Reborn in 1979, with a female educated youth lying next to me.

The room was silent; no one spoke.

Guo Xiaolan felt like her heart was about to jump out of her throat.

Boom boom boom.

They jumped faster and faster.

In the sweltering summer heat, my palms were sweating profusely, and my legs felt unsteady on my feet.

Zhang Xiuying glanced at Guo Xiaolan with some concern, then looked at Guo Zhiyuan.

Now, Zhang Xiuying only hopes that Guo Zhiyuan won't be so strict and won't frighten Guo Xiaolan.

Of the three children, Guo Jianjun was the boy, and he was always a troublemaker.

Guo Xiaoyan is the third child. She is stubborn and has had her own ideas since she was a child.

Only the second sister, Guo Xiaolan, had a personality very similar to hers.

If this were in the past, Guo Xiaolan would have been considered a typical lady from a respectable family.

But what era are we living in now? The old ways are no longer in effect.

Therefore, in many people's eyes, Guo Xiaolan was a timid and introverted child.

It was precisely because of this that Guo Zhiyuan, after discovering that Guo Xiaolan had a suitor of four years, even switched his classes with someone else.

This was a major event in the eyes of the entire Guo family.

"Xiaolan, don't stand, sit down with Xiaoyan. Tell me, what's the deal with that Comrade Zhao? What's his situation?"

Guo Xiaolan's heart skipped a beat again.

What should come is always coming.

It seems there's no escaping it today.

As soon as Guo Xiaolan looked up, she saw that everyone's eyes were looking in her direction.

Biting her lip hard, Guo Xiaolan finally mustered the courage to speak.

“Mom and Dad, Zhao Bin and I are not like what you think. We went to the countryside together back then, were in the same production team, and then returned to the city in the same year.”

“He only recently found out that I work in the library, so he has visited twice.”

“He had written me notes before and talked about those kinds of things, but I didn’t agree.”

Guo Xiaolan stumbled and hesitated, but finally managed to give a rough account of the matter.

opposite.

Guo Zhiyuan's brows remained furrowed.

The others also looked at Guo Xiaolan with puzzled expressions.

Someone wrote a note, but Guo Xiaolan didn't agree?

In other words, Guo Xiaolan did not date the man named Zhao Bin?

However, there was one thing that Guo Jianjun still couldn't understand.

If Guo Xiaolan harshly rejected Zhao Bin, then Zhao Bin should have realized that he had no chance.

For four whole years, they never lost contact.

Doesn't this illustrate a point?

"Xiaolan, is there something going on with that Zhao Bin of yours?"

Guo Xiaolan's face flushed red.

Does it imply that?

To be precise, no.

But Zhao Bin is a good person; he often helped me when I was a sent-down youth in the countryside.

Furthermore, it had been four years, and he hadn't discovered anything wrong with Zhao Bin's character.

If I were to find someone to marry, I would probably choose someone like Zhao Bin, right?

As for what Guo Xiaoyan said about finding someone you like to marry, Guo Xiaolan felt that she would never encounter such a thing.

She was just an ordinary girl, one of the most common girls in the world.

Every time Guo Xiaolan stood in front of Guo Xiaoyan, she always felt somewhat inferior.

I am neither as pretty nor as smart as my younger sister.

So marrying an ordinary person and living an ordinary life should be the best outcome.

So when faced with her elder brother's question, Guo Xiaolan hesitated for a moment before finally giving an answer.

"If I had to choose to get married, I'd choose Zhao Bin."

There was silence.

Everyone was stunned!

Guo Xiaolan was startled by her own answer.

Why did she choose Zhao Bin? Why did she even bring up marriage?

However, it seems there are really no other candidates at the moment.

The image of Liu Jia suddenly flashed through Guo Xiaolan's mind, and her brows furrowed.

No.

It definitely can't be Liu Jia!

Liu Jia's name holds a special place in the entire Guo family.

To put it more bluntly, Liu Jia is Guo Xiaoyan's ex-husband.

Even if she secretly liked Liu Jia, there was no way she could have any relationship with him.

Besides, it's just wishful thinking on my part.

Liu Jia was unaware of this matter.

Guo Xiaolan was still in a daze.

Guo Jianjun couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.

"Guo Xiaolan, are you serious? Are you sure you want to choose Zhao Bin? Didn't you say you weren't interested in him? Then why get married?"

Guo Xiaolan was stunned by the question.

However, the question Guo Jianjun asked undoubtedly reflected everyone's thoughts.

Guo Xiaolan noticed that everyone was looking at her with even more confusion.

"Isn't marriage just about finding someone to live with? As long as they are down-to-earth and have good character, that's enough."

"What about relationships? You're not just planning to live your whole life in a daze, are you?" Guo Jianjun asked again, unwilling to give up.

Guo Xiaolan forced a bitter smile.

"Brother, who says that having no feelings means living a muddled life? There are so many couples around us who have feelings for each other, and they live pretty good lives."

Guo Jianjun waved his hand.

"Alright, alright, I can't argue with you. You can do whatever you want, but I still advise you to calm down and not act impulsively."

After saying this, Guo Jianjun looked at Guo Xiaoyan again.

Although he didn't say anything, the meaning in his eyes was very clear.

Guo Xiaoyan nodded quietly.

The older brother wanted him to persuade the older sister.

After all, marriage is a lifelong commitment, so you absolutely cannot act rashly.

However, Guo Xiaoyan also hesitated for a moment.

I'm divorced myself, what right do I have to advise my sister?

Everyone has the right to choose, just as everyone has a different understanding of life.

I could only offer her suggestions that I thought were good, but the final decision still rested with Guo Xiaolan.

By the time Guo Xiaoyan came to her senses, Guo Jianjun had already left.

Guo Zhiyuan cleared his throat.

"Xiaolan, your father won't interfere with your marriage. Your older brother is right, you should seriously consider it."

"Also, if you decide to choose Zhao Bin, bring him home for a meal when you have time."

As he spoke, Guo Zhiyuan stood up from the sofa.

"Dad, does this mean you agree? Are you going to formally meet Zhao Bin?"

Guo Xiaolan looked at Guo Zhiyuan in disbelief.

"Bring the person back when you think the time is right."

After receiving Guo Zhiyuan's affirmative answer, Guo Xiaolan hesitated again.

At this moment, Guo Xiaolan's mind was in complete turmoil, and she had no mind to think about anything else.

Does bringing someone home mean that you're settling down for your life?

……

Guo Xiaolan didn't sleep well all night.

Even though I was lying in bed with my eyes tightly closed, I couldn't calm myself down and kept tossing and turning.

The image of Zhao Bin flashed through my mind one moment, and then I thought of Liu Jia the next, as well as the years I spent as an educated youth in the countryside, all appearing like a movie playing in my mind.

After a whole night, Guo Xiaolan felt that she had only slept for an hour at most.

The next morning, Guo Xiaolan got up with heavy dark circles under her eyes.

After a hurried breakfast, I headed straight to the library.

I enjoy reading and I also enjoy the smell of books.

Therefore, Guo Xiaolan is very satisfied with her job at the library.

Guo Xiaolan got busy early in the morning.

Borrowing books, returning books, registering...

The group huddled together, and Guo Xiaolan methodically carried out her work while occasionally explaining relevant policies to those who asked questions.

It wasn't until nearly 11 o'clock that Guo Xiaolan finally breathed a sigh of relief.

The number of people in the library has gradually decreased, and I can finally take a break.

Sitting in her chair, Guo Xiaolan looked at the book in front of her and smiled helplessly.

Based on my previous reading pace, it would take me at most three days to finish this book.

But it's different when you can read a book in your spare time while working.

This book has been sitting in my desk drawer for almost two weeks, and I haven't even finished half of it. I really don't know what to say.

"Guo Xiaolan".

Hearing someone call her name, Guo Xiaolan suddenly looked up.

Upon seeing that the person in front of her was Liu Jia, Guo Xiaolan suddenly felt a pang of panic, and her expression became unnatural.

"Hello, Comrade Liu."

After greeting everyone in standard Mandarin, Guo Xiaolan herself laughed.

Similarly, Liu Jia said with a smile, "Should I call you Comrade Guo?"

A single sentence eased the awkwardness between the two, and the atmosphere suddenly became lively.

Guo Xiaolan quickly waved her hand, "No need, no need, just call me Xiaolan."

"Then call me Liu Jia. To be honest, when you called me Comrade Liu just now, I almost stood up straight and saluted you."

"How could it be so exaggerated? By the way, what book are you borrowing today?"

Guo Xiaolan smiled at Liu Jia, then asked another question.

Liu Jia's book borrowing was unremarkable.

Even Guo Xiaolan, who loves reading, couldn't figure out Liu Jia's preferences.

Every three to five days, Liu Jia might borrow a book from the knitting series, and every day or two, he might borrow a novel or some famous works.

Sometimes, I'll also choose a few joke books.

If anything had to be said, Guo Xiaolan could only say that Liu Jia was a man of many talents and a wide range of interests.

"I'm not borrowing books today, I'm here to return them. Please check this woven book."

Liu Jia handed a book to Guo Xiaolan with both hands.

Guo Xiaolan also began to examine it carefully.

Finally, after the books were filed, Guo Xiaolan returned Liu Jia's library card to him.

"Haven't you been reading lately?"

Guo Xiaolan found it strange, but finally asked a question.

Liu Jia smiled at Guo Xiaolan again, "It's not that I'm not reading anymore, it's just that Zhou Caixia has been quite busy lately, so she's not reading other people's books for the time being."

"Zhou Caixia?"

"Oh, it's my sister. She recently got engaged to one of my buddies. She should have more time to study knitting patterns. Let's talk about it when they're less busy."

Guo Xiaolan nodded gently and didn't ask any more questions.

Guo Xiaolan did not know Zhou Caixia, whom Liu Jia mentioned, and she only vaguely remembered the engagement he mentioned.

It's simply a couple getting engaged amidst everyone's blessings.

I can't think of anything else.

The two were talking when suddenly, someone rushed over.

Before even reaching the front desk, the person hurriedly said something.

"Xiaolan, are you hungry? I queued up to buy you some fried dough twists. They're fragrant and crispy. Want to have one?"

The man was in a hurry, and as he spoke, he had already handed the twisted dough stick to Guo Xiaolan.

Because Liu Jia was standing in the middle of the front desk, when the person handed her the fried dough twists, they pushed Liu Jia to the side.

Guo Xiaolan felt embarrassed, and her face turned as red as a ripe apple.

Liu Jia also felt puzzled, and his brows furrowed instinctively.

This person is quite strange.

Do you really have to push someone aside when you're handing them a fried dough twist?

Wouldn't it be the same if it were just delivered from the side?

"Zhao Bin, I'm not hungry. You can take the twist back. I'm on duty now, and the library has rules that prohibit personal matters during work hours."

Guo Xiaolan's voice wasn't loud, but the tone of her refusal was very clear.

Zhao Bin was stunned for a moment, then immediately deflated.

"Xiaolan, please try some. I queued for ages to buy these fried dough twists. It would be a waste if you didn't eat them."

After he finished speaking, Zhao Bin added one more sentence.

“Wasting food is bad; it will be looked down upon by people.”

Liu Jia sneered inwardly.

Ah!

This moral blackmail is incredibly tight, as if Guo Xiaolan would be committing a crime if she didn't eat his fried dough twists!

"Xiaolan, who is this?" Liu Jia asked, deliberately raising his eyebrows.