Chapter 17 : Let’s Get Along

Seeing that Han Zhenyu didn’t say anything, Su Xieqiu assumed he was unwilling and continued persuading him.  

She listed several advantages of separating from the family. “There are so many people living together, and everyone has different agendas. It’s inconvenient to do anything. If we split up, we can build a small yard and live a peaceful life without worrying about others. Wouldn’t that be nice?”  

In fact, Han Zhenyu had already been planning to move out, even before marrying Su Xieqiu.  

But the woman in front of him hadn’t been part of his original plans.  

He wasn’t sure if her words meant what he thought they did.  

According to his initial plan, he intended to send her back to the city first and then discuss separating from the family.  

But after spending the past couple of days with her, Han Zhenyu felt conflicted, his emotions more complicated than before.  

After a moment of silence, he decided to share his plan with her.  

While their relationship lacked any deeper feelings, it was better to be upfront and let Su Xieqiu decide for herself to avoid wasting time.  

He said, “Haven’t you always wanted to go back to the city? I’ve been looking into it for a while, and now I have a lead. There’s about a 50% chance I can get you back.”  

As soon as he finished speaking, Su Xieqiu quickly shook her head and said, “I’m not going back to the city. I came here in response to the country’s call for re-education from the poor and lower-middle peasants. The leaders said the countryside is a vast world with great opportunities for meaningful work.”  

Han Zhenyu couldn’t help but twitch his lips at her lofty speech and interrupted her, “It’s just the two of us here. Don’t be so official. Just tell me what you really think.”  

Realizing that such rhetoric didn’t suit the original owner’s character, Su Xieqiu smiled awkwardly and decided to come clean with him.  

She picked up a pair of scissors to trim the wick of the kerosene lamp and then began speaking slowly.  

“…Originally, I was assigned to a rural area near Haishi. But my mother was afraid I’d ruin my second sister’s prospects, so she sent me here to the Northeast instead.”  

She set down the scissors and said calmly, “I was naive back then, often writing letters and making calls home, begging my parents to bring me back. But they always dismissed me with empty words. Now I understand that if they could be so cruel as to send me here and leave me on my own, they’re no longer my family.”  

Looking directly at Han Zhenyu, Su Xieqiu said seriously, “Thank you for your help, but I’m not going back.”  

Han Zhenyu had assumed she was assigned here by the Youth League Office. He hadn’t expected this backstory.  

Knowing now that Su Xieqiu wouldn’t be returning to the city, Han Zhenyu felt an unexpected sense of relief and even a bit of anticipation.  

He hesitated before asking, “So, you’re planning to stay in the countryside and live here with me?”  

Without hesitation, Su Xieqiu replied after a brief thought, “We’ve been married for half a year, but we haven’t spent much time together. If you’re willing, let’s give it a try. If we find we’re compatible, we’ll stay together. If not, we can part ways and get divorced.”  

After expressing her thoughts, Su Xieqiu noticed Han Zhenyu was staring at her intently without saying a word.  

Feeling slightly embarrassed, she asked, “What do you think? Is that okay?”  

Han Zhenyu nodded and said quietly, “Okay.”  

With their decisions made, the couple, still unfamiliar with each other, sat in silence for a while.  

Sensing that Han Zhenyu was in a receptive mood, Su Xieqiu took the opportunity to bring up her preferences for their future house.  

“I prefer quiet places and don’t like interacting with too many people. Could we find a more secluded spot to build a house?”  

Han Zhenyu considered it for a moment and replied, “I’m not home most of the time. If we live in a remote area, I’m afraid it might not be safe for you to stay alone.”  

“That’s fine. I’m quite brave. We can build a higher wall and get a dog.”  

In truth, Su Xieqiu hoped to live somewhere as remote as possible. If it were up to her, she’d choose to live in the mountains. If any danger arose, she could always retreat to her space house.  

With Han Zhenyu gone for most of the month, she would enjoy her freedom living alone.  

However, Han Zhenyu wasn’t entirely reassured. He knew too well how malicious some people could be.  

Su Xieqiu was not only beautiful but also stood out among both the Youth League members and the villagers, making her a target of envy.  

He didn’t know how far their relationship would go, but since she had married him, he felt a sense of responsibility to protect her while they were together.  

Han Zhenyu placed the small table onto the kang cabinet and said to Su Xieqiu, “Go to sleep. Tomorrow morning, I’ll go to the team leader to get the foundation approved.”  

“I haven’t washed up yet. You go to bed first.”  

The inconvenience of bathing and using the toilet was one of the reasons Su Xieqiu wanted to move out as soon as possible. Sharing a bathroom with a group of unrelated men, women, young, and old was truly uncomfortable.  

Han Zhenyu stood up and said, “Then I’ll go boil some water for you.”  

Su Xieqiu quickly waved him off. “No, no. You’ve worked all day. Go to sleep first. I’ll heat the water myself later.”  

Saying that, she jumped off the kang, opened the door, and stepped out.  

Just as she exited, Zhang Qianyun emerged from the kitchen. When she saw Su Xieqiu, she quickly lowered her head and scurried toward the main room.  

The Han family was sitting in the main room chatting. Su Xieqiu didn’t know what Han Meili had said, but Yang Lanhua and Han Zhenhua burst into laughter, and even Han Baoguo seemed to be in a good mood.  

Standing in the yard, Su Xieqiu glanced toward the main room. The family was talking and laughing together, creating a warm and lively scene.  

She turned her gaze toward her own room and couldn’t help but wonder how Han Zhenyu had managed to endure all these years.  

No wonder he was often away from home. In such a seemingly harmonious family environment, Han Zhenyu appeared completely out of place.  

Then again, it was possible Yang Lanhua deliberately acted this way for Han Zhenyu to see a staged performance of a loving family.  

The message was clear: if Han Zhenyu knew what was good for him, he would leave quietly or never come back.  

Stroking her chin thoughtfully, Su Xieqiu pondered whether it was because of her that Han Zhenyu had developed a reputation for being lazy and unreliable.  

It seemed she had underestimated Yang Lanhua. The older woman wasn’t just fierce, she was scheming and vicious.  

If Yang Lanhua was so intent on driving them out, Su Xieqiu would comply but not without making her pay a price first.  

Heading into the kitchen, Su Xieqiu noticed the empty water tank and couldn’t help but laugh in frustration. It was clear the Han family had done this on purpose.  

When Han Zhenyu was home, he and Han Zhenhua would take turns fetching water.  

If Han Zhenyu wasn’t there, Yang Lanhua would assign the task to Su Xieqiu instead.  

And if Han Zhenhua refused to fetch water, Su Xieqiu had to step in.  

In this family, no one took her seriously. Anyone could boss her around or vent their frustrations on her.  

Reflecting on this, Su Xieqiu stood silently in the dark for a moment before heading quietly to the backyard.  

Spotting the clothes still dripping on the line, she picked out a few that were intact without patches and threw them into the toilet.  

Then, she tore up the remaining ones, threw them onto the ground, stomped on them a few times, and calmly returned to her room.  

‘Hmph. You want to pick a fight? Fine. From now on, I’ll play along.’  

‘Let’s see who comes out on top.’  

Han Zhenyu had already laid down but wasn’t asleep. He was still thinking about a suitable spot in the village quiet, safe, and ideal for building a house.  

Hearing the door open, he didn’t open his eyes, assuming Su Xieqiu had returned to get something.  

But instead, she climbed onto the kang and blew out the kerosene lamp.  

That’s when Han Zhenyu sensed something was off.  

“Didn’t you go out to wash up? Why are you back so quickly?”  

“They’re at it again,” she replied. “There’s no water in the tank.”