Looking at Zhang Yulan's shocked expressions, An Xuyuan smiled and replied, "My monthly income is 78 yuan."
"Besides my salary, there's also money given by my grandparents and parents when I come here. Next month, I'll be promoted and get a raise. After that, my salary will be 108 yuan a month."
Hearing this, Zhang Yulan was taken aback. She never expected his salary to be this high. Before she and her brother sold goods to Houzi, their family could only save five to six yuan a year.
Not hearing her response, An Xuyuan added, "Yulan, after we get married, you'll take care of all our family's money. You can also subsidize your family with our money. I won't object."
"No need. My family has my brother," Zhang Yulan replied.
"So, you agree to marry me?" he asked.
Instead of answering, she asked, "Did your family agree to this marriage?"
An Xuyuan nodded. "I already informed them. As long as I like you, they have no objections."
"Do they know about my family's situation?" she asked again.
"They know."
After a long silence, Zhang Yulan finally said, "Brother An, I know our family backgrounds are different, and marrying you would mean I'm climbing the social ladder."
"Yulan, what nonsense are you saying?" An Xuyuan frowned deeply.
Zhang Yulan held his hands and continued, "Even so, I still want to marry you. Brother An, are you willing to spend the rest of your life with me?"
At first, An Xuyuan thought she would reject him. But after hearing her words, a smile finally appeared on his face. He pulled her into his arms and said, "I'm willing."
"Now that we've promised each other, you can't go back on your word. I'll come to propose tomorrow. Be good and wait for me," he added.
Reaching out, Zhang Yulan hugged him back and nodded. "I'll wait for you."
After he left the Zhang family's house, the news of the Vice Captain proposing to Zhang Yulan spread throughout the village.
The next morning, he returned with Aunt Su and a large group of people. Each carried a basket of betrothal gifts.
When the Zhang family saw the amount of the betrothal gifts, they worried they couldn't give their daughter an equal dowry. During the proposal process, the Zhang family was anxious.
As a professional matchmaker, Aunt Su noticed their worry and said, "Sister-in-law, Brother Zhang, there's no need to worry about the dowry. The betrothal gifts represent the An family's sincerity."
"Sister-in-law, how could we accept the betrothal gifts and give nothing in return?" Mother Zhang said.
After a moment's pause, she asked, "Would it be all right if we prepared one hundred yuan as dowry?"
Aunt Su hadn't expected the Zhang family to have so much money and said, "Of course! That's a huge dowry. We won't have any objections."
"Then, about the wedding date—"
Before Mother Zhang could finish, Aunt Su said, "We've selected several auspicious dates. Sister-in-law, please take a look."
Accepting the paper, Father and Mother Zhang checked the dates and exchanged glances. The nearest date was five days away, and the furthest was only two months later.
They hesitated for a moment before Mother Zhang said, "Sister-in-law, are there no other good dates? The furthest is only two months away. We won't have enough time to prepare."
Waving her handkerchief, Aunt Su chuckled and replied, "Sister-in-law, you don't need to worry about preparations. Everything will be handled by the groom's family. You only need to sleep well and attend the banquet."
After hearing this, Father and Mother Zhang discussed quietly and chose the furthest date. They didn't want others to point at their daughter and say she was eager to marry An Xuyuan.
Afterward, Aunt Su, An Xuyuan, and his entourage had lunch at the Zhang family's house before taking their leave.
Due to the limited time, An Xuyuan and Zhang Yulan met much less often. When they met again, it was on their wedding day.
On the wedding day, Zhang Yulan's beauty stunned everyone. When An Xuyuan saw his bride, he was so dazed that Zhang Ermu had to slap his back to remind him.
Staring at his bride, An Xuyuan's eyes reddened. Smiling, he said, "Yulan, you're so beautiful."
Zhang Yulan smiled and replied, "Brother An, you're also very handsome."
The two left the Zhang family's house under everyone's blessings. Riding his bicycle, An Xuyuan circled the village once with his bride on the back before heading to the village hall.
Thanks to Lu Jueyu, Dong Li, and Chen Jiamin, the guests left the banquet feeling satisfied.
Time passed in the blink of an eye. When Zhang Yulan finally realized she was now a married woman, the sky had darkened. Sitting on the bed, she heard the sound of her husband boiling water.
A few minutes later, An Xuyan entered the bedroom carrying a basin of water. Placing it on the bedside table, he said, "Yulan, I boiled some water for you. You can wash up first. I'll go take a shower."
Meeting her husband's gaze, Zhang Yulan felt nervous and shy. She lowered her head and let out a soft hum. When she was alone, she quickly removed her makeup using the liquid given by Lu Jueyu.
Then she washed her face with soap and wiped her body. Not long after changing into her sleepwear, she heard a knock followed by her husband's voice.
"Yulan, are you done? Can I come in?" An Xuyuan asked.
Knowing that tonight was their wedding night, Zhang Yulan clenched her trembling fists and said, "Brother An, I'm done. You can come in."
Standing outside the bedroom, An Xuyuan took a deep breath and recalled the lessons he received from the Li brothers. When he was ready, he finally opened the door and walked in.
Seeing his wife waiting for him, he locked the door and sat beside her. Too embarrassed to look at each other, they sat on the kang bed for more than ten minutes.
An Xuyuan licked his dry lips and said, "Yulan, tonight is our wedding night. Should we consummate our marriage now, or do you want to wait until you're twenty?"
When Zhang Yulan heard his words, she felt deeply moved. She had heard many stories from villagers about married life. Most husbands didn't even ask for consent, let alone let their wives decide.
She had thought An Xuyuan would be the same. Unexpectedly, he not only asked but was also willing to wait. After a moment, Zhang Yulan held her husband's hand and said, "Husband, I'm already nineteen. It's alright to consummate our marriage."
Hearing her call him husband, An Xuyuan's blood boiled instantly. He turned to her and said, "Wife, I'll be gentle. Don't be afraid."
Meeting his gaze filled with desire, Zhang Yulan felt parched and licked her lips. She lowered her eyes and nodded shyly.
The moment he received her consent, An Xuyuan could no longer wait. After blowing out the candle, he quickly undressed and leaned down to kiss his wife.
Whether it was the private lessons from the Li brothers or men's innate talent, the wedding night went smoothly as they drowned in passionate love.
While they enjoyed themselves, the neighbors stayed awake due to the sound of An Xuyuan carrying water back and forth throughout the night.
After the wedding night, An Xuyuan went to visit Li Chenmo with a basket of gifts. Two months later, news of Zhang Yulan's pregnancy spread throughout the village.
Everyone was amazed by how powerful and efficient An Xuyuan was. After learning it was thanks to the Li brothers, the reputation of Li Chenmo and his brothers soared to a new level.
From then on, before getting married, people would visit the Li brothers for private lessons. Though some were skeptical at first, they changed their minds instantly after seeing Li Chenmo's children.
In the entire village, no one was more powerful than Li Chenmo regarding bedroom matters! If you want many children, just ask Li Chenmo for some pointers!
Because of this rumor, Lu Jueyu was too embarrassed to leave the house, and Li Chenmo ended up sleeping in the living room for half a month.
Regarding this matter, Li Chenmo could only regret inside and said through gritted teeth,"Good people get struck by lightning! I shouldn't have to teach that old An!"