Zhang Yulan shook her head and replied, "He didn't, but he insisted on going to the mountain with . That's how he found out about my mushroom spots and the wheat field."
"So that's how he got the wheat seeds. It seems he treats you differently," Liu Piao said thoughtfully.
Rolling her eyes, Zhang Yulan said, "Sister-in-law, what nonsense are you saying? You don't know how annoying he was."
"I told him I could go to the mountain on my own, but he said if I went without him, he would deduct my work points. So, it's not that he treats differently. He just wants to help him find more wheat seeds."
Just as Liu Piao opened her mouth to respond, she glanced to the side and saw that An Xuyuan was actually standing behind the wall, quietly listening to their conversation.
At that mont, sothing clicked in her mind. The corner of her lips lifted, and with a sly smile, she said, "Yulan, I heard from your brother that he is looking for a marriage prospect for you. Do you have any criteria for your future husband?"
"Sister-in-law, why are you suddenly asking about that?" Zhang Yulan asked curiously.
"I know people from the city. If your criteria match, I can introduce soone with good prospects," Liu Piao offered with a smile.
Zhang Yulan thought for a mont and said, "I don't have many requirents. As long as he is willing to work hard and treat and my family well, I'm willing to marry him."
"If he is not good-looking, are you still willing?" Liu Piao teased.
Zhang Yulan let out a sigh and said, "Sister-in-law, handso n are hard to handle. So many won will like him. What if he changes his heart when he ets soone better than ?"
"Rather than worrying about my husband being seduced, it's better to find an average-looking man. Besides , no one would want to marry him. This way, the problem is solved at the root," she added with a laugh.
Seeing how casually her sister-in-law spoke, Liu Piao chuckled and said, "You ah, you are still young and haven't found soone you like yet. When your heart is moved, it won't be as simple as you say."
"Sister-in-law, I'm already eighteen. Next year I will be nineteen. By then, people will start calling a leftover woman. I'm not that young anymore," Zhang Yulan said while shaking her head.
While the two of them chatted and packed up the wheat, An Xuyuan remained behind the wall, unmoving, lost in thought. Five minutes later, he finally looked up at Zhang Yulan, then turned and walked toward the backyard.
In the backyard, Zhang Ermu was chopping firewood when he heard footsteps behind him. Turning around, he saw that it was An Xuyuan and asked, "Comrade An, what brings you here today?"
An Xuyuan walked over and said, "Brother Ermu, I ca to ask if you could help find more grain seeds."
Hearing this, Zhang Ermu paused to think, then replied, "It's already autumn. I'm afraid there aren't many grains left in the mountains. But I heard Li Chenmo and his brothers recently went up and harvested quite a lot. You could try asking them."
Nodding, An Xuyuan said, "Alright, I will go ask them."
Seeing that he was still standing there, Zhang Ermu asked, "Comrade An, is there sothing else?"
After a long hesitation, An Xuyuan finally asked, "Brother Ermu, are you really looking for a marriage prospect for Yulan?"
Zhang Ermu was taken aback by his sudden question and asked him back, "Comrade An, where did you hear that?"
"Is it true?" An Xuyuan pressed.
Zhang Ermu nodded and replied, "My parents asked to find a good partner for my sister."
"Did you find soone?" he asked again.
At this point, Zhang Ermu noticed a flicker of anxiety in An Xuyuan's eyes and asked, "Comrade An, why are you suddenly interested in my sister's affairs?"
He expected the question to make the man stop asking. But to his surprise, An Xuyuan t his gaze and said solemnly, "Brother Ermu, can you stop looking?"
"Why?"
"Because I like Yulan," An Xuyuan said. "I want to be with her, and I don't want to see her with another man."
Zhang Ermu was stunned by his words and asked, "Comrade An, are you sure you like my sister? You two have only t a few tis. How do you know your feelings aren't just temporary?"
Clenching his fists, An Xuyuan replied steadily, "I have asked myself that sa question every day since the day she sat on my bicycle."
"I know it sounds ridiculous. I have known her since she was thirteen. Back then, I saw her as just a child. But now... I can't see her the sa way anymore. I don't know when it started, but I know for sure that I like her. And these feelings are real."
Zhang Ermu was quiet for a long mont. Finally, he said, "Since you are serious, I won't look for a partner for Yulan for now. But I won't help you chase after her either. If she doesn't like you by the ti she turns nineteen, I will start looking again."
"I understand," An Xuyuan nodded.
After he finished his words, he turned and left the backyard. When he reached the front yard, he saw that Zhang Yulan had already finished packing the wheat.
Seeing him co out, she walked over and asked, "Brother An, when will you take the wheat?"
Now that he had accepted his feelings for her, he found her even more endearing. No matter what she did, he found her likable. His gaze softened, and she aid, "I still have a few things to take care of. I will co get it later."
Not noticing the change in him, Zhang Yulan simply nodded and said, "Alright, go take care of your business. I will wait for you."
Hearing this, he reached out and gently brushed the hair off her forehead while saying, "Okay."
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