Chapter 20

Grandma Li was momentarily stunned. She looked at Guihua, who stood at the door with her hands wringing together, her heart uneasy.

“Go!” Grandma Li suddenly said. Guihua widened her eyes, looking at Grandma Li, seemingly in disbelief.

“Go see Dongzi, talk to him about getting married at the end of the year. Also, I’ve been saving up cloth tickets and such since the end of last year. Your Fourth Uncle also gave me some when he came back last New Year. When you go to Ice City, take the cloth tickets and industrial tickets, and buy some wedding things. The fabric they sell over there is much prettier than what we have here.”

The unease that had plagued Guihua for the whole night was instantly dispelled by Grandma Li’s few words. Suddenly, she covered her face and crouched on the ground, crying softly.

Grandma Li sighed, “You’re such a strong child. Why are you crying now? Actually, you’ve been down since Dongzi left. I could guess what was on your mind. But don’t worry, Dongzi isn’t the kind of heartless person. Otherwise, I wouldn’t dare to prepare the wedding for you like this. And anyway, whatever happens, I’m here for you. What are you afraid of?”

“Grandma!” Guihua wiped away her tears, stood up from the ground, and a decisive look flashed across her face. “I’ll go to Ice City and ask Mingdong about it. If he really doesn’t want to marry me, then I’ll be your granddaughter. I can’t keep eating our family’s food all these years for nothing. I’ll never marry and will take care of you, Dad, and Mom for the rest of my life.”

Grandma Li couldn’t help but laugh at Guihua’s childish words. She picked up her pipe and gently tapped her on the head, half-annoyed and half-amused, “Nonsense! What are you talking about? I have sons and grandsons. Why would I want to ruin your life?”

Guihua wiped her tears and smiled, and Grandma Li glanced at her disdainfully, “Making such a scene early in the morning, it’s embarrassing! Hurry up and wash your face. After you’re done, we’ll talk about going to Ice City.”

Guihua gave a silly laugh, took a basin, and went to the barrel to wash her face. Grandma Li shook her head and moved a stool to sit by the wall, waiting for Guihua.

In the east room, Wang Sufen heard Grandma Li and Guihua talking, and only then did she realize something was off with Guihua these past few days. She got out of bed, put on her shoes, and took a stool to sit beside Guihua. Guihua blushed, softly calling, “Mom!” and lowered her head, not speaking.

Grandma Li gave Wang Sufen a look, “Why are you so clueless? Can’t you see the child is embarrassed? Go make breakfast. I need to have a word with Guihua.”

Wang Sufen got up and answered, but still not at ease, she instructed Guihua, “Stop overthinking, okay? I’ve been your mom for so many years. Why are you suddenly acting like I’m not your mother?”

Guihua was amused by Wang Sufen’s straightforward comfort and laughed. Wang Sufen rambled as she went back, “Kids these days think too much. When we were young, we never had so many worries.”

She added two scoops of water to the pot, mixed cornmeal with water, and prepared wild vegetable porridge. She also took out a big piece of salted vegetables from the barrel, washed it twice, and shredded it for the morning porridge.

Outside, Grandma Li and Guihua sat face-to-face. Grandma Li spoke seriously, “Grandma agrees that you go to Ice City, but not alone. Wait for two days. Mingxi will have his autumn break soon. When he comes home, let him go with you. That way, it’s safer.”

“It’s fine, Grandma,” Guihua tossed her braided hair behind her. “I’m grown up now. I’m not afraid of walking a whole day in the mountains. Why would I be afraid of taking a train? Plus, you let me attend primary school, and Mingdong taught me for several years. I can read the common characters.”

“I know you’re bold, but it’s not just for Mingxi to give you courage. You also need to buy things, and you can’t carry everything alone.” Grandma Li saw that everyone else had gotten up, so she pulled Guihua into her room, “Let me tell you what to buy.”

Back in the east room, Grandma Li opened the box and took out various coupons she had saved for a long time, showing them to Guihua. “Buy two pieces of blue work fabric, one for you and one for Mingdong to make a new cotton coat. And buy some brightly colored corduroy for Zhenzhen, preferably red. Zhenzhen is fair, so it’ll look good on her.”

Guihua responded, and Grandma Li continued, “I’ll keep the cotton tickets. I’ll go to the street to buy it. This stuff is the same everywhere, you don’t need to carry it back from so far.”

She counted out the industrial tickets and handed them to Guihua, “Buy two iron-cased thermos bottles, preferably in bright red, for a festive look. Also, buy two enamel mugs, and don’t forget to get one for Zhenzhen. She still uses the military water bottle her Eldest Uncle sent her, and she won’t like it when she gets older. This time, buy her a mug. You’ll need to buy two wash basins—one for you and one for Zhenzhen. I’ve noticed Zhenzhen is uncomfortable using the adult basin to wash her face, so get her one.”

Guihua took paper and pen and started writing it down carefully.

“Let me think of anything else?” Grandma Li, as usual, lit her pipe and puffed thoughtfully.

Wang Sufen had finished making breakfast and came in to call them, “Mom, let’s eat first. We’ll talk to Guihua later, it won’t take long. Guihua, hurry up and call your mom to eat.”

Guihua smiled as she got off the bed, “Mom woke up early and went to the backyard to paint. I’ll go call her.”

“Oh, your mother wakes up so early! I didn’t even hear her,” Wang Sufen clicked her tongue. “How could we let her work this early?”

At this moment, Zhenzhen also woke up. She was lying on the bed, watching Wang Sufen patting her thigh, and couldn’t help but giggle. Wang Sufen went over, patted Zhenzhen’s little bottom, and picked her up, putting her into her clothes. “Mom steamed some egg cake for you, sweetheart. You love it, don’t you?”

Zhenzhen, who had sprouted some new teeth, happily nodded and sweetly kissed Wang Sufen on the cheek. “Give it to Mom!”

“I knew you just wanted to make your mom happy.” Wang Sufen brought over some warm water, washed Zhenzhen’s face and hands, and then took her to the west room.

Liu Chunhua and Guihua entered through the door, and Wang Sufen quickly greeted Liu Chunhua to sit down. “I heard Guihua say you went to paint the Kangqin early? No need to rush. We wanted you to stay a few more days to spend time with Guihua since she’s getting married. You two can talk about private matters.”

Liu Chunhua smiled, “I just can’t stay still once I wake up. If I lie in bed, I end up disturbing Guihua and making her sleep poorly. It’s better to go out for a walk and paint, it’s more relaxing.”

Wang Sufen handed Liu Chunhua a piece of cake and served Zhenzhen some egg cake in a small bowl. It had cooled down, and she fed it to her bit by bit. Liu Chunhua looked at Zhenzhen’s lively eyes, and a smile of fondness appeared on her face. “Dongzi’s mother, this girl of yours is so smart, you can see it in her eyes. You need to raise her well. When she grows up, let her go to school and study. Don’t let her miss out.”

Liu Chunhua was a cautious person. After coming to the Li family, she didn’t speak much about Guihua’s matters, but for Zhenzhen, she said such words, showing her sincerity.

This made Grandma Li happy, and she clapped her thigh, showing excitement. “No wonder people say those with education have good judgment. I’m not just praising my granddaughter; she really is a clever child. Even though she’s only eight months old, when you talk to her, it feels like she understands. She’s always been so easy-going, never crying or causing trouble. She’s so precious.”

“Grandma loves the child, and Zhenzhen is lucky,” Liu Chunhua smiled at Zhenzhen and then glanced at Guihua. “Guihua is also enjoying the good fortune.”

“They’re both thoughtful kids, easy to love.” Grandma Li picked up a large bowl and swirled the wild vegetable porridge around. “Actually, I know you love Guihua too, but back then there was no choice. If you had really been the kind of person who didn’t treat the child like a person, I wouldn’t have let Guihua come back so often.”

After putting down the bowl, Grandma Li said to Guihua, “When I passed by your house back then, a family was trying to buy you, offering thirty pounds of cornmeal. But your mother heard they had a mentally disabled son and refused. That day, I just happened to be carrying twenty pounds of soybeans to visit relatives, and when I passed by your house, I immediately took a liking to you. Your mother knew our family was decent, so no matter how many soybeans I had, she let me take you home.”

Guihua picked up some salted vegetables and put them in Liu Chunhua’s bowl, whispering, “I remember, when I came back with Grandma, my mom cried and said she was sorry.”

Wang Sufen noticed the mood had turned a bit sad and quickly smiled, “It was hard back then, but now everything’s fine. Guihua is all grown up and about to marry. Things will only get better from here.”

The family chatted and quickly finished breakfast. Wang Sufen sent Mingnan and Mingbei to the mountains to collect firewood, and Liu Chunhua returned to the back room to paint. By the afternoon, when Zhenzhen woke up, the whole family had returned, and Liu Chunhua had finished painting the Kangqin.

Grandma Li immediately got off the bed to go check it out, and Mingnan and Mingbei followed behind, eager to see the excitement. Even Zhenzhen stretched out her little hand, pointing toward the back room, anxiously babbling, “Go! Mom go!” Grandma Li couldn’t help but laugh, “My little granddaughter can’t stay out of anything. She has to be involved in everything, big or small.”

“No wonder they say she’s smart. From a young age, she can foresee the future,” Liu Chunhua continued to praise.

When Grandma Li heard this, she suddenly became worried. She glanced at Mingbei and sighed helplessly, “It’s over. I was hoping Mingbei would grow a bit more sense with age, but at this rate, I have no hope.”

Ming Bei walked ahead with a stick in his hand, occasionally knocking and poking around, enjoying himself to the fullest. Li Lao Tai watched him with concern, while Zhen Zhen couldn’t help but think of a saying: “Children with intellectual disabilities have more fun.”

Ming Bei was in high spirits when suddenly, he heard Li Lao Tai say that he had no brain, which immediately displeased him: “Grandma, why does it sound like you’re calling me stupid?”

Ming Nan, who was nearby, immediately burst out laughing: “It’s not like, grandma is saying you’re stupid!”

Ming Bei casually threw the stick on the ground and lunged toward Ming Nan, who nimbly dodged like a monkey, avoiding Ming Bei’s grasp with swift movements. Zhen Zhen couldn’t help but laugh as she watched her two older brothers jumping around, and Li Lao Tai laughed along: “I thought we only had one fool in the family, but now it seems we have two.”

The family laughed and chatted as they entered the house, where eight peony paintings were arranged on the kang. Four long ones were hung on the cabinet doors, while the square ones were embedded in the small cabinets below. The kangqin had pre-arranged spaces for the glass inlays, and once the paintings were attached, the glass could be inserted easily.

Zhen Zhen peered from Wang Sufen’s arms to look at the paintings on the kang. She noticed that the eight peony paintings were each different. The top four used bold colors, depicting full and large flowers, conveying a sense of wealth and good fortune. The bottom four were painted in meticulous detail, with layers of petals in vibrant colors, looking lifelike.

Li Lao Tai, upon seeing Liu Chunhua’s paintings, praised them incessantly, unable to stop smiling: “The glass paintings I saw in the market aren’t as beautiful as these. Your paintings are too good, they look so festive.”

Zhen Zhen, in Wang Sufen’s arms, nodded repeatedly. Although she hadn’t learned painting in her past life, she had lived for over twenty years in an era rich in spiritual nourishment, so her basic aesthetic sense was intact. In Zhen Zhen’s view, after so many years, Guihua’s mother could still paint so beautifully—if this were in the modern world, she would definitely be considered a great artist.

Upon hearing the praise, Liu Chunhua seemed a bit embarrassed: “I haven’t touched a brush in years, so it’s not as good as I’d like it to be.”

Wang Sufen, seeing Liu Chunhua’s regretful expression, couldn’t help but laugh: “in-law, even if it’s like this, I’m already envious. If you painted even better, I’d definitely keep these paintings for myself and only take them out to hang on holidays. I wouldn’t give them to be inlaid on the kangqin.”

Li Lao Tai laughed immediately: “You definitely can’t beat me, I’d lock them in my chest, and you won’t even see them.”

Seeing that the Li family really liked the peony paintings, Liu Chunhua stopped worrying about their quality. She smiled brightly: “Alright, as long as you don’t mind. I’ll leave the paintings here for now and get the glass to inlay them later, so they won’t get dirty.”

Li Lao Tai nodded, and the next morning, she sent Li Mu Wu to measure the size and buy the glass in town. Li Mu Wu, accompanied by two carpenters, spent about an hour before finally finishing the inlays.

Once the kangqin was finished, Liu Chunhua returned home, and Guihua started thinking about the trip to Ice City. Li Lao Tai took her to get a letter of introduction from the street office, then inquired about the train times to Ice City. Once Ming Xi arrived home, they immediately sent Li Mu Wu to buy the train tickets. Before they left, Guihua carefully sewed the money and tickets that Li Lao Tai had given her into her clothes, fearing they might get lost.

The two of them boarded the train and, after a few days of bumps, finally arrived in Ice City. After getting off the train, Ming Xi found a station worker to inquire about the direction to the Agricultural University. The worker, seeing that they were from out of town and young, kindly led them to the nearby bus stop, showing them which bus to take and where to get off.

After thanking the worker, Ming Xi and Guihua curiously looked at the people and vehicles passing by, and Guihua excitedly tugged on Ming Xi’s sleeve: “No wonder they say the provincial capital is great, we never saw a car back home.”

As they were talking, a trolleybus arrived. Ming Xi pulled Guihua onto the bus, bought tickets, and the two of them excitedly found a seat by the window. Guihua, sitting by the window, widened her eyes, watching the houses and pedestrians rapidly retreating outside, unable to help but exclaim, “Last time, Fourth Aunt didn’t like to ride our family’s carriage. Turns out, their trolleybus is really comfortable. It doesn’t shake at all.”

Ming Xi nodded: “Our place is in the forest area, there aren’t many families, and even if there were trolleybuses, no one would ride them. Today’s Friday, and brother doesn’t have class tomorrow, so we can go see Fourth Uncle and bring him the salted meat Grandma gave him.”

The trolleybus sped along, and as it stopped at each station, the number of passengers decreased. Guihua’s excitement about riding the trolley slowly faded, and seeing that the bus was taking more and more obscure routes, she nervously clasped her hands together and asked Ming Xi, “Are we almost there?”

Ming Xi stood up, looked at the station names inside the bus, and nodded: “Next stop.”

Although she knew they were close, hearing Ming Xi confirm it made Guihua’s heart jump. She grabbed her braid tightly, her palms sweating.

Soon, they arrived at the Agricultural University. Ming Xi took the luggage and got off the bus first. Turning around, he saw Guihua still slowly moving toward the door. He quickly rushed up and pulled her off the bus: “My dear sister-in-law, why are you so slow? The trolleybus is waiting to leave! If you don’t get off, what if it pulls away and I can’t explain to my brother?”

Guihua’s lips turned pale. She weakly smiled, looking at the Agricultural University so close yet still not daring to step forward. Ming Xi had already walked a few meters ahead, and when he turned around, he found Guihua still standing in place. He hurriedly returned, pulling her along with the luggage, asking, “Guihua, what’s wrong? It’s getting late, we need to find my brother quickly, or we’ll be lost by dark.”

“Xixi, I’m a little scared,” Guihua said helplessly, looking at Ming Xi, her lips trembling.

Ming Xi scratched his head, confused, and looked at her: “Why are you scared to see my brother? What did he say to you before leaving for school? That can’t be, if he said anything bad, Grandma would definitely scold him.”

Thinking of Grandma, Guihua felt a little more at ease. She had traveled all the way from Beicha to Ice City for Ming Dong’s matter, and if she backed out now, it would have been a wasted trip. Guihua closed her eyes to calm herself before suddenly stepping forward: “Let’s go, quickly!”

Ming Xi, still confused, followed her and muttered, “Why are you acting so mysteriously?”

Guihua took large strides toward the door. The staff member guarding the entrance came out and asked, “Miss, who are you looking for?”

Guihua touched her braid and revealed a shy smile. “I’m looking for Li Mingdong, the student who just arrived this year. I’m his wife.”

“Li Mingdong? Oh, I know him. He’s a top student, and the teachers often praise him,” the staff member said as they looked at Guihua from head to toe. “I didn’t know Li Mingdong already had a wife.”

As they were talking, Li Mingxi had already arrived with his luggage. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and grumbled, “Guihua, you walked too fast. I couldn’t catch up with you while carrying the stuff.”

The staff pointed at Mingxi and asked Guihua, “Who is this?”

“Oh, this is Li Mingdong’s younger brother, Li Mingxi,” Guihua quickly explained. Mingxi placed his luggage on the ground and took out a letter of introduction. The staff member checked the name, confirmed it matched, and led them into the school.

“You two came at just the right time. If you had come two days earlier, you might have missed him,” the staff member said with a smile. “The first-year students went to the farm for labor at the beginning of the month and just returned yesterday. By now, they should still be in class. If you wait downstairs in that building, he should be out in about ten minutes.”

“Thank you, comrade.” Guihua and Mingxi politely thanked the staff and followed their directions to the teaching building. Mingxi placed his luggage on the ground and sat down on the steps, curiously observing everything in the university campus.

Guihua hadn’t studied beyond elementary school, so she was unfamiliar with the campus. Watching the students walk by with books in hand, she couldn’t help but feel envious.

“This place is really nice,” Mingxi said, unable to contain his admiration. “I heard Ice City University is also pretty good. I plan to visit it when I get the chance. After I finish high school, I want to apply to Ice City University.”

“Ring, ring, ring…” Soon, the bell for the end of class rang. Mingxi quickly stood up, threw his luggage over his shoulder, and tugged Guihua to the side to wait.

The doors of the classrooms opened one by one, and students and teachers orderly walked out. Some students asked teachers questions, while others stood in small groups, enthusiastically discussing something.

Mingxi stood on tiptoe, trying to spot Li Mingdong in the crowd, while Guihua anxiously bit her lip. Suddenly, a familiar figure appeared from one of the classrooms—Li Mingdong, who had been away for two months. He was holding a book and talking to some students walking beside him, who appeared to be listening to his explanation.

Guihua’s gaze shifted from Li Mingdong’s face to a girl behind him, who was looking at Li Mingdong’s profile with admiration in her eyes. That gaze was so familiar to Guihua, as it reminded her of how she looked at Li Mingdong.

“Brother!” Mingxi finally spotted Li Mingdong. He happily ran toward him with his luggage. Li Mingdong heard the familiar voice, instinctively looked up, and saw Mingxi’s joyful expression. He couldn’t help but laugh as he punched Mingxi’s shoulder playfully. “What are you doing here?”

“Grandma sent me here. Look who else came,” Mingxi replied, pointing in Guihua’s direction.

The classmates who had been discussing with Li Mingdong came over and asked, “Mingdong, your brother’s here?”

“Yes!” Li Mingdong smiled, waved at Guihua, and called, “Guihua, come over here.”

Seeing Li Mingdong’s familiar smile and the kind greeting, Guihua’s once-cold heart began to warm again. She walked over, her cheeks reddening slightly. “Mingdong Ge.”

“Is it tiring coming this far for the first time?” Li Mingdong asked as he took Guihua’s small bundle from her. Then, he turned to Mingxi. “I’ll drop the luggage at my dorm and then take you both to the cafeteria.”

One of the boys standing beside Li Mingdong laughed and said, “Why go back to the dorm? I’ll take your stuff for you. You should hurry and take your brother and sister to eat. They’ve been on that long train ride, they must be starving.”

A girl who had been quietly watching them suddenly stepped forward and, with a smile, interjected, “You boys are so careless. Li Mingdong’s brother is easy to settle, but did you think about where his sister is going to stay?”

Li Mingdong was taken aback and was about to speak when the girl smiled and continued, “What are you thinking about? She can stay in our dorm. Qin Mingyue is on leave and went home, so she can stay in her bed.”

“Thank you, Meng Shuran,” Li Mingdong thanked her politely. “After we eat, I’ll take Guihua to your dorm. I’ll trouble you to come out and meet her then.”

“We’re classmates, no need to be so polite,” Meng Shuran smiled sweetly. “By the way, you’re going to the cafeteria, right? I’m hungry too. Let’s go together.”

By this time, it was almost mealtime, and Li Mingdong didn’t think much of it. He led Mingxi and Guihua to the cafeteria, found a seat for Guihua, and then took Mingxi to get food.

While attending university, Li Mingdong received a monthly allowance of thirty-five yuan and food coupons. Although food supply was still tight in many places, the university had two of its own farms, which provided enough for self-sufficiency. So, the students were able to eat reasonably well.

After getting three full plates of food, Li Mingdong and Mingxi brought them back to Guihua. She took the chopsticks and handed them to the two boys. Seeing that Meng Shuran hadn’t arrived yet, she quietly asked, “Mingdong Ge, do you know that girl well?”

“We’re in the same class, have talked a few times. She seems really helpful,” Li Mingdong answered, thinking that Guihua was worried about staying in the girls’ dorm. He reassured her, “Don’t worry. There are eight girls in their dorm, all from our class. They’ll take care of you.”

Guihua was surprised when she heard the number of girls. “Are there really that many girls in college now?”

“Our school doesn’t have that many. In our class, there are just those eight girls, and one dorm is enough for all of them,” Li Mingdong replied, picking out some meat from the dishes and putting it on Mingxi and Guihua’s plates.

Meng Shuran arrived with a tray and a bowl of soup, just in time to see Li Mingdong putting meat on Guihua’s plate. She couldn’t help but teasingly ask, “Li Mingdong, you really treat your sister well.”

Guihua, who was used to eating meat at home, had initially planned to put it back on the plate. However, after hearing Meng Shuran’s words, she instead ate the meat and smiled shyly. “Mingdong Ge has always been very good to me.”

Meng Shuran, listening to this, didn’t quite believe that Guihua was Li Mingdong’s biological sister. Sitting across from Guihua, she carefully observed her face while drinking her soup: a traditional oval face, big eyes, a perfectly proportioned nose and mouth, skin not too pale but full of vitality. Especially when Guihua looked at Li Mingdong with a shy, bashful expression, even Meng Shuran couldn’t help but feel a little envious. Although she was somewhat unwilling, Meng Shuran had to admit that Guihua was more attractive than most people.

Poking at the rice in her plate with her spoon, Meng Shuran couldn’t resist asking, “Why did you come to Ice City? Do you have something to do? I’m from Ice City, so I’m familiar with this area. If you need help with anything, feel free to ask. I’m a classmate of Li Mingdong, so don’t hesitate.”

Hearing this, Ming Dong also raised his head to look at them, feeling somewhat puzzled. Guihua, blushing, lowered her head and didn’t speak. Mingxi, seeing that Guihua didn’t say anything, started spilling out the truth: “Well, my grandma is planning to organize a wedding for my brother and Guihua at the end of the year. Our house is small and lacks bright-colored fabrics, so my grandma asked Guihua to come to Ice City to buy some wedding supplies. But she was worried about Guihua, a girl, going out alone, so she asked me to accompany her, which also makes it easier to help carry things.”

Although Ming Dong had known about Grandma Li’s plan before, hearing that they were buying wedding supplies still left him a bit stunned. Meng Shuran, looking somewhat pale, glanced at Guihua, forcing out an unnatural smile: “Do you have other brothers?”

“No!” Mingxi looked at her in surprise: “It’s just me, Ming Dong, and Mingxi. With our names, you can tell I don’t have other brothers.” After saying that, he laughed a couple of times and pointed at Meng Shuran, saying to Ming Dong: “Brother, your classmate is asking such funny questions.”

Ming Dong didn’t reply to Mingxi but couldn’t help looking at Guihua. Guihua was nervously staring at Ming Dong’s reaction, and their eyes met at that moment. Guihua’s face flushed, and she gave a shy smile. Ming Dong immediately panicked, unsure of what to do, and awkwardly looked away.

Mingxi, oblivious to anything unusual, cheerfully added: “Mom has already prepared the cupboard and the Kangqin for you. Guihua’s mom came over to our house and painted eight peonies on your Kangqin. You wouldn’t believe how beautiful the paintings are. Guihua, when I get married in the future, could you ask Auntie to paint a Kangqin for me too?”

Guihua chuckled and mischievously wrinkled her nose, her face showing a playful and cute expression: “You should wait until you find a wife first.”

Since Ming Dong started middle school, he hadn’t been home much except during holidays, and those brief moments of interaction had left him with the impression that Guihua was always smiling and gentle, like a traditional woman with no visible emotional fluctuations.

But Guihua’s smile just now had completely shattered Ming Dong’s previous image of her. Guihua’s lively and charming demeanor made him realize that, like other young girls today, she was full of energy and vitality.

Watching their actions and hearing Mingxi’s words, Meng Shuran suddenly lost her appetite. Fortunately, she hadn’t prepared much food and quickly ate a few mouthfuls. She stood up with her plate and tiredly said, “I’ll head back to the dorm now. When Guihua is about to go to sleep, just send someone to pass on a message, and I’ll come down to pick her up.”

Ming Dong thanked her, and Guihua looked at Meng Shuran’s retreating figure before gently lowering her eyes: “Brother Ming Dong, can you take us to see Fourth Uncle tomorrow? We still need to buy some things. Grandma said to get some fabrics, thermoses, washbasins, and stuff.”

“Oh.” Ming Dong replied absentmindedly, his mind a mess: “Let’s see Fourth Uncle first. We don’t have to rush with the shopping. I’ll take you around later.” A trace of disappointment flashed in Guihua’s eyes as she continued eating.

After the meal, Ming Dong walked Guihua to the girls’ dormitory and was just in time to see another classmate passing by. Ming Dong hurriedly called out to her, asking her to help lead Guihua upstairs and look after her tonight.

As he watched Guihua go upstairs, Ming Dong thought about what she had just said and suddenly felt at a loss for what to do. Mingxi, noticing Ming Dong scratching his head from time to time, couldn’t help but nudge him with his elbow: “What’s wrong with you? Is your head itchy?”

“No!” Ming Dong led Mingxi to the playground and, gripping the parallel bars with both hands, sat up straight on them. Mingxi rested his chin on the bars and looked at him strangely: “Bro, what’s going on? You’re acting a bit like Guihua. Before we left home, she was the same as you, zoning out and tugging at her hair.”

“Mingxi, do you think I should marry Guihua?” This question had been bothering Ming Dong for a long time, but he still hadn’t figured it out. Shouldn’t a modern marriage be based on love? Can arranged marriages like theirs even lead to love? If he compromised with this arranged marriage, would it mean he was succumbing to old-fashioned views? A series of questions about love had been tangled in Ming Dong’s mind since the summer, making him feel confused about his marriage and future family.

Hearing Ming Dong’s question, Mingxi looked at him in disbelief: “Of course, you should marry! Guihua is your wife; she’s been brought to you since childhood to be your wife.”

“This is an old-style arranged marriage. As young people who’ve received higher education, shouldn’t we pursue love and marry by our own choice?” Ming Dong scratched his head, unsure of how to express his thoughts.

Mingxi was stunned for a moment before replying: “But higher education doesn’t mean we shouldn’t marry the one chosen by the family. Bro, do you like another girl? Are you planning to break off the engagement with Guihua and pursue a free marriage?”

“No!” Ming Dong shook his head irritably: “I don’t like another girl. I just don’t understand what it means to like someone, so I don’t know whether I should marry Guihua.”

“Why is marriage so complicated? What did you learn in university? Why is your brain not working properly?” Mingxi jumped up on the bars and sat opposite Ming Dong: “Wasn’t Guihua brought to our family to be your wife?”

“Yes.” Ming Dong thought about how Guihua had been busy with housework all these years, feeling a pang of sympathy.

“Has Guihua done anything wrong?” Mingxi asked.

“No, she’s a good girl.” Ming Dong answered.

“Then what’s the problem?” Mingxi clapped his hands: “She’s your wife, and she’s a good girl. Why not marry her? Just because Grandma brought her to you, not because you chose her?”

This seemed to make sense, and Ming Dong hesitated before nodding.

“Do you have something against Grandma?” Mingxi shot back, and Ming Dong shuddered, quickly shaking his head: “Don’t say nonsense, I have no issues with Grandma.”

Mingxi rolled his eyes: “I’m telling you, Grandma is sharp-eyed. She never picks the wrong person. Look at Mom, look at Aunt San, who doesn’t praise them? Only Fourth Uncle picked someone himself, and look what happened—last year during the New Year, Grandma almost got mad. His eyes never left our cupboard. If he picked someone like that, it’s better to just listen to Grandma.”

“I don’t think there’s anything wrong with Guihua.” Ming Dong sighed: “I just feel like it’s unfair. Without experiencing the excitement and sweetness of love, I’m supposed to step into a prearranged marriage. If it were you, would you be willing?”

Mingxi thought for a while and seriously nodded: “I think it’s great. Guihua is nice, she’s pretty, and our family likes her. Now that I think about it, she really is great. Bro, if you really don’t want to marry her, I’ll go home and tell Grandma I’ll marry Guihua. After all, women are like gold when they’re older. It’ll save me from looking for someone else later. What if Guihua’s mom refuses to help me paint the Kangqin? I really like that peony.”

Ming Dong was speechless and kicked Mingxi off the parallel bars: “So, you want to marry Guihua just for the Kangqin?”

“Not really, mainly because Guihua is nice, and the Kangqin is a bonus!”

Ming Dong looked at Mingxi trying to climb back up and couldn’t help but kick him down again. Mingxi, not pleased, glared at him and shouted: “Why do you keep kicking me? Didn’t I say I would marry Guihua?”

“You’re marrying her for real?” Ming Dong blurted out without thinking. Mingxi was unhappy: “You won’t marry her, and you won’t let me marry her either. What do you want Guihua to do? Grandma said that when Guihua went back to her parents’ house, she had no place to stay and could only sleep in the kitchen. If no one marries her here, how will she stay in our house?”

“I’m not saying I don’t want to marry her.” Ming Dong felt even more confused: “I just think marriage should be based on love.”

All this talk about love made Mingxi dizzy. He scratched his head like Ming Dong had earlier: “Then just fall in love. Isn’t Guihua here? Go ahead and fall in love, then get married when the time comes.” Seeing Ming Dong deep in thought, Mingxi wiped the sweat off his forehead: “Goodness, love really complicates things. When I get married, I’ll just let Grandma find me someone. I won’t deal with all this nonsense.”

Mingxi’s words were like a bright light, instantly clearing the fog in Ming Dong’s mind.

Ming Dong seriously considered Mingxi’s suggestion and found it quite reasonable. He couldn’t help but grin: “If we’re in love, what should I do first?” Seeing Mingxi nearly fainting, Ming Dong quickly made a quieting gesture: “Let me think, let me think, what does that book say?”

“Bro, what book are you reading?” Mingxi weakly grabbed Ming Dong’s hand, pleading: “Please, you must tell me!”

Ming Dong gave him an “I understand you” look and said proudly: “You’re curious now, huh? Want to know what love is all about? But I think you should wait until at least university before you worry about it.”

“I’m not curious at all!” Mingxi waved his hand: “I just want to know what kind of book it is. When I see it, I’ll make sure to stay far away from it. What kind of stupid book is this that’s driving good people crazy?”