong Jiayan is mentally ill. She treats trash as treasure.” Liang Baojun found it quite amusing, thinking it was a good match, “Let them get married. Who knows how things will turn out.” 

Liang Baozhen remembered how Dong Jiayan had mocked her in the book and was even more certain that Dong Jiayan had intentionally sought out Chen Siming. She wondered why she had changed. Did she see the plot like herself? If she saw the plot, would she still jump into Chen Siming’s fire pit?  

“Jiayan, you are much better than my niece, and you have better vision. When you marry into the Chen family, remember to help our fellow villagers. You see, your aunt has always treated you well.” 

Outside the house, the voices of Fang Yuehe and Liang Zhiqing were frequently heard. It turned out that they had heard Dong Jiayan was going to marry Chen Siming and immediately came to congratulate her. They passed by Liang Zhigao’s house without stopping and spoke loudly, fearing that the Liang family might not hear them. 

“Someone must be crying inside the house right now and regretting it!” 

Liang Baozhen smiled, and her dimples were faintly visible at the corners of her mouth; her eyes were also bright, and of course, she wasn’t crying. She had avoided a tragic fate, so she was smiling with joy. 

Seeing his sister in good spirits, Liang Baojun patted her on the head. “It’s good to have positive thinking. Don’t pay attention to those outside. They’re just idle.” 

“I know. I don’t have time for that.” 

Seeing that everyone had left, he took out the eighteen yuan he had and gave it to his sister. “This is all I have, a little bit for your dowry. I’ve inquired about Xu Shengjie; he seems like a good person.” 

He still had two yuan left in his pocket, but he kept it as balance; after all, eighteen was a more auspicious number. 

Eighteen yuan? This is not a small amount. Liang Baozhen looked at the big note in her hand and was a little confused. “Brother, where did you get the money?” 

“Saved it, penny by penny,” Liang Baojun said dramatically, with an exaggerated expression, “You’d better keep it well. I was planning to give it to you the night before your wedding, but now I’m giving it to you early to avoid any surprises.” 

Villagers save money with great difficulty, and Liang Baozhen knew the weight of what she held. She tried to return ten yuan, but was stopped by her second brother halfway, “I won’t take back what I’ve given. You’ll need money when you go to your husband’s family. If I’m short, I’ll ask Liang Baoling. That girl has some private money.” 

He said those words with a grin. 

Liang Baozhen couldn’t refuse anymore, so she thanked him and accepted it. Then she turned around and thought of something. “Oh, brother, let me tell you something.” 

The book mentioned that after a few years, when the movement is over, various policies will gradually relax. At that time, the overall environment will be confusing, and many people will be too afraid to act. Only a few will have the courage to start a business or take the college entrance exam and turn things around quickly. 

It would be most appropriate to hint to her second brother about this, “Brother, what if the policies loosen up in the future and we can do business or sell things…” 

Liang Baojun looked at his sister with suspicion, wondering what she was thinking. “Shh… What are you talking about? If you’re caught, it could be seen as speculation and profiteering! If it’s serious, you could even be shot.” 

Liang Baozhen: “…” She glanced at her second brother. Normally he was fearless, but why was he so timid about this topic. Was he so afraid of just mentioning it? 

Liang Baojun stood up and left. As soon as he turned around, he breathed a sigh of relief. Could it be that Baozhen had discovered that he had secretly gone to the black market to make money? That couldn’t be possible! He had only gone once and earned eight yuan. Had he been discovered? 

He’d have to be more careful in the future to avoid implicating his family. 

When Liang Baojun walked out of Baozhen’s room and passed by Baoling’s room, he saw the little girl burying something with her back to the door. He immediately went up to scare her. 

“Liang Baoling, what are you doing?”

 

Liang Baoling, who was secretly hiding her 43 cents of private money, was startled. She held the money tightly in her hand and turned back to glare at her second brother. “Second brother, why are you scaring me? You bad guy!” 

“Let me see what you’re hiding,” Liang Baojun immediately recognized that the girl was hiding private savings. The whole Liang family knew she kept her money in her pillowcase, but she thought no one knew. 

“No, no, go away!” This was her little secret. 

“Wow, you’ve grown wings.” Liang Baojun left the house. “Okay, you can continue hiding.” 

*** 

The big topic that the villagers have been talking about these days is the marriage between the Dong and Liang families. The daughter of the Dong family is going to marry the director of the State Cotton Factory, and the daughter of the Liang family is also getting married, and her man is a someone from the city.

 

Seeing Xu Shengjie coming to the door in military uniform, many people stared at him for a while and wanted to go to the Liang family yard to take a look.