Chapter 22: First Date
On the twenty-fourth day of the fifth month of the Gengshen year, the final collective rice harvest of Thatchfield Production Team officially began.
Deng Shirong was no exception. He joined the harvest with his three older children—Yuntai, Yunzhen, and Yunheng—working enthusiastically alongside the rest of the team.
Everyone knew that after the harvest, the fields would be divided, and they would start working their own plots. No one slacked off, hoping to secure a good piece of land as soon as possible.
With everyone working together, it took only a week to harvest all the rice and thresh the grains. All that remained was to dry them before distribution.
Deng Shirong found the week fulfilling. Though he was tired from the daily labor, he hadn't experienced such a collective effort in decades, and he found it nostalgic.
After the harvest, the production team leaders, guided by the brigade cadres, began dividing the land.
Land has always been the lifeblood of farmers. It was impossible to satisfy everyone, but the cadres aimed to divide it as fairly as possible, ensuring no obvious disparities.
This process, however, would take time.
Dragon Lake Commune was one of the top three large communes under Bobai County. In June 1961, the Double Prosperity area was placed under Dragon Lake Commune, connecting the two territories.
On this day, Deng Changfu borrowed a 28-inch bicycle from the production team and took Guan Yongying to Dragon Lake Market, both visibly excited.
Originally, Deng Changfu had wanted Guan Yongying to sit on the horizontal bar in front, but the position was too intimate. Even though they had already met each other's families and their marriage was all but settled, Guan Yongying was still too shy to agree.
The distance from Deepwater Village to Dragon Lake Town was about twenty kilometers. Deng Changfu and Guan Yongying set out around nine in the morning and arrived close to eleven.
There were two main reasons for the delay:
First, the roads at that time were rough, especially the mountain path from Deepwater Village to Tanlian, which was steep and winding, making it difficult to ride quickly.
Second, this was Deng Changfu and Guan Yongying's first date. Deng Changfu wasn't just focused on the journey—he chatted with Guan Yongying the entire way.
Upon arriving at Dragon Lake Market, Deng Changfu leaned on his bicycle and said, "Yongying, let's find a tailor shop first, order some clothes, and then get something to eat. What do you think?"
Among the conditions set by Guan Yongying's family, aside from the bride price, grain, and sewing machine, there was also a request for six sets of clothes.
Today, Deng Changfu had brought Guan Yongying to Dragon Lake Town to fulfill this condition.
In that era, due to shortages of food and clothing, marriage negotiations often included demands for grain and new clothes. Some women even insisted on having their clothes made in Changshan, a neighboring town in Guangdong known for its tailoring.
For someone like Guan Yongying, who didn't care about the location, this was already quite reasonable.
Hearing Deng Changfu's plan, Guan Yongying nodded and said, "Alright, you make the arrangements."
Dragon Lake was indeed a large commune. The market area was nearly ten times larger than Double Prosperity Market. Even though it wasn't a market day, there were still plenty of people doing business.
Soon, Deng Changfu and Guan Yongying found a tailor shop.
After selecting the fabric and having their measurements taken, they left the shop around noon.
"Yongying, I'm hungry. Let's eat. What would you like?" Deng Changfu asked.
Guan Yongying, worried he might take her to the state-run restaurant again, quickly said, "Don't spend too much. Let's just have a bowl of noodles. You'll have other expenses later."
Their relationship had progressed since their first meeting. They had met each other's families, and unless something unexpected happened, they would be together. Naturally, Guan Yongying wanted to save money.
"Yongying, you're so good at managing the household," Deng Changfu praised her, then smiled and said, "Alright, I'll listen to you. Let's have noodles."
In later years, Guangxi would be ranked first in the country for rice noodle consumption. This reputation didn't come out of nowhere—rice noodles had already become a staple by this time.
There were many noodle stalls in both Double Prosperity Market and Dragon Lake Market.
The price of rice noodles in rural towns was very affordable, both then and in the future.
Moreover, the price wasn't fixed. Customers could order noodles at any price point. For example, noodles costing two or three cents a bowl were available, as were those costing forty or fifty cents. The difference lay in the amount of meat added.
Since this was their first date, and eating noodles was already frugal, Deng Changfu naturally didn't order the cheapest option. Instead, he asked for two bowls of noodles costing thirty cents each.
A bowl of noodles for thirty cents was not only generous in portion but also came with plenty of pork liver and lean meat. It was an excellent deal.
After finishing their bowls, both felt thoroughly satisfied.
Since it wasn't a market day, Deng Changfu and Guan Yongying didn't plan to shop. After eating and resting briefly, they started their journey home.
As they reached Mangtouling, Deng Changfu pushed his bicycle uphill and looked at Guan Yongying, who was following him and looking more beautiful by the minute. He asked expectantly, "Yongying, now that the cadres are busy dividing the land, why don't we go register in a few days?"
Guan Yongying had expected this question after their families met, but she hadn't thought it would come so soon. Under normal circumstances, she wouldn't have agreed so quickly.
However, their marriage was tied to land inheritance, so Guan Yongying couldn't refuse. She lowered her head shyly and softly said, "Alright."
Deng Changfu was overjoyed. Though he knew she would be his wife eventually, as a young and energetic man, he naturally hoped the day would come sooner.
"Yongying, Pine Mountain Market is the day after tomorrow. How about we go to Pine Mountain Commune to register then?" Deng Changfu asked, trying to contain his excitement.
Seeing his eager expression, Guan Yongying felt both nervous and secretly pleased. She bit her lip and again said, "Alright."
"Great!"
Deng Changfu was so happy he patted his bicycle, then grinned at Guan Yongying and said, "Don't worry, Yongying. I'll treat you well for the rest of our lives."
Seeing his silly expression, Guan Yongying couldn't help but laugh.
After getting back on the bicycle, she replied, "I believe you!"