The Promise of 30 Years Ago

  Tomorrow is the start of a new week, I'm going to be on the new book rankings and I'll also be on the recommended list. Considering I update 6,000 words every day, please give me your recommendation votes.

  "Aren't you interested in that female Red Army soldier? I heard from Shuang Yong Ge, you two are always together laughing and chatting." Zeng Shan asked timidly.

  Luo Yi said: "It's completely groundless, my relationship with her is purely a revolutionary friendship. She used to be in the Red Army and has experience managing regular troops, which is what our assault regiment needs right now, so I often discuss things with her. As for saying we had a good laugh together, that was mainly to stabilize her, it was unavoidable. In other words, I was using my charm to lure the female Red Army soldier, you think it's easy being a handsome guy?"

  Zeng Shan burst out laughing: "You're shameless, and you're still using your good looks to trick people. You look... just like a ugly Zhu Bajie."

  "It's really like that." Luo Yi felt cold sweat all over his back, I said, I said, I said: "You say she's pretty, in my eyes, it's not the case at all. She's not as beautiful as you are, your skin..."

  Luo Yi thought that later generations would praise girls for their fair skin, but Zeng Shan and Yuan Jing were both mountain village girls, with skin that had a healthy dark red color, and couldn't be called fair.

  "Your skin is smoother than hers and looks more delicate..." Luo Yi's words sounded flirtatious.

  Zeng Shan turned her face away, avoiding Luo Yi's flirtatious gaze. In that era, this kind of blatant praise for a girl was rarely seen, and Zeng Shan had never heard it before. However, hearing such praise from Luo Yi's mouth made Zeng Shan feel delighted in her heart. This little girl had no guile, and she completely believed whatever Luo Yi said to her.

  "And besides, she only recognizes a few characters, as for her knowledge, I really can't put my eyes on it. Can she do calculus? Can she do linear algebra? And what about Mao's Outline and Deng's Theory... She must be failing the course." Luo Yi blabbered nonsense.

  Zeng Shan didn't understand what micro-integration and Mao's theory were, but at least she knew that Luo Yi was belittling Yuan Jing's knowledge. Yuan Jing was more cultured than her, which had always been a sore spot in Zeng Shan's heart. Hearing Luo Yi say this made her feel even more relieved.

  "Don't talk nonsense, Sister Yuan has read a lot of books and even my aunt says she's talented and all that. Anyway, it's all good things about her." Zeng Shan untied the knot in her heart and began to speak up for Yuan Jing instead.

  "Yo yo, even Lianyue sister is called up, wasn't it just now that the majestic work of breaking seven or eight vinegar jars was shown?"

  "I was actually quite good with Yuan Jie. Who broke the vinegar jar?" Zeng Shan said awkwardly. In fact, during this period of time, she had been getting along pretty well with Yuan Jing, as they were close in age and both had sunny personalities, making it not difficult to get along. Just now, it was really because the vinegar taste was too strong that she would call her "Female Red Army" one after another.

  Next, Luo Yi began to instill in Zeng Shan the concept of freedom in marriage, telling her that the outside world was still very big and that arranged marriages could not last or be happy. Only partners who had been chosen after a long period of contact could last forever. He also said that before two people get married, they need to go through a stage, which is dating. Dating is a very fun and romantic thing, just like Zhang Sheng and Cui Yingying, Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai, Romeo and Juliet, Yu Zecheng and Chen Cuiping...

  Lu Yi rummaged through his memory, recalling all the grand theories and anecdotes of famous people he knew. He couldn't help but sigh in his heart, thinking that if he had read a few more books on social sciences back in school, like "Know X" and "Story X", he wouldn't be suffering so much now.

  Zeng Shan listened to Luo Yi's narrative, and her thoughts were changing little by little. At this age, she was full of youthful fantasies. The romantic love stories that Luo Yi told her made her heart filled with endless longing. Flowers in front of the moon, sea drying up and rocks crumbling, for a girl like her who only had feudal ideas in her mind, what a beautiful legend it was.

  "Luozige, you said you and I can fall in love?" Zengshan asked softly.

  "If I like you and you like me, of course we can fall in love."

  "So, do you like me?"

  "......I like it." Luo Yi said. He thought to himself, how could I not like you? If there was a beautiful MM like you in school back then who asked me out, wouldn't I be so happy that my nose would bleed?

  "I like you too." Zeng Shan confessed.

  "This matter, it's better not to say too early. You're still young, your thoughts will change. Wait until you grow up a bit, your thoughts are more mature, and you've seen more of the world, then if you still... like me, we can truly start dating and get married." Luo Yi said to Zeng Shan with a tone as if he was an older brother, but in his heart, he felt a great sense of regret. Alas, this girl is just too young, and emotionally, she's as innocent as a little white rabbit... it wouldn't be right to make a move now.

  "I'm already 16 years old, I'm still young, right?"

  "At 16, in our place, it's considered very young, and at this time, talking about romance is called 'early love', which requires parents to have a talk. It's not until... above 20 years old that one can be considered relatively mature in thought."

  "What? Until 20 years old?" Zeng Shan said in surprise, "In our place, if you're not married by 20, people will laugh at you."

  "It won't be like that, we're in Tongzhou now, but later we'll go to a big city, where girls don't get married so early. Haven't you been to Wuhan? Later we'll go to an even bigger city, to Shanghai, and see the lifestyle of the foreign concessions, how about it?"

  Zeng Shan's eyes sparkled: "Alright, we've made a deal. You must take me to Shanghai for fun... When I'm 20 years old, will you marry me?"

  "If you were still willing to marry me at that time, I would have married you."

  "Really?"

  "Really."

  "Where's Sister Yuan?"

  Luoyi's mouth was wide open and he couldn't speak for a long time. This girl, how did she come back again?

  "What does it have to do with Yuan Jing whether I marry you or not?"

  "Yuan Jie is really great, she's beautiful and knowledgeable, very capable, don't look down on her." Zeng Shan carelessly advised Luo Yi.

  "Silly little sister, if I were to take her, what would you do?"

  Zeng Shan said softly: "I've thought about it, you now have money and power, and in the future, you'll definitely become a high-ranking official. I'm illiterate and can't keep up with you, I'll only bring shame to you. So let Yuan Jie be your first wife, she'll definitely help you a lot. As for me, being your concubine is enough. Yuan Jie has a good temper, she won't bully me..."

  Lu Yi listened to her becoming more and more incoherent, couldn't help but stand up, let out a loud shout, then fell backwards, directly collapsing onto the bed. Zeng Shan was startled, threw down the clothes she was washing in her hands and rushed over, saw Lu Yi lying on his back on the bed, mouth open gasping for air, eyes staring straight ahead without any spark.

  "Luozige, what's wrong?" Zeng Shan almost cried out in fright.

  I fainted.

  "Why?"

  "What's always on your little mind? You've even thought of a concubine, and I'm a 21st-century... whatever. I really admire you."

  "I'm telling the truth. You see, I don't know how to read..."

  Luo Yiteng suddenly sat up and shouted: "You can't even read, what's the point of arguing? From tomorrow on, you go to elementary school with those kids and attend classes together. That way, you won't be idle all day thinking about these absurd things."

  "I won't, I won't attend classes with those little kids." Zeng Shan turned around and ran out.

  "What are you going to do?"

  "I'll go find Sister Yuan and tell her you want to marry her as your first wife." Zeng Shang'er giggled and ran off.