RIRW – Chapter 99

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As they left the small park, both of them were quite satisfied. Shen Yiming’s lips were swollen, the corners of his mouth were slightly chapped, and even his clothes were slightly wrinkled. On the other hand, apart from her slightly reddened lips, Zuo Dan was perfectly fine.

Looking at Shen Yiming’s current state, Zuo Dan suddenly understood why he enjoyed mischief so much. The feeling of teasing someone like this was actually quite enjoyable.

Thinking about how Shen Yiming could manipulate others so easily outside, yet in front of her, he let her have her way with him, she felt a great sense of accomplishment.

Zuo Dan deliberately asked, “Shen Yiming, what happened to your lips?”

Shen Yiming replied, “I accidentally bit them myself.”

Zuo Dan was satisfied. She felt like she had learned a thing or two from Shen Yiming, like his idea of mutual benefit. She was already getting good at it—she bullied Shen Yiming, and he wanted to be bullied by her. So, no matter how much she teased him, he had to cover for her.

When they got home, as expected, Grandma was still awake. The moment they walked in, she gave them a quick once-over.

“Grandma, why are you still up?” Zuo Dan grinned as she helped her inside. “You need to take care of yourself. It’s cold, and you shouldn’t stay up too late.”

Grandma asked, “Has Yiming been behaving?”

“Grandma, Yiming has been great, don’t worry. He listens to you so well. No wonder you’re a teacher—kids you raise are different from the rest. He’s really obedient.”

Hearing this, Grandma didn’t say much. Though she had a pretty good idea of what these two had just been up to… As long as they didn’t go too far, it was fine.

Since Shen Yiming was going to propose early, Grandma spent the next two days preparing the gifts needed for the engagement. Nowadays, people weren’t too particular about it—some fabric and meat would suffice. Both were valuable and practical gifts.

Grandma prepared fabric, some for Zuo Dan and some for the rest of the Zuo family. She also got some sunflower seeds and peanuts. As for the meat, Shen Yiming had already arranged for it.

Zuo Dan didn’t have any opinions on the matter. Whatever Grandma prepared, she agreed with.

Grandma took Zuo Dan’s hand and said, “I can’t go to your home in person, which is unfair to you. But I’ll personally speak to your parents over the phone to propose.”

Zuo Dan shook her head. “Grandma, we don’t have to be so formal. Your health is the most important thing. If you’re well, Yiming and I can have a happy life together.”

Grandma smiled and patted her head.

She understood that too, which was why she didn’t insist on making the trip to Zuo’s village. Her health really wasn’t great, and if something happened on the way, it would turn a good thing into a bad one. Besides, she wanted to stay healthy for as long as possible, not be a burden to these two kids. She even hoped to live long enough to see her great-grandchildren. She wanted to help Yiming and Dandan raise their child properly.

At the provincial military newspaper office, Shen Yiming submitted his finalized draft to the chief editor’s office. When he returned to his desk, he flipped through his work journal, his brows furrowing and then relaxing again.

As soon as he got off work, he called the logistics department of the military unit.

The person on the other end laughed as soon as they heard his name. “Yiming, don’t worry, I’ve set aside what you asked for. It’s fresh—just slaughtered today. Come pick it up after work, I’ve already had it packed for you.”

“Great, thanks a lot, Uncle Li.”

“What’s there to thank me for? The ration tickets you gave me can be exchanged for plenty of things. A little bit of meat is nothing. Besides, Wanshan has mentioned you to me a lot. Come visit us when you have time.”

Shen Yiming chuckled humbly. “When Uncle Li is free, I’ll definitely come by.”

After hanging up, he marked off “pork” in his work journal and then tapped on “candies” and “wedding cakes.”

You needed wedding candies for an engagement—how could you propose without them? He had heard that wedding cakes were also a must. Everything had to be prepared.

So, he made another call, this time to the accountant at the food factory.

The person on the other end cheerfully said, “Brother Yiming, I got the wedding candies and cakes for you. Of course, I had to help you out—you’ve never asked me for a favor before. When my brother got married, you even helped him get a wardrobe. What’s a few candies compared to that?”

Shen Yiming couldn’t quite remember whether he had arranged a wardrobe or a trunk back then, but either way, he had now secured five pounds of candy and twenty wedding cakes.

With everything in place, he let out a long breath, his face lighting up with a satisfied smile—like a fox about to feast on a delicious meal.

After work, Shen Yiming rode his bicycle home, carrying two large burlap sacks and a big red cloth bag hanging from the front.

Zuo Dan was sitting by Grandma, watching her knit a sweater with an envious look. When she saw Shen Yiming hauling big bags into the house, she immediately ran over to help.

“Don’t touch them,” Shen Yiming warned. “You’ll get your hands dirty.”

“What is all this?” Zuo Dan asked curiously. When she looked down and saw bloodstains on one of the sacks, her eyes widened. “Shen Yiming, what did you do? Why is this stuff so dirty?”

Shen Yiming set the bags down and handed her the bag of wedding candies. “Ungrateful girl, this is all for the engagement. Who do you think I’m doing this for?”

“For yourself,” Zuo Dan said seriously. Then she opened the cloth bag and peeked inside —colorful candies filled the bag.

She instantly beamed with joy. She had never eaten candies like this before.

So, she grabbed one, unwrapped it, and popped it into her mouth.

Shen Yiming saw what was happening and immediately snatched the bag away. “This is wedding candy! It’s for when we go to your house.” He had gone through a lot just to get his hands on this candy—he had even dug up old connections from years ago.

Zuo Dan looked disgusted. “If it weren’t for me, would this candy even be useful? And now I can’t even eat a single piece? Shen Yiming, you’re too stingy!”

“…Trying to goad me won’t work.” Shen Yiming held the bag tightly in his hands, determined not to let Zuo Dan touch it. He had to stay on guard—this little fox was always up to no good. Right now, they were at a critical moment, just one step away from success.

On the side, Grandma watched the two bickering and couldn’t stop smiling.

This time, Shen Yiming had invited Song Gang’s parents to be the elders presenting his marriage proposal.

Since the Shen family were outsiders in the province, they didn’t have any relatives in the provincial capital. However, because of Song Gang, Shen Yiming had often visited his house when he was younger. Moreover, Song Gang himself had been transformed from a troublemaker into a decent person thanks to Grandma’s teachings. Because of this, Song Gang’s parents were quite fond of Shen Yiming. When they heard he needed someone to propose marriage on his behalf, they happily agreed.

Not only that, but they assured him they were experienced, having successfully arranged Song Gang’s engagement once before. They guaranteed that they would handle everything flawlessly, leaving no room for issues.

Zuo Dan had always assumed that since Song Gang’s parents had raised such an honest and straightforward son, they must be just like him. However, when she finally met them, she realized she had been completely wrong.

Now she understood why Shen Yiming had chosen these two to present his marriage proposal.

They radiated joy and positivity the moment they appeared.

Unlike Song Gang, who was tall and burly, his parents were both on the rounder side. Yes, the plump kind of round. But to Zuo Dan, their figures seemed more like soft weight than actual fat.

Song Gang’s father was bald. According to him, he used to have a full head of hair, but he lost it all worrying about Song Gang. As for Song Gang’s mother, she was even more delightful—with her naturally curly hair and the way she swayed as she walked, she looked at Shen Yiming as if he were her own son.

After introductions at the station, the four of them boarded a train heading back to the county.

Song Gang’s mother sat next to Zuo Dan.

“In the blink of an eye, Yiming is about to get married,” she sighed. “I remember when he was just a little thing playing with our Song Gang.”

She then held onto Zuo Dan’s hand. “Yiming is a good boy. He’s never been naughty, not even once. Other kids got into trouble, but he never joined in. Out of all the children, he was the most well-behaved and sensible. Every adult adored him. I even wished I could have taken him home and raised him myself! You have good taste, young lady—he will definitely treat you well in the future.”

Zuo Dan looked at Song Gang’s mother as if she had struck gold. Internally, she kept repeating to herself: Yes, Shen Yiming is a good boy… a good boy…

When they arrived in the county, Shen Yiming arranged for them to stay at a guesthouse for the night. He had already found a tractor to take them to Zuo Dan’s hometown the next morning. After all, a marriage proposal wasn’t something that should be done at night, and he didn’t want everyone to be too exhausted.

Seeing that Shen Yiming had made all the arrangements, Song Gang’s parents had no objections. After sitting in a train for so long, they were feeling a bit disheveled, so going directly to propose marriage wouldn’t have been ideal anyway.

Three rooms were booked: one for Song Gang’s parents, one for Shen Yiming, and one for Zuo Dan. Song Gang’s parents’ room was in the middle, with Shen Yiming and Zuo Dan in separate rooms on either side.

That night, as they settled in, Song Gang’s mother sighed, “Yiming is such a proper young man. Look at how respectful he is to that young lady. If it were our Song Gang, he’d be seizing every opportunity he could get!”

Meanwhile, in his room, Shen Yiming lay on his bed, silently mapping out the next steps in his mind.

Tomorrow was the proposal. After that, they would register their marriage…

Early the next morning, the three of them took a minivan directly to town.

Zuo Dacheng was already waiting with a tractor.

As soon as Shen Yiming introduced Zuo Dacheng, Song Gang’s father eagerly stepped forward, shaking his hand vigorously. “In-law! Hello, hello!”

Zuo Dacheng was so shaken up that he felt dizzy, but he quickly echoed, “In-law! Hello, hello!” Then, turning to Zuo Dan, he asked, “Uh… this, this…” Who are these people?

Shen Yiming chuckled and introduced them properly. Only then did Zuo Dacheng realize that these were the elders Shen Yiming had invited to present his marriage proposal. He immediately ushered them onto the tractor.

Even after getting on, Song Gang’s father was still busy getting chummy with Zuo Dacheng, sitting right beside him and chatting enthusiastically.

Meanwhile, Song Gang’s mother reassured Shen Yiming, “Don’t worry, your uncle has experience. He did the same thing when we went to propose for Song Gang.”

Zuo Dan laughed. “Uncle Song is really enthusiastic! His in-laws must love him.”

Song Gang’s mother grinned. “Of course! Last time, they liked him so much that he got roped into drinking with all the bride’s relatives. He had to be carried home by the end of it!”

Zuo Dan: “…”

News that Shen Yiming was bringing elders to propose marriage at Zuo Dan’s house had already spread far and wide.

Even before they arrived, Grandma Zuo had made sure to tell everyone in Zuo Family Village. This way, anyone who had been gossiping about the Zuo family had nothing left to say.

Who said Yiming was dragging his feet and refusing to marry Dandan? Look at how thorough his preparations were! Those men who rushed straight to register their marriages without any formalities were the ones who didn’t truly care about their brides.

As a result, the most exciting event in Zuo Family Village these days was Shen Yiming’s marriage proposal.

Even though Zuo Dan wasn’t the only girl in the village to marry a city boy, this was the first time a city family had formally come to propose marriage here. Well, except for when Li Hui’s family came for her wedding—but that was different because she was the one getting married off.

Since there wasn’t much farm work to do at the moment, many villagers had gathered at the Zuo family’s house to watch the commotion. By the time Zuo Dacheng and the others arrived on the tractor, everyone’s eyes were glued to the guests.

As expected of city folks—they all looked so well-fed! Fair-skinned, plump, and prosperous-looking.

Some of the villagers couldn’t help but wonder—would Dandan gain some weight and look just as prosperous once she moved to the city?

Feeling the intense stares from the villagers, Song Gang’s parents truly experienced the warmth of rural hospitality.