Chapter 31: Getting the Marriage Certificate

When Su Yue woke up, she nimbly braided her hair into two plaits and put on a white shirt and olive-green trousers. She stood in front of the mirror, carefully examining herself. In the reflection, the young girl was beaming with happiness.

Before leaving, she double-checked their household registration booklets.

As soon as she arrived at the steel factory entrance, she spotted Li Xiangbei sitting on the rear seat of a bicycle, waving enthusiastically at her. Su Yue smiled and quickened her pace toward him.

“Yueyue, where are we off to today?” Li Xiangbei asked, his face full of affection.

Blushing slightly, Su Yue curved her lips into a lovely smile. “First, to the photo studio!”

Li Xiangbei patted the back seat of the bicycle. “Got it! Comrade Su Yue, please get on.”

Su Yue let out a light laugh and gave him a playful look before sitting on the back seat.

The breeze on the way carried a sweet sense of joy.

Soon, they arrived at the photo studio.

Su Yue walked in first. “Hello, comrade! We’d like to take some pictures.”

The photographer looked up and smiled. “Sure! There are combs and mirrors over there if you’d like to freshen up first.”

“Thank you, comrade!” Su Yue replied.

Li Xiangbei followed her in. Su Yue pulled out a handkerchief and gently wiped the sweat from Li Xiangbei’s forehead, then picked up a comb and fixed his wind-tousled hair.

Seeing Li Xiangbei smiling goofily at her, she couldn’t help but smile back.

She then adjusted her own hair in the mirror.

“We’re ready, comrade!” she said.

The photographer looked at them and asked, “What kind of photos would you like?”

“We’d like two couple photos and two individual portraits,” Su Yue replied.

The photographer nodded and motioned for them to sit in front of the camera. Su Yue and Li Xiangbei exchanged a smile and leaned their shoulders together.

The photographer adjusted the camera and chuckled. “Comrade, tone down the smile a bit.”

Li Xiangbei realized he was grinning too broadly and quickly massaged his cheeks, trying to manage a more reserved smile. Still, the joy in his eyes was impossible to hide.

“Perfect!” The shutter clicked, freezing the beautiful moment in time.

Su Yue leaned her head on Li Xiangbei’s shoulder. Li Xiangbei’s smile grew even wider, and the photographer captured another candid shot.

After that, each of them took a solo portrait.

“We’d like two copies of each photo—both the couple and the individual ones,” Su Yue requested.

“Sure thing, you’re lucky—the film roll just finished. Come pick them up on Saturday,” the photographer replied as he made a note.

“Thank you, comrade.” Su Yue paid the fee, and she and Li Xiangbei walked out of the photo studio.

“Yueyue, where are we going next?” Li Xiangbei asked eagerly.

Su Yue gave a mysterious smile. “Follow me.”

They walked side by side along the lively street. After turning a corner, the big sign for the Civil Affairs Bureau came into view.

Li Xiangbei’s eyes widened in surprise and delight. His voice rose with excitement, “Yueyue? Are we here to get our marriage certificate?”

Su Yue nodded with a grin. Hand in hand, hearts filled with sweet nervousness, they stepped into the marriage registration office.

The room had old wooden tables and chairs that exuded a rustic charm. Red slogans on the walls added a festive touch to the otherwise solemn atmosphere.

Smiling broadly, Li Xiangbei greeted the staff politely. “Comrade, we’re here to register our marriage.”

The staff member, dressed in a slightly faded Zhongshan suit, looked them over and said gently, “Comrades, please fill out these forms.”

The two took the forms and went to a side table. Carefully and neatly, they wrote down their names, ages, and family backgrounds.

While writing, Li Xiangbei kept sneaking glances at Su Yue, unable to suppress his grin. Happiness was written all over his face.

After finishing the forms, they handed them and their household registration booklets to the staff. The worker checked each detail and asked a few clarifying questions along the way.

“Congratulations on becoming glorious revolutionary partners. May you support each other and contribute to the building of socialism!” the staff said warmly.

“Thank you, comrade!” the two replied in unison.

As they left the bureau, Li Xiangbei stared at their names on the certificate, grinning from ear to ear.

Su Yue playfully punched his shoulder. “Stop giggling—we still need to go to the neighborhood office to collect the ration coupons.”

“Alright, wife! Hop on—let’s go home!” Li Xiangbei beamed, holding the bicycle with an affectionate gaze.

Blushing, Su Yue gave him another playful nudge before sitting on the back seat, smiling brightly.

Overjoyed, Li Xiangbei pedaled swiftly, the bicycle gliding through the breeze.

They soon arrived at the neighborhood office, where the red slogan “Grasp the Revolution, Promote Production” stood out against the gray brick wall, as if inspiring every passerby.

After parking the bike, the two entered the bustling hall, where benches were packed with people waiting to take care of various matters.

The air was filled with the smell of old paper and ink—unique to that era.

Smiling, Li Xiangbei spoke to the staff: “Comrade, we’re here to collect the marriage ration coupons.”

The staff member took the marriage certificate, examined it carefully, then turned to a filing cabinet, pulled out a registry, and meticulously recorded their information.

“According to regulations, you’re entitled to receive: two catties of sugar coupons, three catties of liquor coupons, six feet of fabric coupons, two catties of cotton coupons, one catty each of meat and oil coupons, ten catties of grain coupons, and two cabinet coupons,” the staff explained while expertly sorting and stacking the tickets.

Su Yue was slightly surprised—she hadn’t expected so many coupons just for a marriage certificate.

After leaving the neighborhood office, they went straight to the supply and marketing cooperative, knowing the coupons had expiration dates.

They decided to use them all up immediately.

“Hey, Xiao Li, didn’t you take the afternoon off? Oh? Who’s this?” a middle-aged woman asked with a friendly smile.

Li Xiangbei smiled widely. “Aunt Ding, this is my wife. We just came from the neighborhood office with our coupons—here to buy a few things. You go ahead and carry on!”

Turning to Su Yue, he asked softly, “Yueyue, how much sugar should we get?”

Su Yue thought for a moment. “We’ve got three catties’ worth of sugar coupons. Let’s use them all.”

The county’s supply and marketing cooperative was sizable, with two full floors. Each counter had a clerk—some chatting away, some looking impatient, others welcoming, and a few with emotionless faces.

Li Xiangbei, clearly well-liked, eagerly introduced Su Yue to his coworkers.

Su Yue responded to each greeting with a smile, warm and confident.

It was easy to see that Li Xiangbei had a good reputation at the cooperative.

With help from acquaintances, everything went smoothly. Within half an hour, Li Xiangbei left the cooperative carrying a full basket, hand in hand with Su Yue.