Both Mother Zhang and Father Zhang stood up and nodded at Father Liu's words. The next ti they visited, it would be for the official engagent ceremony.
Father and Mother Liu saw the Zhang couple and Aunt Lin off before returning inside.
After leaving the Liu family's house, Aunt Lin went with the Zhangs to further discuss the details of the wedding ceremony.
By the ti the sun slanted toward the western horizon, Zhang Ermu, Zhang Yulan, and An Xuyuan had finally finished harvesting the wheat field.
Zhang Ermu placed the last sack of wheat onto the bullock cart and asked, "Vice Leader, when will you co to collect the wheat?"
An Xuyuan wiped the sweat from his forehead with a towel and replied, "Brother Zhang, please keep the wheat for for now. I will co to get it in a few days."
After thinking for a mont, he added, "If possible, could you help dry the wheat? I need it for seeds."
Hearing this, Zhang Ermu asked, "Vice Leader, wasn't the wheat seed from the governnt enough?"
"The quantity is sufficient, but the quality is terrible," An Xuyuan sighed.
"Half of the seeds are broken and unusable. As for the rest, even if we plant them, next year's harvest will drop by more than 30% because of the poor seed quality," he added with a deep frown.
Zhang Yulan looked at him in surprise. She had thought that he wanted a share for himself, but it turned out to be for the production team.
After thinking for a mont, Zhang Ermu asked, "Vice Leader, how many seeds do you need for planting?"
An Xuyuan hesitated briefly before replying, "If possible, I would like to replace all the seeds. But my share is barely enough to cover the unusable seeds."
Zhang Ermu considered giving him all the wheat seeds they just harvested in exchange for the broken ones. While broken seeds were worthless for planting, they were still fine for grinding into flour.
Before he could voice his thoughts, Zhang Yulan spoke up, "Brother An, would using all the wheat from this field be enough?"
An Xuyuan was taken aback by her words. She was unwilling to give him more shares before, so why did she suddenly change her mind?
Although he didn't know what she was thinking, he still calculated the amount before he said, "It should be enough. These wheat grains are high quality, and the chances of failed germination are low."
After hearing this, Zhang Yulan nodded and said, "Then just give us the broken seeds, and you can take all of these."
An Xuyuan looked at her in surprise and asked, "Zhang Yulan, are you sure?"
"Well, broken seeds are still the sa when ground into flour, but if we use them for planting, our harvest will suffer next year. My family works hard to earn work points—if the crops fail, we will have nothing to eat next year," Zhang Yulan explained.
Hearing her reasoning, An Xuyuan smiled. He glanced at her slightly awkward expression and found her unexpectedly adorable. Her mouth was tough, but her heart was soft. She really was a good person.
Standing to the side, Zhang Ermu noticed the vice leader's gentle gaze and smiled.
It seed he no longer needed to worry about his sister's marriage. As long as she didn't do anything foolish—like pushing this man away—she would be married by next year.
"Alright, let's do that," An Xuyuan agreed.
With the matter settled, the three of them returned to the Zhang family's house. By the ti they arrived, the sun had already dipped below the horizon.
As they unloaded the sacks from the bullock cart and transported them to the warehouse, they saw Aunt Lin walking out from the house, carrying a small basket.
Seeing them, she approached with a smile and greeted them, "Ermu, Yulan, you are finally back."
"Aunt Lin," the two siblings greeted her in unison.
"Aunt Lin, are you here to discuss my wedding with my parents?" Zhang Ermu asked, his voice tinged with expectations.
Noticing his excitent, Aunt Lin chuckled and replied, "Your parents and I visited Liu Piao's uncle and aunt at noon. We have set the dates for your engagent and wedding."
Zhang Ermu's eyes lit up when he heard this and asked, "Aunt Lin, what are the dates?"
"The engagent will be on August 8th, and the wedding will be on August 13th. Both dates are auspicious, with long favorable ti slots. That way, you and your bride won't have to rush during the wedding," Aunt Lin replied.
Although Zhang Ermu wished he could marry Liu Piao even sooner, he was satisfied with the dates chosen by his parents.
Just two more weeks, and he would be able to stand beside her as her legal husband. The re thought of holding her in his arms as his wife filled him with anticipation and happiness.
While they were chatting, An Xuyuan walked out of the warehouse and overheard their conversation. As he approached, he smiled and said, "Congratulations, Brother Zhang."
Hearing his voice, Aunt Lin turned around with surprise flashing in her eyes. She looked at him and said, "Vice Leader, you are here too."
An Xuyuan nodded and said, "Aunt Lin, it's getting late. How about waiting a mont? I can send you back once I'm done."
Aunt Lin was flattered by his offer and quickly waved her hand, "Vice Leader, there is no need to trouble you. The sky hasn't completely darkened yet—I can go back by myself. But thank you for your kind offer."
Since she declined, An Xuyuan didn't insist. He nodded and simply said, "Alright then. Be careful on the road, Aunt Lin."
Aunt Lin nodded and took her leave. As she stepped out of the yard, she turned her head and caught sight of An Xuyuan stealing a glance at Zhang Yulan secretly.
As an experienced matchmaker, she instantly recognized the look in An Xuyuan's eyes.
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