That family also worked at a textile factory. His father and my father weren’t in the same department, but his mother and my mother worked on the same team. That person himself worked at a machinery factory as a team leader.
Brother Xu’s face immediately tightened, a flicker of inferiority flashing in his eyes. He forced a smile and said, “That’s… good.”
“What? I think his family’s conditions are pretty good,” Brother Xu added, trying hard to suppress the unease in his heart.
Qiuye shook her head. “But I don’t like him.”
Brother Xu was taken aback, curiosity flashing in his eyes. “Then… who do you like?”
Qiuye didn’t answer. She just looked steadily at Brother Xu.
Brother Xu stared back at her, feeling his palms grow hot and sweaty. His heart beat faster with an inexplicable fear. “Why aren’t you saying anything?”
Suddenly, Qiuye glared at him, shoved a folded note into his hand, then hurriedly pushed her bicycle and ran away.
“Qiuye! You haven’t told me yet!” Brother Xu shouted anxiously after her. He liked Qiuye—always had—but he’d never dared to hope he could marry her.
He’d selfishly thought that if she stayed single for too long, if no one wanted her, maybe he’d propose then. He figured she’d eventually settle for him when there were no other options.
But now, hearing someone was matchmaking for her, a wave of panic and loss washed over him. He’d originally wanted to ask who she liked so he could “size up the competition.”
But she’d run off without saying a word, leaving him more uneasy than ever.
Just then, Xu Ying walked over with Shitou and Huzi, noticing her second brother’s gloomy expression. “Second Brother, did Sister Qiuye leave already? What did she come to see you for?”
Did I guess wrong? Does Sister Qiuye not like Second Brother after all?
Brother Xu nodded listlessly. “She left… she said someone arranged a marriage for her.”
Xu Ying’s expression shifted slightly. “She came all this way just to tell you that? What else did she say?”
“She said she doesn’t like that guy. I asked her who she does like, but she wouldn’t say. Then she handed me this and left.” Brother Xu held up the note, his eyes full of sadness, looking utterly defeated.
Xu Ying was speechless. She nearly wanted to scold him. Seriously? Asking straight out like that who she liked? No wonder she didn’t answer!
No doubt about it—Xu Ying was certain Sister Qiuye liked her second brother. Otherwise, why would she have confided in him at all?
Xu Ying held out her hand. “Second Brother, let me see.”
Brother Xu immediately shook his head. “No way.” This was Qiuye’s letter to him. No one else could read it—not even his own sister.
Xu Ying rolled her eyes. “Then hurry up and open it yourself! Maybe she wanted to tell you something important but was too shy to say it out loud. If you won’t read it, hand it to me already!”
Brother Xu panicked at that. He quickly unfolded the note—and the moment his eyes fell on the big, bold words, he jumped up in excitement.
“Qiuye! Oh, Qiuye! Little sister, I’m taking the day off tomorrow—I’ve got to go see Qiuye!”
Xu Ying was curious about what was written, but seeing her second brother grinning like a fool, as if he’d just swallowed a mouthful of honey, she could guess it was something good.
“Second Uncle, what did Aunt Qiuye write?” Shitou tilted his head, full of curiosity.
Brother Xu scratched his head shyly. “This isn’t something kids should ask about. I’m heading home!”
With that, he ran off in a hurry.
Xu Ying returned home with Shitou and Huzi in tow.
The next day, she didn’t know what Second Brother had said to their father, but Xu’s father actually agreed to let him take the day off. Even Xu’s mother, who usually scolded him, didn’t say a word of complaint. Instead, for the first time ever, she said:
“Second Brother, your sister’s friend got her a bicycle coupon the other day. If we don’t use it soon, it’ll expire. Go to the supply and marketing cooperative in town, see if you can buy a bicycle. It’ll be easier for us to get around from now on.
Take this fabric coupon too, and buy some material while you’re at it. When you come back, I’ll make you some new clothes.”
Brother Xu’s clothes were hand-me-downs from his older brother, and those had originally been hand-me-downs from their father. Over time, they’d worn thin and patched up so many times they were practically falling apart. Brother Xu had grown taller than his brother, so his sleeves and pant legs were embarrassingly short, leaving him half-exposed.
Yet Second Brother Xu never complained. He knew exactly how hard life was for their family.
He took the money and coupons with a bright smile and set off happily.
Their mother, who’d initially refused to let him take the day off, had even smacked him with her shoe when he asked. But the moment she heard he was going to see Qiuye, her whole attitude changed. She smiled, dug into her pocket, and pressed some money into his hand.
“Second Brother, don’t be stingy with Qiuye. Take this money and treat her to a good meal. Chasing girls takes skill—you’ve got to be willing to spend a little to make them happy.”
Second Brother Xu rubbed the spot on his head where she’d hit him, secretly marveling at how fast his mother’s attitude had flipped.
“Okay, Mom. Got it. I’m heading out then.”
Mother Xu beamed as she watched him leave, then turned back inside and spoke seriously to Xu Jianguo:
“Jianguo, do you think our second boy can really marry that Xu Renguo’s daughter?”
Xu Jianguo forced a dry laugh, his smile faint and hesitant. “Our second son’s a good kid, but we can’t really compare with Ren Guo’s family…”
Xu Renguo worked as an accountant at the town’s textile factory, and his wife was also a worker there. Qiuye herself worked at the supply and marketing cooperative. Their family was solidly urban and well-off.
And their family? Just poor farmers. How could they ever reach a family like Xu Renguo’s?
Mother Xu, however, wasn’t convinced. Her eldest son had married a county worker’s daughter—her second son wasn’t bad either! Surely he could pull it off too.
Xu Ying smiled knowingly at their father. “Dad, I think Second Brother really can do it.”
She didn’t say this because she believed Qiuye liked her second brother. She said it because—well—she had a plan.
Father Xu was startled by her confidence. “You think so? But your second brother doesn’t even have a job. That family won’t go for it.”
“What if Second Brother had a job?” Xu Ying asked.
Father Xu chuckled. “Girl, jobs aren’t that easy to get. If they were, why would so many people still be stuck working the fields?”
Xu Ying wasn’t joking. She stepped closer and whispered, “Dad, I heard the commune’s going to recruit elementary school teachers. I think Second Brother could apply.”
Her second brother hadn’t gone to high school—not because he wasn’t smart enough, but because a cousin had been in a car accident and the family needed money. Not wanting to be a burden, he’d quit school.
He might not teach middle school well, but elementary? He’d manage just fine.
Father Xu stared at her in surprise. “Where’d you hear that?”
The commune had discussed the idea, but nothing had been announced yet. He hadn’t told anyone. How did this little girl know?
Xu Ying grinned sheepishly. “I overheard you talking about it with the commune leaders last time.”
She hadn’t wanted to admit it, but if she didn’t say it, her father probably wouldn’t think to put his own son forward.