When She Stops Being Dramatic

"Besides," he hesitated, glancing sideways at the small room where Chi Yun’er lived, but said it anyway, "I’m a grown man. I have to rely on my own efforts to give my future other half a happy life."

"So, I’d like to live here with Comrade Bian, but..."

Before the women could even speak, the men all started nodding.

"That’s how it should be. Even though Jiang has no choice but to get married here, we’re men. It makes no sense to live with your in-laws. Wouldn’t that be like marrying into her family?"

"It’s not just that your parents would lose face. What would people think of us male educated youths?"

"This landlord’s courtyard is huge, and there are a lot of us. We could easily clear out a room for you two lovebirds."

The young women couldn’t help but purse their lips and interject, "You make it sound so easy. When we had to clean out our rooms, it took every ounce of strength we had."

"If we could really clear out more rooms, would so many of us still be crammed together? Just turning around is like starting a fight..."

The men retorted, unconvinced, "There are more of us men, so we let you women have more space. There are half as many of you, yet you occupy one more room than we do!"

"Exactly! And Chi gets a whole room to herself. If you women squeezed together a little, couldn’t you free up a small room?"

As soon as this was said, everyone froze for a moment. They couldn’t help but glance toward the room with the tightly shut windows, where a kerosene lamp was lit.

One of the young women whispered, "If you want to say something, you go ahead. We wouldn’t dare provoke that little princess!"

The men waved their hands dismissively too. "Can’t do it, can’t do it. If we said one harsh word to her, wouldn’t she cry for a whole day?"

Everyone turned to look at Jiang Zishi again.

"Jiang, you’ll have to solve this yourself. Chi listens to you more than anyone. We have no objections!"

It wasn’t their house anyway. Rather than let Chi Yun’er occupy a room all by herself, they would much rather see her get the same treatment as everyone else.

Perhaps everyone harbored a dark thought. The prospect of someone from a privileged life suddenly taking a fall... tsk, tsk, just imagining it was strangely exciting.

Besides, once Jiang Zishi married Bian Yumin, with Bian Yumin, the village chief’s wife, and Chi Yun’er around, three women would be enough for a whole drama. The educated youth spot would be so lively!

With that topic out of the way, they all started asking about Jiang Yihua.

"Jiang, is your brother really coming?"

Jiang Yihua was a man of such brilliant talent that it couldn’t be overshadowed, a legend in the making wherever he went.

He was an influential figure at Zhaoyang Farm, and the educated youths in the surrounding area had also heard of him.

Jiang Zishi smiled and nodded, though the smile didn’t reach his eyes. "I’m his younger brother. Of course he’ll come to my engagement banquet."

He clearly disliked that his older brother was more outstanding than him. His brother’s brilliance had completely overshadowed him, making him utterly invisible both at home and outside. It wasn’t until his brother left for junior high that people finally started to notice him.

But everyone still gave him the title of "Jiang Yihua’s little brother," or would say things like, "With such an amazing older brother, the younger one must be extraordinary too."

However, that didn’t stop him from using his brother as a source of bragging rights, often telling the other educated youths just how outstanding his brother was.

"Jiang, I heard from a friend at the farm that your brother was the top scorer in the Capital City’s joint high school entrance exam for his year? And that after graduating high school, he was accepted into Imperial University under a special exception?"

"Imperial University’s standards are so high—they’re the toughest in the whole country. Getting accepted there is no simple feat..."

"But then, how did he end up being sent down to the countryside with us?"

They asked these kinds of questions over and over, as if by dissecting every detail of the man, they might have an epiphany and achieve a brilliant life of their own.

Jiang Zishi patiently recounted the story again and again:

"That’s right. My brother has been brilliant since he was a kid. He memorizes things incredibly fast, and with math problems, he can just glance at them and give the answer. We probably couldn’t beat him even with an abacus..."

"My brother was once dating someone, the child of a high-ranking official from one of the big central city compounds. That lady was beautiful, good-natured, cultured, and sensible..."

"But something happened to her family. My brother felt bad for her, so he gave up his own job opportunity..."

Everyone listened, completely engrossed, as the image of Jiang Yihua grew more and more vivid in their minds.

Chi Yun’er pushed open her window, the CREAK shattering the harmony in the courtyard.

Her voice was slightly hoarse. "Brother Zishu, I forgot to tell you. Brother Hua came by this afternoon. He said he can’t make it to your engagement."