Chapter 13: Wait for Me to Propose
Looking at Tang Xue, who was covered in mud, Li Yi couldn’t help but scold her, “You’re not fully recovered yet—why did you go back to work so soon?”
“I… I don’t really feel any discomfort. Everyone else is out working—if I stay in the dorm all by myself, people will start gossiping!” Tang Xue said.
“Let them talk. We’re getting married next month anyway, and you won’t be living here anymore. Let them say whatever they want!”
“You… you’re really going to marry me?”
Li Yi knew this was all too sudden for Tang Xue—it had practically thrown her life off course.
If it weren’t for this, she might have been heading to the city in a few days—at the very least, she would have secured a job as a laborer.
But now she faced the choice of giving up her return to the city and staying in the countryside for the rest of her life.
On top of that, having lost her virginity before marriage, she would inevitably lose the upper hand in the marriage, which made her feel anxious and uncertain.
“Tang Xue, listen carefully. I, Li Yi, not only intend to marry you, but I will marry you with the utmost honor. I will give you a grand and magnificent wedding!” Li Yi said with unwavering determination.
Hearing Li Yi’s resolute words, Tang Xue seemed to make up her mind as well. She looked him in the eyes and said earnestly, “I’ll wait for you!”
Li Yi was in high spirits. He waved the various paper bags in his hands and said, “Let’s go back together. I brought you some snacks; I’ll help you take them to your dorm!”
“Don’t go wasting money—it’s not easy for Uncle and Auntie to save up!” Tang Xue said.
“Am I really that irresponsible? I earned this money all by myself!” Li Yi said with a smile.
Tang Xue suddenly thought of something and asked, “Did you earn it selling liangpi?”
“Yep!”
“How’s business?”
“It’s going okay. I’ll have no problem supporting you and the kids in the future!”
Tang Xue’s face flushed instantly. After all, she was a young, innocent girl who had just come of age; she hadn’t even been in a proper relationship yet, so how could she possibly be thinking about having children?
“Don’t say things like that…”
Seeing the girl blush, Li Yi smiled and didn’t press the issue any further. Instead, he asked, “Where’s my third older sister? Where did she go?”
“The wheat fields at the east end of the village need watering. Nana and Uncle Li and his wife went there to earn work points!”
“Oh, that explains why she isn’t with you today!”
Tang Xue looked at Li Yi, hesitated for a moment, then said, “Nana told me about your family’s situation. If you’re having trouble, just let Uncle Li handle the dowry. Anyway, even without a dowry, I’d still marry you—that way we won’t have to pay off debts together if a famine hits!”
Li Yi smiled and said, “Don’t worry about that. Just relax and look forward to becoming my bride!”
“You…”
The one-kilometer walk was far too short; before long, the two of them were back at the educated youth camp.
Li Yi didn’t go into Tang Xue’s dormitory; instead, he handed the items to her and prepared to leave.
Tang Xue looked at the large and small bags in her hands. After a few seconds of hesitation, she couldn’t help but say, “You… be careful!”
Knowing she was worried he’d get caught setting up a stall and made an example of, Li Yi smiled and said, “Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing!”
“Okay!”
Just as Tang Xue turned to head back to the dorm, Li Yi suddenly asked, “Are you free tomorrow afternoon?”
“What for?”
“I plan to ask for your hand in marriage tomorrow. You should get ready!”
Tang Xue’s whole body jolted, and for a moment she was completely taken aback.
Although she had already resolved to accept reality and come to terms with the fact that she would marry Li Yi, a good-for-nothing, she still felt a bit flustered when the prospect of marriage actually came up.
Tang Xue thought of the spot to return to the city, and she also thought of the figure in her heart.
If she really married Li Yi, she would be tied to this small mountain village for the rest of her life, and she would grow further and further apart from Brother Cheng…
Li Yi could see Tang Xue’s inner conflict and knew she had reservations, but he didn’t give her time to hesitate. He said bluntly, “Remember to put on clean clothes tomorrow and dress up nicely. Wait for me to come propose!”
With that, Li Yi turned and walked away!
……..
Leaving the educated youth commune, Li Yi didn’t go home but headed straight for the back mountain.
When he arrived at their “secret” hideout, he didn’t see Dongzi, Yongzi, or the others, but he did spot several large baskets filled with mushrooms on the reservoir’s dam.
Knowing the boys must still be out in the mountains picking mushrooms, Li Yi sat on the dam to wait for them!
As the sun began to set, five or six lads emerged one after another from the woods, each carrying a small willow basket slung over their shoulders.
Spotting Li Yi on the dam from a distance, Dongzi and the others couldn’t help but quicken their pace.
“Brother Yi, look how many mushrooms we picked today!”
As soon as they met, Dongzi said to Li Yi, as if trying to show off their achievements.
Looking at the three large baskets brimming with fresh mushrooms in front of him, plus the ones in Dongzi and the others’ hands, Li Yi estimated there were at least a hundred pounds.
At today’s agreed-upon price, these mushrooms alone would bring in sixty or seventy yuan.
In high spirits, Li Yi immediately said, “Everyone, come over here. I have something to say!”
Once the young men had gathered around, Li Yi pulled a stack of colorful bills from his pocket and said, “We sold the mushrooms we picked yesterday. This is all thanks to everyone’s hard work, so everyone gets a share of the profits!”
With that, Li Yi pulled out two one-yuan bills—the ones with the red tractor printed on them—and handed them to Dongzi.
“Brother Yi… is this for me?”
“That’s right, two yuan each!”
“Brother Yi… this… this is too much!” Dongzi stammered.
This was two yuan, after all. Just think—a regular worker in the city only made thirty-five or thirty-six yuan a month, which worked out to about one yuan a day.
They’d only worked for a short while yesterday, yet today they’d earned two yuan—it made them feel a bit hesitant to accept it.
“Take it. You’ve earned it!” Li Yi said.
Dongzi’s throat moved, and he instinctively swallowed.
For these young lads, who rarely got any pocket money, two yuan was a huge sum—the temptation was simply too great.
Seeing that Li Yi didn’t seem to be joking, Dongzi gritted his teeth and said, “Brother Yi, I’ll really take it then!”
“Go ahead, take it. It’s the fruit of your labor—don’t be shy!”
Taking the two bills from Li Yi’s hand, Dongzi couldn’t hide the excitement on his face.
This was the first time he’d ever earned money on his own, and the sense of accomplishment and satisfaction was simply incredible.
With Dongzi leading the way, the rest of the boys also received their wages for yesterday’s work from Li Yi, their hearts filled with excitement.
Seeing the look of joy mixed with excitement on the boys’ faces, Li Yi felt very happy inside.
Two yuan wasn’t much—after all, he’d sold those mushrooms for a full 40 yuan yesterday—but for these young lads, it was a substantial sum.
More importantly, Li Yi had shown them their own worth—that even “bad boys” in others’ eyes could earn money with their own hands.
“It’s getting dark. Let’s head back. I’ll split the money with you guys after we sell the mushrooms tomorrow!”
“Alright!”
……..