RIRW – Chapter 105

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Zuo Village had been bustling with excitement lately. Ever since the elementary school construction began at the start of the year, the village had been filled with activity. The elders and children would visit the construction site daily, eagerly watching its progress, their anticipation growing stronger.

As the school building neared completion, with only the roofing left to be done, families with school-aged children began sewing school bags in preparation.

These kids, still too young to contribute to labor, had always been running wild. In the past, sending them to the commune school was too much trouble because of the distance. But now, with a school right at their doorstep, there was no reason not to send them—better that than worrying about them falling from trees or drowning while playing in the water.

Just as the village was immersed in this cheerful atmosphere, a small truck rumbled into Zuo Village, stopping in front of the Old Zuo family’s house.

Zuo Dacheng had already received notice of their arrival. He stood at the entrance with some production team cadres and a few village elders, ready to welcome the well-drilling team.

“Welcome, comrades from the provincial petroleum exploration team! You’ve worked hard! Our production team members were all thrilled when they heard about your arrival. We hope you’ll be able to find oil here and contribute to our nation’s development!”

Since Shen Yiming had briefed him in advance, Zuo Dacheng knew exactly what front they were operating under. He even had a banner prepared, reading:

“Warmly welcoming the provincial petroleum exploration team!”

The surveyor leading the team was a bit of a technical nerd, not one for socializing. So, it was Guo Datou who stepped forward with a smile.

“Thank you for your local support. We came well-prepared, and in the next few days, we’ll probably be troubling you quite a bit.”

“No trouble at all!” Zuo Dacheng responded enthusiastically. “We’re all brothers and sisters of the proletariat—helping each other is what we do.”

After the initial greetings, they headed into Zuo Dacheng’s courtyard.

Since the well-drilling team was here on official business, the commune had also offered support, providing three pounds of pork, along with flour and rice. The village had already prepared a meal for them, so as soon as they entered, they sat down to eat, intending to get to work immediately afterward.

Amid the crowd, Zuo Dan and Shen Yiming quietly slipped away.

They sneaked to the very edge of the gathering before making a dash toward Zuo Dan’s office.

The moment they got inside and shut the door—they embraced.

It had been months since they last saw each other.

Zuo Dan grabbed Shen Yiming and fiercely kissed him, venting her emotions. Then, feeling satisfied, she pushed away his wandering hands that had slipped under her clothes.

With a serious expression, she warned, “Comrade Shen Yiming, no mischief allowed.”

Shen Yiming’s face was flushed, and he looked a little reluctant, but he knew this wasn’t the place for fooling around. Holding her tightly, he simply breathed heavily, trying to calm himself down.

“Shen Yiming, you really know how to stir things up, don’t you?”

After listening to his plan, Zuo Dan couldn’t stop laughing.

Bringing an oil exploration team to drill a well? That was some next-level thinking!

And now, he even wanted them to apply for electricity supply!

How ambitious was he planning to be? Was he trying to ascend to heaven at this rate?

Shen Yiming chuckled as he held her. “It’s already March. If I don’t make a move now, when will we ever get our marriage certificate?”

With a dramatic sigh, he added, “Comrade Zuo Dan, please take pity on me. My hair is already falling out from stress. Just agree to marry me—otherwise, I fear I’ll go bald before our wedding day.”

Zuo Dan felt smug hearing him say this. She smirked, her lips curling upward.

“Well… beg me. If you beg me, I’ll think about it.”

“I’m begging you,” Shen Yiming said instantly.

Zuo Dan glared at him. “Shen Yiming, do you have no principles at all?”

He looked at her seriously and declared, “Forming a revolutionary partnership with you— that’s my principle. Right now, my only goal is to achieve this objective.”

Zuo Dan internally rolled her eyes at him.

Like she didn’t already know why he was in such a rush to get the marriage certificate.

His ulterior motives were as clear as day.

Wasn’t he just trying to secure a “ticket” in advance so he could board the “train” without any objections?

Narrowing her eyes, she said, “Comrade Shen Yiming, confession earns leniency, resistance leads to severity. I won’t fall for your sweet talk. Just come clean about your dirty little thoughts.”

Shen Yiming chuckled and sighed. “Fine, I’ll confess.”

He leaned in close, his breath tickling her ear.

“Comrade Zuo Dan, I want us to be as close as two people can be.

You in me, me in you.

No separation, no boundaries.

I want us to be fused together, inseparable, walking through life side by side.”

Then, in a low, intimate voice, he whispered,

“I can’t wait to give myself to you.”

Zuo Dan’s face instantly turned red, hot blood rushing to her cheeks.

Shen Yiming pressed his forehead against hers and softly asked,

“Let’s get married.”

Zuo Dan swallowed and closed her eyes. “Seeing how sincere you are, I’ll accept your offering.”

The moment she finished speaking, Shen Yiming kissed her deeply.

By the time they returned home, dinner was already over, and the survey team was preparing for official measurements.

Regardless of whether oil was found, they at least needed to determine if there was underground water.

Since Shen Yiming was no longer a villager, he didn’t have to be involved. But everyone knew he had invited the survey team, so they were particularly warm toward him.

After all, he had left the village but was still working for its benefit. Where else in the country could you find such a good educated youth?

The village elders eagerly pulled Zuo Dacheng aside to shower praise on Shen Yiming, making him smile so much his face almost split in two.

Shen Yiming chuckled, “I only brought them here because my father mentioned it. If he hadn’t, I wouldn’t have known Zuo Village needed this. He has put a lot of effort into the village.”

Zuo Shuisheng, one of the elders, nodded approvingly, “Dacheng is great! Look at him—as soon as he became team leader, he started building a school. He’s proactive and hardworking.”

He felt his past decision had been the right one.

Sure, Shen Yiming was the one who handled most of the arrangements, but Zuo Dacheng had to be willing to take action in the first place. If the village had a lazy leader, even with outside help, nothing would get done.

With Zuo Shuisheng speaking up, the rest of the villagers chimed in, agreeing that as long as the team leader brought benefits to the village, he was a good leader.

It didn’t matter whether the credit went to the son-in-law or Zuo Dacheng—either way, it was a win for the Zuo family.

By the end of the afternoon, the survey team completed their measurements and confirmed that there was water underground.

However, the wells would need to be dug deep.

As for oil? That would require further exploration. But in the meantime, they would start digging wells first.

In total, over twenty households in Zuo Village needed wells. It was a huge workload, but luckily, the team had brought specialized well-drilling equipment with them.

Their job was only to dig the wells—constructing the well frames would be handled by the village’s own craftsmen.

At this pace, the work would be done in half a month.

As soon as the surveys were done, someone impatiently asked,

“When are we starting? If we dig the wells in spring, we’ll have cool water to drink by summer!”

But Guo Datou, one of the team members, told them,

“We have to wait for the county to bring in electricity first.”

Wait… What?! Zuo Village is getting electricity?!

The moment the news spread, the village erupted with excitement.

Was this year too good to be true?

One good thing after another—first a school, now wells, and now electricity?

With electricity, homes could finally have electric lights.

Just pulling a cord would make the room as bright as day!

They had seen it in their relatives’ homes in town before and had longed for it, but it was never possible. Zuo Village was too far from the commune, and no one had ever prioritized bringing electricity here.

But now? It was finally happening.

Happiness came so suddenly that many villagers felt tears welling up.

Sure enough, the next day, officials from the county and commune arrived, bringing a transformer on a truck, ready to electrify Zuo Village.

The entire village gathered to watch—even more people than when they installed a telephone.

After all, only one household could have a telephone.

But electricity? That benefited everyone.

Even those working in the fields were distracted, eager to come see the spectacle.

The power installation was completed in just half a day.

Once the county officials left, the commune’s electricians immediately began wiring homes throughout the village.

Of course, electricity wasn’t free—the cost of the wiring would be deducted from the villagers’ grain contributions at the end of the year.

Nearby villagers helping build the school watched enviously.

“You guys are building a school, digging wells, and now even getting electricity—you probably had a telephone installed ages ago too. This place is practically the commune already!”

A villager from Zuo Village took a drag from his cigarette and humbly replied,

“It’s nothing special, just electricity and a phone.”

But despite his modest words, his face was full of deep, proud wrinkles.

Meanwhile, on one side of the village, the well-drilling team had already started their work.

On the other, electricians were busy pulling wires into every household.

Zuo Village was changing faster than anyone could have imagined.

The night the electricity was finally installed, Zuo Dacheng struck a gong, signaling every household to turn on their new electric lights together.

In an instant, Zuo Village lit up.

“We have electricity! We have electricity!” The children ran outside, cheering excitedly.

Standing in the open yard, Zuo Dan and Shen Yiming watched the glowing village.

With a bright smile, she linked her arm through Shen Yiming’s and said,

“Comrade Shen Yiming, you’ve done something amazing. You deserve a reward.”

Then, she tiptoed and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

With the school nearly completed, electricity running, and well-digging in progress, Zuo Dacheng was in high spirits.

That evening, as the family gathered for dinner, he insisted on drinking with Shen Yiming to celebrate.

Shen Yiming took a sip of wine, then, taking advantage of Zuo Dacheng’s good mood, he smiled and said,

“Dad, I have something to discuss with you and Mom.”

Zuo Dacheng, already feeling generous, waved a hand. “Say it! Whatever it is, I’ll agree!”

Li Hui, smiling warmly, nodded. “Yiming, you’re family now. Just speak freely.”

Shen Yiming’s expression turned serious yet affectionate. “Dandan and I are getting married in October, but I want to register our marriage early.

First, so we can start preparing for the wedding properly.

Second, Dandan sometimes visits me in the provincial capital, and I stay here in Zuo Village—it would be more proper if we were officially married.

I don’t want her to feel wronged. What do you think?”

Zuo Dacheng and Li Hui were momentarily stunned.

Then, Li Hui glanced at her daughter, who blushed but nodded shyly.

With a knowing smile, Li Hui tugged at Zuo Dacheng’s sleeve. “I think Yiming has thought this through carefully. Young people have their own way of doing things—we shouldn’t make things difficult for them.”

Zuo Dacheng let out a long sigh, staring at his daughter.

Back when they got engaged, it hadn’t fully sunk in.

But now? Once they registered the marriage, she would truly be married off.

He felt reluctant, but he genuinely liked this son-in-law.

“Alright. As long as you’re happy, we support you.”

Of course, he still felt a little sour about his daughter being “taken away.”

So, he grabbed Shen Yiming’s cup. “But first, let’s drink!”

By the end of the night, both men were completely drunk.

Since Li Hui had to take care of Zuo Dacheng, she left Shen Yiming in Dandan’s hands.

Zuo Dan wrinkled her nose at the smell of alcohol soaking through his clothes but still brought in a basin of hot water to wipe his face.

As she cleaned him up, she nagged, “Shen Yiming, listen to me. If you ever get this drunk again, don’t expect me to take care of you. Do you know drinking like this makes you fat? If you turn into a bloated mess, I won’t want you anymore!”

Shen Yiming, still woozy, suddenly burst out laughing.

Zuo Dan, her cheeks puffed out in frustration, was caught off guard when he flipped over and pinned her down.

“You heartless girl,” he teased, “Who do you think I drank all this for? If I didn’t drink with Dad, he wouldn’t have been happy.

I’m about to marry into your family—I had to hold my ground and drink with him!”

Zuo Dan frowned at the strong scent of alcohol.

“Shen Yiming, get off me! Go wash your face and rinse your mouth first!”

Shen Yiming smirked, “Yes, ma’am. Following orders.”

Surprisingly, this time, he didn’t tease her further.

He obediently got up, grabbed a towel, washed his face, and then went outside to brush his teeth.

Zuo Dan followed him out and squinted, watching him squat in the yard, brushing his teeth like a well-behaved child.

Something felt off.

Since when was Shen Yiming this obedient?

Since Shen Yiming’s household registration was in the provincial capital, they had to go there to get their marriage certificate.

Plus, it was only right to tell his grandmother first.

Li Hui and Zuo Dacheng had no objections, so they handed Zuo Dan her household registration book, packed some gifts, and sent them on their way.

Before leaving, Shen Yiming even stopped by to say goodbye to Guo Datou.

Guo Datou, excited, whispered, “Shen Yiming, our team thinks digging wells is more profitable than drilling for oil. We’re even thinking of asking your father-in-law to introduce us to more villages!”

He laughed. “When you get married, I’ll give you a big red envelope!”

Shen Yiming gave him a meaningful look and patted his shoulder.

“Datou, remember this—oil is worth more than water. Don’t lose sight of your real job.

You can make money elsewhere, but your main duty is still the most important.

I’d rather owe you a favor than let you mess up your work. If you need help, come to me.”

Guo Datou scratched his head, thinking for a moment.

“Hmm, you’ve got a point. I’ll talk to the team—we should head back when it’s time.

Our wives and kids are waiting for us at home anyway.”

He grinned. “Alright, go get your marriage certificate. Don’t worry about us!”

As Shen Yiming walked away, Guo Datou watched his back and smiled.

Now he understood why so many people liked being friends with Shen Yiming—he was a stand-up guy.

On the morning of their departure, Zuo Dacheng personally drove them to town on his tractor so they could catch the bus.

As they bumped along the road, Zuo Dan’s heart felt different this time.

She wasn’t just visiting the provincial capital—she was going to get married.

From now on, she and Shen Yiming would be partners for life.

_{Awwww, what a proposal. Sweet and Sensual. Everything a girl could ask for, except for a ring, but I am sure girls can ignore that if we have Yiming in our lives. I am loving Yiming more and more as I translate, and I hope he’ll always stay like this.}