Seeing Tang Xue covered in dirt, Li Yi couldn't help but chide her, "Your body's not fully recovered yet. Why are you back to work so soon?"
"I... I don't feel that bad. Everyone else went to work, so I'd rather not stay behind in the dorm and give people something to talk about," Tang Xue replied.
"Let them talk if they want! Anyway, we're getting married next month, so you won't be living here anymore. Who cares what they say?"
"Are you... are you really going to marry me?"
Li Yi knew how sudden all of this must seem to Tang Xue. It had completely disrupted the course of her life.
Without all this happening, she would have probably been back in the city within a few days, at least securing a position as a worker.
But now, she faced the choice of giving up on city life and possibly staying in the countryside forever.
On top of that, she'd lost her purity before marriage, which meant she would lose much of her say in the relationship, leaving her feeling anxious and uncertain.
"Tang Xue, listen to me. Not only am I going to marry you, but I'll marry you with the highest honor. I'll give you a wedding to remember!" Li Yi declared firmly.
Hearing the conviction in his voice, Tang Xue seemed to reach a decision as well. She looked into his eyes and said seriously, "I'll wait for you."
Li Yi, in high spirits, waved the packets he'd brought along. "Let's head back. I got you some food to take to the dorm."
"You shouldn't waste money like that. Your uncle and aunt work hard to save up," Tang Xue protested.
"What kind of person do you think I am? I earned this money myself!" Li Yi grinned.
Tang Xue suddenly thought of something and asked, "Did you make it selling liangpi?"
"Yup!"
"How's business?"
"Good enough that taking care of you and the kids won't be an issue!"
Tang Xue's face flushed. She was, after all, a young girl just barely of age and hadn't even experienced a serious relationship yet. Thinking about kids was far from her mind.
"Don't talk nonsense..."
Seeing her embarrassment, Li Yi chuckled but didn't press the topic. Instead, he asked, "Where's my third sister? Where did she go?"
"The wheat field at the east end of the village needs watering, so Nana went there with Uncle Li and Auntie to earn some work points!"
"Oh, that explains why she didn't stick with you today."
Tang Xue looked at Li Yi, hesitating before finally saying, "Nana told me about your family's situation. If things are tight, maybe Uncle Li could decide on the bride price. Even if there's no bride price, I'd still marry you, and we could avoid taking on debt."
Li Yi smiled and said, "You don't need to worry about that. Just focus on getting ready to be my bride!"
"You…"
A kilometer was really too short; before long, the two of them arrived at the residence for the educated youth.
Li Yi didn't enter Tang Xue's dormitory. Instead, he handed her the bags and was about to leave.
Tang Xue looked down at the various bags in her hands, hesitated for a few seconds, and couldn't help but say, "You… be careful out there."
Knowing she was worried he might get in trouble for setting up a stall, Li Yi chuckled. "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."
"Alright."
Just as Tang Xue was about to turn and head back to her dormitory, Li Yi suddenly asked, "Are you free tomorrow afternoon?"
"Why?"
"I'm planning to come and propose. Be ready."
Tang Xue's body jolted, and for a moment, she was stunned.
Despite having resigned herself to reality and accepted the idea of marrying Li Yi, this "good-for-nothing," Tang Xue still felt a bit flustered when the wedding was actually being arranged.
Tang Xue thought about her chance to return to the city and the figure in her heart.
Once she truly married Li Yi, she'd be tied to this small mountain village for life, drifting further and further away from her "Brother Cheng"…
Li Yi could see her hesitation and knew she had her concerns, but he didn't give her time to dwell on them. He spoke up directly, "Remember to wear something clean tomorrow and look as pretty as possible. Wait for my proposal!"
With that, he turned and left.
After leaving the residence of the educated youth, Li Yi didn't go home but headed straight for the back mountain.
When he arrived at the "secret" gathering spot, he didn't see Dongzi or Yongzi, but there were several large baskets filled with mushrooms on the dam by the reservoir.
Realizing that the boys were probably still out foraging in the forest, Li Yi sat down on the dam to wait for them.
As the sun tilted west, five or six young boys emerged from the woods, each carrying a small woven basket.
Seeing Li Yi on the dam from a distance, Dongzi and the others quickened their steps.
"Brother Yi, look at how many mushrooms we picked today!" Dongzi exclaimed, as if asking for praise, as soon as he approached.
Looking at the three large baskets of fresh mushrooms, plus what was in the boys' baskets, Li Yi estimated they had gathered well over a hundred pounds.
Based on today's agreed price, these mushrooms alone would bring in around sixty or seventy yuan.
In a great mood, Li Yi said, "Come over here; I've got something to say!"
When the group had gathered around, Li Yi pulled out a bundle of multicolored bills from his pocket and announced, "I sold yesterday's mushrooms, and since the credit belongs to everyone, each of you gets a share!"
With that, Li Yi pulled out two one-yuan bills with a red tractor emblem and handed them to Dongzi.
"Brother Yi... Is this for me?"
"Yes, two yuan each!"
"Brother Yi... This... this is too much!" Dongzi stammered.
Two yuan was a huge amount; a legitimate city worker made about thirty-five to thirty-six yuan a month, which came to about a yuan a day.
Yesterday, they'd only worked for a short while, and now they each had two yuan—making it hard for them to believe it was real.
"Take it; you earned it!" Li Yi said.
Dongzi gulped, his throat moving instinctively as he swallowed.
To these boys, who rarely saw any pocket money, two yuan was practically a fortune.
Seeing that Li Yi wasn't joking, Dongzi bit his lip and said, "Brother Yi, then I'll really take it!"
"Take it. This is your reward for hard work. No need to feel embarrassed!"
Grabbing the two bills from Li Yi, Dongzi's face was filled with excitement.
This was the first time he had ever earned money on his own, and the sense of accomplishment and satisfaction was overwhelming.
With Dongzi taking the lead, the other boys also eagerly took their well-earned pay from Li Yi.
Watching their excited faces, Li Yi felt incredibly pleased as well.
Two yuan wasn't much—after all, he'd sold the mushrooms for a solid forty yuan—but to these boys, it was a substantial reward.
More importantly, Li Yi had shown them their worth: even "bad kids" could earn money through their own efforts.
"It's getting dark; let's head back. Tomorrow, after selling the mushrooms, we'll split the money again!"
"Got it!"