Chapter 59 Memories

"Yes, I still have a salary. The organization has reserved a position for me here. As soon as I recover, I can go back to work. I won't be unemployed. Moreover, I earn more than 120 yuan a month now, so I won't let Comrade He suffer. I've never been married before. My family consists of my older brother and sister-in-law, two nephews, and one niece."

I originally had a father, but it was like I didn't have one. My mother had a difficult childbirth and died in less than a year. Before I was born, my father took all the family's money and went abroad, supposedly to study, but he didn't learn anything. He came back and married another woman in Kyoto. Their son was only two months younger than me.

My older brother is twelve years older than me. After my mother passed away, my older brother and sister-in-law raised me. The reason I was so badly injured this time is because my father's son deliberately revealed my whereabouts, causing me to be arrested. My father only wanted what was best for his son and even wanted my older brother to plead for his son's release.

My older brother was so angry that he published a notice in the newspaper severing ties with him. Now my family only consists of my older brother's family. Uncle, I sincerely want to marry Comrade He. You can ask for anything you want.” Lu Zhiheng hurriedly explained his family situation to the old man. His brother had said before that as long as he liked her, that was fine with him.

No, I need to go to the police station in a bit and make a phone call to Lao Zhang.

The old man looked at his daughter, then at his granddaughter. Seeing his daughter nod, he had nothing more to say. Since his daughter had agreed, what else could he say?

"Since that's the case, then you give me a bride price of 688 yuan. That's all. Both the courtyard you live in and the courtyard she lives in are under her name. You can choose one to live in, and consider it my daughter's dowry. I'll register the other courtyard under Weiwei's name. You have to get a marriage certificate with my daughter. I'll need you to take care of me when I'm old. Can you do that?" The old man saw his daughter nod, and he relented. However, the bride price and the marriage certificate were still necessary. Without a marriage certificate, no one would recognize that you were married.

"Okay, thank you, Uncle, thank you." When Lu Zhiheng heard the old man agree, he was so excited that he almost stood up. Fortunately, he remembered that he was injured, otherwise he would have fallen flat on his face if he suddenly stood up.

“Daughter, since you’ve agreed, you two have to live a good life together. Weiwei is a sensible girl. She won’t be living in the same courtyard as you anymore. She’ll go there for breakfast in the morning before going to school. In a few days, I’ll tidy up the place and rent out the courtyard. Then I’ll move in with Weiwei. Also, you need to talk to him about what happened before, otherwise, if any misunderstandings arise later, it will be a loss.” The old man thought that since his daughter was getting married, it was better for the little girl not to live with them, since she was already eleven years old.

It's good that I'll stay here and keep this old man company. I won't stay in this house anymore, since it's mine anyway. We can move in together under Weiwei's name later. It's not safe for an old man to live alone, and it's not safe for a little granddaughter to live alone either. Even though her parents are next door, the old man is still a little worried.

"Alright, I'll do as you say. What do you need to pack? I'll pack for you. You can just move over there. Don't worry about the wine in the cellar; I'll make sure every single bottle is intact before you move over." He Yuping was overjoyed to hear that her father was willing to move in with them.

They could also open a gate in the middle of the yard, which would make it much easier to go back and forth.

"What could an old man like me possibly have to pack? Just clothes and bedding, and the rest of my wine. You have these things, so I won't move them over. Keep them for the people renting the place." Old Man He didn't have much stuff. His daughter had been taking care of his clothes and bedding for the past few years. Many of them were washed and kept at his daughter's place, and she would only bring them over when he needed them.

So moving doesn't need to be complicated; apart from the alcohol, nothing else matters.

"But Dad, what are we going to do since we don't have a cellar? Should we dig one now?" He Yuping suddenly realized that they didn't have a cellar, so how were they going to store her father's wine?

"No need. This place isn't suitable for digging cellars anyway. It's too damp and water will always seep out. I'll find a place to bury these in the ground. We can sell the remaining two big jars when the neighbors come to collect them." Old Man He didn't really want to sell all the wine. After all, grain is different now than before. In the past, it was all privately grown and traded. Now, grain has to be purchased from the grain bureau with grain coupons.

There were only so many food coupons in a month, not even enough to buy enough for our own food, let alone to brew wine, so we didn't brew any.

"I understand. I don't need to go to school this Sunday. Let's move on Sunday." Nowadays, schools have six days of classes, with only Sunday off. The students get a day off, and He Yuping, the librarian, also gets a day off.

"Alright, go back, go back." The old man nodded, saw them out, and then locked the door before returning to his room to rest.

He Yuping pushed Lu Zhiheng all the way home. After entering the courtyard, He Caiwei closed the door and went back inside by herself.

She knew what they were going to say; it was nothing more than what had happened before. She didn't need to listen. She just needed to go back, take a shower, rest, and wait to help the old man move.

He Yuping pushed Lu Zhiheng into the main room. It was already getting dark. She lit a candle before speaking: "Are you really sure you want to marry me? Regardless of my past status?"

"Yes, no matter what your previous identity was, as long as you don't endanger the lives and property of the country, nothing else matters." Lu Zhiheng paused for a moment after hearing this before giving a firm reply.

"My father and I are both from Pingcheng. My father used to work as an accountant for the Qu family, the richest family in Pingcheng. After my mother passed away, my father and I depended on each other for survival. The reason my father went to work as an accountant for the Qu family was because the master of the Qu family paid him a relatively high salary."

Before we went to the Qu family, my father and I were heavily in debt because my mother had been taking medicine for years. In just two years after we went to the Qu family, my father paid off all the debts and even supported my education. For the next ten years or so, my father made a lot of money with the Qu family. Then, when I was 16, my father caught a cold. When I came home from school, I saw his coat was still at home, so I thought I'd go to the Qu family to give him some. That's the day… I was… taken in by Master Qu. No matter how much we resisted, it was useless. My father and I were no match for Master Qu. We had no choice but to enter the Qu household as his third concubine.

I hate him. Every time I see his face, I feel physically nauseous, so I always keep hallucinogens in my room. Whenever he comes to my room, I light some incense. But even so, I still got pregnant. It was that time..." He Yuping didn't know. Even now, when she recalls that night, she still feels like killing someone.