Getting married in this era was very simple. All that was needed was a household registration book and a certificate from the production team.
Most importantly, there was no strict age requirement at the time. The Marriage Law hadn't been fully enforced yet, so as long as both parties were around eighteen years old, it was acceptable—even if they were a year or two younger.
The process of obtaining the marriage certificate was straightforward. The staff simply asked if both sides were willing, took their photos, collected a small fee, filled out the form, and stamped it. Within ten minutes, Yang mian and Li mercy walked out of the commune holding their marriage certificate.
Looking at the two pieces of connected red paper in their hands, they felt a little excited.
For Yang milan , this was especially emotional—because in his previous life, he had delayed getting the certificate in order to return smoothly to the city, and Li mercy had never received the marriage certificate she longed for until her death.
For Li mercy , it felt almost unreal. In the past, she had mentioned the marriage certificate at least ten times, only to be rejected by Yang milan , who either found excuses or lost his temper. Yet this time, not only did he agree, he went through with it so readily.
This meant Yang milan had truly cut off his way back to the city—he had chosen her and their family. Her years of effort had finally paid off.
Unable to hide his joy, Yang milan looked at her with a silly smile and called out, "Wife!"
Blushing, Li mercy replied shyly, "Hey!"
Her shyness only made Yang's milan heart itch more. Ignoring the people passing by the commune gate, he held her face and gave her a big kiss.
Startled, Li mercy pushed him away. "How embarrassing! Aren't you afraid of being laughed at in broad daylight?"
Yang milan waved the marriage certificate in his hand proudly. "Who dares laugh at me kissing my own wife? We have the certificate!"
Li mercy glared at him, embarrassed. "Even if you have a license, you still need to be mindful of appearances!"
"Hahaha! Then let's kiss behind closed doors!" Zhou Yang laughed.
"You've become shameless after getting the certificate!" she scolded, but her heart was already overflowing.
Yang milan grew serious, gently holding her face. "Thank you, girl. Thank you for not despising me, for bearing children for me, for filling your heart and eyes with me. From today on, I will devote the rest of my life to you."
Moved to tears, Li mercy couldn't hold back any longer. She threw herself into his arms, crying, "Husband…"
After some tender moments, they decided to head into the county town together. Yang milan wanted to buy her new clothes and fabric to make a skirt for maggie .
Despite her protests—"I have clothes already, maggie doesn't need more either"—Yang milan insisted and pulled her along to the supply and marketing cooperative.
Inside, the saleswoman recognized Yang milan immediately and greeted him warmly. When Yang milan introduced Li mercy as his wife, the saleswoman was stunned but politely fetched a yellow floral dress.
Li mercy eyes lit up when she saw it, but when she learned the price—10 yuan plus three feet of cloth coupons—she was shocked. "It's so expensive! Let's not buy it!" she pleaded.
But Yang milan simply waved his hand and said firmly, "Wrap it up!"
Li mercy looked at him in disbelief. "Can't we just not? That's too much money for one piece of clothing. How many days will it take you to earn that back? Besides, I can't wear such a dress when I'm working every day!"
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