Cheng Fangqiu felt her heartbeat accelerate uncontrollably. She took a deep breath, stepped forward to his side, curved her eyes slightly, and raised her tone slightly, “You’re here?”
“Mm, just arrived.”
Zhou Yinghuai looked at her with gentle eyes. After responding softly, he took a seat on a nearby chair at Ding Ximei’s invitation. After a few rounds of simple pleasantries, he pressed his lips together and spoke directly.
“Uncle, Aunt, I want to marry Qiuqiu and be with her in marriage.”
Even though they had been forewarned, Cheng Baokuan and Ding Ximei still couldn’t help but exchange a glance of surprise and nervousness. They had imagined the scene of their future son-in-law visiting many times and had even prepared how to respond, but now that the moment had truly arrived, they realized all their prior assumptions were nothing but illusions.
They were satisfied with Zhou Yinghuai. Whether it was his family background, personal abilities, or appearance, there was nothing to criticize. Most importantly, Qiuqiu and he genuinely liked each other.
However, agreeing too easily seemed like they were letting him off too lightly. Yet making things difficult for him wasn’t something they could bring themselves to do either.
Caught in their dilemma, before they could think of what to say, Zhou Yinghuai continued speaking.
“This is my medical examination report from the provincial hospital. The results are all normal. I have no bad habits or hidden illnesses.”
“I currently work at Rongzhou Machinery Factory, but I am not a native of Mingnan Province—I am from Beijing. After graduating from university, I was assigned to work at Beijing’s First Machinery Factory, and due to job transfers, I was relocated here. According to the plan, I should be transferred back within two years.”
“My parents and family are all in Beijing. They are in good health and have stable jobs. My younger brother is in university and stays in the dormitory on weekdays. A few days ago, I spoke with my family, and they respect and support my decision to marry Qiuqiu. They also asked me to send their regards to you.”
“After we get married, if Qiuqiu wants to work, the factory has spousal benefits, and she can take on some light work. If she doesn’t want to work, I can fully support her.”
“These are my monthly salary slips and financial records. I have already received approval for marital housing from the factory—an 80-square-meter, two-bedroom apartment, which should be sufficient for Qiuqiu and me to live in. Once we return to Beijing in the future, we can move into a bigger house.”
“When we return to Beijing, there will be more distance between us and you, so we won’t be able to see each other as often. If you are willing, I would like to bring you with us so we can all live together. I also heard that Xuejun’s academic performance is excellent—I can help arrange for him to take the entrance exam for a Beijing school.”
“I truly love Qiuqiu. Words alone mean nothing, so I am willing to prove it through my actions.”
His words, clear and sincere, covered everything in detail. The documents placed on the table further reinforced his statements.
Zhou Yinghuai’s family was not ordinary—they had known that from the start. However, they hadn’t expected them to be so distinguished—he was actually from the capital, and his parents seemed to hold respectable jobs.
He himself was outstanding—not only a university graduate but someone who had immediately secured a position at Beijing’s First Machinery Factory upon graduation. His assignment to Rongzhou was likely just to gain experience and enhance his credentials. His future prospects were boundless.
Not only did he introduce himself thoroughly, but he had also thought through every aspect of their marriage. He even expressed willingness to bring their entire family to Beijing in the future.
Whether he could truly fulfill all these promises was another matter, but his sincerity alone was more than enough.
A harmonious family, strong personal ambition, stable employment, and solid financial security.
There seemed to be no reason to hesitate, but…
“As parents, we only wish for our daughter to live a happy and peaceful life.”
While Ding Ximei spoke, Zhou Yinghuai listened attentively, sitting upright with a straight back. His respectful demeanor pleased her, so she didn’t beat around the bush and got straight to the point. “Our opinions don’t matter. The most important thing is whether Qiuqiu herself is willing.”
With these words, everyone turned their gaze toward Cheng Fangqiu, who sat beside Zhou Yinghuai. She was still replaying his words in her mind. It would be a lie to say she wasn’t moved. Clenching her palms tightly, she hadn’t yet calmed her emotions when she suddenly noticed everyone’s eyes on her.
She instinctively mumbled in response, “I already agreed to him yesterday.”
As soon as she said this, Cheng Baokuan and Ding Ximei were stunned. A trace of awkwardness appeared on their faces—this girl hadn’t said anything earlier, and here they were hesitating and being reserved on her behalf. If they had known, they would have just agreed outright without all this fuss.
Ding Ximei took a deep breath and gave Cheng Fangqiu a reproachful glance. “Since you’ve already agreed, then of course we support you. When are you planning to get your marriage certificate and hold the wedding banquet?”
Zhou Yinghuai hadn’t expected that Cheng Fangqiu hadn’t told her uncle and aunt about it. Seeing her blankly sitting there, lost in thought, a hint of amusement flashed in his eyes. He then calmly laid out his plans. “We’re planning to register our marriage next Monday and hold the banquet at the end of the month.”
Next Monday—that was the day after tomorrow?
“Isn’t that a bit too rushed?”
“I consulted someone about the auspicious dates, and in the next few months, these two days are the most suitable.” Zhou Yinghuai had already prepared a response in advance. People in the country were particular about such things, and upon hearing this, no one had any objections.
After all, they were going to get married sooner or later. Whether it was a little earlier or later didn’t really make a difference.
“Where will the banquet be held?” The provincial capital was too far from their village, making a round trip in one day unrealistic.
“My plan is to hold one in the provincial capital first and then have another one in the village,” Zhou Yinghuai answered smoothly, clearly having thought everything through.
Seeing that he had his arrangements in order, Ding Ximei brought up the matter of the bride price. She and Cheng Baokuan didn’t have any excessive demands. Zhou Yinghuai’s conditions were good, but they weren’t looking to take advantage of him. They only requested the average customary amount, and most of it would eventually be given back to Qiuqiu for her new home.
However, Zhou Yinghuai had his own approach. He would provide a portion, and his parents would contribute another portion. As for how the Cheng family wanted to distribute the bride price, that would be up to them. If they planned to let Qiuqiu take it back with her, he wouldn’t take a single penny. Instead, he would keep it with the dowry as her personal savings.
“What’s mine is Qiuqiu’s. In the future, she’ll manage everything in our household.”
These words were essentially a promise that all financial authority in their future home would belong to Cheng Fangqiu.
Hearing this, Cheng Fangqiu’s eyes lit up. Managing the money? Hehehe… She could already picture the beautiful clothes, shoes, and skincare products in the provincial department store waving at her, calling out to her.
Suppressing her inner excitement, she suddenly remembered something and abruptly turned to Zhou Yinghuai. “The day after tomorrow, isn’t your unit supposed to return to the provincial capital?”
Since she worked at the educated youth station, she was already aware of such updates. Zhou Yinghuai must have known too—so why had he scheduled their marriage registration for the same day as his return to the capital?
“Qiuqiu, you’ll come back to the provincial capital with me. My household registration is a bit special and can only be processed at the provincial civil affairs bureau.”
So that was the reason. The sudden realization that she would be heading to the provincial capital made Cheng Fangqiu’s heart stir with excitement again. Her eyes shimmered, carrying an enchanting glow that could easily steal any man’s soul.
Seeing this, Zhou Yinghuai couldn’t help but curl his lips into a smile.
“We’ll probably need to stay for a few extra days. I checked on our new home last time—there’s only basic furniture, and a lot still needs to be added. We can go together to pick out what we need. Whatever you like, we’ll buy it. We can also get some things for the wedding while we’re at it.”
Cheng Fangqiu nodded. Of course, she had to personally decorate her own home to make it feel comfortable.
“Remember to get a letter of introduction from the village. You might as well go right after breakfast. Your father and I have already taken leave, so we can go with you as witnesses,” Ding Ximei decisively suggested before gathering everyone to head to the kitchen for breakfast.
After finishing their meal, the group set off immediately to obtain the letter of introduction. Once the red official seal was stamped onto the document, they finally felt a sense of relief.
Their group naturally attracted quite a bit of attention. Some curious onlookers approached to ask about it. Though Ding Ximei was pleased, she also understood the importance of keeping things low-key until everything was finalized. To those inquiring, she responded vaguely and avoided giving a direct answer.
After a few rounds of this, people gradually stopped asking.
As their departure neared, Zhou Yinghuai, as the team leader, still had various matters to handle. Once he finished arranging the documents and sent the family back home, he went off to take care of his tasks.
Meanwhile, Cheng Fangqiu had only taken leave for the morning. After resting at home for a short while, she headed back to the educated youth station.
Just as she was about to enter the courtyard gate, she unexpectedly ran into Shen Xilian at the entrance.
Both of them were caught off guard by the sudden encounter. They froze for a moment but then tacitly chose to ignore each other. One turned right, the other turned left, each walking away in their own direction.
Time flew by in the blink of an eye, and soon, it was the day for the technicians to leave. The brigade leader led the villagers to the entrance of the village, holding up a red banner to send them off. They even set off firecrackers as a symbolic gesture. Amidst the crackling sounds, the bus swayed slightly as it drove down the dirt road, gradually leaving the village behind.
Cheng Fangqiu leaned against the window, watching as her parents and younger brother slowly faded from view. Only then did she reluctantly withdraw her gaze. It seemed like this was the first time she had traveled far since coming to this world—the first time she had left home. An inexplicable melancholy welled up in her heart.
In her past life, she had flown all over the world, yet she had never felt this way before.
“Do you want some water?” A voice came from beside her. She snapped out of her thoughts and shook her head at Zhou Yinghuai.
Zhou Yinghuai retracted the water cup he had offered her. Just as he was about to stand up and place it back into the overhead backpack, he suddenly noticed that a male technician sitting nearby had abruptly turned his head away, exaggeratedly engaging in conversation with the person next to him.
If the man had reacted normally, Zhou Yinghuai wouldn’t have paid him any attention. But his movements were so unnatural that they were impossible to ignore. Narrowing his eyes, Zhou Yinghuai casually glanced around the bus.
And then he noticed—there were quite a few similar reactions.
They weren’t looking at him.
They were looking at her.
Today, Cheng Fangqiu was wearing a light cyan dress that Zhou Yinghuai had given her. The small square neckline perfectly revealed her slender neck and delicate collarbones. The upper part of her hair was tied up with a ribbon, while the lower part cascaded freely down her waist, complemented by a jade-green hair clip. The look softened her naturally striking beauty, adding a touch of elegance and grace.
She propped her elbow on the window and rested her face against her hand. The gentle breeze lifted strands of her hair, brushing them across her cheeks, as if caressing her smooth, jade-like skin. Her enchanting peach blossom eyes were gazing at him in confusion, as if asking why he wasn’t moving yet.
Zhou Yinghuai’s fingers instinctively tightened around the water cup. He first gave her a slight smile before straightening up. With his tall frame and long legs, he effortlessly reached up for the backpack and placed the water cup inside.
Then, taking advantage of the moment when his back was turned—out of Cheng Fangqiu’s sight—his gaze swept coldly across the bus, issuing a silent warning to those restless individuals. Only when he saw them quickly retract their stares did he finally sit back down.
The men who had been sneaking glances awkwardly rubbed their noses, feeling uneasy.
Only yesterday had they learned that Brother Huai was taking Comrade Cheng with him to the provincial capital to get their marriage certificate. Their first reaction had been: Isn’t this too fast?
How long had it even been? They had just confirmed their relationship, and now they were already getting married?
Even people introduced through arranged matchmaking wouldn’t move this quickly! Let alone two people who had only known each other for just over a month! Shouldn’t they take more time to understand each other first? What if they got married and later realized they weren’t compatible, had nothing in common, and regretted it? By then, it would be too late.
This kind of impulsive decision wasn’t something Brother Huai would normally make. He was always calm, steady, and rational.