Li Qiao didn't understand why the other party was telling her all this.
Was she bragging about marrying into a good family? Or implying that Qin Jin was a bad choice, and it was only after being rejected by others that it became Li Qiao's turn?
To avoid an awkward silence, she replied with a smile, "Blind dating isn't like calling off a wedding; what's there to feel sorry about? Besides, it's a good thing your dad didn't agree, or else where would I be?"
As for success, "don't despise the poverty of a young scholar," who can tell the future?
But she didn't say this, to avoid it being passed around and turned into a joke.
Peng Chunhua was stunned. Wasn't it said that the girl was unwilling to marry Qin Jin? Knowing that Qin Jin had been her leftover choice, shouldn't she at least make a fuss and have a go at Qin Jin?
...
After Peng Chunhua left, Li Qiao went to see the rabbits, which had grown a layer of gray fur overnight.
A while later, Old Mrs. Qin came back and brought up the matter of feeding the pigs.
Old Mrs. Qin, suffering from a herniated disc, could not lift heavy objects to help Li Qiao and reminded her to change into an old set of clothes.
The grandmother and granddaughter made sporadic small talk until Old Mrs. Qin took a rest after noon, then Li Qiao locked the main door and shut herself in the room to review.
The day passed like this, and Qin Jin did not return home all night.
Early the next day, Li Qiao asked Old Mrs. Qin again.
Old Mrs. Qin gave the same response: He is grown up, why should we worry about him?
Fine then!
If her grandma wasn't worried, neither was she.
After organizing her language textbooks, she followed the team leader's instructions to go to the pigsty to boil water and mix it with bran to feed the pigs, and then she waited for the pigs to finish eating before cleaning their pen. By the time she finished, the sun was already high in the sky.
Li Qiao casually wiped the sweat from her forehead and sighed at how hardworking people really had it tough.
Once the recorder checked and gave her two work points, she completed her task for the morning.
She found a sunny, windless hay stack to sit on and pulled out a book to read softly.
After becoming more proficient, she closed the book and recited it from memory, then used a stick to write it out on the ground.
"Who is this girl? She looks unfamiliar," came a crisp female voice from the side.
"She's Loser Qin's daughter-in-law. I went to their wedding festivities just a few days ago."
Li Qiao raised her chin to see a group of vibrant young people.
"You've graduated from high school, right? Are you planning to retake the exam? How many points did you score this year?"
Li Qiao couldn't remember, "Not many, did any of you get in?"
"No, I've only just graduated from middle school; college entrance exam questions are too tough. Principal Han and Wang Nannan finished high school, but neither of them passed the exam this time either, so everyone's planning to retake the exam after some more studying."
"My name is Li Qiao, and I'm pleased to meet you all," Li Qiao stood up and said generously, "Let's exchange more in the future."
"I'm Du Xinxin, from the youth team of the educated youth. Let me introduce you properly; this is Han Ting, the temporary principal of the village primary school, his name is Zou Qing, studied mechanics, a pioneer worker of the team. This is Wang Nannan and Liu Jing."
And just like that, a group of young people got to know each other.
Learning that Li Qiao was not familiar with the village, they enthusiastically helped her with information about the village.
Li Qiao also learned about the location of the county town's bookstore and visited it with them; borrowing a couple of review materials from Han Ting and Wang Nannan, she shared her own study methods out of gratitude and offered to prepare study notes for them to refer to in a few days.
Han Ting's eyes brightened, while Wang Nannan looked unimpressed.
How good could the study methods and notes be from someone who also failed the exams?
Li Qiao left the youth point and returned to the pigsty to finish her chores and continue memorizing. The village had no electricity, and the kerosene lamp was too dim; any bit of memorization she could do during the day counted.
After a busy day, when she got home, Old Mrs. Qin asked if she was tired.
Li Qiao lied that she wasn't tired and went to her room to hug her quilt and sleep.
After the day's labor, her sleep was especially sweet; she didn't dream at all and awoke naturally. After stretching lazily and tidying up a bit, she plunged back into her intense revision.
Day after day passed, and by the twenty-third day of the twelfth lunar month, the festival of Xiaonian, Qin Jin still had not returned.
Li Qiao couldn't help but worry; as a child, she had heard her grandparents talk about how there were especially many bad people in the seventies and eighties.
He wasn't killed in retaliation for causing trouble, was he?
Old Mrs. Qin handed her a bag of gifts, "Qiaoqiao, with the New Year approaching, you need to go back to your parent's home to deliver gifts. Jin has disappeared again; you'll have to go on your own."
Li Qiao took the netted bag, which contained tobacco, liquor, eggs, and meat.
She didn't understand. They usually couldn't bear to eat these products themselves; why wouldn't they just keep them?
Old Mrs. Qin urged her, "Go early and return soon."
"Yeah," Li Qiao said as she walked off with the gifts.
Just as she left the village, she ran into Zou Qing driving a tractor, with Han Ting seated behind him. They learned she was heading to Tulou Village.
"What a coincidence, we can give you a lift on our way."
Li Qiao thanked them and climbed onto the vehicle. As it started moving, the wind picked up, so she unwrapped her scarf to cover her head.
Han Ting took the initiative to ask about her exam preparation.
The tractor's engine was thunderous, so Li Qiao had to lean in to hear him. Peng Chunhua just happened to see this as she passed by.
Recently, Li Qiao had been frequently visiting the youth center. Chunhua had seen her several times and told Old Mrs. Qin, who simply brushed her off, even asking Principal Han to inquire about preparatory classes.
Principal Han took on the task right away.
Now, look at that, even the daughter-in-law was all wrapped up by them.
See!
They were almost kissing already.
Meanwhile, Li Qiao was unaware she was being watched and laughed, "You're asking about my review? I feel it's going alright. Are you free this afternoon? We could go together to the county bookshop to buy some study materials to do some practice."
She had basically finished the main subjects, but hadn't done many exercises.
"Practice questions?"
Li Qiao explained, "It means doing more exercises."
"Oh," Han Ting smiled, revealing two canine teeth, "I can't today, how about tomorrow?"
"Sure, let's settle on that then."
"Mhm."
After that, the two did not converse further until Zou Qing stopped the tractor.
Li Qiao looked up and realized they had reached the entrance of the village. She took two lard candies out of her pocket and forcefully put one in each of their hands. "Thank you, goodbye."
Both men laughed and waved to her as the tractor continued onward.
Li Qiao, carrying the gifts, just happened to run into Cai Hechuan and He Qiurong at the village entrance.
The former sneaked glimpses at her.
The latter loathed her and immediately started hurling insults, "Running home all day long, trying all ways to seduce my son, shameless hussy!"
"Mom, don't talk too much."
Cai Hechuan was silent at first, which only made He Qiurong shout more gleefully, "I'll say what I want. With eyes so shallow and a butt so deep, a face without a hint of flesh, you have a heart more venomous than a viper. Failing to get into university yourself, you're looking for a college student to get your hands on rationed grain, aspiring to jump from the branch to the phoenix perch, aren't you lovely!"
Li Qiao couldn't make heads or tails of the first part of the rhyme, but it didn't sound like anything good. In retaliation, she spat, "Old witch! You speak as if you wiped your mouth with fixative this early in the morning. Your son might be a treasure in your eyes, but to me, he's just a dirt-dumb old man! Who the hell covets his rationed grain?"
Eating the Qin family's mixed-grain porridge was enough for her to grow flesh!
Cai Hechuan couldn't believe she would confront his mother and insult him by calling him old and earthy. Offended, he said, "Qiaoqiao, is that how you speak to my mother? You owe her an apology."
Li Qiao was stunned. Thankfully, thankfully the old lady had not agreed to their marriage.
This kind of man was simply dreadful. "Crazy!"
He Qiurong was so angry she stuttered, "You you you! Little wretched girl..."
Li Qiao mocked her, "Me me me! You stuttering old hag!" Finally venting her anger, she turned and ran.
He Qiurong wanted to chase after her, but Cai Hechuan held her back, "Mom, we haven't even given the gift yet."
"I'll deal with her later!" He Qiurong hissed through clenched teeth.