After the spring harvest, the villagers had no time to relax, as they had to prepare the farmland for the spring planting. They only had two weeks before they planted the land.
During this period, even the Team Leader and the production team's staff members had to go to the fields and work. When it was time to plant the paddy seedlings, An Xuyuan went to the area where the Zhang family was working.
The moment he parked his bicycle under a tree, Zhang Yulan saw him. She waved her hands and greeted him, "Brother An, what brings you here?"
An Xuyuan nodded at the villagers who greeted him and walked toward her in large strides. He stood at the roadside and glanced at her flushed cheeks.
He beckoned her to come closer and took off his bamboo hat. When she stood in front of him, he put the bamboo hat on her and said, "The weather is hot, and you didn't even wear a hat. Do you want to get heatstroke?"
After interacting with him for several months, Zhang Yulan no longer treated him as a stranger. Facing a close friend, she was not polite at all. Grinning at him, she replied, "I forgot to bring it. What's more, the weather is not that hot."
When she finished speaking, she met his gaze and decided to shut up.
After a moment, An Xuyuan let out a sigh and said, "I brought some cucumbers and water for you. Remember to drink more water."
"Thank you, Brother An," Zhang Yulan replied with a smile.
Since there were a lot of people staring at them, An Xuyuan didn't linger for long. After reminding her a few more times, he finally left.
Not long after, one of the villagers turned to Mother Zhang and asked, "Sister-in-law, when will you invite us to your family's wedding banquet?"
Due to her legs, Mother Zhang's working speed was slower than that of others. But even so, she still joined the harvest and planting season, despite only earning six to eight points at most.
When she heard the villager's words, she wiped away the sweat on her forehead and replied, "Sister-in-law, you must be joking. My daughter has no partner. How can my family have a wedding banquet?"
The moment she said this, the villagers exchanged meaningful glances. Some who were jealous of them even rolled their eyes.
Although Mother Zhang felt uncomfortable hearing them gossip in front of her, she still held back and said nothing. As descendants of the 'five-black categories,' their family couldn't behave like others.
Noticing her mother's expression, Zhang Yulan lowered the bamboo hat to hide her emotions.
She indeed had a good impression of An Xuyuan. But their backgrounds were too different. Not to mention that she didn't know how he felt, even if they liked each other, it was impossible for them to be together.
She couldn't be selfish and ruin his bright future. When this thought appeared in her mind, she felt breathless, as if her chest were stuffed with cotton.
Not knowing what had happened on the Zhang family's side, An Xuyuan was in a good mood.
He was sure that Zhang Yulan also had the same feelings as him. He had already sent a letter to his parents and informed them about his plan. After the spring planting was finished, he would invite a matchmaker and propose to her formally.
His good mood lasted for several weeks until the spring planting was done. Due to work, it had been a long time since he had a good talk with Zhang Yulan.
Today, after finishing his report, he quickly picked up his green military bag and left the production team's office. Along the way, he couldn't help imagining her reaction when she heard his plan to propose to her.
Unfortunately, his good mood was destroyed when he reached the Zhang family's house. Seeing a large crowd surrounding the area, he stopped his bicycle and asked one of the villagers, "Comrade, what's going on here?"
The villager was taken aback when he saw him. After hesitating for a moment, the villager finally said, "Vice Captain, it's the Chen family from the neighboring village. They came to propose."
The moment he heard this, An Xuyuan's heart sank. He quickly pushed his bicycle toward the crowd and parked it in the yard. Ignoring the gazes aimed at him, he walked into the house in large strides.
Before he even reached the door, he heard the matchmaker's joyous tone. "Sister-in-law, then it's settled. We will return in three days to pick up the bride."
Mother Zhang nodded with a smile. But before she could say a word, she saw An Xuyuan enter the house with a grim expression.
He stood in front of them and glared at the young man sitting beside the matchmaker. "She won't marry him," he said through gritted teeth.
Everyone was taken aback by his sudden interruption. Seeing how angry he was, Mother Zhang and Father Zhang exchanged glances.
"Vice Captain, this is my family's matter. It's not appropriate for you to intervene," Father Zhang said.
An Xuyuan felt anxious and didn't notice Zhang Ermu and Liu Piao's reactions. He looked at Father Zhang and said, "Uncle Zhang, I can see that this man is not a good match for Yulan."
After he said this, Zhang Yulan entered the living room holding a tray of snacks. She heard his words clearly and asked, "Brother An, is there any misunderstanding here?"
When he heard her voice, An Xuyuan turned and took several steps toward her. Standing in front of her, he took the tray from her hands and said, "Yulan, I like you, and I've already informed my family about my plan to propose to you."
"Compared to this stranger, I'm a better choice. You already know my personality, my background, and my job. As long as you marry me, I will make sure you have a good life. Yulan, don't marry him. Marry me," he added.
Zhang Yulan was shocked. Everyone was stunned.
Seeing that she was too stunned to speak, An Xuyuan placed the tray on the table and held her hand. He looked at Father Zhang and Mother Zhang and said, "Uncle Zhang, Aunt Zhang, please give Yulan and me your blessing."
After he finished speaking, Liu Piao suddenly burst out laughing. She swore that she tried to hold back, but the situation was too funny.
Thanks to her laughter, Zhang Yulan finally regained her senses. She tried to pull her hand back, but An Xuyuan tightened his grip.
Meeting his firm, intense gaze, her heart skipped a beat and began beating wildly. Since she couldn't free her hand, she gave up and said, "Brother An, who told you that I would marry that man?"
An Xuyuan frowned and replied, "He already came with a matchmaker. Are you saying I was wrong and that he didn't come to marry you?"
Zhang Yulan stared at him and nodded. "The person he proposed to is indeed not me."
"If it's not you, then who?" he asked.
"Didn't I tell you before that a relative from my mother's side had returned from town and was living with my family? He came to propose to my distant cousin," Zhang Yulan explained.
It took An Xuyuan a moment to realize that he had made a fool of himself in front of everyone. In an instant, his anger dissipated and was replaced with awkward embarrassment.
He turned to the Zhang family and met their smiling faces. At that moment, he wished there was a deep hole he could crawl into.
Seeing his embarrassment, Zhang Yulan said, "Brother An, I know you're worried about me. But there's no need for you to use your own marriage to—"
Before she could finish, An Xuyuan interrupted her. "Comrade Zhang Yulan, I'm serious. Every word I said just now came from my heart."
"Today, I came to let you know that I will invite a matchmaker and propose to you tomorrow. But when I saw the crowd and heard that someone came to propose, I thought it was you, so I barged in."
He then turned to Mother Zhang and Father Zhang. "Uncle, Aunty, I'm sorry for disturbing your family matters. I will return tomorrow with a matchmaker."
Mother Zhang had long known about her daughter's feelings toward the Vice Captain, so she didn't make things difficult for him and nodded. "Alright."
Afterward, An Xuyuan left the house holding Zhang Yulan's hand. When they reached the backyard, An Xuyuan took out a small book and a handkerchief.
He handed them to her and said, "Yulan, these are all my savings and coupons. In the future, I will give you all my income."
Zhang Yulan opened the handkerchief and saw a stack of money and tickets. Then she opened the account book and saw the numbers written inside. She looked at him with wide eyes and said, "So much money?"