In the small fishing village where she had once lived, quite a few sent-down youths had come before.
Some of them, realizing there was no hope of returning to the city, chose to stay behind, marry, and have children.
Later, when the college entrance examination was reinstated, Shen Man had seen with her own eyes how a man in the village—supposedly the most devoted husband—locked his wife inside the house to keep her from taking the exam, afraid that if she got into university, she would leave him.
If his wife got into college, he might lose both his wife and his family.
But if she failed, then though her future would be ruined, at least their family could remain together and continue living as they had.
Which choice served him better was a glaring testament to human nature.
If you ascend beyond my reach, then rather than let you go, I’d rather drag you down with me.
Shen Man had only been worried that Yan Yuan might be the same.
Fortunately, he wasn’t.
Of course, Yan Yuan had some dark thoughts of his own. But stopping Linlin from continuing her education? That would be beneath him.
There was an old Yiddish proverb:
Three things can’t be hidden: coughing, poverty, and love.
Shen Man had seen through Yan Yuan’s feelings, yet Jiang Chengzhou, living under the same roof, remained completely oblivious.
Linlin noticed it before Jiang Chengzhou did.
Jiang Chengzhou had gone inland to deliver goods. Delayed on the road, he called to say he would not be back for another two days.
That evening, when Linlin got out of school, Yan Yuan went to pick her up.
With Jiang Chengzhou away, the two of them suddenly had no idea what to say to each other.
They walked home in silence.
They were renting a private house. The stairwell was pitch-black, and as they reached the turn on the second floor, a shadow suddenly sprang out from the adjacent stairway, carrying a sharp, reeking stench of alcohol.
Linlin cried out and instinctively stepped back.
Yan Yuan caught her from behind. With one arm, he drew her entirely into his embrace; with the other, he seized the drunkard by the shoulder and shoved him toward the wall.
The drunk muttered an unintelligible curse, swayed, then staggered downstairs with one hand braced against the wall.
Not until they reached the third floor, when Yan Yuan reached into his pocket for the key, did they realize they were still in the same position.
Linlin gave a little shudder and quickly stepped out of his arms.
Yan Yuan withdrew his hand and unlocked the door.
When things went wrong, they never went wrong just once.
The light in the apartment was broken.
Yan Yuan checked it with a flashlight and found that the fuse had blown.
He knew how to replace it, but there was no fuse wire at home, and all the shops outside had already closed.
“We won’t be able to fix it tonight. Take the flashlight and go wash up. I’ll keep watch outside.”
Linlin took the flashlight, pretending to be calm, and went into the bathroom.
When she came out, Yan Yuan was sitting on the sofa with his eyes closed, resting. Hearing her, he opened them.
“Once you’re done, get some sleep.”
“Mm.” Linlin paused. “Brother Yuan, why aren’t you going to bed?”
“I’m not sleepy. I’m worried that drunk might come back and cause trouble. I’ll sleep in the living room tonight.”
The place was not in very good condition.
The door was old-fashioned too, creaking whenever it moved, with poor soundproofing.
The man sat in a chair, his long legs taking up most of the living room.
Linlin hesitated in the doorway to her room for a moment, then walked over to stand before him.
Yan Yuan was still awake. He lifted his eyes to look at her.
There was no light in the room, only the faint beam of the flashlight cast against the ceiling.
In the instant their eyes met, everything seemed to fall into an ancient, timeless silence.
Linlin’s heart raced. “Um... actually, I’m not scared.”
A smile flickered in Yan Yuan’s deep, dark eyes. “I know.”
He tipped up his chin. “If you can’t sleep, keep me company for a while.”
Linlin pressed her lips together and sat down in the chair beside him.
The atmosphere was a little awkward. Twisting her fingers together, Linlin tried to break the silence as quickly as possible. “Brother Yuan, I’ve caused you so much trouble. Thank you for always helping me.”
Yan Yuan smiled. “No need to thank me. I did it willingly. It’s not like I help just anyone.”
Linlin gave an awkward little laugh.
Yan Yuan watched her leisurely. He had a cool, distant air about him, and his faintly amused expression somehow carried a hint of tenderness.
Linlin’s heart skipped a beat. She suddenly realized something was wrong.
Her first reaction was:
“No. I need to go to school!”
Yan Yuan lifted an eyebrow. “Did I say anything?”
Linlin was not one to lose her temper, yet somehow he had managed to make her angry.
He hadn’t said anything, but why was he looking at her like that?
Yan Yuan chuckled softly. “All right, my fault. I like you.”
This time, Linlin choked on her words. After a long pause, she said, “I need to go to school.”
“You go to school. I’ll go on liking you.”
What a rogue!
How was he even more shameless than her brother?
Yan Yuan had always seemed dependable and steady in Linlin’s eyes. Now that image had been completely overturned.
Linlin wanted to run away, but her legs would not move.
She couldn’t quite figure out what she felt for Yan Yuan. But after her brother, Yan Yuan was the second person who had ever treated her so well.
On impulse, she couldn’t bear to say anything hurtful to him.
“What do you like about me? That I’m pretty?”
Yan Yuan lowered his head and quickly wiped his sweaty palm against his trousers. “I won’t deny that it’s part of the reason.”
“How shallow,” Linlin shot back.
Yan Yuan gave a faint smile and raised a hand to cover his eyes. “Maybe. But it’s not something I can control.”
Linlin fell silent.
Yan Yuan sighed, leaning slightly toward her. “Let me tell you one more thing today: no matter who confesses their feelings to you, you have the right to accept or reject them.”
Linlin’s mind buzzed. She suddenly shoved Yan Yuan’s shoulder, spun around, and ran back to her room. With a click, she locked the door behind her.
Yan Yuan sat in his chair, rubbing his forehead with a wry smile.
The next day, they tacitly pretended that nothing had happened. They ate, ran their stall, and went to school as usual.
But Linlin now had someone she could confide in. She told Shen Man about it.
Shen Man had originally thought Yan Yuan at least knew his place—having a secret crush was one thing, but he had actually dared to say it out loud. She was so furious that she spent the entire morning at the shop cursing Yan Yuan for his wolfish ambitions.
“You can’t keep living with them. Move in with me. You can stay at my place!”
Linlin shook her head.
Shen Man glared at her. “Why not?”
Linlin looked toward the other side of the window. “I don’t mind it.”
Linlin disliked men—everyone except her brother.
She had moved out of the Zhou family home several months ago. Now she dared to show her face in public again, and she had gone back to school.
There were boys in her class who approached her. Linlin would be afraid of them; sometimes, they even made her feel sick.
She hated it when people liked her.
But she didn’t hate that Yan Yuan liked her.
Shen Man pinched her cheek in exasperation. “You fool. How can you fall for a man’s tricks so easily?!”
Linlin pursed her lips and gave her a sweet smile.
Shen Man couldn’t wait any longer. Limping on her bad leg, she went across the street. “Yan Yuan, Linlin needs to go to college.”
“I know.”
“You’re not good enough for her!”
Yan Yuan raised his eyes to meet hers. “I’ll work hard until I am good enough for her. And this is none of your business.”
If she wanted to fly, then let her fly—let her soar as high as she could. He would always be there to support her, as long as she was willing.
Shen Man was furious. She glared at Linlin, who had followed her over. “Tell your brother to come see me as soon as he gets home. I have something important to discuss with him.”
Linlin nodded nervously.
Yan Yuan had a headache too. Given Jiang Chengzhou’s personality, once he found out that Yan Yuan had confessed to Linlin, there was no telling what kind of scene he would make.
On the day Jiang Chengzhou went to see Shen Man, the two of them sat anxiously at home, as though waiting to hear a verdict.
At last, Jiang Chengzhou came back. His expression was complicated and dazed.
Linlin rose from her stool. “Brother, what did Sister Man say?”
Jiang Chengzhou spoke slowly. “She told me to marry into her family.”
Linlin: “!!!”
Yan Yuan: “...”
After a moment of silence, Jiang Chengzhou added, “She told me not to forget to bring my dowry.”
“What dowry?” Linlin blurted out.
Jiang Chengzhou looked at her with a complicated expression.
“You.”
