Transmigrating into a Book in the 80s: After Giving Up, I Was Pampered by a Rough Man

Aunt Li's words nearly scared Lu Ansheng out of his wits.

"Now...now?"

"They said the sooner the better!" Aunt Li said, panting, and slapped her thigh.

"The man's father said that the man should bring the matchmaker to visit and get to know him first."

Lu Ansheng's lips moved, but he couldn't say anything for a long time.

"What's the panic?"

Jiang Mian remained calm and slowly ate a preserved plum.

"Give us a heads-up, we'll go tomorrow morning."

She looked up at Aunt Li and said, "Auntie, could you and Aunt Zhang help me prepare some things tonight? We'll leave first thing tomorrow morning."

Aunt Li immediately perked up, "Mian'er, what specifications do you need?"

Jiang Mian smiled. "The highest standard."

Aunt Li slapped her thigh, and her voice instantly became three octaves louder.

"Alright! Leave it to me and Lao Zhang, we'll make sure it's done perfectly!"

……

That night, Lu Ansheng tossed and turned until dawn.

The household registration booklet was pressed under the pillow.

He would touch it every now and then to make sure it was still there.

At four in the morning, he couldn't lie still any longer and sat up.

I fetched a basin of cold water in the dark and scrubbed myself three times from head to toe.

Then open the simple wooden cabinet.

Hanging inside was a modified Zhongshan suit from the Oriental Splendor series, which Jiang Mian had asked him to pick out from the samples last time, saying it was for the manager to make a good impression.

The fabric is light gray jacquard, and the buttons are neatly stitched, giving it a dignified and presentable appearance.

Lu Ansheng had never been willing to wear it.

Today, he wore...

He put on his clothes and looked at himself through the window.

His shoulders are broad and his back is straight; he's a completely different person from the cowherd covered in mud.

Lu Ansheng looked at the young man in the glass and read it aloud.

"Lu Ansheng".

……

At 6:30 in the morning, Aunt Zhang and Aunt Li had already prepared everything.

Jiang Mian stood in the courtyard, inspecting each item one by one.

Two packs of Peony cigarettes.

"Four bottles of Fenjiu liquor."

"Eight catties of imported wedding candy brought back from Hong Kong Island."

"Two bolts of high-quality fabric directly from the textile factory."

Aunt Zhang patted the two bolts of cloth and smiled from ear to ear.

"Cotton Girl, you can't buy these two bolts of fabric at the county supply and marketing cooperative."

"It was Director Wang who personally handed it to me after hearing about it. It's soft and feels comfortable to touch."

Jiang Mian nodded. "That's respectable enough."

She turned to look at Lu Ansheng, who was standing at the bottom of the steps.

The boy cleaned himself up neatly, rinsed his hair with water, and polished his shoes until they shone.

He was holding a red paper packet in his hand, inside which were 388 yuan that he had saved up.

"Sister-in-law," Lu Ansheng's voice was a little tight, "Do I have enough money? Should I get some more?"

"Three hundred and eighty-eight is quite generous in our county."

Jiang Mian raised her hand to gather the stray hairs that had been blown about by the wind.

"The most important thing is that you earned this money penny by penny."

Lu Ansheng's eyes welled up with tears, and he quickly lowered his head, stuffing the red envelope even tighter into his inner pocket.

Lu Ting came out of the house, carrying his car keys.

Today he also changed into a neat dark Zhongshan suit, with the cuffs buttoned up meticulously.

Standing there at 1.9 meters tall, he exudes an imposing presence.

"Let's go."

He opened the door of the Land Rover, first helping Jiang Mian into the passenger seat, then going around to the back to settle Aunt Zhang and Aunt Li in.

Lu Ansheng, holding the stack of betrothal gifts, sat properly in the last row, not daring to breathe loudly.

The Land Rover started, its engine producing a deep, powerful sound, and drove out of the village onto the cement road.

Aunt Zhang sat in the back row, looking around and sighing with admiration.

"I've lived most of my life, and this is the first time I've ever ridden in such a grand car to propose marriage."

Aunt Li gave her a push, "Keep your voice down. We're proper matchmakers, we need to be composed."

Aunt Zhang puffed out her chest. "Of course! I'm wearing our traditional Eastern attire today, I look quite presentable!"

Jiang Mian glanced at Lu Ansheng, who was huddled in the back seat, in the rearview mirror and couldn't help but laugh.

"An Sheng, relax a bit, or your palms will get sweaty and you'll crumple up the red envelope."

Lu Ansheng quickly let go and then took out the red envelope to check it again.

The paper wasn't wrinkled.

He let out a long sigh of relief.

……

Osmanthus Lane in the county town.

The Range Rover is so wide that it can barely pass through the alley entrance, but it gets stuck after driving in for twenty meters.

Lu Ting simply stopped the car at the alley entrance, turned off the engine, and got out.

The silver-gray body gleamed dazzlingly in the morning light.

These days, the roads in the county town are full of old-fashioned bicycles and handcarts. Suddenly, this huge vehicle appeared, like a bomb had been dropped on it.

"Hey, whose car is this?"

"It looks even more luxurious than the county government's jeep!"

"With this kind of extravagance, it must be some kind of big celebration!"

Half the people in the alley poked their heads out.

Lu Ting ignored those stares.

The alleyway smelled of fried dough sticks, coal smoke, and the mixed smell of sweat from the crowd.

He frowned almost imperceptibly between his brows, quickly suppressing the churning in his stomach, and first went around to the passenger side to help Jiang Mian out of the car.

"Slower."

Jiang Mian held his hand and let go only after he had a firm footing.

Lu Ting then went to the trunk to retrieve the betrothal gifts.

Aunt Zhang and Aunt Li had already prepared the red lacquered wooden tray.

Two packs of Peony cigarettes were placed on top, four bottles of Fenjiu liquor were tied with red rope, wedding candies were packed in a tin box printed with a big red "double happiness" character, and two bolts of cloth were neatly tied with red ribbons.

The four trays were full, all red, and looked incredibly festive.

Lu Ting carried a plate of wine, Lu Ansheng held candy and cigarettes, and Aunt Zhang and Aunt Li each carried a plate of fabric.

Jiang Mian walked at the front, her steps neither hurried nor slow.

As soon as he came out, the chatter on both sides of the alley grew even louder.

"What kind of man would be so willing to do that?"

"Is that young man the groom? He looks very smart!"

"Who's that girl up ahead? So young, yet so imposing."

The sounds of chattering came from both ends of the alley.

Lu Ansheng's ears were burning red, but his back was ramrod straight.

Today his surname is Lu.

Today he has his brother and sister-in-law backing him up.

He couldn't let himself lose face, and he certainly couldn't let Lin Xiaoxue lose face.

The gate to the Lin family's courtyard was ajar.

Water had just been splashed on the threshold, and teacups were already set out in the main room.

The three brick houses were kept clean and tidy, with two pots of euphorbia lush and green on the windowsill, and honeycomb briquettes neatly stacked in the corner.

The dignity of a respectable working-class family can be seen in the details.

Aunt Li stepped forward and knocked on the door, her voice clear and resonant.

"Are Brother and Sister-in-law Lin here? I'm Aunt Li from Hongxing Brigade. I've brought the groom's family to pay a visit today!"

The door opened quickly from the inside.

Lin's father was in his early fifties, wearing blue overalls and with his hair neatly combed.

He glanced at the setup at the door, his gaze lingering on the four betrothal gifts for a couple of seconds before settling on Lu Ansheng.

"Come in and sit down."

Lin's mother was wearing a floral apron, and her hands still had a little flour on them, so she was obviously preparing some snacks.

She was clearly taken aback when she saw Jiang Mian.

too young.

But her composure was unlike that of an ordinary village girl.

"Please come in, please come in." Lin's mother quickly ushered her inside.