Chapter 5: Obtaining the Marriage Certificate

Page 1/3

Chen Wanru shot Xie Jinyu a fierce glare, thinking to herself, What’s going on? How could that sharp-tongued, secretive Xie Jinyu suddenly become so two-faced? If she had known that Yan Hongying had such a handsome grandson, she wouldn’t have played it safe back then. Otherwise... Ye Changzheng wouldn’t have fallen to Xie Jinyu.

Although Lu Qianjin and Chen Wanru hadn’t yet registered their marriage, Chen Wanru was already pregnant with Lu Qianjin’s child. In Lu Qianjin’s heart, Chen Wanru was his wife.

“Chen Wanru, you’re not short of men yourself—why are you acting flirtatiously toward someone else’s man?” Lu Qianjin stood up from the tractor and pulled Chen Wanru to a different seat.

After that little incident, Chen Wanru kept silent all the way from the village to the district office.

The tractor rattled all the way to the district. The village party secretary was the first to get off, addressing the others in the tractor: “We’ll return to the village at two in the afternoon. Don’t forget the time.”

After Xie Jinyu, Ye Changzheng, and other villagers disembarked, the village party secretary escorted Lu Qianjin and Chen Wanru to the district hospital.

Ye Changzheng and Xie Jinyu went ahead to the district civil affairs bureau to collect their marriage certificate.

Ye Changzheng had come specifically to get the certificate with Xie Jinyu, so all the paperwork had been prepared early in the morning.

After reviewing their marriage documents and confirming everything was in order, the civil affairs staff issued the marriage certificate on the spot.

Ye Changzheng carefully took the certificate and put it away safely.

Xie Jinyu then handed the staff some wedding candies she had prepared in advance.

“Comrade, thank you,” the staff said with a broad smile, offering a customary blessing: “Wishing you a happy marriage and early children.”

Xie Jinyu was momentarily stunned, suddenly realizing that having just obtained their marriage certificate today meant that tonight would be their wedding night.

“Teacher Xie, what are you thinking about?” Ye Changzheng asked softly after they left the civil affairs bureau, noting Xie Jinyu’s silence.

Snapping back, Xie Jinyu smiled at Ye Changzheng. “I was wondering if you’ve been affected by what Chen Wanru said.”

Ye Changzheng stopped and looked at Xie Jinyu’s rosy, chilled face, gently reassuring her: “Teacher Xie, the past is part of our lives. Now that we are married, we should be honest with each other and face the future together.”

“You’re right,” Xie Jinyu said with a bright smile. “Shall we go to the supply and marketing cooperative, or the photo studio first?”

“Let’s go to the photo studio first.”

“All right.”

There was only one photo studio in the district.

Page 2/3

Coincidentally, it was market day, so business at the photo studio was brisk.

Located at the street corner, the biting cold wind reddened Xie Jinyu’s cheeks.

Ye Changzheng quietly shielded Xie Jinyu from the wind until it was their turn.

Ye Changzheng needed their wedding photo to apply for military accompaniment.

When the photographer learned they had a marriage certificate, he handed them two bright red floral badges to wear.

Seeing there was room for one more between Xie Jinyu and Ye Changzheng, the photographer reminded them, “Newlyweds, please sit closer.”

They both instinctively leaned toward each other.

“Perfect, just like that.”

The shutter clicked.

Their first photo as husband and wife was captured.

“When can we get the photos?” Xie Jinyu asked.

“If you’re in a hurry, I can have them ready by noon,” the photographer replied.

“That would be great, thank you.”

Xie Jinyu handed him two White Rabbit candies as a token of thanks.

After leaving the photo studio, they headed to the supply and marketing cooperative.

Just as they reached the entrance, Ye Changzheng caught sight of the scruffy Lu Qianjin in his peripheral vision and called out to Xie Jinyu.

“Teacher Xie, wait for me here. I’ll be with you shortly.”

Assuming Ye Changzheng was just heading to the public restroom, Xie Jinyu nodded and entered the cooperative.

Ye Changzheng turned into a nearby alley, hiding in a corner until Lu Qianjin, smoking casually, sauntered by.

Without a word, Ye Changzheng swiftly threw a torn coal sack over Lu Qianjin’s head.

Suddenly blinded, Lu Qianjin shouted, startled and furious, “Who’s there?”

Ye Changzheng said nothing.

He raised his fist and struck Lu Qianjin hard.

Lu Qianjin howled in pain.

Ye Changzheng showed no mercy.

Lu Qianjin and Chen Wanru’s scheme to ruin Xie Jinyu was etched deeply in Ye Changzheng’s mind; today he was collecting interest.

At first Lu Qianjin could still shout, but as the beating continued, he dared not make a sound.

He realized the louder he screamed, the harder the blows came.

Once Ye Changzheng judged Lu Qianjin would be out of commission for a good while, he gave him a final brutal kick and turned to leave the alley.

Page 3/3

“Ye Changzheng, here.”

Not seeing Ye Changzheng return for some time, Xie Jinyu worried he might be unfamiliar with the district and was lost.

Just as she prepared to look for him, Ye Changzheng appeared.

Xie Jinyu noticed faint bloodstains on his gloves and asked in concern, “What happened to your hand?”

Ye Changzheng was unconcerned. “Taught a scoundrel a lesson.”

Leaning closer, Xie Jinyu asked anxiously, “No one saw you, right?”

“No one.”

In this bitter cold, everyone was holed up at home; who would be wandering the streets unless it was important?

Seeing Ye Changzheng unharmed, Xie Jinyu brushed off the matter and, walking alongside him, said, “I just had a look around the cooperative. I want to get some cloth and make a few cotton-padded coats myself.”

“All right.”

Ye Changzheng and Yan Hongying had given Xie Jinyu plenty of money and ration coupons.

Xie Jinyu thought that in a few years these meat and cloth coupons would become invalid, so she didn’t scrimp but spent generously.

Yarn, cotton cloth, cotton batting, meat, salt, soy sauce, fruit candies, cigarettes, and liquor.

They packed everything carefully into the woven basket Yan Hongying had borrowed from a villager.

“Comrade, could you please get me two boxes of this?”

Seeing the snow cream displayed in the glass cabinet, Ye Changzheng immediately thought of Yan Hongying’s roughened hands from labor and Xie Jinyu’s chilblains, so he requested two boxes.

If Ye Changzheng bought it, Xie Jinyu would take it.

A man spending on a woman was only natural.

In her previous life, Xie Jinyu had seen many foolish women who wouldn’t spend on themselves, only to lose out to other women in the end.

“Ye Changzheng, thank you for the snow cream you gave me.”

Xie Jinyu accepted the gift with joy, then mysteriously hinted, “I have a gift for you, too.”

“I’m looking forward to it.”

In front of Ye Changzheng, Xie Jinyu opened the snow cream and rubbed a little on her hand, then held her fragrant hand out to him.

“Smell it—doesn’t it smell wonderful?”