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Xihai Gu, Ningxia, 1991.

Su Ning suddenly opened his eyes. The blinding sunlight shone in through the window of the mud-brick house, causing him to instinctively raise his hand to shield his eyes.

The sounds of roosters crowing and dogs barking filled my ears, and my nostrils were filled with the scent of earth and hay.

He blinked and looked around...

It turned out to be a simple mud-brick house with a few yellowed New Year pictures pasted on the walls and a tin thermos and several rough porcelain bowls on a wooden table.

"Am I...time traveled again?" Su Ning muttered to himself as a flood of unfamiliar memories suddenly rushed into his mind.

His name is Su Ning. He is the only son of the Su family brick kiln in Xihai Gu. He is 22 years old this year. His parents are considered to be a well-off family with some assets in the local area.

"Ning'er, are you up yet?" Her mother's voice came from outside the door. Then a middle-aged woman wearing a blue cotton jacket pushed the door open and entered, carrying a bowl of steaming mutton soup noodles. "Get up and eat quickly. Your father has something to tell you."

Su Ning took the bowl, his fingers touching his mother's rough palms. The realistic touch convinced him that this was no dream.

He lowered his head and took a sip of the noodle soup. The salty and savory flavor exploded on his tongue. The taste was so real that it couldn't be an illusion.

"Mother, what does Father want to talk to me about?" Su Ning asked tentatively.

“What else could it be? You’re already twenty-two. In the village, people your age already have kids old enough to run errands.” The mother sighed. “Your father asked around for a few girls, and he wants to discuss it with you today.”

Marriage! Suning almost dropped her chopsticks.

He suddenly remembered the TV series "Mountain and Sea Love" that he had stayed up all night watching. He had actually traveled into the world of the show, and the time was 1991, before the story began!
"Mother, I..." Su Ning was about to speak when a name flashed through her mind like lightning...

Li Shuihua! According to the plot, Li Shuihua will soon be "sold" by her father, Li Laoshuan, to An Yongfu of Kushui Village for the price of a donkey and a water cellar.

"No!" Su Ning suddenly stood up, startling her mother.

"What's wrong? Is there a bug in the noodles?" The mother looked at the bowl anxiously.

"No, Mother," Su Ning took a deep breath, "I have someone I love, and I want to marry Li Shuihua!"

"Li Shuihua? That girl of Li Laoshuan from the Li family?" The mother frowned in thought. "Her family is dirt poor, and her father, Li Laoshuan, is a greedy man..."

"I'm going to marry her!" Su Ning said firmly. "If my parents don't agree, I'll never marry her!"

His mother was taken aback by his sudden firmness and hesitated before saying, "This matter needs to be discussed with your father."

Just then, heavy footsteps came from outside the door, and a burly, dark-skinned middle-aged man walked in. It was Su Ning's father in this world, Su Daqiang.

"What are you discussing? I could hear you two arguing from far away," Su Daqiang asked, frowning.

Before his mother could speak, Su Ning declared, "Father, I want to marry Li Shuihua!"

Su Daqiang was taken aback for a moment, then burst into laughter: "You have good taste, kid! That girl from the Li family is the prettiest girl in our village. I heard she even went to school for two years. She's much better than the average girl."

Su Ning was overjoyed that her father agreed so readily, but then she heard him change the subject: "However, her family is so poor that they can't even afford a decent dowry, so this marriage..."

“Father!” Su Ning interrupted her father, “I don’t want a dowry. On the contrary, we can give more betrothal gifts. I know what the Li family lacks—a water cellar and a donkey! Our brick kiln has made a lot of money in the past two years, so we don’t care about these things.”

Su Daqiang squinted at his son: "Why are you suddenly so interested in the Li family girl? You even know what she needs?"

Su Ning's heart skipped a beat, but she explained without showing it, "I've liked Shuihua for a long time, but I haven't told you. I heard that Li Laoshuan is looking for a husband for Shuihua recently, and I'm afraid that if I'm too late, someone else will snatch her away."

Su Daqiang and his wife exchanged a glance, pondered for a moment, and then made a decision: "Alright! Since you're so interested, let's go propose to Li Laoshuan today! I want to see which family in Xihai Gu can match our Su family's dowry!"

……

That afternoon, Su Daqiang, along with Su Ning and several helpers, led two donkeys, carrying five bags of flour and two bolts of floral cloth, and marched in a grand procession toward the Li family.

The villagers they encountered on the road all turned their heads and whispered among themselves.

"Which family is the Su family going to propose marriage to? They're making such a big fuss!"

"I heard it's that Shuihua girl from the Li family..."

"Oh my, the Li family is really lucky this time!"

Suning rode on a donkey, his heart pounding like a drum.

He kept recalling the image of Shuihua in the play...

That resilient and intelligent girl who was tormented by fate.

He secretly resolved that this time he must change her fate.

The Li family was one of the most dilapidated households in the village, with three low mud-brick houses and not even a decent fence around the yard.

Hearing the commotion outside, a thin, middle-aged man rushed out in a panic; it was Li Laoshuan.

"Boss Su... Boss Su? This is..." When Li Laoshuan saw this scene, his eyes widened, especially staring at the two strong donkeys.

Su Daqiang dismounted from the donkey and laughed heartily, "Old Shuan! I'm here today to propose marriage for my Ningwa! I've taken a liking to your Shuihua!"

Upon hearing this, a hint of embarrassment flashed across Li Laoshuan's face: "This... Boss Su, to be honest, the An family from Kushui Village also came to propose marriage yesterday..."

Su Ning's heart tightened; as expected, the An family had already been here!
He hurriedly stepped forward: "Uncle Li, what conditions did the An family offer? Our Su family will double!"

Old Li rubbed his hands together, his eyes darting around: "The An family promised to give us a water cellar and a donkey..."

Before he could finish speaking, Su Daqiang waved his hand and said, "We'll provide five water cellars! Two donkeys! Plus five hundred yuan!"

The villagers who were watching were in an uproar. This dowry was simply astronomical in Xihai Gu!

Li Laoshuan's legs went weak, and he almost sat down on the ground.

"Really...really? Boss Su isn't joking?" Old Li's voice trembled.

Su Ning stepped forward and said sincerely, "Uncle Li, I truly love Shuihua and will definitely treat her well. If you agree, we'll start digging the water cellar tomorrow, and the donkey will stay today."

Old Li swallowed hard, then suddenly turned and shouted into the house, "Shuihua! Shuihua! Come out quickly!"

A moment later, a girl wearing patched clothes appeared timidly at the door.

Suning's breath hitched...

Even in her worn-out clothes, her delicate features were still evident.

Shuihua's eyes were large and bright, like two clear springs. Her skin was slightly rough from years of exposure to wind and sun, but it had a healthy rosy glow.

“Father…” Shuihua lowered her head, her voice barely audible.

"Come here quickly! This is the young master of the Su family, he's taken a liking to you!" Old Li pulled his daughter over. "The dowry the Su family gave is enough for our family to live on for three years! You'd better hurry..."

"Uncle Li!" Su Ning suddenly interrupted him, "Can I speak with Shui Hua alone for a few minutes?"

Li Laoshuan paused for a moment, looked at Su Daqiang, and seeing the other nod, reluctantly said, "Okay...okay, don't go too far."

Su Ning walked up to Shui Hua and found that she was almost a head shorter than him, and her thin body was trembling slightly.

He said softly, "Shuihua, shall we go over there and talk?"

Shuihua glanced up at him quickly, then lowered her head again and nodded almost imperceptibly.

The two walked to the old elm tree by the edge of the yard, away from the crowd of onlookers.

Su Ning took a deep breath and got straight to the point: "Shuihua, I know you don't know me and may not want to marry me. But I swear, if you agree to this marriage, I will never force you to do anything."

Shuihua looked up in surprise, her eyes full of confusion.

In Xihai Gu, it is rare for a man to speak to his future wife in this way.

"I...I don't understand..." Shuihua's voice was so soft it was almost inaudible, "The Su family is so rich, why would they want to marry me?"

Looking into her clear eyes, Su Ning said earnestly, "Because I admire your intelligence and strength. I know you're educated, can do accounting, and can sing... I know all of that."

Shuihua's eyes widened in shock: "You... how could you..."

“I also know that you don’t want to marry An Yongfu.” Su Ning looked directly into her eyes. “If you marry me, I promise to let you continue your studies, and I will support whatever you want to do.”

Shuihua's eyes suddenly reddened. She bit her lip and after a long while asked, "Why are you so good to me?"

“Because…” Su Ning almost blurted out the truth, but quickly changed her mind, “Because I think you deserve to be treated well.”

In the distance, Li Laoshuan was already getting impatient: "Are you done talking? It's getting dark!"

Su Ning finally asked, "Shui Hua, are you willing to marry me? If not, I'll take my father away right now."

Shuihua lowered her head and remained silent for a long time before finally whispering, "I...I do."

A surge of joy welled up in Su Ning's heart, but he forced himself to remain calm: "Really? It's not because your father forced you?"

Shuihua shook her head, her voice firmer this time: "The An family only treats me as a laborer, but you... you treat me as a human being."

And so, in the afterglow of the setting sun, the fates of the two young people became inextricably linked.

Suning knew that this was only the first step in changing the fate of Shuihua, and that the road ahead was still long, but he had already taken the most important step.

That night, the Su family held a grand banquet to celebrate the marriage, and for the first time ever, the Li family's house was filled with the aroma of meat.

Shuihua sat on her own kang (heated brick bed), touching the new clothes sent by the Su family, her heart filled with mixed emotions.

She didn't know why this suddenly appearing young master of the Su family knew so much about her, but she vaguely sensed that her life was about to undergo a dramatic change.

...On the morning of the second day after the engagement, Su Ning was awakened by urgent knocking on the door outside the courtyard.

"Suning! Open the door! Something's happened!" a strange male voice shouted from outside the door.

Su Ning jumped up, hurriedly put on her clothes, and ran to open the door.

A young man with an anxious face stood outside the door; he was one of the helpers who had gone to the Li family's house yesterday.

"What's going on?" An ominous premonition welled up in Su Ning's heart.

"A large group of people from Kushui Village have surrounded the Li family! They say that Li Laoshuan accepted their betrothal gifts but didn't return them, and now they want an explanation! Village Chief Ma has already taken people there and asked me to come and get you right away!"

Suning's heart sank—that greedy Li Laoshuan actually wanted to have his cake and eat it too!

He ran back to the house in a few quick steps, pulled a cloth bag from under the kang mat, inside which was his savings accumulated over the years.

"Let's go!" Su Ning rushed out of the yard with the helper, grabbed the donkey, and headed towards the Li family's house.

From afar, a large crowd of people could be seen gathered in front of the Li family's house.

The two groups faced off, the air thick with tension.

At least twenty young men arrived in Kushui Village, carrying hoes, shovels and other farm tools. The An family, who were leading the group, had angry expressions on their faces.

The men of the village, led by Ma Hanshui, stood in front to prevent the conflict from escalating.

"That shameless Li Laoshuan! He took our An family's donkey and water cellar, and then turned around and betrothed his daughter to someone else!" A dark-skinned, burly middle-aged man roared. He was An Yongfu's father, An Dajiao.

"That's right! Today, either we refund your money or you hand over the person!" The people of Kushui Village echoed in unison, their voices intimidating.

Li Laoshuan hid behind Ma Hanshui, his face pale, his lips trembling as he couldn't speak.

Shuihua was protected by several village women, her thin body trembling slightly, her eyes filled with tears.

"Quiet down, everyone!" Ma Hanshui shouted, raising his pipe. "Li Laoshuan did something dishonorable, and our village will not cover it up!"

He turned around and grabbed Li Laoshuan by the collar: "Laoshuan, you better explain yourself, have you returned the betrothal gifts to the An family?"

Li Laoshuan stammered, "I...I just haven't had time yet..."

"Bullshit!" Ma Hanshui glared angrily. "What did you say yesterday when the Su family proposed marriage? Didn't you agree to return the An family's betrothal gifts? Aren't you deliberately trying to have your cake and eat it too?"

The villagers who were watching were in an uproar, and some of them started cursing Li Laoshuan for being shameless.

Li Laoshuan hunched his neck, looking just like a rat crossing the street.

Ma Hanshui turned to An Dajiao, clasped his hands in a fist and fist salute: "Brother An, it was our village's fault in this matter. Don't worry, the betrothal gifts must be returned today. If Li Laoshuan can't come up with the money, our village will pool our resources to give you an explanation!"

An Dajiao's expression softened slightly, but she remained relentless: "Village Chief Ma, it's not that I'm disrespecting you. This Li Laoshuan is bullying us too much! Although our An family is poor, we are not to be trifled with!"

Just then, Su Ning squeezed through the crowd and shouted, "Uncle An! I'll handle this!"

All eyes turned to the young man who had suddenly appeared.

Shuihua looked up and a complex emotion flashed in her eyes the moment she saw Su Ning.

Ma Hanshui breathed a sigh of relief: "Ningwazi is here. These young people can easily discuss this matter."

Su Ning walked up to An Dajiao and bowed deeply: "Uncle An, we were in the wrong. Uncle Li was confused for a moment, please forgive us."

As he spoke, he took out the cloth bag from his pocket and presented it with both hands: "Here is two hundred yuan, to be returned to your family as double the betrothal gifts. In addition, our Su family will also give two new water cellars to Kushui Village as an apology."

The crowd immediately exploded.

Two hundred yuan! Two new water cellars!

This was an astronomical figure in Xihai Gu in 1991!

An Dajiao was stunned; he hadn't expected this young man to be so generous.

“This…” An Dajiao took the cloth bag, opened it, and saw that it contained a stack of brand-new banknotes.

The anger on his face gradually faded, replaced by an expression of disbelief.

"Uncle An, do you think this solution is acceptable?" Su Ning asked sincerely. "I know Brother Yongfu is a good man, and we are the ones who have wronged him. I will personally visit him to apologize another day."

An Dajiao stared at Su Ning for a long time, then suddenly sighed, "Fine! Fine! Su family boy, you're a sensible person. Let's just let this matter go!"

He turned and waved to the people of Kushui Village: "Disperse! The Su family has given an explanation, so let's not be unreasonable!"

The people of Kushui Village whispered among themselves, but since the person in charge had said so, they had no choice but to leave.

Before leaving, An Dajiao patted Su Ning on the shoulder: "Kid, you're much better than Li Laoshuan. Shuihua is lucky to have followed you."

The crisis was averted, and the villagers who had been watching gradually dispersed.

Ma Hanshui shook his head, tossed Li Laoshuan a "Take care of yourself" and left with the villagers.

In the blink of an eye, only Su Ning, the trembling Li Laoshuan, and Shui Hua, who stood frozen in place, remained in front of the Li family's gate.

Su Ning walked up to Li Laoshuan, suppressing his anger: "Uncle Li, what you did was really unfair. If it weren't for Shui Hua's sake, I really wouldn't want to get involved."

Li Laoshuan chuckled awkwardly, but his eyes kept glancing at Su Ning's pocket: "Um... Ning boy, that two hundred yuan..."

“I will deduct the money from your betrothal gifts,” Su Ning said coldly. “The five water cellars will be reduced to three, and the two donkeys will be reduced to one. The rest will be given to me after Shuihua and I get married.”

Li Laoshuan's face immediately fell, but knowing he was in the wrong, he could only nod sheepishly.

At this moment, Shuihua, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke up: "Dad, please come inside first. I have something to say to Brother Ning."

Li Laoshuan glanced at his daughter, then at Su Ning, and muttered as he went into the house.

Only the two of them remained in the courtyard, an awkward silence filling the air.

Shuihua lowered her head, her fingers twisting the hem of her clothes.

Sunlight filtered through the branches and leaves of the old elm tree, casting dappled shadows on her face.

"Thank you." After a long silence, Shuihua said softly, her voice slightly choked. "If it weren't for you, I don't know what would have happened today."

Su Ning looked at her slightly trembling shoulders and her heart softened: "This isn't your fault, it's your father's fault..."

“I know what kind of person my father is.” Shuihua raised her head, tears glistening in her eyes. “From childhood to adulthood, all he cared about was money. My mother passed away early, and he treated me like a burden, wishing he could get rid of me as soon as possible.”

A tear slid down her cheek. Su Ning subconsciously reached out to wipe it away, but then felt it was too abrupt, and her hand stopped in mid-air.

"Why did you help me?" Shuihua suddenly asked. "We're complete strangers, yet you spent so much money on me..."

Su Ning withdrew her hand and said seriously, "Because I like you and don't want to see you suffer."

"Like?" Shuihua gave a bitter smile. "You don't even know what kind of person I am, so how can you say you like me? It's just because I'm decent-looking."

“No, I know you.” Su Ning blurted out, “I know you like to sing, and your favorite song is ‘Why Are the Flowers So Red’; I know you secretly learned to read from the children in the village who had gone to school; I also know that during last year’s drought, you saved your own ration of food to give to the neighbor’s child…”

Shuihua stared wide-eyed in shock: "You...how do you know all this?"

Su Ning then realized she had let something slip and quickly tried to cover it up: "I've been watching you for a while now, and I've asked around in the village."

Shuihua was skeptical, but the wariness in her eyes noticeably lessened.

She said softly, "Anyway, thank you for today. As for the two hundred yuan... I'll find a way to pay you back."

“No need to return it.” Su Ning shook her head. “Consider it my betrothal gift to you.”

“That’s different,” Shuihua said stubbornly. “That was compensation you gave to the An family on behalf of my father, not something I deserve.”

"Then have more sons for me."

“You…” Li Shuihua immediately blushed with embarrassment.

Looking at her stubborn expression, Su Ning felt even more pity for her.

This is Shuihua; even in dire straits, she refuses to owe favors and has her own integrity and principles.

For the first time, a genuine smile appeared on Shuihua's face, like a wildflower blooming tenaciously in a drought; though not particularly beautiful, it possessed a breathtaking vitality.

"Brother Ning, I'm waiting for you to come and marry me." She whispered, then slipped into the house.

"..."

Su Ning stood there, gazing in the direction she had disappeared, her heart filled with mixed emotions.

He knew that although today's incident had cost him money, it had earned him Shuihua's initial trust.

In this world of scarcity, some things are more precious than money.

In the distance, several young people from the village peeked over, their eyes filled with curiosity and envy.

Su Ning smiled at them and walked towards Ma Hanshui's house.

He still has a lot to do—build water cellars, plan his wedding, and plan for the future…

Most importantly, he wanted Shuihua to know that choosing him would be a decision she would never regret, and that he would definitely make her the happiest woman in Xihai Gu.

...(End of chapter)