"Bang!"
The door to the girls' dorm swung open with a loud bang. To everyone's surprise, Li Na came running in, slightly out of breath.
Seeing Tang Xue with tear-stained cheeks, Li Na hurried over to her right away.
"Little Xue, don't cry! Sorry for keeping you waiting. Little Yi is just behind me—he'll be here any minute!"
Hearing Li Na's words, a glimmer of hope sparked in Tang Xue's despair-filled eyes. Her voice trembled as she asked, "Is he… is he really coming?"
"Of course he is! You wouldn't believe how much that guy cares about you. Just to give you face, he dragged me around the supply and marketing cooperative, spending so much money that the cashier was totally stunned!" Li Na chuckled.
"You mean you're late because you were shopping in town?" Tang Xue asked anxiously.
"We were, but that's not the only reason we're so late."
"Then… what else happened?"
"We were on our way back when we saw an old man who'd collapsed. We took him to the hospital, and that delayed us by a few hours."
Just as she finished speaking, Tang Xue's friend, Zhang Xinyao, chimed in, "Oh, they were delayed because they were helping someone? That's completely understandable!"
"See, I told you there must have been a good reason!"
"It's a good deed to save someone's life—Little Xue, you're really blessed..."
Learning that Li Yi was delayed because he'd been helping someone made Tang Xue feel much better.
Seeing this, Li Na quickly added, "Little Yi was afraid you'd be worried, so he sent me over first to let you know what was going on. He'll be here soon with my parents, so you should get ready!"
Tang Xue realized that, with all the crying and fussing she'd just been doing, she must look quite a mess.
She quickly stood up, and with the help of a few of her friends, washed her face and tidied up her clothes.
As soon as she finished, a knock came from the door, followed by a murmur of voices outside.
Today, Tang Xue was the undeniable star of the evening. She took a deep breath and opened the door.
Standing outside were Li Yi, his family, along with the village elders and matchmaker, each holding one or more gifts.
Tang Xue had clearly dressed up for the occasion. She wore a simple floral blouse, black trousers, and nearly new cloth shoes, but she still managed to exude a unique charm.
Her face seemed to have a touch of face cream, giving it a soft, radiant glow, along with a faint, pleasant scent.
But what captivated Li Yi the most were Tang Xue's expressive eyes, which held a hint of melancholy, as if a single glance could draw someone into their depths.
Honestly, Li Yi was truly stunned by the sight of Tang Xue before him.
Though she wore no expensive clothes or heavy makeup, she radiated a timeless beauty.
Noticing Li Yi's intense gaze, Tang Xue's face flushed red, and she quickly lowered her head, too shy to meet his eyes.
It was the matchmaker who broke the tension, stepping forward and saying, "Tang Zhiqing, we're here on behalf of the Li family to propose! While you two are free to love each other, the necessary formalities will not be overlooked!"
"Now, let the elder of the Li family read the marriage contract!"
Li Qiye, one of the few educated men in the village and the highest-ranking elder, was naturally asked to take on this important task.
With his head full of white hair, he held a large red marriage contract and, illuminated by the faint light of a flashlight, began to read aloud: "Two families unite, a contract is made; a good match forever, let us rejoice in this day. Witness the peach blossoms blooming, suitable for home and family; may the years to come be fruitful and prosperous. This is a promise for a lifetime; let it be written on this auspicious paper."
As soon as he finished reading, the matchmaker continued, "To welcome Tang Xue into the Li family, they are willing to offer a bride price of 88 yuan, along with two pounds each of rice, flour, and oil!"
"In addition, there will be two yards of cotton cloth, two yards of floral fabric, two decorative enamel basins, two thermos bottles, two towels, two bars of soap, two tubes of toothpaste, two bottles of snow flower cream, two pounds of brown sugar, and two packs of White Rabbit milk candy…"
The young men and women inside and outside the house were left in stunned silence.
That was an impressive list of gifts! Not only the 88 yuan bride price, but the sheer value of the items was considerable.
While there were no large items like bicycles, sewing machines, or radios, it was clear that the Li family held Tang Xue in high regard.
However, what no one expected was that after the matchmaker finished speaking, Li Yi added, "This is just the gift for the proposal. I promise you, before we marry, I'll prepare a full set of three rotating appliances. If time permits, I'll also build you a big house!"
"Wow!"
Li Yi's words once again shocked everyone. Though they doubted the Li family had the financial means, Li Yi's willingness to make such promises in front of so many people was impressive.
Tang Xue was also taken aback by Li Yi's words and quickly said, "That's really unnecessary! If you want to buy those things, you can do it after we get married!"
To be honest, she was genuinely worried that Li Yi would end up stressing Li Shankui and his wife over such purchases!
Li Yi understood what Tang Xue was concerned about, but he didn't say much. Actions often speak louder than words.
Seeing that Tang Xue had no objections, Matchmaker Zhang raised her voice and announced, "Well, this engagement is now set! When the right date is chosen, you two can get married. May you have a harmonious union, lasting happiness, and children early in your marriage, growing old together!"
Everyone immediately congratulated Li Yi and Tang Xue, making Tang Xue blush with embarrassment.
Li Yi then took out the prepared sweets and cigarettes, distributing them to everyone around to share in the joy.
Despite the ups and downs of the proposal, it had a happy ending.
It was nearly ten o'clock at night before everyone finally returned to their homes.
Li Yi didn't stay long at the dormitory since there were still plenty of things waiting for him at home.
Back at the Li household…
In the dim light of an oil lamp, Dongzi, Shitou, Qiangzi, and a group of boys either sat on small stools or crouched directly on the ground, filling up the Li family's room.
Li Yi had called them together for two reasons: first, to divide the money made from selling mushrooms that day, and second, to assign tasks for the next day.
Taking a stack of small bills out of his pocket, Li Yi said, "We collected a good amount of mushrooms yesterday, so each of you will get five yuan. Dongzi, hand out the money to everyone."
"Got it!"
With experience from the previous day, Dongzi didn't hesitate. He took the money and distributed it one by one.
After the money was divided, Li Yi continued, "In two days, we've harvested nearly two hundred pounds of mushrooms, plus today's over a hundred pounds. I'm afraid the mushrooms in the woods might be running low soon, so I'll allocate some tasks to ensure a steady supply."
"Brother Yi, just tell us what to do! We'll all follow your lead," Dongzi said right away.
The others chimed in with agreement as well.
"Tomorrow, head to the forest area over at West Mountain. But don't just focus on mushrooms—pick any wild wood ear mushrooms, silver ear mushrooms, enoki mushrooms, golden mushrooms, and white jade mushrooms you come across!" Li Yi instructed.
"Brother Yi, can black wood ear mushrooms be sold too?" Shitou asked.
"They can. In fact, they're even more valuable than regular mushrooms!" Li Yi replied.
"Really? I saw a large dead tree covered in black wood ear mushrooms on the back hill today. If that's the case, I'll go clear the whole tree tomorrow!" Shitou exclaimed excitedly.
"If you bring it all back, I'll make sure you get a bigger share the day after!"
"Thanks, Brother Yi!"
Li Yi continued, "Also, if there are other kids in the village who want to join in collecting mushrooms, let them come along, but make sure they're old enough—we have to keep everyone safe."
"Understood, Brother Yi!"
"Alright, then clean the mushrooms in the basket of any impurities before heading home. I'll be leaving early tomorrow and won't have time to do it myself," Li Yi reminded them.
"No problem!"
…