After they finished shopping, Leng Yuan took Gu Jiaojiao to the Civil Affairs Bureau.
Getting married was simple back then. All you had to do was present your identification, get a certificate from the production brigade, and you could register your marriage.
Looking at the certificate from the brigade, Gu Jiaojiao had no idea when he had gone to get it.
'He did leave for a bit after we ate,' she recalled. 'That must have been when he went to get the certificate and borrow the bicycle.'
The marriage registration was processed quickly. Not many people were getting married at the time, so in just a few minutes, their marriage certificates were hot off the press.
The marriage certificates of this era looked a lot like award certificates from the future. They only listed the couple's basic information and had no photos, a detail Gu Jiaojiao found rather novel.
She decided she would keep these two certificates safe. 'Someday, I'll show them to our children so they can see how their mother landed their father.'
Gu Jiaojiao beamed, her eyes crinkling with a smile. It was clear she was in high spirits.
Leng Yuan's expression softened as well, and he said,
"We should head back. We have to work this afternoon."
At the mention of work, the joy on Gu Jiaojiao's face vanished in an instant, replaced by a woeful expression.
From the original owner's memories, she knew just how exhausting and arduous the farm work was. Rushing the harvest under the scorching sun, with everyone responsible for at least several acres—it was enough to kill her.
The previous Gu Jiaojiao would slack off whenever she could. 'But that was her, and this is me,' she thought. 'I've already decided to build a good life with Leng Yuan, so of course I have to work.'
"Then I'll go with you."
"You should rest at home today. You can go tomorrow."
Gu Jiaojiao didn't argue. She really was exhausted. Her back was sore, her legs felt like jelly, and after the trip to the County Town, her rear ached from the bumpy ride.
Leng Yuan was a steady cyclist, but unfortunately, most of the roads at that time were unpaved and uneven. There was nothing to be done about it.
Sitting on the back seat, Gu Jiaojiao gazed at the man's broad shoulders and found her thoughts turning to Leng Yuan.
The Leng Family had once been well-off. Leng Yuan was one of the few high school graduates in the village. Thanks to his excellent grades, he worked as a teacher at the junior high in the County Town, earning a monthly salary of twenty-five yuan—a sum that made him unique in the village.
Normally, Leng Yuan wouldn't have had to do farm work. But it was now the middle of the Qiushou harvest, so the schools were on break, and he naturally had to help out.
It was so busy that almost no one went to the County Town, which meant Leng Yuan had truly squeezed out what little time he had to go with her and get their marriage certificates.
Gu Jiaojiao understood the situation, so she didn't have high expectations. Keeping things simple was just fine with her.
How could she have known the man before her was so thoughtful and generous, buying her so many clothes and even a watch?
Back then, the "three major items" weren't yet the standard dowry. A bride price of twenty or thirty yuan was sufficient; some families even accepted a single bag of grain as payment.
By that standard, the things Leng Yuan had bought her were an extravagant gesture.
A sweetness bloomed in Gu Jiaojiao's heart, and even some of the anxiety she'd felt since first arriving in this world began to fade.
But that sweet feeling vanished without a trace the moment they entered the village.
Leng Yuan's house was located at the foot of a mountain. A dirt path behind it led to the County Town, and by taking this shortcut back, they didn't have to pass through the main part of the village. As a result, they arrived home shortly after reaching the village outskirts.
A crowd had gathered outside Leng Yuan's house. The two of them stopped the bicycle as they approached, and Gu Jiaojiao peered toward the house in confusion.
She couldn't see much, but she did hear a very familiar voice.
"Jiaojiao, are you in there?"
"Jiaojiao!"
"Brother Li, just kick the door down! Jiaojiao didn't come back to the Educated Youth Dorm last night. Who knows what might have happened? I'm so worried about her."
Gu Jiaojiao instantly recognized the speaker as Li Hongmei—her supposed "best friend."
'Great,' she thought. 'Just great. I haven't even had the chance to settle the score with Li Hongmei, and she's already brought people here to ruin my reputation.'