Chapter 74 : Reporting into the City

The road to the country town was no different from usual, but Ma Xiuzhi felt that even the wind on the tractor was sweet. Her smile never faltered as she chatted cheerfully with fellow villagers on the vehicle.

The others knew that the Liang family had hit the jackpot and that their daughter had a bright future ahead. They were eager to say kind words to make Ma Xiuzhi happy, creating an exceptionally high-spirited atmosphere.

Seeing Ma Xiuzhi’s smile stretching almost to her ears, Liang Qingqing couldn’t help but curve her lips into a smile as well.

Today was not a holiday, and although the Liang family was willing to give up their work points to see Liang Qingqing off, the team leader would not approve of it. Who would take care of the field work if everyone left? So, only Ma Xiuzhi and Fan Yanxing came to see her off today.

They flanked her on either side, with Fan Yanxing holding an umbrella and pulling out a beautifully wrapped round tin box from his package. He opened the lid and picked out a cake with the character for “fortune” on it. The pale yellow cake looked particularly appetizing and was very fitting for the occasion.

“Try it?”

The day before, Hong Wei was going into the city, so Fan Yanxing had asked him to bring back the package. It was filled with various snacks and small trinkets from Beijing, all things that girls like and that she enjoyed.

When Liang Qingqing saw these familiar or unfamiliar “local specialties” from her previous life in the evening, she was quite surprised. She hadn’t realized when Fan Yanxing had prepared these for her. Thoughtful gifts were always more touching, and she couldn’t help but feel a soft spot in her heart.

Fan Yanxing treated his partner incredibly well, going to great lengths to make her happy.

If he could keep this up, Liang Qingqing felt that she would eventually be unable to resist falling for him.

Looking at the fortune cake, which was about the size of her palm, Liang Qingqing snapped out of her thoughts and suggested, “I can’t eat all of this. Let’s share it.”

“Sure.” Fan Yanxing broke the cake in half, giving one piece to Liang Qingqing and another to Ma Xiuzhi.

This scene was naturally observed by others. They first looked enviously at the fragrant fortune cake, swallowed their saliva, and then glanced at the pair sitting close together with such intimate gestures. Sensitive people noticed something unusual and, with a half-joking tone, asked, “It seems Liang Qingqing and Fan Yanxing get along really well. The youth staying at my house always shuts himself up in his room and rarely says a word, unlike Fan Yanxing, who is so generous and easygoing. I really envy that.”

The remark was double-edged and deeply probing.

Liang Qingqing smiled, glanced at the person, and responded with a direct retort that left him speechless, “Of course. If he weren’t generous and easy to get along with, I wouldn’t be dating him.”

With these words, Fan Yanxing’s eyes deepened, his lips almost reaching the sky, and his back, which had been lazily leaning against the tractor wall, straightened involuntarily.

The feeling was summed up in one word, delightful!

As soon as Liang Qingqing finished speaking,there was an uproar on the tractor and with everyone expressing their disbelief and excitement.

“What is this about? I haven’t heard any rumors at all!”

“Not just you, I haven’t heard anything either! I was planning to propose for my eldest son to the Liang family, and now look at this—too late, Fan Yanxing beat me to it!”

“Exactly. But Liang Qingqing is going to the provincial capital in the future, she probably won’t look down on us.”

It was a rare occasion for the village to have such a talented young woman, and everyone had hoped to keep her within the community. But how did it happen that an outsider, an educated youth from elsewhere, ended up courting her first? The villagers were fuming, their frustration so intense they could almost tear Fan Yanxing apart.

“Is this true, Xiuzhi? Have you and Old Liang both agreed to it?”

Some people, still in disbelief, turned to Ma Xiuzhi for confirmation. Compared to Liang Qingqing, Ma Xiuzhi’s words as a parent were more convincing. Clearly, everyone was thinking along these lines, their eyes fixed on Ma Xiuzhi, hoping for a different answer from her. But the result was disappointing.

Ma Xiuzhi nodded graciously, “The young people like each other. They’ve only been dating for a few days, Nowadays it’s all about freedom in marriage. As elders, we naturally have no objections.”

With her stance clearly set, further questioning would be redundant. Even if there was reluctance, everyone kept quiet. The latter half of the journey was much quieter compared to the lively start.

Apart from the rumbling noise of the tractor, only occasional snippets of conversation from Liang Qingqing and her companions could be heard.

Upon reaching the county town, everyone got off the vehicle. Although they all had their own errands to run, they stood to one side, enviously watching Liang Qingqing and her party carry their large and small bags toward the broadcasting station.

There were other educated youths on the tractor who had been selected as broadcasters or technicians. However, compared to those from the provincial capital, the local village youths were less noteworthy and were thus overlooked.

Reality could be quite harsh, which was why many people were eager to climb up the social ladder.

Considering the varying distances from different villages to the county town, the broadcasting station had set the registration time for noon.

For those from Daping Village, this was the perfect time to persuade Liang Qingqing to come.

Arriving too early meant waiting idly at the entrance, so it was better to arrive at the appropriate time.

By the time they arrived, the entrance of the broadcasting station was already packed with people. There were registered broadcasters and technicians, but more were the parents who had come to see them off. Everyone had dressed in their best clothes and stood as upright as possible, trying not to be looked down upon. Despite their best efforts, they still seemed a bit awkward and out of place.

Most people here were farmers from the countryside, and they rarely had the chance to visit such grand government offices. Everyone wanted to be the first to successfully register and step through the broadcasting station’s doors. Every extra second inside was valuable, and being the first to enter was quite prestigious!

So, despite the blazing sun, people’s determination to push forward was undeterred. Even the educated youths who had come along were anxiously joining the crowd.

This turned out to be a blessing for Liang Qingqing. She grabbed Ma Xiuzhi, who had also started to move forward, and chose a shady corner to squat down.

“Aren’t we going to move forward?” Ma Xiuzhi looked enviously at the group standing at the very front and gave Liang Qingqing a look of exasperation, as if she wanted to sit right down on the ground. Liang Qingqing shrugged and smiled, “Even if we moved forward, we wouldn’t get the best spot. It’s better to find a quiet place.”

“I told you we should come earlier, but you wouldn’t listen. Now look,” Ma Xiuzhi sighed with regret, unable to stop her nagging. Nevertheless, she placed her belongings on the relatively clean stone path as Liang Qingqing had suggested.

Fan Yanxing, who had been quietly observing, smirked, “Qingqing has been getting a lot of attention lately. It’s better to keep a low profile to avoid being targeted.”

Ma Xiuzhi’s heart skipped a beat upon hearing this. Why hadn’t she thought of that?

“Oh no, oh no. I’ve been out and about a lot these days,” Ma Xiuzhi paced back and forth, her heart racing, worried she might have unintentionally made enemies for her daughter. She grimaced, “What should we do? It’s all my fault for not keeping my mouth shut.”

Fan Yanxing had originally intended to offer just a casual comment to help Liang Qingqing, but he didn’t expect Ma Xiuzhi to overthink it, considering the worst possible scenario. He quickly reassured her, “Auntie, don’t worry too much. A bit of showing off can be a form of protection. If others see how impressive Qingqing is, they’ll have to think twice before trying to bully her.”

“That’s right, Mom. Don’t scare yourself. We’re in a perfect situation right now, so just relax,” Liang Qingqing, surprised by Ma Xiuzhi’s overreaction, understood that her mother was worried about her.

“Besides, who would dare to bully me?” she said, waving her arms.

Seeing this, Ma Xiuzhi, though initially exasperated, couldn’t help but laugh and stopped worrying. She didn’t continue the topic or insist on moving forward.

The weather was hot, and even standing in the shade didn’t help much. Soon, sweat was streaming down her forehead.

Fan Yanxing used a large fan to cool Liang Qingqing, and Ma Xiuzhi benefited from it as well.

Noticing Fan Yanxing’s flushed face from the heat, Liang Qingqing felt a pang of guilt. She pursed her lips and took the fan from him, insisting he stop. She pulled some money from her bag and asked him to buy three bottles of ice-cold soda. Drinking something cold was far better than anything else.

“I’ll go buy the sodas. You stay here and wait for me.”

“Okay, go quickly. We’ll wait for you.”

Yesterday, Ma Xiuzhi had advised Liang Qingqing to save money, but today Liang Qingqing was splurging on three bottles of soda. Ma Xiuzhi opened her mouth to say something but ended up closing it again. She comforted herself, “Today is a special day, spending a little more is fine.”

Moreover, Fan Yanxing had carried most of the luggage for them, making it feel like they had come empty-handed. He had also fanned them for a long time, so it was only right for him to enjoy some cold drinks to cool off.

Fortunately, the supply and marketing cooperative wasn’t far, and with Fan Yanxing’s long legs, he returned quickly.

After drinking the ice-cold soda, everyone seemed revived. It was Ma Xiuzhi’s first time trying this, and she sipped it with delight, savoring the sweetness.

No wonder it was so expensive, there was a reason for the price.

The sweet drink came with a bottle that could be used as a water cup back home. Calculating it that way, it seemed worth the splurge.

Ma Xiuzhi was momentarily surprised by her own thoughts. She used to be someone who would split a penny in two if she could!

“No, how come Qingqing is going to spend money lavishly? How will she manage her expenses? It must be all the good food and fun she’s been indulged in recently, which has muddled her brain. We need to correct this habit slowly in the future.”

At this moment, Ma Xiuzhi couldn’t foresee that Liang Qingqing’s “appetite” would only continue to grow, from a few cents, to a few dollars, to hundreds, thousands, and eventually tens of thousands…

Gradually, spending money without a second thought would become the norm.

But that’s a story for later.

“Oh, isn’t that Secretary Zhou over there? And next to him is his daughter Zhou Lilan? They came so early?” Ma Xiuzhi, with her keen eyes, recognized familiar faces from the village even in idle moments, and spotted them with a casual glance.

Hearing this, Liang Qingqing and Fan Yanxing both turned their heads to look at the distance. They saw two people dressed in white shirts and black pants standing close to the entrance, indicating they must have arrived very early. They hadn’t seen them on the tractor earlier, which confirmed their guess.