Chapter 55

Chapter 55

Brother Bao told Shen Moer something and then pulled Fu Mingze out of the house. Outside the back door was a wasteland, secluded and perfect for a private conversation.

Brother Bao looked around, even though he knew there was no one nearby, he still lowered his voice: "Wait, you didn’t tell your wife the truth? You're already married, and you're still hiding it? Are you planning to keep it from her forever?"

Seeing Fu Mingze remain silent, Brother Bao thought for a moment and then said: "But it's right for you to hide it. These days, there are many cases of sons reporting their fathers and wives reporting their husbands. As the old saying goes, 'You can know a person's face but not their heart.' It's better to hide it than to wake up one day and be caught by the Revolutionary Committee."

Fu Mingze glanced at him and frowned: "Moer is not that kind of person."

Brother Bao was taken aback and retorted: "Then why are you hiding it from her?"

Pretending to be poor when you clearly have money, and even bringing him a pound of meat coupons, two pounds of grain coupons, and ten yuan. It’s unclear who’s really being embarrassed here.

Honestly, Brother Bao hadn’t expected Fu Mingze to marry so soon. Many educated youths who were sent to the countryside couldn't endure it and ended up marrying locally, but Fu Mingze had been there for less than a year. Besides, as a grown man, even if the farm work was hard, he could manage. Yangliu Brigade was one of the better ones around.

The village cadres were fair; they didn’t pile tough jobs on the educated youths.

So it must be that he genuinely liked the girl.

Thinking back to the time when Fu Mingze specifically went to the commune to confront Wang Jinbao, Brother Bao had already guessed a bit at that time.

She was impressive—good-looking and even took her kid to a competition in the city.

If he really liked her, why hide things now that they’re married?

Brother Bao looked Fu Mingze up and down a few times and doubted: "In the past two years, some educated youths have returned to the city. Their families got them jobs, or they faked illness to return to the city. I heard that some people actually had relationships in the countryside and kept it a secret from everyone. When they returned to the city, they lied to their partners, saying they would find a way to bring them to the city to live together. But once they left, there was no news. You’re not planning something like that, are you? Keeping some leeway for yourself, and when the situation changes, abandon your wife and become a scoundrel like Chen Shimei?"

Fu Mingze: "..."

He said earnestly, "Your uncle’s stories are good, but maybe you should listen less."

Brother Bao's uncle used to be a storyteller, but now that job couldn't be done, so he hid in the village and told stories to his family. Fu Mingze had listened once, and it was really good, but obviously, Brother Bao wasn't suitable for listening, otherwise, it felt like his brain would be ruined.

After a pause, Fu Mingze explained: "My wife wanted to marry someone poorer. I’m worried it might cause trouble. Plus, if she knew, she’d just worry nonstop."

Brother Bao didn't understand why Shen Moer wanted to marry someone poorer, but the fact that having a bad family background could cause constant anxiety was true. He often moved between villages, sometimes trading with those who’d been sent down. He heard someone say that before being sent down, life wasn't easy either, worrying every day about being exposed, and not having a good night's sleep for over half a year.

For Fu Mingze, it was better she didn’t know—less for her to worry about.

After talking for a while, they returned to the house. Shen Moer and Sister Qiao bought a few buns, wrapped them in oil paper, and tied them with straw rope. Fu Mingze took them, then turned and thanked Brother Bao with a blank face, inviting him and Sister Qiao to Yangliu Brigade for the wedding banquet.

Brother Bao smirked. "Alright, I’ll be there."

Shen Moer and Fu Mingze pushed their bicycles out of Sister Qiao's house. They hadn't gone far when they saw a middle-aged woman with a harsh glare standing in front of a small bungalow with a pomegranate tree planted at the door, looking at them. Shen Moer felt that the woman looked somewhat familiar. The woman spat and cursed: "You said you weren't going to Niu Qiaoqiao's house to buy buns, speculating and profiteering, undermining the socialist foundation, none of you are good people!"

Shen Moer remembered, wasn't this the woman she and Shen YinYin met when they came to buy buns last time? That day, she had kicked the woman, and it seemed she held a grudge, remembering it after so long?

"We got married today and came to give some wedding candies to our friends. Auntie, who are you to falsely accuse people of speculating and profiteering? Come on, let's go to the Revolutionary Committee and talk some sense!"

Shen Moer rolled up her sleeves, pretending to lunge at the woman. The woman had suffered at her hands last time and reacted very quickly this time: "I was just talking, I wasn't talking about you, don't you dare do anything!" She quickly hid behind the small bungalow and slammed the door shut.

She was really quick to back down.

Shen Moer put her sleeves back down.

Fu Mingze looked thoughtfully at the small bungalow and asked: "Do you know this person too?"

Shen Moer then told him about the previous incident and wondered: "Does this person have a grudge against Sister Qiao?"

Fu Mingze briefly mentioned Sister Qiao's situation. Sister Qiao's husband was originally in the security section of a textile factory. One night, while on duty, a fire broke out in the factory. He died while trying to save the factory's machinery and equipment, leaving behind a large family of widows and orphans.

Originally, she still had a job, but Sister Qiao's husband died suddenly. The two elderly parents at home couldn't bear the shock and both fell seriously ill. The children were still young, and there was no one to help out. Sister Qiao had no choice but to sell her job to pay for the elderly's medical treatment. Later, the illness was cured, but it cost a lot of money. The family could only rely on a small compensation from the factory to get by.

The factory did sympathize with their difficulties and didn't reclaim the house allocated to them. However, living in the commune, even a single onion or clove of garlic had to be bought with money. The family just couldn't make ends meet, so the elderly took the three young children back to their rural hometown. Sister Qiao stayed alone in the commune, taking on odd jobs to make some money.

But with the elderly and the young at home, even though rural expenses were lower and they could grow some vegetables on their own plot, the few work points they earned were far from enough to feed the whole family.

Sister Qiao secretly gathered eggs, dried vegetables, cotton, and other items from the village to sell in the commune. It was during this time that she met Brother Bao.

Brother Bao could get flour and meat, and since Sister Qiao had a room in the textile factory's dormitory area, she started gathering eggs and other items, directly making and selling buns.

In fact, many people in the textile factory area knew that Sister Qiao was selling buns. But her husband had died protecting the factory's equipment, and the family had elderly parents and young children. Without extra income, how could they make ends meet? Besides, if it weren't for her husband saving the factory's equipment, it's uncertain whether the factory could have continued operating. So, most people looked the other way.

Moreover, Sister Qiao's buns were well-made and authentic, and many people enjoyed them. She didn't just accept money; eggs, fabric, and daily necessities could also be traded.

Making a few buns at home and trading them with relatives and friends for small items was, strictly speaking, less serious than her previous activities of collecting eggs and cotton from the village to sell.

As for why this neighbor kept watching her... Fu Mingze frowned and said, "The son of this family also joined the textile factory two years ago. I heard the family was too crowded and had been waiting for the factory to assign a house so the son could get married. The factory had no available houses at the time, so they focused on Sister Qiao's room."

This family had complained to the factory multiple times, arguing that since Sister Qiao's family were no longer employees of the textile factory, they had no right to live in the factory's housing.

However, the house was originally secured for Sister Qiao's family with the help of the labor union and women's federation. The factory had a written record of the meeting, allowing the family to live there until the eldest child turned eighteen. Currently, Sister Qiao's eldest son was only ten.

Once the authorities had decided, it was unlikely to be easily changed.

So, this family started looking for other ways, trying to report Sister Qiao for speculation. But Sister Qiao had never had a good relationship with them, so naturally, she wouldn't sell them buns. Without evidence, they could only watch her like hawks every day.

Shen Moer frowned, "It must be really annoying to be watched like that all the time."

The speaker may not have intended it, but the listener took it to heart. Fu Mingze slightly lowered his eyes. Compared to Sister Qiao being watched by her neighbors, there were actually more people in the capital keeping an eye on his family.

Forget it, better not mention it.

The hands of those people in the capital weren't long enough to reach this remote countryside, but it still made people worry.

Fu Mingze let out a long sigh, took Shen Moer's hand, and said very coldly and ruthlessly, "Don't worry about them. Brother Bao will take care of these things."

Shen Moer glanced at him, her fingers lightly brushing against his palm, and reminded him with a soft laugh, "We're outside."

Feeling the tickle in his palm, Fu Mingze's ears turned slightly red, though his face showed no sign of it. He calmly glanced at the bag in front of him and said confidently, "We have a marriage certificate. We're a legal couple, so what's there to fear?"

Just as they were speaking, a little old lady with bound feet and a red armband suddenly appeared at the other end of the alley. She pointed at them and shouted, "You two, what are you doing? In public, flirting like this?!"

Fu Mingze stiffened all over. Shen Moer stifled a laugh and quickly pulled her hand away. Fu Mingze jumped onto the bike and pedaled hard, "Get on quick."

As Shen Moer laughed and jumped onto the bike, it sped forward like the wind.

"Hey, hey, stop!" The little old lady chased after them, "Stop, explain yourselves, and accept education!"

Facing the refreshing autumn wind, Shen Moer shouted with a laugh, "Auntie, we just got our marriage certificate today."

"Even with a marriage certificate, you can't be touching each other in public..." The little old lady shouted, chasing a few more steps before finally slowing down and giving up.

Shen Moer couldn't stop laughing, tugging at Fu Mingze's clothes and asking, "Didn't you say we have a marriage certificate, we're a legal couple, so what's there to fear?"

Fu Mingze, embarrassed and angry, started ranting, "That's right, we're a legal couple, so what's there to fear? Next time, I'll kiss you in that alley."

This time, Shen Moer was the one who got embarrassed and angry. She slapped Fu Mingze's back and scolded, "You scoundrel!"

It didn’t hurt—more like a gentle feather tickling her heart, making it itch a little. Fu Mingze curled his lips and accepted the title: "Yeah, I’m the scoundrel, and you’re my dainty bride. We’re hitched now."

Shen Moer leaned against his back and whispered, "Yes, scoundrel, we’re married."

Before they knew it, it was the day of the scoundrel and his bride’s wedding.

Early in the morning, when the sky was still gray, Aunt Chen and Aunt Cai arrived with their daughters-in-law and daughters. Some of them got busy cooking up a storm for the whole day, while others pulled Shen Moer out of bed to start styling her hair.

Shen Moer, still drowsy, asked, "Why are you all here so early?"

Unlike in Great Liang, where royal weddings were incredibly elaborate, especially for the royal family, who had to visit the ancestral temple early in the morning to report to their ancestors and then kneel before the emperor to express gratitude, Shen Moer knew that in this world, weddings were all about keeping things simple and frugal. Everything that could be simplified was simplified.

Aunt Chen chuckled as she carefully combed Shen Moer's hair: "It’s not early at all. Getting all dolled up takes a while. Guests will start arriving soon, and you’ll need to greet your family’s guests. You’ll have to leave for the commune by mid-morning. Oh, time is really tight."

According to the customs of Jiangbei County, the bride’s family hosts the noon banquet, while the groom’s family hosts the evening banquet. However, Shen Moer and Fu Mingze’s situation was special. Fu Mingze had no relatives coming, only a few friends, so they decided to hold two tables at the state-owned restaurant.

Having the banquet at night just didn’t feel right, so the couple discussed and decided that Fu Mingze would bring people to fetch the bride in the morning, take her directly to the commune, and then both the bride’s and groom’s families would dine at the state-owned restaurant before sending the bride back to the Shen family courtyard.

Even though the bride would end up back home after all the commotion, at least the ceremony would be complete. Moreover, the procession from Willow Brigade to the commune and back would add to the excitement and grandeur.

It was way more fun than just picking her up from the educated youth point and bringing her back.

Aunt Cai chimed in, "Exactly. When I left the house, I saw Shen Laoer’s family was already awake. We can’t let them show us up. I don’t know what they were thinking. They originally planned to have their wedding before yours, but then they delayed it for a few days and ended up on the same day as yours. Cousins tying the knot on the same day—never heard of that around here. Oh, how are relatives supposed to decide which wedding to attend?"

Aunt Chen glanced at Shen Moer, who seemed unfazed, and said, "What were they thinking? They just want to compete, that’s all."

In terms of relatives, the Shen family had six siblings still alive, but only Shen YinYin shared the same parents as Shen Laoqi. The older siblings were closely connected, so if they had to choose, they would likely go to Shen Laoer’s wedding.

In terms of marriage partners, Fu Mingze was just an ordinary educated youth, while Shen Laoer’s son-in-law was a technician at the textile factory. Even though everyone thought Fu Mingze was a good catch—handsome, educated, and with a good relationship with Shen Moer—people would naturally compare Shen Moer’s marriage to Shen Lingling’s. If they hadn’t gotten hitched on the same day, it might’ve flown under the radar, but marrying on the same day would inevitably invite comparisons.

Aunt Chen genuinely disliked Shen Yongjun and Tian Fang. She had always thought Tian Fang was pretentious, and the events of the past year had only deepened her disdain for the family.

"What competition? Their son-in-law may be a technician, but Lao Qi is an official. When Lao Qi retires, he can pass his position to Xiao Fu, and then Xiao Fu will also be an official."

Just then, Shen Shaoyuan came in to check on his daughter’s preparations: "..."

It made him sound ancient.

Aunt Cai didn’t think there was anything wrong with what she said: "Lao Qi, don’t you agree?"

Shen Shaoyuan mumbled in agreement, took a careful look at the bun Aunt Chen had styled for Shen Moer, and then left.

Back in Great Liang, he’d dreamed of throwing his daughter the fanciest wedding in the capital, with a lavish bridal trousseau and a magnificent ceremony to send her off in style. Who would have thought that when the day finally came, his daughter would simply wear her hair in a plain bun and a red corduroy jacket before getting married?

Shen Shaoyuan felt a pang of melancholy.

After Shen Moer got dressed and had a quick bite of breakfast made by Li Xinmei, Shen YinYin’s family arrived. This time, Shen YinYin wasn’t alone with her two sons—her husband Zhao Xingguo and their daughter Zhao Tingting came too.

Zhao Zhengyang was almost a carbon copy of his father in both appearance and build. Together with Zhao Zhenghui, who also resembled his father, the three men stood side by side like three versions of the same burly man at different ages.

Fortunately, Zhao Tingting took after Shen YinYin. Though her skin was a bit dark, her features were delicate, making her a pretty and cheerful girl.

Normally, it wasn’t customary for an entire family to attend a banquet, but when Shen Shaoyuan sent word, he specifically asked them to bring the whole family. Since Shen Laoer’s family was also holding a banquet on the same day, he figured fewer people from the Shen family would attend, leaving room for Shen YinYin’s family.

When Shen YinYin heard that Shen Laoer’s family was also holding a banquet on the same day, she knew it was a deliberate attempt to stir up trouble. Moreover, Shen Shaoyuan had sent word that he had been promoted and could afford to host her entire family. Shen YinYin slapped her thigh—of course, the whole family had to go to support her brother and niece!

Her brother had become an official at the kiln factory—she had to go and congratulate him!

So, the whole family came carrying a wild boar leg.

"Cousin, you look so beautiful," Zhao Tingting edged closer to Shen Moer, her eyes sparkling as she looked at her.

Shen Moer had a decent relationship with Zhao Tingting, after all, they were the closest blood-related cousins. Zhao Tingting had an outgoing personality but wasn’t rowdy or overbearing, and she didn't look down on people like the two cousins from Aunt Shen Xianghong's family.

However, the two villages were far apart, and they only occasionally met on special occasions, so they weren't very familiar with each other.

Shen Moer really liked Zhao Tingting's simple and straightforward nature and smiled as she handed her some candy. Zhao Tingting widened her eyes in surprise and waved her hands dismissively, "No, no, cousin, I'll be sixteen after the New Year, I'm not a child anymore, I don't eat candy."

Turning sixteen after the New Year, she was almost old enough to be married, indeed not a child anymore.

"This is wedding candy, what does it have to do with how old you'll be after the New Year?"

Zhao Tingting was quickly persuaded by Shen Moer and happily took the candy, putting it in her pocket. At first, she put all of it in her pocket, but not long after, she quietly took one out, unwrapped it, and popped it into her mouth, immediately beaming with joy.

This was premium milk candy! She had only tasted half a piece several years ago and had been hoping to taste it again someday. Today, not only did she get to taste it, but she got a whole piece, and there were several more in her pocket!

Zhao Tingting was overjoyed.

Shen Moer couldn't help but laugh at her expression, which was just like a mouse that had struck gold, still insisting she wasn't a child, her expression exactly like that of the kids when they got milk candy.

The wedding guests arrived in droves. Besides the Shen family members from the same branch of the family as Shen Laoqi, there were also Zhou Mancang and a few other villagers who were close to Shen Moer and her father, as well as some parents of students Shen Moer had taught, especially those who had participated in city competitions before. Except for Zhou Zhaodi's family, who didn't come, the other families sent quite generous gifts.

Shen Yinyin's family pitched in to welcome the guests, and Aunt Chen and Aunt Cai, who were close to Shen Moer, also chipped in by serving tea and water, and distributing melon seeds and candies, making the small courtyard bustling with activity.

In the village stood the Shen family's large brick-tiled house.

Tian Fang, along with her two daughters-in-law, were busy hosting the guests. Normally, wedding guests would typically receive some melon seeds and candies, but the Zhang family had only sent two pounds of candies, which were clearly not enough for the banquet later. Naturally, Tian Fang didn't want to spend her own money to buy more candies, so she just weighed some melon seeds, put them on a plate in the main room, and served a bowl of sugar water to each guest.

The so-called sugar water had only a few pinches of sugar, almost as bland as plain water.

The wife of the second son, Shen Jianshe, was heating water in the kitchen and whispered to the wife of the eldest son, Shen Jianye, "Isn't Lingling's husband-to-be a technician at the textile factory with a high salary? Why is he so stingy?"

Jianye's wife was an honest person and replied honestly, "The groom usually gives two pounds of candies."

Her eldest son, Shen Minbing, was already seventeen years old. If he hadn't been caught and punished for stealing bricks from Shen Laoqi's house, he should have been looking for a match this autumn. Jianye's wife had already inquired about these customs and knew that it was normal for the groom to give two pounds of candies at the wedding. She would do the same when her Minbing got married.

Jianshe's wife almost rolled her eyes in exasperation, "That's for us ordinary commune members, but a technician at a textile factory is in a different league, isn't he?"

Jianye's wife was taken aback and paused her action of pouring water. If you put it that way, it made sense.

Jianshe's wife continued, "Also, he's a technician at a textile factory, but he's moving into our house after getting married. What kind of arrangement is that? It's not like he's a son-in-law or marrying an educated youth. Even if the Zhang family's house is small, there's no reason to kick him out just because he's getting married. Our house isn't that big either. Your Minbing is about to begin searching for a wife. With our sister moving out, we could have had more space, but now, Minbing will only have half a room after getting married, while his married aunt gets the larger part."

Jianye's wife's face immediately turned sour. She had been pondering this issue for a while, but the decision was made directly by her sister-in-law and her in-laws, and she and her husband had no say in the matter.

"Well, at least there's some rental income," Jianye's wife could only say.

Jianshe's wife retorted, "That's just a pittance."

Actually, it wasn't a small amount in the countryside, as rural houses were rarely rented out. But considering his status as a technician at a state-owned factory, the rent he offered for living in his in-laws' house was indeed meager, and Jianshe's wife felt her in-laws were too shortsighted.

"Mom, mom, gimme candy, gimme wedding candy!"

"Me too, mom, gimme wedding candy too!"

Shen Minbing, the youngest son of Shen Jianye, and Shen Lanlan, the eldest daughter of Shen Jianshe, ran in together.

Upon hearing the children asking for candy, Shen Laosan's wife got a headache and scolded her daughter, "What do you mean, candy? Can't you see your mother is busy? Besides, if you want wedding candy, go ask your grandma or your aunt. What good is asking me?"

Shen Minda said, "Grandma and aunt both said they don't have any, but Maomao said that Uncle Shen Laoqi's house is giving out candy, and it's super delicious milk candy. Mom, I want some milk candy too."

Shen Lanlan nodded, "That's right, Xiaoye and Meimei also got some candy. They laughed at us for not having any. Mom, can we go to Uncle Shen Laoqi's house to ask for wedding candy?"

Shen Laosan's wife: "..."

Shen Laoer's wife: "..."

What a load of nonsense!

Shen Laosan's wife glared at Shen Lanlan, "If you dare to go to your Uncle Shen Laoqi's house to ask for wedding candy, your grandma will beat you for sure!"

After thinking for a moment, she pulled Shen Lanlan closer and said, "Go talk to your grandma and tell her about the candy at Uncle Shen Laoqi's house. Don't say you want to go there to ask for candy, just say that Xiaoye and the others laughed at you and you want some candy too."

Shen Lanlan's eyes sparkled with understanding, "Okay, I'll go find grandma first, then tell aunt the same thing." With that, she ran off in a flash.

Seeing this, Shen Minda quickly followed.

Shen Laosan's wife curled her lips, "What are they thinking, having the banquet on the same day as Shen Moer, and trying to outdo her? Don't they know what kind of person Shen Laoqi is? If you dare to starve his daughter, he'd strangle someone without a second thought. Now that his daughter is having a banquet, he'd sell everything to make it a grand affair. He's already been promoted to a cadre at the kiln factory. Even if he's in debt, he'll recover in a few months. I think today's attempt to outshine might just end up being a joke."

Shen Laoer's wife: "You better keep your voice down, be careful someone hears you."

Shen Laosan's wife: "Just wait and see."

Over there, Shen Lanlan repeated what Shen Laosan's wife had taught her to Tian Fang, who immediately got angry, "They're really showing off, flaunting their wealth!"

There was actually half a pound of leftover candy at home. After some thought, Tian Fang said through gritted teeth, "Go ask your aunt for some, tell her I said to take out half a pound of candy to share."

So the two mischievous children ran to Shen Lingling's room.

The bride's room naturally had other people in it. Shen Lanlan was quick-witted, running over and whispering into Shen Lingling's ear everything that Shen Laosan's wife and Tian Fang had said. Shen Lingling's face, which had been smiling, immediately darkened. She was furious but had to control her expression, forcing a stiff smile.

Shen Chunfang, Shen Laosan's eldest daughter, glanced at Shen Lingling and deliberately asked, "Lingling, what are you two whispering about?"

Shen Chunfang had married into an ordinary family in Liuqiao Commune, just an ordinary commune member's family. She had been listening to Shen Lingling gush about Zhang Junliang and was sick of it. Now seeing Shen Lingling's unhappy expression, she became very curious.

Shen Lingling forced a smile and took out a paper bag from her side bag, saying, "My mom sent Lanlan to remind me to share some wedding candy with everyone."

With her niece and nephew eagerly watching, Shen Lingling could only grab two pieces and hand them over. However, upon seeing the candy in her hand, the two kids actually looked disgusted. Shen Minda even knocked the candy out of her hand, plopped down on the ground, and started wailing—

Not far from the Shen family's house, near the bushes.

Maomao, Shun'er, Zhou Zhaodi, Xiaoye, Meimei, and a group of other elementary school students were crouched there, observing the Shen Laoer's house from a distance. When they heard the sudden cry of "I want milk candy, I don't want this crappy candy," the children all burst into laughter.

Maomao said proudly, "I knew Shen Minda and Shen Lanlan would go back and make a fuss, hehe."

Shun'er licked the milk candy in his mouth, giving his good buddy a thumbs up, but also puzzled, "Didn't they say Teacher Lingling married a very capable worker? How come their family doesn't even have candy?"

Maomao, wise beyond his years, said, "They're just stingy. My grandma said that Grandma Shen Laoer is actually very tight-fisted, and Teacher Lingling's in-laws are no pushovers either. Plus, they deliberately chose the same day as Sister Moer for the banquet, which shows they have bad intentions. We need to protect Sister Moer today!"

The group of elementary school students all puffed out their chests, "Protect Sister Moer/Teacher!"