As Zhao Lifang left, Song Yulian arrived.
Without a word, she grabbed Cheng You's wrist and sternly accused, "You lied to us!"
Zhou Yunru said displeased, "Auntie, let's talk properly. Let go of Cheng You first."
"How can we talk properly! You said Lin Changhe ate Cheng Tao's pokeweed and almost died, but I asked, and the old man is doing just fine!"
Song Yulian felt like she could eat someone.
Thinking about it carefully, she realized she had been tricked by Cheng You countless times.
Cheng You pried her fingers open and said with a smile, "So what? You should be happy the old man is alright. If someone had really died, do you think Uncle Hai could have cleared Cheng Tao's sin with just a few words?"
Without the trick, she wouldn't have been able to get the household registration book.
Song Yulian's teeth were almost grinding to dust. Ironically, she had eaten more salt than Cheng You had eaten rice, yet she had been outmaneuvered by this little girl.
"You are nothing like Jiang Qing. Your father said she was simple, not like you with so many schemes."
Cheng You gave a cool smile, "Auntie Lian, if I were as simple as my mother, wouldn't I have been swallowed whole by you?"
Song Yulian scoffed. It was more than that; she had never intended for this brother and sister to have an easy time from the start.
"Cheng You, does Qi Chengyan know how calculating you are? No man likes a wife with so many schemes. Be careful he doesn't abandon you."
"You weren't abandoned by my father, so how could I be abandoned by Qi Chengyan? Auntie Lian, you worry too much."
Song Yulian's face contorted. "Then I'll wait and see if your outcome is any better than mine!"
As soon as she finished speaking, they heard Sun Xiaowan's voice from outside: "Cheng You! Quickly go home and take a look!"
Before Cheng You could react, Sun Xiaowan grabbed her and pulled her outside.
"What's wrong?"
Sun Xiaowan stopped after a few steps, muttering, "It won't do if you go alone. We need an elder at home! Uncle Li, hurry up, bring Grandma over!"
Uncle Li raised an eyebrow. "What for?"
"It's a good thing, anyway. Hurry up, you're an elder, you can't miss it!"
Sun Xiaowan threw out these words and then dragged Cheng You away.
"What's going on?" Cheng You asked with a helpless smile.
"You'll know when you get there!"
As they reached the doorstep, Cheng You slowed down and stopped, stunned.
Many items were placed outside the door, the most eye-catching being a sewing machine, a bicycle, and a radio.
All of them were adorned with large red wedding symbols.
Qi Chengyan stood beside them, tall and distinguished.
"Youyou, I've come to propose."
Cheng You stared at him blankly. So, during these two days he was away, he had been busy getting all this?
"I heard that a wedding requires 'three rounds and one sound' (referring to a sewing machine, bicycle, watch, and radio). The supply and marketing cooperative was out of stock, so I went to the county town."
It had taken considerable effort to gather everything.
Besides these items, he had also bought many bolts of fabric and gone to the gold shop to purchase the 'five metals' (referring to gold, silver, and other precious metals for jewelry).
Uncle Li and Grandma Li, who arrived late, walked over.
"Proposing? Why so sudden?" Uncle Li said.
Cheng You hadn't mentioned anything to him.
Cheng You blinked innocently, "I don't know either."
She had just casually mentioned it, thinking Qi Chengyan would be unwilling and drop the matter.
Now it seemed he wasn't unwilling at all; he was eager to get married immediately.
Zhou Yunru, holding Zhenzhen, came over to join the excitement. Upon seeing the scene, she couldn't help but exclaim.
"Are all these the betrothal gifts?"
The 'three rounds and one sound' were all present.
There was no grander display in Wujing Village!
Uncle Li looked at Cheng You. "He's proposing to you. Whether you accept or not, it's up to you."
Cheng You smiled generously. "Why wouldn't I accept? Qi Chengyan, I promise to marry you!"
Considering all these gifts, she couldn't refuse.
She patted the household registration book in her pocket. "Let's go, we're getting our marriage certificate!"
Before everyone could move, someone called out from the side, "The Wen family from Xiting Village is here to propose to Zhao Lifang!"
Cheng You followed the sound and saw Zhao Lifang, her face flushed with shyness, walking beside a man.
Even though it wasn't the direct path to Old Zhao's house, she insisted on leading the man this way.
It was all to let Cheng You see how happy she was.
At the same time, Zhao Lifang also spotted Cheng You.
She quickly walked over.
"Cheng You, the Wen family has come to propose to me."
Cheng You nodded. "Congratulations."
Zhao Lifang snorted. "Do you know what my betrothal gifts include? A watch, and a bicycle. The cash gift alone is a hundred yuan!"
For weddings in the countryside, it was rare to have all the 'three rounds and one sound' readily available.
Having one or two items was considered good.
Cheng You's expression remained unchanged. She said again, "Congratulations. But the bicycle looks like a second-hand one. Have you ridden it? Is it broken?"
The paint on it was peeling, and it was clearly an old item.
Zhao Lifang's expression faltered. She had been too happy earlier and hadn't examined them closely.
Looking back now, she realized they didn't look new.
"Jiahao, what's going on?"
Wen Jiahao glared at Cheng You. Zhao Lifang hadn't noticed before, and he hadn't intended to mention it.
Now that it was exposed in front of everyone, he felt embarrassed.
"New bicycles are so expensive. My family happened to have an old one, so I brought it. A new one or an old one works the same, doesn't it? Why do you mind so much?"
Cheng You narrowed her eyes and glanced at Zhao Lifang's wrist.
"This watch doesn't look new either."
The leather strap was peeling off.
Zhao Lifang's eyes sharpened, and she looked down.
She suddenly looked up at Wen Jiahao. "What's going on!"
They were all second-hand!
She had just been boasting about her 'three rounds and one sound' betrothal gifts, and now it felt like a joke.
Wen Jiahao's expression was impatient. "My sister used to wear this."
"What! You're giving me something belonging to a dead person to wear? Wen Jiahao, you're going too far!"
Wen Jiahao didn't back down. He scoffed, "Do you want it or not? If not, give it back to me."
Whether she had this watch or not, they were still getting married.
Although Zhao Lifang disliked that the items were second-hand, she hadn't considered refusing them.
If she returned them, Wen Jiahao wouldn't buy her new ones.
She looked at Cheng You resentfully. "So what if they're old? You don't even have old ones!"
Cheng You nodded. "That's true, I don't have old ones."
Then, she revealed the watch on her wrist. "But I have a new one, a gift from my boyfriend's sister. What do you think, isn't it beautiful?"
Zhou Yunru chuckled. "So Cheng You, you already had a watch. And here's another new one, you can wear them alternately."
Zhao Lifang's face changed slightly, and she couldn't help but look at Cheng You.
Peering past her, she saw the betrothal gifts placed behind Cheng You.
"What are these!"
Zhou Yunru said deliberately, "Oh dear, I was so busy listening to you that I almost overlooked the groom-to-be. These are the betrothal gifts from the educated youth Qi, who has personally come to propose to Cheng You!"
The people from the educated youth point echoed her words, offering blessings.