Chapter 22: The First Date
Chapter 22: The First Date
May 24, Gengshen Year
The last collective rice harvest of the Naye production team was officially underway.
Deng Shirong did not shy away from the task. He brought his three older children—Yuntai, Yunzhen, and Yunheng—full of enthusiasm to join the team of rice cutters.
Everyone knew that after the harvest, the fields would be divided for individual farming, so no one was slacking off. Each person worked hard, eager to get their own plots of land as soon as possible.
Thanks to the collective effort of all the members, it took only a week to finish cutting all the rice and threshing the grain. All that was left was to dry the grain before distribution.
During this week, Deng Shirong felt quite fulfilled. Although the daily work was tiring, the scene of everyone working together was something he hadn't seen in decades, and it brought back many fond memories.
It felt good to relive it.
After the harvest, under the leadership of the brigade officials, the production team's leadership began the process of dividing the land.
Land has always been the lifeline of farmers. It was impossible to divide the land in a way that would satisfy everyone, but the team leaders aimed to make it as fair as possible, at least on the surface, to avoid obvious disparities.
This process would take some time.
...
The Longtan Commune was one of the top three largest communes in Bobai County.
The Shuangwang region had been under the jurisdiction of the Longtan Commune since June 1961, so the two areas were contiguous.
On this day, Deng Changfu, excited, rode a borrowed 28-inch bicycle, carrying Guan Yongying to the Longtan market.
Initially, Deng Changfu wanted Guan Yongying to sit sideways on the front crossbar, but the position was too intimate. Even though their marriage was almost set, Guan Yongying was too shy to agree.
The distance from Shenshuitian Village to the Longtan market was about twenty kilometers. Deng Changfu and Guan Yongying set out around nine in the morning and arrived close to eleven.
The trip took so long for two main reasons:
1. The roads in this era were poor, especially the steep and winding mountain path from Shenshuitian to Tanlian, which naturally slowed down their speed.
2. This was their first date, and Deng Changfu was not the type to just rush through the journey. He chatted with Guan Yongying the whole way.
Upon arriving at the Longtan market, Deng Changfu dismounted and said, "Yongying, let's find a tailor first to order the clothes, and then we'll find a place to eat. What do you think?"
Among the conditions set by Guan Yongying's family, besides the dowry, rice, and a sewing machine, one more requirement was to provide six sets of new clothes.
Deng Changfu had brought Guan Yongying to the Longtan market to fulfill this condition.
In this era, due to the scarcity of food and clothing, the conditions set by the bride's family during marriage negotiations often included a certain amount of rice and a certain number of new outfits.
Some families with higher standards even required the groom to take the bride to the nearby Guangdong Changshan town to get new clothes, as it was known for its tailors.
Guan Yongying, who didn't mind where the new clothes were made, was considered quite reasonable.
Hearing Deng Changfu's plan, Guan Yongying nodded and said, "Sure, you can decide."
Longtan, being a large commune, had a market that was nearly ten times the size of the Shuangwang market. Even though it wasn't market day, there were still many people doing business.
Soon, Deng Changfu and Guan Yongying found a tailor shop.
There was no need to go into the details of selecting fabric and taking measurements. By the time everything was done, it was already noon.
"Yongying, I'm hungry. Let's go eat. What do you want to have?" Deng Changfu asked.
Guan Yongying, fearing he might impulsively take her to a state-owned restaurant again, quickly said, "Don't waste money. Let's just have a bowl of rice noodles. You have a lot of expenses coming up!"
The situation was different now compared to when they first met. They had already visited each other's families, and unless something extraordinary happened, they were definitely going to get married. It was best to save money where they could.
"Yongying, you really know how to manage a household," Deng Changfu praised her, then chuckled and said, "Alright, I'll listen to you. Let's have rice noodles."
Guangxi is known as the top province for rice noodles in the country, and this reputation is well-deserved. Even in this era, rice noodles were a staple.
Whether in Shuangwang or Longtan, there were plenty of noodle stands.
The prices of town rice noodles were always down-to-earth, both in the present and in the future. Moreover, the price of the noodles wasn't fixed. Customers could choose how much they wanted to spend, from a few cents to a few dollars per bowl. The only difference was the amount of meat on top.
For their first date, having rice noodles was already quite frugal. Deng Changfu, of course, wouldn't choose the cheapest option. Instead, he asked the vendor to prepare two bowls of noodles for thirty cents each.
For thirty cents, the bowls were not only generous in portion but also topped with plenty of pork liver and lean meat. It was a very good deal.
After finishing a large bowl of noodles, both of them felt incredibly satisfied.
Since it wasn't market day, Deng Changfu and Guan Yongying had no intention of shopping. After a short rest, they started their journey back home.
When they returned to Mangtouling, Deng Changfu was pushing his bicycle up a hill. He looked at Guan Yongying, who seemed more beautiful with each passing moment, and asked with hopeful anticipation, "Yongying, the cadres of all the production teams are busy dividing the land. How about we go register in a couple of days?"
After visiting each other's families, Guan Yongying had expected this, but she didn't think it would happen so quickly. If they followed the normal wedding process, she wouldn't have agreed so soon.
However, their marriage was tied to the allocation of land, so Guan Yongying couldn't refuse. She shyly lowered her head and gave a soft "Mm."
Seeing her agreement, Deng Changfu was overjoyed. Even though he knew this girl would eventually be his wife, as a young, energetic man, he naturally hoped it would happen sooner rather than later.
"Yongying, the market day in Songshan is the day after tomorrow. How about we go register at the Songshan commune then?" Deng Changfu asked, barely containing his excitement.
Seeing his excited expression, Guan Yongying felt a mix of nervousness and happiness. She bit her lip and nodded again.
"Great!"
Deng Changfu was so happy that he patted the bicycle and then grinned at Guan Yongying, "Yongying, rest assured, I'll always be good to you."
Seeing his goofy grin, Guan Yongying couldn't help but laugh.
Once she was on the bicycle, she replied, "I believe you!"
The book has undergone a transformation. I hope the performance will improve. Please continue to support and read, thank you!
(End of Chapter)
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