《Second Marriage in the 1970s》


 CH 1

    Chapter 1


    Dong Jiahui was lying on the bed, with a towel wrapped around her head.


    Her face looked dry and thin, her cheeks were deeply sunken, her lips were pale, and her eyes looked straight at the beam under the yellowish roof. It was bright and scary.


    Chen Guixiang lifted the curtain and walked in with a bowl of egg soup. When she saw her daughter''s eyes looking straight at the roof, her eyes, which had turned red from crying before, shed tears again.


    "You really know how to make people be upset! What''s wrong with you? Do you really have to fret over trifles to the point that you want to court death? If it wasn''t for your Uncle Niu Wang passing by with Qiangzi, how could you even be alive and lie down here? If not, you would have died a long time ago!


    Chen Guixiang''s heart was in pain and at the same time, she was angry. She was used to being bold and vigorous, so she wasn''t able to soften her words. There was a hint of grief in her tone.


    How could she not feel aggrieved? Her daughter was good. She had painstakingly taken care of her for 18 years, and after marrying her off, she thought she would have a smooth life, a peaceful and prosperous life. Who knows, maybe after three years of marriage, she was driven back by her mother-in-law''s family without warning. On the grounds that she was unable to give birth after these 3 years, they didn''t want this daughter-in-law.


    This sudden news made the whole Dong family feel like being struck by lightning. These days, the villagers have their eyes set on their families. You must live with your marriage for the rest of your life, no matter how good or bad it was.


    Her good daughter has only been married for three years and has turned into a rag. The reason for the divorce was the inability to give birth to a child. In rural areas that pay attention to "more children and more blessings" and "more people and more power", it''s like you are being sentenced to death. How can she find someone else in the future?


    But again, even if there was no hope (for remarriage) left, she shouldn''t have gone and jumped into the river, right? They say it''s better to live than to die. As long as you live, there will still be hope, right?


    Chen Guixiang put the steaming egg soup on the bedside cabinet, sat down and held her daughter''s hands.


    These hands used to be soft and tender, and when she was just her daughter at home, she pampered her. She had 3 sons, so the manpower was enough.  She only lets her daughter stay at home and lets her daughter help with cooking, feeding the chicken, watering the flowers and vegetables, and other simple chores.


    It''s only been 3 years since she was married off to the Lu family, and the daughter''s hands have already become thick like this. For these past three years, she could imagine what kind of life she was leading in the Lu Family.


    Chen Guixiang regretted that she didn''t find out that there was something wrong with the Lu family. She regretted that she was not able to support her daughter, which caused her daughter to suffer these three years in vain.


    That day, when her daughter came back with a bag in her back, her daughter''s eyes were red and swollen, her hair was dishevelled. She was only in her early twenties; she should have been as bright as a flower, not withered and lifeless.


    She said that the Lu family did not want her anymore, and her dowry was given back by the Lu family the next day.


    Dong Jiahui''s three brothers went to Xiaoling Village with their weapons to settle accounts with the Lu family. But Lu¡¯s family was also horrible, and directly claimed that Dong Jiahui had not been pregnant for three years after his marriage. There are three ways to be unfilial: having no sons is the worst. Dong Jiahui was married for three years, but she didn''t give birth. In ancient times, it was also the life of repudiation.


    "Stop causing trouble in our Xiaoling village just because there are so many people in your Dong family. If you keep doing this, who would dare to marry your daughter in the future? Given that you are incapable of giving birth, do you really want to see us suffer before you are reconciled?!:


    These words not only made the village cadres of the two villages too embarrassed to take charge but also made the Dong family lay down their arms.


    Strictly speaking, what the Lu family said was not unreasonable. After all, Lu Chengyuan is the only male member of the Lu family. Although the wife, who had been married for three years, was driven back in the wrong direction, from an ethical point of view, the heirs of the rural people are the most important thing. If she can not give birth, the Lu family will be extinct. Indeed, hundreds of years from now, who will throw the pots? Who will burn incense papers for them?


    (TN: Throwing a pot means that the deceased will be completely cut off from the surviving people in the world. How many people are still alive? Then how many holes will be drilled in the basin? These holes not only express the sadness of the descendants for the death of the old man, but also show that the old man is full of children and grandchildren throughout his life, and he can walk with peace of mind.)


    "Who said that it must be Jiahui''s problem that she was not able to conceive a child? Maybe it will be born in two years, Lu Chengyuan, you are still not a man, and you can''t even protect your wife! "


    Lu Chengyuan was flushed, hiding in a corner and didn''t say anything. His mother, Dong Jiahui''s former mother-in-law, spat with her hands on her hips.


    "Bah! Our Lu family is already considered benevolent. If it were not for your Dong family''s daughter, my family Chengyuan would not have wasted three years. If I had found another girl, maybe the grandson of the Lu family could carry a pot out and buy soy sauce!:


    The Dong brothers couldn''t face it and pulled Dong Jiahui''s dowry home with a black face, so the two families broke up completely.


    The two were married without a marriage certificate, and this time, there was no need to get a divorce certificate.


    This incident spread around several villages, those with good hearts were sighing for Dong Jiahui for a while, lamenting that her future is not easy. Those who are not good, begin to sneer behind their backs.


    You should know that when Dong Jiahui married into the Lu family, everyone envied her good life. Her Father-in-law was the secretary of the brigade, there were no sisters-in-law to have a conflict with. When the two Lu family members died in a hundred years, wouldn''t the Lu estate be given to the young couple?


    The Lu family only had one son. As long as you can add a grandson to the Lu family, the Lu family can be like a mother. But the life of a person is such that everyone envied Dong Jiahui, who, in the blink of an eye, became unable to give birth to a child abandoned woman.


    Even if they were angry to the point of suffocation, Dong Jiahu being incapable of giving birth was the fact after all. After the fiasco, the Dong family went back home. The family was very careful with Dong Jiahui because of this matter.


    Not to mention her brothers, who adored her since childhood, regardless of what their sisters-in-law thought. They would not say anything unpleasant to her face.


    Her family will not say anything. but they can''t control others'' mouths. No, the daughter-in-law of her third aunt''s neighbor said something unpleasant when she ran through the door with her child. Dong Jiahui was stimulated. Without saying a word, he ran out to jump into the river, the Tongzhou River, which was connected to the river. If she hadn''t been caught and rescued, she would have been washed into the river.


    In March, the river was still very cold. Although she was rescued, she still had a high fever. She was feverish all day and night. Finally, the barefoot doctor in the village took half of the wild mountain ginseng dug from the mountain, boiled the ginseng soup and fed it to her. Then the fever subsided.


    "Jiahui, listen to your mother''s advice. Don''t penetrate a bull''s horn again. You are still young. You''re only twenty-one years old. You''re still at a flower-like age. It was not necessarily your fault that you were unable to give birth. You also saw that the wife of the Zhang family was only able to give birth after 6 years of marriage. She held her first baby, and after that, she had one after another, until she reached 5 children."


    (TN: to penetrate into a bull''s horn (idiom) -to waste time on an insoluble or insignificant problem)


    This time the level of medical care was limited, unlike any B-ultrasound and color ultrasound that can do various examinations in the future. The old thinking of rural people was that as long as the child is not born, it was the woman''s fault.


    But giving birth to a child really depends on luck. Some people get pregnant as soon as they get married, others can''t get pregnant, and there are strange things that the wife couldn''t give birth because of the man, and when she was married to another man, she could get pregnant. Anyway, Chen Guixiang doesn''t believe that her daughter can''t give birth to a baby.


    "The Lu family was wrong at first. I thought Lu Chengyuan was a good one. Who knows he''s a soft rake? He listens to his mother. It''s all his mother''s fault. Take care of yourself first. I''ll find your sixth aunt in a while. She''s a famous matchmaker. Your sixth aunt loves you. She has made a lot of good marriages in her life. She knows all the boys from ten miles and eight villages, your sixth aunt loves you. She will definitely find a good one for you."


    Dong Jiahui has a headache. She can''t lift her body. The original owner jumped into the river and hung up. Then she came. After waking up, she has been sorting out the memory left by the original owner. She knows that the original owner was abandoned by her man''s family because she was unable to get pregnant after these past 3 years.


    Hey, how can you stand such an identity? It''s better to transmigrate as a big girl of the yellow flower.


    (TN: The term "big girl of the yellow flower" refers to unmarried women over the age of 25 above.)


    It''s no wonder the original owner had thought of jumping into the river. In the 1970s, having a divorce was a big scandal.


    The original owner was a kind-hearted girl, with a soft personality and a little bit submissive. She was always getting called around by her mother-in-law and other people in the Lu family. In addition, she didn''t get pregnant after marriage. The Lu family didn''t like her at all.


    The original owner was too soft, and she couldn''t have a good life in her mother-in-law''s house. Every time her mother asks her if she''s doing well, she says the Lu family are very good to her.


    Sometimes the saying, "The poor must have something to hate, and the hateful must have miserable suffering," is very reasonable. People like to bully the weak and are afraid of the strong. But if the original owner behaves better with her mother-in-law, she may not dare treat her like this.


    After the divorce, the original owner was hurt. Her kind of personality was not good and not straightforward, so all she could do was stuff her feelings into her heart.


    Originally, she was walking around thinking about her situation, but she was then stimulated by the outside world. She decided to end her life and felt that there was nothing left to live for.


    She could say that such a little thing was really not worth jumping the river for, that a divorce was nothing, since, in the twenty-first century, divorce was not a huge problem, but she was not the original owner, she did not know how painful it was, so she could certainly not feel what the original owner felt.


    "Come on, drink this egg soup. I deliberately added two drops of sesame oil to it to add some fragrance."


    She was in 1975 now. Although it is over, life in the countryside is not easy. Every household has to earn work points. Apart from eating and drinking, this little sesame oil is still squeezed during the Chinese New Year. The three daughters-in-law of the Dong family take turns giving birth to babies. Chen Guixiang is only willing to use sesame oil, brown sugar, and eggs when a few of her daughters-in-law are in confinement.


    Dong Jiahui has no strength in her body, and her stomach has been groaning with a hunger for a long time. She had been smelling this bowl of egg soup since she entered the house, and she had long been greedy.


    Alas, in the 1970s, when there was a shortage of food and clothing, who else in the 21st world could eat egg soup? Dong Jiahui missed those modern delicacies very much.


    But a thoughtful person should not be reborn because of a bowl of egg soup. She is still very uncomfortable.


    Chen Guixiang watched her daughter drink up the bowl of egg soup. Her heart was finally relieved. As long as you ate, then it meant that she was calm.


    Seeing her daughter thin like this, she has no meat on her face and her hands are skin and bones. She felt distressed. She looked at her lovingly and said, "You look so thin. There are still some white noodles at home. I remember you loved to eat scallion cakes when you were a child. I''ll make them for you in the evening."


    The scallion cake was easy to make. It is just making a paste with the flour and water, brushing a layer of oil on the hot pot, heating it, pouring the flour into the pot along the edge of the pot, wiping the batter evenly with a spatula, and sprinkled with scallions when the batter is semi-dry. When the scallions are heated, they emit a pungent smell of scallions, which is a rare and easy food in rural villages.


    This scallion pancake is best made with white flour. The cornmeal is also delicious but not as soft as white flour. It is said to be delicious, but it is actually a bitter rural life. There is nothing else delicious.


    Dong Jiahui received the memory of the original owner and knew that every family was frugal these days. White flour was only eaten during the Spring Festival. The original owner''s mother''s family has three daughters-in-law, five nephews and a niece. How can she eat alone?


    "Mom, don''t get it for me alone. I''ll just eat with everyone."


    When Chen Guixiang heard this, her tears fell again.


    "It''s all my fault that I taught you so sincerely since childhood. I always told you that a family should value peace and be filial to their parents in law after marriage. You just listened to your mother''s words so much that you suffered so many grievances. In a word, it''s still my mother''s fault."


    When Chen Guixiang said this, Dong Jiahui''s tears flowed unconsciously. It should be the residual feelings of the original owner.


    ________


    notlucia: Hello~ This is notlucia! Let me remind you, I do edited mtl, so the translation will not be 100% accurate, and I am not that fluent in English. If you found mistakes, feel free to correct me. No need to be rude about it. Anyways, enjoy reading!

 CH 2

    After lying in bed for three days, Dong Jiahui got out of bed today after feeling that she was less weak. When she went out, she could see the full view of the Dong family''s courtyard.


    There were five mudbrick houses. The main hall was placed in the middle; facing the south, there were two rooms on either side of the main hall. The yard was clean. They also had a well, a pomegranate tree, a peach tree, thatch, and firewood piled up in the corner. On the other hand, there''s a small vegetable patch; cabbage, leeks, peppers, garlic, and other vegetables were planted on the ground. Next to the vegetable patch was a chicken pen; there were 3 chickens inside the pen.


    The scenery in front of her really looked like a yard from the countryside. This kind of mudbrick house, even in the 21st century, this kind of house was still rare in the countryside. When Dong Jiahui was a child, she traveled with her parents to the revolutionary base and saw similar well-preserved historical sites.


    After breakfast in the morning, the Dong family''s labor force went to the field. The older children went to school and the young ones were brought by the adults to the field, and Dong Jiahui was left alone in the house.


    "That Lu family can be really unethical. The moment Jiahui came back, they immediately took in a new wife to come to their door. The new wife was powerful. Before she agreed, she must be presented with a marriage certificate first. "After the Lu family pulls out the certificate, it will be hard for them to decide if they want a divorce."


    "Hey, this marriage,  how can you think of divorce?  But if Jiahui was not too honest, her in-laws would rule her to death. How much did the new wife of the Lu family spend on the bride price?"


    "Because of Jiahui''s matter, their family has a bad reputation. They all say that Mrs Lu is too fierce and the new wife has to bear hardships when entering the door. Mrs Lu gritted her teeth and gave 38 yuan as a bride price, 30 eggs and five kilograms of soybean oil. "


    "Yo, that''s so generous! When Jiahui entered the door, her bride price was 20 yuan, right."


    "Hey, I pity Jiahui''s mother. I guess that Chen Guixiang also knew that the Lu family had taken a new wife into their home. For these two days, she was also busy looking for a husband for Juihui. It''s easy to find someone if the girl is pure, but those who have been married are always one layer away."


    "No, it''s not. It''s either a poor bachelor or a dead wife who is old. If he leaves for other reasons, it''s OK. It''s also because he can''t have children. Nowadays, men marry a wife just to have children. If they can''t have children, how can any man want it? Is Chen Guixiang willing to marry her daughter to a stupid one? "


    "So it''s a pity, I watched the girl who grew up. Not to mention her appearance, her temper was really good."


    "A woman''s life is like this. If she has a good life, she can live a good life. If she has a bad life, she can only suffer all her life."


    "Okay, let''s just say a few small talks, you can''t say unpleasant words in front of the Dong family, especially Jiahui. She has a tender face and a heavy mind, so she can''t listen to this.


    "I know, do you need to remind me of this? I don''t have a grudge against her, so why do I have to say something unpleasant in front of her?


    Dong Jiahui was sitting in the courtyard sunbathing when she heard an earful of gossip about the original owner. The sound came from the other end of the courtyard wall of his neighbour''s house in the East.


    She didn''t fully inherit the memory of the original owner when she crossed. She only remembered some important people and things. She could not remember those little bits of the owner''s memories.


    She was not the original owner. Naturally, she didn''t care about Lu Chengyuan''s looking for a new wife. She only cares about herself, dressed as Dong Jiahui, the identity of the abandoned woman. It is impossible to stay in her mother''s house for life without getting married.  Really, her brother and sister-in-law can''t accommodate her.


    But the reality is just like what the neighbor said. An abandoned woman is still unable to bear children. What kind of man can you find at this age?


    She is not the original owner. It''s not a native that can be satisfied with a full stomach in this era. She comes from the twenty-first century, highly educated, idealistic and, in pursuit of her other half, she also has her own aesthetic. She really can''t imagine marrying an illiterate man, doesn''t love cleanliness, eats and stinks when he opens her mouth. In that way, she might as well jump into the river and die again.


    Dong Jiahui was basking in the sun with worry. When he heard the bell in the main room strike ten times, Dong Jiahui got up and went into the kitchen to see if he could help make a meal.


    When she was a child, her parents were busy. Every summer vacation and winter vacation would send her to her grandmother''s house in the countryside. She often helped her grandmother burn a fire, so she could use the old stove in the countryside.


    Dong Jiahui looked around the kitchen and found the rice jar with the rice in it and the sweet potatoes stacked in the corner.


    She came to see how the Dong family cooked in the past, and in these past few days, they have always added some sweet potatoes to the rice. These days, eating rice is only available during the New Year and ancestor worship.


    Dong Jiahui had a rural homemade gourd scoop. She copied what they did, half a gourd of rice, and picked six sweet potatoes from the corner of the well to wash. The broken places were cut with a knife. Then she cut it into chunks of spare, panning the rice. She mixed the rice and sweet potatoes together in the pot, added the right amount of water, and covered the pot.


    The preparation work was very smooth. That is, when the fire was lit. After all, it took some time to light the fire because it was not used to the matches of this era.


    After this, the bell rang again, and half an hour had passed.


    After cooking the rice, Dong Jiahui went to the vegetable field again. She picked a cabbage from the field, pinched half a basket of leeks, selected the vegetables and washed them with the water in the well. She did not know how the Dong family usually cooks, so she was afraid that she could not hold it well, so she put the clean dishes in the kitchen and waited for Chen Guixiang to come back to cook.


    At eleven o''clock, Chen Guixiang was the first one to come back from the field. The work from the production team was also time-regulated, from eight o''clock in the morning to 12 noon.


    Chen Guixiang came back to see her daughter get up from bed and cook dinner for everyone. She was not only afraid of her daughter''s poor health but also happy how her daughter was affectionate and sensible.


    "I was in a hurry to come back. Are you ready to cook?"


    "I''m done with the rice, but I''m not done yet with the food. I washed the food and waited for mom to come back to do it together."


    Chen Guixiang lifted the lid of the pot and nodded with satisfaction when she saw the white rice mixed with sweet potatoes in the pot. She didn''t eat much or well.


    "Very good. You''ve done it all. I can fry it quickly."


    She turned and took out a small bowl of river shrimp from the cabinet. It was cooked shrimp with oil. When she was ready to fry leeks, she put one in.


    In addition to shrimp, she also took a small pottery pot with lard in it. She bought suet and boiled it back. It was full, and only half of the pot was left.


    "The Chinese cabbage is fried with some lard. There is no oil residue at home. If there are bits of oil that can be stir-fried together, it would be mouth-watering."


    Dong Jiahui has seen the power of lard. When she was a child, grandma often made lard noodles for her. She was so small that she could eat a whole bowl every time. Grandma liked to watch her eat and said that every time she saw her eat, everything she ate became more delicious.


    Chen Guixiang stir-fried it while Dong Jiahui was watching the fire, and secretly observing Chen Guixiang''s stir-frying techniques. She was ready to follow her and learn, so as not to show their own work in the future.


    The old stove starts cooking very quickly. The pot is hot. The dishes were cooked three and two times faster. The fragrant smell spreads in the air. After cooking, Chen Guixiang takes two eggs from the cabinet, breaks them up, adds some scallion and salt, and directly steams the bowl in the rice pot.


    For today''s meal, the dishes were grown in our own field, and the shrimp were fished from the river with our own net.


    Dayu village gathers water in front and backs the mountain. It is a very suitable place for survival.


    As the old saying goes, "the mountain dweller lives off the mountain, the shore dweller lives off the sea".  Although the rice is not enough to eat, they could still eat a sumptuous meal from time to time. They can eat river fish and shrimp, which are wild animals living in the mountains.


    (TN: "the mountain dweller lives off the mountain, the shore dweller lives off the sea". It''s an idiom. It means making the best use of local resources.


    So the most valuable part of the meal was the two eggs. Eggs can be bartered these days. The supply and marketing agency has a special collection of eggs. An egg was five cents. It is the money that rural people can get on their own initiative, in addition to work points, so it is extremely valuable.


    In the memory of the original owner, under the conditions of the Lu family, eating a bowl of white rice and a bowl of scrambled eggs is also an excellent life, which makes the villagers envious. Of course, even if the Lu family has white rice and scrambled eggs, the original owner was not treated well. The original owner couldn''t eat it. Otherwise, how could the original owner be skin and bones? In the 1970s, it was a year where everyone didn''t have much to eat, so they were skinny. But in this era, her body was considered skinny.


    Tian Niu and Xiaoman were held by the third, wearing thick cotton-padded clothes. They had two lumps of plateau red on their faces. Xiaoman seemed to have caught a cold. Two lines of green snot hung under their noses and they kept sucking it in. It looked like two green vegetable insects.


    "Jiahui is up, are you feeling better?"


    The person who asked was Dong Jiahui''s sister-in-law Zhou Yindi, the wife of Dong Jiahui''s older brother Dong Aihua.


    Zhou Yindi gave birth to her nephew Huzi and the Dong family''s only daughter, Tian Niu. She has a square face and a very strong temper. She is Chen Guixiang¡¯s most proud wife. She is also the leader outside the family and she is also very neat in handling affairs.


    When the people are all together, they will eat. The men have a big appetite because of working hard. Each person has a large bowl of rice and sweet potatoes. Women''s bowls are smaller, and children''s bowls are even smaller.


    Chen Guixiang took a spoon and dug a large spoonful of steamed eggs for Tanya and Xiaoman, and also dug a spoonful for Dong Jiahui.


    Chen Guixiang handed the bowl to her husband, Dong Dagui, who shook his head. Naturally, her son and daughter-in-law were too embarrassed to grab the rest of the steamed eggs, so Chen Guixiang scraped the bowl clean and gave it to her youngest grandson, Xiaoman.


    Liu Xiuyun, the second child, was a bit upset because her two sons, Hammer and Jun, were away at school, which meant that the eggs today were given only for the oldest and the third family.


    Her own children did not eat the eggs, not to mention that her sister-in-law, Dong Jiahui, was so big that she had the face to eat them, which made Liu Xiuyun extremely irritated.


    In fact, when Dong Jiahui came back to her mother''s house, Liu Xiuyun''s heart had some ideas, but she kept suppressing the careful thoughts in her heart.


    At first, she also felt pity for the divorced woman who was driven out by her in-laws. She was sympathetic to her sister-in-law, but when Dong Jiahui jumped into the river and was carried back to die, Liu Xiuyun''s sympathy for her reached its peak.


    But everything in this world follows the law of "what goes around comes around, and what comes around comes around", and after this sympathy reaches its peak, it starts to go down a little.


    Even if she pretends to be generous for a short time, Liu Xiu cares deeply in her heart. What she thinks is, why can''t she, who earns work points in the field all day, could not eat an egg? Dong Jiahui, her husband''s sister, has been married once. She not only lies in bed all day and doesn''t do anything, but she was also provided with delicious food and drink. Even if you ask all the 16 production brigades of Shengli Commune, there is no such a person.

 CH 3

    No one could blame Liu Xiuyun, because everyone¡¯s life is too difficult.


    In the past ten years, the movement of ¡°Study Agriculture from Dazhai¡± has been carried out in rural areas all over the country. Rural areas eat big pots of rice. Every farmer is a member of the community and has to participate in labor to earn work points.


    Each production team sets its own work points. Ten work points for doing work for a day, and the approved work points per day were different for each person of different gender and age.


    This was an era of rebuilding. The land was barren, productivity was low, and the population was large, so the brigades had to pay for the work after collecting the grain. Only after the work is delivered can the remaining grain be distributed according to the approved work points of each member.


    A young wife like Liu Xiuyun can¡¯t do much heavy work, so she will only be paid six or seven worth of work points a day. This is because Dayu village relies on the mountain to draw water. In addition to grain, there are also some mountain goods, fish and shrimp, water chestnuts, etc. that can be exchanged with supply and marketing cooperatives every year.


    The most important point is that, at the end of the year, the work points will be deducted from the money for rations, and the rest will go to each person, so every family was living in a tight situation, not to mention eating eggs and meat, it is not easy to eat enough food.


    The three hens in the family lay three eggs a day. The Dong family conditions were not bad, and they didn¡¯t sell the eggs for money. In addition to the confinement wife and young children, the family can also occasionally eat eggs and have a large and sumptuous meal.


    But the Dong family has more than a dozen mouths. Three eggs a day must not be enough. Liu Xiuyun remembers that she ate eggs a few months ago.


    She also knows that from the days when her sister-in-law was saved from jumping into the river, Mother-in-law secretly gave Dong Jiahui a lot of food, be it eggs, white flour, brown sugar. Her treatment towards her was like taking care of a person who was in confinement.


    Liu Xiuyun has thoughts in her heart, but she is not stupid. She cannot show them in front of the family. At most, she could go back to their room to talk to her husband, so she doesn¡¯t look much different from usual.


    The three daughters-in-law of the Dong family are not bad in character. The eldest daughter-in-law Zhou Yindi and the third daughter-in-law Zhao Lijuan were sisters at her mother¡¯s house. They are generous and know how to give in. As for Liu Xiuyun, she is neither big nor small in her mother¡¯s house. The children in the middle are most likely to be ignored by their parents. In addition, the conditions in her mother¡¯s house are not good. She had lived a hard life as a child, starving and suffering from a cold. Therefore, she was more concerned about gains and losses, and she cared more about what to eat and wear.


    After Dong Jiahui¡¯s health improved, she helped out at home every day with household chores, washing clothes, cooking, feeding the chickens, and organizing the vegetable patch.


    That day, the second nephew came home with a blue nose and a swollen face. There was a big cut on his clothes, and the cotton inside was falling out. Liu Xiuyun looked at it and was furious. His jacket was newly made for the Chinese New Year. He had only been wearing it for more than a month, but it was messed up by Chu¨ªzi!¡±


    She took a rolling pin from the kitchen with a black face and chased after Chu¨ªzi to beat him up.


    ¡°You stinky boy, you were born to collect debts. If I don¡¯t beat you for a day, you feel itchy, right? See if I don¡¯t break your legs!¡±


    Chu¨ªzi was seven years old. It is the age where a child hates to stand still. How could he stand obediently waiting for his mother to beat him up? His two legs ran faster than a rabbit. He ran out of the far door in a blink of an eye and made a face at his mother before he left.


    Liu Xiuyun patted her chest to catch her breath. She pointed at the Chu¨ªzi fiercely and said, ¡°Wait for me, smelly boy. If you have the ability, do not come back today. If you come back, I will let your father smoke you. ¡°


    ¡°The holes are too big, and I¡¯m afraid it won¡¯t look good when sewn up.¡±


    If the clothes are broken, you can find another piece of cloth to patch them up. If you have such a big hole, and it is not in a straight line, It is equivalent to pulling a small piece of cloth down.


    A few sisters took Chuizi¡¯s clothes and said it was difficult to sew. With this one, it was even more difficult to sew. It is a pity that these new clothes were broken. These days, it is not easy to get a piece of cloth.


    Not to mention that each person only has a cloth ticket of 5 feet per year. This cloth ticket is only enough for adults to sew a suit of clothes and trousers. There can be some clothes left for children, but in spring, summer, autumn and winter, they wear long sleeves in spring and autumn, short sleeves in summer and cotton-padded jackets in winter. What can this cloth that measures five feet do?


    In addition to cloth tickets, it also costs money to buy cloth. This year, the Dong family only made a new cotton-padded jacket for six children, and none of the adults in the family wanted to buy clothes.


    She thought that spring would soon begin in the new year. The cotton-padded clothes should be put away for at most two or three months. As long as the clothes are not broken, they can continue to wear them for next year¡¯s new year.


    Even if it becomes smaller for their body, it can be transferred to the younger sister in law, so it is not wasted at all.


    It was a good plan. The new clothes could be patched in the blink of an eye. No wonder Liu Xiuyun¡¯s face looked terrible.


    When Liu Xiuyun frowned and was at a loss, Dong Jiahui came over with a smile.


    ¡°Second sister-in-law, why don¡¯t you let me try.¡±


    ¡°You?¡±


    Liu Xiuyun looked at Dong Jiahui suspiciously, and the other sisters-in-law looked at each other.


    ¡°You can mend it?¡±


    Liu Xiuyun was a bit unconvinced, when she married into the Dong family, Dong Jiahui was still in her maidhood. She was not very talkative. Until Dong Jiahui married Lu¡¯s family at the age of eighteen, she never revealed her needlework skills.


    ¡°There should be no problem. If my sister-in-law believes in me, then let me try.¡±


    Liu Xiuyun handed the clothes to Dong Jiahui with confidence, and after handing them out, she was unsure and explained, ¡°Don¡¯t try to be a hero if you can¡¯t, I¡¯ll spend money to find a tailor in town.¡±


    Do not spoil the clothes.


    ¡°I know, sister-in-law, don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Dong Jiahui heard Liu Xiuyun¡¯s words and did not get angry, since she opened her mouth, she naturally had full assurance.


    Her grandmother was from Suzhou, and it is said that she used to be in a very prestigious family in Suzhou, but her family had fallen and fled to the countryside to marry her grandfather during the chaotic times, and her grandmother had a very good hand in Su embroidery, and she taught this skill to Dong Jiahui.


    Dong Jiahui took Chuizi¡¯s clothes back to her room. which was originally a miscellaneous room for the family to pile up miscellaneous things. This room was originally a utility room where things were piled up at home. After Dong Jiahui came back, Chen Guixiang asked the family to clean it up and made a bed board for her to make a small bed.


    Her parents are both highly educated and her family is considered middle class, and she is the only daughter of the family, so she is said to have been spoiled by her family since childhood.


    But people have to learn to adapt to their environment no matter what kind of environment they are in, and this is the case with the living environment in this era. To have a bed to sleep in and a place to shelter from the wind and rain is already a great blessing.


    When Dong Jiahui came out with the clothes, everyone was shocked.


    ¡°Hey? I really can¡¯t see it. Jiahui, when did you have these crafts?¡±


    Not only was the hole sewn up, but there was no trace of it. If you didn¡¯t know where it was broken in advance, you may not be able to find it if you don¡¯t look for it carefully.


    ¡°It¡¯s not much of a craft, but I¡¯ve been thinking about it when I¡¯m not doing anything.¡±


    Dong Jiahui faintly changed the subject, but the Dong family did not think much of it. They all thought it was a skill she learned after marrying the Lu family.


    ¡°This skill is more than enough to be a tailor.¡±


    These days, craftsmen are very popular. There are tailors at the cloth sales counter of the supply and marketing agency, who can help make clothes and sew and repair people¡¯s clothes. According to everyone, even if you send this dress to the tailor, the mending effect is not necessarily better than that of Dong Jiahui.


    ¡°Jiahui, your sewing skills are progressing fast. I remember when I asked you to mend socks, you couldn¡¯t do it well.¡±


    Zhao Lijuan, the third sister-in-law, was quick to speak. When she said this, she knew it was wrong. She hurried to see Dong Jiahui¡¯s expression for fear of stimulating her.


    Before Dong Jiahui got married, she couldn¡¯t even sew a button neatly. Now she is so good at it. So how did she improve so quickly?


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s over, I¡¯m not upset at all.¡±


    Seeing the cautious eyes of the crowd, Dong Jiahui smiled and made her attitude clear, but everyone did not believe that she was really not sad anymore, they just thought she was forcing a smile.


    Chen Guixiang averted her eyes. She wanted to cry when she thought of her daughter¡¯s suffering in the Lu family.


    ¡°All right, since the clothes have been mended, let¡¯s eat.¡±


    She concealed it in the corner of her eye, Chen Guixiang asked everyone to eat, a simple cornflour lump soup. A lump was added together with salty vegetables, making it salty and very appetizing. Even the smallest Xiao Man ate a small bowl.


    ¡°Where is Chuizi? It¡¯s already dark and he has still not come back?¡±


    Dong Aimin drank two big bowls of lumpy soup before he realized that his eldest son, Chuizi was not at home.


    ¡°Why do you care about him? Are you afraid that he is hungry? ¡°


    Because the clothes are mended, Liu Xiuyun¡¯s heart has been half angry, but Chuizi has always been naughty, and he has done a lot of wrong things. Even his mother didn¡¯t have much patience.


    ¡°There¡¯s a bowl of soup left in the kitchen. Tell him when he comes back.¡±


    Chen Guixiang knocked on the table and gave an explanation. Every meal at home had the right amount. The number of people at the table was roughly estimated at how much each person ate to ensure that no one went hungry. Chuizi was still not home at mealtime, and he can¡¯t miss a bite of his food. These days, no one has any leftover food, so where else can you go to fill your stomach if you don¡¯t come back for dinner?

 CH 4

    Because of the repair of clothes, Liu Xiuyun¡¯s attitude towards her sister-in-law Dong Jiahui has improved a lot.


    So far, Dong Jiahui has another job in her mother¡¯s house, which was all kinds of sewing and mending.


    It¡¯s strange to say that the same things are sewn up. The things sewn by Dong Jiahui are more neat and elegant than people¡¯s work. They couldn¡¯t tell which part was better. Anyway, it makes people feel comfortable.


    One day, Dong Jiahui¡¯s third sister-in-law, Zhao Lijuan wore an altered Lenin suit out to work, attracting the attention of many of the village¡¯s big wives and young girls.


    ¡°Hey, Lijuan, this dress on your body was newly made, ah?¡±


    ¡°The material doesn¡¯t look new, but I haven¡¯t seen you wear it before.¡±


    ¡°The style is very good. You wore it like a girl from the city.¡±


    ¡°Well, it looks like from the people of the city, but there is one thing missing, and that is a pair of leather shoes.¡±


    No matter what age, in addition to gossip, women get together to talk about clothes, shoes, and other dress-up topics.


    ¡°You are right, the clothes are made from my old clothes. My family¡¯s Jiahui was good at sewing. No matter what clothes and fabrics came into her hands, they were never wasted and always turned into something good.¡±


    The people looked at Zhao Lijuan¡¯s proud expression when she talked about her sister-in-law Dong Jiahui. They were surprised. Everyone knows Dong Jiahui. This month she was the gossip of every family. Not only because she couldn¡¯t give birth to a child, she was driven back to her mother¡¯s house by the Lu family and became an abandoned woman, but also because she couldn¡¯t think of jumping into the TongZhou river for half a month ago.


    During this period, Dong Jiahui did not go out of their house, and a girl like her who has been married once is not strictly a member of Dayu village, and she doesn¡¯t have to work with everyone. Therefore, they haven¡¯t seen Dong Jiahui these days.


    This matter soon spread to the village. The Dong family suddenly became a place for everyone in the village to appear. Everyone wanted to see what kind of skills Dong Jiahui had. It was said that she could make a dress by sewing alone without a sewing machine.


    At this time, a dozen miles away from Dayu Village, in the Shanghe Village, Zhang Qiao¡¯er is holding her six-month-old granddaughter Ying Bao and feeding her rice paste.


    Zhang Qiao¡¯er today changed her frugal nature, but she was willing to add half an egg yolk to the rice paste, and also a drop of sesame oil.


    She gave her granddaughter Yingbao spoonfuls of delicious food. Her round eyes looked too bright on her thin face. She was happy to eat. She pedalled her calf and patted her two small hands on Zhang Qiaoer.


    The happier Yingbao was, the more angry Zhang Qiaoer was. She thought of the educated youth, her daughter-in-law who left her child to return to the city. She wanted to move a bench and sit at the door of her house and scold for three days and nights.


    ¡°Mom, Ying Bao is happily eating.¡±


    Zhao Meixiang sat on the bench next to the table and rubbed straw rope. These ropes are used everywhere by farmers. They bundle firewood, straw and sacks. In short, they are very useful, but they are not strong.


    She heard that the supply and marketing cooperatives sell a kind of nylon rope. That kind of rope is very strong. Even if it is tied to wood and furniture, it will not break. However, the nylon rope can only be bought with an industrial ticket, and the price is not cheap. It is not available to ordinary families.


    If only I could buy a few meters of nylon rope back, so I don¡¯t have to rub the straw rope. I have to rub it every two days. The palm of her hand has worn out a cocoon. How ugly it is for a girl to have a cocoon in her hand.


    ¡°She¡¯s a toothless baby. Her mother ran away. She¡¯ll be a childless child. Who else can really love her?¡±


    A motherless child is a grass. Zhang Qiaoer used to despise the educated youth¡¯s daughter-in-law. She was also the mother of her grandchildren. Unexpectedly, this woman has a big heart. Shanghe village could not keep her, nor could they keep her. In order to return to the city, she divorced Donglin and left her two children, Heidan and Ying Bao. She heard that in order to have it signed and sealed, she also hooked up with Secretary Rao in the town. She simply didn¡¯t have a conscience!


    (TN: ¡°A motherless child is a grass¡± refers to a child who is as pitiful, helpless, and pitiful as the weeds outside.)


    Zhang Qiao¡¯er really regrets that she found such a daughter-in-law, but it was this b*tch who cried out to marry Donglin!


    ¡°Mom, what about Heidan and Yingbao¡¯s future? My big brother is not at home; my sister-in-law also left. Are you going to take them all the time?¡±


    Zhang Qiaoer had four children, two men and two women, the eldest daughter Zhao Hongxia, the eldest son Zhao Donglin, the youngest son Zhao Donghe and the youngest daughter Zhao Meixiang.


    The eldest daughter, Zhao Hongxia, got married eight years ago, and later Zhao Donglin and Zhao Donghe also got married, one after another, and now Zhao Meixiang is the only child left in the family who is not married.


    Zhao Donglin went to the army as a soldier at the age of seventeen. During these twelve years, with his perseverance and courage, not afraid of difficulties and sacrifices, he has been promoted from an ordinary soldier to a company commander. His monthly salary is more than 70 yuan. He is the only capable person in the later generation of the village. The whole family enjoys happiness with him. It is really an honor for one person to join the army.


    This day was originally excellent. The officer¡¯s son, an educated youth as a wife, gave birth to a son and a daughter and made up a word of ¡°good life¡±, but it was still not enough for the heart of that person. Wang Mei, that little b*tch, had a good life, but, she wanted to go back to the city no matter what. Zhang Qiaoer can not figure it out, was living in the city that good? Was it good enough to abandon her husband and children, and don¡¯t you care about your face anymore?


    Zhang Qiao¡¯er really can¡¯t figure out ah, their Zhao family¡¯s life was already the village¡¯s top family, such a life still can¡¯t keep Wang Mei¡¯s heart?


    ¡°Ah, ah ah.¡±


    When Zhang Qiaoer was thinking, she had eaten the rice cereal in her mouth, did not wait until the next bite. She opened her mouth and yelled. Zhang Qiaoer came back and looked down. He almost burst into tears when she looked at Yingbao¡¯s bright eyes.


    She held back her heartache and returned the words her daughter had spoken.


    ¡°What sister-in-law? Don¡¯t call her sister-in-law in the future. She has no relationship with our family in the future.¡±


    Zhao Meixiang rubbed the grass rope and did not speak. In fact, her sister-in-law, Wang Mei, was not so disgusted, probably because her first impression of Wang Mei was too good. Even if she did such a thing, she couldn¡¯t afford to hate her.


    Zhang Qiaoer said that she also felt it was meaningless and directly turned to another topic.


    ¡°Certainly, I must take care of this child. If you have nothing to do, you should help more. Over the years, your eldest brother comes back with money every month, and your eldest brother earns a share of what we eat. You help him take care of the children, and when you get married, I¡¯ll buy you a decent dowry with the money sent back by your eldest brother.¡±


    For Zhang Qiaoer¡¯s four children, both the palm and the back of the hand are made of flesh. No matter which finger is long, which finger is short, they should help each other to move forward.


    (TN: both the palm and the back of the hand are made of flesh (idiom) ¨C they are equally important.)


    Zhao Meixiang was still a young girl. She blushes when she hears the word ¡°marry¡±. Mom is really right. She says she can¡¯t marry a dowry before she finds her partner.


    Besides, even if her mother doesn¡¯t explain so deliberately, she, as their little aunt, will certainly help take care of her nephew and niece.


    Although Wang Mei, her sister-in-law, has a bad temper and doesn¡¯t care who she gets along with, it can¡¯t be denied that her nephews and nieces followed the look of their mother, especially Yingbao. She looks very much like Wang Mei, with white skin and big eyes.

 CH 5

    Dong Jiahui¡¯s family has been very busy lately. Since people have seen and confirmed Dong Jiahui¡¯s sewing talents. From time to time, people would bring something to ask her for help.


    May it be sewing and mending, or making clothes, or embroidering a pattern or something, they would come to her but of course, everyone asked her to help and was embarrassed to come empty-handed. They would bring two eggs laid by their hens, or vegetables and fruits from their own vegetable garden. For those who were more polite, they would bring fish, shrimp, snails and eels. Anyway, the food of the Dong family is better than before.


    As for why they give things instead of money, no one has spare money these days. Besides, in the era of lack of food and drink, food is equivalent to money. Money can¡¯t buy it, such as wild mushrooms, wild eggs and duck eggs in the mountains, and occasionally a few small sparrows fight for sumptuous meals.


    Dong Jiahui did not expect that she would rely on this craft handed down to her by her grandmother to support herself after crossing over. If her grandmother knew what happened to her, she wondered if she would be heartbroken or relieved.


    She guessed that her Grandma fled to her hometown in the countryside in the 1960s. Chuxian is a little far away from here. She has to take the train to get there. She thought, when it was convenient, she would go back to her hometown to look for her grandmother. Even if she couldn¡¯t recognize her, it was good to go as a relative.


    ¡°Guixiang ah.¡±


    Chen Guixiang was mixing chicken food that day, and the third aunt of the village head Dongsan¡¯s house pushed the door in.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s the third aunt.¡±


    Dong San¡¯s family was not in the same production team as theirs. When they were divided into cooperation groups, 30 families had a production team. Their family was the first production team and the three Dong families were the second production team.


    ¡°I have a good thing here, about Jiahui.¡±


    Chen Guixiang knows what she meant. She looked at the room where the girl in the West lived, invited her third aunt to the room to talk, poured her a cup of tea with brown sugar, and took some wild fruits up the mountain for her to eat.


    Aunt Dong said smilingly, ¡°I recently met a lot of people and they asked me about Jiahui, I know you always want to find a good home for Jiahui. When I went to town and met an old sister I used to know, she told me about a family. This child¡¯s father is a statistician at the grain station. The child lost his first wife. The family has been trying to find another wife. I thought Jiahui is good. She doesn¡¯t look bad. She¡¯s young and still has skills. It¡¯s not a problem if she can¡¯t have children, he already had three children. ¡°


    Chen Guixiang frowned. This condition is not uncommon. Most of the matchmakers who came to the Dong family were widowers, and they all had children on their first marriages. Otherwise, for her daughter¡¯s reputation for not being able to bear children, it is unlikely that a young man will come to their door to propose marriage.


    The three years of marriage without pregnancy is not a big deal. There is no shortage of marriages in the village a few years before conceiving a child, but the Lu family used this as a reason to make a big deal out of it, Dong Jiahui can only eat this loss.


    Although Chen Guixiang was not very satisfied with what the third aunt mentioned, she still asked a few questions carefully. What if it was a good one?


    ¡°How old is this person? Where does he work? How is his first wife? What is the age of his children?¡±


    The third Aunt almost couldn¡¯t stand it after Chen Guixiang asked a few questions. She sighed and told what she knew.


    ¡°Thirty years old, surnamed Chen, year tiger, his former wife was sick and died. My older sister has a bit of a relationship with his family. This is also a casual conversation. The Chen family asked me to come back. They expressed their attitude. As long as Jiahui agreed, they were willing to give a bride price of 100 yuan.¡±


    Chen Guixiang looked at the third aunt with a smile on her face and knew that the Chen family must have promised a considerable amount of money to thank the matchmaker. Otherwise, given the nature of the third aunt, it is unlikely that she would have come specifically to talk to them as the matchmaker.


    She calculated in her heart that she was thirty-seven this year, more than a year older than Jiahui.


    Of course, age is not a hard condition. If it is really good, a little older does not hurt, but this matter can not be easily answered, but still needs to be visited carefully.


    ¡°The third aunt, you know Jiahui¡¯s situation. I won¡¯t be able to give an answer for a while. Why don¡¯t you go back today and wait for me to mention it to Jiahui.¡±


    Aunt Dong didn¡¯t expect to come today. She drank the brown sugar tea in her bowl, wiped her mouth and got up, ¡°OK, I¡¯ll wait for your news.¡±


    When her eldest son¡¯s wife came back from the field, Chen Guixiang told her about it in private. The reason why she told Zhou Yindi is that Zhou Yindi¡¯s second brother works in the town and is the accountant of the supply and marketing cooperative. The supply and marketing cooperative is in front of the grain station. It¡¯s more convenient to inquire about the Chen family.


    ¡°Mom, I see. I¡¯ll go back early tomorrow.¡±


    Zhou Yindi immediately responded to what her mother in law said. She has always been sincerely concerned with her sister-in-law, Jiahui. She also hopes that she can find a satisfactory husband to love her in her next life and stop suffering.


    Chen Guixiang nodded and said, ¡°Don¡¯t go back empty-handed, bring back the ten or so eggs you have saved at home.¡±


    Zhou Yindi hurriedly shook her head, ¡°Mom, no, keep the eggs for the family to eat, I¡¯ll go back to the town on the way and give my nephew some snacks.¡±


    For example, biscuits, fruit candy and so on, are decent and easy to take back, and the price is not expensive.


    Chen Guixiang patted her arm, obviously disagreeing with her daughter-in-law¡¯s words.


    ¡°Take it with you, what you buy is yours, what¡¯s from the family is for the family.¡±


    The next morning, Chen Guixiang went into her daughter¡¯s room after sending her daughter-in-law Zhou Yindi away and saw Dong Jiahui sewing one stitch at a time.


    The day before yesterday, someone had sent her a piece of cloth and asked Jiahui to make her a dress, the Lenin suit that is popular nowadays, and the reward was two catties of rice and three catties of sweet potatoes.


    Sweet potatoes are not rare, but rice is very rare, Two catties of rice are enough for the whole family to eat a pot of white rice.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pity we don¡¯t have a sewing machine at home. It will be quicker if you do it with a sewing machine.¡±


    Several daughters-in-law got married early. At that time, every family had difficult conditions and had no spare money to buy this valuable thing. In addition, sewing machines need money to buy, but also need industrial tickets, which are not affordable for ordinary farmers.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯m not doing anything else anyway, just sewing a few clothes, it¡¯s not a big deal.¡±


    Dong Jiahui¡¯s temperament does not want to take advantage. Her current status is now as an abandoned woman who has returned to her mother¡¯s home, and she is embarrassed to eat free food without being productive.


    The rural areas of this era are concerned about married daughters splashing out water. Let alone that she is also the daughter of the Dong family, in the eyes of others, her current identity is indeed criticized.


    The parents and brother do not care. She doesn¡¯t know what her sister-in-law will think. She can try her best to contribute to her family and eat more confidently at dinner.


    Chen Guixiang sat down and stroked her daughter¡¯s hair, Dong Jiahui¡¯s thoughts she could understand as a mother, if not for the eyes of others, she would be happy to keep her daughter around for life.


    But she and her husband will grow old one day. They can¡¯t let their daughter live alone in this world. They still need to find her a good home.


    ¡°Donglin, you have to think clearly. Your efforts for more than ten years have been in vain. Let me tell you, this time you have a good chance to rise. You are the battalion commander. Now that you retired from the army, you can be said to have fallen short of success.¡±


    Now the soldier is much in demand, even the President said that he was not fond of red makeups but armed people[1]. It¡¯s not easy for children like them to come out of the countryside step by step. How much pain, sweat and injury they have suffered!


    Zhao Donglin, a tall and sturdy man with a Chinese face, was smoking a cigarette quietly. His brows were firm and bold, like those of a heroic man.


    ¡°I¡¯ve thought it over. That¡¯s it. You have to give up in life sometimes. Something happened at home and my leg was hurt before. Even if I stay, I may not be able to go far. ¡°


    Nobody in the army said anything about his divorce from Wang Mei, In addition to feeling a little ashamed, he didn¡¯t want his comrades in arms to worry.


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m just feeling sorry. We¡¯ve been comrades in arms for so many years. We really can¡¯t bear to be apart.¡±


    Zhao Donglin exhaled a mouthful of smoke in the night and flicked the ash with the corner of his mouth. While holding a cigarette, he looked into the distant night sky. The stars were all over the sky, just like thousands of sorrows in his heart.


    A few months ago, he received a letter from Wang Mei. He loved and respected this wife because she was his own wife.


    That year, when he went home to visit his relatives, he met Wang Me, who jumped in the queue in the countryside. She struggled to carry a bag of wheat, walking and sweating. He went to help her carry the bag of wheat and sent it to the village rice mill for processing.


    ¡°Thank you. Are you a soldier? What¡¯s your name?¡±


    She smiled brightly and looked at him sideways. Her eyes were shining with a smile, which cast a ripple in his heart.


    He doesn¡¯t remember how they got together, but he got married to Wang Mei that spring festival and had their son, Heidan, the next year.


    In the past few years, they had been together for more than two months, and Wang Mei said in her letter that she did not want to live this kind of widowhood, nor did she want to live such a poor life. She was eager to leave the countryside, eager to leave him and the Zhao family to start a new life.


    Zhao Donglin wrote back and tried to redeem himself, but Wang Mei was very determined, saying that a job was waiting for her in the city and urging him to hurry up and sign all the divorce papers.


    ¡°Donglin, don¡¯t let me hate you, I¡¯ve waited too long for this day, going to the countryside was a mistake, marrying you was also a mistake, I can¡¯t let the wrong life that I am leading continue, this is the last time I ask you. Please let me live for myself.¡±


    Her words made him heartbroken, not to mention heartache, but also disheartened. It seemed that he had known Wang Mei for the first time and understood her determination.


    Zhao Donglin signed the divorce document and forced a twist. Now the marriage seems like a children¡¯s play.


    Perhaps, as Wang Mei said, they were wrong from the beginning.


    Zhao Donglin closed his eyes and thought, that¡¯s it. In fact, he has been very tired for so many years.

 CH 6

    Zhou Yindi came back from her family¡¯s house in the afternoon, and when she got home, she went to her Mother-in-law, Chen Guixiang¡¯s room to talk. Liu Xiuyun curled her lips when she saw it.


    ¡°It¡¯s not the time for slacking off from farming, Why did my sister-in-law delay a whole day and seven work points just to go to her mother¡¯s house?¡±


    Zhao Lijuan cut wild vegetable leaves from the foot of the mountain and prepared to mix them with rice bran and feed them to chickens.


    ¡°If she¡¯s delayed, then she¡¯s delayed. Stop muttering if you don¡¯t have anything to say. ¡°


    As soon as she came back, she went into the room with their mother-in-law. The fool also knew that my sister-in-law¡¯s absence today had something to do with their mother-in-law. The second sister-in-law was smart and stupid. She didn¡¯t know whether she was really smart or acting stupid.


    Zhou Yindi closed the door as soon as she entered the room and eagerly said to Chen Guixiang, ¡°Mom, my brother inquired about this Chen family. You can¡¯t take this marriage .¡±


    ¡°The eldest son from the Chen family beats up his wife. Before it was said to the public that the wife was sick, that¡¯s why she died. But in fact, it was because she was often beaten up by the son of the Chen family. She was really discouraged, did not want to live, so she took medicine to seek death.¡±


    ¡°Ah! How did the third aunt introduce such a person to Jiahui? ¡°


    Chen Guixiang¡¯s face was so blue that she was annoyed. The introducer didn¡¯t know to inquire about it before. She was still related to her own relatives. If Jiahui were really married, wouldn¡¯t she be in another fire pit!


    Since she revealed to the public that she was looking for an in-law for Jiahui, none of the introductions has been good. They all think her own daughter was worthless after the divorce, right?


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell Jiahui about this, don¡¯t make her feel unhappy.¡±


    Chen Guixiang was obviously not in a good mood. Zhou Yindi was also uncomfortable. She watched Jiahui grow from a little girl to a big girl, just like her sister in her mother¡¯s family. She also hopes that Jiahui can find a good family.


    ¡°Mom, I know. I won¡¯t say more. Even if Xiuyun and Lijuan ask me, I will only tell them that it¡¯s inappropriate to say, and I won¡¯t say more about it. ¡°


    Who knows what it would be like if they were said to anyone? It¡¯s better to go back to the third aunt directly. If anyone says more and involves Jiahui with the eldest son of the Chen family, Jiahui will be the only one who suffers.


    Chen Guixiang nodded with satisfaction. She valued her eldest daughter-in-law the most because she was thorough, knew how to think about people, and never made mistakes on the big issues of doing right and wrong.


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe that my daughter is still unable to find a good family.¡±


    This incident stung Chen Guixiang. She was cruel to herself. Even if she didn¡¯t marry her daughter in her life, she had to find a really good one for her daughter.


    Zhou Yindi sighed at the speech and said, ¡°Jiahui¡¯s marriage is really not going well, but it¡¯s a pity that the Old Four[1] is now broken, otherwise we could still take Jiahui to the temple to worship and see if we can find a good marriage for her.¡±


    Zhou Yindi¡¯s unintentional remark made Chen Guixiang¡¯s heart stir.


    The country has broken the feudal superstition, but the mountains are high and the emperor is far away. Who can keep an eye on this every day?


    She decided to go to the temple tomorrow to burn incense. She wanted to ask which immortal their daughter had offended. Why did the matchmaker not tie a reliable red thread in her daughter¡¯s hand?


    In Xiaoling village, newly married Lu Chengyuan and his newly married wife, Li Caifeng, are in a stalemate.


    ¡°Was it really necessary to drive away your first wife and say that she couldn¡¯t have children? In the end, the problem lies with you. Oh, you¡¯re a big man. How nice of you to splash dirty water on women!¡±


    Li Caifeng, the new wife of Lu Cheng Yuan, discovered on the night of the wedding that Lu Cheng Yuan was different. He turned out to be a withered one. He couldn¡¯t do it before he found a mouth.


    Li Caifeng was different from Dong Jiahui¡¯s kind of good girl. She likes to be noisy. Li Caifeng often looks at young men in the village and knows more about men and women than Dong Jiahui.


    Li Caifeng pushed away Lu Chengyuan, who was on top of her. She picked up the clothes scattered aside and put them on, looking at Lu Chengyuan with a sneer in her eyes, as if she was watching a joke.


    Lu Chengyuan¡¯s face was red and his forehead was sweating when he was just working. He didn¡¯t care about Li Caifeng¡¯s ridicule. He was flustered and afraid.


    He knew his own problem. He thought it would get better if he changed his wife. In front of his bridal chamber, he specially asked his mother to stop listening to the corner. Who knows, he still can¡¯t do it!


    Lu Chengyuan had no other women before he married Dong Jiahui. When he was young, he solved it by himself. At that time, he didn¡¯t feel that he had a problem. In the end, was it an inborn problem or was it because he was frightened? He was not able to distinguish it himself.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want this marriage anymore. We¡¯ll get the divorce certificate tomorrow.¡±


    Li Caifeng was not stupid. Dong Jiahui was driven back by the Lu family because she couldn¡¯t have children. In the case of Lu Chengyuan, the Lu family may not have had children all their lives. Could it be that in three years she would also be driven back by the Lu family on such an excuse?


    Not to mention the three years of time wasted, just like three years of widowhood. She was not happy!


    As for the bride price given by the Lu family, it will not be returned. Seriously, the Lu family is a fraud!


    Lu Chengyuan realized that Li Caifeng was about to get divorced. He was a cowardly character and he was a Mama¡¯s boy. But he was also a man with dignity, if this aspect of his own problem were taken out to the public, then how could he still be a man!


    ¡°Don¡¯t, please don¡¯t divorce, I was not born with this, as long as you don¡¯t divorce, I will go to the doctor for a check-up. I will go to the city and the province to cure my disease.¡±


    Li Caifeng has put on her clothes and her hair is scattered on her shoulders. She appears much more beautiful in the dim yellow light than she does during the day.


    Li Caifeng was slightly fat and was a bit darker. She was not as white as Dong Jiahui. She has Phoenix eyes and raised eyes. When she stares, she looks a little fierce.


    Dong Jiahui is not like this. She is very soft in how she speaks and she does things slowly. Lu Chengyuan has never seen her blush with anyone in the past three years. When she was there, no matter what his mother said, she never answered back and just buried herself in work.


    Speaking of feelings, Lu Chengyuan naturally has feelings for Dong Jiahui. Such feelings are like warm and white, not warm and have no taste, but everything in this world is comparable. The lukewarm water, Dong Jiahui, was more to Lu Chengyuan¡¯s appetite than the hot and choking pepper, Li Caifeng.


    Since settling with Li Caifeng, Lu Cheng Yuan often misses the goodness of Dong Jiahui.


    He should not have divorced Dong Jiahui if God had given him the faith to not have a child in this life, even if he had adopted one back, and it¡¯s better to spend a light life with Dong Jiahui than face Li Caifeng.


    This was the first day of their marriage, and Lu Chengyuan had expected the future.


    ¡°Hum, what you think is very beautiful. Why should I spend my whole life on you? If I divorce you, I will find a man thousands of times better than you every minute. Is a man who can¡¯t do that still considered a man? ¡°


    Lu Chengyuan¡¯s face was red and black. Obviously, Li Cai Feng¡¯s words made him very humiliated.


    Even if his heart was reluctant, he could not let Li Caifeng out. He couldn¡¯t let Li Caifeng cause trouble. He wanted Lu Chengyuan¡¯s face and their Lu family¡¯s face. As long as he poked it out, the Lu family would be pointed out all their lives.


    ¡°I¡¯ll cure the disease. I¡¯ll satisfy you with whatever you want. Just don¡¯t go out.¡±


    This sentence is quite manly, but it¡¯s a pity.


    Li Caifeng looked at Lu Chengyuan. His father was a cadre of the brigade. That¡¯s why Li Caifeng was willing to marry Lu Chengyuan as a second marriage wife.


    Her mother gave birth to eight. She was not the most outstanding out of her brothers and sisters. Nor the favorite of her parents. She may have been neglected too much. She deliberately hopes that she can live a good life in the future, and have the best life among her other brothers and sisters.


    Dong Jiahui understood early and thought a lot, although no one taught her, she came to a realization that she could only have a chance to turn her life around by getting married this time, but she knew that she was not outstanding in appearance and had no advantage in appearance. It was also an accident that the Lu family could choose her as a daughter-in-law.


    Most of them are thin. Li Caifeng, who is a little fat, is very prominent.


    ¡°This girl looks like, she will do well in giving birth.¡±


    Strong and genuine, as opposed to Dong Jiahui, who is thin and frail, and can be blown down by the wind in two steps.


    Marrying Lu Chengyuan was an opportunity for Li Caifeng to turn over after waiting for 20 years. It can be said that if Lu Chengyuan hadn¡¯t been divorced once, the marriage might not be able to turn on her.


    She just said she wanted a divorce just to scare Lu Chengyuan. She can leave the Lu family, but she also has to make sure that she will not have dirty water when she leaves. But after returning to her mother¡¯s house, her own affairs are still in the hands of her parents and brothers, and the next time she marries again, she does not know what kind of family she will marry into.


    In fact, it is good to stay, Lu Chengyuan¡¯s handle was in her hands, so he would definitely obey her. The Lu family¡¯s conditions were not bad. The house is a tiled house, for the food and clothing, they were better than average. In the future, the Lu family doesn¡¯t have to suffer from hunger and cold. Moreover, Lu Chengyuan is the only child of the Lu family. Say a disrespectful word. When an old couple of the Lu family dies, everything in the Lu family will be her¡¯s!


    ¡°Good, since you begged me, then I will give you another chance, You have promised me, no matter what conditions I put forward, right? I want 50 yuan, two new clothes, a plum blossom watch and a pair of leather shoes.¡±


    Li Cai Feng wanted money because the bride price given by the Lu family to the Li family was not given to Li Caifeng. Not only that, but the Li family also did not prepare any dowry for her. She was just taking advantage of the opportunity to seek benefits for herself.


    Since Lu Chengyuan said he would agree to whatever he asked, let¡¯s see if he can do it.


    Lu Chengyuan looked at Li Caifeng in silence for a long time. In this condition, not to mention Li Caifeng like this, it was really too much to marry a wife in the city.


    He has 50 yuan, and there is no problem with the clothes and leather shoes. The difficulty lies in the watch. It can only be bought with an industrial ticket, and the watch is expensive. Even if he has some money left around, it is really not enough to buy so many things.

 CH 7

    ¡°Hey, I heard that the newly married wife of Lu¡¯s family is very powerful. . Even Mrs Lu couldn¡¯t fight against her. The next day she got married, she had a fight at home. Mrs Lu could only cry in bed at home and she said that she shouldn¡¯t have brought home that b*tch¡±


    The news in rural areas was blocked, and some elderly people were not literate. If you can write your name clearly, then you will be considered literate.


    No studying, no newspapers, no TV for entertainment or any pastime. They don¡¯t even have the black box for tape recorders. Except for the occasional village cadre reading one or two documents issued by the top on the village¡¯s loudspeaker, the farmers won¡¯t have any way to gain knowledge or talk about ideological progress. They can only pass the time by listening to their parents¡¯ brief gossip.


    Originally, there was no market for this kind of mother-in-law gossip in Dayu Village. Which village does not have some in-laws and daughters-in-law with trivial disagreements? Could they still go from house to house to talk about this trivial matter?


    But Xiaoling Village¡¯s Lu family was different. Lu family¡¯s only son was married to the youngest daughter of the Dong Changgui family in Dayu Village. A few months ago, she was driven back by the Lu family, and the Dong family¡¯s daughter also sought death. Now, the Lu family has taken a new wife, the new wife and her mother-in-law had a disagreement, this familiar gossip in Dayu Village was still very marketable.


    ¡°She deserves it. This old lady kept bullying the weak and is afraid of strong people. The new wife was not like Jiahui. Now the old lady has found her match. ¡°


    The Dong family¡¯s daughter came from their Dayu Village. A good daughter was bullied by people in Xiaoling village. It¡¯s time to be consistent with outsiders at this time. Otherwise, other villages will bully their daughters who will go out of Dayu village in the future!


    Since then, the daughters from Dayu village must get a marriage certificate when they get married. They were afraid that they might encounter shameless and unreasonable people like the Lu family.


    ¡°The wicked have their own wicked grinding[1]. People who don¡¯t belong together, don¡¯t get to live together. Is it surprising when a problem arises? ¡°


    ¡°This Lu family¡¯s heart was not right. We, ordinary people, don¡¯t have the idea of divorce. As long as we get married, we have to keep it for a lifetime regardless of whether the mother-in-law is good or bad. It¡¯s just that she hasn¡¯t had children yet. It¡¯s only three years, not ten or twenty years.


    we have the people which divorce repudiation of this statement, as long as the marriage, regardless of whether the mother-in-law is good or bad, is kept for a lifetime, not just because they have not given birth to children. This is only three years, not ten or twenty years. The wife of the head of the Zhang family has been married for several years. We thought that they couldn¡¯t have a baby. What¡¯s the result? The wife of the head of the Zhang family became pregnant the next year. ¡°


    ¡°It¡¯s true. Old people say that it depends on luck to have children. Without luck, they can¡¯t have children. The Zhang family just adopted a little girl who others don¡¯t want. Only after accumulating virtue and doing good deeds can they be happy. ¡°


    When Chen Guixiang returned from the temple after burning incense, she heard a group of people gathered at the head of the village. She didn¡¯t know what they were talking about, so she came closer to listen. It turned out that they were bad-mouthing the Lu family. Her face immediately became terrible. After listening to two words about the miserable situation of Mrs Lu, she hummed coldly and went home.


    Who knew that, when she entered the house, several wives from their family were also muttering about this.


    After listening to the second family, she told the other two sisters-in-law about Jiahui.


    ¡°Have you noticed that Jiahui is now better looking? She was yellow and thin when she first came back, but now her face is whiter and her face has flesh.¡±


    ¡°No, she had a hard time in the Lu family, I heard that her mother-in-law did not go to the land. There were only three people in the Lu family. All the work of the family fell on Jiahui alone. She¡¯s not willing to give her good food. Then she became tan and thin after a long time.¡±


    ¡°So it¡¯s good for Jiahui to go back to her mother¡¯s house. You see, no one at home asks her to work in the field. She sews clothes and embroiders patterns in the house. She can eat well. She gained a few catty after a few months of raising. ¡°


    ¡°Jiahui was pretty good-looking when she was a child. Look how neat her mother is, she must not be bad when she was young.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, the appearance of her three brothers was not bad, otherwise we would not look at them either.¡±


    The three sisters-in-law laughed.


    ¡°You¡¯re not ashamed to catch up with Grandma Wang to sell melons.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth. When Aiguo went to the health clinic to buy medicine, I happened to go with her and I saw a young man with thick eyebrows, big eyes, and white teeth. He smiled and said nothing. I thought he was pretty good.¡±


    ¡°Then what? You went up to look for him?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m still reserved. I think the people in the health centre know him. When he left, he asked someone to find out about him. He said it was the third son of the Dong family in the first brigade of Dayu village. I didn¡¯t have anyone. I went back and told my family quickly.¡±


    Zhao Lijuan mentioned this story for the first time. She had just gotten married and had thin skin. She was shy, so she didn¡¯t mention it. Today, her mother-in-law was not at home. Everyone chatted about home affairs and caught up with her.


    ¡°Hey, did you tell Aiguo about it??¡±


    Zhao Lijuan pursed her lips and smiled, ¡°I asked him after I became his partner. Guess what he said?¡±


    Zhou Yindi and Liu Xiuyun both looked curious, ¡°What did he say?¡±


    ¡°He said that he also noticed me at that time and saw a girl wearing a lotus root red gown with two braids, she was smiling very attractively, and always staring at him.¡±


    The two sisters in law covered their mouths and smiled, and even Chen Guixiang under the window smiled.


    After Zhao Donglin completed the formalities for discharge, he said goodbye to his leader who was so kind to him and his comrades who had been fighting with him for more than ten years.


    Along the way, he took a train first. It took him15 hours to reach the provincial capital. After that, he rode three buses. It took him five hours to get from the provincial capital to the county seat.


    There was no bus to the countryside in the county. Fortunately, he was lucky to catch a tractor to the neighbouring village. When he got off the tractor and walked to the entrance of the village, the whole journey had taken more than 20 hours.


    The Shanghe village was still the same. The willows were still intact, the grass was fragrant, the ridges were crisscrossed, and the uncle at the entrance of the village was slowly driving a buffalo.


    ¡°Second Uncle!¡±


    Zhao Donglin carried his luggage and warmly greeted his uncle.


    ¡°Oh, this is?¡±


    The old man¡¯s eyes were not very good, and he was already some years old. The production captain took care of him and gave him an easy job, herding cattle for the team.


    ¡°Grandpa, I am Dong Lin Ah. My nickname is Shuanzi.¡±


    After replying, Zhao Donglin took a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket and gave one to the old man.


    The old man suddenly realized and he took the cigarette with a smile and put it in his ear.


    ¡°Oh, Donglin! Aren¡¯t you a soldier? Did you come back to visit relatives?¡±


    The old man¡¯s eyes and ears are not good and he doesn¡¯t gossip with the village people, so he doesn¡¯t know about Zhao Donglin¡¯s divorce, and he can¡¯t even remember when he got married.


    ¡°Yes, grandpa, you go on with your work, I¡¯ll go first.¡±


    ¡°Oh, good, good, you¡¯re busy.¡±


    At this time, the villagers were working. In May, it is the busy season of farming. Except for the second uncle at the entrance of the village who doesn¡¯t have good eyes and several small dolls who don¡¯t have to go to school in the village, Zhao Donglin didn¡¯t meet anyone else on his way.


    The Zhao family¡¯s house was in the center of the village, not the most forward nor the most backward. In front of their house was a long river. There are weeds along the river. There is also a special land for planting some vegetables.


    He opened the wooden door outside his yard and around his waist. With a squeak, the quiet and familiar courtyard appeared in front of him again.


    The yard was very quiet. There was no movement except the clucking of a few hens.


    Zhao Donglin put down his luggage and surveyed his family¡¯s yard. The conditions of their yard in the village are good, half of it was mud and half green brick, a row of triangles, and a short chicken pen and pigpen are built in the east of the courtyard wall.


    The Zhao family has a sow. Raising pigs these days is an extra income in addition to work. Communes and brigades encourage members to raise pigs.


    In the era of the planned economy, each production brigade has the task of raising pigs, and pigs are not allowed to be sold privately. Just like grain, they should be handed over to the state for unified regulation and distribution to ensure the living needs of urban residents.


    The door creaked, Zhao Donglin turned his head to look over, only to see his mother, Zhang Qiaoer, carrying Yingbao into the door. She also carried a bamboo basket in her hand, the frame carrying fresh pig grass from the river.


    However, he didn¡¯t come home for more than a year. His mother looked more than several years old. he didn¡¯t know if it was because she was carrying Yingbao, which is why her back was bent and she had lost her youthful agility.


    ¡°Mom.¡±


    Zhao Donglin¡¯s nose flushed with sourness. He called out to Zhang Qiaoer. At that moment, he was incomparably glad that he had chosen to retire from the military and return to the countryside. Not only he had children to take care of, but there were also aging parents who needed his care.


    Zhang Qiao¡¯er did not pay attention to other people in the courtyard. Hearing her eldest son¡¯s voice, she thought she was hearing things, so when she looked up, she saw a tall, sturdy young man in a military uniform standing in the courtyard¡­.but it was her eldest son Donglin?


    ¡°Donglin? Why are you back?¡±


    Zhao Donglin did not answer immediately. He went over and put the bamboo basket on Zhang Qiaoer¡¯s back, and took his daughter Yingbao into his arms.


    Yingbao was only seven months old, and it was not a time where she could recognize people. She has a good temper. Usually, anyone can hug her. She doesn¡¯t cry or make trouble. She was held in her arms by her father. She only stared at Zhao Donglin with her big grape eyes. Her white and tender face is stunned and cute, which softens Zhao Donglin¡¯s heart.


    He had never met Yingbao, and this was the first time in their lives that the father and daughter had met.


    To be precise, Yingbao¡¯s existence, the only role he played was to provide seed, the rest he was not involved, not only Yingbao, but it was also the same for Heidan.


    When he thinks about it, Zhao Donglin feels that Wang Mei¡¯s choice to leave was not unreasonable.


    The husband from other families was at home every day. The husband and wife work together at sunrise and rest at sunset. When the wife is pregnant and giving birth, the husband will be with her and take care of her needs all the time. As for him, the time spent with her for several years after marriage was only more than two months. He is absent at many important moments. She has reasons for resentment and dissatisfaction.


    ¡°Donglin, why did you suddenly come back without saying in advance? How long have you been in the car? Are you hungry? I¡¯ll give you something to eat first.¡±


    Zhao Donglin held Yingbao¡¯s small hand, smiled and said to Zhang Qiaoer, ¡°Mom, you don¡¯t need to, I ate dry food on the road.¡±


    The steamed bread was pickled. His comrades in arms asked the cooking team to prepare it for him. The steamed bread of the army was big and powerful, one for two. Along the way, he ate twelve pieces of steamed bread. He really didn¡¯t feel hungry.


    With that, he kissed Yingbao¡¯s little face and handed Yingbao to Zhang Qiaoer. He went to the pigsty with a bamboo basket to feed the pigs with feed.

 CH 8

    Zhao Manzhu was holding a cigarette while sitting on the bench by the table and smoking it bit by bit. He was a genuine old farmer. He was willing to bow his head and be a cow and horse for his family. Due to working hard, his face was covered with the vicissitudes of years at the age of less than 60.


    Zhang Qiaoer sat on the other side of the square table with a black face. She was not happy to see her son back two hours ago.


    ¡°Mom and Dad, let¡¯s eat first. Let¡¯s talk after we finish eating.¡±


    Because her son was happy to come back, Zhang Qiaoer specially cooked a richer dinner than usual. Fried eggs with leeks, stewed bacon with cabbage, fried turnips and fried pickles. Originally, Zhang Qiaoer asked her daughter, Meixiang, to catch a chicken and kill it, but Zhao Donglin stopped her.


    It was supposed to be a reunion meal, but because Zhao Donglin said that he had retired from the army, the old couple completely lost their appetite.


    The glory of being a soldier these days is that if one person from your family joins the army, it will become the whole family¡¯s honor.


    In addition to the honor, the treatment of soldiers is also good. Take Zhao Donglin, for example. At the level of a company commander, there is a monthly allowance of 76 yuan. In addition, there are subsidies such as food stamps and oil stamps. The leader of the production team can¡¯t catch up with this treatment. Only the cadres of the commune can have this kind of treatment.


    ¡°Donglin, there¡¯s still room for turning back when you retire from the army. No, your father and I really can¡¯t accept it. If you say you¡¯re worried about Heidan and Yingbao, I will promise you, I¡¯ll take them with me so as not to cause you trouble.¡±


    ¡°Besides, in the family, you have me, and your sister, and Donghe and Yuefen. So many people in our family are afraid they can¡¯t bring two children?¡±


    The three people named by Zhang Qiaoer happen to have a child. Zheng Yuefen is Zhao Donghe¡¯s wife. They have been married for more than three years and have a son named Shitou. He is one and a half years old this year, smaller than Heidan and older than Yingbao.


    Zhao Donglin knew he would not be able to pass this hurdle without explaining clearly to his parents, so he put down his chopsticks and spoke in a very solemn tone.


    ¡°I came back from the military after careful consideration. I have all the materials done. I know you can¡¯t accept it all at once. I didn¡¯t tell you in advance because I was afraid you would stop me. ¡°


    ¡°I¡¯ve been away from home for more than ten years. At first, I really wanted to stay in the army for a lifetime, but my leg was hurt last year. Later, although I looked well cultivated, I couldn¡¯t compare my responsiveness with that before.¡±


    ¡°I divorced Wang Mei and have two children at home. I can throw them to you, but I don¡¯t want to be so irresponsible. I haven¡¯t taken good care of them since they were born. In the future, I want to take the responsibility of being their father.¡±


    Zhao Donglin said so much, Zhang Qiaoer and Zhao Manzhu¡¯s attention were on the leg injury sentence.


    ¡°Which leg did you hurt? How is it now? Does it affect you?¡±


    Zhang Qiaoer touched her son¡¯s leg and looked left and right. Unfortunately, she couldn¡¯t see anything across a pair of trousers.


    ¡°Mom, it¡¯s fine, it¡¯s healed, but it¡¯s just sore every rainy day.¡±


    ¡°OK, you¡¯ve come back anyway. It¡¯s no use saying anything. You have not let me and your father worry since you were a child, and it has accumulated to this day. ¡°


    She really does not understand how their good life has become like this.


    Her proud son divorced first and then retired quietly. What does it mean to retire from the army? It means that the allowance of more than 70 yuan a month has disappeared since then, which means that her son will be a farmer in the future.


    Zhang Qiaoer painfully wiped her tears. She really felt sad. For her, no matter how hard and tired she was in this life, she didn¡¯t shed tears. As long as she can endure it. But her son was not doing fine. As a mother, it was really hard for her to see him like this.


    ¡°Mom, don¡¯t cry. There¡¯s something I haven¡¯t told you.¡±


    Zhang Qiaoer tucked her tears in her clothes and said with a frightened face, ¡°what else is there? Just make it clear to me at one time. Don¡¯t procrastinate!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a retired officer. The army promised to arrange a job for me in the future. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    There is still this good thing about emotional retirement. It¡¯s just that, it was a waste of her feelings.


    Once she heard that the army had arranged a job, that means that when he came back, he wouldn¡¯t be a farmer, Zhang Qiaoer instantly lost the previous sadness, and she eagerly opened her mouth and asked, ¡°What job did your army arrange for you?¡±


    Zhao Donglin knew his mother had such a temperament and said with a smile, ¡°I don¡¯t know yet. I won¡¯t know until I go to the commune to ask.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all right. Go and ask early tomorrow. Decide on the work first. Don¡¯t worry about anything else.¡±


    Zhang Qiaoer¡¯s spirit came back in an instant and asked her eldest son to eat.


    notlucia: a very short chapter?

 CH 9

    At dawn the next day, Zhang Qiaoer went to Zhao Donglin¡¯s room to urge Zhao Donglin to get up.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have to go to the commune to inquire? Hurry up and get down to business first..¡±


    Zhang Qiaoer didn¡¯t sleep all night. She was worried and flustered. It was like something was scratching her heart. She managed to stay up until dawn and hurriedly urged her son to finalize the work.


    Zhao Donglin laughed helplessly. The way his mother wanted things done immediately, has not changed at all after so many years.


    When he was young, he felt that his parents were too controlling and annoying. Now that he has become older, his mentality has changed. He now knew that the reason for his parents¡¯ nagging was always to care about their children.


    Zhao Donglin got up and patted Heidan¡¯s buttocks. Heidan slept with him last night, and Yingbao slept with Zhang Qiaoer. Heidan did not sleep honestly at night, so Zhao Donglin would wake up from time to time to cover him up.


    Zhao Donglin ate breakfast and went out. On the way, he met his elder uncle, Zhao Mancang, who gave him a bicycle.


    Zhao Mancang and Zhao Manzhu look very much alike, and they are the kind of brothers that can be mistaken for each other when they see each other on the road.


    ¡°I heard from your father that you¡¯ve been discharged from the army?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Zhao Donglin respectfully answered. His father had three brothers. The third uncle died in his early years. This eldest uncle is now the only blood relative left in his father¡¯s generation. For so many years, the two families have been watching each other. Their relationship was very good.


    In those days, Zhao Donglin went to the army to become a soldier, which was also the person Zhao Manchang helped find.


    Many people want to join the army these days, but there are only a few people that can be recruited in the commune. Aside from that, under the same conditions, there is a wide range of options for recruitment.


    When it comes to physical quality, the physical quality of rural children is not poor. When it comes to political positions, the three generations of most families are middle and lower class peasants, whose roots are Miao Hong[1].


    Everyone wants to join the army, and the competition was very stressful.


    Everyone wants to join the army and there is a lot of competitive pressure.


    When Zhao Manchang was young, he worked as an apprentice and could do carpentry. When he was idle, he did repair work in the Revolutionary Committee of the brigade and was very familiar with the cadres of the Revolutionary Committee.


    After the draft of the conscription examination, Zhao Donglin¡¯s physical quality passed, but no one could guarantee that he would be chosen. Zhao Mancang took his teeth and took out a bottle of Baijiu he had not been willing to drink for a long time. He also took a package of peanuts and secretly took Zhao Donglin to the committee to put out good words for the cadres.


    When the draft was over, Zhao Donglin became one of the new recruits as he wished.


    He didn¡¯t know if the two bottles of wine played any role in his becoming a soldier, but he always remembered the goodness of his uncle to him.


    Before he left home, his aunt gave him ten cornmeal pancakes, and his uncle gave him ten yuan, telling him to mix well in the army and to make a good living.


    ¡°If you¡¯re discharged from the army, it¡¯s good to come back.¡±


    Although there are some regrets, since his nephew has made a decision, his family should still support him. Moreover, the army also arranges work for Donglin. These are the honors won by Donglin¡¯s own efforts.


    It¡¯s not that he, as an uncle, is boasting. Over the years, there have been many boys in the village who went to the army as soldiers, but there are very few people who are able to become officers like his nephew.


    Zhao Donglin rode his bicycle all the way to the Revolutionary Committee, where he had been several times before. Putting the bicycle in place, he took his file and followed his previous memories and knocked on the office of the director of the Revolutionary Committee, Director Zhong


    Director Zhong also just arrived at the office. He was doing the work that must be done every morning, drinking tea and reading the newspaper, drinking tea and reading the newspaper, when he heard the door ring, he looked up from the newspaper, only to see a young man in uniform standing at the door, his posture upright, all righteous. At glance, he can make your heart feel comfortable.


    Zhao Donglin became the secretary of the brigade, Zhang Qiaoer glowing, walking with the wind, almost smiling at everyone.


    ¡°Director Zhong said that my family¡¯s Donglin was an excellent revolutionary soldier and a pillar of the country under the command of the party. Only by arranging important posts to serve the masses can his importance and enthusiasm be brought into play.¡±


    To recite such a long and complicated paragraph without missing a word. It was difficult for Zhang Qiaoer, who had never attended school.


    Whenever she saw the amazing look of others after she finished, she was very happy and her mood jumped with joy.


    In the 1970s, a three-level organizational structure was implemented in rural areas, including communes, brigades and production teams, a secretary, a deputy party secretary, a director of the Reform Commission, a brigade accountant, and a militia company commander and director of governance and security.


    For example, women directors, League branch secretaries, and brigade cashiers do not belong to the formal sequence of brigade cadres, but to deputy cadres of the brigade.


    Don¡¯t underestimate the brigade cadres. These days, the brigade cadres still have great power.


    Director Zhong of the Revolutionary Committee originally wanted to arrange for Zhao Donglin to work in the commune. Unfortunately, the Secretary of the former brigade of Shanghe village was dismissed because of his work style. There was a shortage of people and coincidentally, Zhao Donglin appeared.


    After Secretary Zhong solicited Zhao Donglin¡¯s consent, Zhao Donglin, the brigade secretary, began to take up his post.


    Two months have passed. The time has come for July. Zhao Donglin was busy with his work in the brigade every day. He must do everything by himself. A summer harvest made everyone accept this responsible brigade secretary from the bottom of their hearts.


    ¡°Yazi, you see, Donglin is busy and tired every day. There was no woman around him to know whether he was cold or hot.[2] ¡°


    Yadi, or ¡°Yazi¡±, was the nickname of Zhang Qiaoer. In rural areas, many families who gave birth to a daughter but did not give birth to a son at the beginning will give their daughter a meaningful name, such as ¡°Yadi¡± and recruiting younger brothers, so that their son can come quickly.


    ¡°I mentioned it to him, he said he did not want to find it now.¡±


    ¡°How can this be? The woman at home is not decent. He said he didn¡¯t want to find it. He couldn¡¯t still think of thinking about his first wife, right? ¡°


    When she heard they mentioned Wang Mei, Zhang Qiaoer¡¯s face immediately darkened.


    ¡°Nonsense! Why does he need to worry about that woman?¡±


    She drained her clothes and said so, but in her heart, she was actually anxious. Donglin has been reluctant to find a wife. He can¡¯t really still be thinking about that Wang Mei, right?


    ¡°You, as a mother, should advise Donglin. He is now the secretary of the brigade. He still had a strong vigor, even with two children. There were many young girls who were willing to marry him. He has to think for his children if he doesn¡¯t think for himself. Can you, as a mother, manage your grandchildren all your life? It¡¯s the stepmother. That¡¯s not the mother.¡±


    These words are said to go straight to Zhang Qiaoer¡¯s heart. She went home with a wooden basin for washing clothes. In the yard, Heidan and Shitou were playing with slingshots. Yingbao sat in a bamboo frame for self-entertainment, holding a tomato in her hand. There were red spots on her clothes. Near the well, Meixiang was washing Yingbao¡¯s wet pants.


    Zhang Qiaoer sighed and thought that she had said that she could help Donglin take care of her children. In fact, she couldn¡¯t be busy alone. If Meixiang wasn¡¯t there, she must be busy.


    But Meixiang is not too young anymore. The eighteen-year-old girl can stay for a year or two. She can¡¯t be an unmarried girl.


    It seems that she has to talk about this topic with Donglin.


    notlucia: Hi! In case you are confused, the locked chapters exist for those who wanted to read it in advance and yes, it will be unlocked eventually at their regular update time. 2-3 Chapters will be unlocked every week (Friday ¨C Sunday).

 CH 10

    Zhao Donglin was pestered by his mother nonstop, that he couldn¡¯t anything but accept her mother¡¯s offer to find a wife. After a failed marriage, he had no ripples in his heart, but he admitted that his mother was right. He had to think for his children if he didn¡¯t want to consider for himself. Heidan and Yingbao didn¡¯t have much impression of their mother when they were young. Besides, It¡¯s not easy to build a relationship with someone when the child is old.


    ¡°Is it possible that ¡­ you wish to be with her for the rest of your life? I am telling you, if you still think about Wang Mei, I¡¯ll jump into the Tongzhou river with my two grandchildren. As long as I¡¯m in this family, she will never be able to step into our house.¡±


    Zhao Donglin couldn¡¯t help it. In order to appease his mother and prove that he didn¡¯t want to make up with Wang Mei, Zhao Donglin began to accept blind dates. He had no opinion on what kind of woman to find. He had only one request. She must be good to Heidan and Yingbao.


    Her son had finally let go. Zhang Qiaoer busied herself, and the Zhang family was completely lively.


    ¡°Sister Zhang family, let me tell you that this girl is a first-rate! She good-looking, had a good temperament, she¡¯s 19 this year, she went to school, she can do all kinds of work, washing, cooking, raising chickens and her farming skill is good!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t listen to her. I know the girl she said, so I am ashamed to say that her looks weren¡¯t good. Her face was as big as a basin, and the meat on her face trembles when she talks, and she eats a lot. This kind of girl can¡¯t be given away for nothing, how much food must be spent to be able to afford to raise her?¡±


    The blind date was introduced by someone who was so exposed that his face suddenly rose like pig liver. He snorted coldly and said, ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with Miss Sun except that she is fat. Even if she is fat, she doesn¡¯t look bad. I¡¯ll see how good the blind date you want to introduce.¡±


    ¡°What I¡¯m talking about is naturally good. You all know the little girl of Li Wangcai¡¯s family. She looks good, has a good figure and looks pretty. Since she was 18, the suitor broke the threshold of her family. Sister Zhang, if you like it, the marriage will be successful.¡±


    ¡°Oh? That¡¯s so good. Why didn¡¯t she like anyone and waited to be Donglin¡¯s wife?¡±


    Although this is not pleasant to hear, it makes sense. Zhang Qiaoer looked at it and waited for the matchmaker to explain.


    ¡°Before, she was young and proud. She was just cautious. It was inappropriate to pick around. This is not true. Donglin came back and became the village party secretary. Once she went through her house. She had a good impression of Donglin.¡±


    She could not understand the young girl¡¯s thoughts. Zhao Donglin look good, before in the army is a cadre, but now he is still a cadre after he retired from the army. Even if such an excellent man is married twice, even if he has two children, the girl of the Li family is not excited. She fell in love with him when she saw him. She heard that Zhao Donglin began to look for a wife. So she hurriedly asked her mother to find someone to talk to them, She said she would marry an excellent man like Zhao Donglin.


    Her mother was not very happy, she was the girl that was asked by a hundred families to be their wives, so many people begged to come to the door. It¡¯s better to choose anyone than a second marriage. Moreover, she has to be a stepmother as soon as she enters the door. Where is it so easy to be a stepmother?


    But their daughter was stubborn, she only liked Zhao Donglin. She said that she was not afraid of being old and knew how to love dearly. She also said that Zhao Donglin was a cadre of the brigade. After finding out about him, her family could follow her.


    Li Wangcai also valued Zhao Donglin¡¯s ability, just two months after he became the village secretary to the village a few thorns were cleaned up, just two months after he became the village party secretary, which shows that Zhao Donglin is a man with the strong right wrist. If such a person becomes his own son-in-law, his father-in-law¡¯s face should also be stained with light.


    Li Wangcai agreed so his wife naturally had no opinion. For big events in the Li family, Li Wangcai was in charge of making the decision.


    Zhang Qiaoer was quite satisfied with the daughter of the Li family. She had seen the daughter once. She was really good-looking. She was one of the most beautiful girls in the village.


    She has a selfish desire to find a wife who did not lose to Wang Mei, she has to tell Wang Mei that Donglin is not bad without her.


    In the evening when Zhao Donglin came back, Zhang Qiaoer told him about the daughter from the Li family. In between her words, she made no secret of her affection for Li¡¯s daughter.


    ¡°Mom, can we be more practical? Do you think this kind of girl is suitable for me as my wife? I am more than ten years older than her, I have two children, she is still a little girl. How could she help me take care of Heidan and Yingbao? Yingbao is so small, she still can not walk. There are people at home and abroad to take care of her. Will it be difficult for me to marry her back?¡±


    Zhang Qiaoer was choked by her son¡¯s words, and all the people at the table kept their heads down and didn¡¯t speak, lest they be affected by the fish in the pond.


    Zheng Yuefen and her husband Zhao Donghe glanced at each other, if you really find a sister-in-law younger than her, she will not be happy, Zhao Donghe winked at her and told her not to watch the excitement at dinner.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter with Xiaodian? You can learn anything. You haven¡¯t seen her. How do you know what she is like?¡±


    Zhao Donglin put down his chopsticks and did not eat, he did not want to tell his mother that he had seen the girl, looks really good, but the behaviour is really not stable enough, he is considering marriage for the sake of the two children. He only wanted to find a woman with who he can live a good life. Whether she was good-looking or young was not within his consideration.


    ¡°Mom, you forgot what I told you before. I want to find someone who can take care of the children. Everything of this was mainly for Heidan and Yingbao. Can you find a stable one? Also, I¡¯m a divorced man. I¡¯m not picky. Don¡¯t be so picky. Just find something similar.¡±


    Zhang Qiaoer wanted to say something back, or you¡¯d better find it yourself, but the words stopped again. She was afraid that her son really didn¡¯t want to find it.


    At night Zheng Yuefen and Zhao Donghe were lying in bed, Zheng Yuefen patted Zhao Donghe¡¯s arm and said, ¡°What do you think your brother will do if he really gets married?¡±


    Zhao Donghe was asked a puzzled face, ¡°What will he do?¡±


    ¡°If he will marry a woman back, she will also have to give birth to children, right? Now, he has Heidan and Yingbao, she will give birth to the child, Then our family has only one child, Shitou.¡±


    ¡°The person was not her yet. Why do you have to worry about it?¡±


    ¡°Why do I worry about it? You have nothing on your mind all day. You said your brother came back and became the Secretary of the brigade. He must be popular in the future. Why don¡¯t you let your brother give you a job and know how to work every day.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know my brother. He has been in the army for a long time and pays attention to discipline. He hates those who abuse power for personal gain. Besides, he just became the Secretary of the brigade. He can¡¯t find jobs for his brother as soon as he comes up. So many eyes are staring at him.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t expect you to be stupid. You know how to think.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m stupid. I can still find you. I¡¯m stupid and you didn¡¯t notice.¡±


    Zheng Yuefen reached out and twisted off his waist, spat and scolded: ¡°It¡¯s just your mouth is poor, and you don¡¯t know how to speak at the critical moment, so you use me.¡±


    Zhao Donghe laughed and rolled over to Zheng Yuefen, his hands were not honest in the quilt.


    ¡°That¡¯s, don¡¯t you like this tune, is it possible that you still want me to find someone else to talk to others?¡±


    Zheng Yuefen gasped, when she heard this, she slapped Zhao Donghe at his back, while gasping and while pretending to be fierce, ¡°If you dare I will break your legs.¡±


    Zhao Donghe went in and out, he was dripping sweat, gasping for breath and said, ¡°That won¡¯t do, this leg has to stay to serve you, how can you enjoy the rest of your life if you break it.¡±


    Zheng Yuefen blushed, only to feel sweet in her heart.


    She is satisfied with this point of Zhao Donghe, who usually looks very honest and serious, unlike other men, who like to talk bad things, but in private he had a different look.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go for it, it is not possible to catch up with my brother soon, we also must give birth to a guerrilla band.¡±


    The wooden bed creaked and creaked. Shitou, who was sleeping at the end of the bed, didn¡¯t feel anything, but Zhao Donglin, who was lying on the bed and was separated by two houses, heard something.


    He sighed and looked at Heidan who was sleeping soundly next to him, he covered him with the blanket and also closed his eyes and forced himself to sleep.


    The day the family ran out of needles and thread, Dong Jiahui had to go to town to buy more and asked her mother if there was anything she wanted to bring home.


    ¡°There is nothing, why don¡¯t you buy some oil, there¡¯s no more lard at home.¡±


    Chen Guixiang took the meat ticket and money and gave it to Dong Jiahui, who only received the meat ticket but not the money.


    ¡°I have money here.¡±


    Her tailoring business has been going on for more than three months, in addition to food, she was also able to collect some money, this era, the money put on the body was useless. It¡¯s also right to buy some meat for the family and come back for a tooth sacrifice.


    ¡°Keep your money for yourself. In the future, find a good family and take it as your dowry. When you have money, you don¡¯t panic and can stand in your mother-in-law¡¯s house.¡±


    ¡°Mom, I know, I will keep the money, then I¡¯m leaving.¡±


    Dong Jiahui walked to town on her own. Their family had a bicycle, but she did not ride it anyway, the town is not far from their how, but it was a few miles away. It would take 20 to 30 minutes of walking to get there. She had counted it as an exercise.


    She was wearing white floral short sleeves, black pants, black shoes. She has a braid on her head. She has eaten well in recent months. Unlike the time when she crossed, she gained a little weight, and her skin became whiter because she didn¡¯t work on the field in her mother¡¯s house. Even her hands became more delicate than before.


    The air was very good in this era. While walking, Dong Jiahui was enjoying the scenery in the countryside. She didn¡¯t have a watch, so she didn¡¯t have the time.


    When she arrived in the town, she went straight to a supply and marketing agency.


    ¡°Comrade, give me all these colors of thread, I want three rolls of each.¡±


    The sales clerk lovingly took the colors Dong Jiahui pointed out from the counter and gave them to her.


    After buying what she needed, Dong Jiahui strolled around the supply house and was intrigued by the variety of items in this era.


    As she was leaving, she bought some candy that didn¡¯t require any ticket for her nieces and nephews at home. When she had loaded them up, she collided with a woman when she turned back.


    ¡°Hey, who are you? Are your eyes closed when you walk?¡±


    Dong Jiahui really did not look behind her when she turned around, so she was a little embarrassed when he heard the words, and hurriedly apologized, ¡°Sorry, I wasn¡¯t paying attention, are you okay?¡±


    Dong Jiahui bumped into Li Caifeng. Lu Chengyuan¡¯s new wife.


    Dong Jiahui didn¡¯t know anything about Li Caifeng and aside from that, she doesn¡¯t remember Lu Chengyuan.


    Li Caifeng hasn¡¯t seen Dong Jiahui. So it¡¯s reasonable to say that it¡¯s nothing when two people don¡¯t know each other when they meet. After a few apologies, the matter will be over. But today, Lu Chengyuan went to the street with Li Caifeng. When he finished shopping, he saw his ex-wife and his new wife standing together. His face turned pale and became blue. One was thin, and the other was strong. The other one was bowing her head and apologising while the other looked cold. At first glance, it can be said that Li Caifeng bullied Dong Jiahui.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Caifeng, I¡¯ve divorced Jiahui, what¡¯s the matter? Let¡¯s go home and don¡¯t make a scene here.¡±


    Li Caifeng suddenly turned around and stared at Dong Jiahui with wide eyes, looking at Dong Jiahui viciously.


    ¡°Well, so you are Dong Jiahui!¡±


    Dong Jiahui was simply baffled. She was going on shopping, but when she turned around, she met her ex-husband and his ex-husband¡¯s new wife.


    May I ask what script do I have? Is someone playing with me?

 CH 11

    Today, Zhao Donglin went to the town for a meeting. After the meeting, he went back to the village with several village Party secretaries. When he passed the supply and marketing agency, he saw a group of people gathered at the door to see the excitement. At the center of the crowd, there were two women who were pushing and shoving. To be more precise, one of them pushed and shooed the other one unilaterally.


    Accompanying Zhao Donglin were several other village Party secretaries, including Xiang Kaiming of Xiaoling Village and also Dong Haotian of Dayu Village.


    ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t that Lu Chengyuan and his two wives?¡±


    Hearing the phrase ¡°two wives¡±, Zhao Donglin turned to Xiang Kaiming, the Secretary of Xiaoling village branch. Xiang Kaiming explained with interest to Zhao Donglin, ¡°You just came back, so you don¡¯t know. That is Lu Chengyuan, the one in white was Lu Chengyuan¡¯s previous wife. She is quite good. She was married for three years and wasn¡¯t able to get pregnant. Because of that, the Lu family drove her out of their house and gave her back to her mother¡¯s family, saying that there are three ways to be unfilial; having no sons is the worst. The other one in blue is Lu Chengyuan¡¯s current wire. It¡¯s said that she¡¯s a powerful one. The Lu family¡¯s top bosses fell into submission.¡±


    It is reasonable to say that men should not talk about this gossip behind their backs, but this fact is too new. It has also made trouble in the street. In addition, Xiang Kaiming is only in his thirties and seventies. Naturally, he is not as calm as those old leading cadres.


    Those people surrounding the three wanted to see the excitement. Before they could not understand the relationship between the three characters, now listening to what Xiang Kaiming said, they were instantly enlightened.


    ¡°Not bad. He found two wives. The Lu family is lucky.¡±


    ¡°If I remember correctly, it seems that Lu Chengyuan¡¯s father is still the leader of the production team.¡±


    ¡°Yes, he is Lu Yougen¡¯s son.¡±


    ¡°No wonder they wanted to kick out the first wife. Lu Yougen, people from the ancestors are looking forward to the Lu family¡¯s roots.¡±


    ¡°So it¡¯s true, but Lu Chengyuan¡¯s former wife looks better than this one now.¡±


    ¡°The good-looking wife must be the first one. white and clean and gentle. It¡¯s just that the body looks weak, unlike the new one. She looked strong, is certainly a hit, three years to hold two.¡±


    It must be a hit and two in three years.¡±


    ¡°Hey, director Xiang, tell us quickly. How about this new wife? Is she pregnant?¡±


    Xiang Kaiming did not put up any airs leadership. He turned his head and said with a smile, ¡°I have not heard, if she was really pregnant, that Lu¡¯s wife must be banging gongs and drums to let the whole village know.¡±


    The crowd laughed.


    The Secretary of Dayu village branch is also surnamed, Dong. Although he is not related by blood to Dong Changgui¡¯s family, he was in the same family five hundred years ago. He could not watch Dong Jiahui stand there and be pointed out. Dong Haotian frowned and walked forward to help her out.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°Brother Haotian.¡±


    Dong Jiahui turned around and saw Dong Haotian as if she had seen her relatives. Since she accidentally bumped into Li Caifeng, the whole thing went in a strange direction. Her ex-husband, Lu Chengyuan appeared. Li Caifeng immediately pulled her like he robbed his man and refused to let her go. She said she was a fox and seduced men or something. After a while, she was surrounded by a group of people, but there is also a problem with Lu Chengyuan¡¯s brain. He said: ¡°it¡¯s none of Jiahui¡¯s business¡± and ¡°don¡¯t hit her, she¡¯s weak¡±. The more he said something, the more Li Caifeng would push her, and the more energetic she was. Dong Jiahui wanted to take a stick to knock on Lu Chengyuan¡¯s head to see if his brain was filled with straw.


    Dong Jiahui can¡¯t beat Li Caifeng, her throat was not as high as Li Caifeng¡¯s, and he can¡¯t be a rural shrew rolling all over the floor. In just a few minutes, Li Caifeng has portrayed Dong Jiahui as a fox who seduces men, or the one who catches adultery in bed.


    Dong Haotian came to the meeting. When Li Caifeng didn¡¯t pay attention, Dong Jiahui quickly stood behind Dong Haotian and told Dong Haotian about the matter.


    ¡°It¡¯s really a coincidence. I knew I would meet them today. I would never go on the street.


    Dong Haotian nodded and signaled that he knew and he believed Dong Jiahui¡¯s character very much. When she left Lu¡¯s house, she sought death. It can be seen how much she loves her reputation and cares about the eyes of others. This kind of person will never quarrel with others in the street and make things difficult to prevent others from not knowing.


    It was almost as if everyone had forgotten about it, so the whole thing will be talked about for a long time again.


    In public opinion, it is the woman who suffers.


    ¡°Lu Chengyuan, take your wife back. Stop making a noise in the street.¡±


    Li Caifeng gasped, Lu Chengyuan squinted at Dong Jiahui, Dong Jiahui skimmed his face, Dong Haotian also frowned.


    ¡°My family¡¯s business is not your business.¡±


    ¡°Why is it your family¡¯s business? Jiahui is from our Dayu village and from our Dong family. Do you have reason to catch people, scold them and damaging others¡¯ reputations for no reason? Do you want me to take you to the Reform Committee for an explanation before you realize your mistake?¡±


    Li Caifeng naturally did not want to go to the Revolutionary Committee to ask for an explanation, she stared at Dong Jiahui viciously and said with a sneer, ¡°Humph, how do you know that I hit someone for no reason, she must have known that Lu Chengyuan was coming to town today before she came, otherwise how could she have met him so coincidentally!¡±


    Dong Jiahui¡¯s eyes fell to the ground in surprise at Li Caifeng¡¯s words. She was simply amazed at Li Caifeng¡¯s logic.


    She frowned and stood out from behind Dong Haotian and said in a loud voice, ¡°Please keep it clean, I don¡¯t know or care who you are, I went to the street to buy something and was bitten by a dog indiscriminately, I am now very worried about my personal safety.¡±


    The group of people watching laughed at these words, and outside the crowd, Zhao Donglin, who had been waiting for Dong Haotian, also hooked up the corners of his mouth.


    ¡°Who are you calling a dog?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll scold whoever answers me.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    Li Caifeng wanted to come forward again. Dong Haotian stepped forward and blocked her movement.


    There was someone who was protecting her so, Dong Jiahui became brave. She continued to say, ¡°I can¡¯t bear you until now. Don¡¯t bully people by relying on your strength. I really despise the man next to you. He was too submissive. I don¡¯t look like that type of man at all.¡±


    Li Caifeng¡¯s face looked brilliant. She sneered and turned to look at Lu Chengyuan, and said sarcastically, ¡°You see, don¡¯t worry about it. She also said that you are not a man. Maybe she was now happy to finally leave you to find the next man, I advise you to sleep honestly in the future, do not dream and call ¡®Jiahui¡¯ I¡¯m not ashamed of you, I¡¯m ashamed of myself.¡±


    Her words revealed too much information. You can understand the last two sentences were understood by Dong Jiahui. Li Caifeng means that Lu Chengyuan sleeps and dreams about himself at night. Is this the reason why Li Caifeng is angry with himself?


    The onlookers also began to whisper when they heard these words.


    ¡°Did you hear that? Lu Chengyuan was dreaming at night and shouting his first wife¡¯s name?¡±


    ¡°Tsk, since you like your first wife, why do you want a divorce.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that if you can¡¯t have children? The Lu family wanted Lu Chengyuan to have a baby in order to inherit the family.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s so noisy. If my man goes to bed at night and yells at other women, I will also be angry.¡±


    ¡°What does it have to do with his ex-wife when he called him? It¡¯s already pitiful that she drove out and got divorced.¡±


    ¡°Eh, Lu Chengyuan has found a new wife. Why didn¡¯t his ex-wife find someone else?¡±


    ¡°Who wants a woman who can¡¯t have children, and which man doesn¡¯t marry a wife to have children.¡±


    Listening to the crowd¡¯s discussion, Zhao Donglin looked through the crowd. Dong Jiahui did look a little weak, at this time her face was red and white, her eyebrows were slightly wrinkled, and she looked a little dignified. Obviously, she didn¡¯t expect Li Caifeng to talk about these private things in public.


    From her straight back, Zhao Donglin can see that she is actually soft on the outside and hard on the inside. Her standing posture is also full of defensive. She is a person who knows how to protect herself.


    After Li Caifeng finished talking, she didn¡¯t care what kind of face Lu Chenguan had, and left after finding a gap in the crowd, while Lu Cheng Yuan, who didn¡¯t follow Li Cai Feng immediately, turned red and looked at Dong Jiahui to say something, but Dong Jiahui turned her head and ignored him.


    The crowd dispersed after the two main characters left, Dong Jiahui was physically and mentally exhausted, she smiled at Dong Haotian who helped her and said lightly, ¡°Thank you brother Haotian, I let you see a joke.¡±


    What a bad year, next time I have to read a calendar before going out.


    Seeing Lu Chengyuan today, Dong Jiahui felt sorry for the original owner. It¡¯s not worth spending three years of youth on such a man.


    Dong Haotian was considerate and afraid of Dong Jiahui¡¯s embarrassment. He didn¡¯t mention what just happened. Instead, he asked, ¡°Have you finished your work? I¡¯ll take you back when you¡¯re done.¡±


    The two can still be considered relatives, and he is more than ten years older than Dong Jiahui, so he is not afraid of gossip.


    Dong Jiahui did not refuse, after such a drama, she wasted quite a long time, and she was also tired. She had to walk back to her home and she was afraid of the dark.


    ¡°I also have to buy a piece of plate oil on the way.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine, the butcher store is right there, I¡¯ll take you there.¡±


    Dong Haotian¡¯s car is parked a few meters away, and only Xiang Kaiming and Zhao Donglin were left in the village party secretary. After leaving, Xiang Kaiming stayed because he was with Dong Haotian and Lu¡¯s family belonged to Xiaoling Village. He, as the village secretary, won¡¯t look good if he was to go first, as for why Zhao Donglin did not leave, and no one came to pursue the reason.


    ¡°This is the village secretary of Xiaoling village, this is the village secretary of Shanghe village.¡±


    Dong Jiahui smiled at both of them. She was surprised that both of them were quite young, especially Zhao Donglin, who looked only about thirty years old, with bright eyes, a tall and handsome figure, unlike a village secretary, he looked more like a soldier.


    Zhao Donglai has just returned home from the army.


    Dong Jiahui went to the butcher¡¯s shop to buy a piece of suet and a few kilograms of big meat. This kind of meat doesn¡¯t need a meat ticket, you just have to give money.


    These days, people are short of oil and water in their stomachs. They like to eat fat meat. The people in the butcher¡¯s shop have picked almost the meat on it, and there is nothing to eat at all.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have much meat to buy.¡±


    ¡°Bone soup is rich in calcium. It is good for old people and children.¡±


    When Dong Haotian heard her answer, he felt it was somewhat a little different. Not many people in rural areas know what ¡°calcium¡± is.


    ¡°Really? You know a lot.¡±


    ¡°No, just read some newspapers.¡±


    ¡°I remember you graduated from high school?¡±


    ¡°Well, I have a diploma.¡±


    Dong Haotian smiled at that.


    This Dong¡¯s little sister was quite good, literate, speak with reasonable grounds and is very interesting. It is said that now she can earn her own rations by asking people to sew and mend clothes in her mother¡¯s house for a month. Therefore, her brother and sister-in-law have had no opinions in the past few months when she returns to her mother¡¯s house.


    Alas, Dong Haotian couldn¡¯t understand why such a good woman was divorced and married Lu Chengyuan.


    Dong Jiahui went home and told his family that he met Lu Chengyuan and Li Caifeng in the town.


    ¡°What does the Lu family mean? His soul still lingers. Do you really think Lu Chengyuan is submissive?¡±


    Chen Gui¡¯s face looked terrible and even Dong Changgui, who had always been good-tempered, made a straight face.

 CH 12

    ¡°What does the Lu family mean? The soul of a deceased person has not yet dispersed![1] Do you really think that Lu Chengyuan is popular?¡±


    The Dong family were very angry when they heard Dong Jiahui¡¯s statement about what happened in the town this afternoon. Their daughter, Jiahui, was a good girl. It¡¯s the Lu Family¡¯s loss. But now the Lu family¡¯s new wife dares to bully Jiahui. Do they really think Jiahui had no one to rely on in the Dong family?!


    ¡°No, I have to go to that Lu family to ask for an explanation tomorrow. I have to ask what they mean. They spray indiscriminately when they catch people in the daytime. Their family¡¯s own sh*t is not clean, but do they also have to inflict it on others?


    Do they have to make the trouble even in their sleep and make their daughter follow their embarrassment? No matter how you try to be the bigger person, enough is enough.


    Chen Guixiang was really angry. With her current posture, she couldn¡¯t wait to go to the door of Lu¡¯s house and scold them. Dong Changgui smoked a cigarette and didn¡¯t speak. None of their sons and daughters-in-law dares to speak.


    ¡°Mom, I didn¡¯t say it to make you angry. I am afraid that this matter will spread out and you were not aware of what happened and made you worry. If I say it to you first, then it¡¯s like I gave you a precautionary shot. ¡°


    No need to think about what happened in town this afternoon, it will definitely spread around.


    The Dong family has just calmed down for a while, and will soon have to face the people¡¯s gossip. Thinking about this, Dong Jiahui felt sorry for them.


    In fact, I really do not care much. We can¡¯t control other people¡¯s mouths. As long as I see that family, I no longer have any relationship with them. It does not matter now and I do not want to have any involvement with them in the future. As long as I see them, I will hide far away. Who lets their whole family be abnormal? I can¡¯t afford to avoid them.¡±


    Dong Jiahui said that she was open-minded, but she had not experienced the life of the original owner. For her, the past has passed. She really has nothing to do with the Lu family, but this is not the case in the ears of the Dong family and others.


    ¡°I really can¡¯t swallow this anger.¡±


    After Chen Guixiang said these, tears fell down in her eyes.


    The baby that she had given birth to was bullied and kicked out. Her daughter didn¡¯t take it seriously, but as her mother, she couldn¡¯t help but feel heartbroken.


    ¡°Mom, it¡¯s really okay. Tomorrow, no matter what other people say, don¡¯t feel bad. People¡¯s lives are very long. These are just small episodes in the middle. Let¡¯s look forward together.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right mom, that Lu¡¯s newly married wife also doesn¡¯t look like she was easy to mess with. It doesn¡¯t matter if we make a fuss, but Jiahui¡¯s reputation will be affected if we make trouble. ¡°


    Although her sister-in-law has also made money by sewing and mending at home, and even their food at home has improved a lot. But a woman always has to marry someone. You can¡¯t stay at your mother¡¯s house all your life.


    Chen Guixiang was not in a good mood. Dong Jiahui cooked dinner with her sister-in-law. Her sister-in-law cooked the lard, porridge and cakes. Dong Jiahui cleaned up the bones she bought and boiled the soup. The white radishes were cut up into pieces and she put them in the soup. The radish was cooked with wine, ginger slices and scallions. The smell of oil residue and bone soup filled the whole yard.


    Usually, you couldn¡¯t see the shadows of the children, but today, they were obediently waiting in front of the stove. After Zhou Yindi finished boiling the lard and she picked up the oil residue, the boys didn¡¯t feel it was hot so they directly reached out to eat.


    Zhou Yindi smiled and patted the small hand of Chuizi. ¡°I just got it out of the oil pan. It¡¯s still hot. Go out. I will let you eat enough later.¡±


    ¡°Mother, let me have a bite first.¡±


    ¡°Mother, I want some too.¡±


    Chuizi and Junzi were brothers. They loved to eat, so Zhou Yindi had no choice but to take a porcelain jar and give them half a jar and let Huzi take it out and take her sister-in-law to eat with her.


    ¡°Be careful, don¡¯t get burned.¡±


    ¡°Guixiang, what are you cooking at home? It smells delicious. ¡°


    ¡°Oil residue. I can smell its fragrance.¡±


    In rural areas, families live close to each other. It is common to string each other up. There is a kind of ¡°worship the rice bowl¡±, which refers to going to people¡¯s houses during dinner.


    Chen Guixiang was chopping the tender grass cut from the outside in the yard, mixing it with rice bran and giving it to the chicken at home. When she heard someone coming from the family, she got up with her back thrust in and looked back and said with a smile.


    ¡°When Jiahui went to buy the oil, she saw some bones in the meat stall, so she bought a few pounds and came back to make soup, saying that the bones are good for children and they can grow taller.¡±


    ¡°Really? If it can really help you grow taller, I will also come back tomorrow to cook some for my Daniu to eat. He was born in the same year as you, Chuizi. An said he was half a head shorter than Chuizi. ¡°


    ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re not as tall as Liu Xiuyun. The old man said, ¡°With a short father and a short mother, you can¡¯t have a tall head and body.¡±


    ¡°Well, Jiang Lanying, you¡¯re kidding me, right? You can scold, but you shouldn¡¯t reveal someone¡¯s shortcomings. I don¡¯t like what you¡¯re saying.¡±


    Chen Guixiang laughed as she watched the two of them bickering in her yard. She mixed the rest of the chicken excrement, took a broom, cleaned the chicken coop, and poured the mixed chicken food into the food bowl.


    ¡°There is a lot of soup cooked at home today. Later, I will take a bowl and you should take it back to the children. ¡°


    ¡°No, no, we just came over to talk for a while.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s not good.¡±


    Even if they had these thoughts in their heart, they were embarrassed to ask directly. After talking about the conversation, they went home respectively. When the Dong family¡¯s dinner was ready, Chen Guixiang still filled two sea bowls of bone soup and radish bones to send to those two.


    ¡°Grandma, you gave it to others. What do we eat?¡±


    Looking at their food to be sent to others, the Chuizi were very reluctant. There was meat on the bone. Although there were not many, it could still be considered a sumptuous meal. Her aunt also said that there was bone marrow in the bone, which was more delicious than meat.


    ¡°Child, why are you so stingy? If you give it to others, can they not give you something delicious?¡±


    Liu Xiuyun pulled her son¡¯s ears. In fact, she was not happy in her heart. There were many people who would share this pot of soup, but it was not enough for them, and her mother-in-law also used such a large bowl. Since Liu Xiuyun is an adult, she could at least be more sensible than a child. She knows interpersonal communication and can¡¯t be stingy.


    Chuizi tilted his ear to let his mother¡¯s hand let go of his ears. He bared his teeth and said, ¡°Mom, don¡¯t pull my ear, I¡¯m just talking.¡±


    Liu Xiuyun grunted and moved her hand away.


    ¡°Well Chuizi, don¡¯t be angry. Auntie found you a piece of the largest bone.¡±


    Dong Jiahui handed the bone to Chuizi¡¯s bowl and the boy immediately smiled when he received it.


    When Dong Jiahui ate, she soaked the cakes in the broth. Several children followed suit and found that the corn sorghum cakes that they were tired of eating at ordinary times had become a mouthwatering delicacy.


    ¡°Auntie, it¡¯s delicious to eat like this. Let¡¯s buy bones and cook soup next time.¡±


    ¡°Yes, as long as you are obedient and you study well, I will make it for you often in the future.¡±


    The children instantly cheered up.


    It¡¯s not surprising that things in the town still spread. At that time, there were so many people watching. From one person to ten people, from ten to one hundred people, and Dong Jiahui became a popular person in the commune again.

 CH 13

    The event in the town spread quickly between Xiaoling Village and Dayu Village. There were a lot of private discussions and door-to-door inquiries. Some words have changed as they were passed on. Some say that Dong Jiahui couldn¡¯t forget Lu Chengyuan, and she wanted to go back to Lu¡¯s house. She made an appointment with Lu Chengyuan in town and was ¡°caught¡± by Lu Chengyuan¡¯s new wife. Some say that Lu Chengyuan didn¡¯t want to divorce Dong Jiahui. It was because he was under pressure from his mother, who wanted grandchildren, so he had to divorce his first wife.


    The woman he married later was not only not as good-looking as the previous one, but also not as good-natured as the previous one, and Lu Chengyuan was so bitter that he sought out Dong Jiahui to tell him his feelings.


    Rural life was boring. In addition to the idle panic of farm work, she loves this kind of fragrant and strange rumors. No matter what the rumors are, Dong Jiahui will always be the one who feels the most pain. Chen Guixiang went to the field in the morning and came back angry. Her gums were inflamed and swollen. Dong Jiahui soaked honeysuckle for her to drink.


    Honeysuckle has the effects of clearing heat and detoxification, anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory, and protects the liver and gallbladder. Dayu village was close to the mountain and water. Many natural herbs grow on the mountain that villagers of Dayu village have grown here for generations. Some herbs are always available at home, especially those for sterilization, hemostasis and anti-inflammatory.


    Dong Jiahui ignored how much trouble there was outside. She took a few clothes lists and lived a life without going out of their house again.


    At this time in Xiaoling village, Mrs. Lu came back from the field with a terrible expression on her face.


    ¡°How can you say these words? Don¡¯t you feel embarrassed? ¡°


    Yesterday, Mrs. Lu found out that her son and daughter-in-law had a conflict. Since Li Caifeng came in, there was no peaceful day at home, and she didn¡¯t plan to take care of it. Who knows, when she went to work in the field today, she might have heard other people gossiping about her family. She said that Li Caifeng beat up and scolded Dong Jiahui in the town yesterday, and Jiahui had no power to fight back. She also said that her son called the name of his first wife when he went to bed at night.


    ¡°Cuizhen, you are not a proper mother-in-law. Chengyuan clearly likes Jiahui in his heart. You just broke them up. Now Chengyuan can¡¯t get along with his new wife. In his heart, he still thinks of Jiahui. It looks like you¡¯re hurting three people at once.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not. If I say, it¡¯s better for Jiahui to be diligent and honest. Now, you¡¯ll suffer in the future.¡±


    ¡°No, for me, Jiahui is good, more diligent and more honest. Now, you¡¯ll suffer in the future.¡±


    After listening to them, Mrs. Lu¡¯s face turned blue and white.


    Mrs. Lu is a face-saving person. As the saying goes, ¡°Don¡¯t publicize the ugliness of the family¡±. No matter how arrogant she is, she never takes the problems of her family out, especially when it comes to her man and son. There have always been only good words, no bad words at all.


    Men want their face outside. Nothing can hurt a man¡¯s face. Lu Yougen is still a cadre of the production team. This Li, Caifeng, was simply the enemy of the Lu family. How many faces have been lost since she came in?


    ¡°Why did your son dare to do it? Why do I dare not say? I¡¯m not just going to say it, I¡¯m going to say it loud and clear.¡±


    Li Caifeng was not afraid of her mother-in-law; the Lu family was. Their own son was not capable and he still married her. She hasn¡¯t been happy for three months. Although she used some other methods, Li Caifeng was still not satisfied.


    The married women in rural areas will also say some dirty things, such as ¡°you look good recently, your family * * let you eat enough¡± and so on. Li Caifeng is particularly depressed whenever she looks at others¡¯ blushing face of the other little wives¡¯ blushing faces.


    She also wants a husband who can make her satisfied, but unfortunately, Lu Chengyuan was a p*ssy.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never thought you¡¯re so shameless. You¡¯ve lost the face of our Lu family.¡±


    Li Caifeng glanced at Mrs. Lu. She mocked her with her phoenix eyes. ¡°Oh, your Lu family still has a face? If you think I¡¯m a disgrace, then fine, let Lu Chengyuan divorce me and get your former daughter-in-law back, and see if she¡¯s willing to take care of you.¡±


    Mrs. Lu really regrets and misses the good Dong Jiahui. Everyone really could not stand comparing the two. A comparison before and after the marriage was really too much of a difference.


    When Dong Jiahui was there, she didn¡¯t have to do anything. Before dawn in the morning, Dong Jiahui would get up to wash and cook, clean inside the house and outside, and she would go to work in the field at 8 o¡¯clock. Lu Yougen was a cadre of the production team, and the scorer turned a blind eye. Dong Jiahui could come back to cook lunch at noon without deduction of work points.


    After dinner, Dong Jiahui would also take the rice bowl. Mrs. Lu went in for a nap or went out for a stroll. Dong Jiahui took the time to do the chores at home. She would continue to work in the afternoon and come back to cook in the evening.


    (TN: Was she your slave? I thought she was your daughter-in-law?)


    Mrs. Lu was proud of herself. She had a hard life in the old society. Unexpectedly, in the new society, she swept away the old wealth of the landlords, and she lived like a ¡°landlady¡±.


    Since Li Caifeng entered the door, the good old days were no more. Li Caifeng became the landlady, and she became the landlord¡¯s family¡¯s long-time worker.


    After marrying her back, she expected her to succeed Lu¡¯s family. Three months later, there was no movement in her belly. She also said that her son had a problem and couldn¡¯t have children in his life. Mrs. Lu looked at what she said and asked her son in a panic. Her son kept a calm face and didn¡¯t say a word, but he was sad. She just felt that she had done evil in this life and the days would get worse and worse.


    While she was fighting with Li Caifeng, Lu Chengyuan secretly came to Dayu Village to look for Dong Jiahui.


    After seeing Dong Jiahui in the town yesterday, Lu Chengyuan couldn¡¯t let it go. When he first got married, Dong Jiahui was also a girl with bright eyes. He blushed and was shy when he looked at him secretly. Later, because Dong Jiahui had not been pregnant, his mother had more and more opinions about Jiahui, and often pointed out that Jiahui couldn¡¯t have children. She said that the hens in their family could lay eggs, and her daughter-in-law was not as good as a hen.


    In this way, the smile on Jiahui¡¯s face became less. She works early till dark every day. Her skin was no longer as white and moist, unlike when she was newly married, and she was getting darker and darker.


    The winter had a bone-chilling wind, Jiahui¡¯s face began to suffer from chilblains. She wanted to buy a can of Chilblain Cream but was scolded by her mother for a whole month. She said she didn¡¯t have the ability to have children, but why does she care only for her face very much?


    Watching Jiahui endure silently with tears, he was also distressed, but he couldn¡¯t stand up and give birth to a child, which was too heavy for him to bear.


    Lu Chengyuan did not dare go to the Dong family home. While wandering on the riverbank opposite the Dong family home, he saw Chuizi at home, who was on vacation playing madly. He beckoned Chuizi to come to his side.


    Chuzi: Do you still remember me? I¡¯m your little uncle.¡±


    Lu Chengyuan grabbed a handful of candy out of his coat pocket and stuffed it into Chuizi¡¯s. He said while smiling, ¡°Chuizi, you go home and call your little aunt over, uncle has something to say to her.¡±


    Chuizi naturally remembered this, but he also knew that this uncle¡¯s family was very excessive. They didn¡¯t want their little aunt, so they kicked out their little aunt back home, causing the aunt to be sad and jumped into the river, and made the family unhappy.


    He wanted to throw the sugar cubes out, but his eyes turned. He thought there was candy to eat. He could eat it for nothing. So he stuffed the candy into his pocket.


    ¡°Okay, just wait here.¡±


    After saying that, Chuizi turned and ran away. He was so smart that he didn¡¯t go home at all. He took a path to another house to play with his little partner and showed off the candy in his pocket.


    Lu Chengyuan stood under the willow tree. He looked left and no one came. He looked right and no one came. He thought that Dong Jiahui was angry with him, so she was not willing to come out.


    When Chen Guixiang came back from the field, she saw a figure standing behind the tree. The figure was somewhat similar to that of Lu Chengyuan.


    She thought that Lu Chengyuan should not dare to come to their village.


    Unexpectedly, when Lu Chengyuan heard the footsteps behind him and looked back, he was scared and almost fell into the river. He was a counsellor. He was afraid of his mother at home. After marrying Dong Jiahui, he was also afraid of Chen Guixiang, his mother-in-law. Because of his fear of being hurt, he didn¡¯t like to come to Dong¡¯s house. Therefore, Dong Jiahui didn¡¯t often go back to her mother¡¯s house even if she married someone who lived close.


    ¡°Lu Chengyuan! What are you doing in our Dayu Village? Are you looking for death?¡±


    Lu Chengyuan wanted to go but did not dare to go. His feet seemed to be stuck in the soil, his legs were wobbling, and he said hesitantly, ¡°Mom, I want to talk to Jiahui.¡±


    Chen Guixiang smiled and became even more furious, ¡°Mom! Who is your mother? You still have the nerve to look for Jiahui! Do you still feel that you haven¡¯t done enough harm to her? I never thought that you and the Lu family were very thick-skinned. ¡°


    She took a grass-chopping sickle in her hand and struck Lu Chengyuan directly, who narrowly avoided it.


    ¡°Mom, let¡¯s talk properly. I¡¯m just here to apologize.¡±


    Chen Guixiang¡¯s hand movements did not stop. She continued to wave the sickle in her hand.


    ¡°Try calling me mother again, see if I can¡¯t beat you to death! I was blind when I married my daughter into your family. Do you believe that I will go to your door and throw dung so that your Lu family can never lift their heads to be human? ¡°


    Lu Chengyuan ran away as he hid, and before he left, he took a look at the closed wooden door of the Dong family.


    Chen Guixiang grumbled and went home. Asking around to find out the story, she pulled Chuizi¡¯s ear to beat him.


    ¡°Grandma, I did not want to call Aunt for him. I took the candy and ran away.¡±


    ¡°Why do you want his candy? Does our family lose to your mouth or what?¡±


    Chuizi hung his feet on his side, covered his pulled ear with one hand, and defended ¡°Grandma, I did it for nothing. He harmed my little aunt! What¡¯s the matter with me eating a few sweets? ¡°


    Chen Guixiang wanted to beat people up again, but once she let go, Chuizi ran away, leaving Chen Guixiang in the courtyard shaking his head and sighing.


    Zhao Donglin¡¯s blind date was not smooth. Although he promised Zhang Qiaoer to find a stepmother for his two children, he can¡¯t do anything.


    He has been divorced once, and it would be better not to find an inappropriate one to come to their house and stir up a mess at home.


    ¡°What exactly do you want to find?¡±


    Zhang Qiaoer was angry and wanted to quit. This couldn¡¯t work. That wasn¡¯t appropriate. She really didn¡¯t understand what her son wanted?


    Zhao Donglin somehow remembered Dong Jiahui, whom he had met in town that day.


    She was pale and weak, and her frown was pitiful. She was divorced because of her mother-in-law, and she couldn¡¯t have children and he happened to have two children.


    He heard that she was good-natured and has excellent sewing skills. Such a woman should be family-oriented and a woman who can put her home in her hands with peace of mind.

 CH 14

    During the school summer vacation in mid-July, the children fished, touched shrimp, caught cicadas, and caught sparrows. Except for dinner time, you couldn¡¯t even see their shadows. Within a few days of playing under the sun, they become darker.


    This morning, while the sun was not scorching hot. Dong Jiahui wore a straw hat and squatted in a wooden basin and went down to the river, to pick water chestnut. The water chestnut was sweet and refreshing to eat raw, soft and delicate to cook, and could also fry vegetables or soup. It can be said to be a food that has many uses.


    Dong Jiahui just picked half a basin of water chestnut and landed. When he was worried about how to transport the water chestnut and the wooden basin home, Zhao Donglin¡¯s bike stopped in front of her


    ¡°Secretary Zhao?¡±


    Dong Jiahui had a deep impression of Zhao Donglin after meeting him once in town. He is a tough-looking, sturdy village secretary in a green military uniform.


    ¡°What are you doing in our village?¡±


    Today, Dong Jiahui was wearing a blue short-sleeved shirt with simple black pants on her lower body. This kind of dress is common in rural areas. However, the style of clothes Dong Jiahui wears is made by herself and combined with her own aesthetics. If someone wore it, no one could tell the difference. Anyway, it comes down to her unique temperament.


    After a few months of boredom at home, without going to work in the fields, Dong Jiahui insisted on washing her face with rice water every day and cutting half a cucumber to put on her face before going to bed at night, the original owner¡¯s previously tanned and coarse skin turned back to half of her original skin type. Although she was not that fair and translucent, in the countryside she was already quite white.


    The blue clotheslined her with freshness and cleanliness. When Zhao Donglin looked at her, he felt like she was a clear spring in the mountains flowing by, tingling and jumping.


    ¡°I went to the town today and brought some materials to Secretary Dong.¡±


    In fact, he didn¡¯t have to bring this material himself, but when Secretary Zhong casually mentioned Dayu Village, Zhao Donglin volunteered to say he would send it over on his way home.


    Zhao Donglin took the document away before the secretary could react. The Dayu Village and Shanghe Village were in different directions, one in the east and one in the south. Geographically speaking, it was not in his direction.


    This idea flashed in Secretary Zhong¡¯s mind for just a short while, but as it was not a big deal, Secretary Zhong quickly dropped it.


    ¡°In that case, brother Haotian¡¯s family lives across the river.¡±


    Dong Jiahui smiled and pointed to a home across the river, hidden behind a bamboo forest.


    Zhao Donglin followed Dong Jiahui¡¯s hand and quickly turned his head again, casting his eyes on Dong Jiahui.


    ¡°This is too heavy. You certainly can not move. I¡¯ll help you.¡±


    Just now, when she raised her hand, Zhao Donglin noticed that her arms were slender and her wrists were not as thick as the sugar cane. Such a large pot of water chestnut, if she was to move it back by herself, it would take a lot of effort.


    Today, he came here and thought about whether he could meet her by chance. He didn¡¯t expect to be so lucky. He met her just at the entrance of the village.


    If Zhao Donglin had asked ¡°do you need help¡±, Dong Jiahui might have been polite, but he omitted the phrase and went straight to work, and Dong Jiahui would not have been so pretentious as to say no.


    Zhao Donglin gave his bicycle to Dong Jiahui and followed him into the Dong house with the wooden basin.


    ¡°Secretary Zhao, thank you so much, sit down and have a glass of water.¡±


    At this time, the rest of the Dong family had gone to work. In the summer heat, the production team had changed the time of work, which used to be from 8:00 am to 12:00 noon, but now it was from 6:00 am to 9:00 am, and the time of work in the afternoon had also been postponed to avoid the hottest period of the sun.


    Zhao Donglin surveyed the Dong family¡¯s yard, a common mudhouse in rural areas, clean and tidy, the corner of the chicken pen and vegetable patch, piles of thatch and dry twigs, fruit trees tied to a simple swing set, a wooden board with nylon rope hanging, should be for the family¡¯s children to play.


    Almost all yards in rural areas are like this, but the Dong family¡¯s yard still looks neater.


    ¡°Auntie, we¡¯ve finished our homework, can we go out and play?¡±


    Hearing the commotion in the yard, several nephews who were detained by Dong Jiahui to do their homework at home lifted the curtain and came out.


    Seeing a stranger they hadn¡¯t seen before in the yard, the three little men¡¯s eyes curiously surveyed Zhao Donglin.


    ¡°Children should know how to be polite and take the initiative to greet and call their elders and uncles when they see them.¡±


    ¡°Uncle.¡±


    Three people shouted in unison, Zhao Donglin touched his pockets, and they were empty, not even a candy bar.


    ¡°Uncle didn¡¯t bring any candy today. I¡¯ll make it up next time I see you.¡±


    ¡°Secretary Zhao, it¡¯s okay, where can you see someone who brings candy everywhere?¡±


    Dong Jiahui thought Zhao Donglin was saying polite words. There are indeed people who act more elaborately and are embarrassed to see their juniors without taking something out.


    ¡°Aunt, I have not seen this uncle.¡±


    Chuizi was not afraid of life. Although Zhao Donglin was strong, he looked very kind with a smile on his face.


    Dong Jiahui reached out and patted Chuizi¡¯s head, ¡°It¡¯s normal that you haven¡¯t seen him. It¡¯s not like you have to know everyone in the world. ¡°


    Dong Jiahui spread out her palm and motioned to her nephew to show her his homework.


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you, your homework is not finished until you pass the test. If you don¡¯t pass the test, you have to rewrite it.¡±


    ¡°Aiya aunt, we can just write. Look who does homework in our village. You force us to do homework every day.¡±


    The others didn¡¯t say anything, but Chuizi talked a lot, and Dong Jiahui ignored him and looked down at their homework.


    Huzi was in the fourth grade, Chuizi was in the second grade, and Liangzi had just started in the first grade. After checking, Huzi barely passed his homework. Liangzi¡¯s homework was the simplest. He made two miscalculations. Dong Jiahui circled it for him to modify. Finally, there was only a Chuizi left.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need to tell you, You know the number in your heart, right? Who do you deal with when your homework is done like this?¡±


    Chuizi was obviously not very convinced. Of course, this can not be blamed on Chuizi. Nowadays, most parents in rural areas feel that it does not matter how well their children can learn. Anyway, they go home to the farm after learning more and less, and they can read a few words so as not to be illiterate.


    But Dong Jiahui was a time traveller, knowing that in a few years, the country would be holding the first college entrance examination. Rural children can realize their self-worth and change their original social class only through learning and passing the college entrance examination.


    Education is the stepping stone to success. Learning well and learning more will never be wrong.


    Chuizi is a smart kid, witty, smart enough but not calm enough. Such a child can definitely become a big person after good guidance.


    ¡°I manage your study for your own good. Your parents authorized me. Think about it. If you are the first in your class or even the first in grade every time, even if you are more playful, will the teacher often visit our house?¡±


    Just a few months after Dong Jiahui came, Chuizi¡¯s teacher has already made three home visits, with poor test scores, fights with male classmates, and once grabbing a sh*t to scare the female students in the class, which scared several girls in the class into tears.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want you to play, but I want you to spend one-third of your time on your study. If you don¡¯t work hard when you are young, you will be sad when you are old. Do you know what this means? That is to say, most children who didn¡¯t study hard when they were young will regret it. If others eat meat, you can only eat wild vegetables. ¡°


    Dong Jiahui did not expect to be able to persuade Chuizi to study properly, but Chuizi did not talk back this time. He took back his own workbook and went back to the house to rewrite it.


    ¡°Well, you two are doing well today. You can go out to play, but you are not allowed to go down the river or up the mountain. If you want to go, you have to be accompanied by adults. Huzi, you are the older brother. Pay attention to your little brothers.¡±


    Huzi nodded hurriedly and ran out of the yard with Liangzi.


    Zhao Donglin sat and watched Dong Jiahui show her nephews their homework, explaining to them carefully what they had done wrong, especially what she said to Chuizi, which simply made his eyes light up.


    Notlucia: I think I need to have proper schedule. How about Every Friday, Monday and Wednesday?

 CH 15

    What made Zhao Donglin surprised was Dong Jiahui¡¯s temperament and thinking were not at all like those of a country girl who had never seen the world.


    She told her nephews that ¡°If you don¡¯t work hard when you are young, you will be sad when you are old¡±, and she told them to pay attention to safety, not to go to the riverside or deep mountains, and let the big brother take care of his younger brother, etc. It was entirely from the heart.


    He can see that she respects knowledge, understands the importance of knowledge, speaks with reason, and acts without condescension. She reminds him of the instructor who worked with him for many years.


    Zhao Donglin took a sip of water to hide the smile at the corners of his mouth. He was glad that he had come for a temporary trip to get such a harvest. If he had a good impression of Dong Jiahui before, he had a better understanding of Dong Jiahui¡¯s character and inner world, and he secretly made up his mind.


    He is a soldier. Even now, after leaving the army, he still considers himself a soldier.


    A soldier is accustomed to planning and then moving. He was accustomed to shooting without missing. When they have a goal, they rush forward towards the goal without any ambiguity. This is the professional quality that a soldier should have.


    ¡°Secretary Zhao, I¡¯m sorry to make you look at our joke.¡±


    After solving his nephew¡¯s homework problem, Dong Jiahui turned around and smiled shyly.


    ¡°No, you¡¯re quite right.¡±


    Zhao Donglin put down the glass of water in his hand and got up to say goodbye and left. Dong Jiahui sent him to the door and showed him the way to Dong Haotian¡¯s house.


    Zhao Donglin rode his bicycle to deliver the report to Dong Haotian¡¯s house. He invited him to his house. Dong Haotian was hospitable and had to keep Zhao Donglin for dinner.


    Coincidentally, Dong Haotian¡¯s wife, Zhao Juhua, was also from Shanghe village. Although they are not a production team with Zhao Donglin, they also know each other and have met a lot when they were young.


    ¡°Donglin, although I¡¯m several years older than you, we went to school together before.¡±


    I went to school late. I was only in grade one at the age of eight. At that time, our conditions were difficult. There was only one teacher in our school. All the students had mixed classes in a large classroom. After teaching grade one, grade two, and grade three, I remember when Donglin first entered the school. He was only a little bigger than a bean, but he was smart and learned everything faster than the other children in the same grade. The teacher liked him so much that he let him skip two grades, and by the time I graduated from elementary school, Donglin was already in fourth grade. ¡°


    Rural girls are not interested in reading anything, Zhao Juhua dropped out of school after graduating from elementary school and began helping the family take care of household chores, laundry, cooking, picking pig food, and picking cow dung with her sisters-in-law. At the age of fifteen, she went to work in the fields to get half a work point.


    Speaking of the past, Zhao Juhua has lost her original sadness and pain. In the era of lacking food and clothing, everyone lived like this. Some people are living a better life than her, and some people are worse than her.


    ¡°The other day I went back to my mother¡¯s house and heard people mention you, saying that you are the most promising youngster in our village, how old are you, and you have already become the village secretary.¡±


    Zhao Donglin modestly shook his head, ¡°No, I¡¯m not outstanding at all.¡±


    ¡°Why are you not promising? You are a cadre who eats imperial food now. Brother Haotian was still doing chores in the village when he was your age.¡±


    Dong Haotian was also shot when he was lying down. With a bitter smile, he raised his glass and toasted Zhao Donglin. They drank together.


    Zhao Juhua ate a mouthful of food, covertly measuring Zhao Donglin at a glance. With a tentative tone, she said, ¡°I heard that Aunt Qiao is looking for a wife for you. Tell me what you like. Your eldest sister and sister-in-law will also help you find it.¡±


    In fact, everyone said that Zhao Donglin was too picky, even Li Wangcai¡¯s daughter. He did not like her. Everyone said that when Zhao Donglin became a secretary, his whole state of mind floated to heaven. He, a divorced man with two oil bottles, was even picky about other people¡¯s unmarried daughters.


    Zhao Donglin lowered his eyes and smiled. Since Zhao Juhua mentioned this, he knew the general situation of the matter. He didn¡¯t know the cold words behind them but was lazy to explain to others.


    ¡°Since sister-in-law asked, I happen to have something to trouble sister-in-law about.¡±


    Zhao Donglin looked up and smiled at Zhao Juhua. Since he had already made up his mind, a quick solution was needed. He was worried about finding a suitable matchmaker. Zhao Juhua was a ready-made candidate to go talk to the Dong Family.


    First of all, she is Dong Haotian¡¯s wife, and he¡¯s Dong Jiahui¡¯s family relatives, and secondly, she is married out from Shanghe village, and always has a little friendship with her.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Don¡¯t worry. As long as your sister-in-law can help, we will help.¡±


    ¡°I want to ask my sister-in-law to help me make a match.¡±


    Zhao Juhua¡¯s eyes widened, and her husband, Dong Haotian, looked at each other, and both saw in each other¡¯s eyes an undisguised shock.


    She just said that in passing. How come she suddenly got involved in matchmaking?


    Zhao Donglin has fallen for someone and wants himself to be a ready-made matchmaker?


    In just a few seconds, Zhao Juhua¡¯s mind had already turned several times.


    ¡°Matchmaking? You can tell me which girl you like. My sister-in-law will help you go see their family.¡±


    Zhao Donglin smiled as he held his glass of wine, gripping it and pointing his hand vaguely in Dong Haotian¡¯s direction, saying, ¡°Sister-in-law must know her. It¡¯s the one we met in town with Secretary Dong last time.¡±


    Dong Haotian smiled and raised his eyes in surprise, of course, he knew who Zhao Donglin was talking about. He was surprised to learn that Dong¡¯s sister was divorced.


    But then he thought about it. Zhao Donglin was also divorced, and although Dong¡¯s little sister looked like her nature was not bad, she was also young, only in her early twenties. If she hadn¡¯t married to the Lu family¡¯s door early, she wouldn¡¯t be afraid to find someone good at this age.


    Men are more understanding of men¡¯s thoughts, Zhao Donglin was married; his ex-wife left him with two children. Even if the Dong family¡¯s little sister really can¡¯t have children, it¡¯s nothing.


    If you think about it, these two are really quite compatible.


    ¡°Who is this Donglin you¡¯re talking about?¡±


    Zhao Juhua looked at her man with a curious face.


    ¡°It¡¯s the Dong family¡¯s little sister, Jiahui.¡±


    Zhao Juhua stared at her own man and turned to see that Zhao Donglin was not joking. It was obvious that he was serious. Zhao Juhua was surprised and happy for Dong Jiahui at the same time.


    When Dong Jiahui was kicked out by the Lu family, Zhao Juhua often complained about Jiahui at home. She thought it was a pity that she was treated like this by her mother-in-law¡¯s family when she was young.


    ¡°That¡¯s great. A man like Donglin is down-to-earth. If you two are together, you¡¯ll definitely have a prosperous life.¡±


    Zhao Donglin was the village support. He had the strong ability and good character. Before, he was subsidized more than 70 yuan a month in the army. The Zhao family¡¯s conditions are among the best in the village.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of this. I¡¯ll go find Aunt Guixiang after dinner. She¡¯s been worried about searching for Jiahui¡¯s date.¡±


    Jiahui was also a pitiful person. She was kicked out by the Lu family and she was always being gossiped about by others. What others introduced her to was too shabby. Aunt Guixiang sent a message. If there was no suitable one, it would be better to keep her daughter at home all her life. In the past, others were wronged.


    Zhao Donglin picked up a glass of wine, smiled at Zhao Juhua, and said, ¡°Then I will thank my sister-in-law.¡±


    Zhao Donglin ate his meal and went back to work. Zhao Juhua cleaned up the pots and bowls and wiped her hands. She took off her apron and said to her husband, Dong Haotian, ¡°I¡¯m going to my sister-in-law Guixiang¡¯s house to find her. You can watch Maizi at home. ¡°¡±


    Dong Haotian turned his head to look at his youngest son, Maizi, who was lying in bed taking a nap, and nodded, ¡°Okay, you go ahead and say a few more nice things to Donglin.¡±


    ¡°How can you say that? I don¡¯t mean to exaggerate, but with Donglin¡¯s condition, not to mention that he was divorced, he could still pick unmarried girls. If Jiahui missed this, there may be no more. ¡°


    Zhao Juhua was very excited about being a matchmaker for the first time, thinking that if this thing really worked out, it would be great to get a thank-you gift. In addition to that, the business of being a matchmaker could be opened.


    The Dong family also just finished eating their lunch a while ago. The men took a nap, and the daughters-in-law cleaned up the kitchen table. Chen Guixiang didn¡¯t work and didn¡¯t have the habit of taking a nap. She sat in the hall and put the soles of her shoes.


    ¡°Auntie, what are you working on?¡±


    ¡°Oh, Juhua, you¡¯re here for something? Come in and have a cup of herbal tea.¡±


    Zhao Juhua smiled and sat down as instructed, and couldn¡¯t wait to ask, ¡°Auntie, I want to ask you something, has sister Jiahui found someone else?¡±


    As soon as Chen Guixiang heard this, she knew the reason why Zhao Juhua had come here. She stopped her hand, took half of the soles and looked up and asked, ¡°Why? Are you going to introduce someone to Jiahui?¡±


    Zhao Juhua nodded with an arrogant face, ¡°I have a good candidate for you, Aunt, you will be satisfied.¡±


    ¡°Really? Then you tell me about it.¡±


    Zhao Juhua told Zhao Donglin¡¯s personal situation.


    ¡°Not that I am boasting, Donglin is really good. He just came back from his previous job a few months ago and became a village party secretary. He is an outstanding cadre trained by the commune.¡±


    ¡°This ¡­¡­¡± Chen Guixiang instantly had a feeling of being hit by a pie, ¡°With his good conditions, why would he be willing to marry Jiahui?¡±


    With the poor introduction of other people, Chen Guixiang was angry and vowed not to let her daughter get married if it was not a good one. Zhao Juhua introduced someone outstanding today, and she was worried about gain and loss.


    Chen Guixiang was aware of the market. At this time, cadres are popular. No matter what cadres they are, as long as they eat commodity grain, they are iron rice bowls. Moreover, Zhao Donglin became a cadre in the village at a young age, and his future will not be bad. Zhao Juhua also said that he was also a cadre in the army, and Chen Guixiang was more satisfied.


    In this era, everyone had a special feeling about soldiers. The image and status of soldiers were very high, which belongs to the kind that was worshipped by everyone.


    ¡°Auntie, I have come to you. What else can you doubt, you say I have not done matchmaking, this Zhao Secretary is my mother¡¯s village neighbor. I know the roots. I dare to run a trip. We are relatives. I take Jiahui as my sister. I only hope that she will be smooth and happy. I can not come to harm her.¡±


    ¡°Aunt, It¡¯s me. What else do you have doubts about? If you are worried that I haven¡¯t done matchmaking, don¡¯t be. Secretary Zhao is a neighbor of my mother¡¯s village. I dare to come here only when I know the roots and background. We are all relatives. I take Jiahui as my sister. I just hope she¡¯ll have a smooth and happy life in the future. I will not harm her.¡±


    Zhao Juhua concealed Zhao Donglin¡¯s interest in Dong Jiahui for fear that Chen Guixiang would have a frivolous and unstable idea of Zhao Donglin.


    Chen Guixiang was very excited inside, but she also did not show too much joy. She was afraid that it was too early to be happy.

 CH 16

    Chen Guixiang was very excited when she heard what Zhao Juhua said, but after all, she was an adult who had eaten rice for decades. In addition to that, she had previously experienced empty joy, and today, even though her heart was happy again, she did not show the emotions too frankly.


    Chen Guixiang first carefully asked Zhao Donglin¡¯s personal situation, Zhao Juhua said without concealment. For example, Zhao Donglin was smart since he was a child. He became a company commander in the army for more than ten years. The army leaders liked him and arranged work for him after his retirement.


    For Zhao Donglin¡¯s previous marriage, Zhao Juhua blamed the mistake on Wang Mei, saying that she was not willing to live in the countryside. In the beginning, she married Zhao Donglin for a different purpose.


    ¡°Auntie, don¡¯t worry, since I dare to come today, it is impossible for me to introduce a bad person to Sister Jiahui, this Zhao family was indeed a first-class family. There was never any news that Aunt Qiao, Donglin¡¯s mother, was abusing her daughter-in-law.


    She was very good to her previous daughter-in-law, Wang Mei. Some people in the village said that the Zhao family was too good for Wang Mei, which is why Wang Mei¡¯s heart became greedy. She was not satisfied with what she got.


    Chen Guixiang was in deep thought. Zhao Juhua was still very trustworthy in Chen Guixiang¡¯s eyes. The living conditions of the man she came to introduce in person will never be bad. He was a village party secretary at a young age, and she sets a good example for the entire commune.


    Come to think of it, those who despised their daughter¡¯s divorce would introduce her to some ugly person or trash people. She had to show them that her own daughter was also wanted.


    ¡°Then what was his intention?¡±


    ¡°Of course it¡¯s a marriage with Jiahui as his partner. As long as you agree, Aunt, we¡¯ll make arrangements later.¡±


    Chen Guixiang thought for a moment. Anyway, it¡¯s better to meet them. It¡¯s said that the young people in the city have begun to fall in love freely and are looking for like-minded revolutionary partners. They don¡¯t pay attention to this in the countryside. It¡¯s still the same old blind date marriage. Chen Guixiang was also willing to catch up with fashion this time. Whether they can let their daughter like it or not, the Lu family¡¯s mistakes before must not be repeated.


    ¡°I promise to meet you here. I¡¯ll have to ask Jiahui again.¡±


    With Chen Guixiang¡¯s words, Zhao Juhua was relieved. Who doesn¡¯t know that most of the things in this family were decided by Aunt Guixiang?


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go back first, I won¡¯t delay your talk with Jiahui. If Jiahui has replied, tell me as soon as possible, let¡¯s arrange things earlier. ¡°


    The two of them were laughing and joking, Chen Guixiang sent Zhao Juhua outside the courtyard door, and then turned around and went into Dong Jiahui¡¯s room.


    Dong Jiahui had just fallen asleep, but she sleeps lightly. A little sound can wake her up. Chen Guixiang and Zhao Juhua¡¯s voices were at first not loud, then the more excited they were, the louder they became. They didn¡¯t care about lowering their voices. Just when Chen Guixiang sent Zhao Juhua out the door with a louder voice, Dong Jiahui was directly woken up.


    ¡°Hui, it was just your sister-in-law Juhua who came over and said something. You really got lucky this time.¡±


    Chen Guixiang sat down at the bedside and took Dong Jiahui¡¯s hand. She told Dong Jiahui what Zhao Juhua had just said. Dong Jiahui was still in a dazed state. As soon as Chen Guixiang said it, her spirit was instantly energized.


    ¡°The secretary of Shanghe Village?¡±


    Isn¡¯t that Zhao Donglin? She just met with him this morning, and he also helped herself to move the water chestnut.


    Wait, Secretary Zhao said he came to Dayu village to bring materials to brother Haotian on the way. Sister Juhua is brother Haotian¡¯s wife. So, Secretary Zhao went to Dong Haotian¡¯s house to send materials, and then sister Juhua came to her house as a matchmaker?


    ¡°Mom? It can¡¯t be that sister-in-law Juhua made the match herself, right?¡±


    Chen Guixiang froze. She was puzzled and asked, ¡°What? Your sister-in-law said that as long as our family agrees, she will arrange this as soon as possible.¡±


    Dong Jiahui¡¯s heart was a little twisted. Her mother did not know about her acquaintance with Secretary Zhao. If it was really a stranger, forget it. The most taboo thing is to run into an acquaintance on a blind date.


    ¡°Mom, you¡¯d better go back to sister-in-law Juhua.¡±


    Chen Guixiang¡¯s face instantly changed. She hadn¡¯t thought beforehand that her daughter would disagree with this option.


    ¡°Why? Do you not like the person you might get married to, or do you dislike that he had a first wife and had children? I am telling you, Secretary Zhao has good conditions. Do you think your sister Juhua would harm you? ¡°


    If it is not a good object, Chen Guixiang has long refused.


    Dong Jiahui had no choice but to tell Chen Guixiang what happened before. Chen Guixiang listened to it and felt that the matter was originally three points, and now it was seven points.


    ¡°Silly girl, since people know you and he¡¯s willing to help you move things, he must like you. Your sister Juhua went to our family as a matchmaker, which was not such a coincidence. Even if he didn¡¯t mention it, he must be happy. Otherwise, how could your sister Juhua give me a guarantee that she could arrange it as soon as our family agrees? ¡°


    After listening to Chen Guixiang¡¯s analysis, Dong Jiahui really thinks it¡¯s reasonable, but she can¡¯t cross this barrier because she¡¯s confused about dating acquaintances.


    In this era, as long as there is nothing to say after the blind date, the marriage is basically settled. Dong Jiahui is a modern person at heart, preferring to go with the flow of feelings, but she also knows that from the moment she was dressed as the original owner, some things were bound to be inevitable. A divorced woman is still a closed and backward village in the 1970s. Remarriage is her only way out. Do not look at what Chen Guixiang said. She said that if she doesn¡¯t fit someone, she can stay at their home all her life, but even if Chen Guixiang said so, at the same time, she has not given up the intention of finding her next home!


    Either Zhao Donglin or Wang Donglin, Li Donglin or whatever Donglin is,


    To be honest, she has a good impression of Zhao Donglin. With the original owner¡¯s condition, it is the best choice among the range of options to find Zhao Donglin. Compared with several 70s men she had met before, Zhao Donglin was simply an immortal.


    First of all, he is not bad-looking. His facial features are three-dimensional, angular, and tall. Secondly, he is a civil servant who eats national food. It is needless to say how good the work of civil servants is. Even in the 21st century, tens of millions of people took the national examination every year, and millions of famous people grabbed the canoe.


    In addition to his working conditions, Zhao Donglin¡¯s character was also a major highlight. He is polite, helpful, and his words are not humble but like a jade spring breeze. In Dong Jiahui¡¯s view, such people will certainly go further in their work as long as they do not commit problems in principle in their future work, and will not always be just a village branch secretary.


    In summary, Dong Jiahui was satisfied with Zhao Donglin; it¡¯s just that she couldn¡¯t afford to go on a blind date. She¡¯s not a person who relies on the outer self, she was more focused on a person¡¯s inner self.


    Chen Guixiang saw her daughter frowning and not talking. She didn¡¯t say anything good or bad. She knew her daughter as her mother. She knew that her daughter should have agreed in her heart.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll go and talk to your sister-in-law Juhua. I will let her make an appointment for us to meet. No matter if it works or not, he helped you before, so it¡¯s appropriate to say thank you. ¡°


    Chen Guixiang saw her daughter frowning and not talking. She didn¡¯t say good or bad. She knew her daughter was the mother. She knew that her daughter agreed in her heart.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll go and tell your sister-in-law Juhua to make an appointment with him. Regardless of its success or failure, he has helped you before, it¡¯s better to show our gratitide.¡±


    After Chen Guixiang finished talking, she smiled and got up. She was paying special attention to this blind date in her heart.


    Notlucia: Short chapter o(T¥ØTo)

 CH 17

    Chen Guixiang helped Dong Jiahui make up her mind, and Zhao Juhua quickly returned the news. The date of the blind date was set in the afternoon two days later, at Zhao Juhua¡¯s house.


    ¡°It seems that the secretary of Zhao was really interested in you.¡±


    The village secretaries, several groups in a village, have a lot of big and small things. They go to the commune for a meeting every day. But the first time they heard about it, they quickly set the date for the blind date. Needless to say, this attitude has shown the attention of the other party.


    In the kitchen, Chen Guixiang rubbed the dough happily, while speaking to her daughter Dong Jiahui, who was boiling a pot.


    ¡°Mom, things have not even begun to take shape yet, why are you talking about this?¡±


    Dong Jiahui¡¯s face was red under the fire of the stove, she didn¡¯t know if it was from the fire or from Chen Guixiang¡¯s shameful words.


    In fact, Dong Jiahui was confused. She really didn¡¯t have any experience on blind dates before crossing. She felt that this behavior was like putting herself on the shelf for people to visit and choose at will. Her sisters around her who had dated said that blind dates were unreliable and that they didn¡¯t meet their true love but instead, met a bunch of weirdos. Because of this, Jiahui became and made up her mind that she won¡¯t do it.


    For her, having a mutual understanding of each other was better than the external condition of a person. WIll finding a man with a house, a car, a good job, and a good family will make her happy? Then, why is it that the marriage rate of young people getting lower and the divorce rate getting higher? The external conditions may be suitable, but when you start to genuinely interact with them, you will find the gap between you two was as deep as the Great Canyon of Yarlung Tsangpo-Brahmaputra, and both of you, were not compatible at all.


    After dressing as Dong Jiahui she made two small mischief appearances. Each time she didn¡¯t need to be abnormal, Chen Guixiang seemed to have been humiliated, but the situation was different this time. Chen Guixiang obviously had real power and was very satisfied with Secretary Zhao. Dong Jiahui didn¡¯t know what to do at once.


    Two days later, the Dong family had dinner. Chen Guixiang asked several daughters-in-law to clean up the pots and bowls. She changed her clothes and went out with Dong Jiahui.


    ¡°Mom, what are you doing at noon?¡±


    Liu Xiuyun watched her mother in law went out with her sister-in-law. She stretched out her neck in the kitchen. Liu Xiuyun was very curious. She liked to find out the bottom of everything and couldn¡¯t hide a secret. That¡¯s why Chen Guixiang didn¡¯t tell her third daughter-in-law about the blind date.


    Everyone was happy that the marriage between her daughter and Secretary Zhao had the possibility of succeeding. In case it does not work out, it won¡¯t be embarrassing if you don¡¯t make a big deal out of it. This would also prevent people from talking about it in private, saying that her daughter was a toad that wants to eat swan meat.


    The other two sisters-in-law were too busy to take Liu Xiuyun¡¯s words. People with clear eyes don¡¯t understand it? Jiahui cleaned up before going out. She was wearing the white shirt only worn when visiting the relatives. She was with her mother. Her hair was also cleaned. The muddy shoes on her feet had been replaced with clean ones.


    What was the reason for their serious behavior? It¡¯s not Jiahui¡¯s wedding, but mom didn¡¯t confide a word at home this time and quietly took Jiahui away. Things are really unusual.


    The eldest brother and the third family looked at each other, and they could see some interesting looks from each other¡¯s eyes. Only Liu Xiuyun didn¡¯t use her head, but her mouth was very diligent.


    The sun at the end of July was very hot. As soon as she went out, Dong Jiahui felt that she was going to be sunburned. She was wearing a white short-sleeved shirt with her long black straight hair braided behind her head. She was wearing a bamboo straw hat. Under the sun, the brim of the hat cast a mottled shadow on her face.


    These days, young women in rural areas are popular Liu Hulan¡¯s hairstyle and double-horned twist braid. Liu Hulan hairstyle was too mature, double-horned twist braid was too childish. Every time she sees the little girl in the village wearing broken flower clothes and two braids, she is reminded of the famous song ¡°Little Fang¡±.


    ¡°There is a girl in the village called Little Fang, good-looking and kind, a pair of beautiful big eyes, braids thick and long ¡­¡­¡±


    What¡¯s even more amazing is that there are really many girls named ¡°Little Fang¡± in the village.


    The white shirt worn by Dong Jiahui was made by her family with the cloth they bought. Thanks to Dong Jiahui¡¯s skills for sewing and mending clothes, she replaced two cloth tickets with others. She paid with her own money to buy the cloth and made one for her family.


    The white clothes look good, but they get dirty easily, so they are usually worn only when they go out to visit relatives.


    Before going out, Dong Jiahui was wearing a blue short-sleeved shirt. Chen Guixiang asked her to go back to the house and change it. Dong Jiahui looked at herself. There was no problem. As for whether she looked good or not, it was the people who were wearing clothes, not the clothes. However, in order to not let Chen Guixiang continue talking, Dong Jiahui changed to the white one.


    Chen Guixiang turned her head and looked at her daughter. She was happy and sad. She was happy that her face looked young, as if she were only 18 years old, just like when she was still an young maiden[1]. Chen Guixiang was sad that her daughter had suffered a lot in recent years. If it weren¡¯t for the stubble of the Lu family, what kind of man wouldn¡¯t be worthy of her girl? She didn¡¯t need to worry about gain and loss with Secretary Zhao.


    Dong Haotian¡¯s family and Zhao Donglin have arrived. Zhao Juhua asked him to drink tea in the main room, and Dong Haotian was the host and guest.


    ¡°Donglin, you sit and rest first, Aunt Guixiang and sister Jiahui should be here later.¡±


    Zhao Donglin picked up the cup of tea and drank a sip of water, hiding the smile that played at the corners of his mouth.


    It is reasonable to say that he has long passed the age when a brat can¡¯t sleep at night and scratch his ears when he sees a girl he likes, but since he has made a decision in his mind, he does think of Dong Jiahui from time to time.


    He admired her dignity and beauty, her thorough understanding and knowledge of things, and her teaching and concern for her juniors, a feeling of admiration mixed with appreciation that he had never felt before.


    If Dong Jiahui was like a quietly fragrant lotus flower, his ex-wife Wang Mei was a fiery red.


    ¡°Here they come.¡±


    Zhao Donglin¡¯s thoughts were drifting away when Zhao Juhua¡¯s voice pulled his attention back. Following the direction of Zhao Juhua¡¯s finger, Zhao Donglin saw the girl who had been on his mind for a few days.


    ¡°Auntie, Jiahui, I¡¯m looking forward to you two.¡±


    Dong Haotian¡¯s family planted a lot of bamboos around the courtyard. Bamboos liked to be wet and are planted by the river. When they come all the way along the river embankment, they seem to blow a natural air conditioner, which reduces Dong Jiahui¡¯s restlessness.


    A few people stood under the eaves to welcome them, Dong Jiahui bowed her head a little less than kindly, Zhao Donglin¡¯s eyes had long been subtly fixed and circling around her, and when people came closer, he was steady, as a proper gentleman, did not look at Dong Jiahui, and focused his attention on Chen Guixiang.


    ¡°Hello aunt, I¡¯m Zhao Donglin.¡±


    Zhao Donglin was tall and upright, with a righteous face, his eyes were steadfast and sincere when he looks at people, and his face with a smile, that was a little strange, mixed with a sense of solidity and stability, making people have a sense of intimacy. Chen Guixiang first impression of him was very good!


    ¡°Oh, well, this is Secretary Zhao, right?¡±


    Zhao Donglin face bloomed with a smile, he slightly held Chen Guixiang¡¯s arm to bring her into the house. He said implicitly and humbly, ¡°Why am I secretary Zhao? Aunt, you can just call me Xiao Zhao or Donglin.¡±


    In a few words, Chen Guixiang had been coaxed by Zhao Donglin to smile. Dong Jiahui stood aside and watched, admiring this Zhao secretary from the bottom of her heart.


    ¡°Today, our family is busy. Everyone should sit and talk. Drink some barley tea to quench your thirst. Come, Jiahui, don¡¯t stand alone. Come and sit here with your sister-in-law.¡±


    According to the position arranged by Zhao Juhua, Dong Jiahui and Zhao Donglin were sitting in front of each other, and Zhao Juhua brought a cup of barley tea for Dong Jiahui to drink.


    ¡°Auntie, you really didn¡¯t tell me that Jiahui looks gentle, and when she drinks water, she was a little more delicate than others.¡±


    Zhao Juhua praised Jiahua. Dong Jiahui almost choked when she drank the water. She coughed twice with a red face. When she felt Zhao Donglin¡¯s eyes stopped on her, Dong Jiahui¡¯s ears turned red.


    Dong Jiahui had taken off her straw hat when she entered the house. A small white face, dark hair and thick eyebrows, with a smile in her eyes, When she smiles under the crouching cicada, it added a gentle flavor.


    Zhao Juhua was surprised. Jiahui was really getting better and better. Not to mention how different she was from when she came back a few months ago, but when she was a child, Jiahui was really a pretty girl, but it didn¡¯t look like this. No wonder Zhao Donglin took a fancy to her at a glance.


    It can only be said that ¡°the phase was born from the heart¡±[2]. Dong Jiahui¡¯s appearance was getting closer and closer to her own appearance. Because her changes were accumulated day by day, the Dong family couldn¡¯t see any difference. Only those who haven¡¯t seen her for a long time can spot the difference, like Zhao Juhua.


    References

 CH 18

    ¡°Auntie, I happen to have something I want to ask you about. Why don¡¯t we go to that room to talk?¡±


    Zhao Juhua deliberately gave the two protagonists of today¡¯s blind date a chance to interact. This is a customary routine in blind dates, so Chen Guixiang understands. The others here also understand it in their hearts.


    ¡°Okay, then I¡¯ll go in with you and have a talk.¡±


    After meeting for ten minutes and talking about some basic information, Chen Guixiang was generally satisfied with Zhao Donglin. Except for the age; he was a bit older than her daughter. All other conditions were good, at least, he was much better than Lu Chengyuan.


    She followed Zhao Juhua to the house next door in a kind-hearted manner. Dong Haotian also left the house on the pretext that there was something to deal with in the village, and only Dong Jiahui and Zhao Donglin were left in the hall.


    Dong Jiahui looked down at the enamel teacup held in her hand, On the white porcelain bottom, two men and women in military uniforms were painted. At the top of the picture, the five big characters ¡°serving the people¡± were written in red.


    There are several fried bars of barley floating on the dark yellow barley tea, and the others have sunk to the bottom of the cup. Please forgive Dong Jiahui for her inability to cope with this form of a blind date. In addition to feeling embarrassed at the moment, she was feeling awkward.


    ¡°Comrade Dong, you should have known about my situation already. I was in the army before and I returned home three months ago. I have two children in my family. My parents are in good health. I have an unmarried sister, and my brother and his family live in the same courtyard.¡±


    ¡°There are four tile-roofed houses at home, and the yard is very large. My mother keeps five chickens and a sow at home. My salary in the village is 56 yuan a month, and I receive additional benefits during the new year¡¯s festival.¡±


    ¡°For the two children in the family, the older one is four years old and the younger one is only eight months old. They are usually taken care of by my mother and my sister.¡±


    From the time Zhao Donglin opened his mouth, Dong Jiahui had been listening. His voice belonged to the type of guy with a low voice. It may be that he has been in the army for a long time, and his voice was calm and powerful, which makes him sound firm, as if he is not talking about his own business, but stating the situation of others.


    ¡°Because I had a failed marriage, I deeply understand the importance of mutual trust and understanding between husband and wife. What I am looking for now is not a woman who is preoccupied with life, nor one who will help me take care of my children. I hope I can find a revolutionary partner in life, respect and tolerate each other, and let¡¯s live together in the future.¡±


    These words were not anticipated by Dong Jiahui. She thought it was impossible to have no inner touch. She looked up at Zhao Donglin, who was sitting opposite her. Who knows that Zhao Donglin has been looking at her? As soon as she saw them, they looked right. Dong Jiahui hurriedly looked away and only remembered the sincerity, calm and light anxiety in his eyes.


    ¡°I ¡­¡­¡± Dong Jiahui opened her mouth and just said a word. She felt her throat tighten. She drank water and moistened her throat and continued to speak.


    ¡°Secretary Zhao, I¡¯ve met you twice before, and I¡¯m not going to lie, I have a pretty good impression of you and think you are a very decent person who deserves the respect of others. You should also know my situation. I was driven back by my in-laws. The rumours about me were not very good. To tell the truth, it¡¯s really difficult for a divorced woman in the countryside to find a suitable object. Your conditions are so good. I asked you Aren¡¯t you afraid of others talking about you behind your back? ¡°


    Dong Jiahui said all the things in her heart while everything had not started, she laid out all the difficulties. In fact, at the moment of asking, she already knew Zhao Donglin¡¯s answer. A man like Zhao Donglin is definitely a man who ¡°plans and then moves¡±. If he really cares about his reputation, he can¡¯t ask someone to be a matchmaker.


    Don¡¯t say she¡¯s pretentious or anything. In this day and age, she has a registered residence in rural areas, even without qualifications to go to work in the city.


    Where can she go and what can she do? It is a few years before the college entrance examination. Can a divorced woman stay in her mother¡¯s house in this era?


    Even if Chen Guixiang is a good mother, she would simply provide her with a place to live so that she would not have to live on the streets. In recent months, Chen Guixiang has never given up on the idea of finding her a home, because for Chen Guixiang and the Dong family, the best destination for a woman is to find a good family to marry into. Since she suffered a loss last time, then this time, polish your eyes and look for the best. You can¡¯t let your daughter be wronged again.


    This has been the Dong family¡¯s greatest mercy. Many women with unfortunate marriages have no protection from their parents. They can only endure day by day and live a life of a ghost or a life worse than a dog or pig.


    The question goes back to the origins again. Who can marry a woman who is divorced and humiliated by her ex-husband¡¯s house, saying that she was incapable of giving birth?


    A poor bachelor who can¡¯t afford to marry a wife? Am I a man with a dead wife, a widower with several children? Or a disabled person with inconvenient legs and feet and physical problems?


    Zhao Donglin was the best choice within her choice, not to mention that her impression of Zhao Donglin was really good. She was not so noble that she couldn¡¯t like Secretary Zhao.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about this problem. We won¡¯t mention the past. When you marry me, you will be my wife. I will protect you from any injustice.¡±


    Zhao Donglin¡¯s words fell down with determination, and Dong Jiahui was very satisfied.


    ¡°You are a soldier. I believe that whatever you say, you will definitely do it.¡±


    This time, Dong Jiahui did not run away again but gathered the courage to raise her head and bravely met Zhao Donglin¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Thank you, Secretary Zhao, and I won¡¯t beat around the bush anymore. I am willing to marry you.¡±


    Zhao Donglin began to be stunned for a moment, but soon hooked the corners of his mouth and showed a comfortable smile.


    ¡°That¡¯s really good. You do not need to call me ¡°Secretary Zhao¡±, just call me by my name. If you are embarrassed, it is okay to call me ¡°comrade¡± before we get married.¡±


    Dong Jiahui blushed and nodded. She summoned up a lot of courage to say that just now. If other men were sitting in front of her, they would think that she was thick-skinned, but Dong Jiahui believed that Zhao Donglin was not like that. Now it seems that it was really right to bet on him.


    They didn¡¯t speak loudly in the main room. Zhao Juhua, who was in the room, could only listen to something about children, him saying ¡°I will protect you from being wronged¡± and so on.


    ¡°We should go out and see, right? I don¡¯t know how the two of them have talked.¡±


    Chen Guixiang was also anxious, but she seemed to be calmer than Zhao Juhua.


    Okay, then let¡¯s go out and see. Jiahui was an introverted person and probably won¡¯t talk.


    Zhao Juhua remembered Jiahui¡¯s nature and nodded in agreement, ¡°That¡¯s right, someone still needs to be around to pass the word.¡±


    After the agreement, the two of them tidied up their hair and went out of the room to get to the hall.


    Notlucia: These two additional updates were done on a whim.

 CH 19

    Chapter 19


    ¡°Auntie, I have already agreed with Comrade Dong. When I go back today, I¡¯ll look for a suitable day and go to your house to talk about marriage.¡±


    Chen Guixiang and Zhao Juhua, who had been worried that the two wouldn¡¯t be able to talk, were stunned by Zhao Donglin¡¯s words as soon as they came out of the room.


    ¡°You guys¡­ have come to an agreement?¡±


    Chen Guixiang¡¯s mood was a bit complicated. According to the reasoning, she should be happy. She has been looking forward to her divorced daughter finding a husband to her liking. This Zhao Donglin should be good. He has work and a good temperament. Compared to the Lu family, they were like heaven and earth. But when she thought of how their development was too fast, she became a bit overwhelmed. She felt that a part of her heart was empty, but Chen Guixiang quickly adjusted her mind. It¡¯s a good thing that her daughter found someone. Who cares if the relationship between the two develops quickly or slowly at this point? Even if the wedding is held tomorrow, she should marry off her daughter with a smile.


    On the way home, Chen Guixiang drank too much wine, walking lightly and heavily, Dong Jiahui followed her, Chen Guixiang suddenly stopped walking when Dong Jiahui did not pay attention, her nose hit Chen Guixiang¡¯s back.


    ¡°Mom, why did you suddenly stop in the middle of the road?¡±


    Dong Jiahui covered her nose. There were tears in Chen Guixiang¡¯s eyes. She looked at her daughter¡¯s appearance with white skin and wavy eyes. Her eyes didn¡¯t look fierce when she stared at someone; it was more like her eyes were seducing. No wonder that Secretary Zhao fancied her.


    She sighed, and the slightest reluctance at the bottom of her heart was dispelled. Anyway, her daughter was married for the second time. Looking at Secretary Zhao, in the eyes of other people, she can be regarded as a social climber. People who eat public meals these days were very popular, not to mention that Secretary Zhao was more than ten years older than her daughter. Even in her twenties, some people rushed to the door to be his children¡¯s stepmother.


    ¡°I thought you were too thin-skinned and too shy to talk to others. I didn¡¯t expect you to answer to him yourself.¡±


    Dong Jiahui has just come back. I¡¯m afraid Chen Guixiang was unhappy because today¡¯s blind date wasn¡¯t good.


    She went over and put her arm around Chen Guixiang, explaining in a pretty voice, ¡°Mom, didn¡¯t I listen to you? You said that Secretary Zhao¡¯s conditions were good. After passing this village, it¡¯s hard to come across such a good store[1]. He took the initiative to ask me. Is it possible for me to act pretentious and tell him that I don¡¯t like it? What if because of that, he won¡¯t look for me anymore? When that moment comes, you will say that I am to blame for it.¡±


    Chen Guixiang¡¯s lips curled. Anyway, she found out that her daughter, who doesn¡¯t like to speak, who was like a gourd with a sawn mouth, was actually a machine gun that kept making a ¡°ra ta ta¡± noise when you really talk to her.


    ¡°I am afraid that you haven¡¯t shown much of your dignity since you have agreed to him quickly. Which girl goes on a blind date and doesn¡¯t examine first before agreeing? You are good! I and your sister Juhua just went out for a while, and you agreed to do it yourself. That¡¯s really something. ¡°


    This is the contradiction of being a mother. If she can¡¯t find a suitable object, she will feel anxious. She wanted to pack up her daughter and send her out. But when she finds the right one, she hopes that her daughter can be more reserved. She must let the man show his sincerity.


    How could Dong Jiahui not know what Chen Guixiang was thinking about? She took Chen Guixiang¡¯s arm and said with a puff of laughter, ¡°Mom, don¡¯t worry, Secretary Zhao came from the army. He has his own principles for doing things, and he will do what he promised.¡±


    Zhao Donglin¡¯s upright facial features and firm eyes are very reliable from the aspect of the face.


    Chen Guixiang couldn¡¯t help but curl her lips again. The eight characters haven¡¯t been written off yet, and her daughter was full of words about Secretary Zhao. How can she rest assured with this silly girl? She must meet a good man with such sincerity.


    In the evening, Zhao Donglin told his family about the marriage at dinner. The whole family was surprised that their chopsticks fell off the table. Who would have thought that Zhao Donglin quietly found a wife himself? He was not in a hurry to find a wife before.


    ¡°The Dong family of Dayu Village? The little daughter of the Dong Changfu family? ¡°


    Although it was not in the same village, everyone in a commune has relatives and knows each other more or less. When Zhao Donglin told them about the daughter of the Dong family in Dayu village, Zhang Qiaoer first thought of Dong Xiaojuan, the daughter of Dong Changfu¡¯s family.


    Dong Changfu and Dong Changgui were close brothers. Dong Xiaojuan is Dong Jiahui¡¯s own cousin. She was twenty this year, one year younger than Dong Jiahui, because her parents spoiled her, from the age of seventeen or eighteen, everyone said that they had been looking left and right, but that there was no suitable man yet. That¡¯s why she had no object in her twenties.


    Zhang Qiaoer had never met Dong Xiaojuan before. Thinking that her son¡¯s judgment should not be bad, she would find a reason to go to Dayu Village to see what the girl looks like. She wanted to see what made her son, who was like wood, take the initiative to mention the matter of marriage.


    Who knows what happened when Zhang Qiaoer had just made plans in her heart, and Zhao Donglin denied her guess?


    ¡°No, it¡¯s the daughter of Uncle Changgui¡¯s family.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    The chopsticks weren¡¯t dropped this time, Zhang Qiaoer directly slapped the chopsticks on the dining table.


    ¡°Changgui¡¯s family? I am telling you, I do not agree! There is only one daughter in Changgui¡¯s family, and what more! She got divorced a year ago and their affair made a lot of noise in the commune! If you really want to marry her, I am telling you that our whole family will be the subject of discussion by other people! You don¡¯t think it¡¯s embarrassing? Well, I think it¡¯s embarrassing!¡±


    When Zhang Qiaoer said that, the rest of the Zhao family looked at Zhao Donglin and thought that Zhang Qiaoer had made a mistake. How could his son (brother) find a divorced woman? Who knows that Zhao Donglin not only didn¡¯t refute but also nodded and admitted it?


    Zheng Yuefen and her husband, Zhao Donghe, glanced at each other. Since they are husband and wife, they can probably guess each other¡¯s thoughts. They were shocked, but their shock was different.


    ¡°You say you, so many girls do not want you to want a divorced second-hand. Your brain is in the water or by the door plate, pinching?¡±


    ¡°Tell me. There are so many unmarried girls, but you want you to get divorced, second-hand goods? Are you out of your mind or is your head trapped by the door?¡±


    Zhao Donglin had known that his mother¡¯s reaction would not be small, which is why he didn¡¯t talk to his mother in advance. If he had said it earlier, he wouldn¡¯t have had a blind date with Jiahui at all, and his mother would have sabotaged it.


    ¡°Mom, it¡¯s wrong of you to say that. It¡¯s reasonable to say that I¡¯m also a divorced man. Isn¡¯t it good to find a divorced wife? There¡¯s not much difference between us. No one should be disliked. How come it¡¯s fine with you that I am divorced? But when a woman is divorced, she becomes a second-hand? ¡°


    Zhang Qiaoer strained her neck and grunted, ¡°What? Why are you still lecturing me about others? Can men be the same as women? Men could marry three wives and four concubines decades ago, don¡¯t you know why she was divorced? What¡¯s the point of marrying a woman who can¡¯t have children? Why hasn¡¯t she found anyone since she was divorced for half a year? It¡¯s because others have a clearer mind than you Chu, you won¡¯t do such thankless things. You are in a hurry to be willing to do good things. You are still a party member and a village party secretary. When people hear of it, they will laugh it off with their front teeth showing! ¡°


    The more Zhang Qiaoer talked, the angrier she became, Zhao Donglin also put down the chopsticks in his hand. His expression was serious as he looked at his mother with a straight face, and took out the momentum of long-term conversation with the instructor in the army.


    For him, as long as he decides, he must do it. There are no mountains that can¡¯t be turned over and no opponents that can¡¯t be defeated.


    ¡°Mom, your idea is wrong. First of all, our great leader, Chairman M, said that men and women are equal. So you can¡¯t say that men are different from women. Secondly, I didn¡¯t marry her to have children. I already have Heidan and Yingbao. I will just take care of them both in the future. I don¡¯t need more children. ¡°


    In this era, there is no family planning, and there are more than a dozen families with a large population. Although the living conditions are difficult and many families are still struggling with food and clothing, the common understanding is that ¡°more people, you will have more power¡±.


    When the child is born, it¡¯s OK to have food, clothes and clothes. When parents don¡¯t have time to take care of the child, they become the responsibility of the older sibling. In the village, half of the older children can often be seen holding or carrying a smaller child. This is the so-called ¡°poor children take charge of the family early¡±.


    From the bottom of his heart, Zhao Donglin does not want his own children to be the same. He joined the army as a soldier in his teens, and because of his diligence, he was fortunate enough to become a key training target for the army leadership and received higher education in the army.


    He has read military works, but he has not read famous works at home and abroad. His more than ten-year military career has made him a man with iron willpower and perfect thinking logic. He believed that the weakness of human nature was inevitable. It was difficult to meet a stepmother who regards her stepson and stepdaughter as her own, in this world, especially when she has her own child.


    People will selectively treat others well. There was no doubt that, when they make a choice between their children and other people¡¯s children, they will choose to be close to their own children. It¡¯s easy to say that they will not hold a bowl at water level[2].


    He has a crush on Dong Jiahui and doesn¡¯t care if she has been divorced. He has a crush on this person. It¡¯s enough to believe that she will be good to Heidan and Yingbao. As for her inability to have children, he doesn¡¯t treat it as a shortcoming at all.


    ¡°Mom, just listen to me once. I¡¯m looking for Jiahui for the good of our family. Before, I listened to you and found Wang Mei. What¡¯s the result?¡±


    The result was that he divorced Wang Mei. She was trying to find a way to return to the city she longed for. She said she didn¡¯t care about her two children. Did he say anything? He didn¡¯t say anything and didn¡¯t want to mention it again.


    Zhang Qiaoer was arrogant. She let out her anger when she heard her son¡¯s words. This matter was a thorn in her heart. It was where she felt sorry for her son. In the beginning, Wang Mei was really attracted to being with her son, Donglin, and she was the one who picked her.

 CH 20

    Back then, it was actually Wang Mei who first fell for Zhao Donglin.


    Like the farmers in the village, the educated youth who are transferred from the city to Shanghe village work in the fields to earn work points and food rations.


    The male educated youth is fine. Even if they couldn¡¯t do farm work, they still have their strength. As long as they were willing to do it, they can earn nine or ten work points a day. There¡¯s a bit of a problem for female educated youth. First of all, they couldn¡¯t do rough work, and they couldn¡¯t do meticulous work. The village work-point recorder can¡¯t rate them without conscience. This would be unfair to other members of the village who work hard to the point of exhaustion just to have five or six work points. If this would be converted into rations, then filling their stomachs would be a problem.


    The difficult conditions in the countryside, coupled with the composition of some of the educated youth, some of them chose to settle in the countryside, so they became villagers. With this, they can justifiably enjoy the treatment of being village community members.


    As for Wang Mei, her purpose was to return to the city. She could not simply live a day in rural life. No shopping malls, no stores, even her favorite chicken pastry, crispy short-crust pastry, were nowhere to be found.


    Most importantly, she made a boyfriend at school. Although she didn¡¯t have a bright road, she recognized him in her heart. In the beginning, she was transferred to the countryside because of family relations. Before going to the countryside, her boyfriend swore that he would wait for her to return to the city to marry her.


    So Wang Mei always had a dream of returning to the city, until a year and a half later, she received a letter from the city, writing to one of her close female classmates, who told her that her boyfriend was already with someone else.


    Wang Mei¡¯s heart jumped. She refused to believe that he would break his promise. She turned around and asked the captain to take ten days off to go back to the city. She went straight to her boyfriend¡¯s house to find him, but just in time to see him riding his bicycle into the hutong, with another girl sitting behind the car.


    This scene deeply stimulated Wang Mei. She rushed up and questioned him, asking him why he did this, and why did he betray her?


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Wang Mei, but you can¡¯t blame me. You went to the countryside, and there is no exact time when you can come back. I can¡¯t spend all my life waiting for you.¡±


    Wang Mei threw him a slap and shed tears of pain.


    ¡°I really misjudged you. I trusted you so much, and this is how you repay me!¡±


    Before going to the countryside, she gave him everything, endured the hard conditions in the countryside, hoping to come back sooner to be her bride, and what happened was that he fell in love with another woman!


    After returning to the village, Wang Mei¡¯s mentality changed greatly. In addition, after returning home, she made the same decision as others, that is, to find a suitable person to marry in the village. Just at this time, Zhao Donglin appeared.


    He is a soldier. Soldiers in this era are more popular. Compared with migrant workers, their military allowance is high, their welfare is good, and they are still good-looking. After inquiry, he was not married.


    Wang Mei made up her mind to get close to Zhang Qiaoer. Zhang Qiaoer saw that the little educated youth from the city always smiled and called her ¡°aunt¡± affectionately. Her vanity was greatly satisfied.


    So later, Zhao Donglin told Wang Mei that he didn¡¯t want to find an educated youth wife. Zhang Qiaoer insisted and Zhao Donglin didn¡¯t want to disobey his mother, so he agreed.


    Recalling the past, Zhang Qiaoer¡¯s heart was bitter. She was silent for a long time. She tucked her cuffs into the corners of her eyes, and said, ¡°Well, you can think about it. If you marry the daughter of the Dong family, you will be the topic of their gossip in the future. You have been divorced once. You will have to bear it yourself regardless of whether you have it good or bad in the future. You can¡¯t let others see jokes. ¡°


    Zhang Qiaoer¡¯s heart was also aggrieved.  In her son¡¯s marriage, even if she was a little selfish for his son, she was already at this age. Maybe one day she would be gone. She wanted to find a better wife for her son. Wasn¡¯t it for her son Donglin and the face of their Zhao family?


    Donglin poked her heart with Wang Mei¡¯s matter, a divorced woman. To tell the truth, Zhang Qiaoer was not very happy.


    ¡°Mom, I know you are doing this for my own good. But life is like choosing shoes, only you know which pair of shoes fit and which pair of shoes do not fit. The face is almost nothing, as long as it is comfortable on the feet. If you only intended to choose for your face and choose something that doesn¡¯t fit you, will it not be even worse? ¡°


    He didn¡¯t mean to make his mother unhappy, but this kind of thing happened once. If he had to find a woman he didn¡¯t like and suitable for himself, how would he live in his next life?


    ¡°Cheng, you have a point. Anyway, I can¡¯t say anything about you. Since you like it this time, you can find a matchmaker to talk about marriage. I¡¯m too lazy to take care of it. Don¡¯t take care of it much. I won¡¯t want to be blamed later. ¡°


    She deliberately said such harsh words. Her meaning was, okay, I will not oppose, but I also do not support. If you want to do what you want to do, anyway, it is your choice, and you found her suitable.


    She thought that her son would say a few good words, only to know that Zhao Donglin came directly to the sentence, ¡°Mom, you just agreed. These are small things. I can handle them myself, so as not to bother you and make you suffer.¡±


    This sentence choked Zhang Qiao¡¯er up and down. Her tiger face drank half a bowl of porridge and then put down the chopsticks and left the table.


    After Zhang Qiaoer left the table, the atmosphere at the table suddenly relaxed a lot, Zhao Manzhu, with his wrinkled eyes, looked at Zhao Donglin. He asked: ¡°Son, have you really decided to marry the Dong family¡¯s daughter?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Dad. I have decided.¡±


    Zhao Manzhu nodded and reached out to touch the dry tobacco stick hanging at his waist, remembering that this was the dinner table and that there were three children there, so he held back.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s your own business. Just make your own decision. I¡¯ll tell your mother. I¡¯ll do it for you.¡±


    Zhao Donglin smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay dad, for what mom said. I don¡¯t really care.¡±


    Zhao Manzhu also smiled, ¡°Yes, your mother is such a person. A mouth like a knife but with a bean curd heart.¡±


    After eating, Zhao Meixiang cleaned up the pots and bowls, while Zheng Yuefen and Zhao Donghe took their son Shitou back to the house.


    ¡°Your brother is really going to marry a divorced woman back, huh?¡±


    Zheng Yuefen¡¯s bright eyes looked at her husband with a gossiping face. Zhao Donghe made a blank face while shaking his head, ¡°I don¡¯t know. Didn¡¯t we listen to this together?¡±


    Zheng Yuefen looked at her husband with her son in her arms and said with interest in a blink of an eye ¡°I thought your mother was going to find a fairy wife for your brother. Unexpectedly, she finally found a divorced woman. What do you think of your brother? Was it really for Heidan and Yingbao?¡±


    ¡°Otherwise, my brother has been smart since childhood. He must have his reason for doing things. Don¡¯t be unpredictable. Hurry to take a bath and sleep for Shitou. He has been skinned all day and should be sleepy later.¡±


    Zheng Yuefen kicked him discontentedly, ¡°Why should I go? Shitou is also your son. You can¡¯t give him a bath?¡±


    After saying that, she stuffed her son into Zhao Donghe¡¯s hand.


    The next morning, Zhang Qiaoer finished making breakfast in the pot and went out with a basket of vegetables, just like Zhao Donglin said. She said no matter what, her heart was still relieved. After all, getting married and marrying a wife is a big deal. She has to see for herself what she has to do.


    The first thing that she remembered is that Dong Changgui¡¯s family was in the first brigade, and she has an older sister in the first brigade that she is familiar with. So for today, she was going to find her old sister to inquire about the situation of the Dong family¡¯s daughter.


    After entering Dayu village, people in twos and threes in the village had breakfast and were ready to work in the field. At this time, there was not much work in the field, that is, hoeing the grass and fertilizing.


    According to Zhang Qiao¡¯er¡¯s memory of the route, she found herself walking on a stubble road. In recent years, the team has built a lot of new houses. It¡¯s been a long time since it was changed.


    Zhang Qiao¡¯er carried a vegetable basket looking around. Just behind her, the door of someone¡¯s family opened. A girl wearing a straw hat with broad eaves came out of the yard with a little girl in her hand.


    ¡°Hey, little girl, I want to ask where does Li Jinzhi¡¯s family live? I haven¡¯t been to this village for years, and I can¡¯t find her house at once. ¡°


    Zhang Qiaoer met none other than Dong Jiahui, who was holding her little niece, Tianniu, in her arms.


    ¡°Li Jinzhi?¡±


    Dong Jiahui¡¯s head grew big when she heard this. She was originally a Xibei goods*. Many people in the village didn¡¯t know each other. Usually, they would call them third aunt or fourth aunt. How could she know who Li Jinzhi was? But she looked at the aunt sweating on her forehead and asked in a hurry. She was embarrassed to go back and didn¡¯t know her directly.


    [1]


    ¡°Aunt, how old is the person you¡¯re looking for? And who are the other people in her family? I can¡¯t remember who it is when you said this name. It¡¯s better to talk about the names of other members of her family. Maybe I can remember it.¡±


    When Zhang Qiao¡¯er heard her talk, she only assumed that she was asking a person who wasn¡¯t born and raised in Dayu Village. It¡¯s unfortunate that she had asked a girl who was married from another village for help. For her, not being able to recognize Li Jinzhi is normal.


    ¡°She is more than fifty years old, married a man named Cao Congxi. There are three sons, the eldest son is called Cao Hongjun, the second son is called Cao Hongqi, and the third son¡­ what was he called? I forgot all of a sudden.¡±


    This time, when Dong Jiahui heard these names, she came to understand. She smiled and nodded and said, ¡°Then I know you are talking about Cao¡¯s fifth aunt. Her family lives to the east of the intersection. I just want to go there to find someone. Why don¡¯t I take you there? ¡°


    Zhang Qiaoer was immediately grateful. She looked at the girl with thin skin and smiling eyes. She was kind and pleasant. Although she was thinner, she was not the kind that would fall in the wind. Besides, she still held a little girl in her hand. Her face was not red and breathless, which showed that her body was not bad.


    ¡°This girl is very good-looking. It¡¯s up to you. You see, she doesn¡¯t cry or make trouble with her hands. Her eyes look at people. She¡¯s smart and clever.¡±


    Tianniu is 17 months old. She was wearing a small-flowered coat made by Dong Jiahui, with a small sun hat on her head, and a small flowered bag on her shoulder, which contained some peanuts, water chestnuts, caramel, and other food.


    Tianniu is good-natured and looks good. Dong Jiahui has no natural resistance to lovely children. Now that the weather is hot and staying under the sun is not good. Dong Jiahui told his sister-in-law Zhou Yindi that it¡¯s better to leave Tianniu l with her. Anyway, it doesn¡¯t take much effort to bring Tianniu.


    Zhou Yindi is naturally happy to follow Dong Jiahui. These days, Tianniu sticks to Dong Jiahui tightly. Children can best tell who is good for them and who is bad for them. This aunt not only makes her good-looking clothes, buys delicious candy for her, but also tells her funny stories and teaches her to recite Tang poetry and count. Now, besides her mother, Tianniu likes Dong Jiahui best.


    Today Dong Jiahui had to go to a home to deliver her freshly made clothes, so she didn¡¯t feel comfortable leaving her alone at home, so she took the child out with her.

 CH 21

    Chapter 21


    It is said that ¡°nephews follow their uncles, nieces follow their aunts¡±. Tianniu and Dong Jiahui are indeed quite similar. Even Chen Guixiang said that Tianniu and Jiahui were carved out of the same mould when they were young.


    Zhang Qiaoer misunderstood Tianniu as Dong Jiahui¡¯s daughter. Dong Jiahui did not explain why the two walked all the way to the east side of the creek. Dong Jiahui pointed to a house and said to Zhang Qiaoer, ¡°Auntie, this is the fifth aunt¡¯s house.¡±


    Zhang Qiao¡¯er followed the direction of Dong Jiahui¡¯s finger and looked over. The courtyard matched her memory. She smiled and patted her thigh. ¡°That¡¯s exactly how I remembered it. Thank you so much today, little girl.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. It¡¯s just a small thing, then I¡¯ll go first.¡±


    ¡°Hey! Well, by the way, little girl, what is your name? I have to find a chance to thank you later.¡±


    Dong Jiahui waved her hand repeatedly, ¡°No, it¡¯s just a handy thing, you really don¡¯t have to worry about it.¡±


    After saying that, Dong Jiahui waved her hand and went to the other side. It was only Tiannui who turned around and gave Zhang Qiaoer a curious look.


    Zhang Qiao¡¯er looked at Dong Jiahui¡¯s back. Her heart was happy and sad. She thought she was a good daughter. If only Donglin could marry such a good daughter back, but unfortunately, this good daughter was someone else¡¯s daughter-in-law. She can only look at her.


    At this time of the day, the villagers have gone to work in the field. Zhang Qiaoer was in front of the Cao family. She waited for an hour before her older sister, Li Jinzhi, arrived.


    ¡°Hey, sister, why are you here?¡±


    Li Jinzhi put down her hand with the pig straw and sickle basket. A hand grabbed Zhang Qiaoer¡¯s arm. People who are old get excited easily. The two sisters have not seen each other for a long time. There was a sudden feeling of heartache and the urge to cry.


    ¡°I came here today to ask you about a matter. Here, I brought you something for your grandson to eat.¡±


    In addition to pumpkins, Chinese squash, and cantaloupe melon were among the foods that could be planted in a garden. These foods were easy to take care of and eat. After eating, leave the melon seeds to dry and then, fry them in a pot. They can also be eaten as a snack.


    ¡°Aigoo, you just come, but you also bring me something. Does our friendship still need this?¡±


    Zhang Qiaoer smiled and took her hand and said, ¡°What¡¯s this and that? I just brought you here to let you taste it. We have not seen each other for a long time. I still miss you. ¡°


    After saying that, Zhang Qiaoer tucked the corner of her eyes. This is her sister, who she has known since she was in diapers. A few decades have passed, and they have become old ladies.


    The two of them entered the courtyard together and after exchanging a few pleasantries, Zhang Qiaoer told Li Jinzhi the purpose of her visit.


    ¡°The Changgui family¡¯s daughter? That¡¯s Jiahui, right? Is that the one Donglin has taken a fancy to?¡±


    ¡°No, how many times did I look for him before? He refused to give up, but last night he said he had fallen in love with this one. I thought it was the Changfu family¡¯s little girl at first, but who knew it was the divorced one from the Changgui family? ¡°


    After saying that, Zhang Qiaoer still couldn¡¯t help but sigh.


    ¡°Hey, the Changgui family¡¯s daughter was actually a good daughter. She just had a bad life. It was not necessarily a bad thing if Donglin fancied her.  It was still uncertain if these two would end up together.¡±


    She knew that the child, Donglin, was He has had good ideas and perseverance since childhood. He is willing to bear hardships. Jiahui was gentle. She was so gentle that she was bullied by the Lu family.


    ¡°Oh? So it¡¯s a good one?¡±


    Zhang Qiaoer was still very convinced of Li Jinzhi. If she said good, then she must not be bad.


    ¡°It¡¯s very good. Apart from being divorced, everything else is good. She looks good and has a good temperament. She can do all the housework and work on the ground. After returning to her mother¡¯s house, she helps people do sewing and mending clothes in the village. She can earn money to support the family. After returning, many people come to their house as matchmakers. Her mother doesn¡¯t want her to suffer again for the rest of her life. She is determined to find a good husband for her, which has dragged her up until this day.¡±


    Li Jinzhi said while choosing the beans. Zhang Qiaoer also sat on the small mat to help her choose together.


    ¡°All right, I¡¯ll believe it if you say so. I already responded to Donglin last night. What should I do? Can parents really be tough on their children? I¡¯ve never stopped what he wants to do.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all the same. Children are all debt collectors. Every family has a difficult lesson to read. Although Donglin¡¯s previous marriage matter was not very smooth, at least she was capable of supporting his career. He has become the village branch secretary. You relax and enjoy yourself. When he gets married, let them go by themselves. Don¡¯t worry so much.¡±


    Zhang Qiaoer spat, ¡°It¡¯s not as easy as you said. You also have three sons. Why don¡¯t you worry about them?¡±


    Li Jinzhi smiled and shook her head. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. It¡¯s not up to their mother. They are so old; each has a small family. I can help by reaching out to help them. I can help them, but I don¡¯t go and involve myself in anything I shouldn¡¯t. I don¡¯t have to be angry if I want to open it. I can fill my stomach, have enough food and clothing, and save some emergency money in my hand. I think life is very good.¡±


    Who doesn¡¯t have a lot of trivial things? Three sons, three daughters-in-law and eight grandchildren. Everyone has their own personality and an idea. You shouldn¡¯t be shallow and angry. Instead, you should be broad-minded. If you are broad-minded, you will find that it¡¯s not a big deal. Don¡¯t look at what you don¡¯t like and don¡¯t say what you don¡¯t want to say. Wait until you¡¯re really old and need to be taken care of.


    After talking about the bad things at home. Zhang Qiaoer talked about the daughter that she just met in the village.


    ¡°Her heart is quite good. I asked if she knew Li Jinzhi¡¯s family. Not only did she give me directions, but also brought me over. I asked her what her name was. She did not tell me and left. ¡°


    Li Jinzhi also did not care about this and talked for a while, Zhang Qiaoer carried the empty basket and went home.


    All the way home, her daughter Zhao Meixiang had started cooking, and her granddaughter Yingbao was standing in the walker eating boiled sweet potatoes.


    ¡°Mom, where did you go early in the morning? My sister-in-law said, ¡°You did not go to work today.¡±


    Zhang Qiaoer walked around and felt tired. She sat down and poured a bowl of cold white water into it. She gulped the water in the bowl.


    ¡°Went out to do some business.¡±


    She never mentioned going to Dayu Village.


    Zhao Donglin came back to eat at noon. Zhang Qiaoer squirmed and said, ¡°How was your matter handled? Did you find yourself a matchmaker?¡±


    The corner of Zhao Donglin¡¯s lips had an untraceable smile.


    Zhao Donglin, corner of the mouth, a few untraceable hooks, ¡°I¡¯m going to find sister-in-law Juhua of the third team. She is also from Dayu village. ¡°


    Zhang Qiaoer nodded. She originally thought that, if Donglin could not find someone, why not let Li Jinzhi be the matchmaker? You have to give the matchmaker a thank-you gift. Usually, they would choose a matchmaker who was close to them. It could be counted as keeping the good things within the family.


    ¡°Since you found the matchmaker, you will choose a date early to ask for marriage. Now that it¡¯s August, it¡¯s the good time for a wedding before the year ends.¡±


    Zhao Donglin nodded in response. When Zheng Yuefen and Zhao Meixiang heard these words, they incredulously raised their heads. Last night, Mom disagreed with this marriage that she became so angry, but today, her attitude changed so quickly. Why did her attitude change so quickly?


    ¡°What are you looking at? Don¡¯t you want to eat?¡±


    Zhang Qiaoer couldn¡¯t keep her face. She pretended to be angry and knocked on her rice bowl. Zheng Yuefen and Zhao Meixiang quickly bowed their heads to feed the children.


    ¡°The Zhao family side said that three days from now, they would see the bride. Donglin asked me privately whether it would be OK to gather a lucky number of 66 yuan for the bride price. In addition, they prepared two new clothes for Jiahui. It was up to Jiahui to decide whether to pull cloth or buy ready-made.¡±


    Zhao Juhua rushed to the Dong family as soon as she got the letter. She was so happy; it was the first time she had ever been a serious matchmaker.


    ¡°So many? Are you sure?¡±


    Chen Guixiang looked at his daughter with disbelief. 66 yuan was already considered as a very high bride price in the village. The Lu family gave a bride price of only twenty yuan plus three feet of cloth.


    ¡°That¡¯s right! The Zhao family is in good condition, and they are naturally willing to pay more when they see Jiahui.¡±


    Zhao Juhua teased Dong Jiahui, who looked uncomfortable and turned her head away.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think Jiahui would meet such a good match.¡±


    Chen Guixiang was happy and deeply moved. She heaved a deep breath. A feeling of relief and exaltation rose up


    Well, let¡¯s see how those who laughed at Jiahui behind her back and spread gossip about her would react. Even if her daughter is divorced, someone still wants her, and she was still worth a lot (the bride price or dowry).


    On that day, the Dong family only knew that Dong Jiahui had a blind date, and he was still the village branch secretary of Shanghe village. Although he was divorced, he was still a village cadre, you can already burn high incense!


    [1]


    ¡°Mother, this is too powerful!¡±


    ¡°Mom, how come you only told us today about such a good thing?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, you still hid it from us.¡±


    Chen Guixiang pursed her lips and laughed, ¡°What is there to say when things are not yet settled? Now that it is settled, you can feel at ease saying it. ¡°


    She glanced at her second daughter-in-law. She thought that with just her mouth, she was afraid that she would say it out loud and tell it everywhere.


    ¡°It¡¯s good. I told you that our daughter Jiahui must be blessed. She found a good match.¡±


    She nodded her head and said, ¡°It¡¯s true. They say that the first thing is bitterness, and what follows was sweetness. Jiahui has come to the end of her bitterness.¡±


    Everyone in the family nodded their heads in agreement.


    ¡°The Zhao family will come to see the bride in three days. This matter is about the rest of Jiahui¡¯s life. Make sure these three sisters-in-law are all in good spirits. Make sure this matter is done. ¡°


    This is the final step. No matter what, it must not go wrong.


    ¡°Mom, don¡¯t worry, we will definitely prepare well. From the first day of my marriage, I treated Jiahui as my own sister. I am most looking forward to her good life.¡±


    The first time Zhou Yindi said this Liu Xiuyun rolled her eyes. She can speak and behave and set others like that. Now, if she will follow her and say it, isn¡¯t that just picking up the wisdom of others?


    ¡°Yes, mom. Jiahui is our own sister. We promise we won¡¯t drop the chain on Jiahui. ¡°


    Hearing that Zhao Lijuan also took a stand. Liu Xiuyun also hurriedly said, ¡°Yes, yes, we will definitely prepare well.¡±


    Chen Guixiang nodded. ¡°Also, don¡¯t tell the public about this beforehand. Our own family knows that it is good, and we will mention it again when the wedding is decided.¡±


    When explaining this sentence, Chen Guixiang deliberately focused on her second daughter-in-law, Liu Xiuyun. The meaning is self-evident.


    After all, Jiahui is divorced. Chen Guixiang is afraid that someone will come out and make trouble. There are people who don¡¯t want to see others well in this world. Her daughter may have a good marriage this year. She can help her daughter guard it well.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, mom. We know what¡¯s going on. We won¡¯t go out and talk nonsense.¡±


    Zhou Yindi first responded. Liu Xiuyun understood the meaning of her mother-in-law and her mouth opened, feeling wronged.

 CH 22

    Chapter 22


    Just after dawn, the whole Dong family got busy, sprinkling water and sweeping the floor, cleaning the chicken coop, washing and cooking.


    Chen Guixiang took ten yuan and several tickets to see his eldest son, Dong Aihua, and asked him to buy some meat and vegetables on the street and some snacks to entertain the guests. Today, the Zhao family came to talk about marriage. She should stay at home to cook.


    There were potatoes and roasted chicken, stewed pork with cabbage, scrambled eggs with leeks, big bone soup, tofu fish soup, simmered river shrimp with winter melon, and steamed eggplant and stir-fried lettuce.


    ¡°Today¡¯s meal is almost as good as the New Year, right?¡±


    Other things are also fine. Fish and shrimp were fished from the river, but the chicken was a hen with raw eggs at home. My mother-in-law was willing to kill it. Liu Xiuyun was almost surprised when she caught the chicken.


    ¡°As long as Jiahui¡¯s marriage is decided, not to mention a chicken, even if the chickens in our chicken pen are slaughtered, Mom will not blink.¡±


    Zhao Lijuan¡¯s words won Chen Guixiang¡¯s approval.


    ¡°No, as long as Jiahui¡¯s life is good, a chicken is nothing, and I¡¯m afraid that my son-in-law will not bring food and drink to pay respects.¡±


    Zhou Yindi laughed, ¡°That¡¯s right, Mom is good at calculating. Our family can¡¯t lose anyway. Half of the meat will end up in our own stomach.¡±


    Dong Jiahui was supposed to help in the kitchen, but Chen Guixiang sent her back inside and told her to dress up.


    ¡°Hurry up and change your clothes. It¡¯s a hot day; you will sweat a lot if you stay in the kitchen. ¡°


    Today, the man¡¯s family will come to their house. Dong Jiahui is the protagonist. They can¡¯t leave a bad image as their first impression. Especially since she was divorced before, Chen Guixiang doesn¡¯t want her daughter to be belittled.


    The happiest people at home today were children. They do not understand the meaning of marriage. They only know that today there is a lot of good food at home. Although they can¡¯t eat it now, the smell of meat was enough for them to drool over it.


    ¡°Guixiang, what¡¯s going on at your house today? You¡¯re so busy early in the morning.¡±


    ¡°Huo, it¡¯s such a big scene. What¡¯s the matter? Do you have to take so much trouble to entertain your guests?¡±


    Seeing the liveliness of the Dong family in the morning, the neighbors came to inquire about the situation curiously¡­


    ¡°Nothing, just some relatives coming over to visit.¡±


    Chen Guixiang was in line with the principle of being low-key. Before the matter is set firmly, they should not reveal half a point.


    At nine o¡¯clock, Zhao Juhua brought the Zhao family; Zhao Donglin, Zhang Qiaoer, Zheng Yuefen, Zhao Meixiang, and Zhao Donglin¡¯s elder sister Zhao Caixia.


    ¡°Come on in, come on in. Come in and sit down.¡±


    Chen Guixiang and Dong Changgui greeted the family at the door, and Dong Jiahui stood at the back wearing a floral shirt with a twist braid. Zhang Qiaoer didn¡¯t see her at first. She didn¡¯t see Dong Jiahui until she finished greeting the people in front of her.


    Both of them were surprised when they posed for the photo, and Zhao Juhua introduced them next to each other and said, ¡°Auntie, this is Jiahui.¡±


    Zhang Qiaoer looked at Dong Jiahui and then at Tianniu, who was being held by Zhou Yindi. She said in a somewhat incoherent voice, ¡°This is Jiahui, and this daughter is?¡±


    ¡°This is my granddaughter from my eldest family. She is called Tianniu.¡±


    Zhang Qiaoer then realized that she had misunderstood it. When she saw Dong Jiahui carrying Tianniu out, she thought that Tianniu was Dong Jiahui¡¯s daughter.


    The two families sat down in the hall. The Dong family looked at Zhao Donglin quietly. Seeing that he was tall and straight, elegant and stable, they were all happy for Dong Jiahui.


    ¡°Hehe, this is the first time you two have met. I¡¯m familiar with Donglin and Jiahui. They are very talented and beautiful. The two of them were a good match. What do you think?¡±


    ¡°Yes, indeed quite a match.¡±


    Zhang Qiaoer also smiled. She looked at Dong Jiahui, who was sitting across the table. Zhang Qiaoer was thinking in her heart that a few days ago, when she met her, she said that whoever family she was married to, she said that such a family was very lucky to have a daughter-in-law like her. Who would have thought that the son she wanted to marry was her?


    Although she agreed to the marriage between her son and the Dong family¡¯s daughter. But there are still some difficulties in Zhang Qiao¡¯s heart. Today, knowing that Dong Jiahui was the girl she had met last time, the displeasure in Zhao Qiaoer¡¯s eyes was gone.


    Maybe it¡¯s fate.  She should be her own daughter-in-law. At this time, she does not care if Jiahui is divorced, as long as she can live a good life with Dong Lin. For other gossip, she will cover her ears.


    The other members of the Zhao family were also looking at Dong Jiahui. Zhao Caixia was the eldest sister. She is honest in nature. Naturally, Zhao Caixia likes honest people. When she looked at Dong Jiahui¡¯s bright eyes, her smiling face and a little shy look. Zhao Caixia thought that this Dong Jiahui looked quite good. At least better than her previous daughter-in-law, Wang Mei. She had already inquired about Dong Jiahui¡¯s divorce before she came here. It¡¯s the Lu family that was very overbearing and unreasonable.


    Zhao Meixiang did not think as much as her elder sister. She just thinks that her future sister-in-law looks very young and more tender than her second sister-in-law. Zheng Yuefen was gloating at the beginning when she heard that her eldest brother was looking for a divorced woman. She thought that the divorced woman must look gray and not look. Who knew it looked so bright today?


    The two families were talking about family matters, half an hour had passed. Zhao Juhua looked at the time and said ¡°Donglin, you can let Jiahui take you around. Here is your old home, you have to be familiar with in advance.¡±


    After Zhao Juhua said that, everyone laughed. Dong Jiahui, who was laughed at by everyone, blushed, but Zhao Donglin got up generously and waited for Dong Jiahui to take him out for a walk.


    Dong Jiahui took Zhao Donglin out of the hall under the watchful eyes of everyone. The two of them walked around the courtyard somewhat casually, and when they reached the pomegranate tree, Zhao Donglin took out a rectangular cardboard box from the pocket of his clothes and handed it to Dong Jiahui.


    ¡°This is for you.¡±


    Dong Jiahui took it and asked curiously, ¡°What is this.¡±


    ¡°You can open it and see.¡±


    Dong Jiahui opened the box and saw that it was a lady¡¯s watch. It was a Shanghai brand. She looked at Zhao Donglin in surprise. Dong Jiahui was not expecting him to give her a watch.


    ¡°I went to a meeting in the county the day before yesterday and bought this watch when I saw that it was good.¡±


    The truth was that the world was naturally not as light as he said. In this era of planned economics, all industrial supplies have to be purchased with industrial tickets. This ticket alone has been difficult to obtain for most people. The ticket must have been acquired from someone working in the army.


    Secondly, Shanghai brand watches are among the goods in short supply. Not to mention the price, sometimes they can¡¯t be bought with money.


    This watch costs 128 Yuan. In the countryside, the average family income was only 10 yuan a month. This watch is equivalent to the income of farmers for a whole year. They have to eat or drink before they can save it.


    ¡°It¡¯s too valuable, I can¡¯t accept it.¡±


    Dong Jiahui wanted to return the watch to Zhao Donglin. But Zhao Donglin refused: ¡°Take it, it¡¯s a wedding gift for you.¡±


    The word ¡°marriage¡± gently floated out of his mouth, so naturally, not deliberately, as if it should be like that. Dong Jiahui looked up at him and was moved by the tenderness in his eyes.


    She squeezed the paper box in her hand. For the first time, there was heartfelt joy in this marriage.


    At first, Zhao Donglin was a driftwood in a water for her, because she had no better choice except him. Although he was a desirable man, she didn¡¯t have any love for him.


    She responded to his feelings with a selfish heart, but today, this wedding gift made her start to look forward to her future married life.


    Because of the watch, but also more than the watch.


    In the twenty-first century, a watch may be nothing, and its value may be high or low, and you can buy it if you have money. But in the seventies, a watch, a sewing machine and a bicycle are the three supreme gifts for marriage, and a watch is even more difficult to find in the market.


    He did not think less of herself because she was divorced, and gave herself enough respect in the bride price, and even bought her a watch without saying a word, telling her it was a wedding gift.


    She never asked him to do this; it was all done spontaneously and voluntarily by him.


    ¡°A man who does not value you¡± and ¡°how much money he was willing to spend on you,¡± although these weren¡¯t completely related, but at least there was a certain cause and effect. Will a person who does not value you or even ignores you, spend this effort to spend so much money on a watch? It¡¯s not a necessity, it doesn¡¯t matter if you buy it or not, and even if you don¡¯t it won¡¯t affect their said marriage.


    ¡°Thank you, I like it very much.¡±


    This time she did not refuse, but smiled at him and accepted it frankly.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s good that you like it.¡±


    Seeing that she liked it, Zhao Donglin¡¯s heart was as sweet as eating honey.


    When the meal time came, the two families sat down at the dining table. There were not enough chairs at home, so Dong Jiahui¡¯s sisters-in-law went to the neighbor¡¯s house and borrowed some chairs.


    ¡°In-laws, you are really too polite, such a big table of good food, we have to round our stomachs twice before we can get off the table today.¡±


    After Dong Jiahui and Zhao Donglin went out to say a few words about work, the marriage of the two was discussed. Zhang Qiaoer and Chen Guixiang began to call each other in-laws.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome, it¡¯s all home-cooked food, you don¡¯t mind.¡±


    Chen Guixiang smiled cheerfully and gave everyone the dishes, making sure not to let the guests empty bowls and chopsticks.


    Well, the taste is quite good. The in-laws¡¯ skills have caught up with the chefs of the state-run restaurants.


    ¡°Yes, I haven¡¯t seen some of the dishes here.  I did not know that white gourd could be simmered with small shrimps. ¡°


    Zhao Juhua said a few words from time to time to liven up the atmosphere, such as the dishes on the table today. She praised almost all of them.


    My sister Jiahui was especially good at cooking. This white gourd simmered with river shrimp, and this big bone soup are Jiahui¡¯s recipes. We learned it from her.¡±


    The two sisters-in-law are always praised by their mother-in-law for their good performances, and this time Liu Xiuyun was smart enough to say the right thing at the right time. ¡°The white gourd can be simmered with small shrimps. ¡°


    ¡°No, if Jiahui had done it herself, the taste of these dishes today would have been much enhanced.¡±


    Zhou Yindi also gave her sister-in-law a helping hand, Zhao Juhua said with a smile, ¡°Then I¡¯ll have to find an opportunity to try Jiahui¡¯s crafts in the future.¡±


    ¡°If we have a chance, we are so close that it doesn¡¯t take much to open a mouth.¡±


    After Chen Guixiang finished, Zhao Juhua covered her mouth and said with a smile, ¡°Aunt, you¡¯re wrong. My house is very close to Jiahui now. But when Jiahui and Donglin get married, I¡¯ll be far away from her, so to eat her food she cooks, I¡¯ll have to go back to Shanghe Village. ¡°


    Everyone at the table laughed.

 CH 23

    The Zhao family has just left. Everyone in the Dayu village knows about Dong Jiahui¡¯s blind date today.


    The oldest son of Zhao Manzhu¡¯s family in Shanghe Village, Zhao Donglin, is also divorced. The former wife was an educated young woman in the countryside. Somehow, she didn¡¯t want to spend time with Zhao Donglin. She wanted to go back to the city. She ruthlessly left her two children. Zhao Donglin was also a capable master. He joined the army as a company commander when he was a teenager. A while ago, he transferred to his hometown and became their village branch secretary in Shanghe village and a monthly salary worth 62 yuan. ¡°


    Never underestimate the power of people¡¯s gossip. The Zhao family just left Dong¡¯s family. As soon as a person¡¯s front foot was gone, the back foot was stripped to the bottom of the sky. They even inquired about the kind of people in their family, how much their salary was, how big their house was, and how many chickens and pigs they raised. They knew all about it.


    ¡°True or false? Can she find such a good condition even if she has been divorced? Isn¡¯t the man hiding any hidden diseases?¡±


    This is human nature. Most people do not want to see others doing well. Their hidden line is that divorced women can¡¯t have such a market. Even if the man is a village party secretary, even if he gets a high salary, there must be something bad.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t heard of the hidden disease. Just after someone passed by, I took a look at it from a distance. He was wearing a military uniform and looked very energetic. He was tall, at least six feet tall. ¡°


    A foot is thirty-three centimeters. Six feet is equivalent to a height of about 1.8 meters. This height is considered tall no matter in which era.


    ¡°Now Chen Guixiang is satisfied. After delaying up to this day, she really picked up a good one for her daughter.¡±


    Zhao Donglin is a company level cadre in the army. He gets a salary of level 20. After he changes his job, he belongs to a township level section member. He is assigned by his superiors to Shanghe village as the village branch secretary. His job is to supervise the work of the village head and others on the village committee. He gets a salary of level 21.


    The administrative salary of grade 21 is 62 yuan per month. 22 eggs and a kilogram of 72 pork can now be purchased for one yuan.


    You can buy 11 catties of cornflour. You can buy 7 catties of white flour. You can buy a pound of soybeans with 4 taels. If it is white radish, you can buy more than a hundred catties.


    Rural people envy the city people¡¯s residence permits. With a city resident permit, you can go to the factory that hires workers. The most common salary of workers in the city was 36 yuan a month. The per capita living cost of urban residents was 8 yuan a month. If the cost of rural living were counted, it would be even less. Two or three yuan per capita was enough. After all, there is private land in rural areas, and vegetables and eggs can be easy to take care of. There is no need to spend extra money to buy it. The salary of 62 yuan was still available every month. No wonder many people in the village feel sour.


    Since the afternoon, many people from the Dong family came to inquire about the marriage between the Dong family and the Zhao family.


    ¡°Guixiang, now you can raise your eyebrows. You found Jiahui someone who was better than the one before.¡±


    Chen Guixiang was smiling. When she heard this, she didn¡¯t look good. She felt that she didn¡¯t know what to say. At this time, they still mentioned the Lu family. Isn¡¯t this deliberately mentioning him to make her unhappy?


    Before Chen Guixiang spoke, someone jumped out to change the topic and become a peacemaker.


    ¡°Hey, today is a good day. Let¡¯s not mention the past. Let¡¯s talk about the future.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, he is the village branch secretary.  He eats public food. Jiahui will follow him for the rest of her life.¡±


    ¡°I heard that the man has two children, how old are they?¡±


    ¡°A four-year-old, and a less than a year old. They are quite small.¡±


    ¡°Small is good. If Jiahui marries, the small can grow fond of her, but if they are big, they will remember their mother, then it will be hard. ¡°


    ¡°This is good, regardless of whether Jiahui gives birth in the future or not. The man will not be afraid of not having any children anyway. ¡°


    Everyone said what you said and said what I said. Chen Guixiang sat with everyone and said a few words occasionally. They didn¡¯t break up until the working time in the afternoon ended.


    After Zhang Qiaoer came home, she took her son Zhao Donglin and Dong Jiahui¡¯s birthday to calculate the date. She also asked whether they were suitable. Now the whole country is carrying out activities to break feudal superstition, so she secretly came to the door with egg white noodles.


    ¡°These two eight characters are calculated down to the top and bottom, a match made in heaven. The couple will be harmonious, everything will go smoothly. They can enjoy their life until old age, and their children and grandchildren will have great accomplishments.¡±


    As soon as Zhang Qiaoer heard that the two people¡¯s eight characters coincided, she was happy and couldn¡¯t close her mouth. She didn¡¯t pay much attention to the words ¡°more children and more blessings¡± and ¡°full house of children and grandchildren¡±. She returned home with a good day calculated for the wedding.


    There are good days in September, October and December of the lunar calendar. because New Year¡¯s Day is early this year. On January 30, after New Year¡¯s Day, is New Year¡¯s Eve. In the twelfth lunar month, she is busy celebrating the new year, and the weather is too cold. Therefore, Zhang Qiaoer first said no to the day in December of the lunar calendar, and she is struggling to choose from the other two.


    ¡°Mom, why don¡¯t you ask my big brother¡¯s opinion? If he wants to marry a wife early, then you¡¯ll choose the one at the front. If he¡¯s willing to wait for more, you¡¯ll choose the one at the back.¡±


    The ninth month of the lunar calendar is also known as the tenth month of the solar calendar. The weather is not too hot or too cold, it¡¯s just the right season. It starts to get cold in November. Zhao Caixia got married in winter. That¡¯s a pain, so she feels that if she can get married early, she will definitely marry early. The newlyweds don¡¯t have to suffer. Those who come home to help make mats don¡¯t have to suffer. Even the family don¡¯t have to wash the pot and dishes with cold water.


    ¡°Ask your brother. Ask his opinion. He must be eager for his wife to come early.¡±


    Zhao Caixia saw that her mother didn¡¯t smile reluctantly. She peeled peanuts in her hand and asked curiously, ¡°Mom, I think you¡¯re very satisfied with this new wife. Why did Meixiang say you didn¡¯t agree before?¡±


    Zhang Qiaoer put down the red paper with the wedding date in her hand. She sighed and told her eldest daughter about her last visit to Dayu Village.


    ¡°I think this daughter has a good temperament. She doesn¡¯t look bad; she also quite knows how to take care of children. What do you think is the reason your brother remarried? Didn¡¯t he just want to live a good life and take care of his children? He chose the bride himself. It doesn¡¯t matter if I stubbornly disagreed with it. In your brother¡¯s heart, he couldn¡¯t say to me that he really blamed me for what happened to Wang Mei.  If I don¡¯t follow his lead this time, with his personality, it¡¯s impossible to find another wife in this life.


    Zhao Caixia crushed the peeled peanuts and fed them to Yingbao. While feeding her niece, she couldn¡¯t help comforting her mother.


    ¡°Mom, do not think so much. Donglin can¡¯t blame you. No one knows that Wang Mei was like that. How sweet her mouth will be when we just meet her. It¡¯s like touching honey. Don¡¯t say that you judged wrongly because my judgment was also wrong. People are subject to change. She lived in the city. She doesn¡¯t want to live in the countryside. Her wanting to return to the city is normal. I have never been to the big city, but I have been to our county. I also envy the people living in the county. For people in the county, when they go out, there are highways, shops, markets and cinemas. We don¡¯t have these when we go to the countryside. I¡¯ve never thought of Wang Mei¡¯s return to town. Although Donglin lost his wife, he was now going to remarry. It¡¯s just that the poor children have become motherless. ¡°


    Caixia touched Yingbao¡¯s head. Zhang Qiaoer and Zhao Meixiang took good care of Yingbao. Rice paste, egg soup and white flour steamed bread were soaked in sugar water. The food was definitely counted in the village. Thanks to Zhao Donglin¡¯s high salary, otherwise she couldn¡¯t afford to eat like this.


    Zhao Donglin¡¯s monthly salary was still given to the family. Zhao Caixia knows that her mother has a lot of money in her hand. For example, when she goes back to her mother¡¯s house, her mother doesn¡¯t take fewer things for her. Daya and Er Pang like to come to their grandma¡¯s house the most. They knew that in Grandpa¡¯s house, there was a lot of food.


    Before, her mother lived quite frugal. Now I don¡¯t know if she wants to open it. She is willing to take money out to buy food for the children.


    ¡°That¡¯s the bride price for the Dong family?¡±


    66 yuan. You can buy two bodies from head to toe, plus 50 pounds of cornmeal, 20 pounds of white flour, 10 pounds of brown sugar, 10 pounds of fruit sugar, five large front doors, 200 eggs, and two beds of cotton wool.


    The reason for adding so much food is that the Dong family said that they would not keep the bride price money and let Dong Jiahui bring it all. In addition, the Dong family also gave Jiahui a bed, a wardrobe and a sewing machine.


    The sewing machine was added by Chen Guixiang. In the past six months, Dong Jiahui earned some money by sewing and mending clothes for people, which was saved by Chen Guixiang in addition to the usual things for the family. The money was not much, but it was dozens of yuan. Chen Guixiang loves her daughter and wants to add some money to buy her a sewing machine so that he can continue to do some private work and earn some money when she comes to her mother-in-law¡¯s house.


    Only when a woman has money can she have a hardback. She is afraid that her daughter-in-law will be bullied in her mother-in-law¡¯s house. Although the Zhao family looks good now, it will take a long time to see the hearts of the people.


    For Chen Guixiang¡¯s proposal, most of the Dong family have no opinion. Although this is her second marriage, Chen Guixiang uses her own money to buy a dowry for her daughter. On the other hand, Dong Jiahui looks for a good family. For cadres in the village, you can guarantee that when you can¡¯t use other people¡¯s relationships. Human relations and society, many people have many ways, and those with a clear mind won¡¯t care about this petty profit.


    ¡°When your sister gets married, we have to paste it upside down if we don¡¯t make any money. Is there such a girl in our countryside?¡±


    The son of a rural family is valuable, and most of the bride price of a girl¡¯s daughter will be deducted by her mother¡¯s family, even if she doesn¡¯t accompany her. It¡¯s good to go to my sister-in-law. My mother-in-law not only said that my sister-in-law should take everything to the Zhao family, but also bought her something else: a bed, a wardrobe, and a sewing machine. Even if my sister-in-law has dozens of yuan at her mother¡¯s, the rest will cost more than a hundred yuan, right?


    Liu Xiuyun doesn¡¯t have a problem with her sister-in-law. She¡¯s just felt unbalanced.


    ¡°Other people¡¯s families are other people¡¯s families, and our families are our families. Are you happy that your daughter is not a human being? You are still a woman. Why should women make things difficult for women? ¡°


    ¡°The other family is someone else¡¯s family; our family is our family. Will you be unhappy if an unmarried girl finds someone? You are still a woman. Why should women make things difficult for fellow women? ¡°


    This was said by Dong Jiahui. The Dong family thought it was quite funny and often joked about this sentence. Dong Aimin couldn¡¯t help but laugh when he said this to Liu Xiuyun.


    ¡°What are you talking about? I just muttered, and it became difficult?¡±


    Liu Xiuyun snorted and threw away a dress. After her husband¡¯s interruption, most of her discomfort has dispersed, and the rest can only endure. The key is that this idea must not be known by the mother-in-law, otherwise, she has to say how she was not sensible and united.


    ¡°If you are a wife of our Dong family, you have to abide by the rules of our Dong family. We live together like a production team. We can¡¯t have the idea that you eat more and I eat less. If you think you can¡¯t eat enough, you can eat hard. Our whole family was not tight on food, so they ate their fill. If you¡¯re not hungry, and you¡¯re just unhappy from watching others eat more than yourself. That¡¯s your own problem. You should reflect and correct yourself. ¡°


    As such an adult, how can he see the lesson of being so faced by his mother-in-law? Anyway, Liu Xiuyun is very afraid of her own mother-in-law. Although my mother-in-law looks very kind and doesn¡¯t have the temperament to make things happen every day, she can make people dizzy by talking and doing things one by one.


    As for such a person, how can she face people after being taught so in person by her mother-in-law? Liu Xiuyun was quite afraid of their own Mother-in-law, although her mother-in-law looked quite amiable and didn¡¯t have the temperament to make things difficult every day, she could make people dizzy by talking and doing things one by one.


    What¡¯s more, every time she was taught by her mother-in-law, Liu Xiuyun felt that what the mother-in-law said was particularly right and reasonable, which caused her own mental entanglement and collapse. She knew she was wrong intellectually, but she couldn¡¯t control her thoughts. Sometimes she felt that she would get schizophrenia.

 CH 24

    That day, Lu Chengyuan had just left the house to go to work in the field. On the way, he met a group of people with who he grew up. They came over and hit Lu Chengyuan¡¯s shoulders.


    ¡°Bighead, do you know your wife is marrying someone?¡±


    Lu Chengyuan was nicknamed Big Head. The reason he was called ¡°Big Head¡± was not because of his big head, but because there is a word ¡°Yuan¡± in his name.


    Not many years after the founding of new China, many people in the village still keep old objects from the old society, such as yuan datou.


    A bald man was engraved on the silver copper plate. The old people said that the man¡¯s name was Yuan Shikai. He was a big warlord in the period of the Republic of China. He was an emperor, but he hiccupped[1] after more than 80 days.


    The old people also said that this kind of copper plate was called Yuan Datou. In the Republic of China, everyone used this kind of copper plate to buy things.


    The children only listened to what they said, but they did not understand what the Republic of China was, or warlords,


    They only remembered Yuan Daitou, from then on, ¡°Big Head¡± became the nickname of Lu Chengyuan.


    As Lu Chengyuan listened, he became puzzled. It took a while for him to realize what these people were talking about.


    ¡°Big Head, your first wife was going to marry Zhao Donglin. He is the branch secretary of Shanghe village. And they said that he was going to be married. The wedding date was set. When you heard it, what did you feel? ¡°


    They grew up together, joked with each other from childhood to adulthood, and there is nothing to be concerned about when it comes to talking to each other. Their original intention is to make fun of Lu Chengyuan¡¯s divorce and the marriage of two wives. There is no other meaning.


    After all, the two are divorced and each has a new life. There¡¯s nothing to avoid.


    But after they finished, they found that Lu Chengyuan¡¯s face was not good and not as open-minded as they thought, which made them confused.


    ¡°What? I advise you to hurry up and put your mind away. Your current wife is not some kind of oil lamp if she knows that you still think about the previous one. She may still make a scene.¡±


    ¡°Just forget the past. Don¡¯t think about it. Live well now. It¡¯s good to have a big fat boy early.¡±


    These are the heartfelt words of his childhood friends. Since Tang Caifeng came in, the Lu family has had a small quarrel for two days and a big quarrel for five days, which has made the villagers watch a lot of jokes.


    They thought Lu Chengyuan had been divorced and had married a new wife. The Lus will soon be able to hold their long-awaited grandchildren. Who knows a few months have passed, Tang Caifeng¡¯s belly has not moved, the guys are talking privately, but did not get to the surface to say it.


    There must be a problem. The first wife was said to be unable to give birth. Now that he married a new wife, it makes no sense if she was also unable to conceive.


    It is not that people can not be pregnant. There is a problem here. This is a new wife. It makes no sense. You still can not be pregnant.


    The villagers love to joke with each other, but this joke is not casual. It can¡¯t be called a joke when talking about other people¡¯s pain.


    For example, Tang Caifeng didn¡¯t move. Who dares to ask the Lu family in person? Hey, why is your wife still not pregnant? Neither of them has moved. Isn¡¯t your son who has a problem?


    This is just a private discussion. Who can mention it in front of the Lu family? Unless you really want to have a feud with the Lu family. Lu Yougen is still the captain. Who dares?


    Dong Jiahui was about to get married. This made Lu Chengyuan unhappy. This unhappiness was manifested in that he was more silent than usual. When he went to bed at night, Tang Caiqin was insinuating abuse as usual. Lu Chengyuan was lying on his back with Tang Caifeng under a blanket and painfully closed his eyes.


    The day picked by the Zhao family was the 8th day of the 10th month of the lunar calendar. Which is the 28th day of the 11th month of the solar calendar.


    ¡°What about your wedding room? The Dong family wants to bring a bed and a closet. What else do you need to buy? ¡°


    In this era, it is important for people to get married with three turns, one ring, sixty-five legs. Three turns and one ring[2] are another stories. includes a bed, sofa, closet, five-drawer cabinet, writing desk, and dressing table.


    This furniture, the Zhao family still have it. When Zhao Donglin and Wang Mei married Zhang Qiaoer, they bought them all. But now, with this situation, Dong Jiahui has to use the things left by Wang Mei before entering the door. Zhang Qiaoer is afraid that Dong Jiahui will be wronged.


    ¡°Buy it again. Put the replaced furniture in Meixiang¡¯s house.¡±


    The furniture in Meixiang¡¯s room is just old. It¡¯s better to replace it for her.


    Zhang Qiaoer nodded. The furniture looked like a big piece. In fact, it took a carpenter to make the furniture, but it cost some wood and a manual fee. It cost 100 yuan to make a set. With her son¡¯s salary of 62 yuan a month, she was still willing to pay.


    After the date was set, Zhao understood that the two families were making preparations step by step. Three months passed in a flash, and soon it was the day of marriage.


    This day, just after dawn, Chen Guixiang pushed her husband to get up.


    ¡°I did not sleep well all night. We have to get up early to make preparations.¡±


    She gave birth to four children. She had three daughters-in-law and one daughter. It is reasonable to say that, based on her experience, she should not be nervous. Not to mention that this was her daughter¡¯s second marriage. But because of the second marriage, Chen Guixiang¡¯s heart was more nervous.


    The Zhao family was benevolent. The wedding was not half-heartedly done, but it was according to the formal wedding ceremony. The etiquette and bride price were not bad. Everyone said that Jiahui fell into blessing nest this time, and Chen Guixiang wanted to do the wedding better.


    The bridegroom¡¯s side came to pick up the bride early in the morning, and the family set up the wine at noon. Don¡¯t think about taking time off this whole day.


    ¡°Aihua and Aimin, you two are responsible for entertaining guests today, Aiguo, you are responsible for the tobacco and wine piece. Take good care of things. Don¡¯t get confused about what should be distributed and what shouldn¡¯t be distributed. These are all about money. I don¡¯t think we can use the five cartons of cigarettes sent by the Zhao family. When the wedding is over, we will divide two bags among your uncles and brothers-in-law, and the rest will be kept for the new year. ¡°


    ¡°Yindi, you three quickly go to each house to move the borrowed tables and chairs and borrow some dishes and chopsticks. After cleaning up, Yindi goes to Jiahui¡¯s house to accompany her and see if she needs help. Xiuyun and Juan Zi, both of you go to the kitchen and help your ninth aunt by handing over the bowl and picking up the dish. ¡°


    The family invited Aunt Jiu from the village to do the feast, and other close family members would also come over to help. This is the agreed rule of each family.


    Hearing the news in the main house, the whole family got up. On this big day, wanted to screw up.


    Chen Guixiang organized things clearly, and the idlest person in the whole family was the bride, Dong Jiahui.


    The new bridal gown was made of red fabric. Dong Jiahui¡¯s top was a combination of the characteristics of a cheongsam and a suit. It has a small stand collar and a half-closed waist. It has a fine and delicate structure, so when the hair passes through it, it appears to have a sweet, fair, and exquisite figure. She really has the appearance of a quiet, beautiful girl from Jiangnan in the Republic of China.


    ¡°My daughter is so pretty.¡±


    After Dong Jiahui changed her clothes, her mother and three sisters-in-law were dumbfounded as they stared at her. Before, it was loose so it wasn¡¯t visible. Who could have thought that this dress could line up the body so well as soon as the waist was closed? Besides, it was made according to Dong Jiahui¡®s size, and it fits her very well.


    ¡°This is really the bride. Jiahui looks so beautiful when dressed in red.¡±


    Before the wedding, Zhao Donglin took Jiahui to the county to buy clothes. Jiahui went to take a look, a clear blue, grey and green, and quite one or two pieces of eye-catching prints. The style was also the same old style, nothing new. Dong Jiahui did not buy ready-made clothes. She told Zhao Donglin to buy some fabric and she would do it herself. Zhao Donglin repeatedly confirmed that there was no problem and agreed on time.


    After returning, Zhao Donglin asked someone to find a military uniform for Dong Jiahui. One reason was that he was afraid that Jiahui would not be able to make clothes in time. The other reason was that, in this era, it was popular to wear military uniforms in marriage. He also prepared a military uniform for himself.


    ¡°It is indeed more festive than the military uniform. Come on, eat this bowl of poached eggs.¡±


    Chen Guixiang handed over a large bowl with six white and tender poached eggs and a whole bowl of brown sugar water.


    ¡°How can I eat so much?¡±


    Six eggs¡­If she is not a pig, how can she eat so much?


    ¡°You will be busy all day, and you wouldn¡¯t know when you¡¯ll be able to eat at noon. Take your time to eat, no need to hurry. six eggs, sixty-six Dashun[3], other numbers were unlucky.¡±


    The Zhao family came to pick her up at 9:18. It was noisy at that time. After the process, it was estimated that they could go to the Zhao family at more than 10:00. When they arrived at Shanghe village, it was another custom. As a bride, Dong Jiahui was someone that everyone looked at. How can she have a good meal?


    Chen Guixiang was very serious about anything that had to do with good luck or bad luck. Dong Jiahui held the bowl. One by one, she really finished the six pouched eggs. At this time, the guests came one after another. Chen Guixiang put the bowl away, leaving Zhou Yindi, and she went out with her two other daughters-in-law.


    ¡°Let me see the bride.¡±


    As soon as the words left her mouth, a thin, long-faced middle-aged woman entered Jiahui¡¯s room. It was none other than Jiahui¡¯s eldest aunt, Sun Yuping, followed by her cousin Dong Xiaojuan.


    Today, Dong Jiahui is getting married, and it is customary for her mother¡¯s family to ask two men to escort her to her in-laws¡¯ home.


    Dong Changgui has a brother. It¡¯s not appropriate to go over him. The other is Chen Guixiang¡¯s eldest brother, that is, Dong Jiahui¡¯s uncle.


    ¡°Oh, Hello, Jiahui is so beautiful today!¡±


    ¡°No, she is the bride today. That¡¯s exactly why she¡¯s the most beautiful today.¡±


    Fortunately, she was accompanied by Zhou Yindi. She is the one with high emotional intelligence, and with her, Dong Jiahui can just sit back and relax, playing the role of a shy bride perfectly.


    Dong Jiahui smiled and called out Sun Yuping. During this half-year, she also found out that this eldest aunt was not easy to provoke. She loves to compare everything with others. Although she was Chen Guixiang¡¯s sister-in-law, their relationship was just normal.


    In the countryside, even if such close brothers separated, they would live in another courtyard. Chen Guixiang would rather redraw a piece of the residential base than be neighbors with Sun Yuping when the two brothers, Dong Changfu and Dong Changgui, separated. It can be seen how Chen Guixiang is tired of this sister-in-law.


    Dong Xiaojuan has been staring at Dong Jiahui¡¯s clothes since she entered the house. Women were born to love beauty and have little resistance to good-looking clothes. Although she does not know fashion trends, this set of clothes is the right color and fits well. When Dong Jiahui wears it on her body, you cannot say it doesn¡¯t look good.


    Dong Xiaojuan is the one that Zhang Qiaoer mentioned earlier. She had a round face, was slightly chubby, and was not the most attractive person but she was still a good-looking girl.


    These days, there are a lot of thin people. Girls like Dong Xiaojuan, who was a little chubby, give the impression that she was blessed.


    She is one year younger than Dong Jiahui. She just got engaged last month. Her object was the youngest son of the carpenter in Xinhe village. The wedding date was set in March after the New Year.


    These two cousins are the favorite daughters of the family. They compare everything from their childhood. After Dong Jiahui married Lu¡¯s family, because Lu Yougen was the leader of the production team, Sun Yuping tried hard to find a better object for her daughter. When Dong Jiahui divorced, Sun Yuping comforted her in her mouth, but in fact, she was very happy. She could not bear seeing Chen Guixiang¡¯s daughter doing well.


    When Dong Xiaojuan saw Dong Jiahui dressed up so nicely, there was some slight jealousy in her heart.


    ¡°Sister Jiahui, this dress of yours is really nice, can you make one for me next year when I get married?¡±


    Dong Jiahui smiled. She did not respond or refuse. She pointed to the bench in the house and said, ¡°Eldest aunt, Xiaojuan, you can sit down for a while.¡±


    There was a red tray on the bedside table with peanuts, melon seeds and fruit candies. Dong Jiahui grabbed a handful of each and gave it to them.


    She has always believed that when views are irreconcilable, it¡¯s a waste of breath to continue the discussion, especially on a day like today. She didn¡¯t want to bother talking to this mother and daughter. When she marries the Zhao family, it¡¯s still her choice whether she will communicate with them in the future.


    The relatives and neighbors who came to Dong Jiahui¡¯s house were all entertained by Zhou Yindi. At nine o¡¯clock, firecrackers sounded outside, and someone could be heard shouting from afar, ¡°Come on, come on, the groom is coming to pick up the bride with a tractor!¡±


    The people in the house couldn¡¯t sit still. They all ran out to see the excitement. Yindi stayed with Jiahui because she could not let the bride be alone.


    Chen Guixiang and Dong Changgui had been waiting in the house for a long time. The window of Dong Jiahui¡¯s house was facing the door. Zhou Yindi stretched out her neck to look out of the window and said to Jiahui.


    ¡°Here he comes, Donglin came in, he was with a few boys driving a tractor. Donglin was in uniform, looking energetic.¡±


    Dong Jiahui sat on the edge of the bed and looked through the crack, just in time to see a green figure entering the yard.


    ¡°Dad, mom, I¡¯ve come to pick up Jiahui.¡±


    This is Zhao Donglin¡¯s first formal occasion where he changed the way he called them. Chen Guixiang and Dong Changgui¡¯s eyes were a little sour. Even if this is not the first time they have married their daughter, they are very happy to see such a lively son-in-law!


    ¡°Good, from now on you are our family¡¯s son-in-law. Your father and I do not ask for anything else. We only want you to treat Jiahui well, and live with her in harmony.¡±


    Zhao Donglin solemnly nodded his head and agreed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mom and Dad, I will treat Jiahui well. Please be at ease in leaving Jiahui to me.¡±


    Chen Guixiang nodded with tears in her eyes and said to him with a smile, ¡°Okay, you are a good boy. We are very relieved. Jiahui is in the house, you go and pick her up.¡±


    When the words just fell, Jiahui¡¯s cousin-in-law shouted in the crowd, ¡°Hey, it¡¯s not so easy for the bridegroom to meet the bride. The father-in-law and mother-in-law have passed the test, and we as the relatives, at least, you have to show something for us.¡±


    Zhao Donglin smiled. He calmly opened his mouth and said, ¡°Okay, what do you want to ask?¡±


    A lot of sugar and cigarettes have been scattered on the way to the wedding team. Zhao Donglin also prepared stamps to send to the children as a meeting ceremony. Cousin-in-law¡¯s words have no beginning or end. Everyone has only one idea. People don¡¯t mind marrying a daughter. What do you want to express when you come out?


    ¡°Then let¡¯s sing a song!¡±


    ¡°Yes, sing a song!¡±


    The crowd did not want to let the sisters-in-law have an opportunity. No one knew who shouted a sentence for Zhao Donglin to sing, and immediately received the response from others.


    ¡°Then I will sing a military song, ¡®Unity is Strength¡¯. From now on, we are relatives, we are a family. This song is also appropriate.¡±


    After that, Zhao Donglin began to sing the military song. After all, he came out of the military camp. His voice was sonorous and powerful. The people who listened to it were boiling with blood. After one song, everyone clapped their hands and cheered!

 CH 25

    Chapter 25


    ¡°Donglin sings really well. The words are clear. as expected from a soldier. ¡°


    In the room, Dong Jiahui and Zhou Yindi were listening sideways to the movement outside of the room. The bride has to wait for the groom to pick her up, so Dong Jiahui can only wait in the room even if she was curious.


    She felt that weddings in this era were very simple and concise. Before she transmigrated, she once attended her cousin¡¯s wedding. They made the groom suffer. He drank special chilli-balsam pear water. They put tape on his legs and removed the tape. They made him dance, do push-ups, and send 99 red envelopes to the bride¡¯s family and her friend group. They said it was for longevity.


    If you look at it this way, although this cousin-in-law, Ding Yan Ding Yan, stood up and embarrassed Zhao Donglin, Zhao Donglin, who had just sung a song, was not very miserable.


    ¡°Good! The groom sang so well that we were all mesmerized.¡±


    ¡°He was singing so well that it made everyone want to listen to him again.¡±


    ¡°Come on, guys, don¡¯t stop the groom from picking up the bride, it¡¯s not good to delay the auspicious time.¡±


    ¡°Everyone! Make way for the groom!¡±


    At this time, the young man who accompanied Zhao Donglin to get married took out a bag of fruit candy, grabbed it and sprinkled it into the sky.


    ¡°Eat candy, eat candy! Everyone has their share! How much candy you pick up is the amount you can get. ¡°


    The candies fell like flowers in the air, and the atmosphere suddenly became lively. A group of people were grabbing the candies on the ground, and another group of people surrounded Zhao Donglin, who came to the door of Dong Jiahui¡¯s room, coaxing the bride to open it.


    Zhou Yindi smiled and opened the door, and the sun scattered into the room. It was shining on Dong Jiahui like a searchlight. She was wearing bright red clothes and sitting at the edge of the bed. She looked dignified and beautiful.


    Dong Jiahui looked at Zhao Donglin and saw that he was wearing a new military uniform, looking dignified and lively.


    ¡°Groom! Hurry up and go in, look how good the bride looks.¡±


    With the crowd¡¯s teasing, Dong Jiahui shyly lowered her head. Her cheeks were blushed with a pinkish color.


    Zhao Donglin looked straight at Dong Jiahui. At that moment, the people and scenery around him became an illusory space. There was only Dong Jiahui in his eyes. The woman in front of him was beautiful and elegant, fair-skinned, her black hair coiled behind her head. Her chin gradually grew, her neck elongated, and the bright red lipstick on her lips matched her bright red clothes.


    He just stood there in the doorway. It seemed like time had frozen for him. The crowd saw through his reaction. Which person didn¡¯t know that he became stupid when he saw his wife?


    ¡°Hurry up and go inside. We don¡¯t want to see it! Keep it in the bridal chamber at night.¡±


    It was not known who pushed Zhao Donglin. He was pushed back inside the room, and the crowd laughed.


    Before going out, Chen Guixiang took Dong Jiahui¡¯s hand. Her eyes were red; she was obviously crying.


    She looked at her daughter. This was her second time to see her daughter marry. Her mood was more complicated than the first time she had let her daughter marry out. There were countless words in her heart that she wanted to say. Finally, she was only able to say one sentence.


    ¡°In the future, live a good life with Dong Lin.¡±


    Dong Jiahui coughed. Her eyes were also red. She recognized Chen Guixiang and Dong Changgui as her parents during her half-year stay in this era.


    ¡°Mom, Dad, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll make the best of my life.¡±


    No matter what, this is her own life. She will definitely treat it with care, she will treat Zhao Donglin well, and she will not let herself be aggrieved.


    Zhao Donglin stood behind Dong Jiahui. Zhao Donglin could feel the feelings of his parents-in-law. He promised. ¡°Mom and Dad, you don¡¯t have to worry, I will treat Jiahui well. I will often accompany Jiahui back to see you two. Mom and Dad don¡¯t worry about us running frequently.¡±


    With these words, Chen Guixiang burst into tears and laughed. The relatives and friends present also joked, ¡°There is no mother-in-law who dislikes her son-in-law. As long as you come back with a chicken in your left hand and a duck in your right hand, your father-in-law and mother-in-law can only welcome you and won¡¯t drive you out.¡±


    ¡°No, I should kill chickens and ducks when they come back.¡±


    With this episode, they married their daughter out, and their worries about their daughter were relieved a lot. They were willing to believe their own judgment that this son-in-law was a good man.


    On the tractor, Dong Jiahui was ready to come up by herself, but Zhao Donglin picked her up and put her on the tractor.


    ¡°Oh. Oh. Oh, the groom is hugging the bride.¡±


    The children clapped around the tractor. Dong Jiahui bowed her head and smiled. Zhao Donglin also smiled as he sat down. The tractor ¡°burst¡± into Shanghe village.


    The tractor was headed to Shanghe Village. The people who went with her were Jiahui¡¯s uncle from the father side, her uncle on her mother¡¯s side, her older brother Dong Aihua, and her sister-in-law Zhou Yindi.


    ¡°Are you cold?¡±


    After the departure, Zhao Donglin noticed that Jiahui was wearing fewer clothes. He secretly shook Jia Hui¡¯s hand and whispered a question in her ear.


    The weather turned cold in November. If you were only wearing a jacket, it was certainly not enough. Zhao Donglin was afraid that she would be frozen.


    ¡°It¡¯s not cold, I¡¯ve added clothes inside.¡±


    Zhao Donglin felt Jiahui¡¯s hand temperature. She was not cold and not hot, proving that Jiahui was indeed not lying. She was really afraid of the cold.


    ¡°Tell me if you¡¯re cold, I¡¯ll take off my jacket and give it to you.¡±


    Dong Jiahui nodded. This is what she likes about Zhao Donglin. He was quite observant and also quite good at taking care of people.


    There are many differences between men. Some men are very caring, and some men see nothing but themselves. Zhao Donglin obviously belongs to the category of ¡°very caring¡±.


    The tractor drove all the way into the Shanghe village. This is Dong Jiahui¡¯s first time coming here. She looked at the scenery on the road, thinking that if nothing unexpected happened, they would live on this land for a long, long time. Her mood was also a little excited.


    At the entrance of the village, seeing that the team who was assigned to pick up the bride came back, the people waiting at the entrance of the village quickly lit up the firecrackers, and the team drove all the way to the Zhao¡¯s house amidst the crackling sound of firecrackers.


    ¡°Here it comes, the bride is here!¡±


    No matter which village, the children were the most joyful when they saw a big wedding. Such a happy event means they can eat candies and also delicious mat noodles.


    A group of relatives and neighbors have already waited outside the courtyard door, everyone was curious about what the bride looked like.


    It is said that the woman who can make Zhao Donglin move his heart and marry home is still a divorced woman. There is always something outstanding.


    After the tractor stopped, Zhao Donglin went down first, then turned around and helped Dong Jiahui down. Everyone finally saw the true face of the bride.


    How to say it: Good-looking is good-looking. It¡¯s just that she looks too thin and weak.


    ¡°This is Dong Lin¡¯s new wife?¡±


    ¡°She is also too thin. Isn¡¯t her waist just two feet? ¡°


    ¡°Good-looking is good-looking, but her look does not look like it would be a blessing.¡±


    ¡°This look¡­ It is no wonder she was divorced. How did the big noble family agree to marry this wife into their family?¡±


    ¡°Hey, Donglin likes her. How can a mother argue with her son? ¡°


    ¡°Tsk, tsk, tsk, what can a person with a delicate appearance do? I am afraid that she can¡¯t even work in the field.¡±


    Dong Jiahui¡¯s looks are really not in line with the mainstream aesthetics of this era of rural areas. This is a glorious era of labor. No matter if you¡¯re a man or a woman, having a strong physique can create value.


    Zhang Qiaoer and Zhao Changgui heard the news, so they came out of the main room. They were followed by many people behind them, including Zhao Caixia, Zhao Meixiang¡¯s sister-in-law and uncle-in-law, whom Dong Jiahui had seen before, and others she had never seen. Her eyes stayed on the little girl held in Zhao Meixiang¡¯s arms.


    The little girl was just about a year old. She looks smaller than Tianniu. She had a small and compact face. Her eyes were big and bright as she was looking at the lively scene outside the house. Dong Jiahui guessed that this little girl should be Zhao Donglin¡¯s daughter, Yingbao.


    Dong Jiahui was fond of good and lovely girls. She often plays with the Dong Family¡¯s Tianniu. Seeing Yingbao, whose personality and age was not far from Tianniyu, Dong Jiahui¡¯s gaze also became soft.


    The sudden change of expression of Dong Jiahui in just a few seconds didn¡¯t escape Zhang Qiaoer¡¯s eyes. She nodded in satisfaction, thinking that this new wife was really child-loving and had a soft temperament. This made her unafraid that she would not be good for her grandchildren.


    It¡¯s different between marrying a wife and marrying out a daughter. When Dong Jiahui left home, Chen Guixiang¡¯s eyes were red, and when Zhang Qiaoer married a wife, there was a smile on her face.


    ¡°Dad, Mom.¡±


    After approaching, Dong Jiahui followed Zhao Donglin. She called her father-in-law and mother-in-law. Zhang Qiao¡¯er smiled and took Jiahui¡¯s hand. They went together inside the house. The Dong family who came over to send off the bride was also warmly greeted by the Zhao family.


    The group entered the hall. The two newlyweds read the declaration together under the portrait of Mao Zedong, and then she gave her father-in-law and mother-in-law a tea toast. Zhang Qiao¡¯er and Zhao Manzhu handed over a red envelope.


    Mao Zedong, also known as Chairman Mao, was a Chinese communist revolutionary who was the founding father of the People¡¯s Republic of China (PRC), which he ruled as the chairman of the Chinese Communist Party from the establishment of the PRC in 1949 until he died in 1976. Maoism is a Marxist¨CLeninist ideology that encompasses his theories, military strategies, and political policies.


    ¡°This is Heidan, this is Yingbao. From now on, you and Donglin will be a married couple. Heidan and Yingbao will be your children. I have no other requirements for you. You just need to take care of these two children well. ¡°


    Heidan had been following behind Zhao Caixia, but this time Zhang Qiaoer pulled Heidan to the front. Heidan was tall, dark and thin. He may have understood something, or someone may have mentioned something to him. At that moment, he lowered his head and refused to look at Dong Jiahui.


    A child without a mother¡¯s love was always heartbreaking to see, and even though she didn¡¯t give birth to these two children, Dong Jiahui had long been preparing to be their mother.


    ¡°Heidan, this is your mom, hurry up and call her mom.¡±


    Zhang Qiaoer pushed her grandson¡¯s back, but Heidan wouldn¡¯t even lift his head.


    ¡°Hey, this child. Didn¡¯t I tell you yesterday how to call her? Why can¡¯t you?¡±


    This time, relatives and neighbors were watching, and whispering among themselves. Dong Jiahui doesn¡¯t have to think about it to know what they were saying.


    ¡°Mom, it¡¯s okay to not let him call me Mom. Today, many people came here, so maybe Heidan was embarrassed. We have a long day ahead. As long as I am good to Heidan and Yingbao, they will certainly be willing to call me mom. ¡°


    These words were said to appease Zhang Qiaoer¡¯s heart.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. As long as you¡¯re good to them, they will recognize you as a mother.¡±


    After seeing her parents and offering tea, Zhao Donglin took her back to her room. Her sister-in-law, Zhou Yindi, and several relatives of the Zhao family followed her.


    The new house was repainted before marriage. The white walls, a complete set of willow colored furniture, a brand-new washbasin, spittoon, and a pair of red mandarin duck water bottles on the table. The most noticeable thing was the sewing machine under the windowsill.


    The bed is covered with big red sheets with happy words printed on the red quilt cover, as well as the pattern of hundreds of children and thousands of grandchildren. Jujubes, peanuts, longans, lotus seeds, etc. are also placed on the sheets, implying ¡°Give birth to a son early¡±.


    ¡°This room is well decorated.¡±


    ¡°The furniture is new, right?¡±


    ¡°They are afraid that the new wife will be unhappy, so these are all newly replaced.¡±


    ¡°That sewing machine was provided by the woman?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I heard that this new wife can make clothes, and earn money by helping people to make clothes when she was in her mother¡¯s house.¡±


    ¡°Really? I really can¡¯t see it.¡±


    Dong Jiahui sat with a smile on her face. Except for those who talked to her, others whispered whatever words she could not hear.


    Soon it was time to eat. The Zhao family has many relatives. Eighteen tables were set up in the first round. There was no other way. There was really no spare table. Even if there was, the Zhao family was so big that it had been placed outside the door. There was no place to add a few more tables.


    On the other hand, the kitchen can only cook so many dishes at a time.


    Of course, the Zhao family¡¯s relatives and neighbors must add up to more than eighteen tables. They eat quickly in the countryside. Except that everyone is hungry and panicked, and it is always difficult to eat well occasionally, the other is that after the first round is finished, the second round or even the third round is followed.


    The Dong family sent the bride to the Zhao family and left the Zhao family after the meal. After Zhou Yindi returned, she said to Chen Guixiang in detail what they saw in the Zhao family.


    ¡°It looks very good, and the cleaning up is very neat. We also saw the two children of Donglin. The small one is OK. She can¡¯t recognize her birth mother. The older one is four years old. He was beginning to become sensible. He didn¡¯t want to speak when he saw Jiahui. They must have to be familiar with it first. It¡¯s estimated that it will take some trouble.¡±


    Chen Guixiang was satisfied with the general situation. As for the two children, she originally did not expect her daughter to be treated as their own mother once she married.


    ¡°My biggest worry is finally over. Their future lives depend on them.¡±


    When her daughter came back from Lu¡¯s house, she felt that the whole sky had collapsed. Later, her daughter wanted to die, and she also wanted to go with her daughter, but that¡¯s the way it was. She survived the most difficult period, that is ¡°The mountains and rivers have no way to doubt[1], and the willows are dark and the flowers are in another village.[2]¡±


    Donglin is a good man. Chen Guixiang believes that her daughter will not suffer if she marries him. As for living with her mother-in-law and being a stepmother to her two children, how is that hardship compared to what she experienced in the Lu family before?


    Women are born with a hard life, and if they can meet a loving husband in their lifetime, it¡¯s God who cared for them.


    In the afternoon, after the banquet, everyone left one after another, only those close enough people who stayed for dinner.


    When Zhao Meixiang arrived with Yingbao in her arms. Dong Jiahui took out the clothes she had made for her children, Yingbao¡¯s, Heidan¡¯s, and even Shitou¡¯s. She took it out from the wooden box that had been sent over.


    Yingbao¡¯s clothes were small yellow jackets, which she made according to the size of Tianniu, so they can be worn when the weather gets colder.


    ¡°Sister-in-law, your hands are so skilful. This little duck was so beautifully embroidered and the colors were well-chosen, it matched Yingbao¡¯s face so well. ¡°


    Zhao Meixiang took the small garment and compared it to her niece. Most women, by nature, have no resistance to cute things. She liked the new garment her new sister-in-law made for the child.


    Mom, look, my sister-in-law made clothes for Yingbao and them. Don¡¯t you think her hands were skilful?¡±


    Compared to her sister-in-law, her own skill of only sewing buttons was not worth mentioning at all.


    In the evening, after dinner, Zhang Qiaoer smiled and said to the two newcomers,


    ¡°You guys have been busy all day, hurry back to the house and rest. Tonight, Heidan will sleep with his uncle, and Meixiang will be with Yingbao. The two children do not need you to be busy. ¡°


    Why? Wasn¡¯t it because today was their wedding night?


    Dong Jiahui understands the meaning of this sentence. Her entire face was dyed in red. Zhao Donglin was behaving as usual, calm and relaxed.


    It was late at night, and the two of them were slightly embarrassed by the candlelight.


    Dong Jiahui has already washed up. She had changed into another dress. She originally coiled her hair down to do a twist braid, which gives another kind of charm.


    It is said that the more you look at the beauty under the lamp, the more beautiful she looks. The candlelight plated Dong Jiahui with a golden halo.


    The red candle on the wedding night burned all night. Zhao Donglin put down the bed curtain and said to Dong Jiahui, ¡°It¡¯s late, let¡¯s rest.¡±


    Dong Jiahui nodded with an enunciation. As an adult, she understood what would happen today.


    For her, this body was married before, but for herself, she had only been in love before and had no further development, so her heart was uneasy at this time.


    She lay down alone, but when Zhao Donglin lay down beside her. She immediately felt burning masculine energy, and she accidentally touched his arm. As if she had been burned, Dong Jiahui slightly pulled away.


    Zhao Donglin, a soldier, knows her every move like the back of his hand. He is not an acute person, sometimes even cold, but from the first moment he saw Dong Jiahui, it was as if she had grown in his heart, fitting all the perceptions of women in his heart: soft, beautiful, and completely stimulating his inner desire to protect.


    He thought back to the way she looked in her big red wedding dress during the day and couldn¡¯t help but feel a reaction in his heart. God knows how much he wanted to hold her in his arms after seeing her during the day.


    He closed his eyes, the tip of his nose lingered on her scent, like a vine wrapped around his heart, and a tingling sensation was born.


    Dong Jiahui only felt his hands tightening around her waist, Zhao Donglin had already propped up his arms and was looking down on her from above.


    The candlelight passed through the bed curtain. Although it was not as bright as day, it was enough to see each other¡¯s expressions. Dong Jiahui turned her head uneasily and avoided Zhao Donglin¡¯s burning eyes.


    His eyes carried obvious aggression. Dong Jiahui bit her lips uneasily. She did not know that this action by Zhao Donglin was tantamount to a dry log falling over the bar, burning up the fire deep inside him completely.


    Zhao Donglin cupped her chin and forced her to look at him. Dong Jiahui closed her eyes and a delicate kiss fell on her lips. The action was so tender, so gentle, so careful.


    Dong Jiahui felt as if she was a sweet and greasy candy cube, and he was the little boy holding the candy. The two of them followed their inner feelings, they were frank and honest. They interlocked their fingers, and naturally entered the final play.


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    With a painful cry, they were stunned at the same time.


    Dong Jiahui, regardless of her sweating body, floated 10000 question marks in her heart.


    She did not inherit all the memories of the original owner after she was dressed as the original owner, and her memories of the original owner¡¯s previous marriage were all gone.


    There is this kind of trauma sequelae. People will selectively forget some things when in extreme pain. The opportunity for her to pass through is the original owner¡¯s thinking. She has also considered that maybe it is because the previous marriage was too painful, so the original owner¡¯s brain deleted all that memory.


    As Dong Jiahui¡¯s heart was overwhelmed, Zhao Donglin couldn¡¯t describe his mood. He didn¡¯t know how to react.

 CH 26

    Zhao Donglin, who never blinked in the face of all kinds of difficulties, hardships, bloodshed and sacrifices in the army, remained calm and self-contained. At this moment, he was completely confused. He stopped his movement, his chest fluctuated because of heavy breathing, and he was still lingering on the throbbing that he had just felt.


    This situation can¡¯t go on. Within the yellow bed curtain, Zhao Donglin and Dong Jiahui, who was underneath him, had their eyes locked together.


    ¡°You ¡­¡­¡±


    He wanted to ask Jiahui what was going on, but he found himself unable to ask.


    She looked pale and frightened. Zhao Donglin was afraid that the words he might say might not make her comfortable, but that they might stimulate her instead. As for Dong Jiahui, she was even more shocked than Zhao Donglin. Because she had no memory of the original owner, she really didn¡¯t know what was going on!


    She only knew that the original owner was divorced because she couldn¡¯t give birth to a child. After crossing, she frankly accepted the fact that she had become an abandoned woman inexplicably. But now, the original owner was a young virg*n. Could it be that in the years when she married Lu Chengyuan, they just covered themselves with a quilt and chatted?


    What kind of sand sculpture plot[1] is this? It¡¯s almost blinding my eyes!


    Dong Jiahui looked at Zhao Donglin in disbelief, afraid that he would ask what she could not explain.


    In a few seconds, Dong Jiahui quickly thought out an excuse to deal with it. The original owner¡¯s marriage with Lu Chengyuan certainly has no name. If Zhao Donglin asks, she will say that Lu Chengyuan can¡¯t do it. Anyway, Zhao Donglin can¡¯t go to Lu Chengyuan to verify the truth.


    She had already thought of a reason to respond but found that Zhao Donglin was a person who did not follow the rules. He did not ask any questions, as if calmly accepting the fact. At the same time, he ended this unholy movement. He rolled over and laid down next to Dong Jiahui. She took Dong Jiahui in his arms, patted her shoulder and gave her silent comfort.


    Zhao Donglin was naturally not as calm as he appeared outside. He roughly guessed several possibilities, but no matter which one it was, Jiahui was the one who was carrying the pressure from public opinion. This is something that a woman should have to bear.


    He couldn¡¯t believe that if Jiahui hadn¡¯t met himself. What kind of life would she have faced as a divorced woman who had an unnecessary allegation? Thinking about it, he couldn¡¯t help but feel sorry for her.


    ¡°Go to sleep, don¡¯t think too much about anything. Just sleep.¡±


    Tomorrow is another day, and tonight is destined to be an impressive wedding night.


    Dong Jiahui was not sleepy, but Zhao Dong¡¯s words seemed to have some magic or maybe her body was already tired from getting up too early this morning, and when she closed her eyes, there was soon an even breathing sound coming from her.


    Zhao Donglin¡¯s gaze shifted from the overhead bed curtain to Jiahui¡¯s face. The person was still the same, but the feeling was not quite the same.


    How to say it? This was a surprise and a shock for him.


    He was surprised by the thing itself. He also wanted to explore the truth of the matter. As for the other, he did not care so much. After all, at first, he liked Jiahui¡¯s character and temperament. The other conditions were just extras.


    A few miles away from the Lu family, Lu Chengyuan looked out the window at the hovering shadows of the trees. He knew that today was Jiahui¡¯s wedding day, but also knew that she had found a very capable man this time.


    He wanted to meet her secretly, but he was afraid of getting her into trouble.


    If there is a pill of regret in this life, what he regrets most is that he divorced Jiahui because of his own cowardice.


    He knew full well that the failure to have children was his own problem. Jiahui was so simple and kind. Even if he had problems, she never blamed himself, and silently took the blame for everyone. While he, who should have been a man of the world, did not dare to speak up and tell the truth.


    He let his mother drive Jiahui away and acquiesced to her finding him a new wife. He thought that if he married a new one, he would get better, but the truth is that everything is spiralling out of control.


    Now all the regrets he felt were useless. She is a good woman; he is a cowardly and inept man who is unworthy of her. Perhaps letting her go was the right thing to do.


    Dong Jiahui has a good night¡¯s sleep. She has always been a big heart. No matter what happens, as long as the sky doesn¡¯t fall down and people are still alive, nothing will affect her sleeping and eating.


    The next morning, just after dawn, Zhao Donglin got up. The bed moved, and Dong Jiahui opened her eyes vaguely.


    When she woke up, Dong Jiahui¡¯s mind was still a bit confused, but when she saw Zhao Donglin¡¯s broad back and long straight legs, she remembered that she got married to Zhao Donglin yesterday, and today was their first day after the wedding.


    Thinking of this, Dong Jiahui hurriedly sat up from bed. Her mother-in-law was no better than her mother¡¯s family, and her mother-in-law was not her own mother. If she was a daughter-in-law and got up later than Zhao Donglin, her mother-in-law would surely not have a good impression of her.


    Zhao Donglin turned around when he heard the movement and saw Dong Jiahui wearing a white round-neck sweatshirt. Her long hair draped over her shoulders, a kind of lazy and casual taste. Her eyes were looking blankly at the quilt. It¡¯s obvious that she was not fully awake yet. Her dazed look looks quite cute.


    Zhao Donglin unconsciously hooked the corners of his lips and said with a light smile, ¡°It¡¯s still early, you can lie down more.¡±


    It was only five o¡¯clock. It was just dawn. Zhao Donglin didn¡¯t sleep much last night. He didn¡¯t want to lie down, so when he saw the time, he got up.


    Another reason was that when a man who has been used to living alone for a long time suddenly has a warm fragrance in his arms, it is difficult to grasp his mood. It¡¯s better to get up and chop firewood and have it as his warm-up exercise.


    Dong Jiahui shook her head and pulled her long hair, which was scattered over her shoulders, into a bun.


    ¡°I just passed the door yesterday. I should get up early.¡±


    The first impression must be good. What would happen if she slept and the sun rose three poles high on her first day[2] and Zhao Donglin was already up? Can she get up later than him?


    Dong Jiahui knows that the relationship between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law can never be really close. The so-called good is mostly superficial peace.


    No mother-in-law doesn¡¯t care about her son, and if Dong Jiahui wants to live well in the Zhao family, she has to pay attention to some small details at all times.


    Zhao Donglin, who wanted to let Dong Jiahui sleep a little longer, also did not think much. The care he had for Don Jiahui was purely from his heart. Before he was in the army, he did not really experience marriage and family life, but today, after listening to Dong Jiahu¡¯s words, he immediately understood the mystery.


    He remembered that his little wife was a smart woman. In the beginning, her learning theory surprised him.


    Zhao Donglin smiled and patted Dong Jiahui¡¯s head, and left the room amidst Dong Jiahui¡¯s blushing heart.


    There was a little hot water in the water bottle on the table. Dong Jiahui washed her face, brushed her teeth, put on a silver red coat, combed her hair again, and braided her like the way she had styled her hair before.


    This silver red Lenin suit was also owned by Dong Jiahui. It wasn¡¯t as fitted as her wedding dress. Instead, she deliberately did this so that she can add a jacket in winter.\


    When she left the room, Dong Jiahui saw that the kitchen was already lit up with kerosene. She walked straight to the kitchen and saw her mother-in-law. Zhang Qiaoer was already making a fire in front of the stove.


    ¡°Mom, good morning.¡±


    Dong Jiahui shouted playfully. When Zhang Qiaoer heard the voice and looked up. She saw her daughter-in-law was standing with a smile on her face.


    No one does not like to see a smile on someone¡¯s face. Not to mention how happy it is to see such a nice, smiling face when you wake up in the morning. At least Zhang Qiaoer likes it in her heart.


    ¡°Why did you get up so early? It¡¯s okay for young ones to sleep a little more. No need to rush to get up early in the future. I am not an unenlightened mother-in-law. ¡°


    Last night was their wedding night. For this kind of event, she was still willing to understand her daughter-in-law.


    Dong Jiahui understood the meaning of his mother-in-law¡¯s words. Remembering the shocking scene last night, Dong Jiahui felt hot in the face.


    Now that she¡¯s up, she can¡¯t just stand around, she has to find some work to do.


    There are a lot of chores for people in the village. They have to clean inside and outside the house, do the laundry and cooking, feed the chickens and pigs, chop wood and get some water, fix the vegetable patch, and etc. They should do these before the sun rises.


    ¡°Mom, I just passed through the door yesterday, and I don¡¯t know what I should do.¡±


    She is a new wife. She can¡¯t do it by herself as soon as she walks through the door. On the other hand, no matter at home or at work, ¡°those who can do more work¡±, she can¡¯t help but continue to do it after she has done it once. If she works hard to do all the housework, won¡¯t she still bear the hardships in the future?


    Dong Jiahui understands it in her heart. Her former friends often say she is ¡°pretending to be a pig and eating a tiger¡±. She looked silly. In fact, she was clear in her heart. Even if she took the initiative to give way sometimes, it was not because she was stupid, but she didn¡¯t want to worry about unnecessary problems,


    Dong Jiahui took the initiative to ask her mother-in-law to arrange work for her. Zhang Qiao¡¯er was still quite satisfied. As a mother-in-law, she has never been the kind of person who likes to impose her status as their mother-in-law. Whether it was Wang Mei or Zheng Yuefen, they all relied on self-awareness.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to do at home. You wash your clothes with Donglin and forget it today. From tomorrow on, Heidan and Yingbao¡¯s clothes will also be given to you. Look at other things first. You¡¯ve just married. Don¡¯t hurry. We¡¯ll talk about it in two days.¡±


    The Zhao family¡¯s clothes were always washed separately. She used to wash them, and when the two daughters grew up, they took turns washing them, and then the sons started their own families, so they washed their own clothes in their own houses.


    After listening to Zhang Qiaoer¡¯s arrangement, Dong Jiahui answered in a crisp voice.


    ¡°Okay, mom, then I¡¯ll go wash the clothes first.¡±


    Dong Jiahui went back to the house and took out her and Zhao Donglin¡¯s dirty clothes and put them in a basin and soaked them in water. In addition to the clothes, there was also the dirty bed sheet.


    Washing the bed sheets is really a thing that no one else can think about. Who could have thought it was like that last night?


    Dong Jiahui washed half the laundry, and Zhao Meixiang came out with Yingbao in her arms.


    ¡°Good morning, sister-in-law.¡±


    ¡°Good morning.¡±


    Zhao Meixiang dressed Yingbao in the same set that Dong Jiahui took out yesterday. This action moved Dong Jiahui¡¯s heart.


    ¡°The clothes are just right. The sleeves are longer, so you can just roll it up.¡±


    And the soft yellow color was very good for Yingbao¡¯s skin. It¡¯s as lovely as a little yellow duck.


    ¡°Yingbao is so cute. She looks beautiful in everything.¡±


    ¡°No, we can¡¯t find a second beautiful little girl like Yingbao in our village.¡±


    Not to mention that Wang Mei¡¯s face value is still very high. Yingbao was born more beautiful than other people¡¯s children. In addition, after Wang Mei left, Zhang Qiaoer kept her granddaughter in a blocked atmosphere. One egg a day, rice paste and white flour steamed bread. After feeding, Yingbao looks white, soft and tender. Her small face is round. Unlike other people¡¯s children.


    This time, Yingbao was holding a small round cookie in her hand. Eating it in small bites like a squirrel, and looking at Dong Jiahui with her two curious eyes.


    Dong Jiahui had finished washing clothes. When she saw the sheets she hung, Meixiang obviously misunderstood, and her face turned red.


    The Zhao family appeared in the courtyard one after another. Zhao Changgui came back with a bundle of firewood. It turned out that he had gone to the mountain to collect branches. He was followed by the early riser, Heidan.


    Zheng Yuefen was the last to get up. She carried Shitou into the kitchen. After seeing Dong Jiahui, she hesitated and called her ¡°sister-in-law¡±. She was four years older than Dong Jiahui, but Dong Jiahui married Zhao Donglin. Dong Jiahui was naturally her eldest sister-in-law, even if Dong Jiahui was younger than her.


    ¡°Shitou played too crazy last night. He peed in bed at night. I changed his clothes. I didn¡¯t sleep well in the middle of the night.¡±


    Her babbling also indirectly explained why she got up late.


    In fact, it¡¯s nothing to say. Zhang Qiaoer always makes breakfast for the Zhao family. First, people feel light when they are old. Second, Zhang Qiaoer doesn¡¯t trust others to cook for fear that others will waste food. The last point is that grandchildren are more important. Just take good care of their children.


    ¡°Hurry up and clean up, wait for the meal later.¡±


    Zhang Qiao¡¯er cooked rice porridge this morning. She also baked cornmeal cakes, steamed a few groundnuts, and took the leftover ingredients from yesterday¡¯s cooking and stir-fried two small dishes.


    The Zhao family usually does not have such a hearty breakfast, or at least no special stir-fry, but just cuts two pickles and drinks the porridge.


    When the family sat down at the table, Dong Jiahui took Yingbao from Mei Xiang¡¯s arms and fed Yingbao one spoonful at a time with Yingbao¡¯s special spoon.


    A mouthful of rice porridge with a mouthful of small dishes, Yingbao ate very cooperatively.


    Zhao Donglin looked at Jiahui like this. His heart was very happy. The corners of his mouth were raised. While for the others, although they were eating, their eyes moved to observe. In particular, Zhang Qiaoer saw the new wife taking care of Yingbao so well that her heart was at ease.


    ¡°Sister-in-law, Yingbao, quite likes you. Look at how good she eats when you feed her.¡±


    On the other side, Heidan lowered his head to drink porridge. He even refused to lift up his head. In the morning, Zhang Qiaoer asked Heidan to call Jiahui, but he was still unwilling to open his mouth. Zhang Qiaoer reached out to knock him down, but Jiahui stopped him.


    ¡°Mom, it¡¯s okay, the child is still young, let¡¯s take our time. If we force him all of a sudden, his heart will be more unhappy. ¡°


    Since she came to be a stepmother, Dong Jiahui has long had this awareness. Heidan is just a four-year-old child, which can¡¯t cause any substantive harm to her. Instead, Dong Jiahui loves Heidan very much when he looks silent.


    ¡°This kid, I don¡¯t know who said something to him. He has quite an opinion about you.¡±


    It¡¯s okay, I had no contact with him before. He isn¡¯t familiar with me. It is normal for him to dislike me now. As long as I treat him well, I believe he will recognize me in the future. ¡°


    Zhang Qiaoer smiled and nodded. She did not say anything, but her heart was satisfied.


    ¡°It¡¯s good if you think so. People¡¯s hearts are soft. As long as you are really good to them, they will recognize you as a mother.¡±


    Dong Jiahui smiled and nodded, ¡°Right. That¡¯s why I¡¯m not in a hurry. Let¡¯s take our time, there¡¯s still a long time.¡±

 CH 27

    Chapter 27


    Zhao Donglin took out the posture of eating in the army. After eating breakfast in three bites, he took Yingbao from Jiahui so that she could free up her hands to eat her own breakfast.


    Sitting at a table, Zhao Donglin¡¯s behaviour naturally failed to escape the eyes of the whole family. Zhang Qiaoer quietly pursed her mouth and smiled. Her slow-witted son also knew how to take care of his wife.


    Zheng Yuefen, who was sitting opposite Jiahui, glanced obliquely at her husband, Zhao Donghe, after seeing her brother-in-law¡¯s move. They are brothers from the same family. One knows how to help his wife take care of the children. Her own family¡¯s man was just stuffing cakes with a big mouth.


    Dong Jiahui picked up her bowl of half-warm porridge. She took a corn cake and began her first breakfast in the Zhao family.


    The Zhao family¡¯s breakfast was very similar to the Dong family. Both were cooking rice porridge with less rice and more soup. The difference is that the Dong family often adds sweet potatoes to the porridge, while the Zhao family adds corn to the porridge.


    In this era where hybrid rice has not been bred, mechanized planting is not popular, it is not easy for farmers to plant. The hard work of a year to grow the grain has to be turned over to the state, to supply the livelihood of urban residents.


    Under such circumstances, every family can barely fill their stomachs. It is unrealistic to openly drink rice porridge. The Zhao family was already considered a family with good conditions in the village. The porridge was only half soup, but they also added corn kernels, both to save fine grains, but also to add a sense of satiation.


    ¡°Mom, do I have to go with you to the field today?¡±


    Dong Jiahui didn¡¯t go down to the ground when she was in the Dong family, because she was a married daughter. In the countryside, a daughter who was going to be married was found to have spilt water. Her food matters have been transferred to her husband¡¯s family. This is the truth of the so-called ¡°Obey your father at home and obey your husband after getting married¡±.


    Even if you go back to your mother after the divorce, you can¡¯t be counted as a person on the production team.


    In addition to the distribution of food rations, there is also a cash dividend at the end of the year. The money is calculated according to the total work points and the total number of hours worked per person, deducting the production costs and various retentions from the total income of the team for the whole year.


    In theory, if more people work, they will have to pay more dividends. Naturally, others will get less, which will also infringe on the interests of other members.


    But now the situation is different. She married Zhao Donglin and has been a member of the Zhao family since then. Naturally, she should work.


    When Dong Jiahui asked this, her sister-in-law Zheng Yuefen was also curious. She looked at her mother-in-law, Zhang Qiaoer. When she was married to Zhao Donghe, three days after the marriage, she came to the field to work. She was curious about how her mother-in-law would manage this new sister-in-law.


    Zhang Qiao¡¯er froze. She did not expect Dong Jiahui would take the initiative to ask about going to work. She thought about it and said, ¡°Not today. Stay at home to take care of Yingbao, and then cook lunch. Later, I will tell you how our family cooks, and how much was enough. As for you to work, wait until I ask the captain.¡±


    Dong Jiahui nodded her head after hearing this and had no problem with this arrangement. Zheng Yuefen looked at Dong Jiahui and saw that she was holding a bowl of porridge with her head down, and her eyebrows had an indefinable charm.


    Dong Jiahui¡¯s eyebrows were good looking. They are very good-looking fallen leaf eyebrows without any modification. Her bangs were divided into both sides. In fact, this kind of split bang is very hard to make you appear good, but Dong Jiahui combed it very well. Maybe because she has a small face and a melon seed face, she can wear any kind of hairstyle.


    The reason why Zhang Qiaoer said to ask the captain again is that she really needs to mention it to the captain. All the work on the team is divided by the captain. On the other hand, Zhang Qiaoer sees that her new daughter-in-law¡¯s body does not have a lot of meat. She was afraid that she could not do any hard work, so she wanted to go see the captain to talk and to arrange a job for Jiahui that was not too hard.


    After eating breakfast and going out, the matter of cleaning up pots and bowls was left to Dong Jiahui.


    Now the village is preparing for the planting of winter wheat, ploughing and fertilizing the land, and when the preparations are complete, the wheat seeds will be planted.


    Zhang Qiaoer took Heidan away. Before leaving Dong Jiahui, she asked Heidan if he wanted to stay home. Heidan ignored her and ran away in a flash.


    ¡°His actions, don¡¯t take them to heart. Heidan is a child at heart. In a couple of days, I will find him to talk to.¡±


    When washing dishes, Zhao Donglin came to the kitchen to tell her this. Dong Jiahui stopped moving and turned around. Looking at his serious face, her heart was a little sweet.


    ¡°I know, I didn¡¯t take it to heart.¡±


    When Zhao Donglin saw that her expression did not look like she said it with reluctance, he was relieved.


    The two looked at each other for a few seconds. Dong Jiahui was the first to look away. His eyes were too deep. Seeing him reminded her of last night. She was really a bit embarrassed.


    Zhao Donglin coughed. Obviously, like Dong Jiahui, he was haunted by what happened last night.


    ¡°Well¡­ I¡¯ll go to the village committee right away and come back for lunch. If you have anything to do, you can go to the field to find a mother or go to the village committee to find me.¡±


    Zhao Donglin works for the village committee. As long as there is no meeting in the commune, he normally works in the village.


    Dong Jiahui said yes and thought it was only half a day. He will come back for lunch at noon. What kind of thing did she need to do that required him?


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll go. Pay more attention at home.¡±


    Dong Jiahui nodded, ¡°I know, you can rest assured.¡±


    Zhao Donglin also felt that he talked a little too much. He walked out of the kitchen step by step, patted Yingbao, who was eating sugar on the walker and pushed his bike out of the yard.


    Hearing the sound of the courtyard door ringing, Dong Jiahui looked out through the window and saw that he had left, so the shame in her heart was lessened.


    After washing the pots and pans, and putting the kitchen items in the order and sweeping the floor, Dong Jiahui went out.


    ¡°Yingbao, what are you doing? Are you feeding the hens?¡±


    The chickens in the chicken pen were released by Zhang Qiao¡¯er early in the morning, and the whole yard was their strolling place, while Yingbao was scattering corn cakes into small pieces on the ground, and several hens were pecking in the open space in front of Yingbao.


    Dong Jiahui patted Yingbao¡¯s clothes, which were already stained with dirt on the chest and could not be removed by hand.


    She picked up Yingbao from the stroller and brought her back inside, ready to find a piece of cloth to make two bibs for Yingbao, so that she would not be afraid of getting her clothes dirty.


    ¡°Yingbao, sit still and I¡¯ll make two bibs for you, okay?¡±


    Dong Jiahui put Yingbao on the wooden sofa and took a piece of fruit candy to give to Yingbao. She was afraid that Yingbao would accidentally get choked, so she broke the fruit candy into two small pieces.


    Seeing the delicious fruit candy, Yingbao stretched out her chubby little hand. She grabbed one of the pieces and put it into her mouth. The familiar sweet taste pleased her, and she clapped her hands happily and said a few syllables that Dong Jiahui did not understand well.


    Dong Jiahui brought a lot of fabric with her. Before the wedding, Zhao Donglin bought several pieces for her, and her relatives from her mother¡¯s side also gave her some, as well as the leftover trimmings from making clothes for others.


    Dong Jiahui found a few pieces of fabric from the pile of clothes that was trimmed. She was ready to make two patchwork bibs for Yingbao.


    She took out the clothes that covered the sewing machine. Dong Jiahui threaded the needle, scratched the edges, and then stepped up and down to make the bibs.


    ¡°Yingbao, try it and see if it fits. It looks good, doesn¡¯t it?


    When talking to Yingbao and Heidan, Dong Jiahui never claimed to be their mother or anything else. She knows that the children couldn¡¯t accept her at once. Even Dong Jiahui herself couldn¡¯t directly call herself ¡°your mother¡± when talking to them. She also felt a little ashamed.


    ¡°Yingbao looks so pretty in her bib, and she¡¯s not afraid to get her clothes dirty.¡±


    Yingbao looked down at the extra lab coat on her body and was obviously very interested in the red apple on her chest.


    ¡°Yingbao, do you know what this is? This is an apple, a particularly delicious fruit.¡±


    Now that she belongs to the era of the planned economy, and there is no well-connected transportation network, there is not enough fruit supply in the market. Anyway, when Dong Jiahui came here for more than half a year, she only ate oranges, bananas and apples bought in the town, except local jujubes, persimmons, peaches and pomegranates.


    Yingbao was just a kid. She probably had never seen an apple in her life.


    After the first one fit, Dong Jiahui went back and made two more, some with vests and some with sleeves, just in time to use up all the trimmings.


    After making the bibs, Dong Jiahui cleaned up her closet. Yesterday, she was in a hurry and didn¡¯t have time to organize many things.


    When she took out the watch that Zhao Donglin bought for her from the box, Dong Jiahui compared it to her wrist. The new-coloured strap and delicate small dial made it look delicate and chic on her wrist.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pity that there¡¯s no need to wear this for my daily chores at home.¡±


    Do you need to wear a watch for washing and cooking? Do you need to wear a watch to work in the field? It¡¯s a waste of a watch.


    The watch was given to her privately by Zhao Donglin, and Dong Jiahui told Chen Guixiang about it after the Zhao family left that day, and Chen Guixiang kept praising Zhao Donglin¡¯s actions.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a young man as open-minded as him. How much did he really buy it for you? Look at him adding the watch to the bride¡¯s price. How good would it look on the Zhao family¡¯s face? ¡°


    And Zhao Donglin¡¯s bike, which he bought after returning to his hometown. He has only been riding it for two months, no different from a new one. If he wants to face it, it¡¯s not too much to say it¡¯s a bride price, but people just don¡¯t want this false name. It can be seen how down-to-earth and low-key he is.


    Thinking about this and Zhao Donglin¡¯s performance in the past two days, Dong Jiahui¡¯s perception of him was refreshed little by little, not getting worse, but getting better and better.


    At ten o¡¯clock, Dong Jiahui began to prepare lunch. Zhang Qiaoer told her roughly what to do before going to the ground.


    The family still has a lot of dishes leftover from yesterday¡¯s banquet, so let her pick a few meat dishes to heat up, and then choose two vegetables from the vegetable patch to stir-fry.


    Dong Jiahui herself was not a fan of leftovers. Modern people pay attention to a healthy diet. Leftovers contain excessive nitrite amine, which is easy to cause cancer. Moreover, the taste of leftovers is not right. It must not be as delicious as freshly cooked meals.


    But this was the 1970s, and it was shameful to waste food. Dong Jiahui followed her mother-in-law¡¯s instructions and heated up a few meat dishes. She cut the leeks and a basket of greens from the ground, and then packed them up and fried them separately, as she was going to eat both for this meal.


    Dong Jiahui¡¯s meal was just about ready when the Zhao family came out of the field. Zhao Meixiang could see at once the bib Yingbao was wearing was newly made by her sister-in-law.

 CH 28

    Chapter 28


    Zhao Meixiang could see at a glance that the bib Yingbao was wearing was newly made by her sister-in-law with several colors of floral cloth stitched together, frilly lace around the edges, and a big red apple embroidered on the chest.


    ¡°Sister-in-law, your handicrafts are so good. This bib is so beautiful. ¡°


    Usually, people make bibs for their children from old clothes, and if they had new clothes, they would have taken them to make new clothes, so they wouldn¡¯t bother making any bibs for their children from new clothes.


    ¡°I made them from the scraps of clothes I used to make, and there are two more in the room for Yingbao to wear instead.¡±


    Dong Jiahui went back to the room and showed the other two pieces to Zhao Meixiang, who complimented her again when she saw them.


    This one also has sleeves, so you don¡¯t have to worry about getting it dirty, sister-in-law. I heard that you also made the big red wedding dress you wore yesterday. ¡°


    Dong Jiahui nodded implicitly and smiled, ¡°It¡¯s not much of a handy job, I just know how to make a few pieces of clothes. I still have a few pieces of flower cloth there. I¡¯ll take your measurements later and make one for you.¡±


    Zhao Meixiang waved her hands and said, ¡°No, no, I¡¯m just talking about it. I envy my sister-in-law for having this kind of skill. ¡°


    She really didn¡¯t mean it, but if her sister-in-law made one, it would look like she was deliberately asking for new clothes.


    At this time, Zheng Yuefang also walked over with Shitou in her arms.


    ¡°It is quite good, sister-in-law. Do you have more fabric there? Make one for our Shitou. ¡°


    The little boy is sturdy and she often takes Shitou to the field. His clothes are always dirty and it takes a long time to scrub them every day, so it would be a relief to let him wear a bib.


    ¡°If you have any clothes there, bring them to me and I will make two for Shitou.¡±


    Dong Jiahui politely refused. Before the wedding, she made two pieces of clothing for Heidan and Yingbao. For Shitou, she also made one. The Zhao family has a total of three children. There is no need to look cheap for a small piece of clothing, but it can only be done once. Is it possible to make Shitou¡¯s clothes every time for nothing in the future?


    She¡¯ll just do it for Yingbao and Heidan. Who made herself their stepmother? She married Zhao Donglin. Yingbao and Heidan will be her own children. It¡¯s right to spend money and effort on them, but Shitou is not. Don¡¯t you have your own parents to bother instead of your aunt?


    Sister-in-law relationships should indeed be good, but Dong Jiahui has no intention of being a good man. Some things still need to abide by the principles. She is not selling cloth, and there is no golden or silver mountain. She did one thing for nothing today, and she will do one thing for nothing tomorrow. There is no such good thing.


    And right, getting along with others, giving a bucket of rice raises grace, giving a quarter of rice raises enmity. Giving too much tends to feed the other person¡¯s heart.


    Giving a bucket of rice raises grace, giving a quarter of rice raises enmity. The meaning is that if you give people a little help in times of crisis, they will appreciate you. If you continue to help in this way, and suddenly you do not help for some reason, the other party will hate you and accuse you of it. This is because the other party took the things you originally funded with love as a matter of course, allowing them to form dependence, from being grateful to be taken for granted, and finally becoming enmity.


    Zheng Yuefen did not expect Dong Jiahui to refuse. She thought it was not a big deal; it was just a few pieces of rags. She made a few pieces for Yingbao, but how come she said no to Shitou? She was not stupid; she simply did not want to do it for her own Shitou.


    So after thinking about it, Zheng Yuefen¡¯s face became terrible.


    Sister-in-law, it¡¯s just a bib. What can a child care about the color pattern as long as you can wear it?


    Zheng Yuefen also said the truth: in this era, who can be picky about their situation? Many boys wear their sister¡¯s clothes, but Dong Jiahui is like this. She is willing to give if she is willing to give. If she is not willing, it won¡¯t work regardless of others¡¯ persuasion. She eats soft food but refuses hard food. If you¡¯re nice, it¡¯s all right. If you talk hard to her, it won¡¯t work.


    [1]


    ¡°Next time, the rags I saved have run out today.¡±


    Zheng Yuefen opened her mouth and almost said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you just say you were going to make clothes for Meixiang, and you said you had a few pieces of flower cloth. How come you ran out of cloth for Shitou?¡±


    But in the end, she did not open her mouth. She would not let them know that she had just eavesdropped.


    Zhao Meixiang stood in the middle and watched her new sister-in-law, who had entered their family yesterday. And the next day, she met her second sister-in-law¡¯s needle. She was really impressed with her new sister-in-law.


    She didn¡¯t expect her to look so soft and weak, but her temper was hard to control!


    While they were talking, Zhao Donglin pushed his bicycle into the yard.


    Zhang Qiaoer saw her son enter the kitchen and shouted to her daughter and daughter-in-law, who were talking in the courtyard, ¡°Donglin is back, let¡¯s eat.¡±


    The meal was set up with a table full of chicken, pork, fish, and shrimp. All of it was leftover dishes from the previous day¡¯s events.


    These dishes are not leftovers from the dinner table at the wedding banquet. The food that was served on the tables was already gone. The plate was licked clean.


    These dishes are specially prepared by the chef to prevent insufficient food. After the wedding banquet, when Zhao Mexiang came home, Zhang Qiaoer brought some for her, the rest for her neighbors, and the rest for her own food.


    Dong Jiahui looked at the rest of the dishes and reheated them once tonight.


    Today¡¯s meal was cooked by Jiahui. Let¡¯s taste it. ¡°


    Zhang Qiaoer and Zhao Changgui moved the chopsticks first, and then others followed. This is the rule of the Zhao family.


    Zhao Donglin¡¯s chopsticks went to the plate of scrambled eggs with leeks first. He had to support his own wife¡¯s work first. He had not eaten his wife¡¯s cooking yet.


    The farmhouse pot rice fire was strong; the vegetables that went in the pot would be cooked already after stir-frying a few times.


    Sometimes the same ingredients are made by different people with different tastes. I don¡¯t know whether Dong Jiahui is gifted at cooking or whether she is more willing to put oil in her pan than Zhang Qiaoer. Anyway, the taste of the food she fried was really not bad.


    Well, it tastes good. It¡¯s very delicious.


    Zhao Donglin felt like he could eat three bowls of rice with this plate of scrambled eggs with leeks.


    The green vegetables also taste good. When Dong Jiahui cooked, she especially chose a chopstick meat oil. Several mushrooms grew on the wood in the corner. Dong Jiahui also took it off and fried it with the green vegetables.


    Zhang Qiaoer took a bite, and her eyes lit up. Her cooking skills are not good. She belongs to the kind who can cook but does not have any requirements for taste. In the past, Wang Mei and her second daughter-in-law didn¡¯t like cooking. The things they made were like pig food. There is always a smell of rotten rags in the meal. She didn¡¯t expect that the cooking skills of the new daughter-in-law would be so good.


    ¡°No wonder your sister-in-law praised you for cooking well on the day when we went to see your relatives. The taste is different from others. ¡°


    The mother-in-law complimented Dong Jiahui, who smiled down in embarrassment and said modestly, ¡°They are all sisters-in-law selling melons. My cooking is also average, but it¡¯s not bad.¡±


    Zhang Qiaoer laughed and said, ¡°Don¡¯t be modest. I¡¯m telling the truth. I never thought I would be able to enjoy the blessings of having a daughter-in-law in this life. I¡¯ll leave the future meals of our family to you. Seeing that you can¡¯t do rough work, but you are quite good at these fine jobs. ¡°


    This is purely Zhang Qiaoer¡¯s misunderstanding. Seeing Jiahui¡¯s gentle and thin, she thinks she has little strength. In fact, Jiahui¡¯s skeleton was just small and appeared weak.


    Dong Jiahui didn¡¯t think much of it and thought her mother-in-law was arranging a job for her, so she directly nodded her head and agreed.


    Okay, as long as Mom loves to eat my food, then I will do all the cooking at home from now on.


    Her little mouth was sweet. Zhang Qiaoer was very happy when she heard it. Zhao Donglin also looked at his wife quietly. I was looking at the smile on her face and how her eyes were bright. Obviously, she was in a good mood.


    Zhao Donglin was relieved to see how well Jiahui got along with his mother. Zhang Qiaoer didn¡¯t want him to marry Jiahui before. Although she later changed her decision, he was not sure that they could get along well. Looking at Jiahui¡¯s performance today, he felt he didn¡¯t have to worry so much.


    Zheng Yuefen tilted her lips and secretly scolded the ass-kisser, Dong Jiahui. At the same time, she also felt that her mother-in-law was eccentric.


    What do you mean by ¡°finally enjoying the blessings of having a daughter-in-law¡±? Could it be that the mother-in-law didn¡¯t think that she was blessed before Dong Jiahui entered the family?


    Wasn¡¯t it just cooking a meal? She¡¯s just a divorced woman who can¡¯t give birth to children, and she¡¯s just a stepmother.


    Thinking about it, Zheng Yuefen took the chopsticks and fried eggs with leeks and put them in Heidan¡¯s bowl.


    ¡°Heidan, come on, eat your mother¡¯s cooking, see if it is to your liking.¡±


    Heidan, who was eating and gnawing on a chicken bone, didn¡¯t stop moving his mouth. He pulled out the dish that Zheng Yuefen had given and put it aside.


    ¡°Hey, why don¡¯t you eat it? This is what your mother cooked. Your father and your mother said it was delicious. Quickly try it. ¡°


    Dong Jiahui frowned slightly, if not for her own sensitivity, she wouldn¡¯t know that Zheng Yuefen¡¯s words could be a bit too deliberate.


    ¡°If Heidan doesn¡¯t eat, he doesn¡¯t eat. Children definitely love meat, and he loves to eat what he clips.¡±


    Dong Jiahui looked at Zhao Donglin and Zhang Qiaoer, whose faces were not good. She does not want to have an unpleasant day on her second day of marriage. Heidan is an innocent disaster. It¡¯s Zheng Yuefen who deliberately instigates it.


    All right, have a good meal. Heidan usually doesn¡¯t care about eating. Why are you talking too much today? ¡°


    Living for a long time, can Zhang Qiaoer not understand her second daughter-in-law¡¯s behaviour? It¡¯s because she was not an evil mother-in-law; otherwise, with the behaviour of the second daughter-in-law, she¡¯d have had to be killed by the mother-in-law.


    ¡°Eat quickly and feed Shitou.¡±


    Dong Jiahui prepared steamed eggs for the children. Yingbao was still small and couldn¡¯t eat the meals of these adults. As for Shitou, although he¡¯s not small, he can¡¯t eat it by himself. Zheng Yuefen eats it by herself first and then feeds it to Shitou.


    After a messy lunch, Zhao Meixiang was responsible for washing the pots and dishes. Dong Jiahui feeds Yingbao after dinner and sees Yingbao¡¯s eyelids come down. She knew she was starting to fall asleep.


    ¡°Yingbao has to sleep for two hours every afternoon, so she should be sleepy now.¡±


    Dong Jiahui nodded and untied Yingbao¡¯s bib, which was dripping with vegetable soup. She took Yingbao into her arms, rested her head on her shoulder, and patted her back as she entered the house.


    ¡°I think this sister-in-law is quite good. With only a small amount of time in the morning, she made a few bibs for Yingbao.¡±


    You won¡¯t do it if you don¡¯t really love it.


    Indeed, she is good, except for being divorced. I am still quite satisfied with her. ¡°


    When Zhao Meixiang heard this sentence, she hurriedly looked out the window to see if there was anyone there.


    ¡°Mom, you can¡¯t let your brother and sister-in-law hear this. They would be upset.¡±


    ¡°Am I not aware? You didn¡¯t see your brother? His eyes were always on his wife. ¡°


    ¡°They are newlyweds; it¡¯s normal to have good feelings.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re our family¡¯s little daughter. Can you say such things?¡±


    Oh, mom, I¡¯m so old. Don¡¯t always treat me like a child, okay?


    When her sister got married, her mother always talked to her sister in front of her about the way to get along as a couple. She grew up listening to this. Could she not understand?


    Wait for the new year and I will find someone for you. I¡¯m telling you, I¡¯ve married your father at your age. ¡°


    Zhao Meixiang, who had just spoken very tigerishly, blushed after hearing her mother say that she would find someone for her.


    I¡¯m not in a hurry; I think it¡¯s good to stay at home.


    ¡°Humph, when a girl is of age, she must be married off. If you stay here, you will stay with a grudge. If you don¡¯t find someone in two years, you should not blame me.


    If you stay here, you will stay with a grudge. When a girl grows up, she will have a family with someone she loves. If you ignore it as a parent or guardian, it will inevitably lead to resentment.


    ¡°Mom, you are wronging me. When have I ever blamed you? If you want to keep me, then I will never marry anyone. ¡°


    Their family is still quite good; their parents have never given preference to sons over daughters, and the family conditions are good; at least she has never been hungry.


    Dong Jiahui entered the room with Yingbao in her arms, and Zhao Donglin was writing on his desk.


    ¡°She¡¯s asleep?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Zhao Donglin got up to pick up Yingbao. Unexpectedly, as soon as he touched Yingbao, she hummed twice and held Dong Jiahui tightly.


    Zhao Donglin awkwardly held up his hand. Dong Jiahui smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯ll hold her, you move the covers a little, and then I¡¯ll put her down when she¡¯s asleep.¡±


    After washing the sheets in the morning, Dong Jiahui put on a new one, the old-fashioned pink, blue, and green stripes.


    Zhao Donglin responded by moving the folded quilt inside the bed, leaving an empty piece outside.


    Dong Jiahui patted Yingbao¡¯s back and looked down. After confirming that she was sleeping quite heavily, she bent down to put her on the bed. She didn¡¯t leave immediately after putting her down, but continued to pat Yingbao and covered her with the quilt only after she had settled down.


    Zhao Donglin watched Dong Jiahui¡¯s series of actions. Her patience with Yingbao was unmistakable, which filled his heart with gratitude and respect.


    ¡°You¡¯re working?¡±


    ¡°What time do you go to the village committee this afternoon?¡±


    ¡°Two o¡¯clock.¡±


    ¡°Then do you want to rest at noon?¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t have the habit of taking a lunch break. If you¡¯re tired, you can sleep with Yingbao. ¡°


    Dong Jiahui shook her head and said, ¡°No, I haven¡¯t done any work all day, so I don¡¯t need to rest.¡±


    Compared to the family¡¯s work in the field, she just cooks and takes care of the children, which is easy enough.


    You have not been idle since you got up in the morning, so don¡¯t be embarrassed to rest when you are tired. You are my family and we will be living together for a long time, so there is no need to think too much.


    Dong Jiahui smiled and nodded. Zhao Donglin said this is the truth and she also understands it. If she was really tired, she would certainly rest, but she really is not tired at all. Being told to lie down, there is no need to look for trouble.


    ¡°Then you work, and I¡¯ll go out and talk to Mei Xiang for a while.¡±


    Zhao Donglin wanted to say that there was no need to go out; she was fine staying in the house, but when he saw that Dong Jiahui had a leather ruler in her hand and was going to measure Zhao Meixiang, he didn¡¯t say anything.


    ¡°Sister-in-law, you really don¡¯t need to make my clothes. I was just mentioning it casually.¡±


    It¡¯s all right. I¡¯ll just measure it. I don¡¯t know when I will do it.


    After measuring Zhao Meixiang, she went to measure Zhang Qiaoer as well.


    I don¡¯t have the right cloth now, so I¡¯ll make it for mom when I buy the cloth next time I go to town.


    ¡°Aigoo,¡± I said, ¡°I don¡¯t lack clothes. Don¡¯t bother with that.¡±


    ¡°There are still two months to go before the New Year, and we must make new clothes for the New Year.


    I know you are good at your craft. I heard that you used to earn money with this craft at your mother¡¯s house.


    It¡¯s just that people who I knew came to me to do some work.


    Zhao Meixiang was still envious. It¡¯s a great thing to make money with her craft in this era. No matter how much she earns or how little she earns, she always has this ability, doesn¡¯t she?


    ¡°That¡¯s great, sister-in-law. Can I follow you to learn how to make clothes?¡±


    Zhao Meixiang raised this request, but she was also worried that her new sister-in-law was not willing to teach her. She thought that she did not want to compete with her sister-in-law, she only wanted to learn a skill. Not to mention how well she can do it. She just managed to get by. When she really got married, couldn¡¯t she use it?


    ¡°Yes, there are many skills I can teach. You can learn from me in the future. ¡°

 CH 29

    Chapter 29


    When Zheng Yuefen heard a burst of laughter outside the window, she was furious. Dong Jiahui had only been here in the family for two days and she had won over her Mother-in-law and sister-in-law. She had made clothes for them but, for her, she wouldn¡¯t even make a bib for Shitou


    ¡°That¡¯s too bullying. I really can¡¯t get through this day.¡±


    The more Zheng Yuefen thought about it, the angrier she became, and couldn¡¯t help but nag her husband.


    ¡°What is it again?¡±


    Zhao Donghe knows his wife¡¯s character too well. She always cares about some trivial things, and she was small-minded. If it wasn¡¯t for his mother to keep her in check, ensuring that she won¡¯t make a fuss, he wouldn¡¯t know what the family would become.


    Your new sister-in-law made new clothes for your sister and mother, but she refused to make a bib for Shitou.


    After listening to one sentence, Zhao Donghe was not interested in listening again.


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t owe you anything; she can make it for whoever she wants to.¡±


    Seeing that her husband didn¡¯t share the common hatred with her, Zheng Yuefen frowned and shook her head and asked, ¡°Zhao Donghe, what do you mean? Which side are you on? You saw how happy mother was when she coaxed her. If she likes her more, won¡¯t we be at a disadvantage?¡±


    Her in-laws have two sons. Before, their eldest son was not often at home. Her in-laws relied on her husband. Later, their eldest son returned home as a professional and became a village branch secretary. My mother-in-law¡¯s heart has begun to be biased. If the new sister-in-law gets her in-law¡¯s heart again, will there be a place for her and Donghe in the family?


    Zhao Donghe doesn¡¯t know the scheme in his wife¡¯s heart. Perhaps he knows, but he did not take it seriously. He snickered. ¡°If you¡¯re afraid that mother will like her more, you should coax mother. You married earlier than your new sister-in-law. It¡¯s reasonable to say that mother should like you more. If you had coaxed mother to make her happy earlier, you wouldn¡¯t worry that your new sister-in-law will be liked more by mother.¡±


    Zheng Yuefen was wronged by Zhao Donghe, but she just didn¡¯t accept this anger.


    ¡°I¡¯m just straightforward. I just can¡¯t say those mushy words lie [Mom, you worked hard.] and [As long as Mom likes it.] Mom this and Mom that. I wouldn¡¯t climb up and say these words just like that leftover!¡±


    Zhao Donghe shook his head helplessly.


    What do you want me to say? Who doesn¡¯t like listening to good words? I know my mother likes listening to you say those words, but you don¡¯t want to say them. If you are as sweet as your sister-in-law, can my mother not like you?¡±


    Zheng Yuefen rolled her eyes and said, ¡°So you are now admitting that mom is biased?¡±


    Zhao Donghe frowned and denied, ¡°When did I say mom was biased?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that if I had a sweet mouth, mom would like me, doesn¡¯t that mean that mom doesn¡¯t like me?¡±


    Zhao Donghe patted his head and felt that he was wasting his time with her, so he might as well get a good night¡¯s sleep.


    He immediately laid down and pulled the quilt back to cover himself. He closed his eyes and said, ¡°Okay, you can say whatever you like to say. I¡¯ll sleep first. I have to work in the afternoon.¡±


    Zheng Yuefen was so angry that she lifted her leg and kicked him.


    Sleep, sleep, sleep. All you know is sleep. What else can you do but sleep?


    Heh, you do not like to sleep? Then how did we make Shitou? Didn¡¯t you hold me that night when you didn¡¯t want to sleep? ¡°


    Zheng Yuefen spat with a red face, ¡°Bah! Who is holding you? Don¡¯t hold me if you have the ability. ¡°


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to hug then, don¡¯t hug me. I will not hug you today, do not beg me when it is dark.¡±


    Zheng Yuefen grunted and carried Shitou directly out of the courtyard and went to the next door.


    ¡°How is your new sister-in-law?¡±


    The next-door neighbor was a family surnamed Ding. The wife¡¯s name is Zhang Yulan, more than ten years older than Zheng Yuefen. Although the age difference between the two was big, somehow, they just look right together. Zheng Yuefen often comes over to talk to her.


    ¡°I think the previous one was better. It¡¯s not a good match.¡±


    Wang Mei is determined to return to the city. She doesn¡¯t care about the Zhao family at all. For her, it¡¯s a very cheap thing to argue with people like Zheng Yuefen. Therefore, she never had any conflicts with Zheng Yuefen, and she ignored her directly.


    Zheng Yuefen obviously did not understand Wang Mei¡¯s intentions, she only thought that Wang Mei was open-minded, unlike this Dong Jiahui, who was stingy and petty.


    When she heard Zheng Yuefen say this, Zhang Yulan raised her eyes, ¡°You don¡¯t like it? Your new sister-in-law looks pretty soft. There¡¯s always a smile on her face, and she doesn¡¯t care about what people say.¡±


    Zhang Yulan was referring to Dong Jiahui¡¯s performance yesterday when she was acting like a gorilla in the zoo in the new house, but she was smiling all the time, and she responded to everything that people said.


    Zheng Yuefen sneered, ¡°It¡¯s all pretend, her mouth can talk. She coaxed Mother-in-law and sister-in-law too much.¡±


    Then she told Zhang Yulan about today.


    Let me tell you. There is enough cloth. I told her to make one for Shitou. She said it¡¯s not good for Shitou to use fancy clothes. In the twinkling of an eye, she measured the sizes for Meixiang and my mother-in-law. When the new year comes, she wants to make new clothes for them.


    Zhang Yulan staggered, ¡°She¡¯s like this? How nice she is. You¡¯re a family. Why would she divide the family? ¡°


    Zheng Yuefen finally got the recognition and response from others, and at once it was as if she had found a confidant.


    ¡°No, how much cloth can a child¡¯s bib cost? She refused to even think about it, she just didn¡¯t want to do it for Shitou.¡±


    Zhang Yulan said while nailing the soles of her shoes, ¡°Then you have to be on guard in the future. Your big brother has a monthly salary of 62 yuan, your brother used to give the money to your Mother-in-law, now he married a wife, and her wife is powerful, wouldn¡¯t your big brother leave some private money for his wife to spend? What if your Mother-in-law was also biased, won¡¯t you and Donghe lose out?¡±


    Zhang Yulan¡¯s words enlightened Zheng Yuefen!


    ¡°Sister Lan, if you didn¡¯t mention this, I wouldn¡¯t remember this. Big brother will be able to take his salary on the 20th of each month.  Today is the 11th day, there are nine days before he gets paid.¡±


    The good days of the Zhao family indeed came from the light of Zhao Donglin, and it was not really false. Why has Zheng Yuefen been married for so many years and has not thought about separating her family? It is because Zhao Donglin has a monthly wage earner, and the money was managed by her mother-in-law.


    ¡°It should not be, my mother-in-law certainly cannot agree.¡±


    She didn¡¯t see her previous sister-in-law, Wang Mei got private money from big brother.


    ¡°Men who weren¡¯t accompanied by their wives wouldn¡¯t know the beauty of having a wife.¡± But now, they are together every day. She is even eight years younger than he is. She looks beautiful. Can he not be moved? ¡°


    When Zhang Yulan said this, Zheng Yuefen remembered that Dong Jiahui¡¯s face was white and thin. It wasn¡¯t as big as a palm. The important thing was that her big brother seemed like he was very satisfied with his new wife. In the beginning, the eldest brother wanted to marry her.


    After Zhang Yulan mentioned it, Zheng Yuefen began to pay attention to it. Before, as long as she got the salary, mother in law would weigh two kilograms of meat on her way back. On the day, she would know if there was meat at home.


    After Zhang Yulan mentioned, Zheng Yuefen began to pay attention to this matter, before as long as the salary, Mother-in-law will stop by to weigh two pounds of meat back, When the day comes, you just have to look whether there is meat at home.


    The family went to work in the afternoon, and Dong Jiahui was still home alone with Yingbao.


    When it¡¯s late in the day, drive the chickens to the chicken pen, and you can cook dinner.


    Zhang Qiaoer explained two words and left.


    Yingbao, we are the only ones left at home again. What do you want to eat tonight? Why don¡¯t I make you a fortune cake? ¡°


    Since Zhang Qiaoer gave her the task of cooking when she just joined the family, Dong Jiahui still wanted to cook two meals, but she also liked to make her craft look good.


    The first step was to mix cornmeal and flour, add yeast and brown sugar, and mix the dough with warm water.


    Once the dough is ready, spread a piece of gauze on the steamer, apply oil on the surrounding areas that can contact the dough, pick the dough and put it into the steamer with chopsticks, wipe the dough flat with water or oil on your hands, and cover it to start fermentation.


    The fermentation time is determined by the temperature. It is shorter in the summer and longer in the winter. It will be successful when the flour is about twice the original volume.


    If the family has dates, candied fruits, and so on, she can use them to sprinkle in a layer, but since Jiahui just entered the door, she didn¡¯t know whether the Zhao family had these, plus she already added brown sugar to the dough, so she won¡¯t add any more.


    After the preparations, the next step is to put the flour on the pot and steam it, covering it with a piece of gauze to prevent water vapor from dripping in.


    According to Dong Jiahui¡¯s experience, 20 minutes is enough for this size of cake.


    Don¡¯t remove the lid immediately after steaming, but wait for the temperature to drop before gently removing the gauze and gently shaking the steam drawer a few times to loosen the hair pudding and then invert it onto the counter.


    Dong Jiahui pinched a thumb-sized piece and tasted it. It tasted sweet and fluffy without sticking to the teeth.


    ¡°Yingbao, try it. It¡¯s delicious.


    Dong Jiahui cut a small piece for Yingbao. She blew on it before bringing it to Yingbao¡¯s mouth, and when she finished chewing it, Dong Jiahui smiled and asked, ¡°Yingbao, is the fortune cake good?¡±


    Yingbao nodded while eating. Children already like to eat sweet things, so when the brown sugar was added to the fortune cake, the sweetness of brown sugar and the aroma of cornmeal perfectly blended. It was soft and fluffy, the children naturally liked to eat it.


    ¡°Then do you still want to eat?¡±


    Yingbao nodded her head.


    ¡°Little clever.¡±


    Dong Jiahui pinched Yingbao¡¯s little face, exclaiming that children¡¯s skin was good, smooth in the hand, like tender tofu.


    When she is at this age, even if she takes good care of herself, she will not have the same smooth skin feeling like the children.


    I will give you a piece. You sit there and eat slowly. I¡¯m going to start cooking dinner, okay?¡±


    Yingbao nodded obediently and sat alone on a small bench. She obediently nibbles on the fortune cake one bite at a time like a small rabbit.


    After finishing the first batch, Dong Jiahui made another batch. Because she had previous experience and mastered how to cook over the fire, this batch was more successful.


    After making the fortune cake, Dong Jiahui began to cook the porridge, cornflour and sweet potato porridge. She heated the rest of the dishes and fried a pickle. She didn¡¯t get anything else.


    In the countryside, they don¡¯t pay attention to the taste of the food. While cooking, she also has to consider the situation at home. She can¡¯t lose all the family¡¯s stock at once. She guessed that her mother-in-law wouldn¡¯t dare let her into the kitchen again in the future.


    The cooked rice was smothered in a pot, and looking at the time, everyone will be back soon.


    After driving the hens back to the chicken pen, Dong Jiahui took the dried clothes and sheets back into the house and sat on the edge of the bed to fold them.


    The bicycle¡¯s bell rang. Zhao Donglin came back first. After entering the house, he looked around. He didn¡¯t see Jiahui in the yard. Then he entered the room. He saw Dong Jiahui sitting by the bed folding clothes and Yingbao playing with her legs on the sofa.


    ¡°Back?¡±


    Dong Jiahui had long heard the sound of the bicycle and knew that it was Zhao Donglin who had returned, after all, this was the only bicycle in the Zhao family and there was no one else but Zhao Donglin had it.


    She looked back while folding her clothes, a gentle smile that made Zhao Donglin¡¯s heart as warm and comfortable as cotton wool in the winter.


    He smiled at Dong Jiahui and reached out to take Yingbao into his arms.


    ¡°Yingbao, have you been good at home today?¡±


    Yingbao hugged Zhao Donglin¡¯s neck and bowed his head without saying anything. In fact, Dong Jiahui had already noticed that Yingbao was not close to Zhao Donglin, including Heidan, who was a bit afraid of him.


    Dong Jiahui smiled and said, ¡°Yingbao is very well behaved. She was especially obedient, she didn¡¯t make any noise when she wake up from her nap, and she even ate two small pieces of fortune cake.¡±


    Yingbao looked at Dong Jiahui and smiled, a smile with the shyness exclusive from children.


    Zhao Donglin smiled and stroked Yingbao¡¯s head, sighing, ¡°You get along better with Yingbao than I do. With only one day¡¯s work and she likes you.¡±


    After returning from the army, he was determined to raise his children. Who knew that when he went into the village, he would work every day and he didn¡¯t have much time to stay at home. Usually, his mother and sister took care of his children.


    As for Heidan, before, he would sleep with him every night. When he thought that his relationship with Heidan was okay, he was quite lively and understanding, but aside from these two days, his performance was not satisfactory.


    ¡°Maybe I¡¯m more kid-friendly, my mother¡¯s niece also likes me.¡±


    Zhao Donglin smiled. The child is the simplest. If someone was good to them, they would be good to that person in return. Like Yingbao, at home she was closest to his mother and Mei Xiang because they had more time with her, they spend more energy, even he, the father, because he doesn¡¯t have much time to accompany his daughter, it is not easy for him to get close to his daughter.


    The reason why the child fell in love with her in one day was that Dong Jiahui is patient with the child, and it is because Yingbao feels the kindness of Dong Jiahui, she was willing to get close and like her.


    The Zhao family came home one after another after it was getting hot and dark. The seeds that were planted in these past few days had to be plowed before they were frozen to plant winter wheat.


    The production team only has two cows and a tractor. Most of the lands still depend on human labour to complete.


    It is reasonable to say that Zhao Donglin was also very busy during this period of time. He has to inspect the work of all teams in the village. In the past, he came back only after it was dark. After he got married, he also learned to be on time. People in the village committee joked that people who get married and have a wife were really different, and they know that he would return home like an arrow.


    Dong Jiahui¡¯s dinner was unanimously approved by the family, and the fortune cake looked simple, but it was not easy to make.


    The men are fine, just fill their stomachs, but the women in the family liked this sweet and fluffy food. It is a meal that is a pleasure to eat.


    After a hard day in the field, Zhang Qiaoer was satisfied to have such a delicious dinner.


    After eating their dinner and doing some chores, Dong Jiahui was supposed to take Yingbao to bed with her. She had been carrying her for a day.


    ¡°You¡¯re still newlyweds, there¡¯s no need to rush to raise the baby.¡±


    How can you cultivate feelings with the child first? Didn¡¯t you see my son¡¯s face full of anxiety?


    When Zhao Meixiang took Yingbao from Dong Jiahui, Dong Jiahui¡¯s face turned red. Mother-in-law was really ¡°thinking¡± of her, and had reserved a world for them. However, she doesn¡¯t know how to face Zhao Donglin now.


    When she came back to the room, Zhao Donglin was reading the meeting notes, wearing a white undershirt with his smooth muscles showing, bursting with a firm and manly taste.

 CH 30

    Chapter 30


    As soon as Dong Jiahui entered the room, she felt a tense and suffocating aura in the air. She bit her lip and walked past Zhao Donglin, then went to the dressing table and wiped her hair in front of the mirror.


    The dressing table was against the bed, just on the right side of the desk. Zhao Donglin turned his head to look at her, and Dong Jiahui¡¯s beautiful physique was revealed with her action of wiping her hair.


    Her head was facing sideways. From his direction, she could see her soft chin, slender wrists exposed from her cuffs, her snowy skin after taking a bath, and rosy lips as if they were painted with red.


    Zhao Donglin unconsciously gulped. He took a deep breath and turned his head, forcing himself to stop looking.


    Dong Jiahui combed her hair until it was half dry. When she turned around, she saw Zhao Donglin was still sitting in front of the desk.


    It¡¯s embarrassing. There are no leisure activities in this era when the night comes. No TV, no cellphone, no internet, no books at home except for the meeting report that Zhao Donglin brought back.


    Although it¡¯s dark outside, it¡¯s only eight o¡¯clock now. Even though she wanted to sleep, she was unable to sleep.


    Dong Jiahui lay in bed with her eyes closed and started to count the sheep. At about 9:00, Zhao Donglin stepped on his shoes and walked to the bed. He took off his coat and came up to the bed.


    In the quiet night, any slight movement seemed to expand dozens of times in Dong Jiahui¡¯s mind. She opened her eyes and looked at the pattern on the bed curtain. Because it was prepared for the wedding, it was embroidered with several fat mandarin ducks.


    When Zhao Donglin¡¯s hand wrapped around Dong Jiahui¡¯s waist, her heart pounded and her whole body stiffened.


    ¡°Jiahui.¡±


    Zhao Donglin whispered to her ear softly, and Dong Jiahui turned back and met Zhao Donglin¡¯s eyes.


    It seemed that there was light shining in his eyes, and a surge of love and care was hidden beneath those eyes. Dong Jiahui¡¯s breathing began to be disordered. When Zhao Donglin¡¯s kiss fell on her lips, she gradually found her senses.


    Don¡¯t be afraid; I¡¯ll take my time.


    Dong Jiahui¡¯s eyes glistened with tears. She tightly bit her lips to keep herself from making a sound. The countryside house was not well soundproofed, and it was too humiliating to be heard by someone.


    It may be painful or hard to bear, but Zhao Donglin was patient enough. The first meeting of their souls took place on this slightly cool night.


    Afterwards, Zhao Donglin wrapped his arms around Dong Jiahui and rubbed the warmth of his arms through the covers.


    ¡°I was a little shocked yesterday too. Would you like to talk about it?¡±


    Dong Jiahui gave an explanation and told the reason she had thought of before.


    ¡°He couldn¡¯t do that and he hasn¡¯t touched me.¡±


    Zhao Donglin closed his eyes. He thought of this reason, but he didn¡¯t expect it to be true.


    He didn¡¯t mind from the beginning that Jiahui had been divorced, but life had given him a real surprise. This surprise was too big, so big that he had to reconsider his marriage.


    Before, he thought, if Jiahui really can¡¯t have a baby, it doesn¡¯t matter, they can raise Heidan and Yingbao together. What he really wanted was a gentle wife and a warm family. The number of children was not the basis of their marital happiness.


    But now, Jiahui and Zhao did not have children for this reason. Since it is not true that they cannot have children, then in the future, the probability that they will have children is very high.


    With the thought of having a child with Jiahui in the future, Zhao Donglin was excited and at the same time worried about Heidan and Yingbao. Now it seems that Jiahui has a good relationship with Yingbao. He doesn¡¯t have to worry about that. After all, Yingbao was still young and had no impression of Wang Mei, but Heidan was different. He is four years old, and he has a memory of Wang Mei when she left.


    Thinking about Heidan¡¯s inexplicable hostility towards Jiahui in the past two days, Zhao Donglin felt it was better to solve the problem as soon as possible, waiting for the conflict to intensify more would be bad.


    Have you had a hard time before?


    It should be hard to be a sinner in the mouths of others and be the subject of rumours from others with unwarranted charges.


    He was still in the army when she got divorced, and after he came back, he heard people say that she had also jumped into the river because of the divorce. Zhao Donglin had never believed this rumor because when he first met Jiahui in town, the gentle and calm person she showed did not look like someone who would jump into the river and want to die.


    After Zhao Donglin asked her, Dong Jiahui carefully thought about the question of whether she was having a hard time. The answer should be given separately from before she came and after she came.


    It should be painful for the original owner. After all, in this era, divorce is a big deal. Otherwise, why would the original owner jump into the river to commit suicide? But if he was asking about herself, she was really okay. The Dong family was good to her. They had accepted her with the greatest goodwill, and they did not just find someone for her to marry. This was enough to make her grateful.


    Of course, she will not marry just anyone, but if the Dong family were not so kind, her life would be very difficult. Even if she escapes, she will face the dilemma of not knowing where to go. There¡¯s no letter of introduction, no proof of identity. She will never be able to live openly; she can only live with an unregistered household.


    Moreover, whether a young woman could protect herself from infringement in this strange era was also a problem. Therefore, she has always been grateful for the kindness and integrity of the Dong family.


    Fortunately, the previous things are in the past. I do not want to think about them at all.


    Zhao Donglin kissed the top of her hair compassionately and hugged her a little tighter.


    ¡°Then don¡¯t think about it. Let¡¯s live our lives together in the future.¡±


    ¡°En.¡±


    Dong Jiahui wanted to ask Zhao Donglin about his previous wife, but the words in her mouth didn¡¯t come out. One reason was that she didn¡¯t want to break the good atmosphere, and the other was that she did not want to know Zhao Donglin and his ex-wife¡¯s affairs.


    Knowing more makes her unhappy. Why bother about that? As long as he is good to herself.


    It was late at night. The shadow of the tree swayed in the cold wind. Although it was dark in the room, it was hot. Jiahui went to sleep in the early morning. The next day, she heard the cock crow and she struggled to open her eyes. She was surprised by the pain in her body.


    She gave a cry, Zhao Donglin stretched out his generous palm and started to massage her through the clothes.


    He had been in the army and was very good at pressing acupuncture points and such.


    ¡°Tired, right? You don¡¯t have to get up early today. Get some more sleep. ¡°


    Last night, he did not hold back. He asked for it again and again. In the end, it was his wife who suffered, and Zhao Donglin was also distressed.


    Fortunately, it was not so swollen.


    Dong Jiahui¡¯s face was bright red and ashamed, which unconsciously stirred Zhao Donglin¡¯s heartstrings.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll rub it for you.¡±


    ¡°En.¡±


    Jiahui answered softly and leaned against Zhao Donglin¡¯s chest. She was as soft and clever as a little rabbit. Zhao Donglin¡¯s heart was so full that he couldn¡¯t contain it. His face overflowed with a gentle smile.


    Dong Jiahui still got up in the end. Her long hair trailed over her shoulders, combed with her hand. Zhao Donglin really felt sick. He could look at her quietly all day. Whether she was combing her hair with her hand, dressing up and folding the quilt, or washing and combing her hair, her every move was beautiful.


    ¡°Why do you keep looking at me?¡±


    ¡°You look beautiful.¡±


    Dong Jiahui glanced at him and said, with a smile, ¡°Secretary Zhao can really talk. ate too much sugar? ¡°


    Zhao Donglin walked over. He kissed her lips and tossed her around for a moment. He looked down at her and asked, ¡°Did you taste it? Did I eat sugar? ¡°


    Dong Jiahui stroked her chest. She had only had one pure love affair on campus before. She had never had such real contact with men. Before, she only thought Zhao Donglin was an honest and reliable man. She didn¡¯t expect that he could flirt and that he could make her blush and make her heart beat.


    She glared at him with a red face, blaming him for making her heart beat so fast.


    In the kitchen, Zhang Qiaoer was already up and boiling water, and Heidan was playing with the wood in front of the stove.


    ¡°Up?¡±


    ¡°Yes, mom, did I get up late?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m boiling hot water. When it boils, I¡¯ll first use the two pots of hot water, and the rest will be left to cook breakfast. ¡°


    ¡°Yes, can I cook breakfast today?¡±


    Okay, I¡¯m not going to compete with you on the cooking part.


    Dong Jiahui smiled. She looked at Heidan, and she hesitantly went over and touched his head.


    ¡°Heidan, what do you want to eat this morning? I will make it for you, okay?¡±


    Heidan lowered his head to play with the wood and just didn¡¯t look up at Jiahui.


    Dong Jiahui didn¡¯t feel bad, but Zhang Qiaoer was a little helpless.


    Heidan said that this child, although he was small, had a tight mouth. She can¡¯t pry open what he doesn¡¯t want to say. She also asked privately why he ignored his new mother, but he didn¡¯t speak. Zhang Qiaoer can¡¯t help it.


    ¡°Mom, I see that there is pumpkin at home. I want to make pumpkin pie for the children to eat. It just costs some oil.¡±


    Dong Jiahui wanted to say something, but she actually meant to ask her mother-in-law.


    The amount of oil used to fry the pumpkin pancakes was a lot, but Dong Jiahui also thought that the oil left over after frying could still be used when stir-frying at noon, so it was not a waste.


    You can make them if you want to. I¡¯ve made some soybean oil for your wedding, so I¡¯ll have enough for the rest of the year. ¡°


    After Mother-in-law agreed, Dong Jiahui turned back to Heidan and said, ¡°Do you like pumpkin pancakes? The sweet and fragrant pumpkin pancakes have the color orange. It is delicious, so nod your head if you want to eat them, okay? ¡°


    The pumpkin belongs to her parents. Dong Jiahui only remembered to make pumpkin pancakes when she saw a dozen pumpkins piled up in the corner of the house.


    Heidan did not look up, but Dong Jiahui noticed a pause in his hand. He was obviously interested in the topic.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll make pumpkin pie for Heidan.¡±


    Before she left, she patted Heidan¡¯s head with mixed feelings in her heart.


    Although Heidan doesn¡¯t like to pay attention to her, she was a stepmother. He is so small and yet he doesn¡¯t have the love of his real mother. In fact, he is very pitiful.


    She is not Wang Mei. She didn¡¯t know why Wang Mei was so obsessed with returning to the city. In her opinion, in this era, although there are many inconveniences, it¡¯s still a lovely place. The most important thing is that Wang Mei already has two children. She really wants to leave the children behind?


    When she said she would do it, she would really do it. Dong Jiahui took a pumpkin from the corner. She washed it and cut it in half, leaving the half. She emptied out the other half, peeled and sliced it, and put it in a container.


    The pumpkin needed to be steamed, and it just so happened that Zhang Qiaoer was boiling water, so Dong Jiahui put a lid on the container and put it in the water to steam.


    It takes about a quarter of an hour in between, so Dong Jiahui took this time to prepare the other flour needed. After the pumpkin was steamed, she took it out. She pressed it into a puree with a spoon. She then added the flour, glutinous rice flour, and brown sugar in turn. She mixed it well and kneaded it into a dough.


    After making some round cakes, Jiahui pinched the shape of a pig to Heidan on a whim.


    ¡°Heidan, look at this little pig. How about I make this little pig for you to eat?¡±


    Heidan looked at the cartoon image of the pig in Jiahui¡¯s hand, and his eyes showed the emotion of childish curiosity and wanting to study it. He was obviously very interested.


    Seeing the change in Heidan¡¯s demeanor, Dong Jiahui continued to guide Heidan with words.


    ¡°Look how cute it is. Do you like it?¡±


    Heidan looked at Dong Jiahui and then looked at the piglet in her hand, and when Dong Jiahui thought he would not respond, she saw him nod his head.


    The stone in Dong Jiahui¡¯s heart fell. It¡¯s good that there¡¯s a response. As long as he was willing to open a gap in his heart, she could warm him up a little with care and patience.


    ¡°You like it, right? I¡¯ll make three. You can give it to your sister, okay? ¡°


    Heidan beamed, but he did not say yes or no.


    Dong Jiahui tried to understand Heidan¡¯s emotions; he liked this piggy. She said she would make three for him and five for his brother and sister. But he was not happy. Does that mean he did not want to share it with his sister?


    Thinking of this, Dong Jiahui continued to patiently understand Heidan¡¯s emotions.


    ¡°Are you not willing to share the piglet with your sister? Then I will also make many small animals like piglets, rabbits, kittens, puppies, and more. You can pick your favorites with your sister, okay? ¡°


    Thanks to her cousin who learned to make sugar cakes in the past, although he was not much of a professional, she could pinch a few small animal-shaped cakes to cheat the children.


    Sure enough, after Dong Jiahui said so, Heidan nodded his head.


    Zhang Qiaoer has been sitting in front of the stove. She saw Dong Jiahui¡¯s performance towards Heidan. It can be said that she was more and more satisfied with her new daughter-in-law.


    Zhang Qiaoer was smiling as she burned the fire, while Dong Jiahui, who had kneaded the dough and pressed the pastry, began to fry the pumpkin cake.


    She poured the right amount of oil into the pot and waited for the temperature to rise. When the right temperature arrived, she put the pastry into the frying pan and fried it on low heat until it became golden brown. Then she flipped it over and continued frying the other side.


    When Zhao Meixiang entered the kitchen with Yingbao in her arms, she saw this scene: her mother was burning the fire in front of the stove, her new sister-in-law was frying something in the pan, and next to her stood her eldest nephew, Heidan.


    Yesterday, her mother was nagging her about Heidan. How come Heidan and his new sister-in-law are so close now?


    Dong Jiahui raised her eyes and smiled at them, pointing to the small animal that had been fried on the plate and saying, ¡°Yingbao, do you want to see the small animal? This small rabbit is specially made for you. Can you eat it when we eat later?¡±


    Zhao Meixiang hugged Yingbao and came over. When she saw those animal-shaped designs, she immediately exclaimed, ¡°Ya, sister-in-law, how did you shape it? This shape was also too similar.


    She found that this new sister-in-law was really handy. She can cook, make clothes, even her kneading the dough was better than others who knead.


    When eating breakfast, the adults ate a stack of pumpkin pies, and the three children were eating small animal-shaped pumpkin pies.


    Oh, what are you doing today? It takes too much oil to eat such greasy things early in the morning. ¡°


    Zheng Yuefen had never seen pumpkin cake. One was that pumpkin cake belongs in the category of fine food, and they won¡¯t bother to make it in rural areas where this kind of food can¡¯t even fill your stomach. Second, food was related to the region, just like Huaiyang cuisine, Shandong cuisine, and Sichuan cuisine. Different regions have different dietary cultures. Obviously, pumpkin pie doesn¡¯t belong to the dietary culture of Shanghe village or even the whole commune.


    When Zheng Yuefen spoke, no one paid attention to her. They waited for Zhang Qiaoer to move her chopsticks. Zhao Meixiang couldn¡¯t wait to clip a piece and bite it. It was crisp and fragrant. The sweet and greasy taste was not bad.


    It¡¯s not bad, but I still like the fortune cake that my sister-in-law made last night.


    Dong Jiahui smiled and gave Yingbao a piece of a rabbit-shaped cake while talking to Zhao Meixiang, ¡°I¡¯ll do it next time if you like, the pumpkin cake I made this morning, there is still half a pumpkin unused over there, I want to cut it into shredded melon to make shredded melon pie, this is salty, definitely more appetizing than the sweet one.¡±


    Seriously? Sister-in-law, when will you do it? I can¡¯t wait to eat it. ¡°


    Zhang Qiaoer ate a mouthful of pumpkin pie and swallowed a mouthful of porridge. When she saw her daughter¡¯s drooling look and she scolded, ¡°You¡¯re a grown-up but you are still so greedy, beware of not being able to get married in the future.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll stay home and help my sister-in-law with the children, she can cook so much delicious food, I¡¯d like to stay home and not get married.¡±


    Yingbao ate the bunny, and Heidan also ate the piglet deliciously. Shitou¡¯s eyes looked at the plate of small animals, giving him a look like he wanted to eat but did not dare to move.


    ¡°Shitou, which little animal do you want?¡±


    Shitou timidly pointed to the puppy on the plate, and after pointing, he also looked at Zheng Yuefen.


    Dong Jiahui smiled and said to Shitou, ¡°Sure, let your mommy clip it for you if Shitou wants to eat it, okay?¡±


    You said this is greasy to eat in the morning, and you said it takes too much oil. Now your son wants to eat. It depends on whether you give it to him.


    Anyway, Dong Jiahui won¡¯t do such thankless things. If she takes it to Shitou and has to be blamed by Zheng Yuefen, wouldn¡¯t she be wronged to death?


    Zheng Yuefen really couldn¡¯t hang her face, but her son wanted to eat it. She looked at Yingbao and Heidan eagerly. She loved her son and couldn¡¯t see that her son was wronged. She had to stretch out her chopsticks and clip the puppy shaped cake to Shitou.


    Dong Jiahui felt comfortable. She was about to feed Yingbao porridge, but Zhao Donglin stopped him.


    ¡°You eat first. She is chewing the cake. Wait until you finish eating and then feed her.¡±


    Dong Jiahui looked at them and their eyes were looking at each other. Last night was their first intimate contact, and their feelings had been qualitatively sublimated. Dong Jiahui¡¯s face unconsciously blushed. She was uncomfortable and didn¡¯t open her eyes, but her heart was sweet. She knew that he cared about her and didn¡¯t want her to have a cold meal.


    Zhang Qiaoer heard her son¡¯s words and also nodded with a bowl and spoke, ¡°Yes, you eat first, when they are older they should eat by themselves.¡±


    There are three children in the family, Heidan was four years old, he can eat on his own, and Shitou and Yingbao still needed to be fed.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid they will break the bowl.¡±


    For people in the countryside, something with a little value was still valuable. Bowls were still considered valuable. There are families with really poor conditions, their entire family share a broken bowl when eating, they have to take turns.


    Or when you go to town, you can buy two enamel bowls. Even if they fell on the ground, they wouldn¡¯t break. ¡°


    After Dong Jiahui finished talking, Zheng Yuefen wanted to laugh at her. A person who doesn¡¯t manage a household would not be aware of how expensive things are, but Zhang Qiaoer had already answered at the other end.


    Okay, next time we go to town, we will buy two back.


    Zheng Yuefen immediately stopped talking.

 CH 31

    Chapter 31


    ¡°Huaishan, what about the matter I told you about last time?¡±


    Zhang Qiaoer went to work, and after meeting the captain, Ding Huaishan, on the field, she dragged him to the willow tree by the river, asking about the work for her daughter-in-law, Dong Jiahui.


    It¡¯s not that Auntie was deliberately looking for trouble. It¡¯s just that my daughter-in-law is really weak; her arms are not as thick as chopsticks, so I¡¯m afraid she can¡¯t do the work in the field, but she¡¯s good at fine work, so let¡¯s make the best use of her. ¡°


    Ding Huaishan was in his forties, a strong man with a 1-inch haircut. From his youth, he has always been particularly thoughtful. A few years ago, after competing to become a captain, he had made a lot of contributions to the production team, and at the end of the year, there were cash dividends, which was a good income.


    Zhang Qiaoer has a large generation gap. Ding Huaishan has to call her aunt when he meets her. There is also a relationship between them. When she was young, Ding Huaishan¡¯s mother was Zhang Qiaoer¡¯s father¡¯s little wife. She married Ding Huaishan¡¯s father only after the liberation.


    ¡°There is no easy work in our team now, so why not let her go to the warehouse as a custodian?¡±


    The easiest jobs on the team were the scorekeeper and accountant, but both of these positions were already occupied, and he, as the captain, couldn¡¯t remove other people from their jobs, and the team was full of relatives who are related to each other.


    As for the storekeeper, Ding Zhiyong, the son of Ding Huaishan, used to hold this position, and because Ding Zhiyong was the tractor driver in the team, they left the warehouse key with him.


    It is Ding Huaishan¡¯s idea to let Dong Jiahui be the custodian, which not only does not infringe on the interests of others but can also win the favour of Zhang Qiaoer here. This is what Ding Huaishan came up with after thinking over this matter for the whole night.


    Zhang Qiaoer¡¯s request was to keep the Jiahui working in the field. She was satisfied after her request had been accepted.


    ¡°Yes, just go to the warehouse. She¡¯ll come back to her natal house tomorrow. I¡¯ll let her find you the key the day after tomorrow. ¡°


    Aunt Qiao, you treat this new daughter-in-law really well, ah. You especially looked for an easy job for her. Not only was she divorced, but she was unable to give birth. Why do you still treat her so well? ¡°


    Huishan¡¯s wife, Dabing, was mixing wild vegetable seedlings while chattering with her husband.


    ¡°About this matter¡­¡± I don¡¯t know. Maybe she liked her or liked the face of Donglin. ¡°


    Indeed, if not for Donglin, their family could not live such a good life. Donglin chose this wife himself, so it is normal to treat her better. ¡°


    The Zhao family was not significant in the village before. It was only after Donglin went to the army that they gradually became rich people in the village.


    The new wife needs to return home on the third day of their marriage. Zhang Qiaoer helped him prepare the return gift early in the morning. A hen raised by their family, five kilograms of pork that was cut at the village meat stall in the morning. In addition to that, there were 20 eggs and a packet of shortbread, which were rich and a lot.


    ¡°Mom, I don¡¯t want to take this old hen; it can still lay eggs at home.¡±


    The value of an old hen cannot be measured by the value of meat. It is an old hen that lays eggs every day, and the eggs are still five cents each.


    ¡°No, you can take it with you. I¡¯ve saved eggs and will go to Aunt Mu¡¯s house tomorrow to let them hatch into chicks. I think the commune doesn¡¯t care much about this year. This time, I¡¯m going to hatch more.


    The investigation was strict a few years ago. Every family was not allowed to raise more chickens. This year, the upper policy was loose, and no one in the commune often comes down to see who violates the policy. Zhang Qiaoer has the courage to raise eight or ten.


    ¡°That ¡­¡­ thanks, mom.¡±


    Since the mother-in-law sincerely wanted to give it, Dong Jiahui also did not refuse. Whether the return gift is thick or not is directly related to her status in her mother-in-law¡¯s family. The more things she brings back, the more assured her family is about her married life.


    ¡°Hey, we are family. What are you thanking me for? Go back and bring the good things to your parents, as well as your brother and sisters-in-law, so that they can have time to play at home.


    Dong Jiahui smiled in response.


    Dong Jiahui wanted to take Heidan and Yingbao with her when she returned to her mother¡¯s house, and when she asked Heidan for his opinion, he didn¡¯t quite want to go.


    Zhao Donglin took Heidan to the room to talk with him.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you want to go? Daddy is married to your new mother. This is your mother, and your mother¡¯s maiden house is your grandmother¡¯s house.¡±


    Three days had passed, and Zhao Donglin thought that both he and Jiahui had given Heidan enough patience.


    Heidan¡¯s tears burst out, and he wiped them away from himself with the back of his hand.


    Zhao Donglin frowned and sighed. He reached out and pulled Heidan to his side, and he took a handkerchief out of his pocket to wipe Heidan¡¯s little face clean.


    What are you crying for? I didn¡¯t scold you or hit you; I just wanted to have a good talk with you. ¡°


    After saying that, Zhao Donglin lowered the volume and asked again, ¡°So do you want to go or not?¡±


    Heidan shook his head, his eyes once again filled with tears.


    Zhao Donglin nodded his head and continued to be patient, ¡°Why? Tell me the reason. If this reason can convince me, then I will respect your opinion. ¡°


    Heidan continued to be silent and did not speak, Zhao Donglin was not in a hurry. He just sat on the stool and waited for him to speak.


    He even disciplined so many soldiers. It¡¯s unreasonable that he can¡¯t discipline his son.


    After two or three minutes of silence, Heidan finally spoke up.


    My aunt said that if I recognize my new mother, my mother will never come back.


    Heidan¡¯s voice had a clear crying accent, and after he finished, his tears fell straight down and he sobbed.


    Zhao Donglin patted Heidan on the back and felt very uncomfortable.


    ¡°Which aunt said that?¡±


    Heidan hiccupped and said, ¡°Second, second, the second aunt.¡±


    Only Zheng Yuefen called him Heidan¡¯s second aunt. Zhao Donglin frowned when he heard that his sister-in-law did this.


    Heidan, your mom will always be your mom. But she is now separated from her dad and has returned to the place she is familiar with. Your new mother is your father¡¯s wife. She will take care of you instead of your mom. She washes your clothes, cooks you good meals, and takes care of you. You can¡¯t treat her with this attitude. You should learn to respect her and appreciate her.


    Zhao Donglin was also hesitant. The reason why he did not want to talk more about Wang Mei¡¯s betrayal and abandonment was that he did not want his son¡¯s heart to be filled with hatred.


    ¡°Your mother doesn¡¯t want you anymore,¡± such words are very cruel to be said to a child.


    Ten minutes or so later, when Zhao Donglin came out with a trembling Heidan, Dong Jiahui had already changed Yingbao¡¯s clothes.


    ¡°Is he going?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Then Heidan should also change his clothes. Let¡¯s go visit my family. We have to dress clean and neat.


    After changing Heidan into the new clothes Jiahui made for him, the family of four went to Daewoo Village.


    ¡°I saw your new sister-in-law today. Was she going to take your nephew and niece back to her mother¡¯s house with her? ¡°


    At the last working hour, Zhang Yulan and Zheng Yuefen talked together.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°I saw them bring a lot of things; a chicken hanging on the head of the bicycle, and they also hung a basket full of vegetables. You can vaguely see that there is meat and pastry in there. ¡°


    But after looking at it from a long distance, Zhang Yulan still saw it so clearly. If Dong Jiahui heard it, she must really admire Zhang Yulan.


    Zheng Yuefen was angry when she mentioned this. This morning, she was dissatisfied when she saw her mother-in-law preparing a return ceremony for her new sister-in-law. When she married Donghe, her mother-in-law didn¡¯t prepare so many things for her, but only eggs and meat.


    When she joked with mother-in-law about it, the mother-in-law said that her sister-in-law¡¯s family had given her a sewing machine, so she should prepare a thicker return gift.


    One sentence choked Zheng Yuefen.


    What do you mean? Are you blaming my mother¡¯s family for not bringing along a sewing machine?


    Zheng Yuefen also knew that it was not appropriate to make a big deal out of this matter. Just like what her mother-in-law said, the dowry from her new sister-in-law¡¯s natal family was indeed thicker than her own. It was not only a sewing machine but also a bed and bedding. The bride price money from the Zhao family was also brought back. When she married Donghe, her mother¡¯s family not only didn¡¯t prepare any dowry but the bride price money was not given to her, leaving it for her brother to marry a wife.


    Zhang Yulan saw that Zheng Yuefen was just upset but didn¡¯t speak. She was surprised at how she was so calm today. She lit the fire again and said, ¡°Oh, by the way, there¡¯s another thing I wanted to say, but I don¡¯t know if you already know about it.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    Your mother-in-law talked with the captain. She let the captain arrange some light work for your sister-in-law. Your mother-in-law said that your sister-in-law was weak and delicate. She can only do light work; she can¡¯t handle working on the field. With this, the captain arranged a job for your sister-in-law to be the warehouse custodian.


    When Zhang Yulan finished talking, Zheng Yuefen was about to blow up. This time, she was really angry.


    They are both daughters-in-law, but the mother-in-law was biased towards her. She joined the family before Dong Jiahui and gave birth to a big, chubby grandson for the Zhao¡¯s. Dong Jiahui was married for the second time, and yet, her mother-in-law treated her so well!


    On the other hand, Zhao Donglin rode for about 30 minutes to the head of Dayu village, where he met several villagers on the way.


    ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t that Dagui¡¯s daughter?¡±


    ¡°Yes, the one who just got married into the Zhao family in Shanghe village two days ago.¡±


    Is that one on the bike her man? I heard he is the village secretary of Shanghe village. ¡°


    ¡°She came back to visit her natal family and also brought the children back.¡±


    The children were left by the man¡¯s former wife. That wife is an educated young woman in the city. She divorced and went back to the city. ¡°


    ¡°Aigoo, both of them are divorced.¡±


    Chuizi was sent to the entrance of the village by his grandma to wait for them. As soon as he saw Zhao Donglin¡¯s bicycle, he ran there in a hurry.


    ¡°Auntie, auntie, you¡¯re here. Grandma has been waiting all morning.¡±


    Heidan sat on the front bar and looked at Chuizi, who had run over. He was obviously quite curious about him.


    Dong Jiahui jumped down from the back seat with Yingbao in her arms and said with a smile, ¡°Grandma sent you over to wait, didn¡¯t she?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m on a mission.¡±


    Dong Jiahui scolded with a smile, ¡°You little smartass, you must have known there was something good to eat if you waited for me.¡±


    She took some candies from her satchel and handed them to Chuizi, and said, ¡°Okay, here you go, run back and tell Grandma that we¡¯ll be there soon.¡±


    Chuzi received the task and ran away again.


    Zhao Donglin laughed, ¡°Chuize is quite interesting.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s too naughty. He has to be taught properly. ¡°


    Dong Jiahui had already gotten off and hugged Yingbao, and Zhao Donglin also got off and pushed his bike to accompany Dong Jiahui.


    Boys have to be naughty. The naughtier they are, the better. ¡°


    When he was a child, although he studied well, he didn¡¯t do fewer naughty things. He was really happy at that time.


    This kind of pleasure continued until he entered the barracks. Through his day-to-day training, he honed his calm and steady temperament. He was also enlightened. That year, during the new year¡¯s Eve dinner in the military camp, their recruits gathered together and sighed at the changes in the people. However, in a few months, everyone had undergone earth-shaking changes and grew up in an instant. It is no longer a young man who swam and fished that summer and went up the mountain to catch pheasants in winter.


    Besides his son, Heidan, when he came back and found that Heidan didn¡¯t like to talk. He went down to the field with his grandma every day and didn¡¯t find little partners of the same age to play with. Zhao Donglin sometimes felt that this was bad. Heidan should be livelier. Even if he was naughty, it doesn¡¯t matter, as long as he was not in danger.


    Dong Jiahui glanced at Zhao Donglin and said, ¡°The naughtier, the better.¡± There is no scientific reason at all. ¡°


    ¡°Oh, you still want to talk about science?¡±


    ¡°What? Do you think because I am a woman from a rural area, I am not worthy of talking science with you? Am I right, village secretary? ¡°


    ¡°That¡¯s not true. I just think what you said makes sense. You shouldn¡¯t be buried at home as a housewife.¡±


    Dong Jiahui hummed, ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    In modern times, she was also a graduate student of moral, intellectual, physical, and artistic development.


    The two of them arrived at Dong¡¯s house while talking. Dong Jiahui was holding Yingbao in her hand, Zhao Donglin was carrying Heidan on his bicycle, and the four of them entered the courtyard.


    ¡°Sister, your brother-in-law is here.¡±


    ¡°Dong Lin is here.¡±


    The family welcomed them, and the four were instantly surrounded.


    ¡°This is Heidan, and this is Yingbao, right? How much do the two children grow? They are pretty and neat. ¡°


    Zhao Donglin took Heidan off the bicycle and put him on the ground. Heidan was leaning on Zhao Donglin¡¯s leg, looking at the ground and not talking, but Yingbao, with her round eyes, was looking at everyone and did not recognize them at all.


    Chen Guixiang, like the little girl, took Yingbao from Dong Jiahui¡¯s grip and hugged her.


    This little girl is so good-looking. She looked like Tianniu¡¯s sister. ¡°


    ¡°No, I think Yingbao and Tianniu were quite similar; they both look adorable.¡±


    Zhou Yindi took Heidan¡¯s hand, stroked his head, and said, ¡°Heidan is about the same age as Xiao Man. Come in; Auntie will bring you some good food. ¡°


    Heidan was a little hesitant. He turned his head to look at Zhao Donglin, and only when he saw Zhao Donglin nodding at him did he follow Zhou Yindi.


    Jiahui¡¯s three brothers accompanied Zhao Donglin to chat. On the other hand, Chen Guixiang took Dong Jiahui back to the house, still holding Yingbao in her arms.


    ¡°How was it? Did the Zhao family treat you well? ¡°


    In fact, Chen Guixiang almost knew when she saw the return ceremony gift. It was not a light ceremony gift. She heard that Dong Jiahui¡¯s mother-in-law personally prepared it.


    It¡¯s good.


    Dong Jiahui told Chen Guixiang about her life in the Zhao family, and Chen Guixiang nodded with satisfaction after listening.


    As long as they are good to you, I don¡¯t think that your mother-in-law was the unreasonable type. I have visited her before; she is not bad with her family¡¯s daughter-in-law. Otherwise, even if you agree, I will not dare to marry you. ¡°


    Dong Jiahui wanted to say something but did not know whether to tell Chen Guixiang that thing. Although it is very personal, Chen Guixiang was the original owner¡¯s mother. She was also entitled to know the truth. After all, the original owner jumped into the river to end her life. Although she came here later, the original owner was gone after all.


    ¡°Why? What¡¯s the matter? Do not hide it. ¡°


    Chen Guixiang thought there was something wrong with the Zhao family when she saw her daughter acting like this, so she quickly asked.


    It¡¯s not about the Zhao family. That is, when I did it with Donglin, it was my first time. I didn¡¯t understand it before. I didn¡¯t do anything with Lu. ¡°


    ¡°What?!¡±


    Chen Guixiang¡¯s voice directly soared to an octave. Yingbao, who was in her arms, was startled. She patted Yingbao¡¯s back, and she asked anxiously, ¡°What do you mean by what you just said? You haven¡¯t slept with Lu? ¡°


    Chen Guixiang embarrassed Dong Jiahui with the word ¡°sleep¡±. She nodded awkwardly. Chen Guixiang got up quickly, and Yingbao was frightened again. When Dong Jiahui saw her act like this, she took Yingbao and held her instead.


    That is to say, if you are not pregnant, it¡¯s not that you have any problem. It¡¯s that Lu didn¡¯t touch you at all! ¡°


    Dong Jiahui nodded. It should be, otherwise, she couldn¡¯t explain this phenomenon.


    ¡°This is surnamed, Lu. throwing dirty water on you. Bah! When I see him, I will really kill him to death. ¡°


    Mom, I told you not because I wanted you to go see him. To tell you the truth, I don¡¯t want to be involved with that kind of family at all. I¡¯m living well with Donglin now. I don¡¯t want to cause extra trouble.


    Chen Guixiang choked and sighed.


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    She took Dong Jiahui¡¯s hand. Her heart was full of mixed emotions. Her eyes were hot again.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been worrying these days, afraid that you¡¯re not doing well. If you have another accident, it will really kill me.¡±


    She watched her daughter. Her hair was black, her eyes were shining, her skin was moist and glowing, and she had a smile at the corners of her mouth, so she was doing extremely well.


    ¡°I am finally relieved.¡±


    Knowing this, in addition to hating the Lu family, she couldn¡¯t help being happy for her daughter. She knows that men, no matter how indifferent they are, must still have some thorns in their hearts. The thorns in her son-in-law¡¯s heart have been eliminated.


    You said you didn¡¯t understand anything? Blame me, I did not teach you properly, so you did not know anything when you got married. ¡°


    Her daughter was also too young. She was eighteen years old when she married into the Lu family.


    Chen Guixiang went back to the kitchen with a smile on her face, and several sisters-in-law teased Dong Jiahui, ¡°It seems that Jiahui and her brother-in-law had a good time after the marriage, otherwise Mom could not be happy like this.¡±


    ¡°She brought a hen, five pounds of pork, eggs, and pancakes.¡±


    ¡°Our family was not bad at all. For the sake of my brother-in-law¡¯s face, we began to get busy with food early in the morning, for the sake of brother-in-law¡¯s face.


    Zhou Yindi smiled and cut a piece of marinated pork heart and put it in Yingbao¡¯s mouth, ¡°How about these two children? I see that the boy was a little less talkative.¡±


    She just took Heidan to Xiao Man, and let the children at home take Heidan to play together, and took some food for him.


    As a whole, it¡¯s okay. Maybe he can¡¯t accept it at once. After all, he still has a lot of feelings for his mother.¡±


    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s not easy to be a stepmother. When you bring them up well, no one says good things about you. But if you don¡¯t, you¡¯ll be scolded. ¡°


    I¡¯m not sure. I¡¯m used to being talked about anyway.


    Who does not talk about people behind their backs? Who does not get talked about behind their backs?


    Isn¡¯t life like that? Dong Jiahui has long figured out a set of her own rules of life. That is, living her own life and letting others say whatever they want to say. If you have a good life, no matter what other people say, you won¡¯t lose a piece of meat anyway.


    Several sisters-in-law remembered Jiahui¡¯s previous events and did not dare go on. They immediately changed to other topics, but Chen Guixiang was sighing in her heart, sighing at her fate.


    Who would have thought that Jiahui¡¯s failure to give birth to a child was because of such a thing? If she had known, she should have taken a hoe to raze the Lu family¡¯s house so that their family could not live in peace.

 CH 32

    Chapter 32


    Today, in order to entertain her daughter and son-in-law, Chen Guixiang prepared a lot of good dishes. Zhang Qiaoer let Jiahui bring a chicken back to her family. As if they had negotiated beforehand, Chen Guixiang also killed a chicken.


    At lunchtime, the son-in-law and uncle sat down at a table, drinking and talking, and Dong Aimin accompanied Zhao Donglin to drink together.


    ¡°Come, Donglin, we brothers must drink to our hearts¡¯ content today.¡±


    ¡°Yes, we will not return until we are drunk.¡±


    ¡°This is my son-in-law¡¯s first dinner at his father-in-law¡¯s house. If we didn¡¯t get you drunk, then it would look like your brothers did not entertain you well. ¡°


    Zhao Donglin, naturally, did not refuse the wine poured by his uncles, and by the end of the meal, he had really drunk too much.


    You help Donglin sleep in your room. Stay home for dinner tonight and then go back. ¡°


    Dong Jiahui¡¯s room was initially a storage room for miscellaneous items, but ever since Dong Jiahui returned from the Lu family, the family cleaned up the room for her to make it her room. Even if she was married again, the room still remained the same. They would only change the room when the family¡¯s several children were old enough to prepare a room for them.


    As for the miscellaneous things in the house, a separate wooden house has been built beside their house.


    Let¡¯s wait until Donglin wakes up. Whether he stays after dinner depends on whether he has work in the village in the afternoon.


    The agreement before coming was to eat lunch here and go back. She also forgot to ask him about work.


    The drunk Zhao Donglin belongs to the type that does not make a fuss; he would only lie down and fall asleep. After Dong Jiahui took off his shoes and covered him with a quilt, she poured some warm water into the washbasin and wet a towel to wipe his hands and face.


    His hands were long and broad, with well-defined bones, and the fingers on his palms were full of thick calluses, highlighting the difficulties of life.


    The two of them actually didn¡¯t have much time to talk, and Dong Jiahui didn¡¯t know much about his previous life in the army, but from the calluses on his hands, it must have been very hard.


    When the towel was wiped on his face, Zhao Donglin opened his eyes in a daze. He watched Dong Jiahui, who was wiping his face. He reached out to hold her hand.


    ¡°wife.¡±


    His drunken voice was deep, with a touch of huskiness. It was like a sigh or a lover¡¯s whisper in her ear.


    Dong Jiahui did not pull out the hand he held, but she sat down on the bed, took off the towel with her other hand, and put it into the washbasin.


    ¡°wife.¡±


    Not hearing Dong Jiahui¡¯s response, Zhao Donglin called her again.


    He rubbed her palm. The air was filled with the faint smell of wine. Dong Jiahui looked at his face carefully.


    He was a good-looking man, with sword brows and bright eyes, well-defined and three-dimensional features. But his usual serious and earnest attitude often made people overlook his good looks.


    In other words, he is not the type to rely on his face, and even because of his too firm and serious face, it is easy to give people the illusion that strangers can¡¯t approach him.


    Her first impression of him was that he was a very good soldier, and her second impression was that he was willing to help others, which made it easy to create a sense of trust.


    ¡°You can sleep with me for a while.¡±


    Zhao Donglin said and held up Jiahui¡¯s waist. He wanted her to lie down with him, but Dong Jiahui hurriedly pushed him away.


    Don¡¯t make a scene; it¡¯s in broad daylight. If people saw it, they would misunderstand.


    The people from the courtyard come and go. If she really accompanied him and lied down together, even if they didn¡¯t do anything, they would be laughed at.


    ¡°What kind of misunderstanding is this? You¡¯re my wife. ¡°


    The more Dong Jiahui expressed her objection, the more he insisted on his idea.


    In the middle of the pushing and pulling, Chen Guixiang came in with a tea jar. She had made a cup of green tea for Zhao Donglin to quench his thirst and brought it to them on purpose.


    When the door was suddenly pushed open, Dong Jiahui got up with a red face, wanting to cover up and part her hair.


    Chen Guixiang hooked the corners of his mouth and smiled. Knowing her daughter¡¯s thin skin, she deliberately pretended that she did not see anything.


    ¡°Green tea is the remedy for alcohol. You let Donglin drink some to wake him up. He would also be more comfortable.¡±


    After saying that, she handed the tea jar to Dong Jiahui. She pursed her lips and smiled as she went out.


    It¡¯s all your fault. My mother saw it. She thought we were doing something wrong.


    What¡¯s wrong? It¡¯s normal for couples to do things together.


    ¡°I think that you are drunk. That¡¯s why you¡¯re talking nonsense and are not afraid of embarrassment.¡±


    Although her mouth said so, she still held the teapot and fed him half a jar of green tea.


    Zheng Yuefen came back from the field at noon with anger. Recently, in order to get on the winter wheat as soon as possible, the task of the team was very heavy, and the amount of labor was one or two times that of usual. Originally, she was very tired. Then she thought that her new sister-in-law shouldn¡¯t have to suffer. In the future, she just needs to sit in the warehouse as a custodian without facing the wind and sun as she did.


    Zheng Yuefen came back in a bad mood, and Zhang Qiaoer and Zhao Meixiang could see it. The mother and daughter were full of doubts as they looked at each other.


    What¡¯s wrong with her? Why did she come back with such a grumpy face? ¡°


    I don¡¯t know. Did she have a quarrel with the second brother? ¡°


    Anyway, they quarreled with each other from time to time. They would soon make up again. It was a standard quarrel at the head of the bed and at the end of the bed.


    At lunch, the mother and daughter finally understood why Zheng Yuefen was in a bad mood.


    ¡°Mom, I heard that you went to find the captain, and you let him arrange a light job for your sister-in-law. In the future, sister-in-law doesn¡¯t have to go to the field and has become the custodian of our team?¡±


    As soon as Zheng Yuefen¡¯s words were spoken, the whole family focused on Zhang Qiaoer. She did it. She didn¡¯t mention it to anyone at home, including Dong Jiahui, the other party.


    Zhang Qiaoer was slightly shocked when her second daughter-in-law knew about it. She did not expect her to know so quickly. She wanted to wait for the eldest daughter-in-law to return from her mother¡¯s house before she told them.


    ¡°Yes, what of it?¡±


    Zhang Qiaoer directly admitted this. Not to mention that she did not think there was anything wrong with this. Even if there really was something wrong with the way her second daughter-in-law directly asked her out or with her questioning tone, she was already very upset about it.


    And when Zheng Yuefen heard her mother-in-law frankly admit it, her heart full of aggression went straight to her brain.


    Mom, how can you be like this? Not to mention that the marriage of the elder brother was just a second marriage, but was also organized as if it was the first marriage. I didn¡¯t say anything when her betrothal gifts were more than mine. Mom, since she entered our family, you have become too biased. Whatever she did was right and made you satisfied. I¡¯ve been married to the Zhou family and gave birth to Shitou, but you never said a good word about me. I haven¡¯t seen you worry about me working in the field. We are both your daughters-in-law, but you are too biased! ¡°


    After Zheng Yuefen said that, she finally started to cry. Everyone at the table, except Shitou, was in disbelief.


    Zhao Donghe was anxious, while Zhao Meixiang turned her head to look at her mother.


    Zhao Manzhu took out his old cigarette stick from his pocket. Zhang Qiaoer, the subject of the topic, was not anxious. She had a calm face and stared at Zheng Yuefen.


    Why are you talking nonsense? Hurry up and apologize to Mom! ¡°


    Zhao Donghe slapped the table and shouted because his voice was too loud. He did not frighten Zheng Yuefen, but rather Shitou, who got scared.


    Why am I talking nonsense? What I said is not right. We are both daughters-in-law. Why should the new sister-in-law that entered the family be happy while I have to fight to the death! ¡°


    Zhao Donghe, seeing that his wife refused to reflect but also became more and more outrageous, raised his hand and wanted to hit her.


    Okay, all of you, stop it.


    After a sentence, Zhang Qiaoer first looked at her son, Zhao Donghe, and said, ¡°Donghe, how many times have I told you, no matter how much your wife owes a lesson, you, as a man, shouldn¡¯t raise your hand and hit a woman.¡±


    Zhao Donghe glanced at Zheng Yuefen and didn¡¯t continue to do it.


    Then Zhang Qiaoer looked at Zheng Yuefen again. She was never satisfied or dissatisfied with her daughter-in-law. To say Zheng Yuefen was bad was not right since she didn¡¯t make any substantive mistakes. Saying Zheng Yuefen was good would be completely against her heart.


    She once felt that she didn¡¯t have any luck in finding daughters-in-law. Whether it was Wang Mei or Zheng Yuefen, there was always something unspeakable to say.


    Second daughter-in-law, you have to feel your conscience when you speak. You married into our family for so many years. How many times did I ask you cook to breakfast? How much work have you done around the house? How many times have I asked you to work in the field? How many wives in the village didn¡¯t work in the field? ¡°


    When Zhang Qiaoer first threw out a series of questions, Zheng Yuefen still did not think about how to reply to those questions, and immediately, Zhang Qiaoer had a follow-up word.


    People can¡¯t just think about taking advantage. Why can¡¯t our family stand up in the village? Why do you think people respected our family? Do you still don¡¯t know? With your big brother¡¯s salary, he can match your one-year salary with his one-month salary. He has never been selfish with our family. Your big brother handed over his salary to me. You can enjoy what I buy for food and use for food. For example, Yingbao, after six months of weaning, I get her food every day. There will always be one for Shitou. Do you think you can support Shitou with a few hours a day of work points? ¡°


    If Jiahui enters the door of my Zhao family, then she will be our Zhao family¡¯s daughter-in-law. She is really weak and can¡¯t do laborious work, but that doesn¡¯t mean she doesn¡¯t do anything. We gave her the task of cooking for our family at least, and she has to take care of two children. If she becomes the custodian, then what¡¯s the matter? She can relax. Can we not allow her to relax? Why are you jealous that she¡¯s comfortable? ¡°


    For what Zhang Qiaoer said, Zheng Yuefen only half-listened to it. She admit that her big brother¡¯s monthly salary was also enjoyed by her family of three, but she was not concerned about this, but her mother-in-law¡¯s attitude. She was obviously better than her new sister-in-law.


    ¡°I also go to work and also take care of the children, although not much cooking, I also do the work at home. Mom, you can¡¯t just look at how others work hard and refuse to look at how I also work hard.¡±


    Wasn¡¯t it just cooking and raising the children? Who doesn¡¯t work hard?


    Zhang Qiaoer was speechless. She just said a lot. She thought her second daughter-in-law could understand. As a result, her second daughter-in-law was like a King Kong mask. She didn¡¯t touch the oil and salt and determined that she was a biased daughter-in-law.


    The most chilling thing for her is that, the second daughter-in-law mentioned the bride price. When her second son got married, the bride price was also 66 yuan, and their clothes and furniture were new. They only had less food than Donglin and Jiahui this time.


    With Donglin¡¯s salary, the bride price was one hundred or two hundred, which was not much. The reason why it was set at 66 was because they had to consider the careful eyes of her second daughter-in-law. She didn¡¯t expect that it would be useless to be so considerate of her.


    Why didn¡¯t she think about it? The Dong family didn¡¯t ask for any bride price. Jiahui brought them all, and she was accompanied by a sewing machine and a bed, but the Zheng family didn¡¯t even give covers.


    Zhao Donglin ate dinner with Dong Jiahui before returning. When they got home, they found that the atmosphere at the house was wrong.


    Mom was so angry that she didn¡¯t eat the noon meal and didn¡¯t eat the evening meal. It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve had such a serious fight in so many years. ¡°


    Zhao Meixiang explained the situation and the reason. Dong Jiahui was confused. She did not expect that the root cause of their mother-in-law and daughter-in-law conflict was actually herself!

 CH 33

    Her mother-in-law spoke to the captain in order to arrange a light job for herself, which surprised Dong Jiahui.


    She was only married to Zhao Donglin for a few days, and Zhang Qiaoer already treated her very well. She doesn¡¯t belong to the kind of mother-in-law who was unreasonable. Dong Jiahui did not expect Zhang Qiaoer to do so many things for her in private, which made Dong Jiahui feel grateful.


    She looked at Zhao Donglin, wanting to know what his stand was on this matter. Although this matter was because of herself, she is not clear from front to back. She didn¡¯t know how to deal with it ¡°appropriately¡± She may have had to ask Zhao Donglin and her mother-in-law¡¯s opinion.


    Zhao Donglin listened to his sister Zhao Meixiang¡¯s words and remained silent. He went to the army in his teens. He has long been accustomed to life in the military camp.


    For him, who has not returned home for a long time, his family is a warm harbor, and his feelings for his family still remain more than ten years ago.


    This Zheng Yuefen person is¡­ Due to not having much contact with her, his knowledge was limited to ¡°his brother¡¯s wife.¡±


    This morning, Heidan¡¯s words had already caused Zhao Donglin¡¯s dissatisfaction with this sister-in-law, and after returning to hearing Meixiang say that her sister-in-law quarrelled with his mother, Zhao Donglin became more and more dissatisfied.


    He is a filial, family-oriented, and very responsible person. Otherwise, he would not have given up the opportunity to be promoted in the army and chosen to return to the countryside in order to take care of his elderly parents and young children.


    He doesn¡¯t like to see his mother being wronged. Moreover, the whole thing was related to his own wife. That is to say, Zheng Yuefen offended two women whom Zhao Donglin cared about most at once.


    He did not say anything. Dong Jiahui also didn¡¯t know what was on his mind, but since they returned, it made sense that they should go see Zhang Qiaoer. So Dong Jiahui spoke to Zhao Donglin, ¡°Should we go see Mom?¡±


    Zhao Donglin replied with an assertion.


    This was the first time Dong Jiahui entered her mother-in-law¡¯s room. She had all of the necessary furniture, but it was relatively old, giving the room an older appearance.


    The room was packed with a lot of things. There were wooden boxes and clay pots in the corners, and so on, which should all be used for storage.


    ¡°Mom, how are you doing? I heard from Meixiang that you haven¡¯t eaten much all day today. You can¡¯t do without food. I¡¯ll go cook you something to eat, okay? ¡°


    They hadn¡¯t seen her for a day and yet Zhang Qiao¡¯er¡¯s face became haggard. Dong Jiahui couldn¡¯t help but be really worried when she saw her like this.


    Zhang Qiaoer originally closed her eyes. Dong Jiahui came in before she opened her eyes. In these short few seconds of time, Dong Jiahui¡¯s expression did not escape Zhang Qiaoer¡¯s eyes.


    Seeing her eldest son¡¯s wife¡¯s concern does not seem to be fake, Zhang Qiaoer¡¯s heart that was hurt by her second daughter-in-law has more or less soothed.


    She sighed and waved her hand at Dong Jiahui.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be busy. I really have no appetite. I can¡¯t eat anything at this moment.¡±


    Dong Jiahui sat down on the edge of the bed, her head bowed, her heart more or less feeling uncomfortable.


    ¡°Mom, I¡¯ve heard that Yuefen quarrelled with you because of me. I¡¯ve just been married for three days, and I¡¯ve done nothing to help the family. I even troubled Mom. ¡°


    She is grateful for Zhang Qiaoer¡¯s arrangements. To be honest, she herself was quite afraid to work in the field. Before crossing over, she had never done any farm work. Since she was young, she couldn¡¯t even distinguish between leeks and garlic.


    But gratitude is gratitude. This kindness she will receive. She will not pretend to shirk it. For example, she didn¡¯t bother or give it to her sister-in-law.


    She is not a saint. She does not pursue selfless dedication and brilliance, nor does she ask everyone to say she is good.


    Although many times she showed that she was willing to help others and was willing to make concessions, it was just an image set by her. In her heart, she is a true egoist, and this is a common problem for many children in the 21st century.


    Her being kind and gentle was actually all for me. She just doesn¡¯t want others to think that she was not kind and gentle. As long as it involves her self-interests, she didn¡¯t need to hesitate. She will certainly choose the conditions that are favourable to her.


    Therefore, no matter what, she will not give up the custodian job.


    ¡°Not your business. Your sister-in-law, even though she was a few years older than you, her brain was not as clear as yours. She really pissed people off. ¡°


    In the village, some people¡¯s sons got married and separated, but some people still live together. There are benefits to splitting up; fewer conflicts. But not splitting up also has its benefits; the family works together to live a good life.


    But friction was inevitable between people. The tongue and teeth could still fight, not to mention everyone¡¯s different ideas.


    The reasons why the Zhao family did not split up were: Zhao Donglin had been in the army; the second reason was that the old couple only had these two sons, unlike other people with five or six children who lived together and it was too crowded.


    For all these years, no one expected Zhao Donglin to divorce Wang Mei, and when followed by Zhao Donglin¡¯s coming back from the army and marrying another wife, the contradiction immediately came to the surface.


    Zhang Qiaoer had been lying in bed all day. She has been thinking about how this family should go in the future.


    The second daughter-in-law has revealed her dissatisfaction with her eldest family. In order to avoid sibling rivalry, the family should be divided properly, but she, as a mother, hoped that each of her children was doing good. For the matter of giving up the Second family, she could really not bear it.


    According to the village¡¯s custom, the old couple should follow the eldest family. The eldest was capable, with a sixty-two dollar a month salary, and the commune had another ration to distribute. He alone could support a family of four, and he could even save money.


    As for the old couple, they have good hands and feet. They get points for their work. They earn their own rations. With their savings over the years, they will certainly have a good life.


    In the second family, the couple was able to earn work, but without their own help, Zheng Yuefen would have to raise the children and do housework alone, and she could not miss work. How could she live if she had another son in the future?


    She sighed here. If it were not for muddle-headedness, what kind of good life could be lost by them?


    Dong Jiahui went to the kitchen to get food for Zhang Qiaoer. She cooked leek cake and egg millet porridge.


    The leek cakes are made by washing and chopping leeks, mixing them with seasoned flour, and then spooning them out and baking them on the edge of the pot.


    As for the egg and millet porridge, the egg was beaten into the cooked millet porridge, and a little brown sugar was added and stirred.


    Millet porridge is nutritious, eggs are flat and sweet, and cooking the two together to make porridge has the effect of giving energy and nourishing the mind.


    Dong Jiahui saw that her mother-in-law was in a bad mood. She was obviously angered by Zheng Yuefen. Cooking this can also be considered ¡°curative cuisine¡±.


    The egg and millet porridge was a good thing, but many women in the countryside couldn¡¯t eat it.


    ¡°Sister-in-law, you are so kind to our mother.¡±


    Zhao Meixiang, who was holding Yingbao in the kitchen, was watching Dong Jiahui cook. She worshipped her sister-in-law¡¯s ability to make delicious food.


    Before Dong Jiahui married, the family¡¯s meals could just fill the stomach; no one bothered to look into how to cook it deliciously or how to match the nutrition.


    Cooking really depends on talent. Zhao Meixiang completely follows her mother Zhang Qiaoer here, so she often doesn¡¯t understand why Dong Jiahui¡¯s craft was more delicious than theirs, even if the ingredients used were the same.


    The most touching thing for Zhao Meixiang was that her sister-in-law did not simply cook a white rice porridge to just deal with. But she really treated it with care. Zhao Meixiang wouldn¡¯t think much of it before, but she just watched how her second sister-in-law made her mother angry before bed today. People can¡¯t stand comparing them, and there¡¯s a gap between the two.


    ¡°Mom is also good to us. Ah, it is all mutual.¡±


    The previous kindness to her mother-in-law was mostly false, but today Dong Jiahui¡¯s kindness to her mother-in-law was much more genuine since she knew what her mother-in-law had arranged for her privately.


    While Dong Jiahui was cooking, Zhang Qiaoer called her eldest son, Zhao Donglin, into her room.


    ¡°You almost know what¡¯s going on. I¡¯m in a mess now. I¡¯m very relieved about it. Before you divorced Wang Mei, I was worried about how you¡¯d live in the future. Now you came in. When I saw she was good, my heart was relieved. ¡°


    She was really not worried about dealing with people. Dong Jiahui has good feelings towards her son. As for whether they can add a child in the future, she can¡¯t say it clearly for a while, so she won¡¯t add anything to herself in the future.


    ¡°I just want to ask you what you are thinking. How do you want to handle this? ¡°


    If the eldest said not to pursue, then they could continue their days and would turn a blind eye. The important thing was to let Donghe take good control of his wife. If the eldest refused to let it go easily, then she could not only come up with a set of rules, she could also ask if it was good or not.


    Zhao Donglin understands his mother¡¯s meaning. He is a big man and doesn¡¯t like to say what is right and wrong about women, but Zheng Yuefen touched his scales today. He told his mother what Heidan had said in the morning.


    Zhang Qiaoer was even angrier. She patted the bed frame and sighed, ¡°Such a wife is a bad thing for anyone. In the past, she only kept her mouth open and didn¡¯t keep the door open. She was really mindless. But now, not only was she not mindless, her brain was too flexible and clever. ¡°


    It¡¯s not the place where you should be clever; they are your own family.


    ¡°OK, I know what you mean. Wait for Donghe to come back and I will talk to him first. This is not something that can be solved overnight. In the end, you are close brothers. ¡°


    If Donghe was not willing to split the family, she, as a mother, must take into account Donghe¡¯s intention, but since his wife has already planted the seed, the family should pay attention in the future.


    While talking, there was a smell coming from the kitchen. Zhang Qiaoer knew that the eldest¡¯s wife was cooking for herself. Even if she had no appetite, after smelling the fragrance, she felt hungry.


    ¡°To be honest, out of the three daughters-in-law, Jiahui was the best. When it comes to judgment towards people, I can¡¯t compare to you. ¡°


    Wang Mei and Zheng Yuefen were her own choices. At that time, she only considered appearance and family; she did not take into account the problem of temperament.


    Although there was no expression on Zhao Donglin¡¯s face, his relaxed eyebrows and slightly raised corners of his mouth still exposed his emotions. Of course, Zhang Qiaoer didn¡¯t live with his son for more than ten years for nothing, so how could he not see his son¡¯s inner complacency?


    ¡°There is one thing I have to tell you.¡±


    After Zhao Donglin spoke, Zhang Qiaoer looked over and waited for him to speak. Zhao Donglin told him what had happened with his wife. Zhang Qiaoer listened with her eyes open wide and tongue-tied.


    ¡°What? Are you really telling the truth? ¡°


    Hearing his son¡¯s words, Zhang Qiaoer couldn¡¯t care less about her depressed mood at this moment. She sat up directly in bed.


    ¡°Well, so I¡¯m not sure when she will be pregnant, but I don¡¯t want it to be so fast. At home, there are Heidan and Yingbao. If there were too many children, it would be too busy. ¡°


    Zhang Qiaoer wouldn¡¯t consider this. She lifted the quilt and got out of bed and pulled up Zhao Donglin¡¯s sleeve with a smile. ¡°How could there be such a thing? It¡¯s too confusing. How could she not understand? That¡¯s right. She was only 18 years old at the time, she was still young, but how can it happen? She didn¡¯t understand, but could the Lu family not understand? You didn¡¯t mean to lie to me, right? ¡°


    Zhao Donglin helplessly laughed, ¡°No. Why would I lie to you about this? ¡°


    It¡¯s not that he was afraid of something. He still needs to explain it to her. It¡¯s better to make it clear now.


    Zhang Qiaoer was in a relaxed mood; her hands were clasped together and she chanted. ¡°Amitabha Buddha, thank God¡±.


    In the kitchen, Dong Jiahui had already made dinner. She served Zhang Qiaoer a bowl first, and there was still some left in the pot. Especially the leek cakes. She made eight of them and only took two for her mother-in-law.


    ¡°Meixiang, there¡¯s still some left in the pot. You can serve it and eat it.¡±


    Zhao Meixiang actually drooled long ago. She did not eat much at night. The family was so noisy, she simply did not have the mood to eat. When she saw her sister-in-law cooking something delicious, she really wanted to eat it.


    ¡°This is not good; this is the food you cooked for mom.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, mom can¡¯t eat this much. You can eat the rest with Yingbao.¡±


    When she said that, taking Yingbao with her, Zhao Meixiang finally stopped hesitating.


    ¡°Okay, thank you, sister-in-law.¡±


    Dong Jiahui smiled and carried the mother-in-law¡¯s meal over to her mother-in-law¡¯s room. And just as she entered, she saw her mother-in-law¡¯s face that looked so happy, as if she had won something.

 CH 34

    ¡°Mom, I made some rice for you ¡­¡­¡±


    Dong Jiahui stepped into the room and wanted to ask Zhang Qiaoer to get up for dinner. Unexpectedly, when she looked up, she saw that Zhang Qiaoer had gotten out of bed and was talking with Zhao Donglin with a smile.


    ¡°Hey, hurry up and put it down. Don¡¯t burn your hands.¡±


    Zhang Qiaoer was as happy to see Dong Jiahui as a bee who saw flowers. She had a good impression of Dong Jiahui. The only thing that bothered her was that Dong Jiahui was her second marriage and had a reputation for infertility. So when she let Dong Jiahui marry into her family, she suppressed the hint of dissatisfaction in her heart. But who would have thought that life would have given her a big surprise? It was just like a pie falling from the sky; it hit her till she was dizzy.


    This time, seeing Jiahui come in with food, she was more satisfied with her everywhere. She was afraid that Jiahui would burn her hands, so she hurriedly took the bowl of porridge from Jiahui¡¯s hand and put it on the red five-drawer cabinet that had lost its paint.


    ¡°For this hot bowl, you should have called me out to eat outside. You didn¡¯t need to send it in. ¡°


    Dong Jiahui laughed dryly, not understanding why her mother-in-law was suddenly so enthusiastic. She was really not used to it. Dong Jiahui turned her head to look at Zhao Donglin, asking him with her eyes what was going on.


    Zhao Donglin only smiled. He nodded at her and left the room first.


    The reason Zhao Donglin mentioned this to his mother today was to have this effect. For outsiders, they didn¡¯t need to know, but for his own family, he hoped that they would not belittle her because of her second marriage.


    Before he got married, he had expected the kind of situation he would face after marrying Jiahui and vowed to protect her from others. But some things were unpredictable. He really didn¡¯t expect that when he closed his eyes, the people living in the same house would also have that kind of bad mind.


    He told his mother this to eliminate the last thorn in her heart and let her treat Jiahui sincerely without any prejudice. Jiahui will live well in this family as long as she is under her mother¡¯s protection.


    Previously, his feelings for Jiahui were admiration and affection. Since knowing that incident, his heart also had the feeling of possessing and protecting her.


    This woman was his. No one can hurt her, not even the slightest bit.


    ________


    Zheng Yuefen quarrelled with Zhang Qiaoer. She didn¡¯t go to work in the afternoon and went back to her mother¡¯s house alone. Her mother, Jiang Liang, knew that she came back because of a quarrel.


    First of all, it¡¯s not a festival. She didn¡¯t say in advance that she would come back. And Zheng Yuefen didn¡¯t come back at noon.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did you have a fight with Donghe? ¡°


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°As far as you are concerned, I don¡¯t understand. If you didn¡¯t quarrel, why do you look like everyone owes you something? ¡°


    After being criticized by her mother for a few sentences, Zheng Yuefen started talking. She told her about the events of the past two days.


    ¡°It¡¯s the new sister-in-law that elder brother Donglin married back. Since her arrival, I haven¡¯t had a smooth day. She likes to sweet talk to her mother-in-law to make her happy. The entire family likes her, and my mother-in-law was too biased. She was afraid that my new sister-in-law would be too tired to work on the field, so she forced the captain to arrange a job for her and let her work as the warehouse custodian. What kind of work should she do? She only has to sit there all day. ¡°


    (T/N: I am amazed at how the story changed, from request to force¡­..)


    This is what she was angry about. Before Wang Mei was not good at working, doing this and that, but my mother-in-law tolerated it. But who is this Dong Jiahui? She was not a young, charming girl who lives in the city. Didn¡¯t she grow up in the countryside like her? They were both daughters-in-law, but why did she work in the field when all she needed to do was sit down?


    My mother-in-law said she cooked and took care of the children. Did she do so much in a day?


    Zheng Yuefen¡¯s mother, Jiang Liang, had no choice but to listen to her daughter¡¯s words. When she married into the Zhao family, her impression was that the Zhao family had few brothers, a simple population, and a capable uncle. For her daughter¡¯s temperament, no one clearly understands it as her mother. Not to mention outsiders, even her own brothers and sisters, she still wants to fight and grab things.


    In one¡¯s childhood, who ate more, who wore new clothes, who did more and less work, didn¡¯t care less, and it¡¯s okay to lose others. If she felt she had lost to them, she would say her parents were biased. At that time, the family conditions were not good. It was not easy to raise several children. They were busy day by day, and there was still a trivial fight when they returned home. Her personality was terrible.


    This kind of temperament can¡¯t survive without finding a good-tempered family. Over the years, seeing that she had a good life with Donghe, Jiang Liang was somewhat at ease. She thought that there should be no more problems in her daughter¡¯s life. Then Donghe¡¯s eldest brother came back from the army, divorced his first wife, and found another wife. But it hasn¡¯t been a few days since she came into the family, and they immediately had trouble!


    ¡°Your personality¡­ I have told you several times that I didn¡¯t see any change in you after many years. You said you do not lack food and clothing in your in-laws¡¯. You are living better than anyone. Don¡¯t you know what your mother-in-law has done to you all these years? If she wants to take care of your sister-in-law, you can bear it and live a good life. Why do you have to be contradictory to others or with your mother-in-law? ¡°


    Her in-laws were so nice. She was also a mother-in-law. To be honest, she doesn¡¯t have that kind of temperament with her daughter¡¯s in-laws. It¡¯s her daughter¡¯s fault. If they marry such a daughter-in-law into her Zheng family, they will make her angry.


    Zheng Yuefen retorted, ¡°I didn¡¯t say my mother-in-law was bad to me, but she¡¯s treated my new sister-in-law better than me.¡±


    Jiang Liang sighed helplessly.


    When it was late, Zhao Donghe went to pick up Zheng Yuefen from Yue¡¯s house after work.


    Donghe, Yuefen told me what happened today. I also know it¡¯s her fault, but my daughter has been close-minded since childhood and she can¡¯t open her eyes till now. I talked to her all afternoon and I don¡¯t know if she listened to me.


    When Jiang Liang said these words to her son-in-law, she felt embarrassed. ¡°It¡¯s the father to blame if she was raised well or not.¡± They didn¡¯t teach their daughter well, which caused trouble for other people, letting her and her husband have no place to put their faces. But what can be done? The girl is her own child. Ever since she was a child, they scolded, beat her and did not educate her well. On the contrary, the more you teach, the more she doesn¡¯t listen. *


    It¡¯s the father¡¯s fault if she was raised well or not. It is the fault of the parents to only provide food and clothing for the children, but not educate them well[1].


    In addition to lamenting that ¡°all children are debts,¡±[2]she was also glad that her daughter found such a good-natured man as Donghe.


    ¡°Mom, it¡¯s okay. I¡¯ve known this nature of hers for a long time. She can¡¯t see herself suffering. So, I¡¯ll talk to her about it when we get back today.


    Zhao Donghe was also tired. After a day of work, he was tired enough. And now, after work, he also has to come to the Yue family to pick her up.


    His mother said before that their family doesn¡¯t like their wife/daughter-in-law to let them live in their natal house for long. Don¡¯t show your embarrassment to outsiders, no matter how big the contradiction is. He was angry at noon today. If his mother hadn¡¯t stopped him, he really wanted to slap her.


    (Please, no to violence)


    His mother has said before, their family is not interested in throwing the wife to the mother¡¯s house. No matter how big the conflict at home, do not be embarrassed outside, which is what he did today at noon. If not for his mother¡¯s intervention, he really wanted to slap Hu Huo up.


    Zhao Donghe ate dinner at Yue¡¯s house and went back home. On the way home, Zhao Donghe didn¡¯t speak. He walked in front of her quickly. Zheng Yuefen followed him like a little wife.


    The Zhao family only has one bicycle. Zhao Donglin uses it every day. When Donghe has something to do, he can borrow it. But today, Zhao Donglin and his wife went back to their wife¡¯s natal family. Zhao Donghe came directly with his feet and didn¡¯t go home to borrow it. Besides, even if he saw it, he was embarrassed to open his mouth. If his brother knew that his wife was angry with his mother, he would have had no good fruit to eat.


    Like all the younger brothers living in the shadow of an excellent older brother, Zhao Donghe worshipped his brother very much in his childhood. When it comes to the sons of Zhao Manzhu¡¯s family, everyone praises Zhao Donglin. Few people will mention him.


    But Zhao Donghe didn¡¯t feel resentful. It¡¯s good to have a big brother. Whenever he mentioned that he was Zhao Donglin¡¯s brother, others would have a good impression of him. Especially after he entered the army and got his salary. Even at the most difficult time, when everyone in the village didn¡¯t have enough to eat, he didn¡¯t go hungry.


    His mother always nagged him that if it weren¡¯t for his elder brother in the army, his own family¡¯s days would be difficult, so he would have to respect his brother throughout his life.


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to be in the army. The one from the village next door came back after two years as a soldier. He said that it¡¯s better to farm at home than go out for exercise every day and spend his life training. Your brother is strong and hasn¡¯t cried a word of pain. He wrote to us last time and said that he had become a squad leader. He¡¯s a sergeant in size, and his salary has also increased by 2 yuan. Alas, he sends back all his monthly salary without leaving a cent for himself. He said that there is no shortage of anything in the army and there is no need for money. In the end, he was only thinking about our family. Your sister needs to prepare a dowry when she gets married, and you and your sister have to spend money. He is doing this for you and for this family. You should remember your brother¡¯s kindness all your life. ¡°


    After his mother said this, Zhao Donghe always remembered who filled his stomach when he was hungry. Especially seeing those who fought for a bite to eat, the villagers would rather eat the tree bark of the Guanyin soil. Because of this, he thought more and more about the benefits given by his big brother.


    Zhao Donglin rose all the way in the army and became a platoon leader in a few years. On the day he received the letter, his father drank wine with his uncle in the middle of the night.


    Donglin is the pride of our Zhao family. Several generations of people have been poor, but today, we finally have an official. ¡°


    Although he was not a big official, at least in the army he had a rank. In a small village, it was already a dignified position.


    This time, his big brother transferred back to the village. The commune arranged for him to become the village secretary, and in the village, he was the youngest village secretary since the reform.


    ¡°This is the younger brother of Branch Secretary Zhao.¡±


    Some polite ones would also say, ¡°This is Director Zhao¡¯s brother.¡±


    When he went to work in the town, others would politely give him a cigarette. Before the eldest brother became the village party secretary, these were not available.


    Zhao Donghe walked quickly, Zheng Yuefen followed behind with a puff of air. She had been scolded by her mother today all afternoon. This time, although she still didn¡¯t fork out at the moment, she lost most of her anger.


    The last thing that cured her was her mother¡¯s words: ¡°Think about it. If he was to divorce you, what kind of work could you find if you¡¯re divorced?¡±


    Certainly, she can¡¯t find a better man than Zhao Donghe. Zheng Yuefen still has this self-knowledge.


    On the other hand, it¡¯s fine for her to go back to her mother¡¯s house occasionally. If she really comes back from divorce, several sisters-in-law can eat her raw. Who asked her to have a bad relationship with her brother and sister-in-law?


    Zhao Donghe walked all the way home. After entering the village, he walked to his yard. As soon as he got to the corner, he saw his big brother smoking in front of the yard.


    ¡°Brother.¡±


    Zhao Donghe hesitated. He felt that he was caught by the teacher after doing bad things when he went to school as a child.


    Zhao Donglin nodded at him and walked towards the creek beside the yard.


    ¡°Brother, it¡¯s Yuefen¡¯s fault today. I¡¯ve already told her that she¡¯ll change in the future.


    Zhao Donglin exhaled the smoke from the cigarette. The lotus pond under the moonlight was dark and steep. In November, even the moonlight was not very bright. He could barely see the road.


    Donghe, in this family, we are close brothers. We have to keep this brotherhood. We can¡¯t break up with our brotherhood for trivial things. ¡°


    The word ¡°brother¡± is too important to Zhao Donglin, who has been a soldier in the army for more than ten years.¡± His comrades are his brothers, whom he was able to trust his back to them with confidence, in the face of difficulties and dangers, and they will save each other¡¯s lives even if they sacrifice themselves.


    A word, brother, containing a thousand words and infinite trust.


    Comrades in arms are still like this, not to mention real brothers. Was it difficult? Because of his wife, they can¡¯t have this type of bond.


    Zhao Donghe¡¯s face burned hot. If it was not for the dark night, he really had no face to see his brother.


    ¡°Brother, I will take care of my wife.¡±


    Zhao Donglin again spoke, ¡°One more thing, in the future, do not let your sister-in-law talk nonsense with the child. Your sister-in-law has entered our family. She will be Heidan and Yingbao¡¯s mother. This person, Wang Mei, from now on, let her be forgotten. Do not mention her again. ¡°


    Zhao Donghe did not know that there was still this matter. The dissatisfaction with Zheng Yuefen also reached its highest point.


    ¡°Okay, I know, I¡¯ll tell her all this. If she doesn¡¯t listen, then it¡¯s not my fault. ¡°


    Zhao Donghe was still quite a decent person. Previously, he thought that his wife had only had some minor problems. But this time, whether she talked back to his mother or taught Heidan not to be close to his new sister-in-law behind their backs, this was no longer a minor problem, it had risen to the level where she needed to be educated.


    When Zheng Yuefen saw Zhao Dong, he followed Zhao Donglin to the river from a distance. She pursed her lips and pushed the door into her yard.


    This time it was already very late. After putting Yingbao to bed, Zhao Meixiang ate dinner and washed the pots and bowls. Zhang Qiaoer was lying down, then after her son told her something, she was instantly in a good mood. She talked to her husband, Zhao Manzhu, while their two grandchildren were playing in their house.


    This afternoon, Zheng Yuefen went back to her mother¡¯s house without Shitou, and Zhao Manzhu took care of him.


    Speaking of this, Zhang Qiaoer was disappointed with her second daughter-in-law. When adults quarrel, children should not be included in the quarrel. Her second daughter-in-law ran back to his mother¡¯s house without bringing her child, what kind of mother this is?!


    In comparison, when Jiahui came to her mother¡¯s family, she also did not forget to bring Heidan and Yingbao, which showed her temperament.


    At that moment, hearing the door ring, Zhang Qiaoer went to the window and saw that Zheng Yuefen was back.


    ¡°Humph! Why is this the second daughter-in-law here? Why did she return here? ¡°


    Zhao Manzhu smoked a dry cigarette and didn¡¯t speak. From his youth, he has learned one thing: when his wife talks, he should always shut his mouth. He was stupid and couldn¡¯t say anything. After all, he was wrapped around his wife¡¯s palm. He simply developed the habit of not saying anything. When he wanted to listen, he would open his ears. When he didn¡¯t want to listen, he would close his ears. With that, there would be fewer arguments.


    When his two sons got married, he also shared so many years of marriage experience with them. If you want your days to be clean and don¡¯t want to fight with your wife, listen to them when it¡¯s just small matters, but if it¡¯s about big matters, you should discuss it with her. At present, this experience seems ineffective. It seems that how you live depends on what kind of wife you marry.


    The author has something to say:


    Zhao Manzhu: If you want to have a clean day, don¡¯t argue with your wife. Don¡¯t say a few words. Listen to them for those trivial things.


    Zhao Donghe: Dad, my wife is different. My wife is not as sensible as your wife. Besides, there is nothing important she would say. If we listen to her on everything, the future will only turn against the sky.


    Zhao Manzhu speechlessly smoked a cigarette and said no words.


    PS: Think about it, because it¡¯s impractical to separate them directly, so this chapter will not separate one¡¯s family. When Zheng Yuefen makes another stupid mistake, he will make a clean break. ¡ª¡ªEnd of Author¡¯s note


    References

 CH 35

    After the two brothers finished talking by the river, Zhao Donghe wanted to be alone again, so Zhao Donglin went back to the courtyard first.


    Dong Jiahui had already taken a bath and was cutting a piece of floral cloth to make a coat for Meixiang to wear.


    ¡°When are you going to town? Next time you go, remember to bring a few feet of cloth back. It¡¯s almost New Year¡¯s Eve. I¡¯ll make a set for each of mom and dad and weigh some cotton back. There¡¯s plenty of room to use it for. ¡°


    She looked at the clothes of both children. There are not many clothes they could wear in winter. They certainly do not have enough clothes to wear, especially Yingbao, who was born last winter and grew up to be such a big baby in a year. Clothes must be prepared again.


    Her eldest sister-in-law took some leftover clothes from Er Pang back. Zhang Qiaoer also got several pieces from an acquaintance of their family. Don¡¯t mention that these days, they are big and they wear them for small ones. They change them one by one. They wear them all with pudding at the end. They say that they are patched clothes, and others are reluctant to give them away.


    It¡¯s wet and cold in the winter. You can¡¯t dry cotton-padded clothes for two days. It¡¯s not necessary to mention rainy and snowy days. If you pee your pants or something, it¡¯s really troublesome.


    Farmers often bake wet clothes on the stove. They dry it quickly. After drying, the clothes and trousers are hard and uncomfortable to wear.


    Anyway, the family¡¯s conditions are good, there is no shortage of money to buy clothes and cotton, and when the wheat is planted, the longest farming season of the year will begin, and Dong Jiahui was going to take advantage of this time to buy winter clothes, pants, and small quilts for the family, especially for Heidan and Yingbao.


    Zhao Donglin had no opinion on his wife¡¯s arrangement, but he had a careful thought and wanted to go with her.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how to choose. I might buy the wrong things. Just go with me. ¡°


    Dong Jiahui thought that he was right. Most men know nothing about clothes, patterns, needles, or thread. If she lets him go and what he bought doesn¡¯t fit, they have to change it. It¡¯s better to pick it up by herself.


    ¡°Then you can take me with you when you go to town.¡±


    Zhao Donglin said Yes and looked at her quiet and beautiful wife under the kerosene lamp. He lowered his head and carefully drew a line on the cloth, just as the poem said, ¡°The most tender moment is the bowing of the head, like a water lotus flower that can¡¯t beat the cool wind¡¯s shyness.¡± At that time, Jiahui was as beautiful and fragrant as a lotus in his eyes, reminding him of his inner happiness and palpitation.


    ¡°It¡¯s so late, don¡¯t you dare. It¡¯s not worth it for you to damage your eyes. ¡°


    Dong Jiahui drew the last place, put away her things, washed her hands, and went to bed. As soon as she touched the sheet, she was held in the arms of Zhao Donglin.


    ¡°When we were in mom¡¯s room, you didn¡¯t answer my questions. Tell me why mom was so kind to me all of a sudden. ¡°


    ¡®¡±Hasn¡¯t mom always been pretty good to you?¡±


    ¡°You know, that¡¯s not what I mean. Mom was very good to me before, but today she was especially good to me, better than before. Before, after twenty minutes or so, the shift in her attitude was too fast.¡±


    Zhao Donglin laughed, ¡°Nothing, I just talked to mom about something.¡±


    Dong Jiahui looked at him suspiciously. What could make his mother-in-law so happy? Seeing the meaningful gaze in his eyes, she suddenly said, ¡°You¡­ you better not tell Mom about me!¡±


    Zhao Donglin nodded, ¡°I did. What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Dong Jiahui stretched out her fist and pounded Zhao Donglin¡¯s chest, saying shyly, ¡°Why did you tell mom about this? ? How embarrassing.¡±


    Zhao Donglin held her hand. He got up and pressed her under his body. He said in a hoarse voice, ¡°What is there to be ashamed of? At this age, mom has seen everything. ¡°


    After that, he pressed down his lips, and only Dong Jiahui¡¯s whimpering sound remained in the room.


    ________


    Zhao Donghe cooled off in the breeze by the river for about twenty minutes, and when he returned to the house, Zheng Yuefen was already lying on the bed.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Shitou?¡±


    Not seeing his son, Zhao Donghe asked.


    ¡°At Mom and Dad¡¯s, I guess he was sleeping.¡±


    If it were usual, she would have gone to her in-laws¡¯ house to bring Shitou over, but today she had a falling out with her mother-in-law and didn¡¯t feel like going.


    Hearing what she said, Zhao Donghe didn¡¯t say anything. He sat down by the bed with his legs crossed, supported his arms, turned his head and asked Zheng Yuefen, ¡°Did you say anything to Heidan before our new sister-in-law came in? Did you tell him that Wang Mei wouldn¡¯t come back if he recognized his new mother? ¡°


    Zheng Yuefen¡¯s heart tightened. She did not expect Zhao Donghe to suddenly ask about this. With her understanding of Donghe, he hates people with broken mouths. He must be angry if she confessed that it was true.


    ¡°No, who told you that? Can I do such a thing? ¡°


    Zhao Donghe saw that she did not admit it and coldly snorted.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t admit it. Zheng Yuefen, I am telling you one last time, put away those small thoughts of yours. Live your life well. Don¡¯t complain about what you have and what you don¡¯t have. If you feel that your life is too peaceful and you don¡¯t want to continue living it anymore, I can also make it possible for you. Tomorrow, remember to confess your mistakes to your mother and sister-in-law. Don¡¯t mess with her again. Also, stay away from Heidan and Yingbao. ¡°


    When Zheng Yuefen heard his words, she was ashamed and annoyed at the same time. She knew she was wrong to quarrel with her mother, but what did Zhao Donghe mean by saying this? Why can¡¯t his words be softer? Did he have to say those offensive words? ¡°


    ¡°Don¡¯t provoke¡± and ¡°stay away¡± as if she had some infectious disease. Is she so unbearable?


    The most important thing is that Zhao Donghe has always let her down in the past few years after their marriage. He never bothered her about some small things before. It¡¯s the first time he¡¯s spoken so hard.


    ¡°What do you mean? How can you make it possible for me? Do you want to get divorced and find another suitable one like your brother? ¡°


    She seemed to forget that Zhao Donglin¡¯s divorce was not his own initiative. It was Wang Mei who wanted to go back to the city that made so many things happen.


    If Wang Mei hadn¡¯t wanted to go back to the city, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to get Zhao Donglin to divorce her, and Zhao Donglin would have been promoted to battalion commander in the army.


    Zhao Donghe looked back at Zheng Yuefen. This time, she still stirred up nonsense, and he simply did not know what to do.


    ¡°Do you want to wake up the whole family in the middle of the night? I¡¯ll accompany you, but I will remind you that you¡¯ve been out of line today. Who made a fuss? Whose face will not look good? ¡°


    Zheng Yuefen¡¯s chest heaved and gasped, but she also knew that Zhao Donghe was telling the truth. If she made trouble again, not to mention her mother-in-law, even Zhao Donghe would no longer tolerate her.


    She turned to lie down, hugging the quilt and sleeping with her eyes closed. Seeing her like this, so many years without growth, he could only helplessly shake his head. He took off his jacket and laid down on the other side.


    The next day, Dong Jiahui opened her eyes after the rooster crowed. Zhao Donglin¡¯s arm was still around her waist. The soreness in her whole body reminded her of his madness last night. It was like someone that resembled a jungle leopard, catching his prey and tearing it to death, and she, herself, was the poor prey.


    Her back was sore, her legs were sore, and she had to get up early to cook in the cold. Dong Jiahui felt so miserable that she could hardly cry.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get up; sleep a little more.¡±


    She grabbed his arm to shake it off, but Zhao Donglin took her hand and put her in his warm and generous embrace, with his palm stroking her back through her clothes.


    Dong Jiahui¡¯s heart was comfortable. She had a thin face. If there was any further delay, it would delay their breakfast. If she gets up too late, others will know what happened. After all, they are all adults. Who doesn¡¯t understand the twists and turns? This is too shameful.


    ¡°No, I have to cook breakfast.¡±


    It was agreed that she would do the cooking and that she would do it in the morning, as she had done for the past few days.


    Zhao Donglin gave her a kiss on the cheek, and his big hand helped her press her sore back and waist. He said while doing so, ¡°Then close your eyes and sleep for another five minutes.¡±


    Dong Jiahui couldn¡¯t escape the temptation of this comfort, so she closed her eyes as she was told. When she woke up again, it was already bright. She took out her watch from under her pillow and looked at it. It was 6:20!


    God, I usually get up at five o¡¯clock, but today I¡¯m an hour late.


    In the yard, Meixiang was drying clothes. Some children were squatting by the vegetable patch. Zhao Donglin was chopping wood. Zheng Yuefen was sitting by the water well, washing clothes with Donghe. Her mother-in-law was busy in the kitchen, and her father-in-law was nowhere to be seen. She probably went out and went off the net.


    Dong Jiahui blushed and went into the kitchen. Seeing that Zhang Qiaoer was filling the porridge, she hurried to help.


    ¡°Mom, I got up late today.¡±


    Zhao Qiaoer looked at her red face and said, ¡°She was quite happy.¡± She said, with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s okay, just sleep more. I will not eat you. Young people should have more sleep. When you are young, you should enjoy it, and when you get older, even if you want to enjoy it, you cannot. At that time, even if you want to sleep, you can¡¯t sleep. A little wind will wake you up. ¡°


    Let alone Zhang Qiaoer, It goes without saying that she doesn¡¯t care about this, otherwise, how can the daughter-in-law of the Zhao family live so comfortably? There is so much housework at home. Others do more and less. She alone was also busy.


    She didn¡¯t care before. After hearing the words of her son yesterday, she didn¡¯t even care about it anymore. If the couple¡¯s feelings were bad, How can they have children? She still hopes Donglin will have more children. Rural people pay attention to saying that more children equal more happiness. Having only Heidan and Yingbao was too little.


    When eating breakfast, Zhao Donghe made a face at Zheng Yuefen, signalling to her to not forget what he said last night, and apologize to Mom.


    Zheng Yuefen didn¡¯t want to, but she also couldn¡¯t help it. Zhao Donghe was usually quite good at talking, but once you offended him, you had to comply with him.


    Besides, she has feelings for Donghe and doesn¡¯t want to make the relationship too rigid.


    So, Zheng Yuefen put down the chopsticks in her hand and opened her mouth. She talked to Zhang Qiaoer, ¡°Mom, I was wrong yesterday. I shouldn¡¯t have talked back to you. I shouldn¡¯t have said those offensive words. I already know I¡¯m wrong. Mom, please don¡¯t take note of what I did. Forgive me, please. ¡°


    Zhang Qiaoer closed her eyes and ate fried pickles slowly. Zheng Yuefen said so much that she didn¡¯t even lift her head happily.


    If you really know you are wrong, why didn¡¯t you say it when you came back last night? Why didn¡¯t you say it when you got up this morning? Don¡¯t think I didn¡¯t see my second son make an eye signal.


    ¡°Knowing that you are wrong is good. Don¡¯t open your mouth carelessly in the future. No matter what you say, always think before you say it. Words spoken are like water spilt[1]. This time I don¡¯t care about it. But if you say it again, I¡¯m not so easy to talk to.¡±


    It¡¯s outrageous. Who dares be so stubborn with your mother-in-law? If not for the face of the Donghe, how could she let her pass so easily?


    Zheng Yuefen bit her lip. My mother-in-law said that she didn¡¯t care about her face at all, especially in front of Dong Jiahui. She was not happy. She looked at Dong Jiahui and saw that she didn¡¯t care about her at all as she was feeding Yingbao a porridge.


    References

 CH 36

    After breakfast, Zhang Qiaoer let Mei Xiang stay at home with Yingbao, and she took Jia Hui to the captain¡¯s house for a trip.


    ¡°Your brother Huaishan and our family¡¯s friendship was not bad. I had already talked to him. You can do whatever work he arranges for you. If you meet someone who has made things difficult for you, don¡¯t keep it to yourself. Come back and tell me. I¡¯ll find a job for you. ¡°


    On the way, Zhang Qiaoer told Jiahui about the team. There were dozens of families and more than 200 people on the production team. There were 16 production teams in Shanghe village.


    The most important things that she needed to know were: who is close to their family, who is the most difficult to get along with, who likes to gossip, who likes petty theft, and so on. She explained it all to Jiahui one by one.


    Dong Jiahui is Dong¡¯s new wife. She hasn¡¯t been around much for a few days after the marriage. Except for a few acquaintances, she didn¡¯t know more than half of the people in the village. So Zhang Qiaoer wasn¡¯t able to talk about it all with him for a moment.


    At this point, when people in the village went out one after another, they saw Zhang Qiaoer walking on the road with Jiahui, so they had to come forward and say a few words.


    ¡°Guixiang, where are you taking your daughter-in-law?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going to Huaishan¡¯s house.¡±


    After Zhang Qiaoer replied, she turned to Jiahui and introduced her. ¡°This is your Aunt Wu. She lives in the third house in the front row of our house. ¡°


    Dong Jiahui stood aside and gave a decent smile, ¡°Good day, Aunt Wu.¡±


    Aunt Wu has been observing Dong Jiahui without moving. Today, Dong Jiahui wore a red coat, black pants, and white sneakers. Her hair was twisted into a braid and was left hanging behind her head. She had a medium-part bang, a bright face, her eyes were smiling at people, her thin lips were smeared with a bright-red color. It looked elegant and beautiful.


    She clicked her tongue twice in her heart, thinking that this Zhao family really had married a new daughter-in-law. Before, Wang Mei was not bad looking, and their second daughter-in-law, Yuefen, was not even close to this new daughter-in-law. She looks dignified and generous.


    ¡°Aiya, your daughter-in-law looks well-behaved, making people like her at first sight.¡±


    Aunt Wu¡¯s words were half true and half false. Dong Jiahui¡¯s appearance was really pleasing. Who doesn¡¯t like the appearance of a smiling face? But Aunt Wu can¡¯t accept the fact that she has been divorced. She doesn¡¯t understand Zhang Qiaoer¡¯s attitude towards treating her as a baby.


    But even if that¡¯s what she thought, she couldn¡¯t say it. She still has to say something good. As for how to say it in private, it was another matter.


    Zhang Qiao¡¯er didn¡¯t care whether Aunt Wu was sincere or not; anyway, she was very happy to hear the compliments.


    ¡°Exactly. She¡¯s clever and sensible. She can cook well, make clothes and do housework quickly. But I¡¯m worried. It¡¯s just that she¡¯s too honest. ¡°


    Aunt Wu smiled and said, ¡°I see, you don¡¯t have an additional daughter-in-law, but you seem to have an extra daughter.¡±


    Zhang Qiaoer also laughed and said, ¡°That¡¯s not true. This daughter is more considerate than my own daughter.¡±


    After a few laughs, Zhang Qiaoer took Jiahui and continued to walk forward. After walking for about 500 meters, they finally arrived at the captain, Ding Huishan¡¯s, home.


    ¡°This is our production team leader, your brother Huaishan. This is your sister-in-law, Ping.¡±


    Ding Huaishan was not old, but he was a very anxious man. He is tall and burly. He smiles with a simple and honest temperament. Aunt Ping was very enthusiastic. When she saw them coming, she quickly asked them to come in and sit down. She kept asking them if they had had breakfast.


    ¡°We ate at home.¡±


    ¡°Seriously? Don¡¯t be polite, we have sweet potato porridge in the pot. ¡°


    ¡°Really, don¡¯t mention it. What else is there to be polite about with you?¡±


    As an aunt, Zhang Qiaoer¡¯s age was not much different from that of Aunt Ping¡¯s. Speaking of Zhang Qiaoer¡¯s father, he is also a man with a lot of stories. When he was young, he was very mischievous and handsome. He had a mouth that could deceive young ladies. Ding Huaishan¡¯s mother is one of them.


    Zhang Qiaoer was her father¡¯s eldest daughter, so she was not a few years older than Ding Huaishan. She still remembers when Ding Huaishan¡¯s mother was the young wife of her father.


    When she was six years old, Ding Huishan¡¯s mother left the Zhang family and married an honest man in the same village who did not marry a wife. This man was Ding Huishan¡¯s father.


    The rare thing is that they do not feel embarrassed themselves. The relationship was even quite good.


    Anyway, when Dong Jiahui knew that the two families were in such a relationship, her mood could not be described as just ¡°shocked.¡±


    Ding Huishan went back to the house to get a key and handed it to Dong Jiahui, ¡°The work in warehouse storage is very simple; you just need to make sure that the things are brought back. Take this key, people from the team go to the warehouse every day to collect things. When they borrow equipment, they have to return it on the same day they borrowed it.


    The production team now has a lot of labor tools, such as scythes, hoes, plows, wooden carts, wheelbarrows, tractors, etc. They are important properties of the production team; these are the things they have to rely on when working in the field.


    Like the tractor, the entire Shanghe village has only five of them. Their team belongs to the advanced production team, which has one. Usually, it is driven by Ding Huaishan¡¯s son.


    The team leader explained the precautions once, focusing on two points: one is that there must be no missing things, and the other is to ensure that she must be in the warehouse before everyone starts to work.


    On her first day, Zhang Qiaoer accompanied Dong Jiahui to the warehouse. On their way, he was afraid that Jiahui would feel psychological pressure and comfort her. Don¡¯t worry, this job is not difficult. You just have to remember to open the door before 7:40 every day. Remember who took it and when they returned it. Just close the door before you go. ¡°


    Dong Jiahui said he understood that this job was actually similar to some factory custodians in modern times.


    On her first official day of work, Dong Jiahui was naturally surrounded by people.


    ¡°Is this sister¡¯s eldest daughter-in-law?¡±


    ¡°She looked thin on the day of her wedding, but today she looks good.¡±


    When did our team arrange for a custodian? It¡¯s just a few things. Does it still need to be watched? ¡°


    ¡°Hey, it was arranged by the captain. For whatever reason you said, does it still have a use? ¡°


    ¡°If he wanted to arrange a job for it, he should have arranged it earlier. The benefits are all taken up. ¡°


    ¡°You¡¯re just jealous. If you have the ability, go find the captain to arrange a job for you.¡±


    Being a warehouse custodian was easy; there wasn¡¯t much work, unlike working in the field. Besides, the custodian has to know two words to write every day. The slightly older people in the village were illiterate. Moreover, everyone was used to working, so they felt constrained to being a warehouse keeper.


    But it doesn¡¯t matter if they can¡¯t read. The children at home can read. It¡¯s not cost-effective for men to do this. Isn¡¯t it just for women?


    For so many years, they had not set up a custodian, and now the captain suddenly gave this job to Donglin¡¯s wife. No one believes it when they say there is nothing behind it.


    After opening the warehouse, Dong Jiahui divided farm tools such as hoes and harrows, took a notepad and recorded the personnel and approximate time of borrowing farm tools with self-made excel.


    ¡°We didn¡¯t need to register before. Why is it so troublesome today? ¡°


    Most of the people who come to the warehouse to get farming tools are young and strong or older laborers, and there was no custodian on the team before, so naturally, no one registered this.


    ¡°Grandpa, as you can see, this is my first day on duty today, at least cooperate a little, you just need to move your mouth, and I will write it down. After I register a few times, you will get used to it.¡±


    As the saying goes, ¡°Reach out without hitting the smiling person.¡±[1] When a young wife with a smile on her face speaks to you in this way, who cannot really put down their face? So naturally, he had to finally register the tools.


    When all the people who received tools had left, Captain Ding Huishan came over to see how Dong Jiahui was doing.


    ¡°Sister-in-law, how is it? Can you adapt?¡±


    Dong Jiahui handed over her record book. ¡°Captain, I don¡¯t know if this is right. Why don¡¯t you take a look at it?¡±


    Ding Huishan looked at the results in the record book. When he looked at the table made by Dong Jiahui, he wasn¡¯t able to respond. It was mainly because it was too formal. It was like how the accountant in the commune recorded the accounts.


    The top of the table was divided into columns; agricultural tools, borrowers, borrowing time, and time of return. In a vertical column was the date.


    ¡°You¡¯re great. You¡¯ve studied accounting before?¡±


    ¡°No. I just read a few books on accounting; I did not learn it formally. ¡°


    Ding Huishan nodded with satisfaction and handed the record book to Dong Jiahui.


    ¡°Good, quite good. I¡¯m relieved to see that you¡¯re doing so well.¡±


    Originally, it was for the sake of Zhang Qiaoer and Zhao Donglin¡¯s faces. He was reluctant to let Dong Jiahui be the custodian. On the way here, he met those pricks on the team and was secretly offended, which meant that he abused power for personal gain. Now it seems that his decision was not bad. At least Dong Jiahui is not an embroidered pillow[2], and when you encounter other people¡¯s nonsense, he has something to say.


    Everyone returned the farming tools at noon after finishing their work. Zhang Qiaoer was uneasy, even though she didn¡¯t borrow any farming tools, she also went to the warehouse.


    ¡°How is it today?¡±


    ¡°Pretty good.¡±


    Your brother Huaishan also said you did a good job. He said you made a table yourself, as good as those accountants in the commune. He also praised you for your good writing. ¡°


    Zhang Qiaoer walked over to look at the paper. There were horizontal and vertical lines scratched on the paper. It looks quite profound, she couldn¡¯t recognize many words, but she could still distinguish the word good or bad. At least the words written by Dong Jiahui were arranged neatly one by one, which was different from the words poured on the paper and written like drunkenness.


    ¡°Go, let¡¯s go home to eat, and I do not know what Meixiang cooked today.¡±


    Zhao Meixiang also learned to cook with Dong Jiahui two days ago. Jiahui began to teach a little bit about preparing dishes. Her cooking skills are a little better than before. At least she knows what an oil explosion is.


    ¡°You do not have to stay all the time; you can go back in the middle when no one is around.¡±


    Dong Jiahui also knows that she can come back home after letting everyone borrow the farming tools and return before the villagers were done with fieldwork, but today was her first day of work. She belonged to those who were new to the workplace. She didn¡¯t dare start behaving like a veteran.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll go back and cook when I have time later.¡±


    When they returned home, the meal was already on the table. It was just waiting for them to arrive home and start eating.


    When Yingbao saw Dong Jiahui coming back, she came over with her short legs, asking for a hug. Dong Jiahui smiled and picked her up. She kissed her face and said, ¡°Did Yingbao miss me?


    ¡°She missed you. You gave her delicious this and delicious that food at home, so I made her food, but she was still picky about it.¡±


    Heidan sat at the dinner table and watched Dong Jiahui hug Yingbao and watch her give a kiss to Yingbao.


    This intimate look, which even Wang Mei had never given to him, was somewhat envied by Heidan in his heart. His eyes were locked on her, but his small lips were pursed, presenting an on-guard posture.


    After lunch, Dong Jiahui took the initiative to wash the dishes. Heidan ate alone and played with stones under the tree. Dong Jiahui looked through the window and saw that Heidan¡¯s trouser legs were scratched and his trousers were somewhat short. Heidan¡¯s shoes were seriously worn out. He followed Zhao Manzhu every day. His clothes and shoes were easy to get dirty.


    ¡°Heidan is four years old; shouldn¡¯t he be enlightened?¡±


    ¡°En, why mention this suddenly?¡±


    At this time, there are not many kindergartens. The children in the village go to elementary school at the age of six or seven. At Heidan¡¯s age, it is not yet time to go to school.


    Besides, there was no such thing as enlightenment for rural children at this time.


    ¡°He is at his best age to learn, so when you teach him a little bit every day, he can learn faster than others when he goes to school.¡±


    Although she never claimed to be their ¡°mother¡± or ¡°mom,¡± she still has basic compassion for children and tries to do her best to fulfil her responsibilities as an adult when considering problems.


    In modern times, early childhood education has become popular, and children have started to attend various early classes for children. Children who are a few months old begin to take all kinds of early education classes, and those who start prenatal education just after pregnancy. It can be said that a series of competitions has begun between the mother and fetus.


    When Dong Jiahui asked this question, It¡¯s false to say that Zhao Donglin was not moved. In real life, Dong Jiahui has taken enough care of Heidan and Yingbao. She is a very competent stepmother. No matter what, she can¡¯t be blamed because she not only takes care of the children¡¯s lives but also takes into account their education. This is her heartfelt concern.


    Zhao Donglin held Dong Jiahui¡¯s hand and rubbed her palm, and no amount of words could express the emotion he felt at this moment.


    ¡°I¡¯ve made many decisions in my life, and besides going to the army, the most correct decision was to marry you at home. Really. ¡°


    This sudden confession made Dong Jiahui blush a little, and her face turned red.


    ¡°Why did you say this suddenly?¡±


    Zhao Donglin smoothly took her into his arms, his heart full of tenderness.


    I¡¯m talking from the heart. Before, I was most worried about Heidan and Yingbao, afraid that I might find someone that might make them suffer. The first time I saw you, I thought you would be a good mother and a good wife, and it turns out, my choice was not wrong. ¡°


    This is the first time Zhao Donglin mentioned the topic of Heidan Yingbao completely. Dong Jiahui has an unspeakable feeling in her heart. Although she really loves Heidan and Yingbao, the two are not her own children after all. They are the children of Zhao Donglin and the other person. She sometimes wondered if Zhao Donglin often thought of his ex-wife, Wang Mei. Just like how the saying goes, ¡°one night, a hundred days of grace¡±. The two of them have children, not to mention that they are in a constant state of disarray.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Dong Jiahui shook her head, ¡°Nothing, I was just thinking, if I am not good to Heidan and Yingbao, will you be very disappointed with me, our feelings¡­¡±


    ¡°There is no such thing as an ¡°if.¡± That is what I saw in you. I know you will be good to them, and I believed it from the beginning. ¡°


    ¡°Don¡¯t think too much. I didn¡¯t want to marry you because of this. I really liked and appreciated you. Your character and morality are only part of it. ¡°


    Zhao Donglin feared that Jiahui would misunderstand it. He was in a hurry to explain. Dong Jiahui laughed. What are you nervous about? I only asked that. Anyway, as long as you treat me wholeheartedly and don¡¯t think about others, I will be good to the children, but if you change your mind, I will have to give you a good look. ¡°


    She was willing to marry Zhao Donglin and be this convenient stepmother. In addition to being forced by the situation, she naturally appreciates Zhao Donglin. Although he was divorced and had two children, he was handsome and not old. At the very least, 30 years old was the ideal age in modern times.


    Moreover, he has an indescribable temperament, the perseverance of a soldier, and the connotation of a sub-cultural person. This kind of man was born in the wrong era. If he is in modern times, he can certainly have a good career.


    Dong Jiahui put on the watch that Zhao Donglin bought for her when she went to the warehouse in the afternoon. It was inconvenient to wear it for household chores, but now that she is doing the job of a custodian, it was quite suitable.


    Dong Jiahui just happened to run into Zheng Yuefen when she went out, and Zheng Yuefen¡¯s eyes were like radar. She noticed Dong Jiahui¡¯s wrist right away.


    My sister-in-law still has a watch. I haven¡¯t seen you wear it since two days ago. ¡°


    Zheng Yuefen¡¯s eyes were burning and her words were inexplicable. Dong Jiahui said, with a half-genuine smile, ¡°I don¡¯t have to tell anyone what I have. I just have a watch, and I can wear it whenever I want.¡± Is there a problem? ¡°


    When Dong Jiahui finished talking, she did not care about Zheng Yuefen¡¯s face. She went directly in the direction of the warehouse, leaving Zheng Yuefen with a terrible look on her face. She gritted her teeth as she looked at Dong Jiahui¡¯s back.


    The watch still looks new. It was definitely new. Did her mother-in-law secretly give it to her as a bride price? If it was the Dong family¡¯s dowry, why didn¡¯t she take it out when giving the dowry? Besides, the Dong family¡¯s conditions can¡¯t be said to be very good. They can¡¯t give a sewing machine and a hand watch at the same time. It¡¯s a Shanghai brand, it should be more than 100 yuan!


    I have to say that Zheng Yuefen guessed the truth, but she got the wrong person. This watch is not a bride¡¯s price. Zhao Donglin used his military allowance to buy the watch for his wife. It is his personal money.


    Notlucia: I know, the schedule was not messed up (£»¡ä¡Ð`). Next update will be on Sunday! (2 Chapters maybe.) And thanks for reading!


    References

 CH 37

    After going back from work in the evening and eating dinner, she bathed Yingbao and asked Zhao Donglin to take Heidan to take a bath.


    Heidan was a boy. Although he was young, it was not appropriate for Jiahui to bathe him. After all, he was not her biological child. Four years old is not young, and she was still embarrassed, and so was Heidan. So why not give the work to his father? It can be said that she also saved herself from having to do more errands.


    Now that it is late November, the climate has started to get colder every day. Most of the farmers do not bathe every day, especially children. Washing once every few days is already considered diligent. Wait until the cold winter months. Many children do not bathe for ten days and a half months or more in the winter.


    Dong Jiahui, who transmigrated from the modern age, naturally couldn¡¯t stand this. She takes a bath every day, and aside from that, she also sets some rules for Heidan and Yingbao. They must take a bath once every three days during this season and at least once a week during the winter season.


    In order to not bother other people, the bathwater was boiled by Dong Jiahui. Sometimes Zhao Donglin would also help her. Their bathroom was separated from the water room with complete wooden barrels, plastic tents, and fragrant pancakes.


    Zheng Yuefen scoffed at Jiahui¡¯s habit of bathing every day, saying that she loved to be pretentious and was catching up with Wang Mei, but Zhang Qiaoer thought nothing of it; there was nothing wrong with loving cleanliness. Bathing only cost some firewood, but the children of the family who walked out cleaner and tidier than the other children were the face of the family.


    Did you see the watch on your sister-in-law¡¯s wrist? It¡¯s still new, and I haven¡¯t seen her wear it before, so I don¡¯t know who bought it. ¡°


    When Dong Jiahui came back from the warehouse, she took off the watch. It¡¯s inconvenient to wear a watch for work at home. Although it¡¯s not a six-digit and seven-digit watch in later generations, in this era, the watch was already considered a very high-end thing, and it¡¯s also sent by Zhao Donglin. Dong Jiahui cherishes it well.


    Zhao Donghe could no longer bear listening to Zheng Yuefen¡¯s chit-chat about these topics all day. Why do you want to compare yourself with other people? Whatever her sister-in-law wears, she will compare it to herself. If her sister-in-law had a watch, she would compare. If mom was good to her sister-in-law, she would compare. Day by day, she wouldn¡¯t stop doing this.


    Can you stop thinking about what¡¯s in other people¡¯s bowls all the time? Never mind who bought them, they are all things that my sister-in-law owned. If you envy them, you can buy one yourself. ¡°


    Hey, what do you mean? I just said a word. Do you dislike me so much? Even if I would like to buy it, I don¡¯t have the money or ticket. How can I buy it? Don¡¯t you know? We do not have a penny. The annual dividend at the end of the year was given to our mother.


    Zheng Yuefen¡¯s voice was getting smaller and smaller. Apparently, she also knows that she should not say those words.


    Zhao Donghe glared at her and went out the door unhappily. He started to chop the firewood to relieve his anger.


    Dong Jiahui was sitting in front of the window with a kerosene lamp. She was mending the leg of Heidan¡¯s trousers. When she saw Zhao Donghe chopping wood, she said to Zhao Donglin in amusement, ¡°Your brother is chopping wood in the dark.¡± Wouldn¡¯t he mistake his legs for firewood? ¡°


    There was a joke before when eating at night without like and you couldn¡¯t see, someone ate their rice up their nostrils.


    Zhao Donglin estimated that his brother and sister-in-law had another quarrel. Originally, he was indifferent, but after he listened to the jokes of his wife, he couldn¡¯t stop the smile at the corners of his mouth.


    Zhao Donglin originally wanted to go out, but then thought it was their couple¡¯s affair. He didn¡¯t need to get involved in their affairs. If they want to quarrel, then let them quarrel. It¡¯s useless if he didn¡¯t understand the root of their quarrel.


    Dong Jiahui sewed the trouser legs and measured the size. Before, she bought a cotton cloth and saved it for her to use in making pants. At that time, the size was enough. After she was done with the trousers, she took out the clothes cut by Mexiang the day before yesterday and made a sleeve before she stopped sewing.


    Outside the window, Zhao Donghe, who has been cutting firewood for a long time, has also returned to the house.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to town tomorrow. Will you come with me?¡±


    ¡°What time?¡±


    ¡°The meeting is at nine o¡¯clock, and we leave at eight.¡±


    Dong Jiahui thought for a moment. She still has to go to the warehouse at 7:40.m. After recording the villagers who borrowed farming tools, she can follow him.


    ¡°So when will you be back?¡±


    ¡°Usually more than eleven o¡¯clock, but we can come back in time for lunch.¡±


    Dong Jiahui nodded.


    Do I have to tell the captain that I¡¯m going to town tomorrow? In case someone wants to look for me for something,


    ¡°Yes, You have to tell him, and you can just leave the key with him. ¡°


    When Zhao Donglin said these, his hand movement did not stop. He had already jumped into Jiahui¡¯s clothes. Jiahui looked at him with bright eyes. At this time, she was the most attractive, as sweet and juicy as a ripe mountain peach in June.


    The next day, Dong Jiahui endured the pain and got up to make breakfast. Corn pancakes can be eaten with sauce or pickles.


    ¡°Mom, I want to follow Donglin to town this morning and buy some cloth and cotton. It¡¯s going to get cold soon, so I¡¯ll make some cotton clothes for the two kids. ¡°


    ¡°Yes, you go. I thought of it a few days ago, but I forgot about it in the past two days. Thankfully, you remembered. ¡°


    ¡°How much do you want to buy? I¡¯ll go back to the house to get you a ticket. ¡°¡±


    No need to worry, Mom; I had previously saved a few cloth tickets. It should be enough.


    Zhang Qiaoer laughed at this. She liked Jiahui because she was so generous and not the kind of person who only thinks about herself. Besides, it¡¯s not that you only need a ticket to buy something; you still need to spend some money.


    Don¡¯t be polite to me. Now that I am in charge of this family, I should pay for the food at home. You and Donglin just got married. Before, Donglin¡¯s wages were given to me, but recently, I¡¯ve been thinking about how to distribute this money. Donglin used to work in the army, and he paid for food and clothing. Now it¡¯s different. He works in the village and can¡¯t work without money. ¡°


    Another thing was that Donglin still had two children when he married Jiahui. She is a mother who keeps her son¡¯s salary. What should they(Donglin¡¯s family) do if they have to spend money? She knew that Jiahui still has the bride price. Although it is not so bad that you do not have money to spend, it will not leave a good taste. But for the sake of the harmony of the family, she still has to give them some consideration.


    I¡¯ll say this to you: after Donglin¡¯s monthly salary, I¡¯ll give you ten yuan. Regard it as your own. The rest is still here with me. The family¡¯s expenses for food will be paid for by me. So, you don¡¯t have to be polite to me. By the way, as an older brother, Donglin has suffered a lot. But in this life, he only had Donghe as his little brother. Love is more important than money. I asked about Donglin¡¯s intention, and I also asked for Donglin¡¯s opinion, and he also agreed. ¡°


    Zhao Donglin, naturally, won¡¯t have any opinions. He¡¯s been like this for so many years. Zhang Qiaoer said so much just for Dong Jiahui. She was afraid that she had some opinions on Donglin¡¯s salary distribution.


    Dong Jiahui is not that stupid. She naturally understands her mother-in-law¡¯s meaning. She smiled and said, ¡°Mom, I understand. We are a family. We should not be concerned about personal gains and losses.¡±


    Zhang Qiaoer patted her hand, slightly excited. It¡¯s good that you understand. A lone tree does not make a forest. The family must work together to live a good life. Don¡¯t worry, mom has a scale in her heart. She won¡¯t be biased towards anyone. ¡°


    Dong Jiahui nodded. From what she had seen so far, Zhang Qiaoer was doing a good job. She was not the kind of Mother-in-law who was unreasonable.


    The Zhao family is generally good, and Zheng Yuefen is a little out of tune.


    This cake is delicious. It tastes better with two cloves of garlic. ¡°


    ¡°Then don¡¯t open your mouth and talk; the smell could kill anyone.¡±


    It¡¯ll be good to eat this when we work on the river this winter.


    When the winter wheat is in the ground, the countryside will usher in a period of agricultural leisure. The commune will mostly organize everyone to do river work, like repairing a road or something. Doing this kind of work is twice the usual work point, so the young and strong people want to go.


    After eating, Jiahui took the key to the warehouse and opened the door. After the team came to collect the farming tools, she went to the captain¡¯s house and told him she was going to the town in the morning, and the captain agreed without saying anything.


    ¡°Heidan, do you want to go to town together?¡±


    Jiahui had the intention of improving her relationship with Heidan. Don¡¯t children like to play? Since Zhao Donglin has a meeting, it¡¯s nothing for her to take Heidan around the town.


    A four-year-old child should be the age where kids want to play. When Jiahui mentioned this, in Heidan¡¯s heart, he wanted to go, but he was shy, so he cannot say it.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s go together.¡±


    Jiahui naturally took Heidan¡¯s little hand. Her hand was warm and soft. Heidan was stunned after holding her hand. This reminded him of his mother in his memory. She also held his hand and sang songs to him.


    Wang Mei left when Heidan was more than three years old. It has been more than half a year now, and the child¡¯s memory is not so deep. Heidan just knew they had a mother, and he knew that she had left them. He can¡¯t remember Wang Mei¡¯s appearance clearly. His hands are warm. He looks up and just meets Dong Jiahui¡¯s smiling eyes, which are very similar to the mother in his memory.


    Zhao Donglin rode his bicycle, Jiahui sat on the back of the bicycle, and Heidan sat on the bars and wandered off to town.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to the commune. Wait for me here when you¡¯re done shopping.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Dong Jiahui stroked Heidan¡¯s hair and said to him, ¡°Heidan, say goodbye to Daddy.¡±


    Heidan looked at Zhao Donglin and didn¡¯t say anything. Dong Jiahui found that Heidan was too introverted. Looking at his eyes, he obviously knew everything, but he just didn¡¯t want to talk. She asked Meixiang, and she said that Heidan wasn¡¯t like this before. After Wang Mei left them, he didn¡¯t like to talk.


    She didn¡¯t know what happened after Wang Mei left, but it should be true that it was a great blow to Heidan when she left.


    ¡°Then you go first. Don¡¯t be late for the meeting.¡±


    Zhao Donglin also patted Heidan¡¯s hair and rode away. Jiahui took Heidan and stood in place for a while before turning around and taking Heidan¡¯s hand into the supply and marketing agency.


    Before going out, Zhang Qiaoer took three tickets and gave Jiahui 20 yuan. Because she was buying something, Jiahui went directly to the cloth counter.


    The cloth of this era was mainly plain. Black, blue, yellow and green were the common colors. Blue was divided into light blue, dark blue, Tibetan blue. Yellow was divided into turmeric and light loess yellow. Green was the most popular, military green, and other colors are not absent, but the range of options was very small.


    In the past, the cotton spinning cloth was popular in rural areas, and it has become popular in recent years.


    In the era of planned supply, people bought clothes with cloth tickets. The cloth tickets supplied by a person a year are only 3 feet.


    Three feet of cloth a year was not enough to make a suit of clothes. At that time, the solution was that rich people bought black market cloth tickets, while poor people bought back spinning cloth. The spinning cloth was to break the rags and spin them into yarn again. The emergence of Dacron solves this problem. Because it is durable, the cloth tickets of a family can make a set of clothes for family members in urgent need of clothes, which can be worn by a person for several years, which greatly solves people¡¯s basic food and clothing needs.


    It is a chemical fiber product with poor breathability, but in this era, it is a very trendy fabric that is easy to wear and dry, not easy to fade without ironing, and the color looks brighter than cotton.


    Dong Jiahui chose dacron fabric for the two old people. Naturally, it was more comfortable for the children to use pure cotton fabric. Zhao Donglin wears military uniforms all year round. For Zhao Donghe and Zheng Yuefen, Jiahui asked herself and came to the conclusion that there was no need to prepare for them.


    ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t that Jiahui?¡±


    Dong Jiahui was seriously unable to choose. When she heard someone calling her name behind her, She turned around and saw that it was Hong Tao, whom she knew from Dayu Village.


    ¡°You went to the town to buy clothes?¡±


    Hong Tao smiled and came over. She looked at Dong Jiahui and then looked at Heidan, who was following Dong Jiahui. She touched Heidan¡¯s head and said, ¡°Is this your son?¡±


    Hong Tao knew that Dong Jiahui had become a stepmother after she got married. She has a straightforward personality and has nothing to say.


    ¡°Yes, my son.¡±


    Dong Jiahui graciously admitted it and smiled down at Heidan.


    ¡°What a coincidence. I was worried about finding you, but I didn¡¯t expect to meet you on the street.¡±


    ¡°What do you want from me?¡±


    ¡°I was looking for you to make clothes. I found two other tailors, but I don¡¯t think their work look as good as yours.¡±


    Jiahui paid attention to details when making clothes.


    For example, she pinches an inch at the waist, which makes her body look more curved. If it was pants, she would not make the thin trouser legs too wide, but instead, it would be done according to the person¡¯s body. She would even slightly change the style with radish pants and bell-bottomed pants. It¡¯s not too much, but the visual effect is absolutely different. Therefore, many people who wear Jiahui¡¯s clothes are exactly that kind, It¡¯s not good, but it¡¯s different from others.


    ¡°Yes, then you tell me the requirements.¡±


    I¡¯m satisfied with what you¡¯ve done. I¡¯ve already bought the cloth. It¡¯s at home. I¡¯ll bring it to you when I have the time. ¡°


    ¡°Okay, but do you know where my husband¡¯s house is?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll just ask. I¡¯ll come to you tomorrow morning.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    She picked up a business right out of the door, Jia Hui was in a happy mood, her money-making path was affected by the change of life background after marriage.


    This morning Mother-in-law said Zhao Donglin future wages will continue to be given to her. She would give her ten yuan a month. Dong Jiahui really feel indifferent, probably from the modern relationship, the concept of women¡¯s self-reliance and self-improvement has been deeply rooted in the hearts of people, there is no way to rely on their husbands wholeheartedly like the women of this era.


    The mountain will fall, the man will run, and the most real thing is to rely on themselves.


    ¡°Heidan, what do you want to eat? I will buy it for you.


    In the supply and marketing agency, not everything needs a ticket; some can be bought with money. Dong Jiahui weighed the sugar and cookies and asked Hong Tao to bring a copy to her nieces and nephews.


    ¡°Aigoo, your aunt is really good, when there is delicious food, she still didn¡¯t forget to share them a bite.¡±


    ¡°This is the right thing to do, then please help me send it over.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s on the way.¡±


    After buying the cloth, Dong Jiahui went back to weighing the cotton, there were no plastic bags in this era, so she ended up with a sack.


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s sit here and wait for your dad to pick us up.¡±


    Dong Jiahui borrowed a bench from the supply and marketing agency, and the two of them sat inside and waited for Zhao Donglin.


    It is said that the salesperson of the supply and marketing cooperative has a bad service attitude. Dong Jiahui was respected because her mother-in-law has a brother as the director of the supply and marketing cooperative. The face of their relatives was naturally better than others


    She didn¡¯t know before. But before marriage, Zhou Yindi brought her here to prepare for marriage.

 CH 38

    ¡°Heidan, how are the cookies?¡±


    In this era of no gutter oil and no flavoring, these cookies baked with wheat flour and pure vegetable oil were so delicious that Dong Jiahui tasted them herself and thought they were very good.


    Heidan sat beside Dong Jiahui, holding a cookie in his hands. He was chewing it like a squirrel. He nodded his head after hearing Dong Jiahui¡¯s question.


    Farmers usually can¡¯t buy these cookies, which cost 65 cents a dozen.


    You can buy ten or so eggs, and they are not enough to fill your stomach.


    The cookies sold by the village supply and marketing agency were in bulk. There were small round cookies with onion flavor, salty cookies in the shape of fingers, and sweet-scented ones sprinkled with sesame seeds.


    Dong Jiahui had eaten them when she was a child, and the family would leave the boxes for storage and pack some small things.


    Dong Jiahui sat aside and watched Heidan. Looking closely, Heidan was a very cute little boy. He looks very cute when he eats, but usually, he keeps his head down and does not like to talk, so he does not look as cute as Yingbao, who loves to laugh and make trouble.


    ¡°Heidan, do you like me?¡±


    When suddenly asked this question, Heidan was a bit surprised as he turned around. He looked at her with his big eyes, and then met Dong Jiahui¡¯s smiling gaze. Then, he retreated as if he was scared. He was like a snail poking out of its shell.


    His reaction made Dong Jiahui feel a little silly and a little embarrassed at the same time. Although she was concerned about Heidan and Yingbao and took good care of them, this concern and consideration did not come from a mother¡¯s position.


    She has never been a mother and does not know how a mother loves her child with all her heart and soul. So, for Heidan, who lacks a mother¡¯s love, her heartaches for him were greater than love.


    ¡°Heidan, do you miss your mom?¡±


    She unapologetically mentioned ¡°Mom¡± in front of Heidan, paying careful attention to Heidan¡¯s expression. For a four-year-old child, ¡°mom¡± was a strange yet familiar word to Heidan.


    A child¡¯s memory is so short that he has almost forgotten what his mother looks like.


    His aunt had said that if he recognized his new mother, his real mother would not come back, and she (Jiahui) was here to steal his father.


    Thinking about this, Heidan felt that the cookies in his hand didn¡¯t taste good anymore either.


    The change in Heidan¡¯s eyes did not escape Dong Jiahui¡¯s eyes. She sighed in her heart and said softly to Heidan, ¡°You miss Mom, don¡¯t you? Then I¡¯ll tell you, you have to study hard, and when you grow up and go to college, you can go to the city to find your mom. ¡°


    ¡°Heidan, I know you are a smart kid, although you don¡¯t like to talk, you know everything in your heart. Since you don¡¯t want me to be your mom, then you can call me Aunt from now on, okay? I won¡¯t take up your mom¡¯s place, but I will care for you just like mommy. ¡°


    Heidan still held the cookie and did not say anything, but somehow, he suddenly had the urge to cry. But like an adult, he held back his tears.


    Many years later, Heidan grew into a young man and moved to the city to live with his father, who was promoted. His classmates, who did not understand his family¡¯s situation, saw Dong Jiahui, who brought him an umbrella on a rainy day, and marveled, ¡°Zhao Zhuojun, your mother looks too young!¡±


    ¡°And also very elegant, like a movie star.¡±


    Zhao Zhuojun sat in his seat and concentrated on his test papers, not uttering a word to deny his classmates¡¯ words.


    For so many years, although he has always called her ¡°Aunt Hui¡± and has not changed the way he called her, in his heart, he has long respected her as his mother.


    To give themselves a life, some people empty out their lives.[1] Although some people say nothing, they give themselves incomparable maternal love.


    After waiting for an hour or so in the supply and marketing agency, Zhao Donglin finally came in late. He saw a pile of things next to Dong Jiahui¡¯s seat and moved directly outside the door without saying anything.


    ¡°There¡¯s no place to put it. You have to tie it with a rope, otherwise, you have no place to sit down. ¡°


    When Dong Jiahui was just about to say, ¡°I¡¯ll walk back,¡± when she heard the last sentence, she chose to shut up.


    She has never been a person who likes to aggravate herself. Walking is too tiring. If she has a bicycle, she should choose to take the bicycle. Although the road was uneven and her butt hurt, it was better than walking all the way for an hour or so.


    There is a very classic saying in the world that you would rather sit in a BMW and cry than sit behind a bicycle and laugh, not knowing that in this day and age, a twenty-eight-bar bicycle was comparable to a future BMW.


    On the way home, it was just the lunch break. The family came back from the field one after another. Zheng Yuefen stared at the first thing when she saw the things brought back by Dong Jiahui.


    How much does it cost to buy so many things? This new sister-in-law is too capable.


    Shitou, come here. Auntie bought a lot of food from the town.


    Dong Jiahui had already taken cookies for Yingbao, and when Shitou came back, she didn¡¯t give him too much and took out Shitou¡¯s share.


    When he heard that there was good food over there, Shitou came running over to Jiahui. The temperature has dropped in the past few days. He caught a cold and sucked two caterpillars like clear snot under his nose.


    The three children in the family, Heidan and Yingbao bathed diligently. They look clean and tidy. On the other hand, Shitou didn¡¯t take a bath diligently. He was also naughtier than Heidan and Yingbao and coupled with the recent cold, naturally, he looked sloppy.


    When he got to Dong Jiahui, Shitou reached out to get the oil paper bag. Shitou¡¯s hands were covered with dirt to the point where you couldn¡¯t see his original skin color. Dong Jiahui quickly stopped him.


    ¡°Shitou, wait a minute, you have to wash your hands before eating. Look at your hands. They are full of mud. If you eat with these hands, you will have a bad stomach. Okay, Auntie will take you to wash your hands. ¡°


    Shitou¡¯s eyes rested on the cookie. After Dong Jiahui finished talking, he did not say yes or no. He dumbly walked to the well with Dong Jiahui¡¯s lead.


    ¡°Look, the little hands are dirty. You have to wash them before you eat them.


    The snot was about to fall out, Shitou sucked it up and the green caterpillar-like snot was sucked into his nose.


    ¡°Oops, the snot has to be wiped off before you can eat. It¡¯s not hygienic, oh.¡±


    She is an adult, or an adult with a slight cleanliness habit. Seeing this scene, the cells in her whole body were about to explode.


    Zheng Yuefen stood aside and took a glance. Originally, she wanted to tell Dong Jiahui that she was pretentious, but her words turned around in her mouth. Finally, she said, ¡°Sister-in-law, you went to town today and bought so many clothes.¡±


    Dong Jiahui took a dry towel to wipe Shitou¡¯s hands. Hearing the speech, she replied, ¡°Well, it¡¯s starting to get cold. Heidan and Yingbao don¡¯t have many clothes, so I have to buy some for them. In addition, the new year is coming in a few months. I¡¯m going to make a winter coat for mom and dad for the new year. ¡°


    She will make a new dress. Sewing clothes for the in-laws was considered filial piety for them. However, it is cost-effective to make her mother-in-law happy.


    When Zheng Yuefen heard Dong Jiahui say that she would make clothes for Heidan and Yingbao and that she would also do it for their in-laws, her heart became uncomfortable. Do not think that she does not know. These days, Dong Jiahui¡¯s hands were making their little sister a jacket with a flower on a red cloth. She heard that Dong Jiahui bought it in the city before she married Donglin.


    ¡°Sister-in-law, why don¡¯t you include my family of three? Shitou also lacks clothes for winter. ¡°


    Dong Jiahui said with a smile as if she didn¡¯t understand, ¡°Shitou has you as their mother to take care of it.¡± I have already paid my respects for our parents¡¯ share. You said there are still more than two months before the New Year. I have to prepare fewer things. I really have no ability. ¡°


    At this time, Zhang Qiaoer had just come out of the house. She knew that her second daughter-in-law was starting to be ill (crooked) again. So, she said, ¡°Well, let¡¯s eat. If you have to make clothes, I¡¯ve left you a ticket, which is enough for the three of you. ¡°


    ¡°I do not know how to make clothes. Incidentally, my sister-in-law knows how to sew.¡±


    Dong Jiahui was speechless. What she wanted was more than the cotton; she also wanted to give her hand. Jiahui was not polite at all; she immediately replied directly.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t have the time. Today I met a neighbor from my mother¡¯s production team, and she asked me to make clothes for her, and the cost per piece of clothing was two yuan.¡±


    Dong Jiahui¡¯s work points in the production team were 60 cents a day. According to the bonus from the team last year, a woman¡¯s work points were ten cents and a man¡¯s work points were thirteen cents. That is to say, Dong Jiahui can earn 60 cents a day and two yuan for making clothes. That¡¯s equivalent to the work money you earned for the last three days. The key is that people actually give it to you, and you earn it as an extra income.


    ¡°Two yuan!¡±


    Zheng Yuefen was so surprised that she almost broke her voice, and the rest of the family was also quite surprised.


    ¡°That¡¯s good. If the warehouse is all right tomorrow, you can come back early. Don¡¯t let others empty it. ¡°


    It¡¯s good that her daughter-in-law can earn money with her craft. When the Dong family gave the sewing machine, she heard that half of the money was earned by her daughter-in-law for making clothes for others.


    In terms of making money, everyone¡¯s attitude has come down in one continuous line since ancient times. That is, the more the better, there is no too much. This kind of sitting at home and making money by crafting is definitely the best way to make money.


    ¡°En. I know Mom. ¡°


    Zheng Yuefen became angrier when she saw her mother-in-law talking to Dong Jiahui and left herself alone.


    Don¡¯t think she didn¡¯t know what Dong Jiahui said this was for. That is to say, I will collect money to make clothes for others. I can¡¯t help you and do it for nothing.


    But why? She did it for her in-laws, for her sister-in-law, and for Heidan and Yingbao. All of it without money. There are still three more people in the family!


    ¡°Look, sister-in-law, can family still mention money? I gave mom all the money I made with Donghe. Should I ask Mom to give you the money? Even if Mom gives it to you, will you feel sorry for accepting it? ¡°


    After listening to this sentence, Dong Jiahui looked at Zheng Yuefen with a straight eye. She thought Zheng Yuefen¡¯s ability was just to mess around. Unexpectedly, she knew how to deal with herself with her mother-in-law as her knife. She was impressed and felt a bit more attentive to dealing with it.


    ¡°Sister-in-law, you really misunderstood me. I mean, since people give money, I have to work closely with them first. You see, it¡¯s only a few days before the new year. I have to work during the day, and I have to take care of my two children from time to time. How can I have time to clean up the family¡¯s clothes? Heidan and Yingbao is my responsibility. I will not shirk my responsibility. For Mom and Dad, I am also willing to be filial. My sister-in-law even helped me and lent me a hand. Don¡¯t blame me. I really didn¡¯t mean to. ¡°


    Since you treated me so badly, I will not be polite. Look at who has thick skin. To be pressed in the head and forced to drink water? I¡¯m sorry, I really don¡¯t have this habit.


    Zheng Yuefen was short of words and wanted to argue hard. But Zhao Donghe interrupted and said, ¡°Well, I haven¡¯t seen you talk so much in previous years.¡± If you think it¡¯s troublesome, don¡¯t add clothes this year. ¡°


    Recently, she had a cold war with Zhao Donghe. She also saw her husband¡¯s bullish temper, so she really didn¡¯t dare confront him. She had to cave in and stop talking.


    The lunch was cooked by Meixiang. Mabo tofu, dry pot cabbage, leek and egg soup, and wild vegetable cakes. It was all learned from Jia Hui.


    ¡°Meixiang, your cooking skills are getting better and better now.¡±


    Dong Jiahui was not stingy in her praise. Meixiang smiled shyly. Zhang Qiaoer also nodded, ¡°It is indeed better than before, so, even if you are married off tomorrow, I will not worry that your in-laws will dislike you for not cooking well.¡±


    Zhang Qiaoer said this because when she first married into the Zhao family and when she was young, her mother-in-law disliked her inability to cook, and from that time on, her mother-in-law was the one who did all the cooking at home, and only when her mother-in-law passed away a hundred years ago was the kitchen handed over to her.


    Later, she found that her two daughters had inherited her ¡°skills¡± when it came to cooking. But now, it seems that her daughters are not without talent, or that she, as a mother, did not play a good leading role.


    ¡°Aiya! Mom, what are you talking about? ¡°Hurry up and eat.


    After the beginning of the year, Meixiang will be eighteen. In the countryside, many people get married at this age, for example, the original owner, Dong Jiahui. She was eighteen years old when she was married to Lu Chengyuan.


    What is there to be ashamed of? Your brother, who got married this year, did not care about you, and so after the New Year, we will start to find you an in-law. We are not in a hurry, even if you pick a year or two.


    Next year, it will be 1976, and the gang of four[2] will be dismantled. The college entrance examination will be resumed in 1977. In Dong Jiahui¡¯s opinion, her sister-in-law doesn¡¯t need to get married at all. If she can go to college, what kind of good man won¡¯t she have in the future?


    Thinking of this, Dong Jiahui smiled and said, ¡°A good girl like our Meixiang has to open her eyes and choose. Marriage is a lifelong thing. There is a saying that marriage is a woman¡¯s second reincarnation. Meixiang¡¯s first life is so good, and her second life naturally has to be better. ¡°


    In Dong Jiahui¡¯s words, she praised Meixiang and her husband¡¯s family. The whole family, except for Zheng Yuefen, who looked at her in a bad light, was very happy to hear it.


    Your sister-in-law is right. We are not in a hurry. We will find a good one for you.


    Meixiang blushed and buried herself in the meal. Seeing that she was embarrassed, others could not help but laugh at her. Dong Jiahui smiled and fed Yingbao a bowl of rice. She accidentally made eye contact with Zhao Donglin. The content in his eyes was rich and bright, and Dong Jiahui¡¯s face unconsciously blushed.


    The next day, Dong Jiahui came home from the warehouse while making clothes and waiting for Hong Tao to come over. At nine o¡¯clock, the voice of Hong Tao¡¯s talking finally rang outside the courtyard door.


    Oh my God, I walked all the way here. Your homemade it easy for me to look for.¡±


    On such a cold day, Hongtao, who walked all the way, had a red face and was panting. Dong Jiahui hurriedly welcomed her into the house and poured her a cup of warm boiled water with a spoonful of brown sugar in it.


    After drinking the brown sugar water, Hongtao slowed down and saw Mei Xiang holding her baby in the room.


    ¡°This is your sister-in-law, right?¡±


    Dong Jiahui nodded, ¡°Well, I am the youngest in the family. She is well-behaved and understanding. ¡°


    Although they had only been together for a few days, Dong Jiahui can already see that Meixiang is a good girl, understanding and considerate, although she is the youngest in the family, she didn¡¯t have a spoiled and arrogant temperament. Her three views are also very positive, because of this, Dong Jiahui thinks that it would be a great loss for Meixiang if she rushes to find someone to marry. Such a good girl is suitable for a better life.


    ¡°You have a good-looking sister. Does she have an object?¡±


    Hong Tao had a lively nature. She has good social skills and is very easy to make friends with; she is seemingly unconventional and straightforward, but her words and actions are extremely measured. This character in the countryside is very well-liked. If you go to the Dayu village to inquire about Hong Tao, at least eight out of ten people will say she is not bad.


    ¡°No, she¡¯s still young. Our family loves her; we want her to stay for two more years. ¡°


    Dong Jiahui knew what Hong Tao meant as soon as she heard the words, guessing that she wanted to give Meixiang a blind date, so she hurriedly said the words to block it.


    ¡°Oh, if you care for her, you shouldn¡¯t let her stay long. You should cook a pot earlier for a good meal, otherwise, you won¡¯t be able to eat hot food. My mother¡¯s family has a little brother with good character. He matches Meixiang very well. Let¡¯s talk about it tomorrow.¡±


    In a few words, the title of Hong Tao to Meixiang has been changed from sister to her name. Dong Jiahui, who has passed through, has to admire her communication skills.


    When the young girl heard them, she blushed. Dong Jiahui rescued Meixiang. She picked up Yingbao, took Hong Tao to her house, and asked Meixiang to prepare lunch.


    After entering the house, Hongtao looked around and praised, ¡°You have a good house.¡±


    Dong Jiahui smiled and put Yingbao on the sofa. She took two cookies from the cupboard and gave them to Yingbao, letting her sit and eat them herself.


    ¡°It¡¯s not bad; it¡¯s quite convenient to live in it anyway.¡±


    ¡°Better than mine. The furniture I had when I got married has long been broken by the children.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s normal to have children at home.¡±


    Hong Tao smiled at Yingbao, who was eating cookies. From her pocket, she took out a piece of candy and handed it over to her. Do not underestimate Yingbao¡¯s age; she had never randomly accepted things given by others. Instead, she looked first at Jiahui to get her consent before taking it.


    ¡°Aunt gave you a candy, you have to thank aunt.¡±


    Yingbao softly looked at Hong Tao and said, in a milky voice, ¡°Thank you, aunt.¡±


    Women are naturally not resistant to cute things. Hong Tao smiled and took Yingbao into her arms. With a rare face, she said, ¡°Your little girl is really good, even if you didn¡¯t give birth to her, but she also had you in her heart.¡± Don¡¯t be upset if I said these. In our village, a lot of people wanted to see your jokes.


    Dong Jiahui snorted and asked, pretending not to understand, ¡°What kind of jokes?¡±


    Such as not living well with your in-laws, not getting along well with the stepchildren. You know, the villagers will start to talk about it when they are not busy.


    Dong Jiahui was noncommittal and took the initiative to end the conversation.


    ¡°I drew a few styles. See which one you like?¡±


    Dong Jiahui drew a stand-up collar, buttoned tang suit style, the current popular Zhongshan suit style, a military-style, and a modified version of the suite style.


    After taking a closer look, Hong Tao pointed to the last modified suit style and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go with this one. If I wore this for New Year¡¯s Eve, not many people would be wearing the same style as me. I¡¯ll definitely steal the show when I wear it for New Year¡¯s Eve. ¡°


    Dong Jiahui nodded. In fact, this style will be very popular in a few years.


    Okay, then I¡¯ll give you two more sizes. Now in the cold weather, you¡¯ll have to add a cotton-padded jacket. ¡°


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s added outside the cotton-padded jacket.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Dong Jiahui took out a leather ruler and measured Hong Tao.


    ¡°When should I get it?¡±


    ¡°Three or five days.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not in a hurry, or you can have someone give me a message when you¡¯re done.¡± After saying that, Hong Tao turned and asked again, ¡°How much do I pay this time?¡±


    ¡°The old price, I must give a discount to a sister. Remember to introduce other guests to me later. ¡°


    Hong Tao smiled and took three dollars out of her pocket. Two for the clothes and another for the pants.


    ¡°Okay, I like to talk to frank and straightforward people. I¡¯ll give you the money first. I believe in your craft, and I¡¯ll introduce others to you later.¡±


    Notlucia: I checked the next chapter; it¡¯s too long. T__T I have to say sorry for now. I will upload the next chapter tomorrow. I really got dizzy from the switched names and the typo errors from the raws.  But have a fun night!


    References

 CH 39

    Chapter 39 Part 1


    ¡°Well, did anyone come today?¡±


    Yesterday, Dong Jiahui said that someone would come to her and ask her to make clothes for that person. So today, Zhang Qiaoer asked Dong Jiahui when she returned from working in the field.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m making them for her. I¡¯m making it for her now. I¡¯ve received 3 yuan. 2 yuan for clothes and 1 yuan for pants. I¡¯ve already received her payment, mom. Why don¡¯t you take the money? ¡°


    Dong Jiahui dared to open her mouth naturally because she was sure that Zhang Qiaoer would not take it. So, she ¡°pretended¡± to say those words because she now lives with her mother-in-law, and families in the countryside were just like this. Dong Jiahui¡¯s mother-in-law is the head of the family, and she will hold all the family income, so no matter if Zhang Qiaoer takes it or not, Dong Jiahui must give it.


    Sure enough, after hearing Dong Jiahui¡¯s words, Zhang Qiao¡¯er was in a good mood, so she smiled and said, ¡°You earned this money. You keep it for yourself.¡± You usually buy needles and threads, so you also need to spend money. ¡°


    Including this time and when she went to buy cloth and cotton in the town. Although her eldest daughter-in-law didn¡¯t say a word, Zhang Qiaoer also knew that she had paid for the cloth and she couldn¡¯t buy so many things for herself.


    What¡¯s more, in addition to buying fabric and cotton, Dong Jiahui also bought food for the children in the family.


    ¡°Thank you, mom. Then I will make more clothes and save money to buy meat for mom.¡±


    Everyone loves to hear pleasurable words. Zhang Qiaoer smiled till her eyes were almost narrowed into slits.


    ¡°Yes, then I¡¯ll wait for you to buy me meat to eat.¡±


    ¡°Mom, there is one more thing. I want to make a small quilt for Yingbao and Heidan, two quilts each for the two of them. Where can we buy cotton for our production team?¡±


    The cotton Dong Jiahui bought was only used for lining clothes to make cotton clothes. In making a small quilt for Yingbao and Heidan, ten or so pounds of cotton were not enough, and the cotton wool had to be popped by an adept person. Although the supply and marketing agency also sells cotton wool, one problem is that it is too expensive, and the other is that the ones sold there are large and not suitable for children.


    ¡°There is a family on the next team. I will take you there tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay.¡±


    Zhao Donglin¡¯s monthly payroll was on the twenty-fifth, two days before the team planted wheat, so Zhang Qiaoer did not have time to collect his salary. She had breakfast this morning and went out.


    After Zheng Yuefen saw that his brother-in-law¡¯s salary was still being taken by her mother-in-law, she was relieved to know that her brother-in-law¡¯s salary was still in her mother-in-law¡¯s hands.


    My brother-in-law¡¯s salary was 62 yuan a month. If he gives it to that woman, Dong Jiahui, that woman, Zheng Yuefen, will die of heartache.


    This time she was glad that the two brothers of the Zhao family did not separate, and it was good that the three members of her family still followed their brother-in-law¡¯s glory.


    Zhang Qiaoer took the money back and spent two yuan at the meat stall at the entrance of the village. The meat weighed about three pounds.


    ¡°Today¡¯s paycheck?¡±


    The owner of the meat stall also knows Zhang Qiaoer¡¯s pattern of buying meat after receiving her salary.


    ¡°Usually it¡¯s the twenty-fifth, but this month it¡¯s late.¡±


    ¡°The team was busy the other day, so there was no time for that.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Well, it¡¯s not bad. I¡¯ll cut another piece for you.¡±


    ¡°Okay, thanks.¡±


    ¡°By the way, do you have any more bones here?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I just picked it off. If you want, I can give you a price of 50 cents to take away. ¡°


    Zhang Qiaoer took a look. The bones are quite a lot, but there is not much meat. She remembered the first time they went to meet the Dong family. At the Dong family¡¯s dinner table was bone soup, and Jiahui also said that drinking bone soup is good for children since it¡¯s nutritious.


    ¡°Okay, give it all to me. I¡¯ll take it back and give it to my daughter-in-law. She¡¯s skilful and a good cook. ¡°


    ¡°Your eldest family¡¯s or the second family¡¯s?¡±


    ¡°The eldest family¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°Oh, isn¡¯t that the one who just got married a while ago?¡±


    ¡°Yes, she just entered the family, not even half a month ago.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s your new daughter-in-law? Look at you. You are very satisfied with this new daughter-in-law. ¡± No, very good.


    No, she¡¯s very good. She can cook and make clothes. She can raise her children well and show filial respect to the elderly. Alas, the blessing of having a daughter-in-law in this life has been fulfilled by her.


    In her first step toward entering the village, Zhang Qiaoer bought meat at the entrance of the village. In her second step, she praised her daughter-in-law, and her words spread to the entire production team. Everyone knows that she was particularly satisfied with her new daughter-in-law. In other words, naturally, she was dissatisfied with Zheng Yuefen.


    At noon, Zhang Qiao¡¯er took ten yuan to give to Jiahui.


    ¡°Today, I went out to get Donglin¡¯s salary. Take this 10 yuan. ¡°


    ¡°Mom, if you think it¡¯s appropriate, then I¡¯ll take it.¡±


    ¡°Take it, as long as you don¡¯t mind the small amount.¡±


    It¡¯s a lot. With 10 yuan, you can already do a lot of things. Others want to have it, but they don¡¯t have it. ¡°


    Zhang Qiaoer laughed, ¡°You are good! You are content with what you have. How much money do I spend? I save a little money every month. When you need it, I can take it out. I will keep this money for you.


    Dong Jiahui is not a fool. Naturally, she doesn¡¯t believe such words, but it¡¯s not easy for Zhang Qiaoer to give her ten yuan. From her current life, she won¡¯t ask for more.


    It took three days for Dong Jiahui to complete Hong Tao¡¯s clothes. Her work as the warehouse custodian was going well. When she first arrived at work, someone on the team had an opinion about her, both openly and secretly. Later, when they saw that she was very good at her job, she was warm and polite. No matter what others said or made face on her, Jiahui would always smile at them, which made them lose interest.


    In addition to captain Ding Huishan and Zhang Qiaoer¡¯s faces, a few people stood up to make trouble. After all, Jiahui¡¯s husband was the village secretary.


    On this day, after making Hong Tao¡¯s clothes, Dong Jiahui thought she had not returned to her mother¡¯s home for several days, so she missed her mother¡¯s family. She wanted to take advantage of sending the clothes back to see them. She told her mother-in-law about it early in the morning.


    ¡°Okay, then you can go after lunch.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Dong Jiahui was happy to be able to go back to her mother-in-law¡¯s house, and it just so happened that Zhao Donghe had caught a pheasant when he went up the mountain to cut branches, so Jiahui showed her skills and made a pot chicken.


    In a farmer¡¯s iron pot, the meat is cooked in the pot while the pastry is attached to the side of the pot. The pastry is baked during the stewing process, and the aroma of the chicken leaps onto the pastry, which makes the pastry taste even better.


    In addition to the chicken, the pot was also filled with potatoes, carrots, frozen tofu, and a large pot.


    ¡°What delicious food is your family eating today? You can smell it from afar. ¡°


    Zheng Yuefen was playing outside in the yard with Shitou when Zhang Yulan came over to make small talk.


    ¡°Donghe caught a chicken and is stewing it at home.¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s stewing it, your sister-in-law?¡±


    ¡°Yes, although she is quite annoying, she is really good at cooking. I have gained weight recently.¡±


    Zheng Yuefen touched the circle of flesh on her waist.


    ¡°Indeed, you become fatter, your face becomes rounder.¡±


    Zhang Yulan came closer and asked, ¡°Is your sister-in-law¡¯s cooking really that good?¡±


    Despite her reluctance to admit it, Zheng Yuefen nodded her head.


    ¡°Hey, let me say something to you. Don¡¯t be angry when you hear it.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    Do you know it? ¡°Your mother-in-law went to the village office yesterday to get your elder brother¡¯s salary.¡±


    ¡°Yes, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Did she pass by the village entrance to buy meat on her way back?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Guess what your mother-in-law said?¡±


    ¡°What? Hey, sister-in-law, don¡¯t tempt me. Tell me what you have to say. ¡°


    ¡°Your mother-in-law said that she is most satisfied with her new daughter-in-law and praised your new sister-in-law for being better than you in every way.¡±


    Zhang Yulan said while looking at Zheng Yuefen¡¯s face. Indeed, before she finished talking, Zheng Yuefen¡¯s face had become very ugly.


    Dong Jiahui was younger than herself, her face whiter than her own, her body more enticing than her own, her mouth sweeter than her own, and she could coax people. So what if she¡¯s better? She¡¯s still divorced, and she can¡¯t have a baby. Just by this, Dong Jiahui can¡¯t compete with herself in her life.


    She doesn¡¯t understand how her mother-in-law was so confused, preferring to treat Dong Jiahui well rather than herself.


    ¡°Hmph, so what if she likes her? It¡¯s just a hen that doesn¡¯t lay eggs. ¡°


    Zhang Yulan¡¯s heart secretly laughed on the surface but pretended to persuade. ¡°Hey, you cannot say this. If your elder brother heard your words, he should not be happy.¡±


    Zheng Yuefen hummed disdainfully and said, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? The things I said were the truth! ¡°


    You¡¯re just too honest. You can¡¯t live your life like this. You can¡¯t say what you think. Why does your sister-in-law like your mother-in-law? It¡¯s because she can do things and behave.


    Zheng Yuefen remembered a few days ago about wanting to make clothes, and her anger, which had cooled down, came out of her heart again.


    At lunch, Zheng Yuefen looked unhappy and buried herself in eating. She didn¡¯t care about Shitou, who wanted to eat meat. Zhang Qiaoer saw that her second daughter-in-law had an expression on her face that someone owed her hundreds of yuan. She couldn¡¯t help sighing in her heart. She filled a spoonful of broth, mixed the rice, and fed Shitou one by one.


    Although she couldn¡¯t bear to teach the second family a lesson, she didn¡¯t want the family to be noisy all day long, and she was afraid of affecting her son and daughter-in-law¡¯s relationship, so she had to endure some of her own tiredness.


    When feeding Shitou, she looked at her eldest family¡¯s daughter-in-law who was eating their own food, and she also didn¡¯t forget to take care of Yingbao. Zhang Qiao¡¯er was so angry that her liver hurt.


    Chapter 39 Part 2


    ¡°I¡¯ll send you there this afternoon.¡±


    In the room, Dong Jiahui was putting things away when Zhao Donglin came in and said he wanted to drop her off. Dong Jiahui turned her head with surprise and asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to the village office?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll send you there first and then turn back. It¡¯s not too late. ¡°


    Dong Jiahui pursed her lips and smiled. She packed her things with lighter movements.


    ¡°That¡¯s good, so will you pick me up in the evening?¡±


    Zhao Donglin laughed, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll pick you up after work.¡±


    Dong Jiahui smiled and threw a series of winks.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll take Heidan and Yingbao with me.¡±


    Yingbao can play with Tianniu, and Heidan can also play with Xiaoman. With Heidan¡¯s character, if he often plays with children, it will help him have a cheerful personality.


    After having lunch and grabbing her things, Dong Jiahui took her family back to her mother¡¯s house.


    The wheat has been planted and the village has entered the farming season. Chen Guixiang was at home today and was surprised to see her daughter and son-in-law back. She was squatting on the ground and turning dried vegetables. She immediately stood up in surprise.


    ¡°Mom.¡±


    ¡°Hey, why are you back today? Have you eaten?¡±


    Chen Guixiang took Yingbao from Jiahui and also patted Heidan¡¯s little head. She greeted his son-in-law, Zhao Donglin.


    ¡°We already ate. Hong Tao asked me to make clothes for her. I finished it and I am sending it back to her. ¡°


    Chen Guixiang knew that her daughter wanted to go back to her mother¡¯s house. If it¡¯s just a dress, there is no need to make a special trip back.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll leave first. I¡¯ll pick you up later.¡±


    Dong Jiahui nodded. Chen Guixiang frowned and said, ¡°So urgent, drink a mouthful of water before leaving.¡±


    Zhao Donglin smiled and politely refused.


    ¡°There are still things going on in the village, and I can¡¯t eat, so I¡¯ll pick them up when I¡¯m done.¡±


    Chen Guixiang let out a cry. She sent Zhao Donglin to the door and watched him ride away.


    When Dong Jiahui came back with a small basket of eggs, Chen Guixiang asked, ¡°Why did you bring something again? Last time, you also asked Hong Tao to bring back some food. I¡¯m telling you, you should not bring anything next time you come back. Are you still afraid to return empty-handed without your two bites of food?


    Several sisters-in-law also echoed, ¡°Yes, you are married, and you are also our sister.¡± We will welcome you back when you come back.


    ¡°Yingbao, you go play with your sister Tianniu.¡±


    ¡°Heidan, you go play with Brother Xiaoman.¡±


    Xiao Man is about the same age as Heidan, but his birthday is several months later than Heidan¡¯s. Chen Guixiang heard Heidan call his daughter Aunt instead of Mom, and after Heidan left, she asked quietly, ¡°Why did he call you Aunt? Who taught him that? ¡°


    A stepmother was still a mother. He did not call her mother, but instead, he called her his aunt. It does not sound good to people.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s what I taught him. Unlike Yingbao, he has a memory of his mother. He instigated a few words before Donglin and I married. He thought I was the bad woman who robbed his father. He was a little resistant to me. I told him that if he wanted his mother, he should study hard and go to the city to find her. For me, he can just call me his aunt. ¡°


    ¡°How so? What did Donglin say?¡±


    Donglin wants him to change it, but I think it is better to respect the child¡¯s idea and wait until he wants to change the way he calls me on his own.


    Chen Guixiang sighed. Knowing that her daughter has always had this soft nature, She¡¯s too good for people.


    ¡°How are you and your mother-in-law¡¯s house? How about your sister-in-law? ¡°


    ¡°My mother-in-law is quite good. My sister-in-law is not very good, but it¡¯s not in the way that she could affect me. ¡°


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to say anything about the other, but if you want to talk about family separation, the relationship between your three brothers and your sisters-in-law was not bad. I don¡¯t know much about the situation in your husband¡¯s family, but with such a sister-in-law, you will suffer in the future. ¡°


    Chen Guixiang was mainly worried that her daughter would suffer. After all, her daughter is too good-tempered and soft-hearted. She was afraid that her daughter would not be able to have a good relationship with Zheng Yuefen.


    She had seen that girl named Zheng Yuefen, and looking at her appearance, she didn¡¯t look nice. (Not referring to the face, but the attitude.)


    ¡°Mom, don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t be as stupid as before. If something really happens, I will certainly mention it to Dong Lin. But now, we don¡¯t have such a big contradiction. Dong Lin and mother-in-law don¡¯t want to separate. I can¡¯t do this as soon as I get married.¡±


    On the other hand, Dong Jiahui was a person who was preparing to take the college entrance examination. In two years, she believes that she can enter the university. She¡¯s a top student who has gone through the entrance examination and a postgraduate entrance examination. Would it be difficult for her to handle the resumption of the college¡¯s entrance examination?


    Not only themselves, but she will also actively encourage Meixiang and Donglin to participate together, if the three were admitted to a university, she would let Zheng Yuefen keep the old rural home for life.


    When you think about it, it¡¯s not that hard to get through the day, not to mention that the mother-in-law never favors Zheng Yuefen but implicitly favors herself, which is the main reason why Dong Jiahui has never made up her mind to bring up the separation of the family.


    After talking to Chen Guixiang, Dong Jiahui took the clothes to Hong Tao¡¯s house. Hong Tao was married to a second family. After the marriage separation, she didn¡¯t live with her mother-in-law. When Jiahui arrived there, Hong Tao¡¯s house was busy, and several young wives on the team were chatting at her home.


    ¡°Aiya, you also sent it to me at home. Thank you so much.¡±


    ¡°Sister, go try it. If it doesn¡¯t fit, I¡¯ll take it back and fix it.¡±


    Several sisters-in-law also came around to let Hong Tao try it on. Hong Tao immediately took off her jacket and put it on. She buttoned it up and looked down. She stretched her arms. It was the right size. There was room to add a cotton-padded jacket inside.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s good. This color suits you.¡±


    ¡°This style shows how young you are. The waist piece also shows no meat. ¡°


    In the village, many wives who have given birth to children inevitably have belly fat problems. They no longer have the young girl¡¯s slim figure.


    Seeing everyone say so, Hong Tao happily went into the house, took a look in the mirror, and came out of the house with a happy face.


    ¡°Great, it really fits. I¡¯m so satisfied.¡±


    Jiahui, why don¡¯t you make me one in this style too? Hong Tao can look great in it. I¡¯m not far from her. I¡¯m sure it will fit me too. ¡°


    Hongtao was also bright and cheerful, so she immediately took off the clothes for the others to try.


    ¡°Go try it. If it looks good, Let¡¯s wear it together for New Year¡¯s Eve. ¡°


    These days, there is no fear of wearing the same styles of clothes. People all over the country wear so many different styles of clothes. Sometimes they feel friendly when they see others wearing the same outfit as themselves.


    The other party was not polite. She immediately changed clothes when she received them. She was more robust than Hongtao. When Hongtao wore it, it was a little bit loose, but when the other part wore it, it was just the right size.


    ¡°You look good when you wear it. It looks like you¡¯re tall. ¡°


    ¡°You look good in it, and you look taller.¡±


    ¡°This is a really nice version. Why don¡¯t I have one too?¡±


    ¡°If you want it, you can have one. It¡¯s not too much to make a new dress for yourself all year round. ¡°


    ¡°That¡¯s right, we women should treat ourselves. We should eat and wear dresses to make ourselves happy.¡±


    In this way, Dong Jiahui, who just went to deliver the clothes, gathered a lot of orders. When she returned, she was accompanied by a few pieces of fabric in their hands. Some, who didn¡¯t have a cloth, for the time being, had an agreement that they would buy the cloth and send it to Jiahui later.


    Everyone also gave a deposit. She received five yuan and the rest would be given when the clothes were made.


    ¡°You are earning money quite fast. I¡¯ll ask you, are you in charge of the money yourself or someone else? ¡°


    It¡¯s a good thing that a girl can make money, but if the money can¡¯t fall into her pocket, it¡¯s useless. Chen Guixiang was not so happy.


    She still remembers her daughter, who was married to Lu Chengyuan. She didn¡¯t have a penny on her body. Even the 80 yuan she gave her was robbed by Mrs Lu. She was really afraid that her daughter would go the same way as before.


    As soon as Chen Guixiang opened her mouth, Dong Jiahui understood her meaning and opened her mouth to explain, ¡°I am in charge of this money. In addition, my mother-in-law gives me ten yuan a month. She is taking Donglin¡¯s salary, but she¡¯s not stingy.¡±


    With that, Dong Jiahui also told Chen Guixiang what Zhang Qiaoer said to her.


    Chen Guixiang is relieved. She is quite satisfied with her in-laws. After all, in the Dong family, Chen Guixiang is in charge of the family¡¯s income.


    ¡°It¡¯s not bad. I gave you the bride price money, and your mother-in-law gives you ten yuan a month. You can also earn money by making clothes. Work hard and you will be able to save some in a year. ¡°


    After all, her daughter does not care about the family¡¯s expenses; there is nothing to spend, so it is already very good. Compared with the previous Lu family, they are one world apart.


    What Dong Jiahui did not say is that after the marriage, Zhao Donglin also gave her three hundred yuan, a subsidy from the army to veterans. a total of more than 500 yuan. Zhao Donglin spent more than 100 yuan to buy her a watch. The 300 yuan was given to her, and the dozens of yuan were used to spend for themselves.


    The money was not much, but it was more than enough. At least when it comes to spending money, you will not be unable to take out any money.


    ¡°Let me tell you something.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    When Jiahui saw Chen Guixiang saying something mysteriously, she knew that it must be a big gossip. Her heart, which was full of curiosity, was also hooked up.


    Just a few days ago, the new wife of the Lu family was caught in adultery.


    ¡°Ah?¡±


    Was what she was was thinking, right? That Caifeng was having an affair with another man?


    ¡°They were hiding in a ruined house in their village, and they were naked. The man, ah, it was Lu Chengyuan¡¯s childhood friend. The old woman, Lu, fainted angrily. ¡°


    This matter was hidden by the Lu family. Fortunately, there were only two people who saw the scene at that time. Lu Yougen is also the vice-captain. He came to the door and said good words to keep them quiet, but this kind of gossip could not be stopped. It spread from 1 to ten people, and from ten to hundreds of people. Within two days, someone spread it to Chen Guixiang¡¯s ear.


    Chen Guixiang was relieved to know this. Since she knew that Lu Chengyuan had that problem, she hated the Lu family for harming her daughter. That¡¯s good. The Lu family is now in a mess. Her son can¡¯t be humane, and her daughter-in-law was caught cheating. It¡¯s not a bad report. The day has come.


    Chen Guixiang knows this matter can be said to be relieved and smooth since she knows that Lu Chengyuan has that aspect of the problem she hates the Lu family harmed his daughter, this is good, that Lu family is now a mess of porridge, the son can not be humane. It¡¯s true when they say, ¡°Good is rewarded for good, and evil is rewarded for evil; it¡¯s not that it is not repaid, and the time has not come yet; when the time comes, everything is repaid!¡±


    ¡°Is that so? That¡¯s really quite wonderful. ¡°


    It¡¯s a pity that there are no cameras or cell phones in this era. If that kind of hot blood scene was recorded, it would definitely make front-page headlines.


    Dong Jiahui has no interest in Lu¡¯s family. Even if they are living a good or bad life, they cannot evoke half of her emotions.


    Zhao Donglin came to pick up Dong Jiahui after work. Chen Guixiang, the mother-in-law, naturally, couldn¡¯t let her son-in-law go back with an empty stomach. She cooked dinner in the evening and waited for Zhao Donglin to arrive so she could have dinner quickly. so that their family of four can eat early and go back early before it gets dark.


    On the way back, Dong Jiahui smiled and asked Heidan, ¡°Heidan, did you have a good time today?¡±


    The two children of the same age had a common language and soon became close. Looking at Heidan¡¯s heartfelt smile, Dong Jiahui was very pleased that Heidan was finally like a four-year-old child.


    Heidan¡¯s heart was still in the happy mood of playing with Xiaoman, and he nodded his head vigorously, his eyes looking particularly bright in the dusk.


    Dong Jiahui stroked the top of his shaggy hair. It seems that her decision to bring Heidan here was right. Heidan was not born autistic; he was only stimulated by his mother¡¯s departure. A change in personality is caused by changes in the living environment. For such a child, she should be a little closer to him, be a little warmer to him, and should not make him feel excluded, but she should also not be too hasty.


    ¡°What about our Yingbao? Did you have fun with sister Tianniu today?¡±


    Dong Jiahui spoke with Chen Guixiang when Zhou Yindi took Tianniu with Yingbao to visit the village. The two girls had an age difference of half a year, but the size difference was not much. They had the same fine white look, big eyes and a small mouth. They looked like a pair of twins, especially lovable. They brought back a lot of peanuts, candy bars, and home-baked cakes. They haven¡¯t stopped eating. They don¡¯t even need to eat dinner.


    Yingbao snuggled up in Jiahui¡¯s arms and gave a soft mumble, and Jiahui smiled and kissed her little cheeks.


    The sky was half dark. The moon was hanging in the sky, sitting on the back of the bike, with Yingbao in her arms. With this quiet and beautiful scene, Jiahui suddenly had the desire to sing a song. She hummed the song ¡°The Country Road.¡±


    ¡± Walking on the country road. The old cow who is coming back is my companion. Blue sky with a sunset in my chest. Colorful clouds are the clothes of sunset¡­¡­¡±

 CH 40

    As the rumors say, Mrs Lu was lying on the bed at the moment, and cursing at Li Caifeng in front of her.


    ¡°This shameless **** has lost the face of our Lu family. She wanted a man so much. Ah, when he sees a man, she jumps up and does some dirty things in the mud house naked.¡±


    Li Caifeng¡¯s face didn¡¯t have any trace of being humiliated, but instead, she had a smile on her face.


    ¡°How can I be shameless? I¡¯ll be shameless if I keep your son alive and widowed all my life? I¡¯m not as good as you. If you have the ability, you can let your son divorce me. See what face you Lu family will have in the future.¡±


    Li Caifeng is not kind-hearted like the original owner (Jiahui). It was impossible for her to cover up for Lu Cheng Yuan. He should be thankful that she was not publicizing it to the world.


    She swept the things on the bedside table to the floor and cursed angrily, ¡°Go away! Go away you little whre! This rotten little btch.¡±


    Li Caifeng didn¡¯t care about her. She (Mrs. Lu) can throw things whenever she likes. Anyway, she (LC) didn¡¯t spend any money on it.


    ¡°Since you told me to get lost, I¡¯ll get lost, from now on you can turn a blind eye when you see me rolling around with anyone, don¡¯t add it to your own problems.¡±


    The meaning of this roll was naturally different from Mrs. Lu¡¯s. Her face was red, and Mrs. Lu almost had a stroke.


    Outside the door, Lu Chengyuan sat on the bench and covered his head. The sound in his ears made him breathless.


    His mother¡¯s scolding, his wife¡¯s taunting, and the ridicule mixed with a small apology made him feel that he was only an animal surrounded by people and had no dignity.


    Mrs. Lu came out of the house after arguing with Mrs. Lu, and she glanced at him disdainfully when she passed by Lu Chengyuan.


    Although she did do something wrong to him, Lu Chengyuan in her eyes is a coward, not to mention how the Lu family has opinions about her, to be honest, she didn¡¯t want to stay in the family. When she finds a man that is willing to marry her, she will divorce Lu Chengyuan and start a new life.


    She heard that Lu Chengyuan¡¯s ex-wife i]was now living a good life. See? Leaving this kind of cowardly and heartless man is a good thing for women.


    The family was in a mess these days. Lu Chengyuan was suffering from unprecedented mental pressure. He is on the verge of collapse. He doesn¡¯t want to go out and face other people¡¯s strange eyes. He even feels that the way his parents look at him has become strange, that kind of that they want to say something, but they are afraid of hurting him. This made Lu Chengyuan¡¯s heart panic and confused.


    That day, he walked out of the village aimlessly and found himself walking towards Shanghe village.


    On many sleepless nights, he often thought of his ex-wife, Jiahui, and analyzed his life with regret more than once. He thought that the biggest mistake in his life was divorcing Jiahui.


    At that moment, he suddenly had an urge to meet Jiahui.


    ¡°Donglin, our village autumn harvest is over. The wheat has also been planted. The commune was informed that by next week, you have to submit the autumn harvest summary report. I think this report should be prepared by you?¡±


    Zhao Donglin is the grassroots staff arranged by the commune for the village, with a bit of supervision. The village head was smart. Since everyone knows, there¡¯s nothing to hide. Just make a big statement and leave the report to him. If something goes wrong, you naturally have to recite it with me.


    Zhao Donglin was also not stupid. As soon as the village chief opened his mouth, he understood the underlying meaning. He smiled and did not express any refusal.


    ¡°Okay. In the next two days, I will write out the report as soon as possible.¡±


    When Lu Chengyuan arrived at the intersection of Shanghe Village, Zhao Donglin happened to be pushing his bicycle along the road with the village head Xu Haiming. Lu Chengyuan didn¡¯t know Zhao Donglin, after all, Zhao Donglin went to the army in his teens, but Zhao Donglin knew Lu Chengyuan. The first time he saw Jiahui in town, she was stopped by Lu Chengyuan¡¯s new wife, and Lu Chengyuan was also there.


    Zhao Donglin looked back as he passed by Lu Chengyuan and frowned slightly.


    ¡°Okay, so be it. I¡¯ll go first. Let¡¯s talk tomorrow in the village.¡±


    Zhao Donglin turned back and responded, ¡°Good, you can rest assured.¡±


    Zhao Donglin didn¡¯t leave directly but parked his bicycle behind a tree on the side of the road to observe what Lu Chengyuan was up to.


    He knew that Dong Jiahui was married to the second team of Shanghe Village, but he didn¡¯t know the Zhao family, and he was not good at asking people. So he looked at the entrance of the village and wanted to wait for the person in his heart to walk by. Unfortunately, at this time, Dong Jiahui was making clothes at home. Why would she hang around at the entrance of the village?


    He turned around in a frightened manner and saw a man wearing a military green jacket with a strong posture standing behind him.


    ¡°Comrade, I see that you have been standing here for quite a long time, are you looking for someone or do you have any bad intentions?¡±


    Lu Chengyuan¡¯s nature was a wimp. Even if he did not do bad things, he would still be afraid. Not to mention the fact that he is indeed doing bad things, he would be very afraid.


    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m not doing anything, I¡¯m just looking for someone.¡±


    Zhao Donglin¡¯s eyes darkened, and he asked quietly, ¡°Oh, are you looking for someone? Who are you looking for?¡±


    ¡°Jia¡ª¡±


    Just as he was about to say Jiahui, Lu Chengyuan suddenly thought of something and closed his mouth tightly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t hang around at the entrance of the village. Someone in the village recently reported that there was something missing at home. I have reason to suspect that you did it.¡±


    ¡°No, no, it¡¯s my first time here too.¡±


    Lu Chengyuan clapped his hands repeatedly and was really afraid that this magnificent and tall man would catch himself as a thief.


    ¡°If you are not that person, then hurry up and go. If not, I will let the dog bite you.¡±


    Lu Chengyuan clenched his teeth and looked back at the winding path. At the other end of the road, it seemed that Jiahui with a smiling face was standing. He felt uncomfortable in a moment. He also looked at Zhao Donglin, who was eyeing around him, and turned back and left step by step.


    Zhao Donglin looked at the same place for a long time, until Lu Chengyuan turned the corner and stepped onto the main road towards Xiaoling Village before he stepped onto his bicycle and left.


    When he got home and entered the yard, several children were kicking shuttlecocks in the yard. They were very lively, always with a smile on their faces.


    In addition to the shuttlecock, Jia Hui also sewed them a sandbag, a small round bag filled with sand for Heidan and Shitou to throw around.


    Yingbao was the first to see Zhao Donglin come in, so, she ran over with her short legs and opened her arms for a hug from Zhao Donglin. Zho Donglin bent down to pick up Yingbao and gave her a kiss on her little face.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Yingbao held up the shuttlecock in her hand. She is still small, with poor coordination, so she can only watch Heidan and Shitou play. However, Jiahui didn¡¯t bully her. She made a shuttlecock for her and specially selected the best-looking chicken feathers on the rooster¡¯s tail. Yingbao likes it very much. She holds it in her hand all day. If she can¡¯t kick it, she will throw it away and pick it up by herself, Yingbao would be even happier if someone could throw and let her pick it up.


    ¡°Playing with the shuttlecock?¡±


    Yingbao nodded her head like a chicken, pecking rice, and her black grape-like eyes looked at Zhao Donglin. His father¡¯s heart melted.


    Heidan looked at his father, who was hugging his sister. He also wanted to be as close to his father as his sister. But for this desire, his childlike nature was suppressed by another emotion, so he could only watch from afar and did not dare to take a step forward.


    Jiahui was making clothes in the house. Last time she went back to her mother¡¯s house to pick up some orders and her family¡¯s clothes and quilts. She¡¯s in a hurry. Now she doesn¡¯t do anything else besides sewing every day.


    When Zhao Donglin entered the house, Jiahui only looked up and said, ¡°You¡¯re back?¡±


    ¡°En.¡±


    He put down Yingbao, took down the kerosene lamp on the cupboard and lit it up, saying as he did so, ¡°it¡¯s getting late, You have to light up the lamp.¡±


    His wife has a small business and he also supports it, but if she damages her eyes in order to earn a little money, it¡¯s not worth it at all.


    Sometimes he also thought that if he was not the eldest son and didn¡¯t live with his parents and brother, and had a salary of more than 60 yuan a month, why should his wife bury her head in making clothes every day for ten days, yet her income was only about 10 yuan?


    But there are no ¡°ifs¡± in this world; he is the eldest son. Even if he loves his wife, he should bear the responsibility of being a son and brother.


    When Jiahui heard his concern disguised by blame, a smile floated around her mouth, her hands and feet continued to move, and her mouth was not idle.


    ¡°I know. I was too engrossed; I forgot the time. ¡°


    Zhao Donglin sighed, ¡°Okay, let¡¯s take a break. Take fewer orders if you can¡¯t make it. ¡°


    Dong Jiahui reluctantly agreed.


    After eating and sleeping, Yingbao still sleeps with Meixiang. Jiahui has mentioned taking Yingbao with her, but Mei Xiang refused.


    ¡°Sister-in-law, let Yingbao sleep with me, she is so well behaved, she was not disturbing me at all, and I can hold her in winter to have warm hands.¡±


    In fact, it¡¯s just that Zhang Qiaoer told her daughter to keep Jiahui from being busy at home. Now that Jiahui is busy with what she¡¯s doing, she can¡¯t take care of Yingbao for now. Another thing is that she still hopes Jiahui will give her a little grandson. It¡¯s not very convenient for them if Yingbao sleeps with them.


    Dong Jiahui took a bath and wiped her face in the mirror. She insisted on washing her face with rice water and also took Meixiang with her. Mei Xiang did not believe that she could become lighter. After washing for a month, people said that her skin had turned white and was fine. Only then did she believe what her sister-in-law said. Later, Jiahui didn¡¯t have to tell her to be with rice water. She would do it carefully every day.


    Zhao Donglin came in from the shower and saw his wife touching her face as she looked at the mirror. He brought her the jar of Yashuang [1] when he went to the town meeting. She was happy when she received it.


    That night, Zhao Donglin was very fierce. He almost took out the momentum of doing hundreds of push-ups in the army. Dong Jiahui could hardly stand it and begged for mercy by holding his waist.


    However, she was afraid of being heard by others. Her voice was small, light and soft. He became more restless when he heard it. Instead of restraining himself, he became crazier.


    ¡°You are mine. Say you are mine.¡±


    Jiahui felt uncomfortable and wanted to cry, so she didn¡¯t want to listen to what he said.


    Not hearing Jiahui¡¯s reply, Zhao Donglin increased his force and pushed forward.


    The next day, Jiahui got up and held her waist. She was angry and twisted Zhao Donglin¡¯s waist.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be angry if you do that next time.¡±


    Zhao Donglin hooked his lips. Occasional indulgence did feel good.


    Time soon passed, and the twelfth lunar month arrived. It was freezing cold. The farmers stopped all work activities in the fields, and every family began to be busy for the new year.


    Making steamed bread, making New Year cakes, grinding tofu, and cleaning, although there is no need to work, there is more and more work at home.


    In the past two months, Dong Jiahui has earned about 30 yuan by making clothes. In addition to making clothes for others, she also finished making clothes for her own family in a hurry, so the whole family was satisfied, except for Zheng Yuefen.


    Kill the pig, kill the pig, come and see the pig.


    Early in the morning, when everyone was busy at home, the children began to run around happily, telling each other that killing new year pigs was the happiest thing of the year, which meant eating meat.


    References

 CH 41

    This year the production team raised 23 pigs. 15 for the commune, and the remaining 8 were slaughtered on New Year¡¯s Eve. Each pig was carefully fed by the community members. They weighed up to 200 pounds.


    The scene of slaughtering pigs was very lively. Many people were watching the excitement. Most of them were still holding baskets and pots, waiting for the division of the meat.


    ¡°This year, we should be able to get a lot, right? Last year it was six heads, and one family got twenty-eight points. This year there must be more than last year. ¡°


    ¡°It is definitely more than last year. But last year, I barely tasted the meat. I just ate two bites of dumplings. My family ate meat and hid from me, which made me very angry. ¡°


    ¡°That¡¯s too much. They cooked a pot of food and they still want to hide it from you? ¡°


    When I went back to my mother¡¯s house, Even if they didn¡¯t give me food to eat, Da Zhuang is the eldest grandson of their family, and they did not leave two pieces for him. I don¡¯t have any expectations for them at all. ¡°


    Dong Jiahui was standing next to the two young wives. The two young wives were ridiculing their in-laws, but she also stood next to Zhang Qiaoer, her own mother-in-law. Listening to their mockery with her mother-in-law was slightly embarrassing.


    ¡°Mom, do you have a share in the pig¡¯s blood?¡±


    Although Dong Jiahui did not particularly like this food, it¡¯s good to eat it occasionally. Of course, the key point was that she wanted to make a pig¡¯s blood cake.


    ¡°There is not much pig¡¯s blood. Some people like it and some don¡¯t. So, whoever wants to take pig¡¯s blood, they will have less meat.¡±


    It¡¯s all collective property, and everyone has a share. In this distribution mechanism, the taboo word was ¡°unfair.¡± For example, even if someone doesn¡¯t like to eat pig blood, they would feel unhappy when they see someone who would have their share. Therefore, if they want pig blood, there will be less meat.


    ¡°Mom, does anyone want that tripe? I want to take some of the pork belly and lungs to stew. It¡¯s a good tonic. ¡°


    Jiahui saw that tripe was casually thrown on the ground. It¡¯s a pity that they didn¡¯t give much attention to it.


    ¡°This thing can be eaten?¡±


    It¡¯s not that no one eats the tripe and so on, but it¡¯s extremely troublesome to clean it up and it smells bad. In addition, everyone lacks oil and water in their stomachs. It¡¯s fun to eat fat meat. They really don¡¯t buy this usually.


    Jiahui also found differences between regions and times. For example, Shengli commune has a lot of water and fish, but the local people don¡¯t like fish, and the cooking method is also very simple. Unlike in the 21st century, there were more than 100 methods for making one kind of food, and the tastes were also different. Take fish, for example. There are fish heads with chopped pepper, pickled cabbage fish, stone pot fish, squirrelfish, grilled fish, etc.


    ¡°Yes, you can eat it after washing it. It¡¯s like a big bone. It¡¯s good to cook it as soup and drink it.¡±


    Since her daughter-in-law said it was good to drink, then that is certainly not bad. She could still remember the bone soup she drank. The most important thing was that it was cheap. It only costs 50 cents per pound, and you can buy several pounds.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll talk to your brother Huaishan, so he¡¯ll save it for our family.¡±


    Several pigs were slaughtered for more than two hours, and when they were weighed, there were more than 1,500 pounds of pure meat.


    ¡°Great, this year is a great harvest.¡±


    Everyone had a smile on their faces. The team¡¯s accountant took the abacus prepared earlier and calculated the amount of pork that each family could get according to the total work points of the members of the team. The Zhao family could get 45 pounds. Of course, this number did not include Zhao Donglin. His share had to be collected from the commune.


    45 pounds is quite a lot at first. But it takes about 10 pounds to make steamed bread and dumplings, and about 10 pounds to entertain relatives and friends during the new year. In the past, there was not much left after a year.


    When dividing meat, it¡¯s the same as shopping malls in later generations. Everyone wants to divide it first and pick the front legs with good meat quality, especially fat pork and streaky pork.


    ¡°I want this piece. Give me a direct cut.¡±


    ¡°Pig head, does anyone want it? If no one wants it, then I¡¯ll take this one. ¡°


    ¡°I have such big bones in this piece. How heavy are the bones? I may suffer a loss. ¡°


    Everyone said this and that. Ding Huaishan¡¯s head hurt when it was noisy. He patted the table and shouted, ¡°Don¡¯t make any noise. What we give is what you get. Did you forget the time when you didn¡¯t have food? You¡¯ve been fed too much, haven¡¯t you? You didn¡¯t do anything aside from tossing and turning.¡±


    ¡°Is it difficult for a pig to have front legs and back legs? If you don¡¯t want it, then we won¡¯t share it. ¡°


    After yelling, he drank a mouthful of water to moisten his throat and began to calm everyone¡¯s emotions pleasantly.


    ¡°Line up one by one to receive your share. We strive to treat every family fairly. If there are many bones, build a piece of fat. If you want to register and have the pig head, let the accountant know how many people want it and how to divide it. Let¡¯s all discuss it. ¡°


    It took more than three hours to slaughter the pigs and another three hours to divide the meat. Dong Jiahui was too lazy to listen to the market-like noise and volunteered to go back after receiving the pig¡¯s blood, but before she left, she also didn¡¯t forget to remind her mother-in-law about the tripe.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t forget.¡±


    In fact, if not for Jiahui¡¯s reminder, Zhang Qiaoer would have forgotten about it.


    The first thing Jiahui did when she got home with her pig blood was to add a spoonful of salt to the pig blood and stir it so that the pig blood could gradually solidify.


    Next, she quickly scooped two spoons of glutinous rice, washed it, and soaked it in water, which took about half an hour to soak.


    During this process, Jiahui prepared the necessary seasonings and washed the steamer.


    After the glutinous rice was soaked, she put it into the steamer for cooking. After the glutinous rice was cooked, she poured it into the pig¡¯s blood and stirred it. Cut it into long strips, pass it through with long bamboo sticks, and steam it in the steamer again until it is cooked. At this time, it is a real pig¡¯s blood cake. It tastes very good whether dipped in soy sauce or chilli sauce.


    After the glutinous rice was soaked, she put it into the steamer, stirred it into the pig¡¯s blood, cut it into long strips, and then put it back into the steamer until it was cooked.


    Dong Jiahui poured some soy sauce to try it out, and the fragrant and was the kind of taste she had eaten when she was a child.


    Zhang Qiaoer led the family back before she finished eating a mouthful.


    ¡°Hey, it stinks. Hurry up and throw it over there. What did you use this thing for? Who can eat such a disgusting thing? ¡°


    It turns out that Zhang Qiaoer and the tripes that Ding Huishan has given are Ding Huishan not only gave the pig lung and pork belly, there were two pig intestines. Zhang Qiaoer let Zheng Yuefen carry it. Zheng Yuefen smelled the smell on the way home, and she really wanted to vomit.


    ¡°Mom, Meixiang, I have made a good pig blood cake. Do you want to come and try it? Heidan and Shitou, you guys also come over here. ¡°


    Hearing that there is food, several people are happy to go towards the kitchen, especially Heidan and Shitou. They rushed in like bullets.


    Dong Jiahui didn¡¯t call Zheng Yuefen. Her relationship with Zheng Yuefen now is that the well water doesn¡¯t invade the river. I won¡¯t quarrel with you or cause trouble with you. I will treat you like air. This ignoring attitude often makes Zheng Yuefen feel humiliated, but I can¡¯t find a suitable reason to attack.


    Dong Jiahui did not call out Zheng Yuefen. She didn¡¯t want to interact with Zheng Yuefen now; she only wanted to mind her own business. I will not argue with you. I will not mess with you. I will treat you like air. This indifferent attitude often makes Zheng Yuefen feel humiliated, but even if she wanted to flare up, she couldn¡¯t find a suitable reason.


    Just like at this moment, everyone went to the kitchen to eat pig¡¯s blood cake. Zheng Yuefen naturally wanted to eat it, too. Even if Jiahui did not call her, she could not stop her from wanting to eat it. Her heart was upset, but she followed everyone¡¯s action.


    ¡°Mmm! This is my first time eating this. Sister-in-law, this is too delicious! ¡°


    ¡°It¡¯s a bit like dumplings. We really don¡¯t see people doing this here, or if you¡¯re just clever, you can think of making it this way.¡±


    People here usually stew tofu with pig¡¯s blood, boil soup with pig¡¯s blood, or even eat it directly after heating and sprinkling with salt and pepper.


    ¡°Meixiang, take two of them to your uncle¡¯s house. Your aunt loves dumplings. She must like them.¡±


    Meixiang nodded, took a bowl, loaded two, and went to her uncle¡¯s house.


    ¡°Children should eat less glutinous rice. If they eat too much-accumulated food, their stomach will swell.¡±


    Zhang Qiaoer saw that her two grandsons ate the food one mouthful at a time. She was afraid that they would eat too much. She stopped them in a hurry. There was Yingbao, who just ate one piece and should not eat more than that.


    ¡°Yes, you cannot eat too much. You have to save some stomach for something else.¡±


    The originally reluctant children willingly stopped eating when Jiahui said that there was still food later. When no one was paying attention, Zheng Yuefen also stopped eating. Obviously, she was also looking forward to Jiahui¡¯s delicious food.


    It was a troublesome process to sort out the tripe, Jia Hui picked up some ashes from the stove and threw the whole cleaned tripe into the ashes and rubbed it to clean the layer of grease on the skin.


    ¡°Hey, you¡¯re quite good at this method.¡±


    Zhang Qiaoer saw her eldest daughter-in-law work well and sharply. She couldn¡¯t help but praise Jiahui in her heart. But maybe she had a little expectation of Jiahui before marriage, so when she entered the family, Jiahui would often give her a surprise.


    Jiahui first cleaned the pork belly and lung, which were to be saved for the stew.


    The soup pot was filled with water and seasoning and simmered slowly on a briquette stove for about two hours to bring out the flavour.


    The rest of the large intestine is a big job, and although Jiahui can sort it out, she is also a little princess who only needs to eat without using her hands in modern times!


    ¡°Donglin, help me get this done, and I¡¯ll make you something delicious.¡±


    When Jiahui was at a loss, Zhao Donglin came back pushing his bike. She hurried over to pull Zhao Donglin.


    ¡°Wait, wait for me to put the pedals down.¡±


    The bicycle was pulled by her before it was parked, and then it was time to deal with two extremely smelly pork sausages.


    But he is, after all, a soldier who has experienced countless difficulties and hazards. He is not afraid of real guns and bullets, bleeding and sacrifice. What¡¯s the small pig¡¯s large intestine for him? It was done for her in a short time.


    ¡°Great, you¡¯re really good. Wait a minute, I¡¯ll make you a good meal.¡±


    Zhao Donglin bent over the well¡¯s side to get soap and washed his hands. Seeing the look of happiness on Jiahui¡¯s face, the corners of his mouth also curved up.


    As long as his wife is happy, not to mention the whole pig intestine, if she wants him to jump into the cesspit (gutter), he would also be willing. Of course, it would be better if she could cooperate with him in the quilt at night.


    That night, other people¡¯s houses ate braised meat and pig head meat, but in Zhao¡¯s house, they ate pig tripe, pig lung soup, fried large intestine with green pepper, and Chinese cabbage and pork dumplings.


    The creamy soup is filled with fragrant dumplings. Pick a piece of chilli sauce and put it in it. It¡¯s fragrant and spicy. The taste goes straight to the brain. There¡¯s also the pig¡¯s large intestine. How can you cook something that stinks so badly? It¡¯s unscientific!


    The family ate until their stomachs were full. The key ingredients were the tripes, which were acquired without having to spend money to buy them. Jia Hui stewed a large soup pot, and they can still continue to eat it tomorrow.


    ¡°It¡¯s true, I feel very comfortable after eating it.¡±


    Zhang Qiaoer didn¡¯t go to school much. She didn¡¯t know what happiness was. She only knew that she was very happy and comfortable at that moment. This is the happiness brought by food.


    Under the dim kerosene lamp, everyone¡¯s faces had a warm smile, even Zheng Yuefen¡¯s, who was no longer the usual harsh and tit-for-tat.


    After dinner, Jiahui took a bath, leaving the pots and pans to Meixiang and Zheng Yuefen, who worked more willingly than ever today.


    When Jiahui came out of the bath, the kitchen hall had been dark. Everyone went back to the house to rest.


    ¡°Wife, how can you be so capable of cooking everything?¡±


    The moment Jiahui returned to the house, she was taken into Zhao Donglin¡¯s arms. Her mouth could not wait to kiss her face and mouth. Jiahui soon felt that her legs could not stand, pushing him towards the bed.


    Zhao Donglin smiled and picked her up horizontally, consuming all the calories from the evening meal.


    The night is late, the wind is blowing clouds, the moonlight is not very bright from time to time because of the dark clouds, and the sky is full of stars, indicating that tomorrow will be a good day.

 CH 42

    The village committee started its annual holiday on the 28th of the lunar month, and Zhao Donglin brought back his past benefits. 10 pounds of pork, 5 pounds of red dates, and 3 pounds of brown sugar.


    ¡°Oh, they sent so many expensive foods.¡±


    Not only is it expensive, but it¡¯s also quite rare. In this era, transportation is inconvenient, and large-scale fruit and vegetable planting has not been established. The limited supply of red jujube does not mean that you can buy as much as you want. On the other hand, red jujube replenishes Qi and nourishes people. It¡¯s excellent whether you eat it at home or give it away.


    ¡°With another ten kilograms of meat, we can eat it freely this year.¡±


    ¡°Sister-in-law, didn¡¯t you say you wanted to fry meatballs last time? Why don¡¯t we just fry some meatballs and eat them?¡±


    Mei Xiang always remembered Jiahui¡¯s words. She said that if there were more meat for the new year, she could eat fried meatballs. There were lotus roots at home, and they could also be used as lotus root clips. After it was fried, it was crispy outside and crispy inside. The meat¡¯s fragrance overflowed, and Meixiang¡¯s saliva almost flowed out.


    Jiahui did not expect her sister-in-law to be like a child. She was always thinking about delicious food. Jiahui smiled and said, ¡°Yes, I will fry if Mom agrees.¡±


    Jiahui kicked the ball to her mother-in-law, and Zhang Qiaoer was hanging the meat on the beam with a bamboo pole, and laughed, ¡°Okay, you¡¯re all grown-ups, but you¡¯re still as greedy as children.¡± It¡¯s just some meat. You can measure it as you like. You don¡¯t have to worry about making it light. ¡°


    The family laughed.


    After eating dinner and going back to bed, Zhao Donglin handed an envelope to Jiahui.


    ¡°What is this?¡±


    According to the general operation, the envelope should contain cash checks and so on. Jiahui took it and opened it to see that it was real money. There were 20s, there were 10s, and several of them added up to a whole fifty yuan.


    She asked suspiciously, ¡°What kind of money is this?¡±


    ¡°The bonus was issued by the village.¡±


    Jiahui gave an enunciation of understanding. 50 yuan is not too much or too little. After all, Zhao Donglin¡¯s salary had been more than sixty yuan. It is equivalent to a 13th month¡¯s salary.


    ¡°This is for me? You don¡¯t have to give your bonus money to Mom? ¡°


    Zhao Donglin¡¯s eyes widened when he saw his wife. He looked like a soft and cute little animal with a trace of hope and innocence.


    Seeing that she is usually quite generous in her dealings, this kind of little money-obsessed look is really rare. Zhao Donglin loved it in his heart.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s for you.¡±


    Happiness comes too suddenly.


    ¡°Does Mom know? If you did not say so, mom knows it can be a problem. ¡°


    Zhao Donglin smiled and didn¡¯t say anything.


    Don¡¯t mention that he has asked his mother; it¡¯s okay even if he doesn¡¯t report it. He gives his monthly salary of 60 yuan. Although his mother gives his wife ten yuan a month, there are still more than 50 left. His mother is not really obsessed with money and won¡¯t seriously care about this bonus.


    ¡°She said, you can just put it away. Whatever you want to buy in the future, you don¡¯t have to save. Also, for making clothes, you should do less, especially if you can¡¯t stay up late. ¡°


    The money was given by the gold master. The gold master was right in everything he said. She held this ¡°huge sum of money¡± in her hand. Jiahui nodded repeatedly, and her eyes bent into crescent moons. If her eyes were not big enough, there would be a seam left.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll take it and save it for after the New Year.¡±


    Since crossing over to the seventies, Jia Hui has added a new hobby. She especially liked to save money. Seeing the amount of savings increase a little bit, was particularly fulfilling.


    There is almost nothing to spend money on; the basic necessities of life; food, clothing, housing, and transportation. The food was her mother-in-law¡¯s responsibility. She can rip clothes back to make her own clothes, there is no need to buy a house, she can go out on bicycles or walk, the days are simple and full.


    In addition to where to spend money, there is no place to spend money. Jiahui is serious about saving money. She was also preparing for the future when they go to school: school tuition, living expenses, books, social fees. No work means no income. When they go out, they have to spend money on their three meals a day.


    Jiahui herself will certainly go to university. If Zhao Donglin was willing to take the college entrance examination and accept the new challenge, she was still not clear. If the couple studied at the same time, that meant there was no income, so they naturally had to prepare more money.


    She has almost five hundred yuan in savings. Two more years of saving should be able to save up to a thousand. In this era of cheap prices, she heard that some universities have subsidies, so their saved money should be enough.


    Couplets were posted on New Year¡¯s Eve. The couplets at home were written by Zhao Donglin himself. When he was a child, he practised calligraphy. He just found a branch to draw on the sand. After entering the army, the army encouraged the soldiers to enrich themselves. Only then did Zhao Donglin seriously learn calligraphy.


    A pair of couplets cost a few cents. After the team knew that Zhao Donglin could write with a brush, many people came to ask for couplets on red paper. A piece of red paper can be used to write several pairs, which is much more cost-effective than buying couplets. It¡¯s good to save one point. It¡¯s also good to save a few sweets for children.


    The couplets written in rural areas are exquisite. The couplets used in the gate, hall, kitchen and even the pigpen and chicken house are different. For example, the front door can use ¡°Repeatedly in harmony, open the door with blessings¡± or ¡°Virtuous door set celebration, and welcome auspicious people in the benevolent house,¡± while the kitchen can say ¡°Celebrate the wedding with sugar and wine, good dishes and good guests¡± or ¡°The five flavours are carefully adjusted in the hall, and in the hall meets the three relatives.¡±If someone pastes the couplets on the door or pigsty, it will become a joke.


    The glue for the couplets was homemade rice paste. The glutinous rice is sticky, and the glutinous rice was ground into glutinous rice powder and mixed with water to make a paste. The adhesion is comparable to industrial glue, which is more than enough to paste a couplet.


    Heidan followed behind Zhao Donglin with the paste, first pasting the front door, then the hall, the room, the kitchen, the chicken pen, and the pigpen, and when the yard was full, the red colour gave a layer of joy and festivity.


    Jiahui was busy early in the morning, in addition to preparing for the New Year¡¯s Eve dinner, the village also has a rule that on the first day of the year you can¡¯t use fire, so today you have to prepare several dishes.


    The fish is a must, With the meaning of having more than every year, Jiahui was in charge of the kitchen this year, and Meixiang helped her on the side.


    Braised fish, meatballs, lotus root clips, braised pork, all cooked in a large iron pot, and then served in bowls, naturally cooled and put in the cupboard.


    In the winter months, when the temperature is as low as zero, the whole environment is like a natural refrigerator. She was not afraid of the food going bad.


    The happiest part of the New Year is the children, who play like crazy. They have new clothes to wear, meat to eat, and endless peanuts, melon seeds, and candy to eat.


    From the time Jiahui started cooking, the children went into the kitchen from time to time to watch and ate a meatball for a while, and a lotus root for a while, so they were full without eating much at lunch.


    In the evening, when the sky was slightly dark, when the New Year¡¯s Eve dinner began, in addition to the children, one person poured a cup of rice wine. Zhao Manzhu usually does not speak, but today, as the head of the family, he raised a glass to speak.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to speak either, but your mother insisted that I should speak.¡±


    Zhang Qiaoer smiled and elbowed him. Zhao Manzhu smiled with a simple and honest face.


    This year, everyone is doing well. Donglin also returned from the army, and our family has finally been reunited for the past ten years.


    Speaking of this, Zhao Manzhu should be telling his truest feelings, so he began to talk without stumbling just now. Zhao Donglin looked down at the wine glass and obviously thought of those hard and fulfilling times in the army.


    ¡°I¡¯m quite satisfied with my life now. I don¡¯t have to starve and freeze. I can eat well and the family is together. These are the days I didn¡¯t dare to think about before. Your mother and I always said, Our family¡¯s good days are brought up by Donglin. Without him working in the army, our family¡¯s days would not be so good, so Donghe, you have to toast your brother.¡±


    Zhao Donglin¡¯s eyes were a little wet, as well as Zhao Donghe¡¯s. Even though Zhang Qiaoer and Mei Xiang were lowering their heads to wipe their tears, only Jia Hui and Zheng Yuefen had two little mood swings. The two sisters-in-law looked at each other, and each moved their gazes away, watching Zhao Donghe raise his glass and rise.


    ¡°Brother, as a younger brother, I always know your difficulties.¡± Although I don¡¯t know how to say it, I understand in my heart and always admire and thank you. Really, I¡¯ve been proud of you since I was a child. When others say I¡¯m Zhao Donglin¡¯s younger brother, I¡¯m happy. How powerful is my brother? I studied well when I was young and didn¡¯t fight. When I¡¯m bullied, you go to seek justice for me. ¡°


    Speaking of this, Zhao Donghe has choked up, Zhao Donglin patted his brother¡¯s shoulder, sent the wine glass forward, clinked a cup with Zhao Donglin, and they first toasted.


    Many words were spoken in silence. He had great feelings for this brother. He may have left home as a child, but he pays more attention to family affection than most.


    ¡°All right, let¡¯s eat. If we say more words, the dishes will get cold.¡±


    After Zhang Qiaoer said these, the two brothers sat down, and the New Year¡¯s Eve dinner was officially started.


    ¡°En, this fish is delicious, much more delicious than the one I made.¡±


    After tasting a bite of the fish, Zhang Qiaoer couldn¡¯t help but praise Jiahui.


    ¡°I like to eat this; it smells good.¡±


    Mei Xiang was talking about the lotus root sandwich.


    When the summer comes, we can use eggplant. It¡¯s also very delicious. ¡°


    Mei Xiang covered her face and said with a smile, ¡°Sister-in-law, your dishes are so delicious. My face began to fatten. ¡°


    ¡°It looks good, just like a red apple.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, it¡¯s good for girls to be fat. Don¡¯t follow your sister-in-law¡¯s example; she¡¯s just too thin, she doesn¡¯t have a few pounds of flesh all over her body.¡±


    Jiahui couldn¡¯t help but plead for herself, ¡°Mom, I didn¡¯t eat less, and I¡¯m just small-boned, but I have a lot of meat on my body.¡±


    Zhao Donglin was drinking with his father and brother, but he listened to what Jiahui said. When he heard her say she had a lot of meat on her body, he glanced at Jiahui and remembered the fragrant skin under his palm at night.


    ¡°Brother, are you drunk, that¡¯s why your face is reddened?¡±


    Zhao Donghe shouted in surprise. He thought he wouldn¡¯t be. His brother¡¯s drinking capacity is obviously very good. He claims that he won¡¯t get drunk. It¡¯s just a few cups of yellow rice wine. He won¡¯t get drunk.


    ¡°Drink less. We are family members. Just keep your spirit. You have to send new year¡¯s greetings tomorrow. ¡°


    Zhang Qiao¡¯er heard the words and immediately opened her mouth to respond. Dong Jiahui also cared to look back, just to meet Zhao Donglin¡¯s eyes with affection. The heart could not help but be stunned; the backbone inexplicably began to chill.


    When the meal was halfway through, Zhang Qiaoer went back to the house to get a few red packets, one dollar for each of the three children.


    ¡± It¡¯s not a lot of money, but it¡¯s my token of appreciation for you. Do not spend it indiscriminately.


    It is said that it is for children. But the final outcome was that it was handed over to adults, and it is a custom to send red envelopes in the new year, just to let them be happy.


    In addition to the children¡¯s red envelopes, there were several red paper packets on the table. Zheng Yuefen¡¯s eyes kept looking at them. She knew her mother-in-law might be handing out money, and as expected, Zhang Qiaoer soon spoke up.


    ¡°This year, we all worked hard. According to our rules, I should give you some pocket money at the end of the year. Money is the same for everyone. The eldest family, and the second family, will have 30 yuan each. Meixiang was the only one in the family, so she will have 20 yuan. If you have any comments, put them forward now. If you have no comments, let¡¯s share them. ¡°


    Two years ago, the team paid cash dividends. After deducting grain, the Zhao family got 268 yuan. It was considered a good harvest year.


    Other people were okay with the arrangement. Zheng Yuefen, who usually has the most opinions, has none. If a person is 30, the couple will have 60 yuan. Although this money was not much, it is pure income and can be saved. Besides, today¡¯s is 10 yuan more than last year.


    Zheng Yuefen was the first to take a stand, saying, ¡°Mom, I have no problem with it.¡±


    The first time she spoke, everyone looked at her. Jiahui was quite surprised that this sister-in-law did not stand out and shout.


    ¡°Well, since all of you are fine with it, so be it. This money that I will give to you guys, I should not ask you how you should spend it, because every penny is not easy to come by. You should save it up. Do not spend it indiscriminately. ¡°


    Zhang Qiaoer took out a stack of ten-yuan bills to give everyone a lot of money. First, she gave it to the eldest couple, then to the second couple, and finally to Zhao Meixiang.


    As soon as the money arrived in Zhao Donghe¡¯s hands, Zheng Yuefen took the money. Her face was proud as she started counting the money and calculated how much she should save and use.


    Zheng Yuefen had to spend money when she went back to her mother¡¯s house. She couldn¡¯t be compared with other sisters in the family. She had to bring enough gifts and give the children a red envelope. It would cost 6.8 yuan, but it doesn¡¯t matter. The adults will also give red envelopes to Shitou. That is, she has only Shitou in her family. Compared with the sisters with several children in their family, she suffered some losses.

 CH 43

    After eating the New Year¡¯s Eve dinner, it was time to set off the firecrackers. There was a custom in rural areas of comparing whose firecrackers were louder. The louder the sound, the better; it indicates that the coming year will be more prosperous than the previous years.


    Today, the Zhao family¡¯s firecrackers were bought by Zhao Donghe. He picked up the longest one in the supply and marketing agency.


    The firecrackers were hung at the top of the tree, and after lighting the fuse at the end, the ¡°crackling¡± sound began to ring out. Yingbao covered her ears and hid in Jiahui¡¯s arms. Shitou clapped his hands and jumped under the tree, but was dragged back by his mother, and Heidan was not as naughty as Shitou. He watched behind his father.


    ¡°Let¡¯s play Mahjong. There¡¯s nothing to do anyway, so let¡¯s relax.¡±


    On New Year¡¯s Eve, they have to be awake all night. They have to eat dumplings at 12 o¡¯clock. After eating dumplings, they have to go out to pay a New Year call. They certainly can¡¯t sleep. There are dozens of households in a production team, hundreds of households, and adjacent production teams. They are all related to each other and have a good relationship. They can¡¯t walk down until dawn.


    Of course, it¡¯s a man¡¯s business to pay New Year¡¯s greetings. Women can just eat melon seeds at home and go to their neighbours¡¯ homes.


    In rural areas, newlyweds are usually urged to hurry up and have a baby, but Dong Jiahui does not have this problem. Everyone knows she¡¯s divorced, or that she can¡¯t have children and was kicked out of the house for it, but no one in their right mind would bring it up in front of her about the matter of giving birth to a child. Wouldn¡¯t that just be rubbing salt in the wounds?


    The family didn¡¯t use the fire; they heated the dishes made yesterday with a coal briquette stove, steamed a few steamed buns, and the meal was done. In the afternoon, Jiahui went back to her room to catch up on sleep. She was dazed in the arms of Donglin, and suddenly her mouth was blocked.


    ¡°Well¡­ what are you doing in broad daylight?¡±


    ¡°I miss you.¡±


    Jiahui opened her eyes and looked at the window. Fortunately, the curtains were closed. There were so many people sitting in the main room. It would be humiliating to be seen.


    Zhao Donglin hugged her and kissed her. In his arms, Jiahui¡¯s attitude gradually softened down. She half-pushed and half-committed to responding.


    On the second day of the lunar new year, Zhao Caixia talked with Zhang Qiaoer in advance. Jiahui returned on the second day of the lunar new year. She took her husband and children back on the third day of the lunar new year. It happened that several aunts on her mother-in-law¡¯s side also returned on the second day of the lunar new year. In this way, the time can be staggered.


    ¡°When you see grandma and grandpa, you should know how to call them, as well as aunts, uncles, brothers, and sisters. Okay, after the New Year, you have grown up a year. You should be more understanding and obedient than last year, Okay?¡±


    Before going back, Dong Jiahui changed Heidan¡¯s clothes. She was glad that she had thought of making two outer coats. Yesterday was a crazy day. The new clothes were stained with dust, and it didn¡¯t look like an appropriate use for seeing the relatives.


    Since Jiahui had had a sincere heart-to-heart talk with Heidan two months ago, Heidan¡¯s personality was a lot more cheerful than before. He accepted Jiahui as his stepmother, and not only did the smile on his face increase, but he was also willing to go out of the house to play with other kids his age. Although he didn¡¯t call her mom as Yingbao did, Jiahui never treated him differently.


    ¡°Well, I know. I¡¯ll be polite. ¡°


    Jiahui patted his head, ¡°Okay little one, go out and wait. We¡¯ll leave right away.¡±


    They naturally cannot return empty-handed when going back to their mother¡¯s family. The things were prepared years ago: a cigarette, two bottles of white wine, a catty of oil pastry, and twelve or so pounds of fish. Before leaving, Zhang Qiaoer took another paper bag containing two dozen catties of fish. Inside was a cat of red dates that she separated.


    ¡°Take this with you too.¡±


    ¡°Mom, there¡¯s no need to bring this; there¡¯s not much left at home.¡±


    ¡°Take it with you. Your third sister-in-law is pregnant with a baby; give it to her like a tonic.¡±


    Zhang Qiaoer can¡¯t help but sigh in her heart. Other people¡¯s daughters-in-law are pregnant one after another. How come both of her own daughters-in-law are not moving? It¡¯s really worrying.


    ¡°Thank you, mom. I¡¯ll take it then.¡±


    Thanks to Zheng Yuefen¡¯s departure, if she saw her mother-in-law taking red dates to herself, she would definitely play with her temper and ask why she didn¡¯t give them to her.


    ¡°They¡¯re back! They¡¯re back! Jiahui and Donglin are back. ¡°


    Chen Guixiang has been looking forward to them for a long time. For Jiahui, the three sisters-in-law didn¡¯t come back today, so they were waiting at home.


    ¡°The main reason is to wait for my brother-in-law to come over for a drink. I didn¡¯t have a good time last time.¡±


    Stopping the bicycle and taking the gift off the cage, the brothers came over and patted Zhao Donglin¡¯s arm and welcomed him into the house.


    ¡°These red dates were given out by Donglin for New Year¡¯s Eve, and my mother-in-law slipped them over when I returned, saying they were for her sister-in-law to use as a tonic for her body.¡±


    Zhao Lijuan¡¯s stomach was still not too visible, and when she heard Jiahui¡¯s words, she smiled and took the packet of red dates.


    ¡°Aiya, where is the need for this? I eat well enough at home. It¡¯s better to give it to Mom. I¡¯m young and strong and don¡¯t need it.¡±


    With that, she handed the paper packet to her mother-in-law, Chen Guixiang.


    ¡°Since it¡¯s from your in-laws, you should take it. It¡¯s also a token of her appreciation. You eat it for fun when you have nothing to do.¡±


    ¡°Yes is right. You should take it. Next time, I will buy it for mom and bring it back. ¡°


    Jiahui also followed to persuade her third sister-in-law.


    ¡°Yes, our mother has a filial daughter. No one in the village is as filial as Jiahui. When she came back, she brought a lot of things. The team joked that your little sister had fallen into a nest of happiness, saying that her mother was blessed with a daughter and that she could eat a few pounds of her son-in-law¡¯s gift all year round.


    ¡°No, people on the team must have seen it today. The head of the carriage almost can¡¯t hang, and many people envy you.¡±


    Zhou Yindi and Liu Xiuyun took turns to praise Jiahui¡¯s filial piety, in fact, it is a roundabout way to praise that Chen Guixiang has a blessing.


    ¡°It¡¯s good if you know, so having a daughter is different from not having a daughter. You can bring more things when you go back tomorrow so that others can praise you. I, the mother-in-law, will also follow their glory. ¡°


    The more things a daughter brings back to her mother-in-law¡¯s house, the better off she is in her husband¡¯s house, which also shows that her mother-in-law was good to her.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, our mother is a good mother-in-law in all the villages. Who does not praise her?¡±


    The three sisters-in-law laughed and joked for about ten minutes and then made their own excuses to leave, knowing that their mother-in-law and sister-in-law must have had something to whisper about, so they gave them space.


    ¡°How¡¯s it going? Are you doing well? ¡°


    The only thing a mother wants is for her child to be well, and even though there are a thousand questions in her mind, the first question would always be, ¡°Are you doing well?¡±


    ¡°Good, there is no conflict. Years ago, Donglin got his bonus salary, and he also gave it to me. At the New Year¡¯s Eve dinner, my mother-in-law gave each of us 30 yuan, plus the money I earned for making clothes. I have saved more than a hundred. ¡°


    Jiahui explained her mother-in-law¡¯s affairs, knew what her mother wanted to hear, and focused on the economic situation.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s good that they haven¡¯t treated you too badly.¡±


    The economic situation always represents the status of a person¡¯s family. Just as the original owner had no money at Lu¡¯s house before, she could hardly bring anything back to her mother¡¯s house. At that time, Chen Guixiang only hoped that her daughter would be good and never pick on these things. They always dressed her daughter better every time she went back. Now thinking about it, they were silly at that time. The so-called ¡°fall into the moat and you¡¯ll be wiser next time¡±[1]. Now Chen Guixiang finally understands, so every time Jiahui comes back with a generous gift, she is still very happy. Like this time, Jiahui¡¯s mother-in-law especially gave a bag of red dates to her third daughter-in-law who was pregnant with a baby.


    ¡°Does your mother-in-law know about that?¡±


    Chen Guixiang had a thought and asked Jiahui a question.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    Jiahui really couldn¡¯t guess what her mother was talking about at first. So, she asked in confusion.


    ¡°That you are still¡­.. a young maiden.¡±


    Jia Hui suddenly realized


    ¡°This¡­. I think so? I do not know if Donglin said it.¡±


    Chen Guixiang reached out and nodded her forehead, hating iron from not turning to steel. She then said, ¡°Why are you so stupid? Your mother-in-law may be waiting for the birth of this baby. You have been married to Donglin for three months. It¡¯s reasonable to be pregnant. ¡°


    Jiahui thought about it and felt that her mother-in-law maybe didn¡¯t have this intention.


    ¡°No, Mother-in-law never mentioned about me giving birth. She simply gave my sister-in-law a tonic for her health, no other meaning.¡±


    Chen Guixiang really wanted to take an axe and crack open the head of her daughter to see if it was filled with straw.


    It is common for rural wives to get pregnant. Many of them hold two jobs in three years. They go to the field with a big stomach. Some even have children with their heads down. In this environment, pregnancy, especially the second child, is not something worthy of serious treatment.


    When she gave Jiahui a bag of red dates It was specially ordered for Jiahui¡¯s mother-in-law. She doesn¡¯t need to be so polite. It¡¯s likely that she was thinking of that. However, her daughter is a wooden head and doesn¡¯t want to raise it at all.


    The reason for not being pregnant before can be justified. But now that she was doing well with son-in-law, it would be unjustifiable if there was no movement again.


    ¡°There is no movement.¡±


    And there will not be any movement, on this point of childbirth, she and Zhao Donglin have agreed. That is, to not have children in three years. As for how to do contraception, in addition to the safe period, there is another auxiliary method. As long as it is the probability of winning the lottery, they should not get pregnant.


    ¡°How come there is no movement? You can have a snack (be attentive)). If you can¡¯t, go to the hospital. ¡°


    If you don¡¯t know that, it will undoubtedly give her hope. It¡¯s too harmful to women to not have children. Her daughter has experienced it once, and she really doesn¡¯t want her to experience it again.


    ¡°Mom, I have no problem. Don¡¯t worry. Let¡¯s let it go. Donglin already has Heidan and Yingbao. He¡¯s not waiting for me to have a baby. Besides, Yingbao is still young. It¡¯s not very convenient for me to have a baby now. ¡°


    Who is Chen Guixiang? As soon as she heard it, she knew something was going on here. They must have taken into account the two children.


    ¡°Okay, at the end of the day, it is always your own life. You should know what to do. One thing is, if there is a problem, go to the doctor early. If there is no problem, whatever it is, discuss it with your son-in-law. Don¡¯t make your mother-in-law unhappy. ¡°


    This sentence contains too much content. She has seen through it, but she won¡¯t talk about it. Even if she were her daughter¡¯s mother, she couldn¡¯t live her daughter¡¯s life for her. There¡¯s no need to nag on the second day of the new year this year. For the time being, she let her daughter go.


    Jiahui smiled and took Chen Guixiang¡¯s arm. Knowing that her mother didn¡¯t continue to ask, means that she was willing to spare her.


    This day, Zhao Donglin was drunk again at the wine table, and Jiahui helped him into the house to rest and found him pretending to be drunk.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? You like to pretend to be drunk so much!¡±


    Zhao Donglin, with a mouthful of alcohol, rubbed Jiahui¡¯s palm and said with a smile, ¡°This is a strategy. If I don¡¯t pretend to be drunk, your three brothers will have to let me drink until I vomit.¡±


    His move was brought out in the army. The drinking capacity of his three eldest brothers was really not enough in front of him. In order not to let his father-in-law and his three eldest brothers lose face in front of him, Zhao Donglin sacrificed his image and pretended to be drunk.


    ¡°Come on you, you¡¯re the only one with a lot of heart.¡±


    Zhao Donglin pulled her into his arms and said, with a smile in her ear, ¡°I just have a thousand and ten thousand eyes, and all of them are filled with you.¡±


    The hot whisper and full of alcohol¡¯s scent made Jiahui¡¯s face instantly hot. Her legs had some reflexive weakness, so she pushed Zhao Donglin and got up. She picked up the hair scattered around her ears, grunted and left the room, afraid that she would be in trouble if she stayed any longer.

 CH 44

    Chapter 44


    The next day was the third day of the Lunar New Year. Early in the morning, Zhao Caixia, together with her husband Li Wangping, took her daughter Daya and her son Er Pang back to her mother¡¯s house.


    ¡°Er Pang, come, let grandma see you. Have you gained weight? ¡°


    As soon as she entered the courtyard, Zhang Qiaoer hugged her little grandson and gave him a mouthful of kisses on his chubby face.


    How can he not be chubby? Look at this face, bulging like a steamed bun. He now eats a lot; every meal was full of rice. Isn¡¯t there meat at home during the recent Chinese New Year? Ouch, he ate a few pieces of fat meat and he eats better than me without blinking. ¡°


    Older people like the little doll with a tiger head and a tiger brain best, because it looks so festive.


    ¡°Able to eat is a blessing, children eat more to grow strong, they will have good health, and not easy to get sick.¡±


    Zhang Qiaoer hugged the Er Pang for a long time. Her arm was a little sore. She smiled and patted the Er Pang¡¯s little butt, and laughed, ¡°You¡¯re really getting fat. Holding you was like holding Shitou.¡±


    Zhao Caixia smiled back, ¡°That¡¯s not true. Mom quickly put him down. Don¡¯t break your waist for the new year. ¡°


    Zhao Donglin and Zhao Donghe accompanied their brother-in-law Li Wangping to talk. Several children played in the yard, and Zheng Yuefen sat under the windowsill with a handful of melon seeds.


    No one noticed that Jiahui was not in the courtyard. Not long after, Jiahui took a school bag out of the house. She used an army green fabric, crossbody strap also hanging a rustic yellow puppy doll, Jia Hui¡¯s own hand-sewn bag.


    ¡°Daya, see if you like this bag, you can use it when you start to go to school. Okay?¡±


    Daya was eight years old. She was already in the second grade, and Jiahui used the extra cloth from making clothes to make a school bag for her.


    The reason why she thought of making a schoolbag for Daya was mainly to please Zhao Caixia, her eldest sister-in-law.


    Daya¡¯s eyes lit up when she saw the schoolbag. After taking it, she couldn¡¯t put it down, especially the ginger dog doll, which was looked real and lovely.


    ¡°It¡¯s so beautiful.¡±


    It looks better than any schoolbag she has ever seen.


    Zhao Caixia also came over and complimented Jiahui, saying, ¡°You¡¯re really good at your craft. How did you make this puppy?¡±


    Jiahui smiled and said, ¡°I drew it, sewed it with needle and thread, and stuffed some cotton inside.¡±


    She studied sketching as a child and had some drawing skills, so drawing a cartoon or something was a piece of cake for her.


    ¡°This puppy is quite interesting; I really do not know how your head thinks. We¡¯re obviously the same people. Why am I so stupid and can¡¯t do anything? ¡°


    ¡°I am also a fool. It¡¯s good that Daya likes it.¡±


    ¡± I like it. Thank you, eldest aunt.¡±


    Zhao Caixia married Li Wangping when the Zhao family had not yet become rich. Zhao Donglin in the army was also moving up step by step, from the squad leader to the company commander position, so at that time, Zhao Caixia married the right door. Later, Li Wangping, the Zhao family¡¯s days were good, and the Li family¡¯s conditions could not compare.


    Because of a useful brother, Zhao Caixia¡¯s life with the in-laws was very good. Even if the firstborn was a daughter, she did not suffer from her mother-in-law¡¯s rubbing. As a matter of fact, her mother-in-law was very patriarchal.


    At more than nine o¡¯clock, they began to prepare lunch. Today¡¯s chef was Jiahui, and her assistant chef was Meixiang. Zhao Caixia and Zhang Qiaoer sat at the kitchen door and chatted.


    ¡°There is a nice young man in our village. He is the youngest member of the family. He is energetic and has a good temperament. His mother said to find him a partner during the new year. I think he is very suitable for Meixiang. Do you want to see each other? ¡°


    ¡°How are his parents? Are they good to get along with? ¡°


    The character of the parents was the primary consideration for Zhang Qiaoer in finding a match for her daughter. In fact, the daughter¡¯s personality is too gentle. If she meets a fierce mother-in-law, there will be no bones left for her to eat.


    ¡°How many sons does his family have? Are they married and separated? ¡°


    ¡°Four sons, the oldest and the second, were separated. The third just got married. He is the fourth.¡±


    Hearing this condition, Zhang Qiaoer could not help but shake her head.


    ¡°That can¡¯t be. The oldest are separated out.  In case the old couple follows the young one in the future, the life of your sister will be unbearable. ¡°


    Zhao Caixia has always listened to her mother, and since her mother said it is not good, it is not good, the topic is over.


    ¡°I have already found a matchmaker. There are suitable candidates to see. Anyway, your sister is still young, and it is still quite suitable for her to stay at home for two more years.¡±


    ¡°En, Meixiang is indeed still young. You have to choose well. ¡°


    Like when she married Li Wangping, Li¡¯s family conditions were not much better, but Li Wangping was a considerate man, especially after the promotion of the eldest brother in the army, the Li family all supported themselves, and her in-laws¡¯ life is still quite good.


    If it is Meixiang, she can certainly find a better family. After all, now that their family conditions were not bad, they belonged to the top family in the village, and another thing was, their eldest brother was also the village branch secretary.


    Jiahui, who was in the kitchen, vaguely heard some of their conversations. Mei Xiang¡¯s face was also red. Jiahui smiled and asked, ¡°Meixiang,¡± ¡°Meixiang, when do you want to find someone else?¡±


    Meixiang was a very simple little girl who was well protected by her family. Except for the boys in school, she has hardly seen any sex opposite to herself, but the girl will have some feelings when she enters puberty. She used to like a male classmate in school. She is handsome, studies well, writes very well, laughs with two dimples, and her eyes are as bright as stars.


    But this kind of like was carefully hidden in her heart. For her, the other party was too dazzling; she is ordinary and simple. She is not worthy of such a good boy.


    After graduation, she never saw him again. She heard that he joined the post office, which is the county post office. Mei Xiang rarely went to the county, so after graduation, they never met again.


    Looking back on all this, Meixiang¡¯s eyes also carry a touch of frustration. Who is Jiahui? She was baptized by various romance dramas. This obvious look of ¡°liking a person¡± can¡¯t be mistaken.


    ¡°Meixiang, do you have someone you like?¡±


    ¡°No, sister-in-law, you¡¯re thinking too much.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not thinking about anything, if you don¡¯t have someone you like, why are you blushing when I mentioned this?¡±


    ¡°Which guy? Do I know him? Is he from our village? ¡°


    ¡°No, it¡¯s from the county.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so it¡¯s a boy from the county.¡±


    In terms of talking, Meixiang was no match for Jiahui, and she got the information with just a few words.


    Meixiang accidentally let her mouth slip. She looked nervously at the door, afraid that her mother and her sister would hear her.


    ¡°Sister-in-law, you cannot say it out loud. I am the only one who likes him. Maybe he may not even know me. ¡°


    ¡°It¡¯s your former classmate.¡±


    ¡°En, he is popular in school and good at studying. He had organized a lot of campus activities. His writing was particularly good. He was on the bulletin board in the school.


    The moment Meixiang said so, Jia Hui knew that boy was estimated to be the last remaining boy-like existence on campus. As a girl, it is very normal to like excellent and dazzling male classmates.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why are you upset? ¡°


    ¡°No, I just think I might find someone random to marry in the future.¡±


    With that kind of excellent boy, one can never be with her.


    ¡°No, actually, life can be grasped by yourself. Have you ever heard the saying, ¡°My life is up to me, not up to fate¡±? Would you choose it if there was an opportunity for you to change your fate in the future, would you choose it?¡±


    Meixiang was confused as she looked at Jiahui. These words can be understood if they were separated, but why can¡¯t she understand them when they are combined? What is the chance to change your destiny that her sister-in-law said? Will there really be such a chance?


    ¡°Where can this opportunity come from? I think my whole life would be to marry people, have children, and farm in the field. There will be no great success. ¡°


    ¡°Not true at all. Didn¡¯t you learn to make clothes with me? You also learned to cook. As long as you learn these skills, you will have more than half of what most people have. In the future, with these skills, you can always find a way out. ¡°


    Since the gang of four has not been disbanded and the notice of resumption of college entrance exams has not yet been available, Jiahui cannot reveal too much to Mei Xiang. She can only guide her little by little. First, she cannot give in to ordinary life.


    ¡°En, sister-in-law, it¡¯s great to meet you.¡±


    This sister-in-law did teach her a lot. She¡¯s good-looking, good-natured, and generous and courteous to people. Her goal was to be like her sister-in-law one day.


    She also understood the truth, that is, she couldn¡¯t believe people¡¯s words. Before meeting her sister-in-law, many people said that her sister-in-law was divorced. How cowardly, how few sticks can¡¯t make a word, she¡¯s unworthy of her brother. After seeing the real person, she found that she was so good. Except for being divorced, there were no shortcomings at all. Now that she can see the love between her sister-in-law and her brother, Meixiang is happy for her sister-in-law. Such a good woman should deserve a good man like her brother.


    ¡°I see that Heidan is more cheerful than before. It seems that his sister-in-law is not bad with him.¡±


    To be honest, a real mother is just like that. She should take all aspects into account for her children. A while ago, she began to teach Heidan to read and recite a paragraph of the Three Character Classic every day. Let alone, Heidan was a very smart kid. He will be able to understand it as soon as he studies. He is also patient. Jiahui said that as long as Heidan studies hard, his grades will not be bad in the future, and he will certainly be admitted to a good university.


    ¡°It¡¯s good for Heidan to study when he was a child. Heidan has followed his father. ¡°


    It is a pity that the big brother will only have Heidan and Yingbao as his children.


    Stewed cabbage with meatballs, sour radish bone soup, scrambled eggs with garlic, radish seedlings, peanuts, stewed pumpkin, and braised fish are full.


    ¡°Come on, try your aunt¡¯s cooking.¡±


    Daya was happy to receive a school bag today. She boasted sweetly, ¡°Uncle¡¯s cooking is the best. It¡¯s better than my mother¡¯s cooking. ¡°


    Jiahui smiled and pinched her face, she said. ¡°Aigoo, this little mouth is really good at talking. If you like to eat, eat more.¡±


    ¡°This is the one who forgot her mother after having candy. Don¡¯t expect her to be filial in the future. ¡°


    ¡°Who said that? Our Daya is honest and speaks from the heart, right? ¡°


    Daya nodded her head heavily and smiled smugly at her mother.


    Yingbao looked at Jiahui talking to Daya. As she was looking at Jiahui, she flattened her mouth and was almost close to tears.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You can already hang oil bottles in this little mouth. Who made you angry? ¡°


    ¡°Mom, hug.¡±


    Jiahui put down her chopsticks and held Yingbao in her arms.


    ¡°OK, hug. Why do you want to be hugged suddenly?¡±


    Meixiang smiled and said, ¡°I guess she¡¯s jealous. Seeing that you¡¯re talking to Daya, she¡¯s not happy in her heart. ¡°


    Is that so? Are you jealous? ¡°


    Yingbao buried her head in Jiahui¡¯s arms and refused to look up. It was probably because she knew people were laughing at her and she was shy.


    After dinner, Zhao Caixia volunteered to do the dishes. Jiahui and Meixiang said no, and Zheng Yuefen did not say anything.


    ¡°I will wash it. I¡¯ve been idle all morning. ¡°


    ¡°It¡¯s rare for you to have a good rest when you go back to your mother¡¯s house.


    ¡°Jiahui said that well. It¡¯s hard for women. You can¡¯t be idle at home for a moment. I¡¯ve been idle for a long time and with your blessing today. ¡°


    ¡°I hadn¡¯t seen her so ignorant before. ¡°Jiahui was able to show it (Zheng Yuefen¡¯s attitude) as soon as she entered the door.¡±


    She doesn¡¯t do anything at all. She doesn¡¯t help with cooking. Although she can wash the dishes herself, she (Zheng Yuefen) didn¡¯t even make a statement. You are really polite. Do you really want her to wash?


    ¡± Just do not let people worry about her. The more you live, the more you go backwards [1].¡±


    ¡°The good thing is that Jiahui is impressive; you don¡¯t have to worry about her. If you marry someone who always makes a scene, the days will certainly be bustling with noise and excitement.¡±


    ¡°Who says otherwise?¡±


    Zhang Qiao¡¯er was satisfied with Jiahui as her daughter-in-law, and it would be a great success if she could give Donglin a son and a daughter as soon as possible.


    Half a month later, Daya carried her new school bag to school, and her school bag attracted the attention of her classmates.


    ¡°Li Jiaying, where did you buy this school bag?¡±


    Daya¡¯s first name was Li Jiaying, a name given to her by Zhao Donglin after she went to school, which meant smart and excellent.


    Before Daya could answer, the female student who asked the question reached out and tried to touch the puppy hanging on Daya¡¯s school bag, which was slapped away by Daya.


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch it, don¡¯t get it dirty for me.¡±


    If it weren¡¯t because she wanted to show it to her classmates, she wouldn¡¯t be willing to hang up the puppy. That day, her aunt saw that she liked the dog and made her a bigger doll that she could hold to sleep. It was a little cat with a long beard. Daya held it every night when she slept. Even if Er Pang wanted to touch it, she wouldn¡¯t let him.


    ¡°Li Jiaying, this schoolbag, where did you buy it? How come I did not see it in the supply agency? Is this puppy for sale there? I also went to the county on vacation and did not see this in the county.


    This girl¡¯s family is good. Her uncle works in the county, and her uncle also settled in the city. She went to the city to visit her relatives years ago. The little girl thought she was knowledgeable. She wanted to show off at the beginning of school today. Who knows that when she met Daya, she had a new bookbag she had never seen before?


    Daya raised her chin and proudly said, ¡°This is not bought, my aunt made it for me. She not only makes school bags but also makes cute little animals and pretty clothes.¡±


    In less than half a day, the news that Daya had a beautiful schoolbag and that Daya¡¯s aunt could make schoolbags spread across the campus.


    ¡°Mom, I want that puppy schoolbag that Li Jiaying is carrying too!¡±


    When they come back from school on their first day, they want things. Parents with a good temper were patient when listening to their children. Those with bad tempers will beat them directly.


    ¡°Want! Want! Want! Who asked you to ask for things? You went to study, but you did not learn well! You just know how to ask for something! You need to spend money to buy things! Do you think money comes from the wind? The money for your schooling was saved by frugality at home. Do you have the nerve to ask for a puppy bag? Watch me beat you into a puppy. ¡°


    Who would have thought that the peak of Jiahui¡¯s sewing career would be due to an army green satchel with a doll hanging on it?

 CH 45

    1976 was a turbulent year, but it was also a year of great pain for the people of the whole country. In that year, three great men died one after another. Although the Shengli commune was thousands of miles away from the capital, the people of the commune loved great men as much as anyone. The old people wept after hearing the news, and various activities to mourn the great man¡¯s death were carried out in the school.


    This year¡¯s National Day is not as lively as in previous years because, more than 20 days ago, Chairman Mao, the people¡¯s saviour, passed away.


    At the end of October, the commune suddenly notified Zhao Donglin to go to the county meeting. The meeting lasted two full days, and when he came back to the village. The village chief brought back the news that the gang of 4 fell. [1]


    Oh, why do you think it collapsed? ¡°


    The village head, Xu Haiming, smoked a cigarette, and his face flickered in the smoke circle. He couldn¡¯t tell what he felt in his heart. He seemed relieved, but at the same time, he was at a loss.


    It has not been easy for them over the last ten years, particularly in the early years. If there were any disagreements, he had to make a mountain out of a molehill right away. But, as the village chief, he had to bear this in his heart.


    ¡°The meaning of the words above was to let him stabilize the hearts of the people, timely detection of problems to solve the problem, the news is not out yet, but do not rule out that there are people who aim to provoke. A centipede dies but never falls down, and grasshoppers can jump after autumn.¡±


    Xu Haiming nodded, ¡°I know. I understand the seriousness of this issue. You can rest assured that I will never make political mistakes. ¡°


    He is just a village head, unlike Zhao Donglin, who was sent by the commune. The commune named Zhao Donglin attend the meeting, which shows that they attach great importance to Zhao Donglin. At Zhao Donglin¡¯s age, he can¡¯t stay in the village as a village branch secretary all his life. He definitely wants to rise, but he is different. He is in his forties. It¡¯s good to be a good village head. His biggest goal is to be transferred to the commune one day. No matter what he does, it¡¯s good to have a cadre establishment.


    In fact, the leaders above think too much. People don¡¯t care about politics, especially in Shanghe village, which is so far away from the political centre. They only care about whether they can eat, wear warm clothes, and live and work in peace and contentment. Other people in the village can¡¯t think much at all.


    Even if the sky collapses, they are not afraid. There¡¯s a tall one on top. It didn¡¯t matter if something fell or not, as long as it didn¡¯t affect their lives.


    ¡°Why did it take you so long this time?¡±


    Donglin went to a meeting in the county before. He could go back in the morning and in the evening. Unlike this time, he stayed in the county all night.


    Dong Jiahui, as a time traveller, knows the big events happening in the country at various times, but she is on a cruise of history and can¡¯t be a tourist who stays out of it. Her worry about Zhao Donglin was from her heart. After all, no amount of knowledge can replace life itself.


    Zhao Donglin just took a bath. He was wiping his head with a towel. When his wife asked, he didn¡¯t hide it at all.


    ¡°There was news from above; the gang of 4 collapsed. During this special period, the county leaders prevented mistakes in the work of all levels and made some arrangements for everyone¡¯s meeting. ¡°


    That¡¯s all he could say. Because the person who asked was his wife, he could answer her. But if other people ask him, Zhao Donglin won¡¯t say anything. Since he married Jiahui for two years, he knew that Jiahui was a quiet and reasonable person. She can measure what to say and what not to say.


    Dong Jiahui thought: Sure enough, the collapse of the gang of 4 indicates that the country is about to start a new era in which the pace of reform and opening-up has taken another step forward, and the college entrance examination will soon be on the agenda.


    In fact, Dong Jiahui has long read the original high school textbook. She was a top student in modern times, but the knowledge in this era was very different from that in later generations. If you are familiar with it in advance, you can prepare in advance to ensure everything is safe.


    In addition to the textbook, she also found some review materials, and sometimes she pretends to forget the knowledge and asks Mei Xiang, so Mei Xiang is forced to review high school knowledge from time to time.


    Heidan will be in elementary school next year, so when he reads books every day, she would learn with him, so Heidan would know the importance of learning. On the other hand, review the old and learn the new. Knowledge is always learning and always learning. She found out that she would lose this knowledge for some time. If Heidan and Yingbao grow up in the future, if they ask her a question they don¡¯t know the answer to, and if she tells them directly that she doesn¡¯t know the answer, then wouldn¡¯t I, as their elder, lose face in front of them?


    This sentence completely made Meixiang dizzy. Although she doesn¡¯t understand the relationship between high school textbooks and Heidan¡¯s study, her sister-in-law¡¯s words make sense.


    She is now Jiahui¡¯s little fan. This year, under Jia Hui¡¯s leadership, she learned that her cooking skills had improved. She learned the basic skills of making clothes, and Jiahui also took her to make school bags to sell to the supply and marketing agency, earning more than a hundred yuan a year, and the people who did her matchmaking were almost always stepping through the threshold of her house.


    Good and bad objects may have been introduced by those matchmakers. We have to visit them one by one. In fact, getting married early is not good. It¡¯s not comfortable to go to my mother-in-law¡¯s house. It¡¯s very tiring to serve the elderly and young. After all, the probability of meeting a good mother-in-law like you is too small. Besides, Meixiang is not in a hurry to get married. We better not rush it. ¡°


    Zhang Qiaoer originally wanted to quickly find her daughter, someone, she could marry. When Jiahui said so, the daughter herself also meant that. She put her mind to it and prepared to wait until her daughter was 20 years old.


    Since her sister-in-law says it¡¯s good to read more books, it must be good to read more books. Occasionally, when Jiahui is busy with other things and has no time to study with Heidan, Meixiang will hold a book with Heidan and teach him to read first. When he learns and digests by himself, Meixiang will read his own book.


    Zheng Yuefen often made sarcastic remarks. Whenever she saw them, she would say that the Zhao family was going to produce several top scholars. The small ones start to read before they go to school, and the big ones pretend to be students, holding books all day.


    .


    ¡°Only my mother-in-law can tolerate it; she does the work at home, reads books all day, treats herself like a young lady in the city, with a young lady¡¯s heart, but a maid¡¯s life.¡±


    After the word got out, the village¡¯s older women who met Zhang Qiaoer also asked two questions around the corner.


    ¡°I heard that your eldest daughter-in-law does not do anything at home. She was just holding a book all day to read. Is that true? ¡°


    Zhang Qiao¡¯er heard it and knew who had spread the word. Her heart was tired of the second family¡¯s mouth, but she did not show it on her face. She pulled the corners of her mouth to smile and explained, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Don¡¯t mention how diligent the eldest brother¡¯s family is. She cooks, takes care of children, and helps others sew and mend. Who said this? It¡¯s too unreliable. ¡°


    ¡°Oh, oh, this. Other people blindly spread these words.¡±


    The married couple were busy lying on the bed. Jiahui was in Zhao Donglin¡¯s arms. She looked at the dark pressure of the mosquito net overhead, and whispered, ¡°Donglin, I have something to tell you.¡±


    Zhao Donglin patted Jiahui¡¯s arm. His voice was low and soft. ¡°Okay, go ahead.¡±


    As Jiahui thought about how to construct her words, she hummed before speaking, ¡°If. This is just an IF. If national policy changes in the future, those of us who have not gone to college for special reasons can take the college entrance examination one day. If you have such an opportunity, will you grab it? ¡°


    Zhao Donglin did not understand why her wife suddenly talked about this. A college entrance examination is something too far away, so far away that it seems to be in the last century.


    ¡°There will be no such opportunity. Let¡¯s hurry to sleep.¡±


    The policy of resuming college entrance exams will come into effect next year.


    She turned around on the bed and grabbed the corner of Zhao Donglin¡¯s coat and said eagerly, ¡°I said ¡®if¡¯, in case there is such an opportunity, will you support me to continue studying?¡±


    Zhao Donglin frowned in the dim light, thinking that his wife was acting strangely today. Regardless of whether there will be such an opportunity, even if there is, they are already married, working, and students. They are simply not eligible to participate.


    But he heard his wife¡¯s intention. She is eager to go to college, eager to progress. In fact, it can be seen from her usual holding of high school textbooks.


    ¡°Do you want to go to college?¡±


    As Jiahui lay on the bed, her arms supporting her upper body were tired, and she leaned into Zhao Donglin¡¯s arms again.


    Of course, people can¡¯t live in ignorance. To realize the value of life, the Gang of 4 collapsed, and the country is facing great changes and reforms. This is an era of waste waiting for prosperity. There is a lack of professional talents at all levels of society, and the country needs talented young people. In this context, we should stand up and contribute to the country. ¡°


    The words were impassioned, but Zhao Donglin couldn¡¯t help but smile when he heard them. He felt that his own wife was really cute.


    Undeniably, there is a certain amount of truth in what his wife said. When the gang of 4 collapses, the central government will certainly make corresponding reforms and adjustments. Over the past decade, national education has been implicated. Many experts and scholars have been delegated to those who have made contributions to the country and the people. But these kinds of words from his own wife¡¯s mouth made him laugh.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you so patriotic and wholeheartedly want to contribute to the country before.¡±


    Jiahui recognized the teasing in Zhao Donglin¡¯s words, so she hit him with her elbow in anger.


    ¡°I¡¯m talking to you about business. Don¡¯t joke with me.¡±


    Zhao Donglin sighed in his heart. Let alone when the educational environment will be recovered, it may be a year, two years, or even more. It is unknown whether the older ones or the ones who have married can participate in the examination and selection as his wife said. On the other hand, even if it is true, in his cognition, the struggle is a man¡¯s business. As for his wife, Jiahui only needs to live a happy and stable life.


    When Wang Mei divorced him, shouting ¡°dreams¡± and ¡°future¡±, and her words were full of dissatisfaction with rural life, because they had average feelings towards each other, and he was a dignified man, he didn¡¯t want to bow his head to beg a woman who wanted to leave. He agreed to a divorce. When the political commissar talked to them, he didn¡¯t say much about Wang Mei¡¯s mistakes. If he sincerely wanted to hold her down, she couldn¡¯t divorce her at all.


    If the same thing happened with Jiahui, he would not let go of her no matter what.


    So, no matter what Jiahui said about the value of life, his contribution to the country, or to him, it is no match for her daily gentle light smile and delicate soft words.


    ¡°Are you dissatisfied with your current life?¡±


    Zhao Donglin did not answer Jia Hui¡¯s words positively, but he asked her a question in return, and Jia Hui¡¯s heart thumped when she heard it, knowing that Zhao Donglin had misunderstood her meaning.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not dissatisfied with my current life. I¡¯m just saying that if there¡¯s such an opportunity, we can go¡­ together.¡±


    Halfway through the sentence, Jiahui stopped her mouth. Oh, what¡¯s the point of saying this now? He simply does not believe that there will be a resumption of the college entrance examination.


    ¡°Well then, today¡¯s a truce. We¡¯ll talk about it later.¡±


    As soon as the voice fell, Zhao Donglin turned over and fell on Jiahui, beginning to pay for public food.


    This day he wanted to be especially fierce, and Jiahui finally fell asleep. The next month, Jiahui found that her great aunt¡¯s menstruation had been delayed for a week, and her heart began to panic.


    Notlucia: Yup. Two years later¡­


    References

 CH 46

    When Jiahui washed her clothes in the morning, she thought of this thing. The aunt towel in this era is a little hard to use. Jiahui didn¡¯t sleep well. She occasionally soiled the sheets. She changed the sheets just once a month. She didn¡¯t wash the sheets this month, so she felt something was wrong.


    ¡°Sister-in-law? What¡¯s wrong with you? ¡°


    Mei Xiang saw her sister-in-law in a daze as she passed by the well. She bent down and waved in front of Jiahui.


    ¡°Oh, nothing, I was thinking.¡±


    Jiahui¡¯s mind was a bit confused. The visit from her aunt was always accurate. There were indeed no accidents after delaying for a week. If she gets pregnant at the moment, it will affect her ability to pass the college entrance examination next year.


    She quietly calculated in her heart. When she was pregnant in September, it will be ripe in May of next year. She remembered that it was winter when the college entrance examinations resumed. At that time, the nine months were certainly done, and the child was half a year old. There will be no problems when taking the examination. That is, the ideological work of the family was estimated to be bigger than that of any child.


    Jiahui sighed. It¡¯s no use getting angry and anxious. Unlike in the future, when you can just look for a drugstore and buy a pregnancy test kit, you can detect if you are pregnant or not. People in rural areas usually judge pregnancy by experience. The barefoot doctors in the village can read the pulse of the woman with traditional Chinese medicine. Not to mention how strong the technology is, pregnancy can still come out, but the time is not shallow. At least wait for a month or so. If you want to get the results immediately, you can only go to the hospital for a urine test. Jiahui decides to wait, and what she secretly hopes for is a postponement (of her menstruation).


    Jiahui did not tell others about this matter, so half a month passed, Jia Hui came back from the warehouse at noon, the fish on the dining table made her suddenly have a surge of nausea. She forced herself to resist the feeling of vomiting. She picked up the rice bowl, and barely ate a few bites of vegetables.


    ¡°Mom, I have something I want to tell everyone.¡±


    The rice was just half-eaten when Zheng Yuefen put down her bowl and opened her mouth. Everyone looked over with questioning and surprised eyes. It was really rare to see her say something so serious.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    Zhang Qiaoer had a vague idea in her heart, vaguely remembering that one day a few years ago, her second daughter-in-law also said the same thing and had the same expression.


    Zheng Yuefen smiled down at her like a mimosa (a sensitive plant that closes its leaves when touched)) and said, ¡°Mom, I¡¯m pregnant again. I wasn¡¯t sure, but yesterday I went to the village to see Dr Wu, and he said I¡¯m pregnant for more than two months.¡±


    Zheng Yuefen is too happy. Since the birth of Shitou three years ago, her belly has not moved. Looking at the lives of other people¡¯s wives who were pregnant one by one, she became very envious.


    How nice it is to have a baby. It can not only consolidate her position in her mother-in-law¡¯s family but also receive a lot of preferential treatment from pregnancy to confinement. At least she can eat eggs every day and open a small stove from time to time. She still misses the sesame oil chicken soup. The mother-in-law made it for her last time she had a baby, and she could drool in her sleep at night dreaming about it.


    She was disappointed for a long time and thought that the birth of Shitou had fallen into some kind of problem, plus last year, Donghe and she had a cold war. For a while, they did not have a couple¡¯s life. This year, she collected the little nature, and it took some effort to cage her husband¡¯s heart back, who thought that she became pregnant soon after that, the baby really came at the right time.


    This news is like a stone, which makes the Zhao family¡¯s quiet life ripple. Zhao Manzhu and Zhang Qiaoer were happy. Zhao Donghe knows it in advance. There is no big surprise, but soon he will have another child. Meixiang is still happy. Although she has been an aunt three times, the new life itself is a pleasant thing. Even though her relationship with her second sister-in-law was not very harmonious, she naturally felt that it was a good thing because of the influence of the village¡¯s thinking of more children and more happiness since childhood.


    The only people in the family who think differently are Dong Jiahui and Zhao Donglin. Dong Jiahui is thinking, ¡°It can¡¯t be such a coincidence that Zheng Yuefen released the news of her pregnancy even before she was sure if she was really pregnant.¡± They even want them to get pregnant together. It¡¯s really a narrow road.


    The first time Zhao Donglin heard the news of his sister-in-law¡¯s pregnancy, he looked at his wife¡¯s belly. For the last year or so, he had been like a hard-working cattle, diligently cultivating the land. When they just got married, although he discussed with his wife not having children, for the time being, he didn¡¯t avoid it at all. Privately, in his heart, he really wanted her to be pregnant as soon as possible, especially when he saw how she treated Yingbao and Heidan. He believed that she must be the most gentle and kind mother.


    ¡°Really? That¡¯s great! ¡°


    Zhang Qiaoer smiled happily. God bless her. She looked forward to the stars, the moon and more blessings at home. Although she was not the eldest daughter-in-law she had been looking forward to, it would be good if the second daughter-in-law was pregnant. It¡¯s good if there¡¯s Shitou in the second family. It¡¯s better if there¡¯s a boy or a girl.


    ¡°Since you are pregnant, you should pay more attention. You don¡¯t have to stretch out your hands for the heavy work at home. I¡¯ll help you with the team. You should have experienced that when you were pregnant with Shitou. I won¡¯t say more, but if you have anything you crave to eat, you can talk to me directly. ¡°


    Jiahui couldn¡¯t help rolling her eyes. My mother-in-law said she didn¡¯t have to stretch out her hand to do heavy work. The key is that she didn¡¯t do anything except wash the clothes of the three of them. She didn¡¯t cook and didn¡¯t need her to feed chickens and pigs, let alone cut firewood and hoe grass. It¡¯s been comfortable enough for her.


    Zhang Qiaoer¡¯s words were supposed to be a showpiece, which meant happy encouragement. Even if ordinary people listened to it, they didn¡¯t know that Zheng Yuefen asked as soon as Zhang Qiaoer finished speaking.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know-why. I want to eat sour soup dumplings and my sister-in-law¡¯s pickled fish. Whenever I sleep at night, I can¡¯t help but drool. I don¡¯t want to eat this, but there is a baby in my belly and I really cannot help it. ¡°


    Dong Jiahui couldn¡¯t believe it. She didn¡¯t think there was anything behind it. This woman meant she wanted her to cook for her? The woman¡¯s words mean that she wants her to cook for her, not to mention that she was 80% pregnant. Even if she is not pregnant, it is impossible to cook for her. She¡¯s just pregnant, and she really wants to go to heaven!


    Zhang Qiaoer also choked. When her words just finished, the second family made a request. She sighed for her second daughter-in-law¡¯s small amount of temperament, but if she had to ask the first family for the second family, she couldn¡¯t do it.


    Thinking about it, Zhang Qiaoer glanced at Jiahui to see what the first family¡¯s meaning was.


    ¡°Sister-in-law, you¡¯re pregnant. Your sister-in-law is happy for you. It¡¯s good to have a good appetite. Many people don¡¯t have an appetite to eat when they¡¯re pregnant. However, you can¡¯t eat these things right away. Let¡¯s say pickled vegetables. It takes ten days and one and a half months to process it. If you really want to eat something sour, it¡¯s better to drink vinegar to relieve your cravings. ¡°


    Although Jiahui¡¯s words were considered nonchalant, Zhang Qiaoer did not expect her eldest daughter-in-law, who has always been good-tempered, to directly refuse. Seeing the anger of the second family, Zhang Qiaoer couldn¡¯t help but press her head.


    Aigoo, how can this day be? In the past, she could say a few words about the second family. Now she is a pregnant woman. She can¡¯t scold her. The oldest family is not a soft persimmon. How can she get it in the future?


    Zheng Yuefen is not stupid. How can she not hear that Jiahui sincerely doesn¡¯t want to do it? She flattened her mouth and wanted to argue. Zhao Donghe stretched out his hand and pulled the corner of her clothes under the table, which meant to stop her. It¡¯s just a bite of food. She doesn¡¯t have to let her sister-in-law do it. His wife wanted to speak against his sister-in-law. It will hit his brother¡¯s face, and his brother loves his wife very much.


    Rural men do rough and heavy work. They won¡¯t bother with the fine work. In their opinion, those are things that women do. Men do the rough work, but in this case, their big brother does not care about this concept. If his sister-in-law washed sheets, his big brother would help her drain them. If his sister-in-law was baking, his big brother would come and help knead the dough. Zhao Donghe himself is a man. He knows that men will only be like that if they really have this woman in their hearts.


    He respects his big brother, so naturally, he also respects his sister-in-law. It is more troublesome to annoy his sister-in-law than to annoy his eldest brother.


    This is what Zhao Donghe thought, but his wife obviously could not keep up with him.


    ¡°You are pulling me, for what? Since I¡¯m pregnant, it¡¯s not too much for me to want to eat something. Mom has said that I should say if I want to eat something. I will do it myself if I can do it myself. There¡¯s no need to beg others. ¡°


    She understood her husband¡¯s meaning, that is, to not have a conflict with Dong Jiahui. She only said that because she was her sister-in-law. In the face of her big brother, she doesn¡¯t always have trouble with her sister-in-law. If she wasn¡¯t sure before, she would shut up, but now there is a small one in her stomach. Can Dong Jiahui be more valuable than their own? (the child on her stomach)


    Zhao DongHe was angry and couldn¡¯t help but roll his eyes. He was really tired of speaking with his wife.


    Meixiang sees that her second sister-in-law has a bad temper and knows that she can¡¯t be kind today. She knows her sister-in-law. She looks good-natured, generous and gentle. In fact, she is a soft eater rather than a hard eater. If you treat her well, she will repay you ten or a hundred times. If you face her with a bad intention, she won¡¯t be a good match for you.


    Thinking of this, Meixiang decided to calm down and said, ¡°Sister-in-law, you can¡¯t do the two things you just said. If you want to eat sour soup noodles in the evening, I¡¯ll make them for you. I will roll the noodles by myself. It tastes good.


    The family has eaten it twice before, and Jiahui taught Mei Xiang how to cook it. They are sour and hot with pepper. Zheng Yuefen couldn¡¯t help salivating when she heard them.


    ¡°Good, Mei Xiang, you are still good. You know that your pregnant sister-in-law is distressed. Unlike some people, she looks so great that no one can move her. She doesn¡¯t even listen to her mother. ¡°


    Jiahui just pretended not to hear, Mei Xiang felt embarrassed, Zhao Donglin and his mother did have not much expression, Zhao Manzhu ate fast, and have sat aside to smoke cigarettes.


    After a meal, Jiahui was disgusted and upset. At noon, she didn¡¯t wash the dishes. She went back to the house and laid down. Zhao Donglin came in and saw her sit down at the edge of the bed. He patted her on the back and coaxed her like a child, ¡°Unhappy? My sister-in-law is like this. She has to fight for everything. She¡¯s pregnant now. Don¡¯t argue with her in front of everyone. On the contrary, it would seem like you can¡¯t tolerate others. If she hasn¡¯t stopped coming to you, then tell me. I¡¯ll go to Donghe and let him take care of it. It¡¯s better than doing it yourself. ¡°


    Dong Jiahui snorted and thought she wasn¡¯t upset about that mentally disabled woman. She didn¡¯t deserve to be taken out and slip away by herself.


    ¡°When she¡¯s pregnant, do I have to let her be? Why? If she doesn¡¯t bother me, how can I go up against her?


    Even in the past, she originally did not like to bother with those kinds of people. The more you care about this kind of person with brain problems, the more she will come, but there is a saying, don¡¯t talk to a fool about the lengths, it will seem that you have become brain-dead. But now she¡¯s upset and doesn¡¯t want to bear it. She deserves to be angry at someone.


    Before Jiahui was not too enthusiastic about the pregnancy, but after Zheng Yuefen¡¯s trouble, she didn¡¯t resist so much. Maybe it¡¯s the mentality that she has to have what they have.


    It doesn¡¯t matter if she was really not pregnant. But if she really is pregnant, see if you can¡¯t be disgusted with her.


    ¡°Well, don¡¯t be angry. You don¡¯t have to accommodate her¡­ Then do whatever you want, just don¡¯t do it first. ¡°


    Jiahui laughed. She turned and glanced at him, ¡°You won¡¯t care about your brother?¡± She¡¯s pregnant with your brother¡¯s son. ¡°


    Zhao Donglin laughed and pinched her chin, scraping her cheek with his fingertips, and said with a smile, ¡°The wicked have their own wicked grinding. It¡¯s not good to be tolerant.¡±


    [1]


    ¡°That¡¯s right, she has that kind of nature. Someone just has to cure her and teach her to behave properly.


    Zhao Donglin smiled and shook his head. He knows Jiahui¡¯s nature. She will not really clash with her sister-in-law. At most, her words were merciless. Who made her his own wife? His heart must be biased, but he couldn¡¯t see her wronged.


    In the kitchen, Meixiang was washing dishes when Zhang Qiaoer came in and said to his daughter, ¡°You work harder later. Just wait until your second sister-in-law gives birth to the child. ¡°


    Meixiang¡¯s heart was tired. What a good family. Her family is good-natured and has a good day. This second sister-in-law often causes trouble. She really should say that a grain of mouse dropping spoils a pot of porridge.


    ¡°Hey, my second sister-in-law is really She doesn¡¯t stop all day. It¡¯s sour soup dumplings and pickled vegetable fish. We¡¯re not city people. We can eat it several times a year. She wants to eat it all at once. ¡±


    In fact, the raw materials do not cost much money. Fish can be found in the river on the line, but the fish that can be sliced into fillets can¡¯t be small, at least not more than five kilograms. It¡¯s a little troublesome to fish for this kind of big fish.


    As for the dumplings, they can buy some meat and then it can be wrapped, but both of them take a long time to make. She has to knead the dough, wrap dumplings, slice fish. If you do it will take half a day, there are so many jobs to do outside the home, no one is idle, which can spend half a day just to make food. Her second sister-in-law said she wanted to eat but she just want to embarrass her eldest sister-in-law.


    Meixiang is close to her sister-in-law. She naturally follows Jiahui a lot. Zhang Qiaoer heard her daughter complain about her second daughter-in-law and didn¡¯t say anything. Her second daughter-in-law was not good, but now her belly was pregnant with their grandchild. There were only three grandchildren in the Zhao family, which is still fewer than others. Although being pregnant and giving birth to children in rural areas is not more expensive than in urban areas, right now in the Zhao family, a pregnant wife is valuable.


    In the evening, Zheng Yuefen finally ate noodles in a sour soup and rolled white noodles by hand. Meixiang only cooked a small pot. White noodles are valuable and can¡¯t be eaten by the whole family. Therefore, Zheng Yuefen¡¯s share is only for her.


    Zheng Yuefen added a large spoonful of chilli sauce to the soup and ate two large bowls of soup beautifully; not even a drop was born, and she sighed with satisfaction after eating and holding her stomach.


    Zhang Qiaoer noticed that the second family could eat a lot, and the food was sour and spicy. It was not easy to judge whether it was a boy or a girl.


    As the old saying goes, sour children and hot women are sometimes inaccurate, but we always take this as the standard to satisfy our curiosity in advance. For the second family, because they already have Shitou, there is nothing to say about her second daughter-in-law giving birth to boys or girls.


    As the old saying goes, ¡°If a woman likes to eat sour during pregnancy, she will have a boy; if she likes to eat spicy foods, she will have a girl ¡°, although sometimes it is not very accurate, people will always use it as a standard to satisfy their curiosity in advance, in the case of the Second family, because there is already Shitou, the second child born male or female is not much to say.


    Jiahui had no appetite. Finally, she was caught by the sour and spicy taste in Zheng Yuefen¡¯s bowl. She didn¡¯t want people to see that she was greedy, so she had to try her best not to look at Zheng Yuefen.


    She decided to go to the hospital tomorrow. If she is pregnant, she will make a pot of sour noodle soup when she comes back!


    References

 CH 47.1

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you go to town with me tomorrow?¡±


    Of course, the town¡¯s hospital was not called a hospital. It¡¯s called a health centre, with a simple configuration, but a pregnancy test was still a problem.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Zhao Donglin first answered, and then asked, ¡°Where are you going? The supply and marketing agency? ¡°


    Jiahui¡¯s life is simple. Usually, except for going back to her mother¡¯s house, she would go to the supply and marketing agency to buy some things for needlework and household goods. After all, there is no other store in town except for the supply and marketing agency. She can buy all the food there.


    Jiahui shook her head and said, ¡°No, I want to go to the health center.¡±


    Zhao Donglin frowned, with an imperceptible tension in his voice, ¡°To the health center? What¡¯s wrong? Why are you not feeling well? ¡°


    This was the first time she saw Zhao Donglin¡¯s nervous look. She suddenly had the desire to tease him, so she took Zhao Donglin¡¯s arm. Leaning her head on his shoulder, her lips were pouting slightly. Her tone was naive with a hint of sorrow, ¡°I have something I want to tell you. Don¡¯t be nervous when you hear it.¡±


    She didn¡¯t say she was okay, so Zhao Donglin was really feeling nervous.


    My aunt hasn¡¯t come for more than half a month. I want to check it out.


    Zhao Donglin was full of fog. At first, he really didn¡¯t understand Jiahui¡¯s meaning. First of all, women in this era rarely use the term ¡°aunt¡± to describe menstruation. He just felt that the word was a little familiar.


    It soon occurred to him that there are always days in a month when Jiahui won¡¯t let herself touch her, saying that it¡¯s inconvenient when her aunt comes.


    Although Zhao Donglin already has two children, he did not participate in Wang Mei¡¯s previous pregnancy and childbirth process, so his knowledge of female physiology is very lacking. He didn¡¯t react for a few seconds before relying on the military-like keen intuition associated with pregnancy.


    ¡°Are you¡­¡­?¡±


    Pregnant?


    Dong Jiahui saw that he was so excited that he couldn¡¯t even speak. His expression changed from calm to unbelievable joy. It changed fast enough to catch up with the face change of the Sichuan Opera.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, so I want to check it. I have no experience, and it¡¯s hard to ask my mother. If I¡¯m not pregnant, my mother will be disappointed. ¡°


    Mother-in-law¡¯s disappointment is a small thing, but her own disgrace was a big thing.


    Zhao Donglin hugged Jiahui tightly with excitement and couldn¡¯t help but kiss the top of her hair. ¡°No, I have a hunch that you must be pregnant.¡±


    He was happy, very happy. Even though he and Jiahui had agreed not to have a child for a few years after the marriage, he had actually changed his mind a year ago, and every time he saw her and Yingbao and Heidan together in harmony, he wanted to have a child of his own with Jiahui.


    She was beautiful, attentive and gentle and would definitely be the best mother in the world.


    After mentioning it to her husband, Jiahui couldn¡¯t resist the urge to pamper herself. She sighed and said, ¡°I had no appetite today in particular, and in the evening I smelled the sour soup noodles that Zheng Yuefen ate, which were sour and spicy, and suddenly I was particularly greedy and wanted to eat them.¡±


    Women were good at using their weaknesses to win men¡¯s sympathy. In this family, others are very good, but as long as Zheng Yuefen is there, she will always find herself unhappy. Jiahui quietly gives him some eye medicine from time to time. Zhao Donglin has to let Zhao Donglin know what life his wife is living.


    Jiahui¡¯s eye medicine really is not in vain. Anyway, Zhao Donglin was very distressed. He blames himself for not caring for his wife. He didn¡¯t know that she was pregnant, and he didn¡¯t even know what she wanted to eat.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go to the kitchen to do it for you.¡±


    It¡¯s natural for his wife to want to eat. It¡¯s no wonder she¡¯s unhappy today. She was so angry that she didn¡¯t even want to say that she wanted to eat sour noodle soup.


    With that, he was about to go out, but Jiahui quickly grabbed him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t know how late it is? It¡¯s dark. If I wait for you to knead the dough, you will finish it in the middle of the night. ¡°


    But seeing him like this, Jiahui felt sweet in her heart.


    ¡°I appreciate your feelings. I hope you will be good to me in the future.¡±


    ¡°Of course, I will be good to you. Who else can I be good to if I¡¯m not good to you?¡±


    ¡°The man¡¯s mouth deceives the ghost. I do not believe you.¡±


    Zhao Donglin held Jiahui¡¯s hand on his heart. Under his palm was the sound of his thumping heartbeat.


    ¡°What I said was all sincere. I¡¯ll be good to you all my life. If I¡¯m not good to you, let the heavens beat¡­


    Jia Hui covered his mouth.


    What are you talking about? Just promise me that you will listen to me in the future. You should do whatever I ask you to do. You must support me unconditionally in what I want to do. ¡°


    Zhao Donglin suddenly thought of what she mentioned half a month ago about going to university. But on second thought, even if the college entrance examinations resume, she may not be able to take the exam. On the other hand, if she is really pregnant, she will not be able to let go of her child and will no longer have the mental capacity to take the exam.


    So, thinking of this, he readily agreed.


    Jiahui had a good night¡¯s sleep, although it was not yet confirmed that she was pregnant, but Zhao Donglin has taken action to hold her to the top of the head and is careful in what he does.


    A new day is another day for Zheng Yuefen to court disaster. She said she wanted to eat leek cakes early in the morning. Meixiang still made them for her.


    ¡°Meixiang, you can¡¯t always do this. I opened a small stove for her every day. You have to prepare two kinds of meals. Besides, even if you are pregnant, you can¡¯t do anything. Next time you let her do what she wanted to eat. ¡°


    Meixiang was also helpless. She is only nineteen years old this year. According to the reason, she was also a young girl. She is just the child of rural people. She takes charge of the family¡¯s meal early in the morning. She cooks, washes clothes, and takes her nephew to do farm work. She doesn¡¯t do less.


    But what can be done? Her mother often says that everything is prospering at home. For the sake of peace at home, someone must suffer some losses.


    But when her sister-in-law said this to her, in her heart, she was also grateful to Jiahui. At least her sister-in-law knew her own difficulties. Unlike her second sister-in-law, no matter what she had done to her, she never said any good words to her.


    Sister-in-law, I know you are concerned about me, but the second sister-in-law is already bad-natured, and now she is pregnant. To put it in a bad way, although I am sometimes quite annoyed with her, I don¡¯t look at the monk¡¯s face or the Buddha¡¯s face. I have to look at the face of my second brother and the children in his belly. They will call me their aunt in the future. ¡°


    Her second sister-in-law said that the child in the belly wants to eat it, but who does not know that she wants to eat it because of her own cravings? So what can be done? Can you ask the stomach?


    Jiahui also said a few words, and then stopped talking. In the final analysis, everyone¡¯s choice of how to do things and how to live in their own choice. No matter how much others say, it¡¯s useless.


    After breakfast, Jiahui goes to the warehouse first. Zhao Donglin also wants to go to the village and take her back later.


    The clinic is a cement building with grey walls. It must be small compared with the hospital scale of more than ten floors and several buildings in later generations. It is already a good house in this era.


    Jiahui hasn¡¯t been to the health center in the town, but she has a lot of experience of going to the hospital in later generations. She first went to the registration office to ask if registration was needed, so she saved herself the trouble of running back and forth.


    In obstetrics and gynaecology, a female doctor was on duty. She asked about Jiahui, wrote a few lines on the medical record, took a glass tube and asked her to have a urine test.


    ¡°Doctor, please tell me how long this result will take.¡±


    The doctor noticed that Zhao Donglin was a male comrade who looked spiritual and righteous. It¡¯s not normal to see their men accompany their wives, but he accompanied his wife to the health center. Because of that, she had a good impression of him.


    That¡¯s your wife, right? Look at you. You are so nervous. This is very fast, at most ten or so minutes, you just sit and wait. ¡°


    Zhao Donglin sat on the wooden bench, feeling a little tormented.

 CH 47.2

    In the past, in the army, Zhao Donglin could wait for more than ten hours, even days and nights, when completing a task, but now, in just ten minutes, his emotions were on the verge of collapse at any time.


    When Jiahui came out of the toilet, the two of them held hands and sat on the lounge chair, waiting for the window to call out the name ¡°Dong Jiahui.¡± Zhao Donglin hurriedly got up to get back a lab slip.


    He read it as he walked, but he knew every word on the sheet separately, but not together, and he didn¡¯t understand that ¡°positive¡± meant pregnant.


    ¡°Congratulations, you¡¯re pregnant.¡±


    Jiahui was inexplicably relieved, and Zhao Donglin smiled foolishly.


    The urine test just confirmed her pregnancy, but it can¡¯t be seen how long she was pregnant. B-ultrasound has not been introduced in China in this era. The doctor asked Jiahui about her menstruation and gave her an approximate time of pregnancy and the expected date of delivery.


    ¡°Doctor, is there anything else I should pay attention to?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t do heavy work. Just add some nutrition appropriately. If you have stomachaches or bleeding, come to the hospital. On the other hand, avoid sex. Just pay attention to yourself. There are no women in our countryside who don¡¯t have children. Don¡¯t worry about this comrade. ¡°


    Jiahui smiled and said thank you to the doctor. She dragged Zhao Donglin away. Zhao Donglin supported Jiahui on the way. He was afraid that she would fall. Jiahui was moved and, at the same time, felt it was funny.


    ¡°I just got pregnant. I don¡¯t need you to do that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just too excited.¡±


    Jiahui wanted to tease him. He already had two children and he could still be excited about what? She did not say the words on the tip of her tongue. She felt it was not quite appropriate.


    ¡°What do you want to eat? Why don¡¯t we eat at the restaurant today? ¡°


    The town also has a long-established state restaurant, where the dishes are not very rich, but the normal meals are still supplied.


    ¡°No, let¡¯s go back and eat. It costs money to eat outside, and the taste is not necessarily as good as the ones at home.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s not as good as your creation, then I¡¯ll buy you whatever you want to eat.


    Jiahui laughed, ¡°Now that there are two pregnant women at home, I have to take Zheng Yuefen¡¯s share of everything. She eats more than me. ¡°


    Zhao Donglin held Jiahui¡¯s hand and did not say anything. He didn¡¯t like or dislike his sister-in-law before, but after Jiahui married, his sister-in-law really often made trouble with Jiahui, even before. Anyway, Jiahui didn¡¯t suffer, but now Jiahui is pregnant. As a husband, he must love his own wife.


    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll buy some lo-mei and put it in the house, and save it for you to eat when you¡¯re hungry.


    Jia Hui nodded, this is already a great improvement for Zhao Donglin.


    When he went back, Zhao Donglin weighed some dim sum, lo-mei, and bought some meat. When he passed by the dried meat, Jia Hui wouldn¡¯t let him buy more, so he bought two pounds.


    Buying meat in the town requires meat tickets and money. It cost him his own money. It¡¯s not cost-effective. The food at home should be paid for by work.


    ¡°I¡¯m pregnant now. We have to save money. There will be many places for children to spend money in the future. If we can save one point, it¡¯s one point. ¡°


    The money she saved there has to be used to raise children and let them go to school. It¡¯s not worth spending on herself.


    ¡°You now have the consciousness of being a mother.¡±


    ¡°Of course, we have to plan for the child. Next year, Heidan will also go to elementary school. We have to make the days better and better.


    Zhao Donglin held Jiahui¡¯s hand. His heart was unprecedentedly solid. Just like she said, the two of them have to live better and better.


    ¡°Yo, why did you buy so many things today?¡±


    Zhao Donglin took the meat to the kitchen, took a snack and gave it to Yingbao. Heidan and Shitou were not home, so the rest were taken to their room.


    ¡°Jiahui went to the health clinic for a checkup. The doctor said she was pregnant. She was not in a good mood, so I weighed some meat.¡±


    ¡°What? Is Jiahui pregnant too? ¡°


    Good things come in pairs! No wonder the swallows have made their home under her roof this year.


    ¡°Well, Jiahui is inexperienced and went to the hospital to check.¡±


    ¡°Aigoooo, my goodness, I¡¯ve been hoping for this for a long time, but I finally got it.¡±


    At the moment, Zheng Yuefen and her husband are not at home. Meixiang is also happy with Yingbao. This happiness comes from her heart. It is completely different from what she felt for her second sister-in-law, who said she was pregnant yesterday. But in addition to being happy, she has some doubts. They said that their sister-in-law couldn¡¯t have a baby, so why is she pregnant?


    ¡°Jiahui, how are you feeling? Are you uncomfortable anywhere? Tell mom what you want to eat. ¡°


    ¡°Mom, I¡¯m fine, but yesterday when Yuefen ate noodles in sour soup, I suddenly had a craving, but I smelled the fish and was a little nauseous.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re having a reaction.¡±


    ¡°Tell me, why didn¡¯t you say that you wanted to eat it yesterday? If you want, let Meixiang do it with you. Why bear it? ¡°


    ¡°Back then, I did not know whether I was pregnant or not.¡±


    Zhang Qiaoer does not know what to say. She really doesn¡¯t know how to raise her daughter-in-law. She is transparent in major affairs and is sensible and polite, but she really doesn¡¯t know anything about this woman¡¯s affairs. What can she do? She has to go through more trouble to be a mother-in-law.


    ¡°Then at noon, you will make sour soup noodles. Did you buy meat back? Add some sliced meat to it. It will be certainly more fragrant than yesterday¡¯s food.


    Jiahui smiled and nodded, ¡°En, thanks, mom. I¡¯m drooling a bit now.¡±


    ¡°Then you rest. I¡¯ll let Mei Xiang do it now.¡±


    Without waiting for her mother to say anything, Meixiang put Yingbao down and went back to the house to cook.


    Yingbao was still young and didn¡¯t know much about what it meant to be pregnant, only that her family was in a good mood and her parents had brought her good food.


    Jiahui took Yingbao and let her cling to her, stroking her head and asking, ¡°Is it good?¡±


    Yingbao nodded, her watery eyes glistening, and a smile became two curved crescent moons.


    ¡°If it¡¯s good, eat more. Let Grandma put it up for you in this little bag. Ask Grandma to get it when you want to eat.


    Zhang Qiaoer came over and said, ¡°You can¡¯t hold a child in the future because of your special situation. Also, don¡¯t hold a newborn child when you see someone else out the door. People say that if you hold someone else¡¯s baby, you will have diarrhea.


    Jiahui heard this for the first time.


    ¡°Really? I can have diarrhea as soon as I hold other people¡¯s children?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t believe it? It¡¯s best to listen to Mom. ¡°


    ¡°Yes, I will listen to mom.¡±


    She wouldn¡¯t take the initiative to hug someone else¡¯s baby anyway; her own baby hasn¡¯t been hugged enough yet.


    Zhang Qiaoer was comforted to see that her daughter-in-law was so clever and sensible. In fact, the elderly like to listen to the younger generation. When they meet that type of person, they must be whispering in their hearts and saying that they can match you with ten or eight sentences.


    Meixiang was making the noodles, Zhang Qiaoer was cooking, and Jiahui was helping to choose dishes. At 11:00, Zheng Yuefen came back. She is now a pregnant woman. The team takes care of her. She doesn¡¯t have to go down to the field. Just help her. Zheng Yuefen peels flowers and eats in the field in the morning. Some people in the team are already dissatisfied.


    ¡°She¡¯s pregnant. Her mother-in-law made a point of greeting the captain in the morning.¡±


    ¡°Tch. who hasn¡¯t been pregnant yet, and others haven¡¯t seen a delicate person like that. I carried underwater seedlings when I was pregnant with Dongzi. ¡°


    ¡°You haven¡¯t heard people say that they had a meal of sour soup noodles yesterday and leek cakes this morning. She married well. You can¡¯t compare with her. ¡°


    ¡°It¡¯s because of her elder brother¡¯s glory. But her sister-in-law is still a childless one. ¡°


    She had taken all the advantages.


    Zheng Yuefen came back and smelled the fragrance of the sour noodles and the smell of meat in the air. She was happy. She had not expected to eat sour noodles yesterday, and today they made it again. The mother-in-law also deliberately weighed the meat back; it can be seen that her stomach was very important.


    ¡°Mom, you made me noodles in sour soup again today?¡±


    Meixiang looked at her mother. There was not much white flour at home. It was only enough for one person to eat. She only made her eldest sister-in-law¡¯s food. There must be no need for her second sister-in-law to eat. Unless her sister-in-law could have the rest. But it would not be enough for her eldest sister-in-law. Yesterday, her sister-in-law ate two bowls of soup.


    ¡°This is for your sister-in-law¡¯s. She is also pregnant. Your elder brother weighed the meat back. Later you eat a few more pieces of meat.¡±


    Zheng Yuefen¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief, ¡°Dong Jiahui is pregnant!¡±


    She said she was pregnant yesterday, and today Dong Jiahui is also pregnant. Wasn¡¯t this just Jiahui looking for a fight?

 CH 48

    Zheng Yuefen was really angry. She thought Dong Jiahui was deliberately making things difficult for her.


    The day before, she said she was pregnant, Dong Jiahui followed the next day, eating the same sour noodles she ate last night, she did not believe that Dong Jiahui was not intentionally doing this!


    What¡¯s even more irritating is that Dong Jiahui¡¯s pregnancy was so good that she couldn¡¯t even get a bite to eat.


    In anger, people¡¯s IQ and EQ plummeted, and they would do a lot of irrational things. Zheng Yuefen thought of how her mother-in-law¡¯s bias was in her heart. Without closing the door, she directly said what she thought in her heart.


    ¡°Mom, you can not be so biased towards your sister-in-law. I am also pregnant. How can I not take my share? How come we are your daughters-in-law but you treat us so differently? ¡°


    Last night, she didn¡¯t enjoy the two bowls at all, and the better things she ate, the better. Anyway, Zheng Yuefen¡¯s appetite has been raised in recent years since she married the Zhao family. She occasionally went back to her mother¡¯s house, and she despised the food of her mother¡¯s house.


    Zheng Yuefen did not realize that this statement to her Mother-in-law Zhang Qiao¡¯er, is tantamount to heartbreak.


    Zhang Qiaoer didn¡¯t expect it, but after a meal of noodles, the second family even pulled out the ¡°she was biased¡± words. Heaven and earth had a conscience. They took their heart and lungs out of the second family and thought of them all. On the topic of being biased, she was also biased toward the second family.


    Besides, she didn¡¯t mean to not do it for her today, but there was no white flour at home. She was too happy that the eldest family member was pregnant. She was distressed that the eldest family didn¡¯t eat it last night. That¡¯s why Meixiang did it for the eldest family.


    ¡°Yuefen, you have to speak with a conscience. When have I, your mother-in-law, ever withheld your food? Today¡¯s noodles, because we don¡¯t have any noodles left and you ate a meal last night, I didn¡¯t prepare your meal. In addition, your brother came back from the town and bought meat. There is meat to eat. Do you still make trouble? ¡°


    Ask around the village, who can eat the same food as their own family? Once or twice a month, they can eat meat, the other family could only have a share of meat in the New Year and festivals.


    Zheng Yuefen came to her senses and knew that she had said something wrong, but she was a stubborn person who did not want to admit it even if she was wrong. She was about to go back to her house as if nothing had happened when Zhao Donghe came back from the field, and Zhao Manzhu was carrying a bamboo basket full of grass, followed by two young grandchildren holding reed sticks.


    As soon as Zhao Donghe entered the courtyard, he felt that the atmosphere was not right, so he walked to the well and washed his hands while asking, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Zhao Manzhu also put down the bamboo basket and looked over.


    Zhang Qiaoer¡¯s anger had not subsided. She looked at Zheng Yuefen¡¯s unrepentant look, she turned her head and said to her Second son. ¡°Donghe, your wife has become more and more disrespectful now. Today, she competes with me for a bowl of sour noodle soup and said I¡¯m unfair. I want to ask, what¡¯s fair? Was it that the whole family was not close to her? Or what? She has been in our family for years, I, as a mother-in-law, have not enjoyed any of her blessings. I¡¯m not a person inside or outside.¡±


    Zhao Donghe listened to her mother, and he was puzzled. Although he didn¡¯t know what Zheng Yuefen had done again, she could make his mother, who originally had a good temper, angry. Obviously, it was not a small matter.


    Zhao Donghe took a look at Zheng Yuefen, and the back teeth tightened up.


    ¡°Mom, don¡¯t be angry. It¡¯s worthless to be angry. I just came back and don¡¯t know what happened.¡±


    Zhang Qiaoer was too lazy to speak, and she shouted to the girl who was rolling noodles in the kitchen.


    ¡°Meixiang, come on, tell your second brother again.¡±


    When she heard that Jiahui was pregnant, Zhao Donghe and Zhao Manzhu were both surprised. After all, everyone thought Jiahui couldn¡¯t have children, and Zhao Donglin only told Zhang Qiaoer about it, so the rest of the family didn¡¯t know.


    When Meixiang said these, Zheng Yuefen wanted to cut Meixiang¡¯s words and wanted to open her mouth to defend herself, but Zhao Donghe chided to stop her mouth.


    ¡°Mom, this is her fault. Zheng Yuefen, what¡¯s the matter with you? Come here and apologize to Mom. ¡°


    Zhao Donglin was originally in the room with Jiahui, from the time Zheng Yuefen came back and started to yell, he had heard it and had been standing by the window with a frown.


    In his perception, men should not conflict with women. He can¡¯t quarrel with a woman. Therefore, he disdains arguing even if the other party is unreasonable.


    But now, things have not eased because of their own concessions and their wife¡¯s concessions, but they are getting worse and worse, which makes Zhao Donglin dissatisfied.


    In the courtyard, Zhao Donghe let Zheng Yuefen apologize. Zheng Yuefen¡¯s face was red. She stubborn head was not moving, Zhao Donghe was angry want to hit someone. He was afraid that she was a pregnant woman and couldn¡¯t do it.


    Zhang Qiaoer became angrier when she saw Zheng Yuefen. She said those kinds of disgraceful words and refused to soften. It was hopeless.


    ¡°Tch, I can see clearly that some people¡¯s consciences have been gnawed by dogs. No matter how much others do, they will be blamed. Today, for your sake of pregnancy, I don¡¯t care about you. Can you take care of yourself in the future? ¡°


    After saying that, Zhang Qiaoer went back to the house. She was really angry and flustered.


    Zheng Yuefen was not nervous after listening to her mother-in-law¡¯s words; instead, she was secretly proud. She knew for a long time that as long as she had children in her stomach, others would not treat her badly. Her mother-in-law was angry today and would be fine in two days.


    Zhao Donglin shook his head, thinking of last night¡¯s when his wife could tolerate her cravings. This sister-in-law seemed too domineering.


    He walked out with his hands in his pockets and stood to the side of his second brother.


    Donghe, it¡¯s not a good thing for the family to be so noisy all day. No matter what dissatisfaction sister-in-law has in mind, she should have the least respect for her parents. In addition, if sister-in-law has a problem with the food at home, it¡¯s better to build another stove and cook what she wants to eat. I¡¯ll do my mother¡¯s work. In the future, your rations and income will be distributed to you. There should be no more complaints. ¡°


    Zhao Donghe was shocked to hear this, this is the first time his brother said such heavy words to him. Strictly speaking, there is no difference between dividing stoves and families.


    Zheng Yuefen was also shocked. Donglin intended to give them their own rations and income, but the two of them did not have much income from the rations. At least it was nothing compared with their big brother¡¯s salary of 65 yuan a month.


    Zhao Donglin¡¯s salary increased by three yuan a year later. Now it¡¯s 65 yuan a month. Last year, the whole family earned only about 200 yuan after working for a whole year!


    ¡°Brother, don¡¯t be angry. She just doesn¡¯t have a good brain. She¡¯ll know she¡¯s wrong.¡±


    With that, Zhao Donghe stared at Zheng Yuefen, his eyes full of seriousness and warning.


    ¡°Zheng Yuefen, you see, you¡¯re free all day. You¡¯ve made a mess at home and made your mom and brother angry. Apologize quickly. ¡°


    Zheng Yuefen then came to his senses and knew that the eldest brother was really angry. If they were really separated, it would not be good for them. She¡¯s worried about eating because she still has a child in her stomach, there are more mouths to feed, and there¡¯s an extra expense.


    ¡°Brother, it¡¯s my fault. I shouldn¡¯t care about two bites of food. It¡¯s a blessing that my sister-in-law is pregnant. I also feel happy for her.


    Zhao Donglin is a man. It¡¯s just that he talks hard with his brother. It¡¯s really hard to have a quarrel with his sister-in-law. He glanced at Zheng Yuefen and hoped that she would really know her mistakes and stop. The words he said before was not just decorations.


    Zhao Donglin has heard many examples of discord between brothers. When he was young, there was nothing. Especially after they got married, there would be all kinds of contradictions.


    In the past, he thought he and Donghe would never go down that road of disagreement, in this life he only has Donghe as his brother, he has lived well cannot see Donghe live badly, but now, he has doubts.


    Zhao Donghe pulled Zheng Yuefen back into the house, closed the door, and then fiercely threw off Zheng Yuefen¡¯s arm.


    ¡°What are you doing, didn¡¯t I tell you to stop? What good will it do you if you make mother and brother unhappy? You¡¯re lazy, can make yourself have a good life?¡±


    Zhao Donghe was not stupid, on the contrary, he is a very smart man.


    In the village, half of the brothers in the family had separated, especially those who got married and had children, and very few of them ate from the same pot.


    Up to now, his brother also handed over the money to his mother. In fact, most of the family¡¯s expenses were taken out of the salary of his elder brother. He was a brother who took advantage of his big brother.


    Zhao Donghe has this self-awareness, but Zheng Yuefen didn¡¯t. Not only didn¡¯t she know how to be grateful, but she also caused trouble often, It¡¯s just a bowl of sour noodle soup. If there were any at home, would they argue with her? Meixiang said that there are no white noodles, not to mention braised meat. She yelled that it wasn¡¯t fair. Who would look unsightly?


    ¡°Zheng Yufen, I¡¯m really disappointed in you. Don¡¯t think I can¡¯t do anything to you when you are pregnant. I¡¯ll warn you again one last time. If you make trouble again, you¡¯ll go straight back to your mother¡¯s house. I¡¯d like to ask the Zheng family, how they teach their daughters.¡±


    He said all the good and bad things. This time, if she does not know how to repent, she¡¯s absolutely finished.


    In the east wing, Zhao Donglin entered the room and saw his wife smiling at him.


    What¡¯s wrong? Why are you so happy? ¡°


    Jiahui gave a thumbs up and said, ¡°You had a strong aura just now. You¡¯re extremely handsome.¡±


    This was the first time she saw Zhao Donglin act like this. Although he looks cold on the outside, he is actually an extremely soft-hearted person, also very tolerant. If others make some small mistakes, he never bothered with it, but today, he said such serious words, it can be seen that he was really angry.


    She admitted that seeing Zheng Yuefen defeated, her mood improved.


    For more than a year, she never bothered with herself and adhered to the style of being kind to others. It is not that she had a soft nature, but a careful opportunity to deal with people.


    If you quarrel with her every time about a small matter, you will become unkind and mean person in the eyes of others, which is bad for her image. If you tolerate a little, you will not only avoid losses but also get a good reputation and make her mother-in-law and husband love her more. So, why not do it?


    She is not a virgin and has never regarded Zheng Yuefen as a relative. Shanghe village is just a post station in her life. No matter what opportunity she has in the future, she must leave here.


    The world is so big, there are so many opportunities. She would only tire herself if she had to compete with a sister-in-law who was brain-dead all day.


    The more Zheng Yuefen acts like a demon, the more she appears to be aggrieved, and the family will naturally favour her side.


    Of course, Jiahui was not so narcissistic that she thought she was more important. This time, if she had not happened to be pregnant, there really was not much chance of winning. However, in any case, people should not worry too much about the gains and losses in every moment of their lives. They have to focus on the overall situation, and only then will they be able to laugh at the end.


    After Mei Xiang finished cooking the sour noodle soup, she brought it to Jiahui¡¯s room, and she also brought a small bowl of roasted pork.


    ¡°Sister-in-law, I¡¯ve made the noodles, you eat first, today¡¯s meal is a little late, Mom is afraid that you are hungry, so she let me send it over to you first.¡±


    Jiahui¡¯s heart felt warm. In this family, the most kind-hearted and most simple was this little sister of hers.


    ¡°Meixiang, it¡¯s really hard for you, today is an exception, tomorrow I will still cook with you.¡±


    Meixiang puffed and laughed, ¡°It¡¯s all right, sister-in-law. Our life is good enough, but it¡¯s just cooking. I¡¯m not Miss Qianjin. How can I be so golden? ¡°


    Jiahui took Meixiang¡¯s hand and sighed from the bottom of her heart, ¡°Meixiang, you are a very good girl, I think the average boys were really not good enough for you, you wait a little longer, let your brother find you a good one later.¡±


    The best way out for Mei Xiang was to go to college. She is smart and serious, and as long as she gets into college, she will have a bright and shining life in the future, much better than wasting her years in a tiring family.


    ¡°Aiya, sister-in-law, why did you suddenly say this? letting me feel strange and embarrassed. ¡°


    The young girl has a tender face. No matter who mentions her affairs, she will always be uncomfortable for a while.


    Jiahui only ate half a bowl of sour noodles soup, and she didn¡¯t move the meat much. Finally, she threw all the rest to Zhao Donglin.


    ¡°Do you think Zheng Yuefen can learn from her mistake this time? What if she gets sick again? ¡°


    Jia Hui propped her head up and watched Zhao Donglin eat. He ate quickly but not rudely. It was a habit that he developed in the army.


    Jiahui mentioned this is to give Zhao Donglin a precautionary shot. For people like Zheng Yuefen, who never wanted to see others do better than her. Today, she was suppressed down, she would be quiet for a few days, and then she would repeat the same mistake again. Unfortunately, Jiahui will definitely get better and better. She cannot do anything about the imbalance in Zheng Yuefen¡¯s heart.


    Zhao Donglin wiped his mouth after drinking noodle soup in three bites. In fact, he doesn¡¯t like this sour food. It¡¯s only when steamed bread and pickles are eaten alongside it that he likes it, but he is a person who has experienced hard times. He knows the value of food, so he is never picky about food. Even if he doesn¡¯t like it, he won¡¯t waste it.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the words have come out of my mouth, and the next time, she will not be lightly forgiven.¡±


    This was also one last chance he gave to Donghe. A man can respect his wife, but he must not indulge without principle. Once indulged, there will be a chaotic scene in their home.


    Zhao Donghe warned Zheng Yuefen a few sentences and then went out of the house, he was in a bad mood at the moment and did not want to stay with Zheng Yuefen.


    Zheng Yuefen was alone in the house gritting her teeth. Just like how Jiahui guessed, Zheng Yuefen had no remorse at all, but she was temporarily bowing under the pressure of Zhao Donglin¡¯s separated stove remarks.


    ¡°Unexpectedly, she was also pregnant. I simply took the back luck.¡±


    Thinking about it, Zheng Yuefen paused. No wonder she always felt it was wrong. It¡¯s not that Dong Jiahui couldn¡¯t have a baby, but why was she suddenly pregnant?


    She didn¡¯t doubt that Jiahui¡¯s pregnancy was false news, but she had a heart of gossip. A divorced woman who couldn¡¯t give birth suddenly became pregnant, which itself is worth exploring.

 CH 49

    This day, at noon, the atmosphere at the Zhao family¡¯s dinner table was slightly awkward. Jiahui had eaten in advance and did not come to the table. Zhang Qiaoer said she had a headache, so she also did not come out. As if unaffected by the happenings, the source of conflict, Zheng Yuefen, not only ate a large bowl of rice, but she also ate a dozen pieces of meat. Meixiang looked at her several times. She felt that her second sister-in-law¡¯s heart was too big.


    After eating, Zheng Yuefen went to Zhang Yulan¡¯s house next door.


    Your sister-in-law is pregnant with a baby? The first and second sisters-in-law are really destined to be together.


    But isn¡¯t it too fated? Zheng Yuefen¡¯s heart was dissatisfied.


    Even if she did not go to school much, she also knew that, no matter what, a single child is valuable. Originally, she was valued for having a baby alone. If Dong Jiahui was also pregnant, compared to her, she would be worthless.


    ¡°Sister, you said that Dong Jiahui divorced her ex-husband because she couldn¡¯t have a baby. How can she have a baby at Zhao¡¯s house? Wouldn¡¯t she be divorced in vain? ¡°


    Zhang Yulan was not as concerned about Dong Jiahui¡¯s pregnancy as Zheng Yuefen was, since she did not have to eat her rice if the Zhao family had more children, and even if she had ten or eight, it would not affect her in any way.


    As for sharing a common hatred with Zheng Yuefen, she really didn¡¯t have this feeling. She never treats Zheng Yuefen, this silly woman, as a friend. On the contrary, the more she makes trouble in the Zhao family, the happier she is in her heart.


    ¡°Some people would have difficulty giving birth; some would have waited many years to be pregnant. There is a family in our village. At first, she couldn¡¯t get pregnant. Later, they listened to the guidance of other people. They adopted a baby girl. The next year, she was pregnant. Maybe your sister-in-law was also in the same situation as them.¡±


    Here, Zhang Yulan looked at Zheng Yuefen and said with a fake smile, ¡°Now your mother-in-law is happy, two grandchildren will be added to the family at once. She must be waking up with a smile. ¡°


    Zheng Yuefen chattered, ¡°My mother-in-law is happy, but it¡¯s not because of me. You haven¡¯t seen her look at me for a bowl of noodles today. It¡¯s the first time in so many years. I get chills when I think about it. I¡¯ve been married to the Zhao family for so many years, and I¡¯ve been pregnant twice. It¡¯s not as good as a new one who was divorced. ¡°


    Zhang Yulan became interested when she heard this. She asked Zheng Yuefen about today¡¯s affairs. Zheng Yuefen said it again.


    ¡°I remember when you were pregnant with Shitou, your aunt had to cook an egg for you every day. Red dates, walnuts, and peanuts were sent to your house like it didn¡¯t cost a lot of money. The young wives in the village regretted that they didn¡¯t marry into the Zhao family. What¡¯s the matter this time? Was it really because of your sister-in-law? Did they ignore you when she was pregnant? ¡°


    Zheng Yuefen naturally wouldn¡¯t mention that she had eaten noodles the night before yesterday. She didn¡¯t say that she couldn¡¯t have her share today because there wasn¡¯t enough white flour at home. She just wanted to complain to others and win others¡¯ sympathy. The more misunderstandings others made, the more she appeared wrong.


    After a while of gossip, the two went to work together in the field. The captain, Ding Huishan, had given Zheng Yuefen a reduced workload. She went to the field to actually not do heavy work, but to pretend to do so.


    ¡± It¡¯s your sister-in-law¡¯s comfort that really counts. She only has to open the door of the warehouse twice a day and rest at home at other times. Unlike you, you have to run to the field every day and have nowhere to rest when you are tired. ¡°


    Zhang Yulan¡¯s words immediately spoke to Zheng Yuefen¡¯s heart. There were so many people in the village, but she only loved to talk to Zhang Yulan. It was because Zhang Yulan¡¯s words made people especially love to listen to them.


    The answer to Zheng Yuefen¡¯s curiosity came in the afternoon, and the team just happened to have two wives who were married in Xiaoling Village.


    ¡°In fact, this Lu family was quite evil. It hasn¡¯t stopped since the second wife. ¡°


    Seriously? What¡¯s so evil about him? Hurry up and tell us. ¡°


    The gossip was burning, and a group of ten or so young wives put down the work in their hands and gathered together on the ridge.


    ¡°I¡¯m not from the Lu family¡¯s team. I don¡¯t know much. I only heard that the Lu family married once about half a year ago, but the child didn¡¯t live with them. I heard that it was knocked out in the stomach by the Lu family. ¡°


    ¡°Ah? It¡¯s heartless, right? You can¡¯t beat the child out on purpose. ¡°


    ¡°Or how should I say it¡­ Is it strange? The wife of the Lu family has a bad reputation. It¡¯s said that she had another man on the team. It¡¯s estimated that she¡¯s not pregnant with the Lu family¡¯s seed. ¡°


    Hearing this, they couldn¡¯t understand it anymore.


    ¡°What do you mean? This wife was so fierce, she looked for a man in the brigade and was pregnant. ¡°


    ¡°No, how does the Lu family know that the child was not from their family?¡±


    ¡°Then I don¡¯t know. I also went back to my mother¡¯s house and listened to it. My mother¡¯s house is not close to Lu¡¯s house; they are two teams apart. ¡°


    The other wife in Xiaoling Village spoke, ¡°I know more than you. In fact, there was a rumour on the team that Lu Chengyuan, the only son of the Lu family, Dong Jiahui¡¯s ex-husband, had a problem in that part. They haven¡¯t done it several times since they got married.


    This is absolutely hot news. Everyone was stunned.


    ¡°God, it¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve heard of such a thing.¡±


    There are no mass media in the countryside these days. Everyone lives in this simple land. What they hear is nothing but the gossip of parents. Especially the young wives. They don¡¯t have much experience. This kind of man can¡¯t be humane. A woman looks for a mistress and is beaten when she is pregnant. It sounds similar to a story.


    ¡°I heard that the wife bled a lot. She was sent to the health centre when the bedding was all wet. They almost weren¡¯t able to save her. ¡°


    ¡°So serious? Then what happened to her? ¡°


    They all have some mixed feelings about this wife. First of all, it is certainly wrong for her to find another man, but he had a husband who wasn¡¯t capable. It doesn¡¯t seem that she can¡¯t understand it.


    It¡¯s true that it¡¯s too much to be pregnant with a concubine¡¯s child, but it¡¯s also a bit pathetic to beat her like that.


    ¡°She was in the health center for two days, the Lu family picked her up, and then I¡¯m not sure what happened. When she hasn¡¯t gone out, the villagers rarely see her.


    That means the situation was not very good. It¡¯s impossible to say that she¡¯s been hurt and can¡¯t get out of the house, or that the Lu family has restricted her freedom. Anyway, no matter what happens to her, it¡¯s enough for people to sigh.


    ¡°What about her mother¡¯s family? They didn¡¯t come out to give her a statement?¡±


    After such a big incident, were the two days of hospitalization, not enough?


    ¡°In the village, the Lu family¡¯s prestige was quite high, and this wife was at fault in the first place. I don¡¯t know about the specifics, I only know that she is still in the Lu family. ¡°


    They sighed. Not that they loved Li Caifeng, but a woman who had no family to protect her when something happened was pitiful.


    After gossiping about the Lu family, everyone inevitably gossiped about Dong Jiahui.


    ¡°Dong Jiahui was also miserable, and fortunately, she divorced that man; otherwise, she would face a lifetime of widowhood.¡±


    ¡°In that case, the marriage is good. How can you marry our Secretary Zhao without a divorce.¡±


    ¡°I pity Secretary Zhao. He¡¯s a great man. He¡¯s not useless. ¡°


    ¡°I think she fell into the blessing nest. Secretary Zhao is tall, strong, and manly! ¡°


    ¡°Oh, are you in love with Secretary Zhao? Don¡¯t. They are all family members. We can¡¯t have principled problems. ¡°


    ¡°All of you are really annoying. Why are you so bad? You still make fun of me and see if I don¡¯t tear your mouth out. ¡°


    There was joy on the ridge, and laughter spread far away. Even Ding Huaishan heard it in another field hundreds of meters away.


    ¡°If these women don¡¯t work hard and just gossip all day, I will be deducting two points today.¡±


    The scorekeeper responded and went with his notebook to see which ones were there.


    In the evening, Zheng Yuefen came back and saw her nephew Heidan squatting on the ground outside the courtyard wall. She was about to walk past him, but she didn¡¯t know what came to her mind. Her feet turned and went in the direction of Heidan.


    ¡°Heidan, why are you squatting outside by yourself?¡±


    Zheng Yuefen reached out and patted Heidan¡¯s head, and just before she touched it, Heidan dodged it. He doesn¡¯t like to make contact with people.


    Zheng Yuefen awkwardly withdrew her hand and said, with a smile, ¡°Yo, what¡¯s wrong? You¡¯re so angry, you don¡¯t even care about Auntie. ¡°


    Since Heidan followed Jiahui to learn to read, his temperament has changed a lot compared to before. To be honest, Heidan was better than Shitou. He can see the shadow of Wang Mei faintly. After Jiahui came, she was willing to spend money and made clothes for Heidan and Yingbao every season. Therefore, their clothes are clean, unlike other children in the village with patches.


    People in the village joked that Shitou followed Heidan, just like the young master of a landlord¡¯s family in the old days, who took a little man with him when he went out, and there was no doubt that the one who looked like a man was her own son, Shitou.


    Zheng Yuefen expressed her dissatisfaction about making clothes, saying that there were only three children in the family, so why couldn¡¯t Dong Jiahui make clothes for Heidan and Yingbao while making clothes for Shitou. But Dong Jiahui always said that she was too busy and asked Zheng Yuefen to make clothes for Shitou by herself.


    Zheng Yuefen went to her mother-in-law to seek her comment, but her mother-in-law said that the money that Dong Jiahui spent on making clothes for her children was her own money, not the money of the family. As for her mother-in-law, she could not control it.


    A word was not only sent back to Zheng Yuefen but also blocked Zheng Yuefen¡¯s mind from asking for money.


    Zheng Yuefen loathed Jiahui, and with her nephews and nieces who were getting closer and closer to Jiahui, she also loathed them, but of course, she wasn¡¯t close to them originally.


    ¡°Heidan, do you know that your aunt is pregnant with a baby? In a few months, your aunt will give birth to your brother. With a brother, your aunt can certainly no longer love you. After all, you cannot compare yourself to your aunt¡¯s own child. ¡°


    Heidan stopped moving and looked at Zheng Yuefen. Zheng Yuefen told him to look over and think about whether her words had reached his heart. She continued to smile and said, ¡°See, she won¡¯t let you call her mother, proving that she doesn¡¯t take you as her own son in her heart. Your mother is not here, and your father married your aunt. People say that if you have a stepmother, there will be a stepfather, and you have become the cabbage seedling that no one loves and no one cares about. ¡°


    Zheng Yuefen¡¯s image at this moment is similar to that of a witch who coaxed Snow White to eat a poisoned apple. She does not believe that Dong Jiahui truly loves her stepson, and she thinks that what Dong Jiahui usually does is just pretend in front of people.


    Heidan pursed his lips and did not say anything. He is already six years old and he can already tell who the people that were good to him were and who the people that were bad to him. This aunt usually does not care about him at all; her treatment of him and Shitou was completely different. He knows that this aunt does not like him, he is wary of Zheng Yuefen, but no matter how wary he is, his mind was still a child after all. He was not mature enough, so Zheng Yuefen¡¯s words have more or less reached his heart.


    He naturally knew that his Auntie didn¡¯t give birth to him, but compared to his own mother, who often scolded the children in the village, Auntie treated him more gently and attentively.


    Heidan¡¯s heart had actually recognized Jiahui as his stepmother, but he was too introverted and embarrassed to express himself, which is why he kept calling her Aunt and didn¡¯t change the way he called her.


    He found out about his aunt¡¯s pregnancy at noon. He didn¡¯t feel much at that time. Now, after listening to his aunt¡¯s words, he had an unspeakable panic and discomfort.


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you, if you don¡¯t want your aunt to have a brother, you have to


    Zheng Yuefen¡¯s words were just half said, and the footsteps behind her stuck her unspoken words in her throat.


    ¡°Sister-in-law, I didn¡¯t know you were so kind and secretly helped us educate our children.¡±


    The voice that spoke was none other than Zhao Donglin!


    Zhao Donglin went to the town today to deliver materials, and after delivering the materials, he remembered that Jiahui likes to eat marinated food from the state restaurant, so he bought a packet and brought it back, and met his cousin Zhao Donglai at the entrance of the village, who was carrying a sack of rice to the rice mill.


    Zhao Donglin remembers when he married Jiahui, his sister-in-law said a lot of things in front of Heidan that should not be said. Because of that, Heidan had resistance to Jiahui. After the wedding, Jiahui made a lot of effort to ease their relationship.


    Heidan is a smart kid. He was careful, sensitive, and whatever he thought in his heart, he would never say it out loud, but he would not make a fuss. He especially understood and knew how to advance and retreat. He belongs to the kind of kid who can¡¯t be beaten or scolded.


    Zhao Donglin watched with his own eyes how Jiahui broke Heidan¡¯s temperament little by little. He not only accepted her but also had a brighter temperament than before. He was very grateful to Jiahui in his heart.


    This time, Jiahui is pregnant. She was actually already worried that her pregnancy would affect Heidan¡¯s and Yingbao¡¯s moods.


    ¡°I have nothing to worry about myself. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be impartial, but I¡¯m afraid of what others will say in front of our children. After all, I¡¯m not their real mother. It¡¯s difficult for stepmothers. It¡¯s difficult for others to not think badly of stepmothers. Even if I haven¡¯t done anything wrong with them, they are waiting for me to make mistakes. ¡°


    ¡°To be honest, even though I did not give birth to Heidan and Yingbao, I love them as much as their own mother; if someone said to them, ¡°that is not your mother, she will not be sincere to you,¡± I would cry; I do not want to face this situation at all.


    Zhao Donglin also reassured her at the time, saying she was overthinking it and that no one would talk nonsense in front of the children, but the reality threw him a slap in the face.


    At that time, he said with conviction, ¡°You have done well enough; it can be seen with one¡¯s eyes.¡±


    Jiahui said, ¡°You do not understand, the evil in human nature was particularly terrible, many people from the inside, do not want you to live a happy life, they are good at obtaining inner happiness by constantly hurting others.¡±


    ¡°Big brother, I was just talking to Heidan for fun.¡±


    Zhao Donglin walked over and took Heidan¡¯s hand into the courtyard, not wanting to hear another word from Zheng Yuefen.


    The author has something to say: I tried my best. The next chapter will be the separation of the family.

 CH 50

    When Zhao Donglin entered the courtyard with his son Heidan, the look on his face could be described as black as the bottom of a pot. Jiahui and Meixiang were driving the chickens back to the cage with bamboo poles. When they saw Donglin enter with a sullen face, they both froze.


    ¡°You¡¯re back early today. What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Jiahui put down the bamboo pole and walked over. Not only did Zhao Donglin look bad, but Heidan also lowered his head and did not say anything. She thought that Heidan had made some mistake to make Zhao Donglin angry, so she wanted to go up and persuade Donglin with a few words to not bother with the child or something. But before she could pacify Donglin, Jiahui saw Zheng Yuefen come in with a hesitant look.


    Zhao Donglin nodded to Jiahui, signalling that he was fine. He turned to his younger sister, standing next to him, and asked, ¡°Are Mom and Dad home? Go get Mom and Dad. I have something to say. ¡°


    ¡°Oh, mom is tired and lying down in the house; dad is still in the field.¡±


    Meixiang did not know what had happened. Anyway, looking at the appearance of her elder brother, it seems that it was quite serious. Her heart inexplicably began to beat rapidly.


    Like Meixiang, Zheng Yuefen¡¯s heart was also beating like a drum. She knows that her brother-in-law must be very angry. People really plug their teeth when drinking cold water. She was just out of her mind and talked nonsense. And worse, she was caught by her brother-in-law. Yuefen was really anxious and annoyed. When her brother-in-law comes back, he will call her mother-in-law. He will absolutely tell her mother-in-law about it. And Donghe will also know about it.


    Zheng Yuefen immediately had a strong desire to live; ¡°Big brother, I just said nonsense. Do not get angry with this ignorant person. I promise I will never speak nonsense again.


    The voice had a rare crying accent, which startled Jiahui and Meixiang.


    Zheng Yuefen, this person, was always the person who would not shed a tear until she saw the coffin. [1]If she didn¡¯t disgust them to death, she would not give up. They have many quarrels, but they haven¡¯t seen her this anxious before. Apparently, this time, she did something really serious, and Zhao Donglin saw it.


    Zhao Donglin was not moved. This assurance he had heard too many times before. He had given her countless opportunities before, and he was expecting her to find her own problems and change for the better. Who knows that not only didn¡¯t she know what she did wrong, but she became more extreme?


    What does she want to say next? Zhao Donglin can guess. She was trying to tell a six-year-old child or her own nephew to harm his own family. This was no longer a small mistake to take advantage of something, but a poor character. It cannot be condoned.


    He gave a wink to Meixiang and told her to hurry to the field, ¡°And your second brother, just say I¡¯m looking for them for something.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    When Zheng Yuefen heard Zhao Donglin ask Meixiang to call Zhao Donghe back, she hurriedly went up and grabbed Zhao Donglin¡¯s arm and said, with a pleading face, ¡°Big brother, I really know that I¡¯m wrong. You must not tell Donghe. He will really kill me. I¡¯m still pregnant with a baby. Just spare me this time for the sake of the baby.¡±


    Jiahui felt that she was really opening her eyes. The plot of vulgar dog blood in the TV play was really staged in front of her. Jiahui watched Zheng Yuefen cling to Zhao Donglin¡¯s arm and stick it on Zhao Donglin like a fart plaster. She wanted to go up and tear her down.


    Jiahui was just about to go up, but as if Zhao Donglin saw through her thoughts, he stopped her, ¡°Don¡¯t come here, go inside and call mom.¡±


    The image of Zheng Yuefen in Zhao Donglin¡¯s mind has been equated with madness. If Jiahui is pregnant, and Zheng Yuefen takes the opportunity to push Jiahui, then there is really no regret medicine to eat.


    When Zhao Donglin¡¯s words fell, Zhang Qiaoer came out of the room.


    What¡¯s wrong with this, howling in broad daylight? What an embarrassment.


    The sister-in-law grabbed her elder brother¡¯s arm and cried, sounding like a pig. In the courtyard, if the neighbours saw, their family¡¯s face would lose dignity.


    Zhang Qiaoer went over and circled Zheng Yuefen¡¯s creaking nest, breaking Zheng Yuefen¡¯s hand. Zhao Donglin¡¯s clothes were wrinkled because Zheng Yuefen was holding onto Donglin too hard.


    If not for the fact that Zheng Yuefen is pregnant, Zhang Qiaoer really wants to scrape up her big ears directly.


    What are you doing? What¡¯s going on again? You do this every day. Can¡¯t you stop? ¡°


    It¡¯s not over at noon, but there¡¯s another problem in a few hours. It¡¯s definitely not a small thing to muddle along. Can her good-tempered eldest son be angry like this? It is definitely a small thing.


    Zhao Donglin told Zhang Qiaoer what Zheng Yuefen said. Before, I put up with those small things. But today, this has violated my bottom line. Heidan is still young, and it is the age where he needs proper guidance. She is his aunt, and yet she had a malicious intent to abet the child with such words. If I hadn¡¯t come across it in time to stop it, I really don¡¯t know what she would have said next and what bad influence it would have had. ¡°


    Jia Hui looked at Zheng Yuefen. She was also quite angry, not only at herself but also for Heidan.


    This child had a memory of experiencing the pain of being abandoned by his mother since childhood. People around him should give him enough care to let him find the lost maternal love, but in fact, some people always use children as rafts to deal with adults. How innocent these children are!


    Jiahui went to Heidan. She squatted down. She touched his little head and said softly, ¡°Heidan, you are a good child. You should be able to tell who is sincere towards you. Look at our family. Grandma and aunt (Meixiang) care about you. My feelings for you are the same as they are for your grandmother and aunt. What your aunt Yuefen told you is not true. Even if I am pregnant, my feelings for you will not change. In the future, whether I have a son or a daughter, you will be their big brother. You should love them as much as you love Yingbao because we are a family, and a family should love each other. ¡°


    ¡°You should remember that the person who is really good to you will not teach you how to hate others. If someone instigates you to do something wrong or instigates our relationship, that person will definitely not really love you. Don¡¯t think about today. Let¡¯s learn to feel it with our hearts and don¡¯t be affected by the words of others. ¡°


    When Heidan looked at Jiahui, his silent little face looked pitiful, and the emotions in his eyes did not look like those of a six-year-old child.


    Just as Jiahui was running out of words, she saw Heidan nodding, obviously approving of Jiahui¡¯s words.


    In fact, Heidan did not believe his aunt¡¯s words. The standard for children to distinguish between good and bad is very simple: to see if the person is good to them.


    He knew that Jiahui was not his own mother, but as time went on, his memory of Wang Mei gradually blurred. He only knew that from the time Jiahui appeared in his life, she had always been gentle with him, making clothes for him, buying him food, teaching him to read and recognize words, and often telling him some interesting stories.


    When playing with the other children in the village, few people use the word ¡°stepmother¡± to attack Heidan, because the children¡¯s world is very simple. When they saw Heidan, he always had new clothes to wear, always carried sweets and treats, and had handkerchiefs embroidered with small animals. She would also tell many interesting stories, such as the ¡°turtle and rabbit race,¡± ¡°Little Red Riding Hood,¡± and ¡°the big grey wolf,¡± which are often envied by them. They would always say, ¡°Heidan, your stepmother is very kind to you.¡±


    ¡°Heidan, let¡¯s switch mothers. I¡¯ll give you my mother, you give me your mother.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not Heidan¡¯s real mother, that¡¯s Heidan¡¯s stepmother.¡±


    ¡°I want a stepmother like that too.¡±


    ¡°My own mother is not as good as Heidan¡¯s stepmother.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, my real mom doesn¡¯t even make my clothes or buy me food, and she beats me every day.¡±


    After listening to it, he didn¡¯t think that having a stepmother was bad. Instead, it has become a symbol of honour. Some children shout this when they go home, such as ¡°you¡¯re still my own mother, but not as good as Heidan¡¯s stepmother¡±. Naturally, what they get is the parents¡¯ bamboo fried meat.


    When she saw Heidan nodding, Jiahui was relieved. The child had a heavy heart. JIahui was really afraid that he would put Zheng Yuefen¡¯s bastard words into his heart. She was not worried about what Heidan would do to her, but that it would aggravate Heidan¡¯s psychological problems, make the relationship between the two more and more distant, and finally reach an irreparable situation.


    Jiahui got up and took Heidan¡¯s hand, pointing at Yingbao, who was sitting on a small bench eating candy with a dumbfounded face and said, ¡°You are a good boy. Take your sister inside. The adults needs to talk about important things; children can¡¯t listen on the side.¡±


    Heidan wanted to say that he was no longer a child; he was several years older than Yingbao, but when he met Jiahui¡¯s eyes, he finally nodded his head.


    Jiahui exhaled and went to Zhao Donglin¡¯s side and said quietly, ¡°Let¡¯s go to the hall to talk. It¡¯s not good to be seen.¡±


    Zhao Donglin nodded his head.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on at home?¡±


    Her daughter¡¯s face was so anxious as she looked for them in the field. Zhao Manzhu¡¯s heart experienced an up and down. His face, which had been glazed by the sun over a long period of time, was full of anxiety. His eldest brother, Zhao Mancang, saw it and followed him to see if he could help.


    Meixiang looked at the second brother next to her and didn¡¯t speak. In front of the second brother, she was really embarrassed to say that the second sister-in-law wasn¡¯t right. She just said that her eldest brother asked her to call them, so they¡¯d know when they went back.


    A few people ran back from the field in a hurry, the yard was empty, only to hear the hall house Zheng Yuefen crying and saying something, and Zhang Qiaoer scolded at his throat.


    Zhao Manzhu thought it was because of the matter of noon and that it was the second family¡¯s wife again. But Zhao Donghe was smarter than his father. He knew that it was certainly about the matter at noon, and it was definitely Zheng Yuefen again who had committed stupid things.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Zhao Manzhu entered the hall and hurriedly asked, Zhang Qiaoer patted her chest and sighed, ¡°She really can¡¯t be a family anymore.¡± At noon, for the bowl of noodles, she made a fuss, and this afternoon she instigated Heidan. She said that Jiahui was not truly good to him, and not only that, she tried to let Heidan do something to Jiahui. I really do not understand. I have been a hardworking person all my life. How would I stumble onto such a vicious daughter-in-law? This is not a family, this is simply a disaster. This is simply a scourge, a shit-stirrer. ¡°


    Zhao Manzhu was shocked and did not know what to say. Meixiang also stared in surprise. Zhao Mancang¡¯s entry was not covered. He thought something had happened at his brother¡¯s house and wanted to help. He didn¡¯t expect it to be a family scandal, but he came and didn¡¯t go immediately. He had to listen again.


    After hearing about Zheng Yuefen¡¯s actions, Zhao Donghe thought he would be very angry. Later, he found that his mood was very calm, and there was no anger, only deep disappointment.


    He bowed his head and felt he had no face to say anything. When Zheng Yuefen saw Zhao Donghe like this, she was even more scared than seeing him angry. She started crying now, shaking her head while crying and explaining, ¡°Mom, I didn¡¯t, I really didn¡¯t. I am Heidan¡¯s aunt. I love him too much. How could I say it? Big brother just listened to my jokes. I was just talking about playing, not what he thought. ¡°


    It was so noisy for Zhang Qiaoer that she couldn¡¯t stand Zheng Yuefen¡¯s words. She scolded angrily, ¡°OK, shut up. Can you swear by heaven? Can you be framed with the character like your eldest brother? ¡°


    Zhao Manzhu sighed, sat down, and pushed a bench towards his brother.


    Zhao Mancang never expected this. Although this nephew-in-law of his was not good-natured and loved to calculate, he also did not see her so wrong-minded before. She had become unrecognizable.


    He was grateful that he didn¡¯t have such a daughter-in-law because otherwise his life would really pass. This is commonly known as the ¡°black sheep.¡± Whoever had such a daughter-in-law was also doomed.


    Since people have come together, it just so happens that the eldest uncle has also come, and can help be the witness.


    ¡°Mom and dad, uncle, today¡¯s matter I have said clearly, I now have to say things, with my sister-in-law¡¯s nature, I really do not feel comfortable with her living in the same condominium with my child.¡±


    A word stirred up a thousand waves. Everyone understood what Zhao Donglin meant.


    ¡°Donghe and I are brothers. This is a fact that cannot be changed in life. I thought that the whole family should work together to live a good life, but now that I¡¯m in a good relationship, it¡¯s easy to make contradictions every day. As an elder brother, I can¡¯t take care of such a sister-in-law. It¡¯s better to live separately while we still have some friends. I¡¯m the eldest son and should support my parents as long as I can. as long as Mom and Dad have no other opinions. I¡¯ll give my parents an old-age pension. We¡¯ll discuss how to divide these things.


    Zhao Qiao¡¯er was not surprised that his eldest son would say this. Zhao Manzhu smoked a cigarette and looked at his elder brother. Zhao Donghe looked blank. Jiahui sat in the corner and did not say anything. Mei Xiang was a transparent person just like she was. The whole hall was quiet after Zhao Donglin finished talking. A few seconds later, Zheng Yuefen was the first to respond.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to split my family; I don¡¯t want to separate my family. Why would I want to split my family? I just don¡¯t want to split my family! ¡°


    This was like a tongue twister. If music was played, she could rap. When she saw her crazy appearance, Jiahui felt that she didn¡¯t want to see it. Of course, she was more surprised that Zhao Donglin would say ¡°separation¡± so firmly in two words. After all, Zhao Donglin is a person with a family concept, which is related to his more than ten years of experience in joining the army. In the army, he lives and dies with his comrades in arms and sees all kinds of bloodshed and sacrifice. Therefore, he has more dedication and tolerance, and his life can be missed at any time. What else would be important?


    A man with this trait was actually very tiring to be with. He wants to be good to everyone and protect everyone, which means he has to suffer more.


    Just like in this family, Zhao Donglin uncomplainingly handed over his salary to his mother to manage, and his discharge allowance year-end bonus was given to Jiahui, leaving only a few yuan for himself as a backup.


    He can endure the gossip of the onlookers, does not care about marrying a divorced woman, takes Jiahui¡¯s preferences to heart, and takes great care of Jiahui¡¯s maiden family. Such a man, although not perfect, has his merits. In such a particular era, he has been called a man worth relying on.


    notlucia: Should I post the other chapter?? Thank you for readingg~


    References

 CH 51

    ¡°Old man, what do you think?¡±


    In the Zhao family, it is always Zhang Qiao¡¯er who makes the decisions on big and small matters, but today¡¯s matter was unusual and cannot be based on her word. After all, the family name is Zhao, not Zhang, and another, so today Zhao Mancang was also present. In front of outsiders, she must give face to her husband, so that he can erect the majesty of being the head of the family.


    ¡°This¡­¡­¡±


    Zhao Manzhu exhaled a mouthful of smoke, frowning at the sight of the white smoke pondering. He suddenly threw the problem to himself. He had not thought it through, but honestly, from the oldest son, Donglin, back from the military, to later the oldest daughter-in-law, into the door, the family did make a fuss.


    Although he usually does not talk much, as if nothing is concerned, but the family of small and large things he has seen, the second daughter-in-law is muddleheaded. If you don¡¯t pay attention to her, she¡¯s going to stir up three points. The eldest brother¡¯s wife is good, kind-hearted, and can be human. But if the second family doesn¡¯t make so much noise, the family can last until he and his wife die, for a hundred years. If it goes on, it will not only break his heart, it will also affect the feelings of Donglin and Donghe as brothers.


    As the old saying goes, ¡°good men do not eat separate meals, good women do not wear wedding clothes.¡± We should be human beings. We should not covet the wealth left by our parents. Instead, we should strive for it and create it by ourselves. Use our hands to earn the life we want. Most of the villagers have several brothers who have separated. It¡¯s common to separate after marriage. The reason why their family has never mentioned this is not that they don¡¯t want to separate as their elders, but mainly because the eldest has been in the army a few years ago.


    But now, it is clear that living together again was no longer suitable.


    After thinking a lot, Zhao Manzhu finally clenched his teeth and clapped the board!


    ¡°All right, let¡¯s split up. They are all brothers. Even if we split up, it¡¯s still the same. Look at your brothers, and then look at me and your uncle. Although each has their own way, neither of them forgets to give a hand when they are in trouble. As long as you two brothers can do this. ¡°


    The first generation is brothers, the second generation is cousins, and the relationship will continue to the third generation.


    Relatives and families think it is just the same. They can help each other. At other times, they still had their own lives and were comfortable.


    Zhao Manzhu had a final word. Zhao Donglin¡¯s face was still calm, but his heart was relieved. Zhao Donghe¡¯s head was bowed down, and he was looking at the ground. They could not see his expression, but they could see something from the tight lines on his face.


    Jiahui couldn¡¯t believe it. She did not expect the separation of the family to be so easy. She thought it would be hard to convince them or her elders wouldn¡¯t let her separate.


    Zheng Yuefen¡¯s mood is the same as Jiahui¡¯s. She also can¡¯t believe what she heard. Her father-in-law actually agreed to the separation of the family. Her heart was suddenly bewildered.


    Her husband made up his mind, and Zhang Qiaoer¡¯s heart fell instantly.


    Since she said to let her husband decide, she wouldn¡¯t put forward other opinions. She didn¡¯t want to know how she felt in her heart. It¡¯s just that once people are used to a certain way of life, they will instinctively refuse to change, but when the change really comes, they will still try to accept it.


    These brothers were close brothers, but the brothers who had settled down and gotten married had different minds, not to mention that they had a great daughter-in-law like Zheng Yuefen.


    ¡°Since your father has opened his mouth, I have nothing to say, the division of the family is settled, as to how to divide, we have to discuss.¡±


    ¡°Our family has only a few rooms. The first family lives in the east house, and the second family lives in the west house. We have a good number of things. When you get married, you have everything for you. What you have in your house is your own. There¡¯s nothing to discuss.


    The topic quickly shifted to how to divide the family, and the people were listening intently. Even Zheng Yuefen, who didn¡¯t want to separate the family, didn¡¯t have time to set off any fireworks.


    ¡°I want to explain the money. Since Donglin entered the army and got his salary, he had been handing over his salary to me for safekeeping. At that time, Donghe was still in school. The expenses at home, including the money for your three siblings to get married, all came from Donglin¡¯s salary.


    Speaking of this, Zhang Qiaoer was a little excited, and her eyes were wet.


    ¡°At this point, I always feel sorry for Donglin. He has done his best for this family and has never been selfish. He understands the difficulties of being parents and helps me and your father share the financial burden. ¡°


    ¡°I remembered how much money he gave, and how much I used, and how much I left at the end. The previous money doesn¡¯t count, but the rest has to be returned to Donglin. As for the money in public, I, as a mother, made the decision to give it to Donghe and his family, not to Donglin. ¡°


    These words were like a boulder cast into the river for Zhang Qiaoer. To be honest, no one really thought she would propose returning Zhao Donglin¡¯s salary to Zhao Donglin. Although it has been used a lot these years, Zhao Donglin¡¯s salary was high. He was a company commander in the army. He earned more than 70 yuan a month. Although his salary has been lowered after changing jobs, it is still more than 60 yuan. Last year, the dividend of a family at the end of last year was only about 200 yuan!


    Zhao Donglin felt relieved at his mother¡¯s affirmation: he is not a saint. Although he paid for his family and did not ask for anything in return, whether others remember him in their hearts is another matter.


    If the other party wants to step on himself while enjoying what he has paid and hurt his wife and children whom he cared for, he will never tolerate it.


    Jiahui didn¡¯t expect that her mother-in-law would be so grand. In this era, prices are low. Even after marriage and daily expenses, there is definitely more than one or two hundred yuan left. However, Jiahui was not in a hurry to be happy. The mother-in-law just said that when the family is divided and when things are settled, it will come out in the end.


    When Zheng Yuefen listened to her mother-in-law say that about their separation, she was half cold. Then she heard the mother-in-law say that the brother-in-law¡¯s salary would also be returned to them. Her family has only public money. How many can there be? The brother-in-law¡¯s salary was the biggest!


    She leaned forward with her back and said eagerly, ¡°Mom, these years, but I and Donghe at home took care of you. You can¡¯t give all the money to the elder brother¡¯s family. I do not only have credit but also hard work. ¡°


    Zhao Donghe pulled her arm to death and scolded in a low voice, ¡°Shut up, don¡¯t force me to do it.¡±


    Zheng Yuefen forcefully broke Zhao Donghe¡¯s hand, breaking it while shouting, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with me? If we didn¡¯t have a share of more money, what would we eat and drink? We can¡¯t eat and drink spicy food, and we will eat steamed buns and drink rice porridge every day. ¡°


    How good is the food at home? You can eat meat two or three times a month and eggs every day.


    Zhao Donghe could not bear it. He took Zheng Yuefen¡¯s hand out of the hall, shut her in the west room, and put the lock on the door. Zheng Yuefen started beating on the door so that Zhao Donghe would let her out.


    People simply do not know what to say. This Zheng Yuefen, it¡¯s really true that bad habits were hard to change. At this time, she still has no remorse for what she¡¯s done.


    Zhao Donghe returned to the hall, exhaled, and spoke, ¡°Mom, I have no opinion about what you just said. For all these years, I have taken advantage of my brother, and I know it in my heart. These days, I have caused a lot of trouble for my brother and sister-in-law. I am here to say sorry. I am not able to control my wife. I am also responsible for it. ¡°


    Zhao Donglin proposed separating the family out of disgust for Zheng Yuefen rather than Donghe. This time, when he heard the words of Donghe, he didn¡¯t feel good. He walked over and patted Donghe on the back.


    ¡°Even if we split up, we are still good brothers. Don¡¯t blame yourself, brother.¡±


    I am thinking of how nice and carefree their lives as brothers were ten or twenty years ago. Apart from poverty and lack of food, they are no longer unhappy. Although the conditions are good, the brothers have their own families, but they can no longer find their childhood state of mind.


    Zhao Donghe pursed his lips and smiled bitterly at his brother. ¡°I know, it¡¯s me who should be sorry for making things difficult for my brother.¡±


    Zhang Qiao¡¯er saw the two brothers like this and could no longer hold back the tears that came out of her eyes. She tucked the corners of her eyes with her sleeve. Her heart was unusually painful.


    At this moment, she felt very guilty and blamed herself for finding a wife like Zheng Yuefen and harming Donghe all her life.


    When marrying a wife, choose a virtuous person. What the older generation said is true!


    Since things were clear, Zhao Mancang was also ready to go back. Zhang Qiaoer asked her to stay for dinner, but he refused. Before leaving, he patted the shoulders of the two brothers. He sighed and lamented. ¡°I still remember when you were just kids. So many years have passed. In fact, there is nothing wrong with splitting the family. As you can see, Dongming has also been separated from my family. Who can say that he¡¯s not my son? If he dares not be filial, he won¡¯t dare fight back with a big ear scraper. ¡°


    Zhao Mancang had three sons. Zhao Dongming was the second, Zhao Dongshun is the oldest, and there is a third who has not married yet. He was called Zhao Donglai.


    The two brothers nodded and sent the eldest out of the courtyard door together.


    ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°Ah, I heard that you went to the second¡¯s house in a hurry.¡±


    When Zhao Mancang arrived home, his wife, Huang Haiying, curiously asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s a messy separation.¡±


    At his second brother¡¯s house, he only listened to the lawsuit but didn¡¯t care to drink water. Zhao Manchang came back, sat down, and poured himself a large bowl of cold water.


    Oh, why do you drink cold water? There is hot water in the pot! ¡°


    Such a big man doesn¡¯t know how to cherish his body. He still thinks he is a strong boy in his twenties.


    After nagging, she quickly sat down and asked, ¡°The second family is going to be separated? Who mentioned it? Why did they suddenly mention it? ¡°


    The two brothers didn¡¯t have temperaments of taking initiative to mention the separation of the family. The second family was unlikely to mention it. The elderly were eager to have children and grandchildren close to them.


    Zhao Manchang sighed and said what Zheng Yuefen had instigated Heidan. Huang Haiying thought she had heard it wrong.


    ¡°How can Donghe¡¯s wife tell the children this? It¡¯s too vicious. No wonder Donglin was angry and wanted to separate. Huang Haiying really wants to knock Zheng Yuefen¡¯s head open to see if there was straw in her head. How much benefit they can take if they win over the eldest family? She really wants to offend people. With this knot, the two brothers will have a rift in the future.


    ¡°Who says it isn¡¯t? Just now, she was still screaming, blaming sister-in-law for unfair division of money, her screaming made my head hurt.


    Huang Haiying could not help but exclaim. In fact, every family has hard-to-read sutras. On the outside, it looks good, but on the inside, it is a broken cotton wool¡ªa mess. No one can say anything about anyone.

 CH 52

    The separation of the family is a major event. In addition to the relatives of the family, the two in-laws should also be informed. After all, the separation of the family involves two families, and they should be treated with caution when it comes to interests.


    People are selfish, as you can see from the second family. If you don¡¯t call your mother¡¯s family to be a witness, you won¡¯t be able to break up with her in the event of a quarrel in the future.


    The next day, Zhang Qiaoer let the two sons go to Yuefan¡¯s family to invite people over.


    Dong Changgui and Chen Guixiang came to the Dong family. As soon as they heard that it was a separation, they changed their clothes and came with their son-in-law in a hurry.


    Yesterday, Chen Guixiang just received the news that her daughter was pregnant. Today, Chen Guixiang received the news that her daughter was going to separate from her family. She was frightened. Chen Guixiang thought there was no connection between the two things. She asked her son-in-law. The son-in-law didn¡¯t say anything but only said that her parents agreed. Chen Guixiang was very upset.


    The Zhao family¡¯s separation was certainly good for her daughter. From her daughter¡¯s occasionally mentioning those things that happened to her in-laws, Chen Guixiang can more or less understand from her daughter that her sisters-in-law don¡¯t get along well. She is always afraid that her daughter will suffer.


    On the way to Zhao¡¯s house, Chen Guixiang settled down when she saw her daughter¡¯s ruddy face and good spirit.


    ¡°In-laws, really, your family is so busy and we still made you come over here.¡±


    Zhang Qiaoer took Chen Guixiang¡¯s hand into the hall, and the relationship was as close as a sister.


    ¡°Nothing, I was just a little anxious. Donglin said that he wanted to separate the family. He called us to come over together to be a witness. For the other detail, he did not say, so Jiahui¡¯s father and I rushed over.¡±


    ¡°Hey, actually there is no reason, just that the children are old. I also didn¡¯t bother to worry about it. Let them live their own lives in the future.¡±


    Zhang Qiaoer vaguely brought the words over, and Chen Guixiang also smiled with her. She had seen her daughter wink at her. She knew that there was an inside story to this matter, but she would no longer delve into it. as long as her daughter didn¡¯t suffer a loss.


    The Zheng family came over. Jiang Liang came with her daughter-in-law and Zheng Yuefen¡¯s older brother, Zheng Songnian.


    On the way here, Jiang Liangnu¡¯s mood does not look as relaxed as Chen Guixiang¡¯s. On the way here, she has heard her son-in-law said the mindless things her daughter did. To be honest, Jiang Liang wanted to turn back halfway; it was too embarrassing, especially for Chen Guixiang. She wanted to bury her head in the ground, but looking at the Dong family¡¯s polite appearance before them, she should not know about this matter.


    The hall was full of people. The elderly were sitting around the eight immortals¡¯ table, the younger generation was sitting next to it. From the time they sat down, Jiahui had not received less than Zheng Yuefen¡¯s glaring eyes. Jiahui just pretended she wasn¡¯t aware. She didn¡¯t even look at her.


    Yesterday, Zheng Yuefen was locked up in Zhao Donghe¡¯s room, and she was not even let out for dinner. After everyone had eaten and returned to the house, they heard shouting and pounding sounds coming from the west wing, but no one went over to see.


    If it was someone else, caring a little bit is okay, but when they encountered Zheng Yuefen, they ran as far away as possible, afraid they would not get the benefits, but instead get into trouble and even cause losses.


    ¡°In-laws, I¡¯m calling you here today because the two brothers, Donglin and Donghe, were going to split up. They now have their own family. They have wives and children. It¡¯s a big event to split up. We¡¯d better ask our mother¡¯s family to come and serve as the witness so that no one will be dissatisfied with the separation in the future and then cause trouble. ¡°


    When Zhang Qiaoer said this, Jiang Liang felt that it was sarcastic. She always feels that this was said to their own family, who allowed their daughter to make a fuss about it.


    ¡°Yesterday I also talked to the two brothers about the situation. We will follow the eldest. The two houses on the east side will be given to the eldest family. The west side of the room will be given to the second family. In addition, on the west side, the chicken pens and pig pens will be demolished and rebuilt into two houses. We will also build on the east side an additional one. It so happens that we left some homestead, which we can just use this time. ¡°


    This means that, although the two brothers were separated, they will still live close to one another.


    ¡°The other thing is the money. This is the family¡¯s account book. I have had the habit of keeping accounts since I was young. I remember where I spent my money and how much I spent it, whether it was large or small. It was all recorded. First of all, the money spent by the public does not count. At the end of each year, the dividend was deducted from the second family¡¯s income. There are 386 yuan left. It was agreed to give all the money to the second family yesterday, and we don¡¯t want the old couple¡¯s money. ¡°


    When Zheng Yuefen heard that the money in the public had more than three hundred yuan, she still felt it was a little less. In fact, she had saved more than two hundred yuan in the past few years, and she thought that the public money should be five or six hundred yuan.


    The reason why there was not much left in the end was that the end of the year dividend was not much, and dozens of dividends were given to each person. There are also money exchanges between relatives.


    ¡°The rest will be given to the eldest¡¯s account, In recent years, his monthly salary was 5362 yuan. When he first joined the army, his salary was not high. Then, from the squad leader to the platoon leader, and finally, the company commander, who came back and became the village secretary, the wage situation is this: In addition, the eldest agreed to spend money on the marriage of three children and daily expenses in recent years. A total of 4527 yuan was spent, and there are 835 yuan left. ¡°


    More than 5000 yuan! Everyone was shocked to hear this number. It¡¯s nothing if it¡¯s taken one by one, but the total amount was so much. They¡¯ve never seen so much money in their lives!


    Only then did everyone realize how much the eldest had contributed to the family.


    These were all calculated by Jiahui with Zhang Qiaoer¡¯s help. Zhang Qiaoer knows a few words and can¡¯t write many words. She records them with symbols she knows. For example, when selling cloth, he draws a button, and pork is a pig¡¯s nose.


    Jiahui learned to calculate with an abacus when she was a child, and these small accounts were effortless for her.


    Zhang Qiaoer looked at the snapping of Jiahui¡¯s abacus and kept praising her.


    Huaishan said that you can also keep accounts and you can also do the abacus. In my opinion, you are qualified to be the team¡¯s bookkeeper, and you can go to the supply and marketing agency to stand at the counter. ¡°


    Jiahui laughed, ¡°Mom, I think it¡¯s good to be close to home and have more free time.¡±


    The most important thing is to have time to prepare for the college entrance exam. Her goal in life was not to be a bookkeeper and a salesman.


    Zhang Qiaoer thought about it. Jiahui is still pregnant. It¡¯s better to do this. It is easy and not tiring. It¡¯s the best way to raise a fetus.


    The family¡¯s decision was made, and the day of the groundbreaking had to be calculated on a separate day. Near the point of lunch, the Zhao family naturally had to let the guests stay. Chen Guixiang Dong Changgui agreed to stay, but Jiang Liangnu refused to stay.


    ¡°There are still things at home. I have to hurry back to work. I will keep this meal first. Next time, I will invite the in-laws to eat at our house.¡±


    Jiang Liang didn¡¯t mean to stay. Let alone the bad things her daughter did, she thought that the second branch took advantage of this separation and the Dong family were still here, so she was even more embarrassed.


    ¡°Mom, you take Yuefen home for a few days. The family has been quite busy lately, and I¡¯m afraid I cannot take care of her. I will go back after two days when I¡¯m free to pick her up again. ¡°


    The sudden words made Jiang Liang and Zheng Songnian look at each other. Even Zhang Qiaoer and the others did not expect it. Zheng Yuefen even shook her head and refused.


    ¡°You go back to the house and pack two pieces of clothes to take with you; don¡¯t keep mom and big brother waiting.¡±


    Zhao Donghe turned to talk to Zheng Yuefen with a warning in his eyes, not giving Jiang Liang and Zheng Songnian a chance to refuse.


    When Zheng Yuefen saw her husband¡¯s face, she knew she could not be stubborn. Last night he had already warned her, and if he made him unhappy today, she would no longer live well.


    ¡°This¡­¡­¡±


    Jiang Liang didn¡¯t know how to answer. It is reasonable to say that a daughter married off and spilt water, so she can¡¯t go back to her mother¡¯s house casually. But now that her daughter has made a mistake, because of her, the Zhao family has divided their home, and she didn¡¯t teach her daughter well. If the Zhao family comes to the door to discuss it, the Zheng family will make an apology. Now that the son-in-law proposes to take her daughter back to her mother¡¯s house for a few days, Jiang Liang really can¡¯t say no.


    ¡°Okay, then go back to living there for a few days, Donghe, you have to pick up Yuefen early when you¡¯re not busy, to save others from gossiping.¡±


    She was really afraid that her son-in-law would throw her daughter to her mother¡¯s house, and not pick her up for ten days and a half months, not to mention the shame, her own family must also be in a mess.


    Zhao Donghe nodded and agreed, but only he knew what was in his heart.


    After walking past the village¡¯s entrance, Jiang Liang was angry and patted Zheng Yuefen¡¯s back a few times.


    ¡°You¡¯re just a smelly girl. Do you want me to be angry? Tell me what evil things I did in my last life. How did I give birth to you? You are so black-hearted and encouraged my nephew to do those immoral things. Do you have a conscience? Was your mother-in-law treating you badly? You had good food to eat and drink. Even the dog that was raised won¡¯t bite people. I really regret not flooding you into the well when I first gave birth to you! ¡°


    When she was a kid, she just liked to be calculating, not a good match. She did not expect that after all these years, not a little growth, but also became a vicious woman, so she simply dared not recognize this girl was their own daughter.


    She had a total of six children. The other children looked good. How come this one grew up with a crooked heart?


    Zheng Yuefen carried the bag and did not speak. She was indeed obsessed at that time, but everyone can¡¯t blame her for this. Even if she said anything, it didn¡¯t cause any substantive harm to Heidan and Dong Jiahui. People have a mouth. Can¡¯t they speak?


    Fortunately, she didn¡¯t shout out these words. If she did, her mother would have to spit blood angrily.


    Zheng Songnian looked at the distant fields, not even willing to look at Zheng Yuefen or give him a glance. He and Zheng Yuefen, since they were kids, didn¡¯t have a good relationship. They often quarreled, and he didn¡¯t say anything. They also had a fight. Because he hated such unreasonable and unruly women, he deliberately looked for a wife who didn¡¯t like to talk.


    As a man, he is particularly sympathetic to his brother-in-law. When her sister and he got married, he thought that the boy looked good and talented. It¡¯s a pity that Zheng Yuefen was such a woman. The days ahead are sure to fly by. It¡¯s not surprising that she could live like this on such a good day. Her brain was pinched by the door.


    Not to mention how Zheng Yuefen¡¯s family was not welcome and sarcastic after Zheng Yuefen returned to her mother¡¯s house, nor how Zhang Qiaoer took care of Dong Jiahui, it was said that the separation of the Zhao family soon spread in the village.


    ¡°Now there is no one to support her. Look at Zheng Yuefen¡¯s future.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not necessarily true. It¡¯s said that the second family distributed more than 300 yuan and gave him another house, which was already good. ¡°


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think the Zhao family could come up with so much money at once. The eldest member of this Zhao family has really not taken less salary over the years.¡±


    The Zhao family was very fast on the third day. They have begun to grill the wall and lay bricks; people were invited from the village Mason.


    The Zhao family used to have three rooms in a row. Zhao Donglin and his family occupied two rooms. Zhao Donghe originally lived in the west wing. After the wall in the west was removed, another room was built on the right to form an inverted ¡°L¡± shaped yard, and the walls on the other two sides were sealed, so it became two adjacent yards.


    Zhang Yulan stood in her own yard to look at the Zhao family. Because the Zhao family wall had been knocked down, the yard was naturally directly exposed.


    Seeing piles of river mud, sand, bricks, and tiles piled up in the Zhao family¡¯s yard, and the tilers working feverishly, Zhang Yulan felt a little jealous.


    The family is still living in an adobe house, but the Zhao family has already built a tile house.


    Obviously, the two families were in similar situations a few years ago, but the Zhao family¡¯s life was getting better and better.


    She saw the Zhao family¡¯s eldest daughter-in-law sitting under the eaves sewing clothes, wearing a begonia red plaid jacket, braided with a black and shiny twist braid. She had a fair face, her mouth was slightly raised. Zhang Yulan didn¡¯t know what it meant to have a good time. The only thing she knew was that Jiahui made her eyes sting.


    Zhang Yulan grunted and went back to the house. Zhang Yulan did not see Zheng Yuefen for a few days. She heard that she was sent back to her mother¡¯s house. Although Zhang Yulan wanted to inquire why the Zhao family was separated, but now she couldn¡¯t.


    A few nights ago, she heard the sound of quarrels from the Zhao family, listening to the voices of Zheng Yuefen and Zhao Donglin.


    She likes to see the Zhao family¡¯s messy look, thinking that when Wang Mei was there, she didn¡¯t lack ¡°effort¡±

 CH 53.1

    Zheng Yuefen stayed at her mother¡¯s house for five days during which no one came to pick her up from the Zhao family. Zheng Yuefen asked someone to bring her a letter, and she received an answer. They said that the family was busy building a house and temporarily did not have time to come.


    Zheng Yuefen, who got the reply, lived in her mother¡¯s house at ease, ate ready-made food every day, and didn¡¯t help with her family¡¯s work. She also chose to eat good food. She doesn¡¯t like wild vegetables and radishes and has to eat scrambled eggs.


    Zheng Yuefen¡¯s sister-in-law Yang Zhizi was a particularly honest and diligent woman. Every day she would work to earn points, do housework, take care of the children, and also laundry and cooking. The days were already busy enough. But now, she also has to serve her second sister-in-law, who was too good and too bad. Yang Zhizi has not said anything to complain about. Zheng Songnian was angry first. He wanted to find Zheng Yuefen to settle accounts, but he was held by Yang Zhizi.


    ¡°Forget it, it¡¯s just a matter of two more dishes, and I¡¯m not sure she¡¯ll go home tomorrow.¡±


    The Zhao family is a polite family. They won¡¯t leave their wife in their mother¡¯s house for too long.


    Besides, it was not her first time seeing Zheng Yuefen¡¯s temperament. When she first married into the Zheng family, Zheng Yuefen was still an unmarried girl at home.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get accustomed to her. She really thought she was a Queen Mother. I do not think the reason why my brother-in-law let her back to her mother¡¯s house to live was really for the sake of her. It is not too much to think that she would get in the way. He was afraid she would start trouble again at home. ¡°


    When the house was built, the family was in a mess. Zheng Yuefen was safe and sound. If she wasn¡¯t stubborn and done something to her mother-in-law, sister-in-law, and nephew, her brother-in-law would not have cut people¡¯s hearts.


    Yang Zhizhi sighed. With this second sister-in-law, she also felt helpless.


    So if she¡¯s been married and had children, how can she not change? Even though she was scolded, she still did not listen. The appearance of a blue nose and a swollen face makes people unbearable.


    ¡°Forget it, it¡¯s just a few days. Can she stay at her mother¡¯s house all the time? She always brings things when she comes back, but she should at least return a few eggs. Besides, a few children will eat with her. ¡°


    If Zheng Songnian was not angry about a few eggs, and if Zheng Yuefen did not act like a demon, he could have killed a few chickens, not to mention a few eggs.


    Even though his heart was angry, after listening to his wife¡¯s persuasion, a few words also eliminated most of his anger, and he did not bother with Zheng Yuefen.


    This day, Zheng Yuefen¡¯s sister, Zheng Yueqin, came back. She had heard a few days earlier that her second sister had gone back to her mother¡¯s house to live, but today she took the time to come back from a trip.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s been a few days. No one has come to pick you up? I¡¯m afraid that you are bothering them very much. So, they don¡¯t want to come.


    Jiang Liang has six children, three men and three women. Jiang Liang¡¯s eldest daughter, Zheng Yuechun, was the kindest. Her second daughter, Zheng Yuefen, was a person who couldn¡¯t afford to lose. Her third daughter, Zheng Yueqin, has a hot temper. Although she is four years younger than Zheng Yuefen, they didn¡¯t lose a fight when they were young. As long as the two were present, there was no quiet time at home.


    However, Zheng Yueqin is better than Zheng Yuefen. Although she had a hot temper, she had a good heart, a sweet mouth, and she was the youngest daughter in the family. Her parents naturally prefer her. Because of this favoritism, Zheng Yuefen is even more unhappy with her. Zheng Yueqin was bullied by her second sister when she was young, and she didn¡¯t know how to resist until she grew up.


    How can Zheng Yuefen tolerate her sister¡¯s sarcasm about herself? She immediately replied, ¡°My family is busy building a house. My family lives in a tiled roof house. Unlike some people, it¡¯s either a lame father-in-law or a blind mother-in-law. When she goes back to her mother¡¯s house, she can¡¯t afford to buy a bag of sugar. She always has empty hands every time she goes. It¡¯s good to laugh at others! ¡°


    It is said that cursing people do not reveal their shortcomings. Zheng Yueqin¡¯s in-laws¡¯ situation used to be good, but they don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong in recent years. First, my father-in-law went up the mountain to collect firewood and broke his leg. Then my mother-in-law¡¯s eyes became more and more blurred. She couldn¡¯t see anything when she went to the town¡¯s health center and prepared some medicine. The doctor asked him to go to a big hospital in the city. It cost dozens of Yuan, and they didn¡¯t cure her. Later, several sons of the family¡¯s workers didn¡¯t mind spending money. Zheng Yueqin¡¯s mother-in-law said she didn¡¯t want to treat it. In fact, she was afraid of spending her children¡¯s money.


    As far as the elderly are concerned, they are old and can live day by day, but they are blind and can¡¯t see. It¡¯s not a fatal thing. They can¡¯t drag down their children.


    The days are naturally tenser now that the elderly couple is unable to work in the field; several sons take turns providing monthly food rations and money to purchase medicine on a regular basis. Zheng Yueqin has not been married for two years, and now there are two children under the family with a sick old man, so they can¡¯t save anything throughout the year, so Zheng Yueqin doesn¡¯t come back to buy anything, but every time she comes home, Jiang Liang will let her bring some things for her little girl.


    Her life was really not as good as Zheng Yuefen¡¯s life. This shortcoming was exposed by Zheng Yuefen. Zheng Yueqin immediately became angry with a red face.


    ¡°Hmph, okay, you¡¯re great. Great to make a mistake and be driven back by your brother-in-law. I¡¯ve already said this, with that kind of nature of yours, no one can get along with you. From childhood to adulthood, you are still not likeable.¡±


    If what Zheng Yuefen just said is considered to expose Zheng Yueqin¡¯s shortcomings, then this sentence was a poke at Zheng Yuefen¡¯s soft spot.


    When she was younger, she was really unlikeable; in order to get her parents¡¯ attention, she frequently did things that could get their attention, but those things were more disliked, for reasons she sometimes doesn¡¯t understand. Why do others always say she was wrong? Why can some things be done by others but not be done by her?


    Just like the third sister, hugging her parents and pampering them to get a good-looking floral dress and a beautiful red headband. She just opened her mouth to fight for it, and they said she was calculating!


    Zheng Yuefen took a step forward and pushed Zheng Yueqin as if she was back in her childhood when the two of them fought over a piece of fruit candy and a red-headed rope.


    Zheng Yueqin was also not a coward. She immediately returned to the fire. She did not know Zheng Yuefen was pregnant; they only said that her second sister-in-law made a mistake in her mother-in-law¡¯s house, so she went back to live in their mother¡¯s house. They did not say that she was pregnant, so Zheng Yueqin did not show mercy. The two shoved each other, pulled each other¡¯s hair, and finally, somehow, Zheng Yuefen was pushed to the ground.


    Jiang Liang just saw her second daughter fall to the ground when she entered the yard. She was scared and ran over.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? These two are really enemies. They hit each other as soon as they met! Come on Xiao Qin, have a look. Your second sister is pregnant. Don¡¯t fall out for good or ill. ¡°


    Even though Zheng Yueqin¡¯s face turned white with fear when she heard this, she didn¡¯t want to get her into trouble. Besides, she really didn¡¯t know about this!


    Zheng Yuefen yelled in pain while holding her stomach. Jiang Liang and Zheng Yueqin, the mother and daughter, thought she was really hurt. Her face was swish white to help her into the house, give her a check, no sign of bleeding and only half of the heart.


    Is everything okay? Does your stomach hurt? ¡°


    Just now, she was screaming, but now she is not screaming, because, after all, she has fallen. Mother and daughter do not dare relax completely.


    Zheng Yuefen fell down and subconsciously covered her stomach. Her mother and little sister helped her into the house when she seriously felt it. In fact, her stomach did not hurt, but her arm hurt from the fall.


    Hearing Zheng Yuefen says so, Jiang Liang patted her heart. She could not help but lecture, ¡°You can grow some snacks. You do not know what situation you are in, but you also fought with people.¡± If you have a miscarriage in our family, how can we explain it to the Zhao family? Your sister still wants to be human!


    Zheng Yuefen¡¯s heart suddenly feel aggrieved, ¡°You only worry about the family! You only worry about the third sister; you do not worry about me! ¡°


    If something really happened to her, the child would be lost and she would suffer, but her mother didn¡¯t care at all; she was only worried about Zheng Yueqin, the damned little girl!


    Jiang Liang paused. Of course, she also loves her second daughter, but she¡¯s all right, and the person who did it is herself. If she remembers that she is a pregnant woman and doesn¡¯t fight with Xiao Qin, can Xiao Qin take the initiative to push her?


    It can only be said that many things have no ifs and assumptions. Even for mothers and daughters and sisters, their respective ideas are very different and cannot be unified.


    Notlucia: The next chapter will be a big slap for Zheng Yuefen.

 CH 53.2

    Zhao¡¯s house took a week to build. Before, it was three big houses. Now it is six houses, separated by a wall, so that the two brothers are still living on a piece of land, but also considered two families.


    Zhao Donghe was finishing up at home when his mother came in through the courtyard door.


    The two brothers are still living in the same house, but now they are separated by a wall, and their mother has to knock on the door like a guest.


    ¡°How is the cleanup? Do you want me to help?¡±


    Zhang Qiaoer looked around in the courtyard; those turn-head tiles and so on had been cleaned up, only the kitchen was still a bit messy.


    ¡°No, I can do it myself.¡±


    Zhang Qiaoer nodded, and after a few seconds of silence, she asked about Zheng Yuefen.


    ¡°She has lived there for several days. When our family is not busy, I¡¯ll go and pick her up. She shouldn¡¯t always live in her mother¡¯s house so that people would not talk about her. ¡°


    Zheng Yuefen¡¯s daughter-in-law, Zhang Qiaoer, really didn¡¯t like her. Before, she was just thinking of good food and being lazy, but now she had a vicious mind. However, for Shitou¡¯s sake and for the sake of the child in her stomach, she can only ¡°take it easy¡± and divide her family. In the future, there should be less work for each of them.


    Zhao Donghe did not stop the work in his hand and gave a hint.


    He no longer expects Zheng Yuefen to change for the better, after the separation of the family how to live his life, he also has no idea, for the daily bickering he is truly tired of it. Obviously two years before the marriage, she is not like this, since when she has slowly changed herself?


    Zhang Qiaoer sighed and took out a stack of banknotes from her pocket, which was agreed upon at the time of the family separation, it was more than 300 yuan from the public money.


    A few days ago, there were many things at home. The second daughter-in-law went back to her mother¡¯s house again. Zhang Qiaoer didn¡¯t care about it.


    ¡°Take it, I can give so much. This money is not too much and not too little, enough for you two to live.¡±


    Zhao Donghe wiped his hands and took them from Zhang Qiaoer¡¯s hand and squeezed it in his hand.


    ¡°This money¡­ are you keeping it for yourself or for Yuefen?¡±


    ¡°I will keep it myself.¡±


    Zhang Qiao¡¯er was then relieved.


    ¡°I also do not want to interfere with the affairs between you and your wife, but this Yuefen, if you go back and forth, it¡¯s not a good life. You have to take care of it.¡±


    For example, cooking. Zheng Yuefen has not cooked much in all these years. Her cooking was worse than pig food. Zhang Qiaoer thought of this and felt sorry for her son and grandson. She thought they might suffer in the future.


    ¡°Mom, it¡¯s okay, this time I¡¯ll get her back, I¡¯ll live a good life.¡±


    After leaving her hanging for a few days, she should be at her limit. Zhao Donghe was going to pick her up today.


    ¡°All right, you have a good life. It¡¯s still my fault. I found this wife for you. Another one was always thinking about home and everything. She didn¡¯t break her temper when she entered the door at the beginning.¡±


    Zhao Donghe smiled bitterly. His mother took it for granted that he could break it. He said a lot of good and bad things over the years. Did she ever listen?


    Just care about it. Many couples don¡¯t live with one eye open and one eye closed. But this time, Zheng Yuefen really touched his bottom line. The women with who he had slept together every day have such vicious thoughts, which is difficult for him to accept.


    Zhao Donghe did not want his mother to follow his worries, so he comforted her, ¡°Mom, this has nothing to do with you; her nature was just like this.¡± She bullies the weak and is terrified of the stronger. If she doesn¡¯t knock for a few days, she will go to the house to uncover the tiles. ¡°


    Some things can¡¯t be blamed on others. He has a great responsibility to live like this. When there was a sign at the beginning, he should go out mercilessly. In the final analysis, he was too soft on her.


    A lot of men in the village take pleasure in teaching women a lesson. After drinking wine, they beat them up. They quarreled and beat them up. He just doesn¡¯t want to give himself that ugly look. Now it seems that he still hasn¡¯t taught her enough lessons.


    ¡°Say your greetings to your brother and sister-in-law. Your wife has offended your brother this time. ¡°


    Otherwise, the eldest cannot directly mention the separation of the family.


    ¡°I know, I have apologized.¡±


    The eldest brother was not angry with him, but the eldest brother also said that if Zheng Yuefen made trouble again in the future, he would not spare it so easily.


    ¡°There are few misfortunes for a good wife and husband. You can understand it. ¡°


    Zhao Donglin also sent this sentence to his brother Donghe, since the family has been separated. There would be two families. He looked forward to his brother living a good life, but he did not involve himself too much. As he said, as long as Zheng Yuefen doesn¡¯t cause trouble in the future, he won¡¯t care too much about those things in the past. It¡¯s in the faces of his brother and nephew.


    After the family cleaned up, Zhao Donghe went to the Zheng family. He brought two bottles of wine, and his father-in-law and brother-in-law drank them and had a good time.


    Zheng Yuefen was happy to see him coming for her. Finally, she was able to go back. In fact, she was uncomfortable living in her mother¡¯s house.


    At the dinner table, Zheng Lao Han greeted his son-in-law with a glass of wine, ¡°Dong He, I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t teach the child well, and I¡¯ve caused a lot of trouble for your family.¡±


    ¡°This is her temperament in this life. I don¡¯t expect her to get better. If you can bear it, you can bear it more. If you can go teach her a lesson, we won¡¯t blame you. ¡°


    How can the Zheng family talk like this? They tell their son-in-law directly that if he can¡¯t stand their daughter. Zheng Yuefen¡¯s family won¡¯t blame him for beating her. It can be seen that Zheng Yuefen¡¯s temper has been worn to the point that even her family can¡¯t stand it.


    This time back, Zheng Yuefen was really quiet for a few days and didn¡¯t have any more trouble. At the same time, Jiahui, who had been pregnant for two months, began to have an early pregnancy reaction. She had no appetite. She felt sick when she smelled the food she didn¡¯t like. The first thing to do when she got up every morning was to spit in a basin and make Zhao Donglin anxious.


    ¡°Some of them are even worse than Jiahui¡¯s vomiting, but there¡¯s nothing we can do about it, so we can just get through these two months.¡±


    Zhang Qiao¡¯er was worried about her daughter-in-law, but she also comforted her son, and every day she cooks for Jiahui in different ways, but whenever she wants to eat something, she immediately makes arrangements, and when she heard that there was some folk prescription to stop vomiting, and went to ask for it.


    However, many of the ¡°folk prescriptions and good medicines¡± obtained by her mother-in-law are herbs. She dares not use them. There are three kinds of poison. Who knows what they are? It¡¯s OK if they are not poisonous, but what if they are poisonous?


    Zhao Donglin frowned and saw that his wife had lost weight. Originally, she didn¡¯t have much meat. Now he was so thin that she would fall down when the wind blew. He was distressed.


    ¡°Then what to do? Just eat and throw up. Eating is not a problem.¡±


    The second sister-in-law was pregnant at about the same time as her sister-in-law, and her appetite was so good and had no reaction.


    These days, the East makes Jiahui food and sends it to the West. Although Zheng Yuefen is divided, Zheng Yuefen is pregnant after all, and Zhang Qiaoer still takes care of her baby.


    ¡°I think the second sister-in-law has a good appetite. She didn¡¯t vomit at all.¡±


    And Meixiang¡¯s second sister-in-law was very enthusiastic every time she gives food and praises her craft as getting better and better.


    ¡°She, holding the rice bowl can eat a few pots, her face was as rounded as a circle, this is only a few months ah, I do not know how fat she will become in the future.¡±


    Zhang Qiaoer is not worried about Zheng Yuefen because she not only has a good appetite but also gave birth to Shitou. Her body was also strong. Unlike Jiahui, it makes people panic.


    This morning, Zheng Yuefen got up early to go to the toilet, and she found herself bleeding. She was scared, so she hurriedly called Zhao Donghe. She thought that she had a miscarriage, Zhao Donghe rushed to the east and borrowed the bicycle from his brother. He rushed to take her to the town¡¯s health clinic.


    The doctor with a stethoscope gave Zheng Yuefen an examination, pressed the stomach, asked some professional questions, and also let her go for a urine test.


    ¡°You are not pregnant. The test result was negative, not positive, so you didn¡¯t have a miscarriage. You¡¯re just having your period normally. ¡°


    The doctor¡¯s diagnosis seems like a thunderstorm, Zhao Donghe was also shocked and speechless. In this period of time, although the family was messy, he was also sincerely looking forward to the child. Shitou is already three years old, it is time to add another brother or sister, but the doctor said Zheng Yuefen was not pregnant, so what is this burst of trouble? The monkey show?


    ¡°How can it be menstruation? The village doctor Wu clearly said I was pregnant!¡±


    Zheng Yuefen could not accept this result. She excitedly shouted and the doctor frowned and asked her to be quiet.


    ¡°Comrade, this is a hospital, the test results are not wrong, please accept the reality. Furthermore, this is a new era, the old set of Chinese medicine is outdated, taking a pulse is not 100% accurate. Whether you are pregnant or not, this tells you to believe in medicine, believe in our scientific diagnosis and treatment instruments, next time you encounter this kind of thing, remember to come to the hospital for a test, the test results are 100% reliable.¡±


    In terms of Chinese medicine, a woman with slippery veins does have the possibility of pregnancy, but it is not an item of pregnancy. Phlegm and dampness vertigo, anemia, accumulated food, etc. can also appear with a slippery pulse, so doctors often make judgments in conjunction with each other¡¯s physical reactions, such as menopause, nausea, etc.


    She was pregnant! Zheng Yuefen could not accept this answer, she was pregnant! Her appetite is good these days and her belly is getting bigger. How can she not be pregnant?


    And she really didn¡¯t have her period last month.


    ¡°The fact that you¡¯re stirring things up doesn¡¯t change the reality. It¡¯s common for women to have menstrual disorders, and since it came this month, it means there¡¯s no big problem. In addition, your belly is big because you have eaten too much fat, if you are really pregnant, this is only a few months, it is not yet time to show.¡±


    At that time, Dr. Wu took Zheng Yuefen¡¯s pulse and made it clear that her pulse was slippery, but she had to go to the hospital to confirm if she was pregnant. After all, the conditions in the village were too poor to do further tests.


    Moreover, Dr. Wu usually does not give people a pulse, but also, for the sake of being in the same village, he did it for her once, not knowing that there would be a problem in the future.

 CH 53.3

    Zhao Donghe took Zheng Yuefen back to the village and sent the bicycle next door. The family was worried.


    What¡¯s wrong? Is everything okay? ¡°


    Zhao Donghe¡¯s chest becomes stuffy from this farce. Looking at his mother with a bitter smile and telling the story, the whole family was shocked.


    ¡°Not pregnant! My goodness, what¡¯s going on?! What kind of sins did our Zhao family commit in their last life? ¡°


    Jiahui simply did not know how to describe it. How could this kind of nonsense happen to Zheng Yuefen? She simply suspects that Zheng Yuefen was the reincarnation of the broom spirit. She was like a disaster.


    Zhao Donghe went to work in the field, and Zheng Yufen was more and more unhappy at home. She went out to settle accounts with Doctor Wu. She said that his poor medical skills had humiliated her and she asked him to compensate her.


    Many people gathered around to see if Dr. Wu¡¯s face was blue with anger.


    The most taboo thing for doctors was for people to say that their medical skills were not good, not to mention that their family had been barefoot doctors for generations. This is just smashing their jobs and damaging their reputations.


    ¡°At that time, I clearly reminded you to go to the hospital for an examination. It was you who said that you didn¡¯t have any menstruation. I said, ¡°the possibility of pregnancy according to your pulse and didn¡¯t give you a definite answer.¡±


    Doctor Wu has a good temper. Although he is angry, he is still good-natured and explains it to her, but the scholar meets the soldier. Even if he was, to tell the truth. Zheng Yuefen was determined to mess around, and no one could stop her.


    ¡°Aunt, go and see! Yuefen and Doctor Wu are quarrelling! ¡°


    Zhang Yulan shouted to Zhang Qiaoer and Zhao Donghe in the field. As soon as they heard Zheng Yuefen making trouble again, they hurried to the office of Doctor Wu.


    ¡°You compensate my child! Quack Dotor! Pay for my child! ¡°


    Zhao Donghe ran fast and heard Zheng Yuefen¡¯s cries as he reached the door. His head flared up. In the hospital, he lost his face once, so he dragged her back. He was too lazy to talk nonsense with her and went out to work, but he did not expect her to make trouble again!


    In the house, Dr. Wu stood with a stern face, while Zheng Yuefen sat on the ground with a snotty nose and a tear while howling. There were many pointing people, including those from their team and others.


    Zhao Donghe walked over and pulled Zheng Yuefen up and shouted, ¡°What are you doing? Was this still not embarrassing enough for you? ¡°


    ¡°He was wrong. He said I was pregnant. Donghe, I really did not lie to you. I did not lie to you!


    Zhao Donghe gritted his teeth. For a moment, he really wanted to slap her to death, but he finally held back.


    At this time, cheated or not cheated, was it still important? He didn¡¯t say anything. He just wanted her to stop making trouble, but she was in a hurry to get these shameful things out. It was good that no one knew about it. Now it¡¯s good! She directly spread it all over the commune.


    Zhao Donghe took Zheng Yuefen and said many sorry words to Doctor Wu. Doctor Wu looked at Zheng Yuefen, who was sniffing. He always felt that everything was going wrong today. He was hit by bird excrement when he came out of the door, but he couldn¡¯t do anything about the bird.


    ¡°Forget it. Maybe she can¡¯t accept the reality for a while. Half of it was my fault. I shouldn¡¯t have read her pulse in the beginning. I¡¯m here today. Don¡¯t look for me again when you are pregnant. If something happens, go to the town¡¯s hospital. This kind of life is a matter of life and death. I cannot afford to pay the responsibility. ¡°


    The meaning of the words is naturally understood by everyone.


    The incident of Zheng Yuefen¡¯s pregnancy soon spread throughout the team. It was not much, but she quarrelled with Dr. Wu. What is the status of Dr. Wu? Can Zheng Yuefen compare with him?


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s too funny. The doctor said her belly was too big because she ate too much and accumulated food. I¡¯ve never heard of anyone making a joke out of pregnancy. ¡°


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Doctor Wu told her to go to the hospital to check, but she did not go. She announced it to the whole world. She still wanted to ride roughshod over people at home with her stomach. This kind of woman, ah, she really has no brain. ¡°


    Zhang Yulan laughed, ¡°She has always been such a person. Stupid, she thinks that everyone should surround her. I heard that the Zhao family separated because Zheng Yuefen wanted to harm the belly of Donglin¡¯s wife. That¡¯s why Donglin brought up the separation of the family.


    This is a family scandal. The Zhao family, including the Zhao Mancang family, naturally will not say anything. Zhang Yulan also happened to listen to Zhang Qiaoer gossip with her sisters-in-law. Who would have thought Zheng Yuefen could be so stupid? She just casually mentioned the possibility of Dong Jiahui not being pregnant. Who would have thought Zheng Yuefen would really encourage Heidan?


    The crowd of wives stared in disbelief, ¡°Really? Zheng Yuefen is so vicious! ¡°


    Zhang Yulan laughed and said, ¡°No, she also instigated Heidan not to recognize his stepmother. Her mind is very bad.¡±


    Everyone was stunned!


    ¡°Oh, my God, who¡¯s been looking for such a woman for eight lifetimes? What a good guy Donghe was in those days. Why did he find Zheng Yuefen? ¡°


    ¡°Zheng Yuefen is good-looking and eloquent. At that time, she was cheating on them. Who can know whether the other party¡¯s conscience was black or red at the first sight? ¡°


    ¡°It¡¯s also true. You should pay a good visit when you get married in the future. You can¡¯t find such an out-of-tune woman. ¡°


    Zheng Yuefen cried at home for two days and did not go out, Zhao Donghe also did not care about her, Shitou was sent over to the east with his grandmother.


    Zhang Qiaoer has nothing to say to his wife. She only hoped that in the future, her son and grandson could live well. As for Zheng Yuefen, she didn¡¯t have the leisure to care for her.


    Many people asked her about Zheng Yuefen¡¯s pregnancy these last two days. She lost face with many people. They said it was ¡°the second wife of the Zhao family¡± and ¡°Zhang Qiaoer¡¯s daughter-in-law.¡± What a way to call her.


    There are also people who pretend to be kind and remind her to take the eldest daughter-in-law to the hospital to check and don¡¯t make a mess out of it. Zhang Qiaoer turned around. They just wanted to see a good show! I do not want to do what you want. You¡¯ll be the eldest¡¯s wife, and this time she¡¯ll give birth to a strong and solid boy for others to see.


    When Zheng Yuefen calmed down and went to work, she found that everyone looked at her strangely. She thought it was about a fake pregnancy and pulled others to explain it. The other party sneered, ¡°I heard you encouraged your nephew to harm her stepmother. I have to stay away from such a wicked-hearted person.


    Zheng Yuefen froze. She did not expect this to be spread out either.


    ¡°Who said this? They are all slanderous words. How can I do such a thing? ¡°


    The other party was suspicious, ¡°You really didn¡¯t do it? Then why did your family suddenly split up? ¡°


    Zheng Yuefen¡¯s brain turned around a few times, but for a while, she couldn¡¯t really think of any reason.


    ¡°Hmph, you still say you didn¡¯t, but I think you did it. Yulan is right, you are wicked-hearted and stupid. ¡°


    After saying that, the other party turned around and left, leaving Zheng Yuefen, who was glaring at her, then biting her lips. She finally ran away in anger.


    Later, Zheng Yuefen was beaten by Zhang Yulan¡¯s husband for throwing faeces on Zhang Yulan, the two families completely fell out, Zhao Donghe could no longer tolerate what Zheng Yuefen did and made up his mind to divorce, Zheng Yuefen naturally refused to do so for several months, no matter how the Zheng family kept coming to the door to make peace, but they also failed to change Zhao Donghe¡¯s determination.


    ¡°We were husband and wife. You are really so cruel! Do you think you can be like your brother and find another one after a divorce? Look at Heidan¡¯s condition. Do you want our Shitou to become like Heidan in the future? ¡°


    It¡¯s okay not to mention Heidan. Zhao Donghe sneered when he mentioned Heidan. ¡°For the change of Heidan, do you not know it in your heart? If you didn¡¯t talk nonsense in front of the child, could he be like this? ¡°


    They give her a chance again and again, and she won¡¯t repent again and again. If it weren¡¯t for the kindness of his sister-in-law, Heidan would have been abandoned. What would he do to accompany her brother and son?


    ¡°A woman like you is not qualified to be a mother at all. I¡¯m afraid that Shitou will learn from you. As long as you agree to divorce, I¡¯ll give you 200 yuan for parting. After each remarried, do not interfere with each other. ¡°


    Zheng Yue and others really don¡¯t want to leave. Not to mention that she has had feelings for Zhao Donghe for so many years. After divorce, where can she find such a good family like the Zhao family or such a good man like Donghe?


    But Zhao Donghe did not relent, and none of the in-laws came forward to help her to say good things. As long as she was divorced, the villagers would point at her, and she finally had no choice but to go back to her mother¡¯s family.


    ¡°You are the first woman to divorce in our village. Our Zheng family was famous because of you. You are a disgrace to the family.


    Zheng Songnian coldly looked at Zheng Yuefen. He was not willing to accept Zheng Yuefen back. What was her nature? No one knew better than him.


    ¡°There is no place for you to live at home. There is a pigsty outside. Go and live there if you like.¡±


    This is too cruel. Yang Zhizhi moved her lips to persuade him, but she thought of her second sister-in-law¡¯s temperament and stopped and let her husband say it.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that my son-in-law will let go. What do you think? You can¡¯t live at home. Your brother doesn¡¯t agree. I have to listen to your brother¡¯s meaning. In my opinion, you might as well go and ask for Donghe¡¯s forgiveness again. It¡¯s really impossible. We can only find another one for you. If you say you live alone and don¡¯t rely on anyone, I don¡¯t care. ¡°


    Jiang Liang was on her son¡¯s side. After all, she relies on her son to provide for the elderly. Moreover, if the daughter was really wronged and divorced, it¡¯s all right. But she made her life like this by herself. Even her own mother can¡¯t control her temperament.


    Zheng Yuefen sat paralyzed in front of her house. She was finally regretting what she had done, but unfortunately, no one was willing to give her the opportunity to change.


    After a year, Zhao Donghe and Zheng Yuefen officially divorced. Zhao Donghe gave her two hundred yuan, as he had promised.


    ¡°Donghe, I really know that I was wrong. Are you so cruel and refuse to give me a chance? ¡°


    Shitou did not come. Zhang Qiaoer was afraid that the divorce of the two would have an impact on Shitou, like what happened to Heidan. So, after the formalities, Zheng Yuefen did not even have the opportunity to hug Shitou and could only watch from afar.


    Zhao Donghe¡¯s heart is very calm. For this half-year, he thought a lot. He was really tired of the days when chickens flew and dogs jumped. Zheng Yuefen said that she knew her mistake and would change. Zhao Donghe believed that she did have a trace of repentance, but he also knew that this trace of repentance could not last for the rest of her life.


    Zhao Donghe has already thought about it. He doesn¡¯t want to find any more wives in the future. So, he will take Shitou with him. If Shitou asks about his mother, he will say that his mother was dead.


    ¡°You take care of yourself in the future, I¡¯m leaving.¡±


    After he said so, Zhao Donghe walked away. Zhao Donghe was still young, his back was still straight, and he had thick eyebrows and big eyes. He was a handsome young man, but his eyebrows were slightly depressed and sad. He didn¡¯t understand why life had become like this. When did the palpitations become a cold wind?

 CH 54

    On May 28, 1977, at the town health centre, Jiahui gave birth to a boy named Fang Fang, safely.


    The family was very happy about the arrival of Fang Fang. When Jiahui came out of the delivery room, Zhao Donglin held Jiahui¡¯s hand. His eyes were red because of staying up late and worrying. He had too much to say, but Donglin didn¡¯t have the heart to say anything because of the presence of other people. He only said six words. ¡°Thank you for your hard work.¡±


    Zhang Qiaoer couldn¡¯t close her mouth when she saw her little grandson. First, Jiahui added another son to her eldest. On the other hand, Jiahui¡¯s smooth production blocked many people¡¯s mouths, and those rumours could be ended.


    ¡°Jiahui, you are really good. Seven kilograms and two liang, the baby is strong.¡±


    Jiahui nodded weakly. In the later stages of pregnancy, she tried to control her diet, but the family always asked her to make more supplements, and she wasn¡¯t even able to eat less. In the end, she not only failed to control her weight but also gained a few kilograms more than expected.


    Although she didn¡¯t mention it to anyone, before giving birth, she was actually very worried. A while ago, she saw the news that pregnant women were facing danger because of giving birth. In this era of underdeveloped medicine and fundamental medical equipment, she was really worried that she would be in danger. Fortunately, she was safe in the end.


    ¡°Come on, you¡¯re hungry. Hurry up and eat something to pad your stomach. We have kept it warm on the stove and waited for you to come out. ¡°


    It was a small pot of steaming chicken soup. In order to let Jiahui eat hot food at any time, Zhang Qiaoer brought the family¡¯s briquette stove to the hospital. The chicken soup was made by Mei Xiang at home and she sent it over to the hospital. At that time, Jiahui was still in the delivery room. Zhang Qiaoer had built the briquette stove and it had been warmed.


    Just after giving birth, Jiahui was very tired. What she wanted to do most was to have a good sleep. She didn¡¯t have much appetite, but her mother-in-law treated herself so carefully that Jiahui was embarrassed to turn down her mother-in-law¡¯s offer.


    Zhao Donglin helped Jiahui sit up. He set up a small table for her and served her half a bowl of chicken soup and chicken meat.


    ¡°Thank you, mom.¡±


    Zhang Qiao¡¯er laughed, ¡°Silly child, what is there to thank? ¡°Hurry up and eat. Finish eating this and take a nap. ¡°


    Jiahui hummed and bowed her head to drink the soup. Zhao Donglin smiled and stood aside. He sat on the hospital bed beside his wife. There was the crib next to her, and her little son, Fang Fang, was lying there. The weather in May was not cold nor hot; the morning light spilt into the house through the window; the scene was too beautiful and made him feel incomparably happy.


    ¡°Look at Fang Fang¡¯s little mouth. It¡¯s pink and beady. It looks like you.¡±


    On the second day after delivery, Chen Guixiang took care of Jiahui at the hospital. Since Jiahui was admitted to the hospital for childbirth, she was there. She ate brown sugar eggs, millet porridge, and the chicken soup that was brought over by Zhang Qiaoer in a different order.


    Jiahui was still a bit weak today, but she had already started to get out of bed and walk around, but her whole body was covered tightly, impermeable, fearing that she would suffer for the rest of her life if she didn¡¯t sit well for a month.


    She was extremely glad that the time of her birth was in May. If it was in the summer, she may as well have died from the heat.


    There were no electric fans or air conditioners. How painful it would be to sit in confinement in a hot summer.


    After feeding Fang Fang with milk, Fang Fang lay on her side. This is a beautiful baby who everyone praises. He has a white face, soft and dense hair, closed eyes, long eyelashes, and he looks like a little angel who landed on earth. As long as she looks at him, Jiahui¡¯s heart became soft. She just wants to hold him in her arms and love him well.


    It is said that when you became a mother, it was exactly the time when a mother knows the meaning of life. That is, when the child is born, you are willing to pay for his lifetime of hard work.


    Jiahui gently held his little hand and silently said, ¡°Mom will work hard and will definitely give you a bright future.¡±


    So that you can also rely on your father and mother¡¯s wealth in the future.


    ¡°I can¡¯t drink it anymore. Mom, you guys drink it too. ¡°


    It was a large pot of pork rib soup. How could she eat it all by herself?


    ¡°Eat more. You can¡¯t feed your child until you¡¯re full. He has to drink your milk. ¡°


    Jiahui couldn¡¯t help but worry that she hadn¡¯t gotten enough milk. She reluctantly drank two more mouthfuls. When she couldn¡¯t hold a little in her stomach, she stopped.


    ¡°You gave birth to Fang Fang. What is the attitude of the two children at home?¡±


    It was difficult to be a stepmother. In the past two years, Jiahui¡¯s attitude towards Heidan and Yingbao has been seen by everyone¡¯s eyes. It is rare for someone to be dutiful and responsible and act as if they were their own mother. But children are different from adults. They talk about feelings rather than the truth. If you are good to them, they will accept you. They are the ones who are most afraid that a warm-hearted heart will turn into cold water.


    Yingbao was fine; she had no recollection of Jiahui marrying into the Zhao family. She has always been Jiahui¡¯s mother. Heidan was different. He was seven years old this year. He can¡¯t be coaxed or cheated. In addition, Chen Guixiang was really worried about Zheng Yuefen.


    ¡°Very good. Meixiang brought them to see me yesterday, and they liked Fang Fang. They all look forward to us leaving the hospital and going back home.


    Yingbao is two years old. Although she doesn¡¯t speak much, she knows everything. After seeing Fang Fang, she said in a low voice, ¡°Mom, brother, go home.¡±


    Everyone found it funny. They teased her and asked, ¡°Does Yingbao like her brother?¡±


    She nodded her head seriously and said she liked it.


    As for Heidan, it was obvious that he was very fond of Fang Fang, but he didn¡¯t show it as much as Yingbao did.


    Heidan has already started going to elementary school after a year. Because Jiahui tutored him at home, his academic performance was among the best. The teacher said that with his current level of knowledge, he can reach the third grade, Jiahui and Zhao Donglin considered it, but for the time being, they did not let Heidan skip a grade. He had to first build a solid foundation.


    Although he is still as quiet as he was when he was a child, he was very gentle and polite to Jiahui. He often helps her with household chores during Jiahui¡¯s pregnancy.


    Although many people said that Heidan remembered his own mother, he was poorly raised. As you can see, he doesn¡¯t call Jiahui ¡°Mother¡± and so on. But Jiahui never cared about these. It¡¯s just a title, which is not important to her.


    The reason she was good to Heidan was that she was married to Zhao Donglin and was good to him for the sake of Zhao Donglin. She doesn¡¯t ask for a return, but she only asks for a clear conscience, out of love and care for the children.


    This difference was clearer after birth. One is responsible care, and the other is maternal love taken care of in the palm of her hand. In the future, she will strive to be impartial, but deep inside, she will certainly be more affectionate towards her own. Just like Heidan, he respects her and is polite to her, but he will never hug her. I never want to act like a baby in her arms.


    Time passes quickly, especially with a little baby at home and the daily hustle and bustle of caring for him, watching him change day by day, across the summer and into late autumn.


    At the end of October, the country¡¯s major newspapers, magazines, and radio stations announced to the people of the country the resumption of the college entrance examination and revealed that it would be held nationwide in a month, with a unified examination and merit-based admissions.


    The news stated that all workers and peasants, youths who went to the countryside and returned to the countryside as educated youth, demobilized soldiers, cadres, and fresh high school graduates could take part in this movement to resume the college entrance examination.


    The news exploded nationwide, and all aspiring young people who met the policy were ecstatic. Ten years had passed, and the country had finally regained its spring of respect for knowledge and talent, and the sky covered by dark clouds had finally cleared.


    Zhao Donglin received news of the resumption of college entrance exams. When he received the news, his heart thumped. He remembered a year ago that Jiahui had a theory and she mentioned the ¡°resumption of college entrance exams.¡± At that time, he thought Jiahui¡¯s theory had some truth in it, but he did not expect the resumption of college entrance exams to become a reality so soon.


    He always knew that his wife was an extremely intelligent woman. She could keep accounts, use an abacus, teach children some enlightenment, write good words, and tell many stories. However, he didn¡¯t know that she could even guess the direction of national policy so accurately.


    Before Zhao Donglin went home to tell Jiahui about this, Mei Xiang, who had received the news from her classmates, darted into the courtyard.


    Sister-in-law, have you heard? The country is going to resume the college entrance examination. All eligible people can register and participate. Many students in our class have said they want to take the test! ¡°


    Meixiang now completely admires her sister-in-law. A year ago, her sister-in-law asked her to study more and read more books. She said that opportunities are always reserved for those who are prepared. Learning more can always come in handy.


    Under the leadership of her sister-in-law, she revisited the knowledge she gained from the junior and senior high school lessons.


    There was no newspaper at home, so Jiahui really did not know the news, but she was not surprised. She already knew that the resumption of college entrance examinations was going to be this year, she just couldn¡¯t determine the specific time.


    ¡°So do you want to register?¡±


    Meixiang sat down and took Fang Fang from Jiahui¡¯s arms. After hearing Jiahui¡¯s question, her eyes were both lonesome and perplexed.


    ¡°I also want to, but there is some uncertainty in my heart. It¡¯s very contradictory. I do not want to miss the opportunity, but at the same time, I am a little worried. I am afraid that I will not do well in the examination, but I am also afraid that my family will not agree.¡±


    After saying that, Meixiang asked Jiahui


    Then sister-in-law, will you participate? These two years you have been reading books. Do you still want to continue to go to college? ¡°


    In terms of learning, Meixiang believes that her sister-in-law can pass, but her sister-in-law gave birth to Fang Fang, and Fang Fang was still so small. If her sister-in-law takes the college entrance examination, will her eldest brother and mother support her sister-in-law in going to school?


    ¡°Of course I will. I have been waiting for this day. I will tell you, in the future, our country will become more and more powerful, more and more progressive. Even if we are in the countryside, we have to be educated and knowledgeable young people who can contribute to rural construction, not those who can¡¯t do anything but waste time. ¡°


    ¡°So will big brother agree?¡±


    Jiahui winked at her, ¡°guess?¡±


    Mei Xiang smiled, ¡°I can¡¯t guess that.¡±


    Big Brother loves his sister-in-law and usually agrees with whatever she says, but this is a big deal, after all, not to mention that Fang Fang was still so young. So she can¡¯t really guess what her big brother was thinking.


    Fang Fang was in Meixiang¡¯s arms. For a moment, he looked at Jiahui, who was talking, and for a moment, he looked at Meixiang, who was talking. Seeing that no one was paying attention to him, he stretched out his little hand and touched Meixiang¡¯s face. He said something in his mouth. Meixiang grabbed his hand and kissed him.


    ¡°We also want to talk to you, so you have to grow up quickly.¡±


    Fang Fang laughed. The big, round, grape-like eyes reflected Meixiang¡¯s face clearly, making people love it and feel that no amount of love is enough.


    In the evening, Jiahui discussed with Zhao Donglin the college entrance examination. She clearly expressed her desire to participate.


    Zhao Donglin went to a meeting in town today. Knowing that the state attaches special importance to this examination, he did not directly raise objections but mentioned his young son.


    ¡°Fang Fang is still so young. Do you really want to leave him? If you have to go to school, the child must not see you for a long time. Apart from going there alone, I do not feel at ease. ¡°


    In addition to the children, he could imagine his wife leaving their home for a few months.


    Zhao Donglin¡¯s hand was held by Jiahui who was in the dark. ¡°Who said I wanted to go there alone? I wanted to go with you. I read the newspaper. All workers, farmers, educated youth who went to the mountains and countryside, demobilized soldiers, cadres, and fresh high school graduates can participate in the activity of resuming the college entrance examination. You are both demobilized soldiers and cadres in the village. ¡°


    ¡°Our country now lacks a large number of talents; we are also considered aspiring youths. I have to learn more knowledge to serve our motherland. When we have achieved something, can we make greater contributions to the country? When you return to the village with new horizons and knowledge, we will make our village better and richer. ¡°


    It goes without saying that Jiahui¡¯s words were really inspiring. At least on this dark night, Zhao Donglin was moved for a moment.


    He went to the army as a teenager to find a better way out for his family, and if he was put in the present, he would definitely be willing to continue studying.


    His heart was moved, but Zhao Donglin still considered the reality of the situation. There were three children at home, and even if Heidan was older and could take care of himself, Yingbao and Fang Fang were still young. How can their parents bring them there?


    ¡°I also thought about this. Let¡¯s go to a university in our province, take our parents and children with us, and rent a house outside. Not only for us, but I also want to encourage Meixiang to take the exam. Let me tell you, Meixiang is such a good girl; she is young, good-looking, kind-hearted, and smart. It¡¯s a waste for her to marry someone and stay in the countryside all her life. If she goes to college, she can choose a young talent, and her life will be different from now.


    The prospect of Jiahui¡¯s description is very good and operable, but Zhao Donglin did not lose his reason under such a description.


    Over the past ten years, too many educated youths have been wasted. This time, many people will choose to participate in the college entrance examination. The competition was undoubtedly clear. Moreover, the examination time was one month later. He can¡¯t prepare himself for the examination at such an urgent time. Even if he has studied well, he doesn¡¯t have this certainty.


    He fell into a deep tangle in his heart. The times are developing, and the college entrance examination meets the needs of the times. As Jiahui said, the country is in urgent need of talents. Everything will become very different after receiving higher education at university.


    But if he didn¡¯t go, how could he be assured when his wife was away from home and living alone? This uneasiness is not based on distrust of his wife, but purely out of reluctance to see her.


    He wrapped his arms around Jiahui and unconsciously tightened his arms.


    Although Jiahui didn¡¯t know what he was thinking inside, she could more or less guess. She opened her mouth in time and gave him a killer mace.


    ¡°We are not doing it for ourselves alone, but also for our children.¡± If we had a better life, our children¡¯s starting points would have become higher than ours, and their horizons would have broadened. For our children¡¯s future, we have to try. ¡°


    That night, Zhao Donglin lost sleep.

 CH 55

    Zhao Donglin was not a person without dreams; in fact, he also had his own expectations for his future life.


    When he was very young, his dream was to live a full and warm life. The family was magnanimous and lived with dignity.


    After joining the army, his wish was to protect his country, to never have a war, to persevere to the end and not give up, and to face difficulties without fear, because he understood that first comes the country, then comes the family.


    After changing jobs, his plan was to take good care of his two children, achieve some success at work, and do something useful for the villagers.


    Later, he married Jiahui, and after the marriage, his expectations were very simple: to grow old with Jiahui and spend this life peacefully.


    When they were old, they would watch the sunset and sunrise hand in hand. Their children and grandchildren were full of joy. They would pick chrysanthemums under the east fence and watch Nanshan leisurely.


    But now, Jiahui described another possibility to him: that is, to go out of the village, receive a higher education, stand on the shoulders of giants, and start a new life.


    When he went beyond Shanghe Village, beyond Shengli Commune, and even beyond Wu Dong Province in Jiangkou County, Zhao Donglin realized that the world was indeed a big place and that he could do more than just be a village secretary of Shanghe Village.


    The country¡¯s decision to resume the college entrance examination mentioned that priority would be given to ensure the admission of key institutions, such as medical schools, teacher training colleges, and agricultural colleges, and that students would be assigned jobs by the state after graduation, and that not only would they not be required to pay school fees during their school years, but they would also be given a monthly living allowance to reduce the burden of the majority of students from rural families.


    At a time when there are so many things to be done, the country can spend such a huge economic investment to encourage young people to take the college entrance examination and enter the university campus, which shows that the country is in an extreme shortage of talents.


    As Jiahui said, if they work hard and make progress as parents, their children will also benefit. Just like in previous years, the children of cadres will be given priority to study and work.


    After a sleepless night, Zhao Donglin made up his mind to rule out all difficulties in participating in the college entrance examination. As a man, I can¡¯t lose my awareness and fighting spirit to my own wife!


    In her sleep, Jiahui always felt that someone was watching her. She thought it was Fang Fang who woke up, but when she opened her misty eyes, she found out that it was not her son who woke up, but her husband, who was looking at herself. Jiahui breathed a sigh of relief. She wanted to close her eyes and continue to sleep, but the light in his eyes was too bright for her to ignore.


    ¡°So early¡­ why are you staring at me? ¡°


    Fang Fang has not been weaned, and he has the habit of drinking night milk. Naturally, Jiahui fed him once in the middle of the night, and, naturally, she didn¡¯t sleep enough.


    Such days have lasted from the birth of Fang Fang to the present. Jiahui deeply understands the difficulties of being a mother.


    There was no time for herself; she was always around the baby, breastfeeding, changing diapers, and her time was cut into pieces.


    Of course, happiness and pain go hand in hand, and the joy of motherhood was enough to numb all the pain.


    ¡°I¡¯ve thought about it.¡±


    ¡°Well?¡±


    Jiahui¡¯s brain crashed in the morning and hasn¡¯t started working yet.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to take the college entrance examination with you.¡±


    Jiahui then reacted to what he was talking about, and her brain immediately snapped awake.


    ¡°Really? I knew you would definitely agree. ¡°


    After making his decision, Zhao Donglin¡¯s whole body relaxed, and hearing Jiahui say this, he asked with slight curiosity, ¡°Oh, why are you so sure?¡±


    Jiahui laughed, ¡°Because you are not a salted fish, but a young man with ambitions and dreams.¡±


    Zhao Donglin chuckled.


    ¡°Nonsense. What salted fish? ¡°


    He stretched out his hand to reach out to Jiahui. His soft wife made him a little excited. He just moved his mind to seek some benefits for himself. Fang Fang, who was sleeping on the inside part of the bed, suddenly burst into tears. When Jiahui heard her son crying, she didn¡¯t want to take care of her husband. She pushed Zhao Donglin away and bent over to check on Fang Fang.


    ¡°Fang Fang, what¡¯s wrong? Did you pee? Are you uncomfortable? Then wait, mommy will change your diaper for you. ¡°


    Fang Fang¡¯s diaper was changed in the middle of the night, after a few hours. It must have been wet, but it¡¯s good that he didn¡¯t poop, otherwise she would have had to work early in the morning.


    Zhao Donglin shook his head helplessly, his status in the family having plummeted since the birth of his son. In what role did he have a son? He¡¯s more like his ancestor.


    Fang Fang, who was held in his mother¡¯s arms, stopped crying with his slithering eyes, and Jiahui took a clean diaper from the bedside table, and while changing the diaper, she told Zhao Donglin, ¡°Since we have decided to participate, we have to enrol quickly, and for the work in the village, you have to arrange it in advance.¡±


    Zhao Donglin nodded. After breakfast, he went to the commune to explain the situation to director Zhong. He didn¡¯t know whether director Zhong would support his decision.


    By the way, are you the one who will be talking to Mom?


    This is a big deal, a big deal that concerns the whole family. Compared with her opening it up to her daughter-in-law, Zhao Donglin, who is her son, was the most suitable person to bring it up. In this way, even if his father-in-law doesn¡¯t agree, he won¡¯t have any ideas about her.


    How can Zhao Donglin not know Jiahui¡¯s careful thinking? However, this kind of unpleasant task should be left to him.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do the talking. Just wait for the news.¡±


    Jiahui nodded in satisfaction, just as she finished changing her son¡¯s diaper, she went over and held Zhao Donglin¡¯s face and gave him a kiss on the mouth.


    ¡°You go for it. This is a reward for you.¡±


    Zhao Donglin smiled. He looked at Jiahui and said, ¡°That¡¯s it? If they agreed, how are you going to repay me? ¡°


    Jiahui picked up her son to feed him, and when she heard his words, she knew what he meant and spat at him with a red face.


    All you think about are the wrong (indecent) things, and you do not think about the serious things. Let me tell you another thing. I have all the high school textbooks. I also have reference books. Let¡¯s go to the market to see if there is a target review material. Let¡¯s prepare together in the next month. ¡°


    This exam only depends on three languages. Jiahui heard from several elderly people who had participated in the restoration of the college entrance examination saying that the exam questions were not difficult, but those who had a certain learning foundation had finally been admitted to the university.


    Zhao Donglin had a strong learning ability. He was also smart. It should be no problem to try to pick up those knowledge points. Retreat ten thousand steps. Even if the time is tight, and he might not be ready now, but he can still catch up with the remaining time.


    Jiahui was in her room breastfeeding Fang Fang, and Zhao Donglin was the first to go out and talk to his parents.


    ¡°Taking the university entrance exam? Why is this suddenly on your mind?¡±


    Zhang Qiaoer and Zhao Manzhu looked at each other after hearing their son¡¯s words. In their opinion, they are living a good life now. Their son is working in the village, and he has both honour and a high salary. Their daughter-in-law has just given birth to a small grandson and he has not yet weaned. In addition to the team¡¯s work, she also had her sewing skills. Both of them have children, and their lives are flourishing, so there is no need to go to university.


    Besides, they are married couples with children, and they are not youngsters in their teens and twenties, so why go to school?


    ¡°The country has just resumed the college entrance examination, encouraging those young people who meet the requirements to take the examination. Jiahui and I agreed that this is a very good opportunity. Anyway, there is no money involved in going to school, so there is no economic pressure. If you get into a college, whether it¡¯s for work or life, it will have a positive impact.


    Zhang Qiao¡¯er naturally understands this. In fact, there have been no college students in recent years, but most people can¡¯t go to that kind of university. Only those high school students with good ¡°background¡± can be recommended to go to the university. They can arrange a good job for peasants and soldiers as soon as they come out.


    The enrollment document specifically stipulates that for those with rich practical experience, achievements, or expertise, the age can be relaxed to 30, regardless of whether they are married or not. Zhao Donglin will be 30 years old this year, but his actual age was only 29 years old.


    ¡°How about your work in the village? If Jiahui went with you, Fang Fang would be left behind. He is only a few months old. Can you bear it? ¡°


    Not to mention Heidan and Yingbao, they still have two more children.


    The two old people could work hard at home, but Fang Fang was a baby. How could they leave their mother? It was the same as Yingbao at that time.


    ¡°This problem, I and Jiahui also considered. If we pass the exam, our family will go to the city together, rent a house next to the school, and take the children with us.¡±


    Zhang Qiaoer suddenly widened her eyes and said, ¡°What! Will the whole family go to the city? How can such a whole big family go there? Where can we go in the city to earn work points? What shall we eat and drink? ¡°


    Not only will they lose their income, but they will also have to spend money everywhere, so Zhang Qiaoer felt pain when she thought about it.


    In the house, not only was Jia Hui listening, but Meixiang was also in her room listening intently.


    My sister-in-law really didn¡¯t deceive me. She just mentioned the college entrance examination yesterday, and my eldest brother mentioned it to our parents today. She knew her parents. As long as it was what my eldest brother said, they wouldn¡¯t disagree in the end. Meixiang felt very warm when she thought that she could also participate in the college entrance examination and run towards a brighter life.


    Zhao Manzhu smoked a mouthful of cigarettes and then knocked the dry tobacco sticks down. He looked at his son and asked, ¡°You think about it? Must you go to take the test?¡±


    Zhao Manzhu thought farther than his wife since it is supported by the state, it will certainly not be bad. He is also very convinced of what his son said. If Donglin said it was good, then it must be good.


    What Zhao Manzhu thought was that he was old. His only ability now was to farm and do some work at home, but his son is still young and his future is unlimited.


    He is a member of the party. He went back from the army as a village secretary. If he goes to college again, he will certainly be a bigger cadre in the future. how valuable college students are. It¡¯s not the same as taking an examination given to scholars in ancient times.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. Then you¡¯ll take the test. If you pass the exam, we¡¯ll find a way together. ¡°


    Her old companion made a decision for the first time. Zhang Qiaoer looked at her partner, but her heart was still a little hesitant.


    Zhao Manzhu persuaded, ¡°Let them try it. Can you not even allow them to try? Think of it, if they get into college and become college students, later their work will be arranged in the city, and the city will be their registered resident. Doesn¡¯t everyone in the family benefit from it? ¡°


    Zhang Qiaoer thought it was really for this reason and nodded hard.


    Forget it, just let them take it first. It¡¯s still a matter of whether you can get in or not. It would be glorious to be able to pass the exam. Failure to pass the exam is good too. She doesn¡¯t have to think about anything.


    In fact, what Zhang Qiaoer disapproves of is not her son, but her daughter-in-law. The elderly are relatively conservative. They think that a woman¡¯s lifetime value is reflected in marriage and family. If she can take good care of her husband and children, she has fulfilled her responsibility. What future? What ideals? All of them are false.

 CH 56.1

    ¡°Are you going to take the college entrance examination?¡±


    It is false to say that after Director Zhong of the county reform committee heard about the news that Zhao Donglin was going to attend the college entrance examination, he was not surprised.


    From the news of the resumption of the college entrance examination, the number of people registering for the examination in the past two days was particularly high, and the workload of the relevant staff of the Revolutionary Committee had increased a lot. They had to review whether the applicants met the relevant policy requirements in taking the examination, but out of all the people who registered, none of them shocked him more than Zhao Donglin¡¯s situation.


    Everyone knew that Zhao Donglin was a cadre who returned to his hometown from the army, and before he was transferred to the army, he had reached the rank of a company commander, and in the whole commune, the people who could achieve this position could only be counted on one hand.


    It is not easy for him to give up his vested interests and return home. During his occupation as the village party secretary, he also did his duty and did a good job on every task. He was highly praised by the cadres of the commune, his colleagues, and the people in the village.


    Such a grassroots cadre with rich work experience and certain achievements was willing to give up everything to take the college entrance examination and start over like other young people. In addition, to shock and appreciation, Director Zhong is pleased.


    What does this mean? It means that Comrade Zhao Donglin is a good comrade with ideals and ambitions!


    ¡°Good!¡±


    Director Zhong shouted the ¡°good¡± word. His voice became loud and clear. He got up from behind his desk and walked to Zhao Donglin¡¯s side. He patted his shoulder and said with emotion, ¡°You are good, courageous, and worthy of being an excellent cadre in the army. If you want to participate, make good preparations and prepare carefully. If you need anything, just tell me. The Commune will give you convenience as much as possible. There is still a month left. I am waiting for the good news of your success. ¡°


    Zhao Donglin laughed and said, ¡°The director must not expect too much from me so that I won¡¯t be under too much pressure.¡± Whether I can pass the exam, I myself cannot tell. ¡°


    Although his wife reassured him that there would be no problem, Zhao Donglin himself was only fifty percent sure.


    There have been no textbooks for several years. The reference books that can be found on the market are also very few. The state has issued a document to let the provinces make their own propositions, and they have to fill in volunteers before taking the exam.


    It¡¯s not too much to describe the first college entrance examination ten years later with a confused face.


    What? What are the knowledge points? What kind of score can let you go to college?


    And now everyone has only one month left to study while not delaying work and labour. It is really too difficult. too difficult, no one knows what the specific situation will be like. It¡¯s like a blind man crossing a river.


    Director Zhong thought that Zhao Donglin was being modest. In addition to Zhao Donglin¡¯s being a member of the commune party, may it be political policies or regulations, Zhao Donglin certainly knew them by heart. All the documents and materials in the village are summarized by Zhao Donglin and handed over to the commune. He has good handwriting and strong expression abilities. With the language, there should be no problem for him. As for the rest of the other subjects, such as mathematics, Zhao Donglin¡¯s starting point was the same as everyone else¡¯s. In vertical comparison, Zhao Donglin still has great advantages.


    ¡°I believe you will not have any problems. Comrade Donglin will not do things that he is not sure of; he will work hard and let everyone see the power of our revolutionary soldiers. ¡°


    Director Zhong had already thought about it. If Zhao Donglin really got into college, he would set up Zhao Donglin as a typical example for the whole commune, so that more young people would love to study and be active!


    Young people still need to have goals and ideals. They can¡¯t be muddleheaded throughout their lives. Many people wasted their youth because of the problems of the times a few years ago, but now life has returned to the right track. We can¡¯t just indulge in the pain. We should learn to put it down and continue to move forward.


    All of a sudden, three people from the Zhao family took part in the college entrance examination. When the villagers knew it, they all burst into a pot. They always had to say two words before and after tea.


    ¡°The Zhao family is really strange. People can¡¯t understand them. Their two sons are divorced from their first marriage. Three of them have now signed up for the college entrance examination. Isn¡¯t there a problem in their brains? ¡°


    Meixiang¡¯s registration was just. After all, she¡¯s young. But Zhao Donglin is not young anymore. Donglin was almost thirty. He is still the village party secretary. He earns more than 60 yuan a month. How can he not be reluctant to take part in the college entrance examination? He would lose face if he didn¡¯t pass the examination.


    As for Dong Jiahui, the head of the second marriage, she used to have a reputation for being unable to get pregnant. The rumors were dispelled after the birth of Fang Fang. A woman who married and gave birth to a baby can be considered to be leading a good life. What are you still pointlessly tossing from side to side? College Entrance Examination? Do you still have to go to the college entrance examination?


    Zhao Donglin and his first wife divorced because of the problem of his wife¡¯s wanting to return to the city. This second wife is good, but she was also restless.


    ¡°Who says it isn¡¯t? They should stay, steadily and surely. You can¡¯t be overly ambitious. Do they have the delusion that their family will go to college? Let¡¯s not talk about whether the university is good or not. If they all go to college, there will be old people at home and even small ones. So, you don¡¯t even want to live your life? What about drinking the northwest wind? ¡± [1]


    Once this view has come out, some agree with it and those who put forward other ideas.


    ¡°I heard that not only will you not pay tuition fees to go to college, the state also gives money every month. If the family of three enrolled together, there would be no tuition fees or money to pay. Even if they don¡¯t participate in the work of the production team, they will not go hungry. However, the elderly and children would work harder at home. Besides, there is still Donghe at home. ¡°


    Once they mentioned Donghe, everyone also looked back.


    ¡°Yes, how come Donghe didn¡¯t sign up too? He is a few years younger than Donglin. ¡°


    ¡°He¡¯s been separated and divorced, so maybe Donglin didn¡¯t care about him.¡±


    This Donglin was also very pitiful. He used to have a wife. Now they are separated. He¡¯s raising Shitou alone. Hey, why haven¡¯t you heard the news that Donghe was looking for another wife? ¡°


    ¡°Someone said matchmaking. Donghe himself was unwilling and said he didn¡¯t want to find one for several years.¡±


    ¡°Tsk, why does he not want to find one? Was he still thinking about Zheng Yuefen? ¡°


    I heard that Zheng Yuefen has already found another family. She was married to another commune. He is a thirty-year-old widower. His family conditions were okay. The bride price was 120 yuan.


    ¡°Ah? When did this happen? I haven¡¯t heard much about it.


    ¡°Zheng Yuefen was reluctant to leave, but Donghe insisted for her to leave. She refused to let go, and her mother¡¯s family refused to let her live in their house. She and her mother¡¯s family do not get along well. Her mother said that she could go back to live there, but she had to find someone else to marry. No, she married soon after she went back to her mother¡¯s house. ¡°


    People have shaken their heads and sighed, ¡°If it were me, I wouldn¡¯t leave. Just endure it and wait for the man to change his mind. After all, they still have a Shitou. They always bow their heads for the sake of the children. ¡°


    From a woman¡¯s point of view, they still felt that Donghe was somewhat ruthless. He has a wife. How can he leave the person that gave birth to his son?


    ¡°Men are more ruthless than women, but Donghe is not bad for Zheng Yuefen. She gave her two hundred yuan when she left.¡±


    ¡°Two hundred. This is not a small amount of money. I remember that the money Donghe got from the separation of the family was 300 or so.¡±


    ¡°No, I think Zheng Yuefen is really too noisy. Donghe couldn¡¯t stand her, so he divorced her, and there¡¯s nothing wrong with that. ¡°


    Poor Shitou. He became a motherless child. ¡°


    The gossip is unclear and unexplained, but the mouth grows on the faces of others. They will say what they want to say and how they want to say it. For a while, they said Zhao Donghe was cruel, and for a while, they said Zheng Yuefen could cause trouble. Anyway, whatever they say, they feel justified.


    Therefore, what they see from their hearts reflects the way they see everyone. A person with a tranquil heart abandons worldly complications and ugly things. Everything is beautiful in his eyes. The so-called ¡°There is a Buddha in your heart, and everything you see is a Buddha.¡± And those who are not at peace within themselves will speculate on others with malicious intent.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you try it?¡±


    Donghe shook his head and refused, ¡°Forget it, I don¡¯t have the heart to read now. It¡¯s a waste of time. ¡°


    He wanted to go to work and take Shitou with him. After the divorce, there was an inexplicable emptiness in his life. Especially when Shitou was crying for his mother, and Zhao Donghe¡¯s heart seemed to have been poked into countless holes and the north wind was blowing.


    When they are together, it¡¯s like chickens are flying and dogs are jumping. When we¡¯re not together, they are inextricably linked in countless ways. Zhao Donghe¡¯s heart was too tired, he really did not want to prepare for the college entrance examination.


    As for the rights and wrongs, Jiahui was not in the mood to pay attention to them. She wholeheartedly began to prepare for the college entrance examination.


    First and foremost, apply for volunteer work. One person can fill in six volunteers. There are 12 universities in Wudong Province, including undergraduate colleges and universities. After some consideration and research, the three people filled in their own volunteer forms and handed them in.


    Every night after dinner, two kerosene lamps were lit in the hall, and Jiahui took her husband and sister-in-law to review together.


    First, she sorted out the knowledge points and then found several review materials for questions. She was young, her high school knowledge was still in her mind, and the foundation of her liberal art was good, but her mathematics was a little lacking. She felt that her (Mexiang) current state could not let her enrol in a good university, but for ordinary schools, she could still fight for it. As for Zhao Donglin, a typical person good in science, he could do mathematical and chemical problems once. Chinese was not too much of a problem either.


    Jiahui worked as a tutor in college and had a part-time job in the summer counselling class. She has some training knowledge. She sorted out the review materials for each subject according to her own experience and judgment.


    In this era, there is little knowledge in textbooks. In the first two years, Jiahui spent a lot of effort trying to find useful textbooks, which finally came in handy.


    ¡°Sister-in-law, your reference materials are well organized. Can I show them to my classmates?¡±


    Meixiang has a few very close classmates who are also going to take the college entrance exams. Now there are no review materials on the market. Some people can¡¯t even find textbooks. Meixiang is kind. While thinking about her own progress, she also wanted the other students to make progress together. The opportunity of a college entrance examination is too rare. She doesn¡¯t want those dear students to waste the opportunity of the college entrance examination because they don¡¯t have review materials.


    ¡°Yes, let them make a copy by hand. Pay attention so you do not spread it. Just let the person close to you look at it. I made it all by myself. Whether it is useful or not, we still can¡¯t say. ¡°


    Naturally, this is not the main reason. The reason why she reminded Meixiang not to spread it was that she didn¡¯t want to attract attention. As a person who has passed through, the original owner was not very excellent before. Suddenly, it¡¯s bad to be able to sort out the review materials and be known by others.


    ¡°Well, good. I¡¯ll take it to them to look at it and bring it back in the evening. ¡°


    It can only be said that Mei Xiang does not understand the complexity of human nature. Several review materials sorted out by Jiahui have been printed and sold for money. One for two yuan can be regarded as a high price. However, in order to successfully enter the ideal university, as long as you know the news, you have to borrow money to buy it. In this way, at least 30% of the people in the commune have one.


    When Meixiang learned the news a few days later, she was very angry and guilty!


    It¡¯s too much. I kindly gave them the information, but someone took it out to sell for money! ¡°


    Jiahui told her that the college entrance examination is very cruel. You can only go to college with higher scores than others. Meixiang thinks that if others take Jiahui¡¯s review materials and improve their grades, they will have many more competitors.


    Moreover, she took out these materials for her high school classmates. Who must have leaked them, or someone maliciously printed them to obtain benefits? She estimated that five materials, each worth two yuan, would be required. That means that if a hundred people buy it, there will be a thousand yuan. What¡¯s the concept of a thousand yuan? How many years do ordinary peasant families have to work? Even families with working families have to go without food or drink for several years.


    ¡°Sister-in-law, I¡¯m sorry. Obviously, you worked hard to sort it out, and now the benefits have been taken, and no one mentioned your name. It¡¯s all my fault. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t be a person who tries to be on good terms with everyone at that time.


    Jiahui doesn¡¯t really care. To be honest, the review materials are not the golden key to entering the university. The review materials for future generations are flying all over the world. How much do you want to see? Not everyone¡¯s grades are different? It can be seen that learning materials cannot play a decisive role. Finally, it depends on everyone¡¯s strong or weak learning ability.


    ¡°Meixiang, in fact, I don¡¯t care about the review materials. I¡¯m worried about you because you are too kind. You don¡¯t understand the bad nature of people¡¯s hearts. You think too well of others, and take your heart and lungs out to be good to others, but in fact, we should keep our relationship with others in reserve, and we should not turn over all our cards to others. ¡°


    Mei Xiang obviously didn¡¯t understand. Was kindness also wrong? And what is a card?


    Jiahui smiled and wiped her tears with a handkerchief. She patted her face and said, ¡°Don¡¯t cry. It¡¯s not a big deal. It¡¯s just the first stage review materials I sorted out, not the ones for the college entrance examination. These past two days, I sorted out another one, which is a kind of expansion practice. Take this, but this time you do not have to think about others. We have to learn to keep a low profile. People who are too good and stand out can make people jealous.


    Meixiang held the information book and nodded. This time, it¡¯s impossible to give anyone anything.

 CH 56.2

    A month flew by in the midst of intense preparation, and in December, the nationwide college entrance examination began, with over 5 million candidates rushing to the examination room from rural areas, factories, and troops.


    There is no examination room in Shengli commune. The nearest examination room is located in Jiangkou county. At noon on the day before the examination, after the family had a meal, the three people set out from home to the county to stay in the county for one night and wait for the examination the next day, so as not to miss the examination time the next day.


    Don¡¯t have too much of a psychological burden. Just try your best. ¡°


    At first, Zhang Qiaoer reluctantly accepted their idea of participating in the college entrance examination. After this month, seeing that they reviewed until midnight every day, they were unconsciously infected. On the other hand, many people in the village made jokes about them. Don¡¯t look at how three members of Zhao Manzhu¡¯s family registered at a time. No one can say that one out of the three, no one could pass the exam.


    People fight for their breath ((dignity) and trees fight for their skin ((as the bark is vital to a tree, so is dignity to a person). Things have come to this point. Zhang Qiaoer still hopes that they can all pass the exam, not because she wanted to raise her eyebrows at them to blow off steam. It doesn¡¯t look bad to at least block the mouths of those people who like to talk nonsense.


    But she can¡¯t say, ¡°You guys must do well in the exam. Don¡¯t come back if you can¡¯t pass the exam.¡± It¡¯s better to let them relax.


    ¡°Yes mom, don¡¯t worry, we will do well in the exam.¡±


    Zhao Donghe borrowed the village tractor to send them to the commune to take the bus. On their way, they met the villagers. They couldn¡¯t help but say a few words and ask them to do well in the exam.


    ¡°Alright, you can go back now. We¡¯ll just wait for the bus here.¡±


    It would take an hour to go to the county from the commune, and the bus arrives at three o¡¯clock every afternoon.


    ¡°Well, then I¡¯ll go.¡±


    The tractor is on the team. He has to transport sand and soil in the afternoon. If only they wouldn¡¯t use it this afternoon, Zhao Donghe would drive the tractor to send them to the county.


    The three sat on the side of the road waiting for the bus. The bus was a few minutes late, and the bus was particularly crowded. Many of them were students who wanted to take the college entrance examination. There was no seat available.


    Jiahui held the railing. As the bus shook, Zhao Donglin stood behind her, blocking part of the flow of people toward them.


    ¡°We have to get off the bus to find a place to stay. Look at so many people. The hostel must be packed.¡±


    Jiahui whispered in Zhao Donglin¡¯s ear. Zhao Donglin turned his head sideways and looked out of the window. The fine and soft breath in his ear wrapped around his heart like a blister, which was a feeling of special happiness and satisfaction.


    His wish is the same as Jiahui¡¯s; the school is the same, but the majors are different. He chooses economics and agriculture. Jiahui chooses English, education, and medicine, which are all the majors she is interested in.


    The reason why she chose to major in English is that, although Jiahui was not an English major in her previous life, she also passed CET-8 after passing CET-6. In that year, she also considered going abroad. Her IELTS score was as high as 8.5, which fully met the requirements for applying to Cambridge, London¡¯s political and economic colleges, and universities. However, in the end, she cancelled her plan to go abroad in consideration of other problems.


    Considering the development trend of the times, learning English is very easy and useful for her. As for education and medicine, she also starts with her own hobbies.


    After the old bus rattled on the road for more than an hour, it finally arrived at the terminal. The three of them couldn¡¯t afford to relax and went to find a guest house first, starting near the examination center.


    As expected by Jiahui, the guesthouse was full, and after searching for half a day, they were able to book a room in a guesthouse two blocks away from the test site.


    There is only one bed. Naturally, Jiahui and Meixiang would sleep in the bed together. If it was summer, it was fine for Zhao Donglin to not sleep in the bed. But now it is the cold winter months. The floor was too cold, and Jiahui was distressed, so she asked the staff whether there was a marching bed.


    ¡°Sorry, we ran out of marching bed. If you had come late, you wouldn¡¯t even have had the last room. ¡°


    Finally, the guest house evened out an extra bed of cotton wool. At least it could put a layer on the ground. Jiahui and Meixiang made the bed for Zhao Donglin.


    The three had a simple dinner, read some books, washed and rinsed, and went to bed at least nine o¡¯clock.


    ¡°Do you feel cold sleeping on the floor?¡±


    ¡°Not cold. You go to bed quickly. We have an exam tomorrow. We should keep our spirits high.


    The floor is naturally cold. The door was not closed tightly. Zhao Donglin was dressed in a military coat and was covered in quilts. The good thing is that his body is strong. His body was originally warm, but he was still barely able to withstand the cold.


    Zhao Donglin is wearing clothes and a military coat on the quilt. Fortunately, he is strong and has high heat production, so he can barely stand it.


    ¡°Miscalculation. We should have brought two quilts. ¡°


    Jiahui didn¡¯t expect that the hostel would be full. In fact, it¡¯s not that there are many people, but that there are too few places to live in this era. It¡¯s not like later generations. There are all kinds of hotels all over the street.


    Zhao Donglin knew what was on his wife¡¯s mind. His heart was enveloped in warmth. But he didn¡¯t want her to worry. Zhao Donglin comforted her again, ¡°it¡¯s all right. I¡¯m really not cold. Go to bed quickly. ¡°


    Even though Jiahui¡¯s heart ached for him, she could not help. Among the three of them, the one who could sleep on the floor was, naturally, only him.


    ¡°Meixiang, take it easy. With your review, there will be no problem with going to college. ¡°


    Although her mathematics was not outstanding enough, her mastery of knowledge points was very balanced, and she chose liberal arts. It was mostly about reciting and understanding. Meixiang worked so hard without looking for excellence. It¡¯s no problem to reach the admission scoreline.


    Meixiang thought she had affected her sister-in-law with her tossing and turning, and immediately said with apologies, ¡°Sister-in-law, did I affect you?¡±


    ¡°No, I couldn¡¯t fall asleep either.¡±


    In fact, Jia Hui is a bit bed-sensitive, and she doesn¡¯t like to sleep with others from her childhood, except Zhao Donglin.


    Meixiang said softly, ¡°I¡¯m a little nervous.¡±


    There is also some confusion, like standing at the crossroads of fate, each step is crucial.


    Jiahui fully understands Meixiang¡¯s feelings. She was a little nervous when she took the college entrance examination. Although she was fully prepared, who can guarantee that everything would be as smooth as you expected?


    If you can¡¯t sleep, you can count dumplings. One dumpling, two dumplings, three dumplings¡­ so count and count. You will soon be able to fall asleep.


    ¡°Why count dumplings, ah?¡±


    ¡°Dumpling is a homonym for ¡°sleep,¡± which is equivalent to hypnotizing yourself.¡±


    ¡°Ah? That¡¯s what it means; it seems to make sense. ¡°


    After talking to Jia Hui, Meixiang was not so nervous anymore. She closed her eyes in the dark and counted according to Jiahui¡¯s method, falling asleep when she reached the 138th dumpling.


    Zhao Donglin heard the sound of even breathing in the air and knew that his sister was asleep.


    ¡°What about you? Why aren¡¯t you sleeping?¡±


    A familiar voice rang out, and Jiahui curled her lips, ¡°I am having difficulties sleeping in others¡¯ beds.¡±


    Zhao Donglin also smiled. In the night, his face was not as firm as in the day. The lines were completely soft, and his eyes were shining.


    Jiahui reached out her hand from beneath the quilt. Their hands coincided in the air and held together.


    Zhao Donglin rubbed Jiahui¡¯s palm, missed the temperature and smoothness in her hand, got up from the quilt and helped her put her hand back into the quilt.


    ¡°You can sleep. I¡¯ll stay with you.¡±


    Jiahui mumbled and closed her eyes as she was told.


    This night, Jiahui and Meixiang rested fairly well. Only Zhao Donglin didn¡¯t sleep well in the first half of the night. The temperature dropped in the second half of the night. He woke up to do push-ups after being frozen. Later, he simply leaned against the corner of the wall and closed his eyes, just like in-field training in the army.


    Early in the morning, Jiahui was awakened by the smell of food. It turned out that Zhao Donglin quietly went out at dawn, went to the state-owned hotel to buy meat buns and soybean milk, and asked the boss to cook half a pot of noodles. After eating, he sent the pot back.


    ¡°Ah! You¡¯ve even bought breakfast! ¡°


    Jiahui got up from the quilt and began to dress. Meixiang, who was sleeping next to her, woke up vaguely.


    After the three had breakfast together, they sorted out their things for the exam and walked to the examination room together.

 CH 57

    Zhao Donglin and Jiahui applied for the science subject together. The scientific exploration subject tests political science, Chinese, mathematics, and science. Aside from that, Jiahui also added another foreign language. Meixiang applied to the liberal arts, politics, Chinese, mathematics, and literature.


    The examination papers are independently presented by each province. Therefore, the examination papers of each province were different, and the emphasis and knowledge points were also different.


    In the first Chinese test, although Jiahui had a hunch before the test that the subject of this test would not be too difficult because most candidates lacked foundation, Jiahui still felt like it was a dream when she looked at the content of the paper.


    There were no multiple-choice questions on the paper; they were all realistic questions.


    The first item is a phonetic notation, which marks the sentence ¡°treating comrades as warm as spring.¡± The second item was to analyze sentences and point out parts of speech such as nouns and verbs. The third item was rhetorical techniques. The fourth item was to analyze a poem by Chairman Mao. The last item was a composition for 60 points; choose one of the two topics: ¡°at a boiling age¡± or ¡°talking about youth¡±.


    The whole test paper is at the level of a junior high school student in the future, like phonetic symbols and other test points, which have been studied since first grade.


    This paper is not difficult for Jiahui, and the test time was long enough. She took out a pen filled with ink and began to answer the questions in a leisurely manner.


    People at this age generally practice No matter how they study, they first have to practise good handwriting. Fortunately, Jiahui took a calligraphy class when she was a child. She started with a basic small regular script, wrote it one stroke at a time, and finished a test paper. The surface of the paper is clean and tidy.


    The supervisor passed behind her and accidentally glanced at the clean paper and was attracted to it. The supervisor was curious and stood behind her, looking at Jiahui¡¯s test paper. He found out that all the answers Jiahui gave to the questions were right.


    ¡°Dong Jiahui, No. 2 Middle School in Jiangkou County.¡±


    The supervisor read the name silently from the bottom of his heart. He used to be a teacher at No. 1 Middle School in the county. During the turmoil, he was labeled a labor reformer. After the collapse of the Gang of 4, all localities carried out a movement to bring order out of chaos. Only then was he released. He is in his fifties. He has taught and educated people all his life. Even if he has suffered hardships and suffered losses, his love for talent will not be reduced.


    After the Chinese examination finished, politics followed. In recent years, Jiahui has already memorized a ¡°Red Treasure Book,¡± not to mention Zhao Donglin, a political expert at home. The test questions have nothing to do with Jiahui.


    The second supervisor was still the same old teacher. The school¡¯s manpower was not enough, so he has to spend the day here today. Of course, the government does not let the supervising teachers work too hard. They were given a subsidy of one yuan for each examination they supervised. If they calculated the money they earned today, it would be plenty.


    This time he deliberately stood behind Jiahui to look at her answers, and he found that Jiahui¡¯s answers were still very good. Unless he was serious and picky, he really couldn¡¯t pick anything wrong.


    He kept a close eye on all of the examinees in the examination room. Whether it was the last Chinese or this political situation, the examinee named Dong Jiahui had the highest accuracy in answering questions.


    Jiahui didn¡¯t know that she had been noticed by the supervisor. Even when the teachers communicated privately, someone mentioned her name. Looking at her all day, even if the topic was simple, made her a little dizzy. It was torture to reach out and take a pen in such a cold classroom on such a cold day.


    Zhao Donglin was the first to arrive at the school gate, the agreed place to meet up, and Jiahui was the second to arrive.


    How¡¯s it going? Are you tired? ¡°


    He grabbed Jiahui¡¯s hand and put it in his palm to warm it. He looked straight at Jiahui¡¯s face and saw that her face was a little pale and distressed.


    ¡°A little bit. I¡¯m hungry. ¡°


    Zhao Donglin smiled and reached out to scrape the tip of her nose. Let¡¯s eat when we¡¯re hungry. Let¡¯s go when Meoxiang comes. ¡°


    This time the sky has darkened. There¡¯s no bus for the county to the town. If he comes alone, he¡¯ll probably go back all night. Dozens of kilometers were just a small deal for him. But considering his wife and Meixiang, Zhao Donglin still decided to stay in the hostel for one more night and didn¡¯t care about the accommodation fee for one more night.


    Jiahui was very satisfied with Zhao Donglin¡¯s arrangement. If no students were coming and going outside the examination room, she wanted to jump up and hug him and give him a kiss.


    ¡°Let¡¯s stroll around town tomorrow and see if there¡¯s anything to buy. You¡¯ve accumulated a few milk powder tickets. I¡¯ve brought two of them over to buy two cans of milk powder for Fang Fang.¡±


    Zhao Donglin¡¯s working relationship is in the commune, which is equivalent to the establishment of civil servants in future generations. In addition to wages, they will also provide some additional benefits, such as oil tickets, cloth tickets, and industrial tickets. Milk powder tickets are additional humanized benefits after Fang Fang was born.


    It means that if you have a newborn child, you can enjoy that benefit. You will be issued a few of them to add nutrition to the child.


    Not every family would be willing to use this kind of ticket. After all, the price of a can of milk powder wasn¡¯t cheap.


    If his wife said she wanted to buy things, Zhao Donglin wouldn¡¯t have any opinion. After the two got married, he handed over the financial power to Jiahui. Although his salary was given to his mother at the beginning, all the private money he saved was for his own wife, not to mention that after the separation, Jiahui completely mastered having financial power and only gave her in-laws 20 yuan a month.


    ¡°Brother, sister-in-law.¡±


    The couple were getting mushy when Meixiang came running out of the house.


    She was wearing a big red scarf. Two twisted braids were dancing in the air. Her nose was red. From the smile on her face, Jiahui knew that she had done well in the exam. Otherwise, she would have been crying. How could she laugh?


    ¡°Have you finished all the questions?


    Meixiang nodded, ¡°Well, whether it¡¯s right or not, I have answered all of them anyway.¡±


    In fact, when she came out of the examination room, some students took her to ask for her answers. Meixiang couldn¡¯t grasp herself very well. But after she got the question, she realized that many people had empty sheets or papers with scribbles. With such a comparison, Meixiang immediately found confidence.


    Sister-in-law said that the test results are merit-based. The better your test is, the greater the probability of being admitted, but don¡¯t blame her for gloating. Ah, for their own future, she could not care less about sympathy for others who are not doing well on the test.


    ¡°Sister-in-law, you must have answered very well, right?¡±


    ¡°Not bad. For the specific results, we still need to wait for the final results. Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s find a place to eat. ¡°


    It was already dark, and the three of them went to the state-run restaurant where Zhao Donglin bought breakfast in the morning. The boss knew they were taking the college entrance exam and came over to talk to them.


    ¡°How did you guys do on the exam?¡±


    ¡°So-so, let¡¯s wait for the results to come out.¡±


    The boss exclaimed in his heart. It is estimated that there have been many students coming to the college entrance examination in the past two days, from their teens to their thirties. However, these three were quite special, the husband and wife took their sister. Their whole family went to the battlefield together.


    If it weren¡¯t for my age, I¡¯d like to sign up. I wanted to see if I was suitable for being a college student and to honour my ancestors. ¡± The boss wiped the table as he spoke, ¡°Three bowls of egg noodles, right?


    Zhao Donglin smiled and nodded his head.


    Jiahui notived that her bowl had too much noodle so, she gave Zhao Donglin half a bowl of her noodles. Zhao Donglin didn¡¯t say anything. When Donglin finished eating, he put his poached eggs in Jiahui¡¯s bowl.


    ¡°One is enough for me.¡±


    Then Jiahui put the poached eggs back into Zhao Donglin¡¯s bowl.


    After saying that, Jiahui chucked the lotus egg back into Zhao Donglin¡¯s bowl.


    She can¡¯t finish this half of the noodles. She knows that Donglin loves her, but she also loves him. Who made him her own man?


    Meixiang buried herself in sucking noodles. Her eldest brother and sister-in-law are so affectionate that she gets tired of it from time to time, which makes her very uncomfortable.


    At this time, it¡¯s not enough to say ¡°light bulb,¡± otherwise Meixiang will know that she is essentially a super large-watt light bulb.


    The three finished their walk and returned to the guest house. After the examination, several rooms were empty. Zhao Donglin asked for a room. So, Meixiang lived alone, and they didn¡¯t need to squeeze three people into one room, and Zhao Donglin didn¡¯t need to sleep on the floor.


    At night, Jiahui was very satisfied as she nestled in Zhao Donglin¡¯s warm arms. Although her achievements had not come out, she had begun to look forward to her future life.


    If they are admitted to a suitable school, the family can live in the provincial capital without paying tuition fees. The living expenses were subsidized, some money was saved, and the savings at home would be enough.


    But she can not sit on the mountain. The pace of reform will soon begin. She has to think of a way to make money. She previously heard from her elders that at this time, as long as she has the courage, even those who sell tea eggs on the street can make money. It depends on who has the brain to take the first step.


    Zhao Donglin hugged her fragrant and soft little wife. He drew a circle around her waist through a cotton sweater and asked, behind her ear with hot air, ¡°What are you thinking? You¡¯re smiling like a little fox. ¡±


    Jiahui pouted, and her cheeks were red because of the heat of the quilt, like a naive and lovely little girl.


    ¡°I am just looking forward to a better life in the future.¡±


    Zhao Donglin smiled lightly, ¡°Really? Then what did you envision? ¡°


    Jia Hui was not going to tell him about her plans. Before, she had already made him vigilant. The reason for that was that she had revealed the college entrance exams in advance, and she could not use the role of a prophet in her life.


    Jiahui casually muttered, ¡°It¡¯s just that our lives will get better and better. What else could it be? ¡°


    Zhao Donglin listened while his hand began to be dishonest again. Jiahui patted his hand to keep him from moving.


    Pay attention to the place; it¡¯s outside. I don¡¯t want to be heard in the corner. ¡°


    This kind of house is not soundproof at all. With a slight movement and noise, everyone can hear it. She has no thick skin.


    Zhao Donglin hugged her tightly and said in her ear in a low, husky voice, ¡°I¡¯m not doing anything, I just want to kiss you.¡±


    Jiahui glanced at him and didn¡¯t believe his nonsense. Every time he talks about this, it doesn¡¯t have much weight. How could she break off from him with her thin arms and legs?


    His wife disagreed, so, naturally, he can¡¯t mess around. Jiahui had told him in advance that she must go to college. If he couldn¡¯t tighten his belt and affect her plan to go to college, he would only embarrass her!


    Although it¡¯s a joke, Zhao Donglin knows that his wife really wants to go to college. As she said, men still have to be responsible for their lower bodies.


    NL: Last update for today! Thank you again for reading la~

 CH 58.1

    The next day, the three ate buns and drank soy milk. First, they went to the county store and bought two cans of milk powder. When they saw the bulk weighing of the large white rabbit milk candy, they also weighed a pound to take home for the children to try.


    ¡°This is milk candy. They don¡¯t sell it at the supply and marketing agency. ¡°


    At first, Mei Xiang did not know the price, so Jiahui gave her a piece to taste. She lamented that such a delicious thing was not sold in town. It¡¯s a pity. After she knew the price, she felt bad. Five yuan per kilogram! It was more expensive than meat!


    In the era of the planned economy, milk candy was a popular commodity. It was only sold in high-end stores. You also need sugar tickets to buy them. Fortunately, Jiahui had the foresight and brought more than half of all kinds of tickets home before going out. As expected, it came in handy.


    ¡°Well, three pieces of milk candy is equivalent to a cup of milk. The children eat two cups a day as a supplement.¡±


    Children in the 21st century like milk; pure milk, yogurt, all kinds of milk tablets, milk sugar, and dairy products. In the 1970s, drinking milk was rare. Not to mention the cost, it can be said that getting a ticket for milk is very rare.


    ¡°Sister-in-law, you are so good to the children. You¡¯re so willing to spend money on them.


    In the past, others said that having a stepmother was bad. They are wicked-hearted and would not really treat the children well, but since their sister-in-law married, Meixiang changed her established cognition towards stepmothers.


    Jiahui wouldn¡¯t beat or scold them. She cares about their food and clothing. Jiahui cares about their education. She gave them complete clothes, shoes, and socks and cleaned up the children. She¡¯s more attentive than other children¡¯s biological mothers.


    Just like this milk candy, even my mother will be reluctant to buy it!


    ¡°We should be willing to spend the money. We can¡¯t save money for children¡¯s health and education.


    For the sake of the child¡¯s health and education, you shouldn¡¯t be stingy about paying for these things.


    Although milk candy is not a necessity, it can also be considered as their childhood memory and a sense of life rituals. When they grow up and recall these memories as a child who ate the Great White Rabbit milk candy, their hearts will also feel very sweet.


    Because Jiahui is a time traveler, she has a freer and easier concept of money. People at this age want to break up two and a half flowers for a penny. They are not willing to spend money on food or clothing. They have to save everything. It can¡¯t be said that this is wrong. After all, diligence and thrift are fine traditions of Chinese people. The reason Chinese people have so many savings reserves is that they save a little bit. However, after the washing of modern ideas, Jiahui firmly believes that while saving, we should also learn to expand our financial resources. It is useless to rely on saving alone.


    Just like a person that has a salary of 30 yuan a month. Even if he doesn¡¯t eat or drink, he can only get 30 yuan a month. But if he knows how to expand his financial resources, even earning 10 yuan is good. In this way, he not only makes more money but also doesn¡¯t have to work so hard.


    After buying milk powder to eat, Jiahui pulled a few pieces of cloth. Now it¡¯s December, and soon the New Year will arrive. She has to prepare new clothes for the new year.


    There are many kinds of materials in the county. Jiahui bought corduroy fabric, which cannot be bought in the town, but this fabric was more expensive than ordinary fabric. It was double the price of the ordinary fabric.


    Jiahui also thought carefully. In addition to the clothes of her family, she pulled a few more feet. When she got what she wanted, she could sell it to others, which was equivalent to selling things.


    After buying what they needed, the three took the bus and then rode back to the village. It was noon when they arrived at the team. Every family had just had lunch and got together in twos and threes.


    After entering the village, Jiahui felt that everyone¡¯s eyes swept over them like a searchlight. Sure enough, when she approached, everyone began to talk.


    ¡°Hey, back from the college examination?¡±


    ¡°How was your test?¡±


    ¡°Hey, how many things did you buy?¡±


    Jiahui smiled the whole time, leaving the polite words to Zhao Donglin. She walked ahead of Meixiang with her bag. She walked to the yard and saw Yingbao squatting at the door playing with mud. When she saw Jiahui and them coming forward, she left the pebble in her hand and ran to hold Jiahui¡¯s leg.


    ¡°Mom, where have you been? I haven¡¯t seen you for many days. ¡°


    Yingbao was two and a half years old. Her words were still incoherent. Jiahui would brush her hair, braid it and she would tie it with two redhead ropes, and when her pinkish face looks up at her. Jiahui¡¯s heart melts.


    That¡¯s the good thing about the little girl. She¡¯s always cute and adorable, like a doll.


    She bent down and picked up Yingbao. She pinched her little face and said, ¡°Mom went to take the exam, and dad and aunt also went with me.¡±


    With that, she took two pieces of milk candy from her satchel and handed them to Yingbao.


    ¡°Oh, delicious milk candy. Mom and dad bought it for Yingbao in the county. Take it. ¡°


    Yingbao smiled sweetly, cupped Jiahui¡¯s neck, and gave her a kiss on the cheek.


    ¡°Thank you, mom.¡±


    Meixiang looked at her and felt a little sick. Since she was a child, this little girl has been sleeping with her. She is still closer to his mother than her aunt.


    ¡°Yingbao, you didn¡¯t greet Auntie either. Auntie is angry.¡±


    Yingbao turned her head and smiled at Meixiang, reaching out for Meixiang for a hug.


    ¡°Auntie, I missed you too.¡±


    Meixiang faked a hum and hugged Yingbao. She patted her little butt. Yingbao laughed.


    At this time, Zhang Qiaoer came out of the house. Fang Fang was just taking a nap and woke up when he heard the sound.


    ¡°You¡¯re back? We were worried at home all day yesterday.¡±


    They were worried about the exams and how well they lived there and how well they ate.


    In fact, Zhang Qiaoer was really worried about nothing. As modern people are exquisite egoists, aside from how she would always make herself comfortable, as long as there is money, it is impossible to have bad food and bad housing.


    Jiahui walked over to Fang Fang and clapped her hands. She said, with a smile on her face, ¡°Fang Fang, mommy is back. Did you miss mommy?¡±


    Fang Fang obviously did not forget his mother, and he opened his arms for Jiahui to hug him. Jiahui could not help but cry.


    She was not weaned before she went to the exam. The day she left, she was very sad, but what could be done? There is a saying that she can¡¯t hold you when carrying bricks, and she can¡¯t carry bricks when holding you. She has to work hard, even for her children. She can only bear not to give up the county exam.


    For the past two days, her chest has been swollen, and she wants Fang Fang to drink more for a while. Breast milk contains immunoglobulin, which can enhance the child¡¯s enhanced resistance and reduce illness.


    She had to spend time on milking, and yesterday, when the exam was over, she had no choice but to turn in the paper early and go to the toilet, wrapped in a towel and squeezed, she really felt some bitterness in her heart at that time, thinking that she was suffering in this era, but no matter how fragile she was, she still had to try to go forward when she should go forward, and not to stop.


    The good thing is that Fang Fang was already half a year old and could eat rice paste, noodles, and steamed buns. Except for two fewer breast milk, she was not afraid of him starving.


    Mom, this is the milk powder we bought in the county. This is for Fang Fang to drink and to give him more nutrition. This is the brined vegetables we bought, roasted duck and pig ears, for Dad as a drink.


    Zhang Qiaoer took the things, took the milk powder can and looked at it carefully for a long time, and said with the clicking of her tongue, ¡°Aiyaa, look, it¡¯s not easy to go out, and you bought so many things back. How much money must you have spent? Have you eaten yet? Did you not eat what I gave you? ¡°


    Jiahui didn¡¯t take her mother-in-law¡¯s words to heart. The old people were They like to nag.


    We haven¡¯t eaten yet. You can make whatever¡¯s available. ¡°


    ¡°I¡¯ll cook some noodles for you. There is still some leftover from what I made for Fang Fang.¡±


    Heidan and Shitou were in school at this time, Jiahui hugged Fang Fang and took Yingbao back to the house with her, and organized things a bit.


    In the evening, she called their eldest uncle, Zhao Mancang, over for a drink. In addition to the brisket she brought back, Jiahui cooked two more dishes, and also made cornmeal cakes.


    ¡°I asked Donglai to take the exam. The boy refused to say anything. Hey, our family still has to count on Donglin in the future.¡±


    Zhao Mancang drank two glasses of white wine. He was slightly drunk in the open box.


    ¡± We couldn¡¯t guess what would happen. Maybe in the future, Donglai will have an opportunity for advancement. ¡°


    Seeing that his uncle¡¯s glass was empty, Zhao Donglin poured him a glass.


    Zhao Manchang shook his head and smiled, ¡°What opportunity for advancement can he encounter? He would still be farming at home; he would be facing the ground with his back to the sky for his lifetime. ¡°


    What can be achieved? Which person could be like his nephew? In the army, he was a cadre. When he went back to the countryside, Donglin was still a cadre, and now he wanted to go to university. If he really passes the exam, his future is unlimited.


    Zhao Donglin smiled and said comfortingly, ¡°No, our country will certainly become better and better. There will be more opportunities.¡± As long as you seize the opportunity, there¡¯s no need to go to college. ¡°


    When Jiahui heard this, she looked at Zhao Donglin and thought that what Zhao Donglin said was indeed right. After the reform and opening up, national development kept pace with the times and rose like a rocket. In her era, even rural areas had realized urbanization and modernization. In some places, rural areas were richer than cities.

 CH 58.2

    After the exam, there was a long wait. The Chinese New Year begins in February. Jiahui began preparing clothes for the Chinese New Year. First, she made a corduroy coat for each of the children, including Shitou¡¯s.


    Jiahui thought that when she first married, she had a few fights with Zheng Yuefen about making clothes. In the twinkling of an eye, things changed. Zheng Yuefen divorced Zhao Donghe. It is said that she has been remarried and married in a faraway place.


    Shitou grew up a lot after their divorce. At first, he asked where his mother had gone to and why she hadn¡¯t come back. Later, he didn¡¯t ask. He went to school with Heidan every day and sometimes ate in the East.


    ¡°Jiahui, where did you buy this material? It¡¯s weirdly thick. ¡°


    As Jiahui expected, the corduroy fabric really aroused the interest of people in the village, and many people came over to inquire.


    ¡°I bought it in the county when I went there.¡±


    ¡°No wonder. I went to the supply and marketing agency yesterday to see if there was any, and it turns out they do not sell this kind of fabric there.¡±


    ¡°Jiahui, do you have more clothes here? If you have some, give me a few feet of it, so I can make new clothes for my Shanzi. ¡°


    ¡°I can share a few feet, but this fabric is thicker than other fabrics, and the price is much higher.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s for the sake of the child. He¡¯s in junior high school; he needs to pay attention to his image. Maybe he can find me a good daughter-in-law. ¡°


    The next person laughed and said, ¡°How old is Shanzi? You are already thinking about your daughter-in-law. It is too early to think about this. ¡°


    ¡°What¡¯s early? Let¡¯s start now, so we don¡¯t have to go through all the trouble of finding a good one later. ¡°


    ¡°That¡¯s true. You have a good idea too.¡±


    In the end, Jiahui earned four pieces of cloth tickets, fabric money, and the cost of making clothes, and the money they spent on a pound of rabbit milk candy almost came back.


    After New Year¡¯s Day in 1978, the college entrance exam results were released. On this day, Zhao Donglin was still in the office of the village revolutionary committee when the landline phone rang.


    ¡°Comrade Donglin, this is Zhong Guixiang.¡±


    ¡°Hello, Director Zhong.¡±


    ¡°I received a statistical list of college entrance examination results today. Congratulations! You scored 326 points, fifth place in our Jiangkou County!¡±


    ¡°Really?!¡±


    Zhao Donglin¡¯s heart surged for a moment. He himself was a bit surprised by this result.


    ¡°And ah, I remember your wife was called Dong Jiahui.¡±


    ¡°Yes, she prepared more adequately than I, so the results should be better than mine.¡±


    ¡°Let me tell you, she is not only the first in our Jiangkou County but also the second in the whole Wu Dong Province, with 383 points!¡±


    Director Zhong was too happy. Of the 692 candidates in Shengli commune, 281 have reached the admission scoreline, which is far higher than the admission scoreline of the whole county, the whole province, and even the whole country. He is the director of the county reform committee, and this time it is a great show of face.


    In particular, Dong Jiahui Although she was not the number one scholar in the province, it was also very glorious for them to have this ranking in their small commune. The leaders of the country and the province have spoken their praises.


    When Zhao Donglin heard his wife¡¯s results, he was very proud. This is his wife. Not only was she good-looking with a gentle temperament, but she also had the second-best score in the province!


    After the excitement, Zhao Donglin finally didn¡¯t forget that he still had a sister.


    ¡°Director, I have a sister named Zhao Meixiang. Do you think her score has reached the scoreline? ¡°


    ¡°Zhao Meixiang¡­ Let me see if


    The sound of Director Zhong flipping through the documents came over the phone, and after about sixty or seventy seconds, Director Zhong¡¯s voice rang out again over the phone.


    Zhao Meixiang, the second team in Shanghe Village, scored 264 points and has reached the admissions line.


    Zhao Donglin breathed a sigh of relief. Now his family can really live in the city.


    Zhao Donglin hung up the phone in an agitated mood. The village head, Xu Haiming, had heard them. His mood was not happy or anything. In short, it was a little complicated.


    ¡°Congratulations, Donglin. From now on, you are a college student.¡±


    ¡°And there are three college students in the family!¡±


    ¡°Green smoke is coming from your ancestral grave.¡± (This is a Feng Shui saying. The green smoke has a slightly blue gas, a kind of auspicious gas, and it is a kind of good omen. According to the old saying, you can be an official.


    Zhao Donglin rode his bicycle and rushed home. At this time, when the countryside was in agricultural leisure, the family was at home, and when Jiahui saw Zhao Donglin pushing in the door with a smile on his face, she had a premonition that the college entrance exam results were out.


    Zhao Donglin stood up from the chair with Fang Fang in her arms, and Zhao Donglin approached step by step, hugging the two of them tightly.


    ¡°We got in, we all got in; you got second place in the province, the first in our two counties!¡±


    At that moment, that real feeling of changing destiny, that heartfelt surge of fervour, made her unable to restrain her joy.


    ¡°Really!? Did you all get in? And Jiahui is still the top student in the county?!¡±


    Zhang Qiaoer¡¯s mouth grinned to the back of her ears. The team gossiped a lot these days. This is good that all three members of their family have passed the exam. Three out of three members of their family were now college students!


    ¡°Brother, I also passed the exam. Are you sure? Where did you get the news? ¡°


    ¡°Director Zhong of the commune called me. He just got the list of results.¡±


    ¡°Thank God, now our family is going to go to the next level.¡±


    Not to mention how the Zhao family was in the limelight because of this. Two days later, someone from the county education bureau came.


    ¡°This is the case. Our province is now extremely short of educational personnel. The leaders of the province have made plans to establish a junior college class at the Provincial Normal University.¡± All candidates with college entrance examination scores of more than 240 can enter the university and graduate in a year and a half. After graduation, they are directly assigned to various schools as teachers. Do you have this intention? ¡°


    A college degree is naturally not as good as an undergraduate course. 240 points can be a good undergraduate course, but now there is really no way. After ten years of educational mistakes, we have to try to reserve educational talents for the province!


    On the surface, the students who choose to enter the normal college class seem to suffer a loss, but this plan could attract a large number of talents to Wudong province.


    A bachelor¡¯s degree will take four years to finish your studies, and Wu Dong, which is over a hundred years old, can¡¯t afford to delay this time in education!


    A college degree is certainly not as good as a bachelor¡¯s degree. In addition, Zhao Donglin can¡¯t consider going to a normal school. As for Jiahui, with such a good result, the second in the province. It¡¯s a pity to go to college. Therefore, the goal of the two recruiters from the beginning was to aim at Meixiang.


    From the beginning, the two admissions officers were aiming at one person. Mei Xiang herself thought of this, and after hesitating, she chose to agree.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll go. I¡¯m twenty years old this year. A year and a half after graduation, I will be twenty-one. I¡¯ve learned enough knowledge and won¡¯t waste time.¡±


    Meixiang applied for a normal university, and colleges and universities were established in the province. Her academic qualifications must be different, but Meixiang also had her own considerations. Her mother had been worried about her looking for an object. She thought that it was good to be a teacher, and she might not be able to do anything else. Moreover, she would be able to graduate from college in a year and a half, and just look for an object after graduation.


    On the other hand, she is such a big person, and she is still eager to go to work and rely on herself as soon as possible.


    Zhang Qiaoer had been listening and didn¡¯t speak. The children had to make up their own minds about such a big event. She was satisfied and felt that the girl was very sensible.


    ¡°Great. Our province needs young people like you. Don¡¯t worry. The province will train you well. Although it is a college degree, you will receive the same treatment as undergraduates after graduation, and you will graduate earlier than undergraduates. ¡°


    In February, Jiahui and Zhao Donglin received admission notices one after another before the Chinese New Year. They were admitted by the Department of Finance and Economics at Wudong University and the Department of English at Wudong University, both of which were their first choices.

 CH 59

    The fact that the Zhao family had three college students caused a great deal of excitement in the village, and even the local newspaper reported it.


    Many guests came to the house in an endless stream. Zhang Qiaoer happily shared the melon seeds and fruit candy she bought from the supply and marketing cooperatives.


    Such a big event, if in modern times, they would be inviting guests to dinner, but the families from the 1970s were not rich. But even though they didn¡¯t invite the guests to drink wine and eat dinner, because this event was a happy thing, letting the guests eat some melon candy to make them happy was also necessary.


    That day, Zhao Caixia took her children back to their mother¡¯s house. Her face was red. There were three college students in her mother¡¯s house. She was really proud.


    ¡°Meixiang, you¡¯re really good. Who would have thought that a silly girl could be admitted to college and become a teacher one day? ¡°


    This little girl looks silly all day. She didn¡¯t expect him to give her a face at home this time. More than 100 people in the commune were admitted to college, and her sister was one of them.


    Meixiang said with an embarrassed smile, ¡°It¡¯s all because of my sister-in-law. It¡¯s her good counselling.¡±


    It can be said that the reason why a lot of people were admitted was thanks to the various materials circulated at the beginning. Unfortunately, no one knows that it was sorted out by her sister-in-law. What a glorious thing to say.


    But my sister-in-law said, ¡°We don¡¯t want this reputation.¡± Anyway, our family benefits were on the line. Now there are many people with the red-eye disease [1] in the village. The better their family lives, the more they should be low-key.


    Zhao Caixia patted her little sister¡¯s head, ¡°I know it is your sister-in-law¡¯s credit. Therefore, there is less misfortune for a wife and a good husband. Not only does it not cause trouble, but it can also make things better. ¡°


    As an elderly sister-in-law, she was also very grateful to Jiahui. She not only took good care of Heidan and Yingbao but also gave birth to a cute baby like Fang Fang. It is said that it was my sister-in-law who first proposed the college entrance examination.


    After lunch, Zhao Caixia went to talk to his second brother, Donghe, who was by the river.


    ¡°Listen to what Donglin said. When he asked you if you wanted to take the examination, you did not agree. If you went with them, you would be happy now. ¡°


    She didn¡¯t mean anything, but Donghe was young and divorced. As a sister, she also hoped that her brother would have a good life, go to college, and find some jobs in the future.


    Not to mention how good it is. Even if you go to a normal school like Meixiang, being a teacher is better than working at home.


    This is her age. If she were a few years younger, even she would be excited.


    Zhao Donghe looked at the river and didn¡¯t make a sound. When he saw that his eldest brother and the others had all passed the exam, It¡¯s also a lie to say that he didn¡¯t regret it, but that regret didn¡¯t last long. He always felt that people should know how to accept their fate. Everyone¡¯s life is different. If they miss it, they will miss it. Besides, even if he participates with them, it doesn¡¯t mean he will be able to pass the exam.


    A year ago, Jiahui took several children back to her mother¡¯s house. She made two new clothes for her mom and dad, and also made a corduroy strap dress for Tianniu.


    ¡°You¡¯re so busy, why are you still making clothes for us?¡±


    Chen Guixiang¡¯s face smiled happily, but her mouth said something else. Sister-in-law Zhou Yindi was also satisfied when she looked at the strappy dress on her daughter Tianniu.


    ¡°This kind of skirt is really nice on the little girl. Are those kids from the city wearing this?¡±


    Jiahui went to the county for an exam last month. When her sister-in-law saw the children in the city wearing this, she made it for Tianniu.


    In fact, Jiahui didn¡¯t do it until she saw others wearing it. She just thought that in her previous life, little girls looked very good in suspender skirts and suspender pants. Besides, the suspender skirt can save cloth, so she made one for Tianniu.


    ¡°It looks good with clothes. I also made one for Yingbao. When they wear it together for the new year, they will look like they are twins when they stand together.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it? Yingbao has grown up really fast, and she is now almost as tall as Tianniu. ¡°


    The difference between them is more than half a year. When they grow up, the height gap will get smaller and smaller.


    ¡°It was too late, so I made a skirt for Tiannui, and I will make some for my other nephews next time.¡±


    ¡°Oops, what new clothes do boys need? They can¡¯t wear it for two days before it breaks. The little girl only has to be more lovable. ¡°


    Zhao Lijuan had been thinking of giving birth to a daughter as her second child, but she gave birth to a boy. He was half a year older than Fang Fang, and he was already one year old and had just learned to walk.


    ¡°Mom was so happy to hear that you got into college that she almost bought firecrackers to go to your in-laws¡¯ house.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not true. My daughter is so good and so outstanding. What¡¯s the point of setting off two sets of firecrackers?¡±


    Chen Guixiang hugged Fang Fang and did not let go of him. Her daughter had suffered so much, and now she was happy and had a child, which meant her daughter had no problems with giving birth.


    Thinking of the Lu family in Xiaoling village, Chen Guixiang was relieved when she thought about the mess.


    The new year was especially lively. She ate and drank well every day. Zhang Qiaoer felt that she had never been so happy in her life.


    Years later, the Zhao family held a family meeting on the future living arrangements. The current situation is that Zhao Donglin Jiahui and Meixiang are going to university in the provincial capital. They have to come up with a plan as soon as possible; whether to keep their three children at home or take their children to live in the city.


    ¡°I always think it¡¯s too expensive to go to the city, and I¡¯m not willing to leave a mess at home.¡±


    The matter of moving to the city with the children has been mentioned once before. Zhang Qiaoer¡¯s attitude towards it was vague. She didn¡¯t disagree, nor did she agree. At the critical moment of the decision, she was really not willing to leave the well.


    As the old saying goes, the gold nest and silver nest are not as good as the family¡¯s doghouse. The provincial capital is good and prosperous, but it is not as comfortable as living in a house at home.


    Jiahui can understand her mother-in-law¡¯s idea. The old people are old. They have never left home. In their heart, they are actually very afraid to face the new environment. Moreover, they have saved their whole lives. They have to spend money everywhere in the city. They will be very distressed.


    But she can¡¯t bear to leave her child at home for four years. It will become a left-behind child.


    The provincial capital is only a little more than 100 kilometers away from home. This distance would be nothing if it were in the 21st century. But in the 1970s, it was really annoying to toss around. For example, the bus from the county to the town takes two shifts a day, and there is no time to miss it. It is really inconvenient to change several buses from the provincial capital to the county.


    Mom, I understand your idea very much. In fact, we are reluctant to leave home, but for the future of this family, we strive to enter the university and go out. My idea is that Heidan is old enough to go to primary school in the provincial capital. Education in the city is different from that in the countryside, and children will become better. My idea is that if the children leave their parents for a long time, it is not good for their growth. For the years to come, we may have suffered more and spent more money, but it can benefit our children for a lifetime.


    Jiahui justified their views, Zhao Donglin took the lead in nodding in agreement. Meixiang also thought that her sister-in-law had a point. When they went to the county to take the exam, the children in the county seemed to be more polite than those in the countryside. If she went to the provincial capital, it would be more prosperous than the county.


    In terms of eloquence, Zhang Qiaoer couldn¡¯t compare with Jiahui. Zhao Manzhu, as usual, smoked a dry cigarette and didn¡¯t speak.


    ¡°Then¡­ Donglin, what do you say?¡±


    ¡°It must be hard for my parents to go to the city, but I also want to go with my family in my heart. We want to improve ourselves, give our family a better life, and leave our children at home. There are always places we can¡¯t take care of. If it¡¯s possible, we still want to take them with us. ¡°


    The meaning of these words was that he also wanted to go there as a family. This time, Zhang Qiaoer had no excuse, so she had to respond.


    ¡°That¡¯s okay, then we have to hurry up and get ready. We have to find the house, and we have to bring what we can. We have to spend money on everything there. It¡¯s like a bottomless pit. ¡°


    ¡°Let¡¯s look for a house first. I¡¯m sure we can find one with complete furniture. We don¡¯t have to bring much. ¡°


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll go in a few days.¡±


    The opening time of both schools is March. They have to implement the house in February.


    On the eleventh day of the first month, Zhao Donglin set out for the provincial capital. Before setting out, Jiahui told him his requirements for the house.


    First of all, it should be clean and tidy, close to the school, surrounded by primary schools, and the neighbors should also be friendly and humane.


    We all know the story of Meng¡¯s mother moving three times. The quality of the living environment can have a certain impact on the growth of children.


    ¡°Our family now has about 2000 yuan. We will rent it annually. We can consider it if it¡¯s within 100 yuan. If it¡¯s really good, it¡¯s OK to pay 150 yuan. ¡°


    Jiahui was very relieved to hand over the rental to Zhao Donglin. He has been in the army for so many years and has returned to the village as a village party secretary for two or three years. He has outstanding abilities in all aspects. Jiahui believes that he will find a house suitable for his own residence.


    Zhao Donglin entered the provincial capital and went to school first.


    Wudong University is an old university. It was abandoned during the Great Revolution. After the national college entrance examination was opened, the school was repaired, the weeds and everything else had been cleaned, and the walls had been repainted.


    Zhao Donglin originally just wanted to take a look and leave, but when he saw an Uncle sweeping the floor with a broom at the entrance of the school, he walked over with a twist of mind.


    ¡°Uncle, do you work in this school?¡±


    The Uncle was a little slow, with glasses and grey hair. When he heard Zhao Donglin speak, he slowly turned around.


    ¡°Ah? What did you say? ¡°


    Donglin didn¡¯t know if the Uncle didn¡¯t hear (Donglin¡¯s voice was not loud enough) or if his hearing was not good. Zhao Donglin increased his voice and asked again.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m not. I¡¯m just a janitor.


    An elderly man, during the New Year¡¯s period, is still in the school to look after the gate. This character setting unknowingly reveals a trace of loneliness, which is very sympathetic.


    ¡°Uncle, are you a local? I want to ask, is there a rental house around here? ¡°


    ¡°Oh, you want to rent a house?¡±


    These days, there are not many passing people. Few of them go out to rent a house to live in.


    ¡°Yes, I got into college with my wife, and I want to bring my children over together, and I want to rent a house to live in this neighbourhood.¡±


    ¡°Did you get into college, and where did you go?¡±


    Zhao Donglin smiled, ¡°It¡¯s this one, Wu Dong University.¡±


    The Uncle let out a cry, ¡°That¡¯s not bad, you all went to university.¡±


    This is the best university in Wudong province. This year¡¯s scoreline is 285 points. Being able to pass the examination shows that they are excellent enough. They are dragon and Phoenix among people, not to mention they were both husband and wife.


    He looked at Zhao Donglin¡¯s tall and straight figure and asked with interest, ¡°You look like you¡¯ve been in the military.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I have been a soldier for twelve years.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    The Uncle was interested. Is this a soldier admitted to college?


    ¡°Which army are you from?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m from the **** army, but I¡¯ve been discharged from the army for two years. I changed my job and returned home to be a village party secretary. ¡°


    The Uncle laughed twice, became a soldier for 12 years, transferred to the village as a grass-roots cadre, and was admitted to the university. From this point of view, he is a person who loves learning and progressing!


    The Uncle ¡®s impression of Zhao Donglin has risen again.


    References

 CH 60

    ¡°Young man, you are excellent! Our country now needs young people like you who know how to move forward. ¡°


    The old man swept the leaves into the dustpan and carried the broom and dustpan towards a small house behind the gate.


    ¡°Come on over. I happen to know a house for rent around here.¡±


    Zhao Donglin did not react at first; he just saw the old man sweeping the floor alone. He looked a little lonely. On his way, he asked the old man about the nearby houses and didn¡¯t expect that it would be so easy to solve his problem.


    Although the old man¡¯s hair was already grey, his movements were not slow. The old man put the things away and looked back at Zhao Donglin, who did not follow him. He waved his hand towards Donglin and said, ¡°Come on! What? Are you still afraid that I will cheat you? The house is just behind the school, just a few minutes walk. ¡°


    Zhao Donglin strode over with a smile. He was a young man with no possessions. He was not afraid of being cheated by others, and there was nothing to cheat him of.


    Besides, this old man¡¯s whole body had a warm aura, which made people feel an inexplicable sense of closeness.


    The old man took Zhao Donglin around the school wall for half a circle. Behind the school gate were rows of residential houses, hidden in towering trees and stepping on the leaves blown down by the north wind, which had a quiet and simple taste.


    Zhao Donglin is not a dull person. This kind of place can only be lived in by people with status. I¡¯m afraid that this kind and a warm-hearted old man was not as simple as the gatekeeper who was just sweeping the floor.


    The old man stopped in front of an iron courtyard in the middle. He turned to Zhao Donglin and said, ¡°Here is my own house. There are five rooms, divided into front and back yards. At present, it¡¯s only me and my wife who live in this house. I can rent out the front yard. See if it¡¯s suitable for you. ¡°


    The house was assigned by the school. At first, the old man didn¡¯t intend to rent it out. He just liked Zhao Donglin, and when he heard that Zhao Donglin said that both the husband and wife had been admitted to Wudong University and wanted to bring their children to live together, he was moved and had an idea of renting it for him.


    A few years ago, the old couple¡¯s only daughter died. His old companion always said that the family was too cold. If there were a few children, the family would be lively, and his old companion would also become happy.


    The old man pushed open the iron gate and took Zhao Donglin into the courtyard. As soon as the courtyard door was opened, the house door rang, and an old woman with the same white hair and wearing glasses came out.


    ¡°Why are you back so early today? I haven¡¯t even started cooking yet.¡±


    The old woman didn¡¯t notice someone behind the old man at first and said something homely. The grandfather smiled and turned sideways, patting Zhao Donglin¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Oh, I met a young comrade in front of the school. He is a freshman who just got into college this year. He said he wanted to rent a house near the school and bring his family over to study together. Knowing that our house was quite big, with so many empty rooms, I thought of bringing him over to see the house. ¡°


    Zhao Donglin nodded his head and said hello to the old woman.


    ¡°Hello, Auntie I just came over to see the house¡­ ¡°


    As for why he came over, he really couldn¡¯t quite figure it out.


    The old woman was stunned. She did not expect her husband would suddenly bring someone back and say that their house was open for rent. She hadn¡¯t heard her husband have this idea before.


    ¡°Oh yeah, well, come inside and take a look.¡±


    Despite the surprise, the old woman welcomed Zhao Donglin.


    The house was cleaned up, with vermillion furniture, a five-drawer cabinet, a coffee table, a sofa, and the tape recorder placed on the cabinet, and the photo frames hanging on the wall, reflecting the family¡¯s high taste and excellent accommodation everywhere.


    Zhao Donglin was naturally satisfied with the living environment, but he was afraid that the rent would be high for such a good house. His wife said that the maximum amount they were willing to spend was not higher than 150 yuan a year. Otherwise, their family¡¯s savings will not be enough.


    ¡°How about it? Are you satisfied with it? ¡°


    The old man had already told his old companion about Zhao Donglin¡¯s situation. The old woman¡¯s heart began to waver after learning that it was a family coming over with three children.


    She gave birth to a daughter in her life. After marriage, the couple were influenced by some people and sent down to the Heilongjiang farm. They got sick there and lost their lives. The old couple tossed around for two years before learning of the news of their daughter¡¯s death. They cried their hearts out; their eyes were almost blind. Even so, their child still could not come back.


    After the fall of the Gang of 4, some people invited them out of the decentralized land. Especially this time, when the college entrance examination was resumed, the school lacked respected teachers. They were hired to go back to school to teach. They not only arranged a house for them but also arranged their lives properly. What¡¯s the meaning of a better life if they were just two lonely and dependent old people who lived and died one day at a time? Their daughter was gone, and their lives had become boring.


    The old woman looked at Zhao Donglin, who seemed to have the word ¡°justice¡± written between his eyebrows. His physique looked strong, his eyes were clear, and he was a freshman who had just entered Wudong University.


    She had lived for so many years, and she had seen a lot of people. Whether a person¡¯s mind was good or not, she could accurately guess.


    This comrade looks like a young man of good character, and she has already agreed in her heart to her old companion¡¯s decision.


    ¡°Good. It¡¯s quite good. I just do not know how to negotiate the rent. ¡°


    Zhao Donglin did not hide his thoughts, and he directly asked the old man the question.


    Of course, he felt guilty when he said this. He felt like he was bargaining. In fact, his mind was very simple. The house was good and even exceeded his expectations. But only when you are capable can you do whatever you want. The financial condition of his family was just like this. There was no need to swell one¡¯s face up by slapping it to look imposing. [1]


    When he heard this, the uncle smiled and said, ¡°I only asked you to rent a room, but I didn¡¯t intend for you to pay; we just wanted a lively home. You can pay the rent if you want. I won¡¯t ask for much either. ¡°


    Zhao Donglin certainly does not agree with this. They are not his relatives, and at the same time, he can¡¯t take advantage of others.


    ¡°Uncle, I really can¡¯t do this. Since I will be renting the house, I must certainly pay the rent fee. ¡°


    The old man saw that Donglin¡¯s insistence and thought about it and gave a more appropriate amount.


    ¡°If you are renting for a long time, then 100 yuan a year is fine. If you can¡¯t, 80 is fine.¡±


    The low price was mainly because he saw that Zhao Donglin came from the countryside and was afraid that their family would have financial difficulties. Besides, the cost of bringing his family to a strange city was not small, so he didn¡¯t want to charge more rent.


    Even if the rent of 100 a year is less than 10 yuan a month, not to mention such a big house, it must be cost-effective.


    Of course, 10 yuan at this time was not little. The ordinary city worker¡¯s monthly salary was only 30 yuan.


    Zhao Donglin hesitated and didn¡¯t promise immediately.


    ¡°Is this fine? You only charge 100 yuan for such a big house and several rooms. I always feel that if I agreed to it, I would take a big advantage of you. ¡°


    The old woman smiled after hearing this. ¡°Hey, the house is too big for two old people to live in. Since we are compatible, we don¡¯t care about all the nonsense. If you are sorry, in the future, if there is any heavy work at home, you can help by lending us a hand. ¡°


    For example, when burning coal, carrying briquettes and changing gas in winter, the old man almost flashed last time.


    Zhao Donglin was not indecisive. Since the old people have said so, he has no reason to be pretentious.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. I will rent the house. The school registration was on March 5. We may come two days in advance.


    After saying that, Zhao Donglin took out the 50 yuan that Jiahui had given him as spare money. She said that if the landlord wanted a deposit, he could pay half of it and that at the same time, he should also sign a contract to ensure that both sides would not suffer losses.


    Zhao Donglin didn¡¯t mention signing the contract with this old man, but he took the initiative to give a deposit, which can be regarded as an expression of his sincerity.


    ¡°Oh, I see! Young man, you are too sincere. I heard that you were admitted to the Department of Economics. You can¡¯t do this. If you want to learn economics, you should be rational. If you show your cards at will, you will be miserable if you meet a liar. ¡°


    Zhao Donglin smiled. ¡± I still have the ability to judge good people and bad people. This money was given to me by my wife. She said that a deposit should be given to rent a house and sign a contract. This is a kind of contract. ¡°


    The old couple smiled and looked at each other. They both felt that this comrade Zhao¡¯s wife was also a wonderful person.


    ¡°Okay, since your wife said so, let¡¯s make a contract.¡±


    The old man smiled and went back to his study, taking out a paper and pen. He spread it on the table and wrote a rental contract.


    Zhao Donglin stood and watched. He saw that the old man¡¯s words were like swimming dragons and playing Phoenix all at once. He couldn¡¯t help but praise the old man¡¯s good writing.


    After writing the text, the old man signed his name ¡°Zhong Daomin¡± in the lower right corner.


    Zhao Donglin¡¯s mouth chanted it twice. He took the pen and wrote his name; his writing is strong and powerful. It could be seen that he had practiced seriously. The old man looked at it and nodded with satisfaction.


    After signing the contract and paying the deposit, Zhao Donglin declined their courtesy to stay for dinner. Zhao Donglin said goodbye and left, but he was not in a hurry to go back, so he turned around and looked through the surrounding environment.


    It is adjacent to shops and markets in the east and schools and hospitals in the west. It can be said that it is an excellent place to live in peace in the midst of trouble, which perfectly meets the requirements of his own wife for renting a house.


    The matter was solved too easily. He originally thought that it would take a day or two to finalize the housing, but surprisingly, upon his arrival in the provincial capital, it only took him two hours to negotiate a deal.


    Due to the restricted time of the departure of the shuttle bus, Zhao Donglin arrived home at noon the next day. At night, he did not want to live alone in a hotel, so he decided to stay and wait in the station in the middle of the night to find a chair to watch for the bus to arrive, and then the station staff on night duty let him in inside the house to rest, and also gave him hot water and buns.


    When he arrived home, everyone didn¡¯t expect him to come back so early.


    ¡°Did you find it?¡±


    Zhang Qiaoer, who was holding her grandson Fang Fang, asked more anxiously than Jiahui.


    ¡°Yes, I found it.¡±


    Zhao Donglin was also exhausted. He sat down at the table and gulped water. When he finished drinking, he took out the rental contract from his arms and explained the process of renting the room.


    ¡°This old man is certainly not simple.¡±


    As a modern person, Jiahui knows that the old campus was usually in the downtown location. The house next to the university was likely the faculty and staff assigned housing.


    She didn¡¯t expect Zhao Donglin to have such good fortune!


    Of course, Jiahui¡¯s thoughts coincided with Zhao Donglin¡¯s. Regardless of the two elderly people¡¯s true identity, these noble people solved the housing problem for them, and the rent of 100 yuan a year is not worth mentioning in terms of geographical location and living conditions.


    Zhang Qiaoer didn¡¯t think like her son and daughter-in-law, she only thought that spending 100 yuan a year made her heart jump. This doesn¡¯t include living expenses. It¡¯s just burning money to live in the city!


    At night, when she went to bed, Zhang Qiaoer discussed with her husband if she should follow them to the provincial capital. Her husband would stay at home to work in their old home. The family has chickens and pigs. It will also have a lot of income, better than the two going to the city, not earning money, and just spending money every day.


    There are three children in her eldest family. Heidan will go to school, Yingbao is well-behaved and sensible, and Fang Fang is the only one who needs someone to look after him. There is no need for the old couple to follow along.


    Zhao Manzhu naturally agreed. In his heart, he also didn¡¯t want to go to the city. Before, he agreed, but it was for the sake of his children and grandchildren. If the children have needs and difficulties, the old man needed to help out. Since there¡¯s no need for him to go, he is happy to be clean, or live his own farming old man¡¯s days comfortably and happily.


    The next thing they had to do was pack their things. What Jiahui wanted was not to bring the big things they don¡¯t need. After all, she has to take care of three children. It¡¯s inconvenient to take a car on the road. It¡¯s OK to take important things with her. Zhang Qiaoer doesn¡¯t think so. She thinks it would make them save a point. She wants to take everything she can use.


    ¡°You just let her go. Old people are prone to stubbornness. When you talk more, there will be more resistance.¡±


    But Jiahui just felt sorry for Zhao Donglin, but in the end, Zhao Donghe came out and said that he would send them to the provincial capital and come back after they were settled.


    On March 2, the Zhao family set off in great numbers, carrying pots and pans and quilts, heading for the provincial capital.


    The tractor was driving with a burst of speed, and the team inevitably had to ask a few questions when they saw it.


    ¡°Big sister, where are you going?¡±


    ¡°To the provincial capital, They got into college, and rented a room in the provincial capital, and took the children with them.


    ¡°Oh? You¡¯re going with them? So you¡¯ll be a resident in the city too? ¡°


    ¡°What resident of the city? I will just help take care of the children. ¡°


    After the tractor left, everyone began to talk.


    Originally, because the three members of the Zhao family were admitted to the university, everyone left them a ¡°taste.¡± This taste was actually the same as envy, jealousy, and hatred. It¡¯s inexplicable that they were not happy in their hearts, but it¡¯s not good to say what¡¯s on the surface. Seeing others gain power, they will only get better and better in the future. Is it possible to rush and offend them at this time? That¡¯s what a fool would do.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen anyone bring their children to school. I don¡¯t think anyone would go to college with their family. ¡°


    ¡°You see, well-off families have money to burn. It will not be long before they have to come back. How much does the city cost? I heard that, for a family of five, buying rice and vegetables will cost them more than twenty yuan a month. There are other expenses. They are not residents of the city, so they also have to rent a house. Even if there are mountains of gold and silver in the family, it¡¯s not enough if they have to spend money like this. ¡°


    ¡°Look at Zhang Qiaoer¡¯s smug look. She thinks she will become a city woman when she enters the city. The city people don¡¯t like us, countrymen, at all. ¡°


    ¡°She had a very good daughter-in-law there. They said that their daughter-in-law wants to move to the city with her children and refuses to leave them at home. ¡°


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t she good enough to go to college? She¡¯s still the number one scholar in our county. If my daughter-in-law can go to college, I¡¯m willing to listen to her in the future. ¡°


    ¡°Your children can¡¯t even recognize a few words. How can they compare with other people¡¯s daughters-in-law? ¡°


    The crowd laughed. Yes, hurry back and let your daughter-in-law know a few more words. Donglin¡¯s wife can write accounts and calculate accounts.


    At the end of the year, the accountant for the team didn¡¯t have time to calculate the accounts. He also invited Donglin¡¯s wife to calculate the accounts together. It is said that Donglin¡¯s wife calculates the accounts quickly and well. She is a capable person.


    No matter what age, people always look at capable people differently.


    References

 CH 61

    Starting in the morning, it took a whole day on the road to reach the provincial capital.


    In addition, there was an unexpected thing; that is, Zhang Qiaoer had very serious car sickness. She vomited all the way until it was dark. Jiahui couldn¡¯t bear to see it. She felt guilty for letting an old woman throw herself around.


    On the way, Meixiang took care of Zhang Qiaoer and Jiahui took care of Fang Fang. Donglin and Donglai were responsible for watching Yingbao and Heidan and caring for things. The whole family was a little dizzy. When the car arrived at the destination, everyone was relieved.


    ¡°Aigoo, my ass, here we are here at last.¡±


    When Zhang Qiaoer got off the bus, her legs were unsteady and she was shivering, so Meixang helped her.


    Jiahui took Fang Fang in her arms and asked, ¡°Mom, how are you? I¡¯m sorry for letting you suffer behind us. ¡°


    In all conscience, it is not easy for her mother-in-law to follow them into the city. Not to mention this era, there are still many old people in the 21st century who are not willing to leave their hometown to live in the city.


    Of course, Jiahui also knew that her mother-in-law was willing to suffer this hardship not for herself but for the sake of her children, and because she knew this, she focused on Heidan¡¯s schooling when she first persuaded her.


    The relationship between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law was naturally difficult. It can be said that it¡¯s easy to say that it¡¯s easy to give her mother-in-law enough respect. No matter what you say, you should put your husband and children first. As a daughter-in-law, you should understand that a daughter-in-law is a daughter-in-law and you¡¯re an outsider in your mother-in-law¡¯s family. While being self-reliant, don¡¯t think too much about yourself. In this way, the relationship between the two parties will be easier to get along with.


    Zhang Qiao¡¯er was physically and mentally unhappy, but when her daughter-in-law said this, she was embarrassed to say anything. She waved her hand and said, ¡°It¡¯s not much. Just let me take a break.¡±


    Jiahui smiled and turned to ask Zhao Donglin, ¡°Is the place we¡¯re going to live in still far from here? It¡¯s really inconvenient for us to carry so many things. Why don¡¯t we find a place to eat first and take a break? ¡°


    Zhao Donglin raised his wrist and looked at the time. He shook his head and said, ¡°It¡¯s getting late. We can¡¯t get on the bus. We¡¯d better endure harder and settle down first. ¡°


    Since Zhao Donglin said so, Jiahui naturally had no opinion. After all, Zhao Donglin has been here before, he knows the way. It was the first time for them to go to the provincial capital, and they didn¡¯t have much experience.


    On the other hand, she was only taking care of the children, not comparable to her two brothers, who carried the luggage and picked up the baskets all the way.


    Several people took their children¡¯s luggage to the bus stop and waited for about 20 minutes before the bus passing through Wudong University arrived at the station. When they got on the bus, they were ¡°looked at differently¡± by other passengers because they were carrying baskets. Meixiang was still a little girl. She was a little embarrassed to receive such ¡°attention¡± for the first time. She grabbed her clothes and turned red. Jiahui was much more comfortable. She turned a blind eye to those strange eyes.


    If it was before she had transmigrated, she may have felt that this was a shameful thing. Jiahui¡¯s mentality naturally changed after experiencing transmigrating in this era and living her day-to-day life in the countryside.


    Poverty does not mean inferiority. Although they seem to be full of local flavour and look incompatible with the city, they are using their own efforts to change their destiny. She believed that in the near future, they could get rid of poverty and no longer be ridiculed because of their clothes, their accent, and so on.


    There were several seats on the bus, so Jiahui asked Zhang Qiaoer to sit down first, and Meixiang and her children also sat down.


    When Zhang Qiao¡¯er started to get dizzy and nauseous again, Zhao Donglin opened the window for her to breathe in the air outside the window.


    A middle-aged woman sitting next to Zhang Qiaoer rolled her eyes in disgust and said something in her mouth. Because of the distance, Jiahui did not hear it. She only noticed that Zhao Donglin turned her head after looking at the woman.


    After the bus drove for about a quarter of an hour, they got off at the ¡°Wudong University¡± station.


    Wu Dong University was the highest institution of learning in Wu Dong Province and had a history of hundreds of years. Even in the twenty-first century, even if Wu Dong University was not as good as Peking University and Tsinghua University, it was still one of the top ten universities in China.


    The lofty and simple school gate was more than ten meters wide. Two huge lion statues looked intimidating. They looked through the iron gate and looked into the school. They can¡¯t see the end at a glance. Zhang Qiaoer¡¯s heart was in awe. Zhao Donglin was the same as Meixiang. One reason was that she regretted that she didn¡¯t get admitted to Wu Dong, and the other was that she was envious that her eldest brother and sister-in-law could study in such a cultural school.


    Zhao Donghe had 3 siblings. The eldest brother and younger sister were promising. The eldest sister need not be mentioned since she was already old. As a younger brother, he doesn¡¯t even have the courage to try. So now, he could only watch with envy and could not obtain such an honor.


    For the first time, thinking of Shitou¡¯s words before coming here, Zhao Donghe gave birth to feelings of guilt.


    Shitou said, ¡°Dad, why did all my brothers and sisters go to the city and I have to stay in the countryside alone?¡±


    He¡¯s a child without a mother. He already owes him a lot, and now, because of his own lack of motivation, his own children do not even have the opportunity to study in the city, and he feels he is not worthy of being a father.


    ¡°This school is so big that you can¡¯t see the end at a glance.¡±


    His own son and daughter-in-law will be studying at this school in the future. Just thinking of it made her feel how glorious it is!


    Zhao Donglin sensed his mother¡¯s relief and pointed to the distance and said, ¡°Mom, the house we rented was right behind the school.¡±


    Shen Nianru looked at Yingbao in Zhao Donglin¡¯s arms; she looked good and lovely, and then she glanced at Fang Fang in Jiahui¡¯s arms; he looked like a good-fortune child, as white and fat, his eyes were round as if it could speak. Her heart suddenly softened.


    When she was young and busy with her career, she neglected to take care of her daughter, and when her daughter grew up, she had that incident, and all her life, she owed it to her daughter. When she saw such a small doll, she thought of her daughter¡¯s young age, and her eyes began to sour.


    Shen Nianru didn¡¯t show any surprise in her eyes when she saw them coming with loads of pots and pans. In the years of decentralization, she lived in a cowshed, ate rotten rice, and suffered all kinds of hardships. In those days, the most terrible thing was the bad people who took the opportunity to make trouble, split and vent their anger, while the simple villagers sometimes looked at them pitifully and helped them under pressure from time to time. Therefore, seeing the Zhao family, Shen Nianru felt kind in her heart.


    ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Zhao Donglin¡¯s wife. My name is Dong Jiahui. ¡°


    ¡°Oh, good, this wife looks really beautiful.¡±


    Isn¡¯t it? Although she married and gave birth to a baby, she still looks very young, just in her early twenties. She has a twisted braid, a smile on her face, a faint lying cicada, and a small pear vortex at the corner of her mouth.


    ¡°This is my mother-in-law, Zhang Qiaoer. She was seasick all day today. She is feeling comfortable right now.¡±


    ¡°I have packed out the house. These three rooms in the front are for you to live in. The two pieces at the back are for our old couple. I also had a small door opened on the side, so you will not be disturbed normally.¡±


    ¡°Auntie, you¡¯re being too harsh. We¡¯re the ones who should be bothering you. After Donglin went back and told me you, I told him that we had met a noble person, how could we have lived in such a good house?¡±


    Shen Nianru¡¯s face had been wearing a smile. The more she looked at Jiahui, the more she liked her. This girl was beautiful, with a sweet mouth, and when she went to school, she also did not forget to take her children. It means that she¡¯s a good mother, she was responsible for the children, and their mother-in-law and daughter-in-law¡¯s relationship was quite harmonious, which shows that her attitude was not bad.


    People¡¯s eyes are sometimes so simple. They are good if they¡¯re pleasing to the eye, and bad if they¡¯re not pleasing to the eye.


    After exchanging pleasantries, Shen Nianru left to go back to the backyard, leaving time for them to sort things out.


    ¡°By the way, have you eaten? If not, I have rice, noodles, and vegetables. I¡¯ll take it to you and cook it first. ¡°


    They really didn¡¯t have the time to eat, so when they heard Shen Nianru¡¯s offer, they felt grateful for her consideration.


    ¡°Thank you so much, we really didn¡¯t have time to eat.¡±


    Shen Nianru took a small bag of flour from the backyard along with potatoes, carrots, and cabbage, and Jiahui made noodle soup and sent a pot over to them.


    ¡°This noodle slice soup has the taste of what I ate when I was a child. I didn¡¯t expect your wife¡¯s skill to be so good.


    ¡°She is indeed quite good at cooking; she¡¯s meticulous at work.¡±


    ¡°Well, I can see that the children are clean.¡±


    She has been to the countryside. The children in the countryside are like mud monkeys, and their clothes are not exquisite. The three children of the Zhao family were different. It was clean and tidy, and the children were sensible.


    ¡°These three are yours?¡±


    ¡°How old is Jiahui? I think your big boy is not young. ¡°


    She looks six or seven years old, but Jiahui looks like she¡¯s only in her early twenties. It¡¯s hard not to get married and have children in your twenties.


    ¡°Heidan and Yingbao were born of my ex-wife.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Shen Nianru really did not think there was any hidden information here.


    You¡¯ve been divorced? Aren¡¯t you a soldier? ¡°


    A military marriage was protected by law. Maybe they¡¯ve lost their sight? Was Zhao Donglin a person who was never satisfied with what he had?


    ¡°My ex-wife was an educated young woman who went to the countryside. I didn¡¯t know what happened three years ago. She wanted to divorce me and wanted to go back to the city. At that time, I was still in the army. Maybe I had high self-esteem. I agreed when I saw her insist. After the divorce, I was afraid that no one would take care of my children at home, so I retired from the army and returned home. Our division commander thought it was a pity for me to leave the army like this, and gave me a job transfer. ¡°


    Zhao Donglin lightly said the matter of divorce. Shen Nianru and Zhong Daomin have life experience and know that things are not so simple.


    ¡°That is when you found your wife, Jiahui.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Originally, I didn¡¯t want to get married and delay others, but I didn¡¯t think I could find a wife. I chose Jiahui myself. She was also a poor girl. When I returned to my hometown, she had just been driven back to her mother¡¯s house by her ex-husband¡¯s house.


    The old couple looked at each other, not expecting that Jiahui was also a divorcee.


    ¡°Why? I think Jiahui is a good daughter.


    ¡°They were married for three years without a child. They said she could not have a child. There are three ways to be unfilial; having no sons is the worst. ¡°


    Shen Nianru shook her head and sighed. There are just these foolish people.


    ¡°The combination of you two is just right.¡±


    They are all excellent young people who have suffered the hardships of life and have a good temperament. On the contrary, they are more suitable than in the previous marriage.


    This also reflects the saying that couples who can live well together still need to be like-minded to do so.


    ¡°I think this family is okay. When they come, our days will also be a lot more lively.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯re happy.¡±


    Seeing his wife in a better mood, Zhong Daomin also felt good about the idea that suddenly flashed through his mind at the time.


    ¡°This noodle soup is really quite delicious, but you should not eat more. If you eat too much at night again, you might accumulate food. ¡°


    For a long time, they were often hungry. The old man was afraid that she could not eat enough. He always hid his share for her to eat. He was hungry and broke his stomach. Now he is hungry and full. He is six cents short for each meal.


    Simple food is also a blessing. Since their daughter is gone, they will hand over the rest of their days to school and society to cultivate more useful talents.


    After crossing over, Jiahui finally used a bathroom, which had a simple washing table, a squatting pit that could flush, and a lattice that could shower and pull the shower curtain. She took a bath happily, as if she had washed away all the maladjustment and inner haze after the transmigration, and was full of hope for her future life.


    Yingbao ran around the house happily, this place was too new for her, no dirt, a few pots of moonflowers in the corner, no creek, but dad said that there is a small park nearby, so he can take her to play tomorrow during the day.


    ¡°The city is good, but I¡¯m not used to it.¡±


    Their old home¡¯s cooking fire is fine, what gas stove should be used for cooking in the city? Moreover, they said that the gas stove would explode if it was not used well. She was so scared that she didn¡¯t even dare to cook.


    There¡¯s also the toilet. It¡¯s too tiring to squat and the water is rushing. It is said that using tap water also needs to be paid for. Eating and drinking still need to spend money.


    Of course, Zhang Qiaoer didn¡¯t say this to her daughter-in-law, but to her own daughter.


    ¡°Mom, you can live in a down-to-earth way first. People can¡¯t enjoy happiness when they think of the city. My sister-in-law was also considering what was good for my nephew and niece. She said that she would go to Heidan¡¯s school tomorrow. Studying in the city is not better than in the countryside. When he makes money, he will go to a good university and buy food and drink for you as a grandmother. You will be envied by other people. ¡°


    Zhang Qiaoer laughed and sighed after laughing. If it weren¡¯t for her grandson, she wouldn¡¯t have suffered the crime. In the beginning, she also complained about her daughter-in-law. Why wouldn¡¯t she leave her children at home? Was she afraid that they wouldn¡¯t take care of them well?


    But her daughter-in-law said that leaving children behind was not good and will affect the child¡¯s mental health.


    What is meant by ¡°mental health¡±? She does not understand. Anyway, her son and daughter-in-law can do whatever they want. She¡¯s not afraid of suffering. As long as this will be useful for the children and with it, they can live a good life, these hardships are not in vain.


    On that day, Jiahui didn¡¯t sleep until midnight. There were three rooms in the front yard. She lived with Zhao Donglin and Fang Fang. Today, Zhao Donghe was also there. He took Heidan and Zhang Qiaoer, and they lived with Meixiang and Yingbao. When Donghe went back, it would be Zhang Qiaoer who would stay with Heidan and Meixiang who would be with Yingbao.


    The next day, just after dawn Zhang Qiaoer got up, she wanted to make breakfast but did not know how to get a gas stove, so she had to light a briquette to make a stove.


    There was no rice at home, and she also did not know where to buy it, so she made cakes with the rest of the flour.


    Zhao Donglin was the second to get up, seeing his mother had already made the stove.


    ¡°There¡¯s no rice at home. I do not know how to use that stove, so let¡¯s just make do with what we have.¡±


    ¡°There is a market in the east. I¡¯ll go see if there is breakfast for sale.¡±


    Zhang Qiaoer hurriedly stopped him. Why do I have to spend money? Just eat what we have. Do you have to eat something good? Hey, we have to spend money on everything in this city. I really can¡¯t live a day. ¡°


    If I had known, I would have carried a bag of rice from home.


    ¡°Mom, it¡¯s okay. When we start school, we can get food from the school. School food is usually cheaper.¡±


    Zhang Qiaoer also just complained and did not really blame anyone, but she had something in her heart, she did want to say that she felt uncomfortable.


    Jiahui slept a little longer today, and when she got up, her mother-in-law had already made the meal.


    ¡°Eat. There is no rice at home, so no porridge. Drink some plain water.¡±


    After eating breakfast, Zhao Donglin went out with Jiahui, taking the children with him to buy back the things that the family needed.


    Notlucia: Since I¡¯m done translating this novel, New Schedule! 3 times a week update! Every Monday! Advance Happy Chinese New year Everyone!

 CH 62.1

    When Jiahui got up early and pushed open the door, she saw two old people in the backyard. One was drinking tea and reading a book, and the other was washing and drying clothes.


    ¡°Good morning, Uncle and Auntie.¡±


    The old couple turned around when they heard someone talking, and it turned out that it was Jiahui. They smiled and nodded to her.


    ¡°Are you up? Did you sleep well last night? ¡°


    Jiahui nodded and smiled, ¡°It¡¯s very good. The atmosphere was nice and quiet.


    With Zhao Donglin around, the sudden change of place was also very reassuring. And the environment here was really good. It¡¯s still a quiet place, even though it¡¯s in the middle of a lively city. Jiahui remembered this geographical location. In more than ten or twenty years, house prices will rise, which is not affordable for ordinary citizens.


    ¡°Have you eaten breakfast? If not, I¡¯ll take some from my house. ¡°


    Jiahui smiled and nodded, ¡°Yes, I have eaten. We used the flour you gave us yesterday. My mother-in-law made cakes. By the way, Auntie, we will go to the market later to buy something. If you want anything, we will bring it back to you on the way.


    Shen Nianru shook her head and said, ¡°No, we don¡¯t need anything at home. Thank you, little girl.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s our turn to thank Aunt and Uncle for letting us rent such a nice house.¡±


    The rent was not too high, but it would be vulgar to mention money to such cultured people as them. So Jia Hui did not talk about the rent.


    Shen Nianru laughed, ¡°Then let¡¯s not thank each other. From now on, we¡¯ll treat each other like we are family, and the yard will be lively with more people.¡±


    Jiahui smiled and nodded.


    It can be seen that the old couple have cultural connotations and an outstanding temperament. However, they live in such a big house. They haven¡¯t heard them mention children in the dialogue the last two days. Instead, they have heard them say ¡°lively¡± several times. Can this also reflect the current situation of their life from the side? It¡¯s not ¡°lively¡±?


    Jiahui always felt that even their smiles had the taste of loneliness and isolation.


    The market in the provincial capital was very prosperous. They had all kinds of meat, fish, and vegetables. Although the varieties were not rich enough, they already looked like the prototype of the twenty-first century¡¯s vegetable market.


    ¡°We have to buy oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, rice noodles, and eggs.¡± Jiahui looked as she walked and asked Zhao Donglin, ¡°What shall we have for lunch today?¡± Mapo Tofu, lettuce in oyster sauce, shredded potatoes, and cook another fish? ¡°


    Jiahui finally understood when they said, ¡°It¡¯s not easy to live in the capital with expensive rice.¡± It seems like they have to find a way to earn money. She does not want to live a tight life all day.


    ¡°You decide. As long as you make it, I¡¯ll love to eat it.¡±


    Zhang Qiaoer dared not use the gas stove. Jiahui said that she would cook today¡¯s meal. It was their first dinner in the provincial capital, and it was also meant to see Zhao Donghe off.


    Zhao Donghe was ready to go back after lunch. As long as he can get to the county, he can find a way to go back to the village.


    Zhang Qiaoer was reluctant to let her youngest son go back so soon. Zhao Donglin also kept him for a few more days, but Zhao Donghe insisted on going back and said he was worried about Shitou.


    Seeing him mention his son, they stopped persuading him. Children were the soft spot of parents, not to mention that Zhao Donghe was now both a father and a mother to Shitou. Zhang Qiaoer persuaded him several times to find another wife, but he also refused.


    After Zhao Donglin finished, Jiahui glanced at him and found that he was becoming more and more talkative now.


    After shopping, go home, regulate the kitchen first, see what else is missing at home, and then take time to go there in the afternoon.


    ¡°It¡¯s still early. Let¡¯s go to school to register first.¡±


    The two of them took the admission notice and brought out various materials they had to prepare according to the notice.


    When they arrived at the school, there were already a lot of people who had come to register, and everyone¡¯s expressions were tiredness, happiness, and longing for a new life.


    Excuse me, are you, two new students? Which department are you from? ¡°


    At the campus, the staff with armbands came up and asked.


    Jiahui smiled and nodded, ¡°I¡¯m from the English department and he¡¯s from the Economics department.¡±


    The other party raised his eyebrows and nodded. These two departments are the key departments of the school. The economics department has the highest admission scoreline, while the English department has the strictest admission conditions. In addition to the normal subjects, you have to take an extra English test and score ninety points before you will be admitted.


    He raised his finger and pointed in a direction, ¡°The economics department is this way, all the way forward. For the English department, you have to turn right, you can register separately, it would be faster.¡±


    Jiahu looked at Zhao Donglin, ¡°Then why don¡¯t we apply separately?¡±


    She thought, anyway, their home was behind the school. After registering, they could go back on their own, and they would also be able to save time when she goes back to cook. Who knows that Zhao Donglin would not follow her way?


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you first.¡±


    What he meant was that they would go together.


    The other person smiled, ¡°Oh, you two are quite close, are you, brother and sister?¡±


    The male and female comrades were obviously a few years older than their female comrades, and since their relationship was very familiar with each other, it is also more reliable to guess that they are brother and sister.


    Jiahui smiled and shook her head, with a hint of slyness in her smile.


    ¡°No, we are husband and wife.¡±


    The other party¡¯s mouth suddenly opened wide.


    ¡°Oh, sorry, I didn¡¯t guess right. Oh, Hehe. ¡°


    Jiahui waved her hand and laughed, ¡°That¡¯s okay, we¡¯ll go ahead and register then. Thank you.¡±


    The other party also waved at the back of the two with an afterthought: ¡°Surprisingly, they are a married couple.¡±


    Red banners, a desk, a registered teacher with glasses, a pile of documents and forms on the table.


    ¡°Are you Dong Jiahui?¡±


    She¡¯s the second in the province. To rob her, several departments were fighting to get her into their department.


    ¡°Well, the state stipulates that tuition fees should be reduced or exempted. Then, the students in our school have a living allowance of 18 yuan a month to help everyone relieve their economic pressure.¡±


    Jiahui nodded, for these circumstances she had already understood.


    The teacher handed over something and said, ¡°This form is for you to fill out.¡±


    Jiahui looked at it and saw that it was an application form for ¡°accommodation.¡± She said, ¡°Teacher, I don¡¯t need accommodation.¡±


    The teacher¡¯s hand stopped as she sorted out the information, ¡°Huh? You¡¯re not from here, right? ¡°


    ¡°My family came here together, and I rented a room near the school to live with my family.¡±


    ¡°So.¡± The teacher held up the frame and said, ¡°Then put your residence here and follow up with what procedures you need to fill in.¡±


    When Jiahui was registering, the teacher asked Zhao Donglin, who had been waiting nearby,


    ¡°Student, what¡¯s your name?¡±


    He thought Zhao Donglin had also come to sign up. He asked and looked at the registration book.


    ¡°I¡¯m not from the English department. I¡¯ll leave right away. ¡°


    It¡¯s strange. If you¡¯re not in the English department, What are you doing here? ¡°


    ¡°I am waiting for my wife.¡±


    The teacher again held up the frame of her eyeglasses. She first froze for a few seconds, and only after a few seconds did he react. He stretched out his index finger to wiggle left and right between the two, and asked uncertainly, ¡°You, you are a married couple?¡±


    Zhao Donglin nodded his head.


    The teacher made an ¡°oh¡± sound and carefully looked at the two. Maybe Jiahui¡¯s face looked too young; she doesn¡¯t look like she was married. If Zhao Donglin hadn¡¯t said it, the teacher really wouldn¡¯t have thought that way.


    He didn¡¯t think the two could get into the same school because their Wu Dong University scoreline was not low.


    ¡°So, which department are you from?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m from the Department of Economics.¡±


    The teacher nodded, still admirable. One college student from a family can change their life, and they had two from one family!


    This family is going to prosper sooner or later.


    After the two had enrolled and gone around the school, the news that a couple had been admitted to Wu Dong had spread around the campus, arousing the curiosity of the crowd.


    Jiahui arrived home and started cooking. Mei Xiang had already prepared the ingredients.


    Pouring oil, popping incense, putting the ingredients into the pot one by one, and watching her cook with ease.


    ¡°Sister-in-law, how is your school? Was it very old-fashioned or modern? ¡°


    Wu Dong University was an old university. In line with the principle that it¡¯s better if it¡¯s lacking than overcrowded, this year a total of more than 380 students were admitted.


    It is better to admit fewer students than to resolutely lower the scoreline.


    ¡°You can check it out next time, anyway. It¡¯s right in front.¡±


    Meixiang¡¯s school registration will start tomorrow. Her campus is slightly far away, so she has to take the bus to and from class.


    ¡°Tomorrow your brother accompany you to register. By the way, let him buy you a monthly bus pass.


    ¡°I¡¯m still thinking about accommodation, anyway. It¡¯s just a year and a half, and it costs extra money to take the bus every day.¡±


    ¡°If you like to live in a group, you can stay in the dormitory. If you like to live with your family, then you can come back. You think about it first, think for yourself first. ¡°


    Meixiang nodded and answered. She is actually a bit introverted. She was terrified of interacting with others and preferred to live at home.


    The last fish took a little more time, and after it was done, Jia Hui put two pieces on a plate and asked Zhao Donglin to send them to the backyard.


    The first one was not spicy, and she only added garlic and cilantro to enhance the flavour, mainly because she was afraid that the two elderly could not eat spicy food.


    Jiahui¡¯s consideration was indeed right; Zhong Daomin¡¯s stomach was not good. He cannot eat spicy foods. ¡± Jiahui¡¯s fish is sweet and sour, tender, light and delicious, which makes it very suitable for the elderly.


    ¡°Well, we are blessed. This daughter¡¯s cooking skills are really good.¡±

 CH 62.2

    In the morning, Yingbao came to play in the backyard. Shen Nianru was picking vegetables while Yingbao was watching. Yingbao looked soft and cute, which was very rare for a girl from the countryside. Although Yingbao was from the countryside, she could already read the Three Character Classic and more than ten ancient poems at a young age. The most surprising thing was that Yingbao could sing English songs, such as ¡°Jingle Bell¡±. The old couple were stunned.


    Shen Nianru asked her who taught her everything, and Yingbao proudly said, ¡°My mother taught me.¡±


    Children are the purest and kindest people in this world. As a stepmother, Yingbao trusts her wholeheartedly and loves her, which proves that this mother was doing a very good job.


    At the same time, Jiahui could cultivate her children so carefully that she didn¡¯t treat them differently because they were her stepson and stepdaughter. Such a mind is worthy of recognition.


    ¡°After dinner, you go around and see if you can arrange Heidan¡¯s school.¡±


    The university starts a little early. In a few days, at most, the first month of elementary school should also start.


    After eating, Zhao Donglin first sent Donghe away, and then went to the nearest Wu Dong Central Primary School. After talking with the headmaster for more than half an hour, the school agreed to let him enroll, but with two conditions: one was to take the exam, and the school would only accept Heidan after passing the exam, and the other was to give a one-time payment of 50 yuan for the assistance fee.


    ¡°We are not afraid of him taking the exams, with Heidan¡¯s level, the 4th and 5th grade was enough for him.  We can also pay for the tuition fees. As long as it will help Heidan later, spending a few more dollars is nothing. After saying that, Jiahui deliberately explained, ¡°Don¡¯t tell Mom about the tuition fee; she will be anxious if you do.¡±


    50 yuan was not a small amount. Their annual rent was only 100 yuan, if Zhang Qiaoer found out that in Heidan¡¯s school, not only did they have to pay for the tuition books, but they also had to pay another fifty yuan for assistance fees, she was expected to faint from heartache.


    The amount of money spent by the family in the past two days was indeed quite a lot. Rent fees and miscellaneous expenses amounted to hundreds of yuan.


    Zhao Donglin nodded in silence while holding Jiahui¡¯s hand and rubbing it against his lips.


    The gratitude in his heart could not be expressed in words. Every thoughtfulness from Jiahui deepened his determination to treat her well and love her for the rest of his life, and because he met Jiahui, he never regretted even for a moment that he had agreed to the divorce.


    The conversation between the two in the courtyard was overheard by Heidan. He lowered his eyes. There was no expression on his face, but his heart kept surging.


    He was eight years old and already had the look of a young teenager. He had a beautiful face and wore a light green Tang suit that Jiahui had made for him.


    Before going to the city, Jiahui made two coats for everyone. ¡°People rely on clothes, Buddha relies on gold.¡± The village can wear whatever they want. They were not afraid of wearing clothes with patches on them. Anyway, they are all the same, but it is different in the city. You need to clean up after yourself.


    A person¡¯s external image can sometimes determine a lot of things. Inner beauty is a kind of beauty, but what people pay attention to at first sight is what they see outside.


    He knows how good his stepmother is to him, and it is because he knows that he is at a loss inside.


    He couldn¡¯t call her mother as openly as Yingbao, nor could he flatter her or ask her for anything, because he knew early. Because he knew early on that she was not his biological mother, even though he knew her goodness and accepted it, he could only keep it in his heart, not daring to express it.


    Her great aunt told him that his stepmother was willing to bring him to the city and pay for his schooling and that he should be grateful to her for the rest of his life.


    ¡°Your mother is a decent person and won¡¯t do anything disgraceful. She is good to everyone and knows everything. I won¡¯t have to worry about you having a bad life in the city. Since your family provides you with your schooling, you can go to college. You see, your father has been admitted to college, your mother has been admitted to college, and even your aunt has been admitted to college. You must work harder now that your entire family is a college student.¡±


    With such good study conditions, it is natural for him to study well for him to have a way out.


    Not that Jiahui would abuse Heidan or anything, but it was because of Heidan¡¯s own character. He had too much self-esteem, Zhao Caixia, as an aunt had seen it, even if Jiahui was willing to give, but Heidan might not necessarily be willing to take it.


    For this kind of child, it is necessary to let him work on his own.


    But this is good. It¡¯s true that people can only rely on themselves.


    The next day, Zhao Donglin first accompanied his sister Meixiang to school registration. The monthly bus ticket was six yuan. After buying the monthly ticket, you can take all the buses in the city indefinitely.


    ¡°In that case, it¡¯s better to come back and live. Anyway, you can ride it unlimited times. ¡°


    Meixiang didn¡¯t expect to take the bus into the city. She was worried about spending the fare back and forth. In this case, she might as well come back and live with her brother.


    Jiahui calculated an account for her. The school subsidized her with 18 yuan a month, and the bus fee was 6 yuan. She lived at home and saved two meals in the morning and evening. In fact, it didn¡¯t cost much. Cooking meals for seven people at home was not much different from cooking for six people.


    In the afternoon, Heidan went to school to take the test.


    ¡°This child is Zhao Zhuojun.¡±


    The principal saw that Heidan was clean and good-looking, and he was well-behaved, so he was impressed.


    ¡°This is last year¡¯s second-grade paper. You do it first. ¡°


    The principal originally wanted to take the first-grade paper, but then thought that since he was already in the second grade, he should do the second-grade paper first, and if his grades were really bad, he could try the first-grade paper.


    He has already thought about it, as long as his first-grade exam results reach 60. He can let Heidan repeat the grade. This can be considered as giving face to Zhao Donglin.


    Although Zhao Donglin is just from the countryside with no money and no background, he got into Wu Dong University. These days, college students are too popular, it is difficult to say what future fortune they will encounter, and it is just a matter of taking one more student, not worthy of offending people.


    Heidan took the test paper, found a table and sat down. He took a pen from his schoolbag and started doing the questions.


    The principal was surprised to see him take a pen. The younger children¡¯s wrist strength was not enough. They can¡¯t even write with a pen. So, most of the children in the lower grades use pencils, and when Heidan started writing, the principal slapped him in the face. Heidan¡¯s writings were straight and horizontal, and the direction of the strokes, although they were very underripe, was already far beyond those of children of the same age, so it is clear that he had practised his Chinese calligraphy well.


    It seems that I underestimated this child named Zhao Zhuojun. How can the child¡¯s performance be poor when both of his parents are college students, and how can the child¡¯s performance be poor in such a good learning environment?¡¯


    Heidan spent half an hour finishing the math and Chinese test papers. Finally, he checked it again. The principal looked at the score himself. After getting the test paper, the surface of the paper was clean and neat, and the handwriting was neat. It looked like both subjects were 100 points.


    ¡°This child, Zhao Zhuojun,¡¯s test results were very good. Only two students in 2nd grade in our school got 200 points last semester. ¡°


    If you consider the answer time and handwriting, Zhao Zhuojun was again clearly better than those two.


    At this point, the principal¡¯s expression completely changed. Before, it was polite with detachment, but now, he was completely eager. These top students must go to Wudong Central Primary School!


    ¡°Zhao Zhuojun¡¯s grades were fully qualified. In addition, with such good grades, our school is not going to charge sponsorship fees.


    Zhao Donglin was not surprised by Heidan¡¯s results. But it was a little unexpected that the principal canceled the assistance fee, but it¡¯s better for them if it was cancelled. Who made their children work so hard?


    ¡°In fact, Zhao Zhuojun has already taught himself at home up to the fourth-grade curriculum.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    The principal became interested, with his brief contact with Zhao Donglin. He guessed that Zhao Donglin was not a person who would say nonsense. He really wanted to see how far the strength of Zhao Zhuojun was.


    The principal excitedly took out two fourth grade examination papers from the drawer and said, ¡°Student Zhao, why don¡¯t you take this examination paper? This is the final examination paper of the last semester of fourth grade.


    Heidan took the test paper and started answering the questions directly. This time, the answering time was longer, with more questions that needed calculations in math and fewer small essays in language.


    Fifty minutes later, Heidan handed the papers to the principal, who was eager to start reading them.


    Ten minutes later, the principal put down the red pen in his hand in admiration. The satisfaction in his eyes was almost overflowing.


    ¡°Student Zhao Zhuojun is really excellent! 200 points! Even in the essay, I can¡¯t find anything that needs deduction points. ¡°


    The essay topic is to describe the summer scenery in 200 words. Heidan wrote about the scenery of summer in the countryside. Heidan wrote about the verdant and luxuriant mountains and forests, the frogs in the fields, the loaches after the rain, the flocks of sparrows, and the white belly of the fish jumping in the water.


    ¡°The sun was setting in the west, the sky was tinged with red, old men herding cattle were coming home from the foothills, and the smell of fresh air was in the air, and that was when everyone started cooking dinner.¡±


    He couldn¡¯t believe this was an essay written by an eight-year-old!


    Now, not mentioning assistance fees, he would still accept this student even if he couldn¡¯t pay the tuition fee.


    The principal fell into thinking According to Zhao Zhuojun¡¯s age, he should go to the third grade next semester, but he has taught himself the content of the fourth grade and mastered it very well. Should Zhao Zhuojun directly skip the third and fourth grades and go straight to the fifth grade?


    But is it too much to jump two grades at once? Their school rarely allows someone to skip grades, at least not during his tenure as principal.


    ¡°Let¡¯s put it this way: jumping directly to the fifth grade is a bit too much with Zhao Zhuojun¡¯s grades. It¡¯s absolutely fine to start the school year directly into the fourth grade. What about your parents¡¯ views? Do you agree with your child skipping grades? ¡°


    Today, Zhao Donglin accompanied Heidan to enroll. Before coming here, Jiahui also said that with Heidan¡¯s grades, he could completely skip a grade. Zhao Donglin¡¯s sentence just mentioned was also deliberately said to the principal.


    ¡°The child has the ability to learn well; we parents must support them with both hands and will not put a halt to their education.¡±


    Zhao Donglin¡¯s high-sounding words sounded like the sound of nature in the principal¡¯s ears. He even thought that he could let Zhao Zhuojun participate in the hard-pencil calligraphy competition and the essay competition, but he didn¡¯t know whether the child still had other strengths. When the school officially started, the teacher had to dig it out.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. Then this is settled. Our school starts on March 10th, Class 1, Grade 4, has the best teachers. I wish Zhao Zhuojun a happy learning atmosphere. ¡°


    At the exit of the school, Zhao Donglin patted Heidan on the shoulder, which was a heartfelt joy.


    ¡°You did well today. Your mother must be happy when she finds out. ¡°


    Zhao Donglin didn¡¯t realize what was wrong with what he said. He was used to talking to Yingbao and Fang Fang. But when Heidan heard it, he didn¡¯t open his mouth to correct it, because, for him, Jiahui was his mother, and he also hoped that she would be happy and feel proud of him.


    After arriving home, Zhao Donglin talked about Heidan¡¯s performance at school and the assistance fee, as it was not necessary to pay for it in the end.


    Jiahui patted Heidan¡¯s head with relief, ¡°I knew our Heidan was good. He is the best child, and he can¡¯t slack off in his studies in the fourth grade. You have to keep working hard, understand? ¡°


    Heidan nodded obediently.


    Zhang Qiaoer¡¯s eyes are almost smiling. At this moment, she thinks it¡¯s really worth working so hard to come to the provincial capital. Heidan is such a good baby. It¡¯s a waste of good materials to go to school in the village!


    However, Zhang Qiaoer was happy and lost at the same time. When she thought that the days of her eldest son¡¯s family would be better, the days of her youngest son would be a little down.


    She thought Donglin and Donghe had a good relationship. When Donglin is promising, he will certainly be willing to help his brother.


    Ten fingers were long and short. There are always good or bad days for a family¡¯s relatives and sisters.

 CH 63

    After school started, everyone¡¯s life was back on track.


    When Jiahui sent Heidan to school, she found out that there was a kindergarten next to the elementary school, and when she went back to consult with someone, Yingbao¡¯s age had reached the requirements for kindergarten. Because it was a public kindergarten, the tuition fee was not high, at 36 yuan for one semester, and the food fee was paid separately, at ten yuan per semester.


    After she returned, Jiahui asked Zhao Donglin if he wanted to send Yingbao to kindergarten.


    ¡°Children in the city all go to kindergarten, but we don¡¯t care about this in our village.¡±


    Most of the parents of children in the city were working class, so sending the children to kindergartens and nurseries met the requirements of the working class, while in the countryside, the children grow up as they please, and besides, there are not that many teachers that could teach children.


    Zhao Donglin touched his face. After entering the city, it can really be said that they spend money like water. If Yingbao also went to kindergarten, it could be said that they had to spend 100 yuan per year.


    ¡°What do you think? Our family¡¯s financial power is in your hands. ¡°


    Zhao Donglin kicked the decision-making power to Jiahui. Jiahui saw his careful thinking and gave him a blank look.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s better to send her to a kindergarten. It¡¯s good for her to get in touch with the group early so that mom can also be more relaxed. She can just take care of Fang Fang at home. ¡°


    Of course, the main thing is to let Yingbao receive a normal education. For Jiahui, a person who came from the modern age, kindergarten is a necessary stage for children.


    Of course, we can¡¯t sit and eat around and wait for the school holiday. Maybe we can come up with some way to earn money. ¡°


    These days, the most profitable business is to work as an individual industrial or commercial household. Jiahui doesn¡¯t have any ideas about what to do or how to do it. She has to combine it with the current situation.


    Zhao Donglin gave an encore, ¡°I have wronged you. I should not let you worry about the money. ¡°


    To be honest, after entering the city, Zhao Donglin was under a lot of pressure. In the village, his monthly salary of sixty-two is the top income. Donglin can give Jiahui a very good life, but when they go to school in the city, not only don¡¯t they have an income, but they also spend money non-stop.


    ¡°Women can hold up half the sky. We are husband and wife. We have to bear everything together.


    In this way, Yingbao also went to kindergarten. Zhang Qiaoer was much more relaxed. She just has to take care of Fang Fang during the day and pick Yingbao up from school in the evening. Heidan was old and could walk back after school.


    ¡°Hello everyone, my name is Xie Mingli. I am your counsellor, and I will accompany you through your campus life in the next four years.


    The counsellor stood on the podium wearing an army green Zhongshan suit. He was in his thirties, and his speech was impassioned and infectious.


    ¡°We all come from all over the world, whether in age or growing up in different environments, but being able to get together is fate. Today is a meeting before the official class. Everyone has to introduce themselves.¡±


    After the counsellor¡¯s words, the students came up to the stage in turn to introduce themselves.


    ¡°Hello everyone, I¡¯m Lili Ye from Haicheng. I¡¯m nineteen years old. My hobby is¡­ ¡°


    ¡°Hello everyone, I¡¯m Xu Canghai from Qing City. I¡¯m twenty-seven years old. I¡¯m the standard in the third session. ¡°


    ¡°Hello everyone, My name is Dong Jiahui, from Jiangkou County Victory Commune. This year, I am twenty-four years old. I¡¯m glad to be admitted to Wudong University and be classmates with you all. In my future university life, I hope we can help each other and make common progress with you all! ¡°


    While Jiahui was talking on stage, some students off stage were whispering.


    ¡°Who is she? I haven¡¯t seen her in the dormitory. ¡°


    ¡°Does she not have any accommodation?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s quite young looking, not like twenty-four.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s really white, she¡¯s not badly dressed; her family should be well off.¡±


    The English department has a total of forty-nine students, of which twenty-eight are girls and twenty-one are boys. As opposed to girls who shop for dresses, boys are more concerned about the girls¡¯ looks and temperament.


    Married boys are more stable, while young male students do not have too many worries.


    From the time Jiahui entered the classroom, she had already attracted the attention of some of the opposite sex.


    ¡°This female student is good-looking. I think she is the best-looking person in our class. ¡± She¡¯s twenty-four years old. I wonder if she is married.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. She doesn¡¯t look like she¡¯s married either.¡±


    ¡°Twenty-four and still not married? If she were in our place, she would be considered an ¡°old girl.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with being an old girl? You can send her to me if she¡¯s such a good-looking old girl. I still want her! ¡°


    ¡°I feel Ye Lili is also quite good-looking, like a small pepper.¡±


    ¡°Come on, I don¡¯t like those kinds of naughty girls. It¡¯s better to be gentle.¡±


    Zhou Ruosen, next to a boy named Lu Gang, was whispering with the other side of the boys. Zhou Ruosen¡¯s poor acceptance of such schoolboy-style self-introduction, coupled with how his father forced him to give up his first choice, a university in the capital, That¡¯s why he came to Wu Dong in an unhappy mood. In the entire class meeting, he kept his head down.


    ¡°She looks so good when she smiles.¡±


    When Lu Gang¡¯s words just fell, Jiahui¡¯s self-introduction was also completed. Everyone applauded. The counselor did not let Jiahui sit down. He waved his hand for everyone to stop for a while.


    ¡°Let me introduce you to this student, Dong Jiahui. She entered our school with the second-highest score in the province, and her English score on the college entrance exam was perfect. ¡°


    Jiahui didn¡¯t expect the counselor to introduce herself at first and stood in front of the stage after being surprised. She maintained a faint smile on her face.


    After hearing the teacher¡¯s introduction, the students on the stage looked at Jiahui with a clearly changed gaze.


    Zhou Ruosen, who had been keeping his head down, also raised his head at the word. He looked at Jiahui¡¯s light eyebrows. The small pear vortex in her smile just broke into his line of sight, and there was a sweet feeling that made him think of the malt candy he had eaten as a child.


    Zhou Ruosen¡¯s family background was particularly good, the one with great family history. The reason why he studied English was that he came from a family of diplomats.


    His first choice was the university in the capital, but because his grandfather was recuperating in Wudong, his father asked him to have ¡°filial piety for his father¡± and spend more time with the elderly.


    Zhou Ruosen protested, but in front of his father, he, as a son, obviously did not have any say. Plus, Wu Dong University was also a top-ranked university in the country, and the professor of English was his father¡¯s senior brother, Zhou Ruosen, who could only reluctantly come.


    He thought that with their own family history, their English scores must be among the best, but he did not expect that there were people outside the sky.


    At the first class meeting, Zhou Ruosen did not pay attention to anything and only remembered a name called ¡°Dong Jiahui¡±.


    In the first class, Jiahui and Zhou Ruosen were tied for first place in the pronunciation exercise and were way ahead.


    Jiahui¡¯s excellence was due to systematic English learning in her previous life, while Zhou Ruosen¡¯s excellence was entirely due to his family¡¯s atmosphere, thanks to the influence from childhood.


    ¡°After the test in this class, I have a certain understanding of everyone¡¯s English level, and I can say that the difference is still quite big.¡±


    The two best ones had no problem crossing the freshman year and going directly into their junior and senior years, while most of them, however, could only be considered to have barely touched the edge of the subject of English.


    We are the first class after the resumption of college entrance exams. I do not want to talk too much about historical issues. Since we got into college, we should spend as much time improving ourselves as possible. We have no textbook for the class, and the textbook is still in the research stage, so for the next class, I will propose a topic for each class, and everyone will prepare themselves after class, and starting with the next class, each student will take turns speaking on the stage.


    This open-ended education was very stressful for the students, and it was only then that they actually had the feeling that they were already university students.


    After class, the professor gave Dong Jiahui and Zhou Ruoshen an assignment to rehearse a short play of their own, with unlimited content.


    ¡°You two have a better foundation than the other students, so you should suffer more in the future and bring the other students along with you to improve.¡±


    After the professor left, Zhou Ruosen and Jiahui looked at each other and saw the leap of joy and delight in each other¡¯s eyes, but not the nervousness.


    ¡°Your pronunciation is very good; it¡¯s authentic British pronunciation.¡±


    Zhou Ruosen was the first to speak.


    ¡°Your pronunciation is also great.¡±


    The pronunciation of Zhou Ruosen is a standard American pronunciation, nurtured by his family.


    The two of them walked out of the classroom together and exchanged the homework assigned by the professor. Jiahui thought that the skit content should be as interesting and simple as possible for the beginning of the school year, and did not need to be too complicated.


    ¡°Well, your idea is good. Let¡¯s discuss the topic first, and then design the situational dialogue.


    After agreeing with Jiahui¡¯s point of view, after going down the stairs along the corridor, Zhou Ruosen was still talking when he saw Jiahui suddenly running away. He looked up in surprise and saw Jiahui holding the arm of a man not far away.


    ¡°This student, may I ask if you are waiting for me?¡±


    With a sideways smile, Jiahui ran a few steps to Zhao Donglin¡¯s side and asked.


    Zhao Donglin had been waiting for ten minutes or so, watching Jiahui and Zhou Ruosen come out of the classroom all the way. The two standing together had the flavour of a talented man and a beautiful woman. He has listened to the students in the English department after class. There are two very good English speakers in the class: a man and a woman. The boy¡¯s name is Zhou Ruosen, and the girl¡¯s name is Dong Jiahui.


    Zhao Donglin put away the thoughts in his heart and said with a calm smile, ¡°You are my wife. If I do not wait for you, who will I wait for?¡±


    Zhou Ruosen was standing four or five meters in front of them. He was a little frozen in place.


    ¡°This is my classmate, Zhou Ruosen. This is my husband, from the Department of Economics at our school.


    Zhou Ruosen nodded his head and politely extended his right hand to Zhao Donglin.


    ¡°Hello.¡±


    ¡°Hello.¡±


    The two men shook hands.


    ¡°Classmate Zhou, then I¡¯ll leave first. We¡¯ll talk again before class this afternoon.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    Zhou Ruosen stood where he was, watching the two people drift away, heading off-campus.


    There is a female classmate in the English department who was admitted to Wu Dong with her husband. Most people in the school know about it. However, like Jiahui, Zhou Ruosen doesn¡¯t live in the school and lives with her grandparents, so he hasn¡¯t heard of the gossip about the school.


    ¡°How about these two days of classes? Did you feel excited and deeply enlightened? ¡°


    On the way, Jiahui talked to Zhao Donglin about light-hearted topics.


    ¡°En, I felt it. My previous ideas were too one-sided; I didn¡¯t think about things from a macro perspective.


    ¡°Not simple. After a morning of classes, you even know the word ¡°macro.¡±


    Zhao Donglin laughed lightly, ¡°It¡¯s not as good as Dong, who has already made a name for herself in one morning. There is a female student in the foreign language department who is good-looking and has top grades in her major.


    Jiahui looked at Zhao Donglin sideways, ¡°What? Are you jealous? That¡¯s why you came to pick me up from class, isn¡¯t it? ¡°


    Zhao Donglin did not deny or admit it. He took Jiahui¡¯s hand and put her soft palm into his jacket pocket.


    He is not that superficial; his wife¡¯s being complimented does not give him a sense of crisis. Rather, it was that student Zhou just now. He smelled a dangerous aura on that person.


    ¡°That student Zhou, I heard that he is also outstanding in his studies.¡±


    ¡°Oh, he is. His English foundation was quite good. Oh, the professor asked us to arrange a short play together.¡±


    Zhao Donglin nodded. After walking out of the countryside, he found that there were too many excellent people. In order to make himself more compatible with his wife, it seems that he will have to work harder in the future.

 CH 64

    Finally, Jiahui and Zhou Ruoshen decided to stage a short play introducing the campus, with Zhou Ruoshen playing the role of a foreign tourist visiting Wu Dong University and Jiahui playing the role of a student at the university.


    At the beginning of the play, Zhou Rousen pretended to be visiting the campus, and from time to time, he would show a confused expression.


    As a foreign tourist, he naturally does not know Chinese characters, such as the school¡¯s monument, motto, inscriptions, etc. He does not understand them at all.


    At this time, Dong Jiahui, who was holding a book on her chest, passed by, and the foreign friend played by Zhou Ruosen called out to her.


    ¡°Hello! I am a foreigner. This is my first time going to this university. Could you please introduce me to the main campus for me? ¡°


    The female student, played by Jiahui, readily agreed and led him from the main entrance of the university, introducing the history and culture of the university and the campus environment one by one.


    They walked through the boulevard, passed through the small garden and the school building, and finally arrived at the school¡¯s auditorium.


    Jiahui pointed to the auditorium and said, ¡°There is a memorial to members of the woods next to the north gate of the school. It¡¯s a quiet and comfortable place. I hope you will like it. ¡°


    Zhou Ruoshen pretended to be a serious visitor, and his mouth let out an admiring sound.


    At last, Zhou Ruosen said goodbye to Jiahui, who smiled and said, ¡°Have a nice day.¡±


    In Jiahui¡¯s opinion, this short play is very simple. In the English short plays arranged in the school before, they were all like Shakespeare. The reason why they made it so simple was to consider the English level of most students. There are still some words that students can¡¯t understand.


    The professor was quite satisfied. After the two returned to their seats, the professor stepped up to the podium to speak.


    ¡°There is no shortcut to learning a foreign language; only constant memorization and practice can make progress. You should follow the example of Dong Jiahui and Zhou Ruosen.¡± Learn from them and catch up with them. I believe that by the end of this semester, you can all reach this level.


    The class was quiet; everyone was really shocked. They originally thought that their English grades were good, but there are people beyond the world. They no longer feel that they are superior, and they even make people feel inferior.


    With this stimulus, the crowd¡¯s motivation to study was even higher, and they got up early every morning to memorize the words. They were studying everywhere on campus, which is exactly what the professor wanted.


    On Sunday, the school was closed for the day. Jiahui took the children out with Zhao Donglin and they went around town. Jiahui also wanted to see what good ideas there were for earning money, and at the same time, they would not miss their class.


    In the provincial capital in the past seven or eight years, there were not many stores or restaurants, and there were a few food vendors on the streets, such as rice sticks, rice cakes, steamed groundnuts, and not many tea eggs, as they were known in later times.


    Jiahui focused on the tailor store. Ready-made clothes were expensive; now most people still rip the clothes to find a tailor to let them sew them. She also went to the mall to inquire about the price of clothes. They were priced at more than a hundred yuan, which meant someone from an ordinary family could not afford them.


    ¡°Food, clothing, shelter and transportation¡±, you have to start from the most basic places, from other fields it is also very difficult to earn money.


    They took Heidan to see a movie, ¡°Six Pan Mountain,¡± which had never been seen in the village before. Heidan watched it with great interest.


    Heidan also bought a comic book. The most popular one now is ¡°The Strange Attack on the White Tiger Regiment,¡± which was the first comic book in Heidan¡¯s life, and he has always treasured it, taking it out from time to time and turning it over.


    This time, they didn¡¯t bring with them the sewing machine. She can¡¯t sew clothes temporarily. Buying clothes is now also impossible. Not only do they have to use industrial tickets, but they also have to spend a couple of hundred yuan. It¡¯s very expensive for their family¡¯s financial situation.


    After giving it some thought, Jiahui decided to make the money targeted at young people. They can sell food at the weekends in the cinema. Such as tea eggs, chicken rice flowers, peanuts, melon seeds, and peanut seeds can be weighed in the store and sold according to the size of a paper bag. The price is certainly a little more expensive than in the store. Tea eggs will be sold for 10 cents. Chicken rice flowers have to be processed by themselves and made into semi-finished products. It¡¯s just right to bring a briquette stove.


    When Jiahui shared this idea with Zhao Donglin, she had to seek his advice. The couple has to discuss whatever they do.


    Zhao Donglin had just been introduced to economics in school and just wanted to try it out for himself, so he naturally agreed to Jiahui¡¯s idea, and Meixiang asked to join after finding out about her big brother and sister-in-law¡¯s plan.


    ¡°You¡¯re so busy with school courses; do you have time?¡±


    Specialized teacher training only needs one and a half years to graduate. The three or four years¡¯ worth of knowledge was squeezed into a one-year course that they had to learn. For the remaining six months, it would be an internship. Every day, Meixiang would read till late at night. She was very busy indeed.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, I would only spend half a day in a week, it¡¯s not much of a delay.¡±


    She is only twenty this year. In the twenty-first century, she would still be considered a little girl who loves to play. What her sister-in-law said was very interesting. As for books, it is the same when she comes back at night.


    Just let her do it. Jiahui went to the market on Saturday morning and bought two chickens. Fried chicken rice flowers need chicken breast. Now there is no place to buy ready-made ones, so she can only come back and disassemble the bones by herself.


    The dismantled chicken meat was cut into small pieces and marinated with seasonings. There are no bread crumbs. So, she could only replace it with crushed steamed bread. After the chicken was marinated, she dipped the chicken block in egg white and wrapped it in steamed bread. Fry it in an oil pan until it is golden yellow.


    Jiahui divided the first half of the fried portion into half, half plain and half sprinkled with cumin powder, and took it for everyone to taste.


    Zhang Qiaoer took the first clip and chewed two mouthfuls. She was surprised. The taste was completely different from what she thought it would be.


    ¡°Well, it smells strange. I thought it was not good to eat.¡±


    She originally did not like this. A good chicken wasn¡¯t cooked well. It took so much trouble. It¡¯s tearing down the meat and wrapping it in steamed bread. She spoils all the good things. Who knew that it would taste so good?


    Meixiang also nodded while eating. She is a young person, and her receptive ability is originally stronger than Zhang Qiaoer¡¯s. Compared to the original flavor, she prefers to eat the cumin flavor.


    Having already gotten two good reviews, Jiahui¡¯s eyes shone brightly as she looked at Zhao Donglin beside her.


    ¡°What do you think?¡±


    Zhao Donglin nodded his head after tasting it carefully, ¡°The taste is good. Someone should like it, but I can¡¯t tell how much it would sell.¡±


    The man¡¯s taste is more inclined to drinking and eating meat. For these kinds of snacks, he actually did not like them so much, but if it was based on the taste, it was not bad.


    Jiahui grunted. She felt that what he said was similar to not saying anything. He couldn¡¯t put forward any constructive suggestions. Then, Jiahui waved at Heidan, who was doing his homework, to come over.


    ¡°Zhuojun, you help me taste it. I need to know if you kids love this.¡±


    This is the open-door brick that KFC has taken the world by storm. Jiahui believes that even the children of the seventies loved it, but she can¡¯t be completely sure.


    Heidan was not too happy to hear Jiahui call him a kid. He was already in fourth grade and had long felt like an adult.


    ¡°Mom, mom, let me eat. I¡¯m a kid too.¡±


    When Yingbao saw that Jiahui did not call her, Yingbao was anxious and ran faster than Heidan.


    ¡°Our Yingbao also wants to eat, huh?¡±


    Jiahui pinched Yingbao¡¯s fleshy little face and deliberately teased her, ¡°But you¡¯re too young.¡± Such a snack will make you stupid. What should we do? ¡°


    Yingbao puffed up her mouth and looked a little sad.


    But I just want to eat it. My little aunt said it¡¯s delicious.


    Jiahui held a smile, not saying yes or no.


    Heidan loves his sister. Heidan held Yingbao¡¯s shoulder and said seriously, ¡°Little sister, you can eat. It doesn¡¯t matter. If you become stupid and are unable to grow up, I¡¯ll take care of you when I grow up. ¡°


    Anyway, she is his sister. He was born to take care of her and protect her.


    Jiahui looked at Heidan in surprise. She didn¡¯t expect him to be a little warm-hearted.


    ¡°Well, since your brother said that it doesn¡¯t matter if you become stupid. You can eat it, but you can¡¯t eat a lot. If you eat more fried food, you will get fat. ¡°


    ¡°Mom lied. You only said that I would be stupid.¡±


    ¡°Mom did not lie to you. If you eat too much, you will become stupid and fat, and not cute anymore. ¡°


    ¡°It¡¯s quite good; it smells good; it¡¯s different from braised chicken.¡±


    Heidan finished eating and seriously expressed his opinion.


    ¡°So how do you like it?¡±


    Heidan thought about it. Heidan was not obsessed with food; he never actively wanted to eat anything. He always ate the food that was cooked at home.


    For him, as long as he didn¡¯t hate it, he liked it.


    Therefore, he honestly nodded his head.


    Since everyone said it was okay, Jiahui grabbed the rest of the half-finished products and then started preparing lunch.


    She stewed chicken soup with the dismantled chicken bones and made chicken soup with hand-rolled noodles.


    ¡°Send a bowl to the backyard.¡±


    Before Jiahui finished speaking, Zhao Donglin had already familiarly taken an aluminium soup pot from the cupboard, filled it up and sent it over.


    ¡°Oh my! Donglin, why are you sending food again? You go back and tell Jiahui that she doesn¡¯t need to send us a serving of anything good to eat. ¡°


    ¡°She just wants you guys to try her cooking skills. Just praise her that you ate well.¡±


    Shen Nianru shook her head and smiled, ¡°I don¡¯t need to praise Jiahui¡¯s cooking. Since she¡¯s here, our appetites have become spoiled.¡±


    After school, Zhao Donglin and Jiahui find out the real identities of the two old people. Professor Zhong is a professor in the Chinese Department of Wudong University, and Professor Shen is a professor in the History Department of Wudong University. In addition, Professor Zhong has also compiled teaching materials and published a collection of essays. According to Professor Shen, Professor Zhong was writing a small book recently.


    They all can¡¯t wait and want to make up for those missed times.


    After having lunch early, Jiahui and Zhao Donglin set out together with Meixiang. Eggs, peanuts, and melon seeds had been bought the day before. The tea eggs had been marinated all night. She couldn¡¯t figure out the specific situation when doing business for the first time. Jiahui didn¡¯t dare to do more and only prepared about 20 tea eggs.


    ¡°Sister-in-law, do you think we will do well today?¡±


    On the bus, Meixiang asked Jia Hui with some apprehension.


    ¡°Relax. If we can¡¯t sell it, we can just take it home to eat. ¡°


    Mei Xiang laughed, ¡°I really can¡¯t bear to not eat it.¡±


    After saying that, she reassured herself, ¡°But I believe we will be able to sell it. How can we not sell delicious things? ¡°


    Jiahui patted her on the head. She turned her head and looked out the window. Jiahui didn¡¯t speak.

 CH 65.1

    The cinema opened at 12:00 noon, so after lunch at home, the three of them left and rode a bus. Zhao Donglin was responsible for the briquette stove. Jiahui and Meixiang carried a basket with ingredients.


    When they arrived at the cinema, Jiahui first went to the people who were selling tickets and asked if they could meet the director who manages the cinema.


    ¡°You guys want to see me for something?¡±


    ¡°Yes, We would like to borrow some space in your cinema to sell some food. Do you think it¡¯s appropriate? ¡°


    The cinema actually also sells things, but not as many as in later times; only soda. The director looked at them, who were holding a vegetable basket, a pot, and a stove. He thought it was quite interesting.


    ¡°You are quite well prepared.¡±


    The director was a middle-aged man in his forties, wearing glasses, not very tall and very thin. He looks a little sharp.


    ¡°We just want to earn a little money. Boss, if we were to sell food, the guests would want to drink water after eating. So, wouldn¡¯t you be able to sell a few more bottles of soda? ¡°


    According to his usual character, he would not agree to this matter. But, Jiahui¡¯s ideas aroused his curiosity. He wanted to see if their food could be sold in the end. After thinking about it, he also agreed.


    ¡°OK, I¡¯ll lend you the place if you sell it first.


    If it sells well, the cinema would also increase its sales, right?


    This is called ¡°throwing stones.¡± The director is not a fool, but he also made a request, that is, not to make the place dirty.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, director, we¡¯ll take care of it.¡±


    Jiahui, incidentally, borrowed tables and chairs from the cinema. First, they set up the briquette stove and then continued to heat the tea eggs cooked in the soup pot. Melon seeds and peanuts were also placed on the table. As for the semi-finished chicken rice flour, she made a copy for guests to taste in advance.


    The movie began to show at twelve o¡¯clock, and at about 11:40 or so, people came one after another to watch the movie.


    ¡°Hey, Are they selling food today? ¡°


    The location of the small stall was in a very noticeable place, and everyone saw it at a glance.


    Most of the people who come to see movies on weekends are lovers, and those who are not lovers are people who are on their way to becoming lovers. Male comrades always have to be generous. When they notice that the female comrade is interested in watching a movie, they are compelled to accompany her.


    No matter what the background, male comrades have to be generous when they want to chase girls.


    ¡°What is this? Eggs? ¡°


    Everyone first became interested in tea eggs.


    ¡°This is a tea egg, cooked with tea leaves. The taste is very delicious. It costs ten cents per piece. If you¡¯re interested in buying, then I¡¯ll give you one to try. ¡°


    Raw eggs cost six cents per piece. On the first day of business, Jiahui only prepared 40 eggs. In addition to tea eggs, various spices and seasonings were added to the marinated soup, which can be reused.


    ¡°Then two tea eggs, and also weigh in some melon seeds.¡±


    Melon seeds and peanuts are weighed in the store. They have a national retail price, but the price of Jiahui for melon seeds and peanuts was more expensive than the other stores. But the customer didn¡¯t care about this price difference.


    After Jiahui wrapped the melon seeds and tea eggs in oil paper, the other party pointed to the chicken rice flour and asked, ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    In the 1970s, KFC had not yet entered the domestic market, so naturally, people had never seen such imported products as chicken rice flour.


    Jiahui smiled and explained, ¡°This is called chicken rice flour, made with chicken. You can try it and buy it if you like it. ¡°


    ¡°Is that so? Then I¡¯ll try one. ¡°


    The female comrade took a bite and tasted it carefully. She nodded to the male comrade beside her after a few seconds.


    ¡°It tastes good, it¡¯s quite fragrant, and it¡¯s chicken.¡±


    And there was a feeling after eating it that I wanted to eat it again.


    The male comrade received a look from his female companion and began to inquire about the price.


    ¡°How much do you charge for these?¡±


    ¡°Twenty cents per piece.¡±


    Chicken meat costs 80 cents per catty. Two chickens weigh four pounds and three ounces each. The shaved meat weighs more than two pounds. Wrap steamed bread into semi-finished products and weigh three pounds and six ounces. In other words, the cost of meat is 3 yuan and 44 cents. It can be sold for 7 yuan and 20 cents, and the profit is 3 yuan and 76 cents.


    For tea eggs, one can earn at least three cents. Today¡¯s 40 eggs can make a profit of 1 yuan and 20 cents.


    The profit is very substantial. It depends on whether it can be sold. You know, the daily salary of ordinary workers in the city is about one yuan.


    My female comrades were a little hesitant. After all, movie tickets were only 30 cents. They already bought tea eggs and melon seeds. It would be a loss if they were to spend money again.


    Seeing that she liked it, the male comrade said proudly, ¡°If you like to eat, let¡¯s buy it.¡± It¡¯s rare for us to go out and watch a movie. It¡¯s not bad to spend these two cents. ¡°


    The female comrade smiled at his words, but she also gently encircled her hands around the male comrade¡¯s arms, and then the male comrade also followed happily.


    The ¡°little girl¡± from Meixiang, who has never been in love, ate a mouthful of dog food. The two comrades in front of her didn¡¯t do much, but their faces turned red first.


    ¡°Okay, wait a few minutes. I¡¯ll go reheat it with the oil again.


    The work of frying the chicken rice flour was given to Zhao Donglin. Reheat it in the semi-hot oil pot and put it in the semi-finished chicken rice flour. Two minutes later, the sound of ¡°Chi-Chi¡± sounded. He picked it up with a bamboo leak and put it on a clean plate.


    ¡°What you just ate is the original flavour. We can also add cumin seasoning. If you want, I can add it for you.¡±


    In the seventies, there were no lamb skewers, and cumin was not a flavor everyone knew about, so the female comrade looked a little hesitant.


    Jiahui kindly said, ¡°Why don¡¯t I split it in half for you? One is the original flavor and the other one is the cumin flavor, okay? ¡°


    The female comrade agreed.


    The first sale was easily completed, and the market was opened. 20 cents for chicken rice flour, 20 cents for tea eggs, and 20 cents for melon seeds, a total of 60 cents.


    Meixiang is responsible for collecting the money. She pinched the 60 cents in her hand and looked too excited.


    ¡°Sister-in-law, we really made it.¡±


    So, it¡¯s so easy to sell things! She was so worried at first. She was afraid that it would not sell.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get excited, we haven¡¯t received our expenses back yet. We have to collect at least seven yuan today to barely take back our capital.


    Chicken, eggs, and melon peanuts were all paid for.


    When Jiahui said this, Meixiang was not excited. Zhao Donglin watched and gave a hand from time to time. Today, he saw the ability of his own wife again. From talking about places to doing business. It can be said that she can be comfortable¡ªeven without him.


    In addition to his wife¡¯s outstanding ability, it was the first time for him to do business also, and it brought him a great shock.


    The professor said that sooner or later, the country will have to open up its economy. The economic base determines the superstructure. Only when the economy is better will the people¡¯s living standards improve.


    Just like buying and selling, money circulates in the market. They first buy other people¡¯s goods, process them themselves, and then sell them to others. Customers get paid through their own labor, forming a complete market chain.


    When you think about it, the development of the economy and how to develop the economy are very interesting and are subjects worth exploring.


    When the first couple finished buying, they were followed by another pair. They bought melon seeds and chicken rice flour.


    When the time came to twelve o¡¯clock, the first movie started, and they had a total of thirteen customers. They collected 7 yuan and 8 cents. Their capital was returned.


    Jia Hui looked at the remaining things, there are still about ten eggs, chicken rice flour only a few taels left, it is estimated that it will not last the night.


    ¡°Sister-in-law, what do we do when we sell all of it?¡±


    Now there are two choices. One is to go back and not sell anymore after the stock sells out. And the other was to go back and prepare a new batch. After thinking about it, Jiahui decided to choose the first one and go back directly when it was sold out.


    Now the preparation time is too tight, and today¡¯s initial test was a success. They can go back and have a rest early to conserve energy for tomorrow¡¯s business.


    The film lasted about ten minutes, and then the male comrade who had bought chicken rice flour came out of the theatre room.


    ¡°Comrade, is that chicken rice flour still available? Give me all the rest. ¡°


    Meixiang opened her mouth wide in surprise and said, ¡°Huh? You want it all? ¡°


    The male comrade smiled shyly, ¡°Yes, my wife loves to eat it. She is pregnant these days. She always said she had no appetite. It¡¯s been hard for her. So I must buy it for her to eat. ¡°


    It turns out to be another person who loves his wife.


    ¡°Okay, there are still five ounces left. Even if it¡¯s five ounces, you can just give me one yuan.¡±


    Jiahui took the time to fry chicken rice flours, took out the overheated oil three minutes later, and asked, ¡°do you want the original flavor or cumin?¡±


    ¡°Half of each.


    ¡°Don¡¯t eat too much at once. It¡¯s easy to get tired of it if you eat too much. I think there are fruit sellers at the intersection. Go and buy some fruit for your wife. The fruit is nutritious and relieves greasiness. ¡°


    Even if you are doing business, you should still have to remind them. However, although the chicken rice flour was fried, the materials are fresh, which is much cleaner and hygienic than those frozen foods in future generations.


    ¡°Okay, thank you.¡±


    The male comrade really ran out to buy fruit.


    ¡°This man really loves his wife.¡±


    Meixiang sighed with emotion. Jiahui said with a smile, ¡°That¡¯s why many males still can¡¯t marry a wife. If you don¡¯t love your wife well, your wife will become someone else¡¯s. ¡°


    The speaker (DJ) didn¡¯t have any hidden meaning under those words. But Zhao Donglin secretly decided to treat his wife better in the future. After all, his own wife is better looking than others¡¯ wives. She can learn better than others¡¯ wives and can make more money than others¡¯ wives.


    When the second movie started, the food was sold out. Jiahui settled the accounts. Today, she sold more than 12 yuan in four hours, and the profit was less than 6 yuan. It was very OK, which met Jiahui¡¯s psychological expectations.


    ¡°En, today¡¯s sale was good. Let¡¯s go back and come back tomorrow. ¡°


    Before leaving Zhao Donglin returned the borrowed tables and chairs, and Jiahui gave the rest of the melon seeds and peanuts to the two comrades selling tickets.


    T/N: Next Update will be on Friday! Again, 3 Chapters for Monday and 2 Chapters for Friday. Thank you so much for reading~

 CH 65.2

    When the three arrived home, Zhang Qiaoer couldn¡¯t wait to ask for the results of today¡¯s business. Her eyes narrowed in happiness after knowing that their food was sold out and that they earned 6 yuan.


    ¡°This feeling is good. Finally, I can see that the money was taken back. ¡°


    Since they came to the provincial capital, the family has spent too much money. They often spend several tens of hundreds of yuan and have taken out more than 100 yuan. Zhang Qiaoer was too distressed. Now that they have a way to make money, she finally sees hope.


    It turns out that in the city, not only was it easy to spend money, but it was also easy to earn money.


    Not only was Zhang Qiaoer worried, but Shen Nianru was also worried. When she heard the movement in the front yard, she came over to ask them about today¡¯s situation.


    ¡°Little girl, how was your business today?¡±


    ¡°Auntie, business is pretty good.¡±


    Jiahui told Shen Nianru about the business today.


    ¡°It¡¯s good that the country has loosened its policy and allows people to do business now.¡± Shen Nianru smiled benevolently as if life had not given her any trials and tribulations, as if everything she had experienced was not worth mentioning.


    ¡°But then, I¡¯m afraid that selling in the cinema is not a long-term solution. If you earn money easily in the eyes of most people, I¡¯m afraid someone will complain after that. ¡°


    Jiahui naturally thought about this. The country was the best at following the trend. When others make money, someone will learn to do it right away. But one thing she firmly believes is that other things might be easy to imitate, but the chicken rice flour was not easy to imitate. Besides, she can not only make chicken rice flour but also make hamburgers, chicken chops, and French fries. Others can¡¯t learn it even if they want to.


    ¡°Making money is important, but do not forget to study. The two of you are now college students and must still focus on learning. You can¡¯t put the cart before the horse. ¡°


    Shen Nianru finally couldn¡¯t help but mention a couple of things. Zhao Jiahui and Zhao Donglin readily agreed, saying that it would not affect their studies.


    In the evening, Fang Fang had already gone to bed. Zhao Donglin saw Jiahui rubbing her arm and took the initiative to give her a massage.


    ¡°Wife, it¡¯s been a hard day. I¡¯ll press your shoulder. ¡°


    ¡°Eh? Well, you can, but be gentle. I can¡¯t bear your strength. ¡°


    Zhao Donglin had a reaction when he heard the word ¡°gentle¡±. As usual, Jiahui always told him to be gentle.


    Jiahui lay on the bed and pulled her scattered hair aside. She was wearing a pure white cotton sweater. Because of the action of lying on her arms, the butterfly bone on her back showed a beautiful outline, like a pair of small wings.


    Zhao Donglin sat down beside Jiahui. Before touching her back, his breathing had become rapid.


    His warm and strong palm pressed against her back. The palms that were pressing on Jiahui¡¯s back began to be dishonest. Jiahui also gradually warmed up.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you¡¯d give me a massage?


    Jiahui turned around, seemingly angry and at the same time smiling. Her eyes were brimming with light. It looked beautiful under the light. Zhao Donglin could not hold back any longer. Donglin caressed Jiahui¡¯s body as he pressed her down and closed the gap between their lips.


    Jiahui could only groan, and it was followed by the sound of clothes rubbing together.


    ¡­¡­


    The director of the cinema came over at night. He wanted to see how the business of those people who came during the day was doing. When he went to the cinema, he found that they had left.


    ¡°How was their business today?¡±


    The comrade selling tickets answered truthfully, ¡°Business is quite good. I see quite a lot of people willing to spend money. They sold out at four o¡¯clock and left.¡±


    This obviously exceeded the dean¡¯s expectations; he had thought that these things did not sell well.


    ¡°What about our sodas?¡±


    ¡°Everyone was thirsty for water after eating, and we sold more than twenty bottles of soda.¡±


    When Jiahui persuaded the director of this, Jiahui said that what they sell will drive the sales of the cinema¡¯s soda. The director was not very convinced by what he heard at the time. Unexpectedly, the three people were not simple; they were intelligent and brave enough.


    The director pondered for a moment and said, ¡°I think they are selling melon seeds, peanuts, and, what else, eggs?¡±


    Peanuts and melon seeds were easy to find. The eggs and the other yellow things take some trouble to imitate.


    ¡°It¡¯s tea eggs and chicken rice flour.¡±


    The director nodded, although he did not know what tea eggs were and what chicken rice flour was.


    ¡°Can we make them ourselves?¡±


    ¡°This, I don¡¯t know, but I tasted the egg, and it tasted pretty good.


    Not long after she first arrived, Jiahui asked Meixiang to send two tea eggs to the two ticket sellers¡¯ colleagues, asking them to take care of them. The so-called soft-handed and soft-mouthed employees are the easiest to deal with ¡°relationships¡± with small favors.


    Don¡¯t ask for anything else, just don¡¯t affect their business.


    ¡°They should be returning tomorrow.¡± You can learn from the back and we will sell it ourselves. ¡°


    Although the comrades selling tickets were not happy in their hearts, they were forced to accept the task set by the leaders, and at the same time, they felt sorry for Jiahui.


    The next day, Jiahui woke up early and carried out the daily morning English recitation task first, and within this time, Zhao Donglin went to the market to buy the ingredients needed for today.


    With the previous day¡¯s experience, today¡¯s preparation was even better, and the amount prepared was twice as much as yesterday¡¯s. The three of them had just arrived at the cinema when someone was waiting inside.


    ¡°Hey, you guys are finally here! My wife still wants to eat that chicken rice flour I bought yesterday. I have to buy more today. ¡°


    It turned out to be the same male comrade with a pregnant wife yesterday.


    ¡°There is, but pregnant women can¡¯t eat too much-fried food. It is really not good. She won¡¯t be able to digest it. ¡°


    Fried food has too much fat. What pregnant women need is to add nutrition. Eating too much fried food will not only leave you with no nutrition, but you will also suffer from excessive internal heat and you will even get fat.


    The male comrade smiled bitterly, ¡°I know. It¡¯s kind of you to remind me, but my wife¡¯s appetite is not good. She doesn¡¯t want to eat anything. In order to make her eat more, I also have no other way. ¡°


    Jiahui nodded with understanding, ¡°Okay then, how much do you want? I¡¯ll make it for you first.¡±


    ¡°Give me half a kilo. I¡¯m not sure if she wants to eat it at night.¡±


    As soon as she arrived, she went to fry half a kilo. Jiahui prepared five kilos of chicken rice flour today. She has a hunch that today, it would still not be enough.


    ¡°By the way, do you come here every day at noon?¡±


    ¡°No, we only have time to come over on weekends.¡±


    The male comrade seemed a little disappointed. ¡°Well, if my wife wants to eat, do I have to wait until next week?¡±


    Jiahui smiled. She was very fond of the little couple. The feeling of being held in the heart and loved by the other half is really great.


    ¡°If she really wants to eat, you can also find me. I have time to make it for you. I will write an address for you later.¡±


    The male comrade was happy and thanked her, but Zhao Donglin, who was frying the chicken rice flour, looked at the male comrade. He didn¡¯t like males who talked a lot with his wife. Although he knew that his wife gave their address to the male comrade because of her kindness, Zhao Donglin still had some places in his heart to eat vinegar.


    After the male comrade left with the hot chicken rice flour, Meixiang lamented, ¡°This comrade is really good to his wife.¡±


    Half a carton of chicken rice flour is already enough to buy a chicken, and he was really willing to pay for it.


    Before this, she had only seen her big brother is good to his wife. Surprisingly, there was no shortage of men who were good to their wives in this world.


    ¡°So you have to find a husband who will love you in the future.¡±


    To be happy, women still have to be loved by males in the palm of their hands. Those male people who don¡¯t understand women and don¡¯t know how to love women will make women¡¯s lives very, very hard.


    Speaking of which, Jiahui began to gossip about Mixiang¡¯s school life.


    ¡°Do you have any male classmates you like at school?¡±


    ¡°Oops, sister-in-law, what are you talking about? I¡¯m going to school, not to talk to someone.¡±


    Every time this kind of question was mentioned, Meixiang would blush. How could she say it? Her big brother was still beside her.


    ¡°Just asking if you like someone.¡±


    ¡°No. I only treated them as my classmates; I didn¡¯t think that much. ¡°


    The only time she felt flutters was when she was in high school, and she hasn¡¯t felt them since then. She used to feel that she didn¡¯t deserve the male student in all respects. Through her efforts, she has been admitted to a junior college and can still be a teacher in the future. Meixiang is more confident than before. Unfortunately, she can¡¯t meet him again. She doesn¡¯t know whether he has a partner, whether he is married, or whether he has also been admitted to college.


    Whether or not she has a chance in the future, she always hopes that he will have a good life.


    Her affection was not possessive, but rather selfless blessings.


    Business is still brisk today, and although there are more things to prepare than the day before, there are twice as many people watching the movie today as the day before.


    Many factories operate a single-break system, working on Saturdays and resting on Sundays. Jiahui sold out of things by the third movie, selling more than twenty-six yuan and making a net profit of fourteen yuan.


    ¡°What we earned in these two days was half a month¡¯s salary for others.¡±


    The profit in two days reached 20 yuan, which was the half month¡¯s salary of other people.


    Jiahui hissed, ¡°We have to keep a low profile. I¡¯m not sure.¡± Someone will sell it next time we come. ¡°


    Mei Xiang gave a cry and said anxiously, ¡°Really? What should we do? ¡°


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s easy for them to sell other things, but they can¡¯t sell chicken rice flour.¡±


    It¡¯s just that the next time we sell something, we have to change it.

 CH 66

    So, what happened was not unexpected, so Jiahui was not surprised. When they went the next week, a small counter had been set up at the ticket booth of the cinema, and they began to sell food. The variety was even richer than that of Jiahui. In addition to melon seeds and peanuts, there were fruits, sweets, biscuits, and other foods.


    The comrade who was selling the tickets looked unnatural when he saw them come in. This is something that Director Zhu did unethically. The president said that this was originally the territory of the cinema, and last time they kindly let them do business there. We can¡¯t just let them come here again and again.


    This also sounds quite reasonable.


    ¡°Sorry, the director sent word that you can¡¯t sell things in our cinema in the future.¡±


    Guilt is guilt. As social people, we still have to complete the tasks assigned by the leaders.


    Meixiang was so angry that she wanted to go up and argue with the other party, but she was held back.


    Jiahui and Zhao Donglin looked at each other. They already expected this to happen. They are different from Meixiang in that they are not so idealistic. Although they felt uncomfortable in their hearts, they were not that angry.


    ¡°Is the director here? I want to talk to him about a business deal. ¡°


    At this time, Zhao Donglin stepped forward to speak.


    A few days ago, he and Jiahui had already thought of countermeasures for various possible scenarios, and the cinema backtracking was one of them.


    As for the countermeasures, one is to change the location; two, to have a win-win cooperation.


    The couple naturally favored the second possibility.


    The staff members were slightly hesitant, fearing that if they called the director for Donglin and made a scene, they would not be able to escape.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯re just looking for him to talk about business, not making trouble.¡±


    The staff thought about it and called someone for them. After all, the three of them looked quite reasonable, not like that kind of a jerk.


    Director Zhu arrives late after about ten minutes of waiting.


    ¡°I heard that you guys are looking for me.¡±


    Director Zhu didn¡¯t look very friendly today. By the time he decided to steal Jiahui¡¯s business from a few people, he had already torn his face. Naturally, he doesn¡¯t have a good face.


    There is a kind of person who can become angry when he does something wrong. Director Zhu is obviously this kind of person.


    Zhao Donglin smiled and went forward and said, ¡°Director, we have no intention of competing with you for business. Besides, this was originally your territory. Naturally, the decision will lie with you. We just want to talk about business with the dean today. I wonder if you are interested.


    Zhao Donglin said ¡°you¡± with a friendly and respectful attitude, so Director Zhu put down his defenses and eased his attitude.


    ¡°Business, what business? Tell me. ¡°


    Zhao Donglin looked at the goods on the counter and smiled, ¡°Look, what you sell here are small snacks, which are sold in some shops outside. If they don¡¯t buy them, there¡¯s nothing you can do. We might as well sell some things that others don¡¯t have, such as tea eggs and chicken rice flour, which are delicious and can attract guests. ¡°


    Zhao Donglin did not rush to speak. He deliberately said half of what he wanted to say. He was waiting for Director Zhu¡¯s response. If Director Zhu showed interest in what he said, Zhao Donglin could continue with what he wanted to say, and if he was not interested, then Zhao Donglin also need not bother with words.


    Zhao Donglin¡¯s words completely hit the heart of Director Zhu. It is not that he does not want to sell tea eggs and chicken rice flour, but he didn¡¯t know how to do it, and then he thought it was also a waste of time.


    They began to sell these small snacks in cinemas on Monday. The business was not good. Until now, they hadn¡¯t been able to recover their capital. Director Zhu was also very upset.


    ¡°Oh? You want to cooperate with me? ¡°


    Hearing Zhao Donglin¡¯s words, Director Zhu¡¯s interest was finally hooked.


    Zhao Donglin nodded, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m not going to lie, we usually don¡¯t have that much time to do business, so we thought of cooperating with you. We provide the food, and you can take the goods from us. With that, we can both achieve a win-win situation.


    This is actually the wholesale of goods in the market economy. A mode of thinking that Jiahui transmitted to Zhao Donglin, who thought seriously about it and found it feasible, adopted Jia Hui¡¯s proposal.


    What Jiahui meant was that they were responsible for supply, which was equivalent to wholesaling food to movie theaters.


    This decision was made after careful consideration. They are students. So, Jiahui and Donglin must prioritize their studies. They were limited in earning money, but they are now living in the capital. Their expenses were huge. Although they have more than a thousand savings at home, they are sewing the stalls of economic reform. Jiahui is reluctant to lose such a good opportunity in vain.


    Cooperating with the cinema can not only save the time of setting up stalls but also not be affected by the school. As long as the supply is prepared in advance,


    Jiahui has completely had the mindset that she could just earn little by little as long as they could achieve their initial accumulation of capital.


    ¡°What kind of food can you make? Just that egg, and that chicken? ¡°


    Director Zhu was obviously moved, and Zhao Donglin and Jiahui exchanged a look. They could read each other¡¯s thoughts.


    If the director has this intention, we will discuss collaboration; if not, we will simply act as if we have never been here. There are many places in town where we can set up a stall. We only borrowed your place at first to save trouble. ¡°


    This statement shows their position that cooperation can be discussed, and they don¡¯t worry about having nowhere to sell if they don¡¯t cooperate.


    Director Zhu was somewhat guilty of this. He didn¡¯t know how good their business was last week. Although he didn¡¯t worry about making any money, no one would push him to find a way to make money!


    ¡°OK, then let¡¯s cooperate. Let¡¯s talk about how you want to cooperate. I¡¯ll say it in advance: I don¡¯t want to bother with something that doesn¡¯t make any money.


    This is a roundabout way of making a request.


    At this time, Jiahui came on stage. She said her idea was that they would prepare the food of the day every morning. Director Zhu can send someone to pick it up. It was settled every day. Director Zhu can keep 40% of the income while they keep the other 60%.


    ¡°Director, you are only doing one thing, but we have to spend a lot of manpower and material resources. It¡¯s hard work. I hope you can be more tolerant in terms of profits. ¡°


    Forty-Sixty division of profit is the ideal distribution. It seems that Director Zhu has suffered a loss, but in fact, Director Zhu does not need to spend any money or time, except for providing the venue and personnel.


    This fact naturally occurred to Director Zhu, and after two minutes of contemplation, he agreed to the proposal. He drafted the contract with Zhao Donglin, a top student in the Department of Economics. The two sides signed the pledge, which will take effect today.


    ¡°Director, we are here today. Why don¡¯t you let us finish selling and go back?¡±


    ¡°Look, we are all comrades. We are comrades in a trench. It¡¯s difficult to do so.¡±


    Director Zhu said, blindly with his eyes open. But Jiahui didn¡¯t try to make more concessions. She said she would teach the staff how to fry chicken and rice.


    ¡°Put the hot oil into the pot and fish it up in about two minutes. Don¡¯t delay. It will burn after frying, and it won¡¯t taste good. After frying, you have to ask the guests whether they want the original flavor or the cumin flavor. Put the original flavor directly in front of the guests and sprinkle a layer of cumin powder on the other half. Control the amount of cumin so it won¡¯t be too salty. ¡°


    ¡°Okay, I understand.


    ¡°Look again and try it yourself twice.¡±


    ¡°OK, I¡¯ll definitely learn it well.¡±


    This day¡¯s business was good; all the things were sold out, so I went back early. They told the cinema before they left that they wouldn¡¯t come tomorrow. The director must send someone to pick up the goods.


    ¡°Brother, sister-in-law, you guys are also too good. With that, the matter is set right! ¡°


    She thought they wouldn¡¯t be able to sell anything in the future, but she didn¡¯t expect that they were going to negotiate a bigger deal. Today, she really learned a lesson.


    When Meixiang went back, she talked about what happened today, and when the cinema started selling things, Zhang Qiaoer was angry and cursed, saying that they were not working properly, and then Meixiang said that her brother and sister-in-law negotiated with the director, and Zhang Qiaoer¡¯s mood went up and down with the development of things.


    ¡°So, we don¡¯t have to set up a stall ourselves in the future? As long as the ingredients are ready, we can sit at home and earn money. ¡°


    Zhang Qiao¡¯er patted her chest and said with her palpitating heart, ¡°That¡¯s good. If it doesn¡¯t sell in the future, it won¡¯t kill my heart.¡±


    That¡¯s a lot of money. They can earn 10 yuan a day!


    On Sunday, Jiahui did not increase the amount blindly. She prepared tea eggs and chicken rice flour according to the amount from the previous day. Today, she also marinated chicken wings and chicken feet, which can be considered a new variety that was developed.


    To tell the truth, there are too many things to sell, but the eggs can¡¯t be put in the same basket, and she can¡¯t show her cards at the same time.


    At more than ten o¡¯clock at noon, the person in the cinema who would pick up the goods arrived. On the first day, Zhao Donglin was worried about making mistakes and went back with the other party¡¯s people.


    When she sent the people away, Jiahui had nothing to do. She picked up the chicken bones left and cooked chicken soup. She put the vermicelli in a bowl and then poured the chicken soup. Jiahui also put in the hot green vegetables. It tasted delicious.


    Zhao Donglin came back and ate the meal at home.


    Fang Fang was almost one year old and had six teeth. Jiahui steamed rice for him. When eating, she put him on the self-made dining chair, fed him a mouthful of rice, and drank rice soup.


    ¡°Eat, eat.¡±


    Fang Fang¡¯s appetite has always been very good, eating everything that smells good. While eating, his fat hands were dancing while his mouth was muttering words.


    ¡°Even at this age, my little grandson is smart.¡±


    From the youngest son to the eldest grandson, they are all the old woman¡¯s lifeblood, but if you ask Zhang Qiaoer who she loves the most now, it is undoubtedly Fang Fang.


    In the afternoon, the people from the cinema came again.


    ¡°The director said that the goods were sold out, and let me ask you to prepare some more.¡±


    Fifty tea eggs and five catties of chicken rice flour were all sold out, and new chicken wings and chicken claws were also gone. The movie screening is over. There are still some people who came to ask for it and want to buy some to take home.


    It¡¯s already late this time. Now she¡¯s not ready to work until dark. Jiahui is not the kind of person who pays for her life in order to make money.


    ¡°It¡¯s too late to do it now, but you go ask your director how much would be appropriate to prepare every day. I will follow his requirements. In addition, he will bear the responsibility if he can¡¯t sell it if he has too much preparation. ¡°


    The staff went back to tell Director Zhu about Jiahui¡¯s intention. Director Zhu can only bear it even if he is unhappy. After half a day today, he has seen the prospect of this business, which is very impressive.


    ¡°You go and tell her, a hundred tea eggs and ten pounds of chicken rice flour. For the chicken wings and chicken claws, do as much as you can. ¡°


    Jiahui received a reply and agreed that the number was reasonable. After all, the late show at the cinema was the main event.


    In the evening, Jiahui cooked a hundred tea eggs, but for the chicken rice flour, she couldn¡¯t do it now. Jiahui can only get up the next morning and prepare it.


    How good it would be if there was a refrigerator. There will be a time to prepare more to save time. This way, you do not have to get up early, but you also do not have to worry about food spoilage. She can only think about it for now.

 CH 67

    At school, in the counsellor¡¯s office.


    ¡°Today, I asked you here for something. Our school will hold a campus party on Labor Day, which stipulates that each department must have programs. Our department now has our own class. One of you will be the monitor, and the other will be assigned as a propaganda committee member. I¡¯ll directly hand it over to you. If you have any questions, go to Qin Zhizhen, the president of the student union. He is responsible for the party.¡±


    Qin Zhizhen is the student president, a celebrity in the physics department, and they also said he was the son of a high cadre, Jiahui hasn¡¯t had any dealings with him since school started.


    Since the counselor had already handed it down to them, Dong Jiahui and Zhou Ruosen naturally had to oblige.


    ¡°Okay, we will prepare well.


    Compared to Dong Jiahui¡¯s calmness, Zhou Ruosen¡¯s heart was thinking more.


    The two of them are the sons of high cadres. Qin Zhizhen is taller than him, more handsome than him, and also the president of the student council. Sometimes it is inevitable to give birth to a feeling like they were General Liang and General Yu. This phrase refers to an ancient Chinese story in which a general named Liang is much wiser than his opponent, General Yu. And after being outfoxed many times by General Liang, General Yu lamented. If I was born, why did God think it necessary to create General Liang to oppose me.¡ª special thanks to boss Juststian, who explained this to me, and this explanation was from the boss))


    The two came out of the counselor¡¯s office and went directly to the student council¡¯s room. Qin Zhizhen was sitting behind his desk, reading documents. When Zhou Ruosen knocked on the door, Qin Zhizhen looked up.


    ¡°Come in.¡±


    He pointed to the chairs in front of him and told them to sit down and talk.


    It is said that the school is a small society. Although the current Qin Zhizhen is still a freshman, he already has a lot of momentum, and no one dares think how far he will go in the future.


    You should arrange your own program with a positive theme. This time, leaders from the province will visit.¡±


    Qin Zhizhen¡¯s voice is clear and bright. In his early twenties, it was the time to be high-spirited.


    Qin Zhizhen is tall, with sword eyebrows and starry eyes. He looks relaxed and magnificent. He is very handsome.


    ¡°Besides,¡± Qin Zhizhen looked at Dong Jiahui and said, ¡°The party is still missing a female host. Are you willing to do it?¡±


    The requirements for a female host were high and low. First of all, it depends on her appearance, followed by her temperament. Qin Zhizhen first pulled a circle in the student council. Only Xie Peiying of the culture and publicity department met this requirement. The rest are not good-looking or have a poor temperament.


    Dong Jiahui is 25 years old. There are many young girls in the school who are younger than her, but she has a tender face and will never be compared with a 20-year-old girl.


    The most important thing is that Qin Zhizhen had seen Dong Jiahui perform in a sitcom and thought her stage style was okay, so he asked for an invitation.


    Qin Zhizhen¡¯s eyes are bright. He has a sense of aggression when looking at people. Jiahui usually listens to the discussion of girls in the class, and they said that looking at Qin Zhizhen will make you blush. She asked herself honestly if she had met such an excellent and eye-catching male student when she was in college, she would have been attracted to him too.


    Jiahui thought about it. Although there are many things at home, she also knows the benefits of showing her face. Even if the wine is good, I¡¯m afraid the alley is deep. [1] The school is a small community. Accumulating contacts is good for her future development.


    After taking the job as a host, Jiahui became even busier, busy writing and rehearsing. The English department¡¯s program was a small drama about a father who was on his deathbed and who distributed his property to his three sons.


    Recently, the business has been very good. After several increases in supply, it has stabilized at 200 tea eggs, 15 kilograms of chicken rice flowers, 20 pairs of chicken wings and 20 pairs of chicken feet.


    Their daily profit was 30 yuan and 46 cents. Jiahui could get 18 yuan, which means she had 54 yuan a month.


    After the fame spread, many people who do not watch movies also came to buy them. Director Zhu wanted to expand the supply, but Jiahui refused.


    She is too busy to supply more. For the 200 tea eggs alone, it will take a while to cook. In addition, it takes time to remove bones and fry the meat.


    When Zhang Qiao¡¯er saw that her daughter-in-law could not do it, she took it upon herself to say that she was willing to work harder, but Jiahui did not agree.


    There is a Fang Fang at home, and there are household chores. Zhang Qiaoer doesn¡¯t have much free time at home. There¡¯s no need to force herself like that in order to make money.


    Now, Jiahui is very satisfied with this state. Partnering with the cinema is only a means to accumulate original capital. Since the cinema began to sell meat, many people with vision have also taken a fancy to this. However, no one has been able to imitate it so far, and the business is still very safe.


    This is hard for Zhang Qiaoer. Seeing that she can earn more but can¡¯t earn it. It¡¯s the same with ¡°she can only see what she likes and can¡¯t eat it.¡±


    Zhang Qiaoer could not understand Jiahui¡¯s idea. In addition to time and insufficient manpower, there was a basis for not increasing the amount.


    Although she did not study economics in college, she still understands the case of ¡°hunger marketing.¡± Sometimes the market is too saturated, which is not good.


    The campus party was so successful that Jiahui, one of the hosts, became a celebrity at the school.


    ¡°That Dong Jiahui is already married, and she looks quite young.¡±


    ¡°I heard that President Qin asked her to be the host.¡±


    ¡°Married women should keep their distance from the opposite sex. I see that she often runs to the student council.¡±


    ¡°Her husband is also from our school. She is older than he is. I heard that not only was she married, but she was married twice! ¡°


    ¡°Ah? Really? Hurry up and tell us. ¡°


    ¡°I also heard this from other people, but I do not know if it is true. I heard that Dong Jiahui married at the age of 18. Somehow, she divorced her ex-husband and then married her current husband. Her husband was also married twice. The two really suit each other. ¡°


    ¡°Oh my God! Second marriage! I really couldn¡¯t tell! Why did President Qin find this kind of person to host the party? ¡°


    ¡°Coquettish. Although she comes from the countryside, she can really dress up and look really young. You see, she likes to wear clothes that show her waist. Her pants are thin and look weak and soft. Male comrades love this. ¡°


    ¡°What kind of person is President Qin? How can he be attracted to her? He is the son of a high-cadre. He is so excellent. ¡°


    Repeatedly said rumors become a fact, public clamor can obscure the actual truth. In Jiahui¡¯s rehearsal for the party, some unpleasant words gradually spread. The main topic was that Dong Jiahui didn¡¯t abide by women¡¯s morality and she cuckolded Zhao Donglin.


    At first, it was just a small-scale rumor, but later the rumor became more and more outrageous until even Jiahui herself heard about it.


    She was very angry when she heard these words. It was a slander on her character. Why couldn¡¯t she be a host? Was she not allowed to even have a normal campus life because she was married and had to distance herself from all the opposite sex?


    On top of that, she was worried about Zhao Donglin and wondered how much of this gossip he had heard.


    Not many males can accept a wife making their husband wear a green hat, even though she has done nothing wrong, but others think so. And this can also be a problem for Zhao Donglin.


    ¡°Have you heard the recent rumors at school?¡±


    At home in the evening, Jiahui took the initiative to ask Zhao Donglin.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t take it to heart.¡±


    The implication was that he did hear it, but Donglin didn¡¯t take it seriously.


    ¡°I was about to tell you that tomorrow I would go and talk to the school leaders; this trend should be curbed.¡±


    The reason why it was not dealt with was only that he did not want Jiahui to worry about it. Who knew that in two days, these rumors would reach Jiahui¡¯s ears?


    Those who have been admitted to famous schools for a century are the favored ones of heaven. They should study hard and serve their country rather than focus on things unrelated to learning, let alone such rumors.


    As one of the gossips, Qin Zhizhen also heard some of them. He snickered in his heart, not to mention that he was not interested in Dong Jiahui. Even if he was, he really did not mind that she had been married and had children. After all, the one at home also married a woman with a child, that is, his stepmother.


    Zhao Donglin approached the school leaders to react to the situation, affirming that the rumors at school had seriously hurt his own feelings as well as his wife.


    The school leader took the situation seriously and had the source of the rumors thoroughly investigated. It turned out that some female students in the student council were jealous of Jia Hui as the host and spread those rumors about her.


    The school criticized them and did not punish them for the first offense, but Qin Zhizhen, as the president of the student council, removed them from the student council.


    Although the matter was clarified, Jiahui¡¯s second marriage had become a matter of public knowledge. Jiahui was too lazy to explain the reason for the second marriage. Whenever she was walking around the campus, she would occasionally receive some strange looks.


    People, especially the vast majority of people, are accustomed to passing moral judgment on others. Even if she doesn¡¯t do anything to hurt others, she is not a glorious person in the eyes of others. In their view, serious women won¡¯t divorce. Not to mention Zhao Donglin¡¯s second marriage, Who knows whether they have hooked up?


    In May, the central government issued a document about the policy of the 1978 college entrance examination. In addition to fresh candidates, those in their third year and those who meet the state regulations can register for the examination, the same as in 2007.


    This undoubtedly gave last year¡¯s failed students new dawn of life, Zhao Donghe received this news, and immediately felt his blood boiling.


    When he was lost and despondent, life gave him hope again, and he decided to hold on to this last chance.


    He immediately wrote a letter to his big brother in the provincial capital, expressing his views.


    ¡°Donghe wrote to me, saying he wanted to take the college entrance exam.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good thing. If Donghe also passes the exam, our family will be really great. ¡°


    Jiahui has a good impression of Donghe. Last year, they also asked him to prepare for the college entrance examination, but then he just divorced, not in the mood to consider. Now, finally, he wanted to open up.


    Zhao Donglin nodded. He, as a brother, was naturally looking forward to the good things happening for his brother.


    ¡°Let¡¯s buy some study materials and send them back to him.¡±


    Zhao Donglin nodded, ¡°Well, I¡¯ll go to the bookstore tomorrow.¡±


    There were also study materials from last year put at home, so Donghe himself picked them up to read them.


    In July, the college entrance examination will start, and at present, it is still May. There are still two months to prepare, one more than last year¡¯s preparation time. But Zhao Donglin knows that this year¡¯s examination questions are definitely more difficult than last year. He was still quite unsure whether Donghe could pass the exam.


    Zhao Donghe went to the bookstore the next day and bought a book, wrote a letter, and sent it to the post office. Zhang Qiaoer knew that the second would also take the college entrance examination. She was both happy and sad.


    Her second son was divorced and took Shitou alone. She finally knew that he had made progress and would have a good future, so she didn¡¯t have to worry anymore.


    It¡¯s best to have the second be also admitted to the university in the provincial capital so that the family can be reunited.


    They earned more than 500 yuan last month. My daughter-in-law said that if they earned more, they could buy a house and settle in the provincial capital.


    Zhang Qiaoer had no fascination with becoming a resident of the city. Speaking of conscience, she still feels comfortable living in the village, but the children need to go to school in the provincial capital, and it won¡¯t be a problem to rent a house. But since they are in such good condition financially, it¡¯s also good to buy a house.

 CH 68

    Zhao Donghe came to the provincial capital after studying at home for a month. After leaving school for too many years, it took a lot of trouble to pick up many knowledge points and he couldn¡¯t fully understand them. He thought that his eldest brother and sister-in-law were good at learning. It¡¯s better to have their guidance than to fumble at home.


    ¡°You¡¯re probably tired of sitting in the car all day. Hurry up and lie down and rest.¡±


    When Zhao Donghe arrived, they were still at school and hadn¡¯t come back. His mother and Fang Fang were the only ones at home.


    Fang Fang apparently does not remember this second uncle. He was standing behind Zhang Qiaoer, staring hard at Zhao Donghe.


    Zhao Donghe showed a kind smile on his face and waved at Fang Fang, ¡°Fang Fang, remember me? I¡¯m your second uncle. ¡°


    Fang Fang just had his first birthday last week, and he could understand a lot of words, and he shook his head when he heard Zhao Donghe¡¯s question.


    ¡°This kid is smart; he knows how to shake his head.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. Don¡¯t be fooled by the fact that he is young. He understands everything you ask him. He can speak a lot now. ¡°


    Zhang Qiaoer touched Fang Fang¡¯s little head and pointed to Zhao Donghe, ¡°Fang Fang, say ¡®second uncle¡¯ or ¡®uncle¡¯.¡±


    Fang Fang followed and called ¡°Uncle,¡± and Zhao Donghe put Fang Fang on his lap.


    He came in a hurry and did not bring any food. At the moment, he couldn¡¯t find a piece of candy in his pocket. He couldn¡¯t help but regret that he hadn¡¯t bought some food for his nieces and nephews on the way.


    He was about to ask about everyone¡¯s situation in the provincial capital. But, Zhang Qiaoer first asked his family, focusing on Shitou.


    ¡°You should have brought Shitou with you. Your father is not the type of person who can take care of a child. ¡°


    I¡¯m afraid he would think of it as raising a cat and a dog, as long as he¡¯s not starving. As for freezing, it¡¯s June now, so it¡¯s heading towards summer. Even if you want to freeze, you don¡¯t have the weather conditions.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯m here to study, not to play in the mountains. Wait until my exam is over. ¡°


    If you pass the exam, are you afraid of the day when Shitou can¡¯t enter the city?


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m just afraid that Shitou will be upset in his heart.¡±


    Zhao Donghe thought of his son, and he did howl before he came here, but it¡¯s nothing for rural children to howl twice. He also told Shitou that his father was preparing for the college entrance examination, and if he passed the examination, both of them could live a good life. If he doesn¡¯t do well, he can only farm in the countryside.


    ¡°If you pass the exam, will you be like my eldest aunt and uncle, who took Heidan and others to the city?


    He envies Heidan the most. It is said that there are many delicious foods in the city that are much better than those in the village. Heidan and the others must live a fairy-like life in the city.


    ¡°Are you hungry? I¡¯ll give you something to eat first. Your sister-in-law made cold noodles.


    As time passed towards the summer, Jiahui again drummed up cold skin. The cinema sold particularly well, and now the income can reach 25 or 26 a day.


    She has money in her hand, doesn¡¯t panic in her heart, and keeps the pot of gold. Zhang Qiaoer doesn¡¯t feel bad about spending a penny like before. Recently, the food at home has been much better. She can eat braised meat once a week. Of course, the chicken soup at home hasn¡¯t been cut off because of the meat picking. Who could have thought that one day, the family would be worried because she is tired of drinking too much chicken soup and doesn¡¯t want to drink it?


    With a bowl of cold noodles, most of the tiredness from travelling was finally eased.


    ¡°Last time, Meixiang wrote in her letter that the family was selling things at home. What are you selling? ¡°


    ¡°Oh, we made our own food and put it on consignment in the cinema.¡±


    Speaking of this, Zhang Qiaoer opened the box.


    ¡°Let me tell you, this business is really too profitable, and now at home, we are only waiting to collect money every day.¡±


    She told her son what time she got up every morning to prepare, what to prepare when the cinema came to pick her up, and how much she earned a day. Although many words were too wordy and not concise, Zhao Donghe basically understood. He was shocked at their daily income. That is other people¡¯s monthly salary.


    ¡°This ¡­¡­who came up with this idea?¡±


    It¡¯s also too stirring, beyond Zhao Donghe¡¯s cognition.


    ¡°Your brother and sister-in-law thought of it. So that¡¯s why you have to study hard and enter a university. As you can see, when your brother and sister-in-law went to university, their brains became better.¡±


    In fact, the business was initially mentioned by Jiahui. After getting the support of Zhao Donghe, she opened her mouth with her family, so Zhang Qiaoer didn¡¯t know who was the initiator. She only knew that it was the idea of her son and daughter-in-law, but the craft was really the daughter-in-law¡¯s, so Zhang Qiaoer¡¯s love for her daughter-in-law was getting better and better now. Who doesn¡¯t want a daughter-in-law who can make money?


    At four or five o¡¯clock, everyone came back one after another, and today Yingbao was picked up by Jiahui together with Zhao Donglin.


    As long as they get out of class early, they will go to school together to pick up the children. If they don¡¯t have time, they will let somebody pick her up.


    ¡°Donghe, you¡¯ve arrived.¡±


    When he came back and saw his second brother, Zhao Donglin, he was in a good mood. He patted Donghe on the shoulder and smiled happily.


    When Donghe arrived, Jiahui carefully prepared dinner, the family ate a lively dinner, and in the evening, Zhao Donglin gave his brother a lesson and combed through the textbook knowledge.


    Meixiang moved into her mother¡¯s room with Yingbao. She let her second brother, and Heidan live in her room. In the backyard, Shen Nianru also said that if the family doesn¡¯t have enough space, Donghe can live in their house.


    Since he knew that the two old men in the backyard were university professors, Zhao Donghe had great respect for them.


    The village elementary school teachers are respected, not to mention the university professors. How well-educated they must be!


    ¡­¡­


    Donghe lived in the provincial capital for more than half a month and returned to the village. The time gradually passed to July. The school was preparing for the exam.


    Zhang Qiaoer¡¯s heart for her second son was nervous, but there were children in the city she had to take care of, and there was business to do. She cannot mention the words of coming back.¡±


    Jiahui saw her mother-in-law¡¯s anxiety and discussed it with Zhao Donglin.


    ¡°I see that Mom is quite worried about Donghe. There are only exams left in the school. After the exam, there will be a holiday. Otherwise, let¡¯s let my mother go back and bear more hardships for ourselves. ¡°


    His wife was very understanding. Zhao Donglin was naturally moved, and he had no side comments.


    ¡°About Fang Fang, do you want mom to take him back to the countryside or let him stay in the city?¡±


    Heidan and Yingbao need to go to school, so they do not have to worry about who¡¯s going to take care of them. For the three meals a day, Jiahui can do it herself. For the supplies for the cinema, she can also get up early and finish it. But for Fang Fang, if they all go to school, Fang Fang will be left alone at home.


    He was afraid of leaving Fang Fang in the city with no one to take care of him, but if his mother took him, he wouldn¡¯t feel comfortable on the way.


    The child cannot walk; they must hug him after a few steps. It¡¯s really inconvenient to take the child after such a whole day¡¯s drive.


    Usually, Zhao Donglin spends two days sending them back, but now is the final exam stage, not divided into weekends, everyone is frantically studying.


    Let¡¯s talk about this tomorrow. It¡¯s late. Let¡¯s sleep first.


    If you can¡¯t come up with a solution, you can put it aside for now. Jiahui reached out and turned off the bedside lamp. She closed her eyes and prepared to sleep. She needs to get up first thing in the morning to prepare that food.


    Just when Jiahui just closed her eyes, she was held in her arms by a pair of powerful arms, and her mouth was blocked.


    ¡°Oops, I have to get up early tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow I¡¯ll get up early, you sleep more.¡±


    Her mother-in-law wakes up earlier than she does, and if he wakes up and Jiahui stays in bed, the mother-in-law won¡¯t say anything.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Mom won¡¯t say anything. She wants us to be happy.¡±


    It is best to give her another grandchild.


    Of course, this is only Zhang Qiaoer¡¯s good wishes. Jiahui has long since taken a stand with Zhao Donglin, in their times in school. She must not get pregnant.


    The night at the end of June was hot and sultry, and after the ¡°hug,¡± it was like lighting a fire, which made Jiahui follow.


    In this kind of thing, Zhao Donglin is tireless, he always feels that Jiahui is the missing piece of his body. Holding her and owning her makes him infinitely full and satisfied.


    The clouds and rain first rested; the sky was already white, and Jiahui drifted off to sleep. Zhao Donglin hugged her and kissed her sweaty forehead. He was afraid that she would not sleep well, so he took a towel to wipe her sweat off.


    At five o¡¯clock, Zhao Donglin let go of Jiahui and got up on his own, going to the kitchen, where his mother was already cooking cold noodles.


    ¡°Jiahui will be sleeping more today. Later, I will go to the market to buy things. What else is missing at home?¡±


    Zhang Qiaoer pursed her lips and smiled. When her diligent daughter-in-law didn¡¯t get up, what else did they do? Ah, this husband and wife are different. There are those who fight like cockfighting eyes as soon as they meet, and there are also those who stick together like glue every day.


    Jiahui didn¡¯t wake up until well past seven o¡¯clock. Her body was sore and there were still some traces that didn¡¯t disappear. After finishing cleaning up herself, she went out of the room. The meat had been disassembled in the kitchen.


    Jiahui¡¯s face was burning a bit, but no one made fun of her. They all pretended to talk to her as if nothing was wrong. After a while, Jiahui¡¯s face didn¡¯t burn so much, and the feeling of discomfort was also much less.


    ¡°Mom, I was talking to Donglin yesterday. Are you worried about home and want to go back?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not at ease. Donghe is going to take the college entrance examination, and I don¡¯t know who will prepare him for it.¡±


    I just can¡¯t help but want to go back and help him prepare a few meals. ¡¯


    ¡°Nothing else, but I don¡¯t know how to arrange Fang Fang.¡±


    ¡°Who said no? I¡¯m worried too.¡±


    She wanted to return to the village with her grandson, but the last time she came she threw up nonstop as she had died once, and she couldn¡¯t take care of a half-grown child.


    In the afternoon, Zhang Qiaoer chattered with Shen Nianru in the courtyard about the matter.


    ¡°If you are worried, you can give Fang Fang to me to take care of.¡±


    Zhang Qiaoer was both surprised and delighted at hearing this.


    ¡°You are so good to Fang Fang. You treat him just like your own grandson.¡±


    But Zhang Qiao¡¯er did not agree to it. She still has to ask her son and daughter-in-law¡¯s opinion and see if they agree.


    Shen Nianru is really good to the Zhao family¡¯s children. Her only daughter died at a young age. And when their hair turned white, they had no grandchildren in this life.


    Zhao¡¯s children know how to behave, know how to be polite, are good at school, progressive, and good-looking. They are the most favoured type of child by their elders.


    Since the front yard was rented to the Zhao family, her life has also been energized. Among these children, the one she loves the most is Yingbao, and when she sees her, she will think of her own daughter when she was small. Adults always give more patience and energy to younger children.


    After Jiahui came back from school, Zhang Qiaoer told her what Shen Nianru meant.


    ¡°What do you think?¡±


    Although she asked for Jiahui¡¯s opinion, the expectation in her eyes could not be ignored. Jiahui¡¯s heart softened, and she said with a smile, ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll go talk to Auntie after I eat and ask her to help raise the children for a while.¡±


    When school is out for the summer, they will have time to raise their own children.

 CH 69

    After Zhang Qiaoer returned to the village, Jiahui really worked hard. She had to prepare for the final exams, cook their three meals, and prepare the foods that they were going to sell.


    But the good thing is that Shen Nianru wholeheartedly helped them to take care of Fang Fang, which saved her a lot of worries.


    In July, primary students, secondary students, and college students began a happy and long summer vacation. At the end of July, the college entrance examination, which carries the happiness of millions of people, also opened its curtains.


    The day before the exam, Zhao Donglin rushed back to the village to cheer his brother on.


    ¡°There are too many things to do in the city. Your sister-in-law can not come back. She asked me to give you a message.¡± Don¡¯t pressure yourself and do well in the exam. ¡°


    Zhao Donghe nodded, the corners of his eyes slightly sour.


    Zhang Qiao¡¯er was also very happy to see his eldest son back, which parents do not hope that their children¡¯s relationship is harmonious?


    Because the high school has returned to normal order, this year¡¯s college entrance exam is naturally more formal than last year, and the exam questions are more complex than last year.


    Donghe chose the science subject and took five subjects: politics, language, mathematics, physics, and chemistry, and Zhao Donglin accompanied him.


    After the exam, it was inevitable to check his answers. Donghe calculated that his score was about 270. This score is similar to last year¡¯s Mei Xiang¡¯s college entrance exam result. Donghe was very apprehensive. He was afraid that his own results were not enough for this year¡¯s standard.


    ¡°Relax. I heard that other people¡¯s scores are not as good as yours, so let¡¯s not confuse ourselves.


    The exam is over, and overthinking was not beneficial. Donghe naturally understands this, but he had hoped too much. He was afraid he would disappoint himself.


    Wearing a straw hat and a hoe, Jiang Liang turned over the ground at the gate of her yard and was ready to open another vegetable field to sow vegetables.


    The neighbour, Aunt Hua, swayed over and shouted from a distance, ¡°Liang, yesterday I accompanied Yun Yun to the county for an examination. Guess who I saw?¡±


    Aunt Hua¡¯s daughter, Yun Yun, is a freshman in senior high school. She is expected to take the college entrance examination. Jiang Liang stood up straight with a hoe and wiped the sweat off her head. She didn¡¯t want to guess or couldn¡¯t guess. She directly asked, ¡°Who did you see?¡±


    In a mysterious voice, Aunt Hua said, ¡°Your son-in-law, Donghe.¡±


    Jiang Liang turned around.


    Zhao Donghe is a name she has not heard for too long, or rather she has been deliberately avoiding it, because every time she thinks of it, she always has a stomach full of regret.


    Aunt Hua knew she was interested when she saw her like this and continued to say, with a smile, ¡°His brother accompanied him, the former village clerk of Shanghe village, the one who went to university.¡±


    Everyone knows that Zheng Yuefen has divorced Zhao Donghe. Not long after her divorce, she was married to a man in another commune. In fact, when Aunt Hua said this to Jiang Liang, she didn¡¯t have any good intentions.


    The subtext is: look, your former son-in-law went to take the college entrance examination. There are so many college students in his family. It¡¯s not impossible for him to enter the University. Your daughter divorced him. After his family developed, your family can¡¯t touch it.


    Jiang Liang knew Aunt Hua¡¯s intention. It was because she knew that she regretted it in her heart.


    She does not need to inquire more; the news of the Zhao family from time to time will come to her ears. She knows that the Zhao family is getting better and better. There are three college students in the family, which is the first one in the commune. If Donghe passed the exam, they could really walk sideways in the Shengli commune.


    After her remarriage, her daughter Zheng Yuefen didn¡¯t go back to her mother¡¯s house once, nor did she send a letter. The two communes are not close to each other, and frankly speaking, she was not quite sure whether her daughter was doing well or not.


    Why didn¡¯t Zheng Yuefen go back to her mother¡¯s house? First, she didn¡¯t want to be in a scene that recalled past memories. She was afraid she would think of Donghe and Shitou. Second, she always remembered that her eldest brother, Zheng Songnian, was indifferent to her. When she divorced Donghe, he not only didn¡¯t accept her to go back to her mother¡¯s house, but he also let her live in the pigsty, from that time on, she¡¯s dead to her mother¡¯s family.


    She often wondered if she could have waited for Donghe to change his mind if her family had accepted her to live in her mother¡¯s house. But the result was that Donghe was dead set on getting a divorce, and her mother¡¯s family did not want to accept her and wanted her to get married.


    The divorce was delayed for half a year with Donghe, and after the divorce was finalized, the family matched her with a widow who had lost her husband. They married not long after.


    The new in-laws are not as good as the Zhao family. Her husband is usually quite good to her, but when he¡¯s drunk, he will hit people. When he sobered up, he would admit his mistakes.


    Whenever she was beaten, she missed Donghe¡¯s goodness.


    She thought of Donghe, of Shitou, of the days of the Zhao family, and often asked herself why she had come to this point. Why was Donghe unwilling to give her a chance to change? Why was he so determined to get a divorce?


    At first, she thought Donghe had fallen in love with someone else, but in the past two years, she hadn¡¯t heard of him getting married to anyone.


    Zheng Yuefen has resentment, hate, love and confusion in her heart, but what should happen and what shouldn¡¯t have happened has happened, and thinking about it again won¡¯t make any difference.


    After one year of marriage, she didn¡¯t get pregnant. Yuefen was ignored by her husband¡¯s family. Fortunately, she was pregnant the next year. Now the baby in her stomach has been six months old.


    For the sake of her children, she decided to forget the past and start a new life.


    The children had a happy summer vacation. There was a park near the house where many children played in the morning and evening, and Jiahui gave the task of taking care of Heidan to her younger sister-in-law.


    Zhao Donglin brought Shitou for the summer when he returned from the village, and on the first day in town, Shitou announced that he never wanted to go back.


    ¡°There are delicious popsicles here, chicken soup every day, and brothers Heidan, sister Yingbao, and Fang Fang, and I have nothing to go back to.¡±


    ¡°Then when your dad gets into college, let¡¯s live together in the city, okay?¡±


    ¡°Yes, my dad will definitely pass the exam.¡±


    Zhao Donghe listed all the provincial schools where he would do volunteer work, and even the normal specialized training school had a guaranteed minimum of volunteers.


    Donghe doesn¡¯t have a big wish. He just wants to have a degree and a decent job. He doesn¡¯t have to work in the field every day and hopes he can let Shitou live well with himself.


    After the summer vacation, more people went to the movies, and business got better. President Zhu came to the door and begged for a long time, and after much persuasion, Jiahui agreed to increase the quantity. From 200 tea eggs to 300 tea eggs, 15 pounds of chicken rice flower to 20 pounds, chicken wings and chicken claws also increased to 50 pairs each.


    And Jiahui also agreed with Director Zhu that if they failed to sell it, Director Zhu would have to subsidize the cost for her.


    Director Zhu lamented more than once that Jiahui was too shrewd, too calculating and simply didn¡¯t give others a little cheap dip.


    ¡°Director Zhu, you are a big boss. You are doing great things. We do small business. We don¡¯t have to say how hard it is.¡± You can see it for yourself.


    ¡°Yes, you have a point. Anyway, I can¡¯t say anything about you.¡±


    He was surprised when he found out that the couple were students at Wudong University. Later, he thought, ¡°It¡¯s no wonder the couple¡¯s calculations were so well thought out. Who made them smart?¡±


    In the heat of August, Jiahui had been busy with a lot of things in the morning. At more than nine o¡¯clock, Jiahui sent some vegetables to the backyard. She didn¡¯t see Shen Nian sitting in the yard as usual. She knocked at the door. Zhong Soomin bent slightly and came out.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen your Aunt today, Uncle.¡±


    Zhong Daomin¡¯s face, with a lingering sadness, pointed to the house and said, ¡°Your Aunt had a cold and fever last night, and now she is lying in bed after taking medicine.¡±


    A summer cold is the most distressing, and older people are more concerned with maintenance. Moreover, this weather is not a cold day. There was no air conditioning in this era. How can you easily catch a cold and have a fever?


    When Jiahui heard that Shen Nianru had a fever, she immediately asked worriedly, ¡°Auntie has a fever? Can I go and see her? ¡°


    Zhong Daomin nodded, ¡°Yes, she is in the inner room. She fell asleep after taking the fever medicine.¡±


    It was hot and stuffy in the room, and Shen Nianru was lying on the bed with a thin blanket over her stomach.


    When Jiahui walked over, she saw Shen Nianru had a red face. She then touched her forehead. It was hot. The temperature was definitely higher than 38 degrees. She¡¯s sure it could reach 39.


    Once she saw such a high temperature, Jiahui became anxious and turned back to Zhong Daomin and said, ¡°Grandpa, Aunt¡¯s body temperature is too high, so lying at home won¡¯t work. We have to send her to the hospital.¡± At her age, her resistance is declining, and her body will not be able to withstand a bit of wind, so we should be more cautious and take it seriously. ¡°


    Shen Nianru is different from her mother-in-law, Zhang Qiaoer. She is already weak. She suffered some hardships a few years ago and has a severe physical deficit. It is difficult for many young grandmothers of rich families to have children, but women who work all year can bear the burden of having children on the ridge.


    Zhong Daomin also panicked. He did not expect his partner¡¯s fever to be so serious. In fact, he got up in the morning and advised his partner to go to the hospital for a check-up, but she said it was no big deal, just take some medicine and lie down.


    Jiahui rushed home and called Zhao Donglin, Zhao Donglin carried Shen Nianru to the hospital. The doctor checked that it was not a common cold and fever, but the flu, which would kill people. Everyone was afraid after listening to it for a while.


    Sickness comes like a mountain, sickness goes like silk.


    Shen Nianru¡¯s illness recovered intermittently after staying in the hospital for a week. Jiahui cooked porridge and soup every day to see her in the hospital. Shen Nianru was very moved.


    ¡°Girl, thanks to you and Donglin, otherwise, I would be a shovelful of dirt now.¡±


    Shen Nianru held Jiahui¡¯s hand and smiled weakly.


    People die when the lights go out. They have experienced so much in their lives. They have already seen the good and the bad. There is no regret if they really die. They just don¡¯t trust them to leave the old man alone.


    ¡°The first time I saw you, I felt close.¡±


    Shen Nianru looked at Jiahui as if she were looking at someone else through Jiahui.


    ¡°The old man and I have had a daughter in our lives. Since she was born, we have always wanted to give her all the good things in the world. We hope that she will grow up happily. We don¡¯t expect her to become more talented. As long as she was happy, she grew up day by day. She grew up day by day and became a sweet and understanding girl with big, bright eyes. She smiles like her father, with a pair of dimples. Our hearts are really as sweet as eating honey.¡±


    Tears slowly flowing down, Jiahui handed over a handkerchief from her satchel.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pity that she has a poor life. She went early. The old man and I always feel sorry for her, for letting her suffer with us. At the same age as flowers and bones, she¡¯s gone. ¡°


    After regaining their freedom, they went to Heilongjiang and wanted to bring their daughter back. The poor daughter didn¡¯t even have a habitat. Later, a local fellow pointed them to a high slope and said that there were several cemeteries there, one of which might be Nana¡¯s.


    After recalling the past, she can¡¯t help feeling heartbroken. Shen Nianru took a deep breath and calmed her mood.


    This was the first time. Shen Nianru had never mentioned these things in front of Jiahui before.


    Real wounds cannot be exposed to strangers. No matter how hard it is for them to sleep every night, they will never complain to others.


    To them, their daughter was still alive and had not left this world.


    ¡°Old Zhong and I thought we were going to end up alone together, but we never thought we would meet your family, so it¡¯s fate. I want to recognize you as my daughter, I don¡¯t know if you are willing to accept it.¡±


    Consanguineous relatives have been a popular custom in China¡¯s feudal society for a long time. There are generally two situations in which you can recognize consanguineous relatives. One is to find a change of fortune that coincides with the eight characters of their children¡¯s birthday in order to avoid disasters for their children.


    The other case is to continue the friendship because, once we recognize the close relatives, most of the exchanges between the two sides are more frequent, imitating the way of family communication to form a relatively fixed kinship.


    In other words, if Shen Nianru recognizes Jiahui as her goddaughter, no matter where Jiahui goes, she cannot leave this kinship behind, and Shen Nianru was equivalent to Jiahui¡¯s half-mother.


    Shen Nianru¡¯s idea was a bit sudden. Jiahui took a few seconds to reflect on it, she was red-eyed and held Shen Nianru¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Auntie, naturally I am willing. You and Uncle have been so kind to us. Our relationship has long been better than relatives.¡±


    Shen Nianru smiled gratefully.


    ¡°Good, as long as you are willing. When I am discharged from the hospital, we will officially recognize ourselves as relatives. ¡°


    ¡°No, everything is as it should be since I recognize you in my heart. You are my godparents.¡±


    Shen Nianru smiled and nodded. For the past couple of years, this had been the most relaxed mood she had had.


    Even though Jiahui said there was no need to be so polite, after Shen Nianru was discharged from the hospital, she solemnly hosted a banquet, inviting several of her old friends in addition to the Zhao family,


    She gave Jiahui a jade bracelet and a pair of earrings as an acknowledgement gift and bought Jiahui two new clothes from top to bottom.


    The jade bracelet and earrings are old items that were hidden by all means at the beginning to save them from being ruined.


    Originally, she wanted to be left by my ancestors. If something really happens, I can change some money to meet my temporary needs. If I can¡¯t use it, I will give my daughter Nana as a dowry when she grows up.


    The original thought was that the ancestors would leave it behind as a reminder. But in case something really happens, at least they can exchange some money to solve the temporary needs. If it cannot be used, when their daughter Nana grows, they can give it as her dowry.


    It was impossible to give to Nana as her dowry, but now it can be given to Jiahui.


    In mid-August, Zhao Donghe found out his college entrance examination results: 294 points, more than 30 points higher than his previous estimated score. According to Zhao Donglin¡¯s analysis, with this score, there won¡¯t be any problems in entering a university. Now he can see which university he was admitted to with the admission notice.


    The newspaper said that 6.1 million people took the college entrance examination this year, and the admission rate was 7%, which means that only 420,000 of these 6.1 million candidates got the college admission letter.


    Zhao Donghe was working in the field when he received notice that the commune had a copy of his mail and asked him to pick it up himself.


    Zhao Donghe¡¯s heart pounded when he heard the notice, foreseeing the good news he had been waiting for.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been accepted! I¡¯ve finally gotten into college. ¡°


    Ecstasy, excitement, and after the excitement, there were also times when things changed and the rain cleared up.


    A new chapter in his life would finally open.

 CH 70

    From May to August, thy earned over 3,000 yuan from the movie theater business, which is a lot of money and the result of the family¡¯s rigorous efforts.


    Jiahui provides the technology and the ideas, but she can¡¯t accomplish all the ideas and goals by herself. It¡¯s the family¡¯s daily hard work and dedication that makes it possible.


    ¡°Donghe will definitely bring Shitou when school starts in September. So many people can¡¯t live in three rooms. When you¡¯re free, walk around and see if there¡¯s a suitable house to buy. ¡°


    Jiahui mentioned to Zhao Donglin about buying a house, and although Shen Nianru recognized her as her goddaughter and didn¡¯t want to charge her for rent, it was not her own home. In addition, there was more than one family and a string of people behind her. Jiahui inevitably had the feeling of reaping what she had not sown.


    She thought of finding a large compound nearby so that she could take care of her godmother and godfather and the family could live in comfort.


    In these family planning arrangements, Zhao Donglin was always willing to listen to Jiahui¡¯s advice. He immediately put it into action, and within a few days, he found a suitable compound nearby.


    The courtyard was near the elementary school, and it was vacant, left by the owner¡¯s maternal grandfather. Because his parents also had a home, the courtyard had been empty.


    Zhao Donglin went to see the house; it was the main house, plus the east and west rooms, for a total of eight rooms. It was very much in line with Jiahui¡¯s expectations.


    ¡°Did they say how much they would sell it for?¡±


    ¡°3008 yuan, not a penny less.¡±


    The owner of the house was in line with the idea of ¡°it¡¯s okay if you can sell it or not.¡± They didn¡¯t accept counter-offers and they sold it the way it was.


    Zhang Qiaoer naturally raised her hands in favor of buying a house. Although the price is not low, her family earns money every day, so she doesn¡¯t feel so bad. Shen Nianru was really reluctant to give up.


    ¡°The home is not inaccessible; there is an empty house in the backyard. You can let your brother-in-law come over and let him live in the backyard.¡±


    If they all move out, the house will be as cold and quiet as before. Having experienced a lively life, they never want to be alone again.


    ¡°I¡¯m not in a hurry to move out. We are just looking for a suitable house to buy. If Godmother cannot let us go, we will continue to stay with you. ¡°


    Shen Nianru laughed and patted the back of Jiahui¡¯s hand, falsely scolding her, ¡°You little girls are still making fun of your godmother.¡±


    Since Jiahui said she would not move, for the time being, Shen Nianru was relieved.


    At the end of August, Zhao Donghe brought his son Shitou to the provincial capital, leaving Zhao Manzhu alone in his hometown.


    People in the village joked, ¡°Second grandfather, why don¡¯t you follow me to the city to enjoy the fun? They are in the city to eat and drink, leaving you alone at home. ¡°


    Zhao Manzhu smoked a mouthful of dry tobacco, exhaled a mouthful of smoke, tapped the ashes, and said, ¡°I¡¯m staying behind. Such a big family depends on me. ¡°


    Shitou, whose first name is Zhao Zhuo Ming, passed the elementary school entrance test with difficulty and enrolled in the first grade. The principal did not charge assistance fees for the sake of Heidan, who was already a fifth-grader.


    ¡°Shitou, your grades are not comparable to your brother¡¯s; you have to learn from your brother in the future, so you have to work hard, okay?¡±


    Of course, Zhao Donghe just said that and did not blame his son. He himself, as a child, was not as good as his brother in every way. This is also considered ¡°hereditary¡±.


    Donghe was admitted to Wudong University of Mining and Technology. The subject knowledge is mainly minerals and industry, which is different from Wudong University.


    although he took the college entrance examination with more than 290 points. This year¡¯s examination subjects are one more than last year; that is, the total score is one hundred more than last year. In addition, this year¡¯s examination questions are more difficult than last year. Donghe¡¯s score is such that he can barely go to college. He is not dissatisfied with this. It¡¯s better to go to school than to farm at home. The teacher said that he will be assigned after graduation. He can also get a city hukou [1]. Relying on his own ability and taking his son from the countryside to the city has been a great step forward for him in this life.


    Jiahui went to see the house and finally decided to buy it. Now, they don¡¯t worry about economic problems. Money in the bank does not generate much interest. It is much better if you use it for fixed assets. It would appreciate more.


    The matter of buying a house was given to Zhao Donglin. She deliberately stressed the title deeds and land use rights, saying the documents must be complete to avoid future problems.


    In the second half of the year, everything went smoothly. There were some problems in business. Some people imitated tea eggs and marinated flavors, which affected the business of the cinema. In addition, after autumn, the sale of Liangpi (Liangpi is a noodle-like Chinese dish made from wheat or rice flour) also declined. Director Zhu was very worried. On this day, he specially invited Jiahui and Zhao Donglin to a restaurant for dinner.


    ¡°You guys have to think of a way. Before, we could earn 50 or 60 yuan a day. Now, we can only earn 30 yuan or so.


    ¡°This is how business is done, others want to sell it. We have no right to stop people from selling. ¡°


    ¡°I know. That¡¯s why I was looking for your help. I remember you said before that you still have many food ideas.


    ¡°Director, you know, we are students. We are tired enough to prepare so much every day. I can¡¯t be busy thinking about other ideas. ¡°


    Dean Zhu almost blurted out a sentence, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. If you¡¯re too busy, tell me how to do it. I¡¯ll find a way. ¡¯


    The words came to his lips before he remembered that he shouldn¡¯t say them.


    ¡°Then tell me how to do it. I¡¯ll listen to you! ¡°


    Earning money is addictive. Seeing that the business was taken away by others, and they earned a few hundred dollars less a month, Director Zhu scratched his ears hard.


    ¡°Director Zhu, we might as well change the way of cooperation. I will help you come up with ideas, but this time, we will not participate in the whole process. A one-time sale off, after the business, is good or bad, how would you sell it? I won¡¯t ask. Do you think it¡¯s okay? ¡°


    It¡¯s not like Jiahui didn¡¯t know about the decline in business, but she didn¡¯t take care of it. Whoever speaks first will not have the upper hand.


    In the past six months, she has earned thousands of yuan, and the house has been bought. She can take 10,000 steps back, even without any income. Jiahui has reached her initial goal.


    Therefore, she has long thought of a countermeasure to remove herself from the previous cooperation model. A sale off, without the need for the family to get up early and be busy.


    Director Zhu¡¯s heart thumped; he knew that Jiahui was ready to pull out.


    After half a year¡¯s cooperation, Director Zhu saw that they are capable people and that they are businessmen who pursue profits. The reason why Director Zhu can tolerate Jiahui¡¯s sharing is their potential and they don¡¯t want to part ways with them. But now, they want to go their separate ways. President Zhu thought that since they can¡¯t stop, it¡¯s better to seek the greatest interests for themselves.


    ¡°You talk about the idea first. I¡¯ll see if this food is worth spending for.¡±


    ¡°Now I¡¯ll tell you all about everything, including chicken rice flowers and tea eggs, including chicken wings and chicken feet. In addition, we¡¯ll provide other food. It¡¯s going to be winter soon. Everyone likes to eat hot tofu, rougamo, and oden. You can talk about the price with me after you taste it. What do you think? ¡°


    This is the food that dominated the snack street in the 21st century. Jiahui is confident that Director Zhu will definitely be willing to pay out of his pocket.


    At the end of the meal, President Zhu was going to follow Jiahui back. Not willing to wait for a moment, Jiahui smiled and said, ¡°Directoe, I don¡¯t have time to prepare at this time.¡± We might as well make an appointment for tomorrow. You come earlier? ¡°


    Jiahui had a class at nine o¡¯clock in the morning, and the appointment with Director Zhu was at eight o¡¯clock in the morning.


    ¡°How sure are you?¡±


    ¡°Sixty percent, even if it doesn¡¯t work, we have nothing to lose, right?¡±


    Zhao Donglin looked at her fox-like wife. He had mixed feelings. On the one hand, he was proud of such an intelligent wife. On the other hand, he was under a huge amount of pressure. As a student in the Department of Economics, he was not as thorough as his own wife in doing business.


    In fact, he has no need to ¡°feel inferior.¡± As a transmigrator who has experienced the information age in the 21st century, he has never eaten pork and seen many pigs running. Those advanced business models were very forward-looking when the spring breeze of reform and opening up had not blown all over the motherland.


    The next day, Jiahui woke up at five o¡¯clock sharp. For the chicken rice flour and other food, she let Meixiang and others do it. while she wholeheartedly prepared for the new product.


    First, she prepares the pastry for the meat bun and goes to the market to buy fresh ingredients while the dough is rising.


    The soup for the Guan Dong Bo had been cooking all night, and after the ingredients were bought, she asked Zhao Donglin to help her cut the vegetables and soy products into cubes.


    ¡°Sister-in-law, what are you preparing here?¡±


    Jiahui told Donghe what had happened, and after hearing this, Donghe said, ¡°This can really work?¡±


    In his opinion, it¡¯s just food. How can a recipe sell at such an expensive price? Except for Kanto cooking, other things are not very special. Rougamo is still a specialty of the province, and he hasn¡¯t eaten bean curd.


    There are thousands of delicious foods, with different recipes and tastes. The reason why Quanjude is more famous than the roast duck next to it is the brand value of Quanjude.


    Time passed by minute by minute, more than seven o¡¯clock. Director Zhu arrived. Jia Hui¡¯s preparations had also reached the final stage. Zhao Donglin greeted Director Zhu in the hall to drink tea.


    When director Zhu drank two cups of tea and became more and more on pins and needles, Jiahui and Meixiang entered the main room. Each of them had a bowl in their hand. Zhao Donghe even carried a soup pot at the end, in which wooden sticks stood upright.


    Naturally, there are no wooden sticks for sale in the market, which is why Jiahui asked Zhao Donglin to sharpen a block of wood from home.


    Director Zhu¡¯s gaze moved from the bowls in their hands to the table, where chicken sauce tofu, Roujiamo, Oden and toppings such as pickled bean curd, cilantro, squash, and chili pepper were laid out in front of him.


    ¡°Director Zhu, you can eat the tofu brains first, and then you can add all these side dishes.¡±


    He rolled up his sleeve and dug a bite with a spoon first. The rich chicken soup, the smooth tofu brains, the fragrant aroma, and the smooth texture in the mouth were all that was left. The taste was really good. Director Zhu nodded his head after taking a bite. It seemed like he was satisfied.


    Then, according to Jiahui¡¯s words, he added all the ingredients and ate them at the same time. The more he ate, the bigger his eyes stared. When all the ingredients were added, he couldn¡¯t stop eating. When a bowl of bean curd was finished, he just felt that he didn¡¯t have enough.


    ¡°Delicious, better than the bean curd brain I used to eat.¡±


    Not only did he eat well, but those who were watching him eat also began to drool over the food.


    Jiahui smiled and handed over the meat bun, and picked out different kinds of Guan Dong Bo from the soup pot and put them in the soup bowl, and also served a bowl of soup.


    This soup does not use the method of mixing seasonings with water as in later generations, but Jiahui boiled it with chicken soup, mushrooms, fresh shrimp, and various spices. It is delicious and nutritious.


    President Zhu played the roles of eating and broadcasting in the 1970s. He ate rujim¨® and oden. When the food was dry, he drank soup, and the food ran out in a few minutes. Finally, because his stomach was too full, he had to loosen a part of his belt.


    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s really invigorating.¡±


    When everything was finished, Director Zhu had a number in mind and was ready to meet Jiahui¡¯s ¡°lion¡¯s big mouth.¡±


    With his never willing to suffer for Jiahui, he knew that he would definitely spend a lot of money this time.


    ¡°Director Zhu, if people don¡¯t talk in secret, I won¡¯t open my mouth to you. Don¡¯t bargain with me. The recipe will be sold for about 2000 yuan. I¡¯ll give you the chicken rice flower tea eggs before. ¡°


    After Jiahui threw her words, everyone sucked in a breath.


    What¡¯s the value of 2000 yuan? How many people in the whole provincial capital can take out 2000 yuan at once? What¡¯s more, it¡¯s not a total price of 2000, but a recipe for 2000. That is to say, the three kinds of food cost 6000 yuan!


    ¡°Comrade Dong, your opening is too harsh.¡±


    Not waiting for Director Zhu to finish, Jiahui spoke up.


    ¡°Director Zhu, I have to go to class. I really do not have time to bargain with you. We have cooperated for so long. I know very well how the business is. 6000 is more than enough, and it¡¯s not much. You can earn it back in two or three months at most. Why do you care so much about this one-time payment? I don¡¯t have to give you this business, whether it¡¯s sold to others or sold to myself. It¡¯s all right, but we don¡¯t have the manpower as of now. ¡°


    The Zhao family at first felt that Jia Hui¡¯s price was high, but when Jiahui explained it, they felt that it was indeed so. If their family could make money by selling tea, chicken rice flour, they could earn more than 3000 in half a year.


    Director Zhu kept thinking in his head that 6000 yuan is not a small amount of money, but Jiahui was also right. Today, these three kinds of food were better than the previous tea eggs and chicken rice flour. They are delicious and could fill his stomach. Moreover, Jiahui also said that the formula for tea eggs and chicken rice flowers was also given to him.


    ¡°Okay, 6,000 is 6,000. But you have to ensure that the people are taught well, the taste cannot have the slightest difference. ¡°


    Director Zhu gritted his teeth and agreed. The Zhao family took another deep breath. Only Jiahui smiled slightly, and Zhao Donglin¡¯s expression was relatively bland.


    After the agreement, Zhao Donglin drew up a contract, which both sides signed and stamped. President Zhu first paid a 20% deposit. He said that he would send someone to study in the evening and left. Before leaving, he also brought two rougamo and a bowl of oden.


    Zhang Qiaoer was shocked and could not even speak. ¡®A recipe for 2000 yuan, Jiahui¡¯s one-time income of 6000 yuan.¡¯


    ¡°Your sister-in-law is too powerful.¡±


    In addition to the word ¡°powerful,¡± Zhang Qiao¡¯er could no longer describe this daughter-in-law.


    Zhao Donghe nodded. After entering the city, he saw and heard too many things that he had never seen and heard before. His worldview had changed forever. He was amazed at his sister-in-law¡¯s ability to make money and think patterns, knowing that there were such rules in this world. Being able to get huge benefits without paying a penny.


    It was during this time that got him interested in business, and while completing his schoolwork, he also borrowed books on economics from his older brother and benefited greatly.


    Years later, he became a business tycoon, not only with his own minerals but also by building a huge industrial kingdom thanks to all those years of thinking and studying.


    Notlucia: I¡¯m so happy for Donghe¡­


    Roujiamo


    Liangpi

 CH 71.1

    Chapter 71 Part 1


    Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, it¡¯s 1979. The provincial teacher training college has recently started to arrange for students to go to various elementary and junior high schools in the province for teaching internships.


    ¡°Meixiang, do you know where the school has placed you? Are you going to stay in the provincial capital or go back to our Yun County? ¡°


    When Jiahui asked Meixiang about the internship during dinner, Mei Xiang ate before answering, ¡°I guess I don¡¯t have much chance to stay in the provincial capital. Everyone wanted to be here for the internship, especially the local students.¡±


    Jiahui¡¯s assessment results in her class are good, and she has never dropped out of the top five. If the placement of an internship school was based on merit, she would have the opportunity to stay in the city. She was afraid that, in the end, she would not be placed in the city and that they would be divided according to their region.


    As for the question of where to intern, Meixiang herself was not demanding. At any time and anywhere, she would comply with the arrangements of the school. She had come to this point, and it still felt like a dream. She is infinitely satisfied with the status quo. No matter where she does her internship, she will be happy.


    The internship also meant that she would soon be leaving school and actually working as a teacher.


    Ever since she was a child, teachers have had a high status in her heart. A teacher is a hard-working gardener, a selfless candle, burning themselves to illuminate the students!


    She could not wait to start her internship; she could not wait to become a respectable teacher. As for which school, in the provincial city or the county, or in their own commune, made no difference to her.


    She was young, enthusiastic, with high ideals and a passion to serve her country, simple and unselfish.


    Meixiang¡¯s final school placement was Yunxian First Middle School. At first, Meixiang thought she had heard wrong. How could she be given an internship at a middle school? Meixiang always believed that she could only be competent as a primary school teacher with her own ability.


    You are from Yun County, right? A while ago, the principal of the first middle school called and said that the school was short of teachers, especially young and energetic teachers. After considering that you are from Yun County and your academic performance is also among the top this year, I think you can go to the first middle school for your internship and try.


    Meixiang was very moved by these words. She felt so good to be recognized. She even gave birth to the feeling of ¡°throwing her head and sprinkling blood¡± on Zhuge Liang. [1]


    She was so excited to go home and tell her family the good news, and the whole family was happy for her.


    ¡°Our family is going to have a middle school teacher, and Heidan is in fifth grade this year, so you can be Heidan¡¯s teacher from now on.¡±


    In rural areas, ¡°teachers¡± were very respected. Furthermore, Meixiang is not a primary school teacher, but a junior high school teacher. That feeling was on another level. Zhang Qiaoer was very pleased. She never imagined that this little girl would have such a day of success.


    Meixiang is not used to being praised so much. She smiled and said, ¡°Oh, I¡¯m just going for an internship. It¡¯s not the time for formal arrangements. Don¡¯t be too happy. ¡°


    What if she doesn¡¯t do well in the internship? Then, everyone would be disappointed again.


    Although she had made a lot of progress, she had an inferiority complex in her bones and was always worried that she wouldn¡¯t do well, that she would let others down.


    Soon it was the day before the report. Meixiang packed her bags and left. Zhao Donghe sent her to the station. Before leaving, Jiahui gave her a hundred yuan and also prepared a lot of food for her.


    ¡°Sister-in-law, I can¡¯t take this money. You usually give me pocket money, and I have saved it. ¡°


    She also had the money she had earned previously in their old home. For so many years, she was able to save a couple hundred yuan.


    ¡°You take it. Poor house, rich road [2]You¡¯d rather take more money outside than wrong yourself. ¡°


    Meixiang is a very frugal girl and never spends money indiscriminately. Jiahui knows that this money will most likely not be used for spending, but she still has to give it.


    Because the county is hundreds of kilometers away from the village, which means that Mei Xiang cannot go home to live with them, She has to live in the county and depends on whether the school arranges dormitories. To be honest, everyone is very worried about her; a young girl who works and lives alone in a strange environment.


    ¡°That ¡­¡­ thank you, sister-in-law.¡±


    Meixiang knew that her sister-in-law is a frank and straightforward person. Since, she sincerely wanted to give it, not at all pretentious, she also must not brush off her sister-in-law¡¯s good intentions.


    ¡°Take care of yourself. Call our school if you need anything.¡±


    The phone is a rare thing these days. There is no phone line at home, but there are phone booths at school, and there are phones in the teachers¡¯ offices, so all the phones that can reach her and Zhao Donglin have been given to Meixiang, so if there is something really wrong, you can find them.


    Meixiang nodded, ¡°I know, sister-in-law. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll be back in two months. ¡°


    Meixiang waved them goodbye and left. Donghe sent her to the county bus station, watched her get onto the bus, and so the bus slowly departed before turning around to go home.


    ¡°This is our school dormitory. There are not many teachers living there. There are only seven or eight.¡±


    The first thing she did when she arrived in the county was to report, explaining her need for accommodation, and the school director took her to the school dormitory, which is a short row of bungalows on the east side of the school, one of about ten square meters.


    Because there was only one bunk bed in the dormitory, and because there were not many people living in the dormitory, Meixiang lived by herself.


    The director of the department gave Meixiang the second class of the first year. The subjects were language and natural science. The director also asked her if she could play the piano. If so, she could also act as a music teacher.


    The next day, Meixiang woke up early to get ready and arrived at the school early. In the first grade¡¯s office, she was waiting for the teachers to arrive.


    The teachers appeared one after another, and Meixiang greeted everyone politely, and they all introduced themselves to each other.


    ¡°Cui Zongyi isn¡¯t here yet? He¡¯s the only one left. This young man is not active at work. Today there is a beautiful intern teacher.


    From the time she heard the name ¡°Cui Zongyi¡±, Meixiang felt that she was hallucinating. When the door to the office rattled, Meixiang turned around and saw a familiar face with her back to the sunlight appearing in front of her eyes.


    After graduating from high school, Cui Zongyi was recommended to attend the University of Labor and Agriculture, and after graduation, he taught physics at a junior high school.


    Cui Zongyi was also surprised to see Meixiang. He did not expect that when he went to school he would meet her. When he heard his classmates say that Meixiang would participate in the college entrance examination and the provincial specialist teacher training, he did not expect they would arrange for her to go to their school for an internship.


    The face of Meixiang unconsciously turned red. If it was before, she must have been shy. After more than a year of college life and doing business with her sister-in-law, her personality is not as shy as before.


    But when you meet someone who has always been at the bottom of your heart, your heart will still beat, and you will be embarrassed to look at each other.


    ¡°Student Zhao Meixiang, you just listen to the lesson first, and you can ask other teachers if you don¡¯t understand.¡±


    Meixiang nodded in agreement. She had a meek and well-behaved attitude, and the director looked very satisfied.


    Although this female student looks excessively young, as long as she is obedient and does not cause trouble, her business ability is strong, so being young didn¡¯t matter.


    Notlucia: Just a reminder! Don¡¯t expect too much from this man¡­

 CH 71.2

    At Wudong University, the professor called Jiahui and Zhou Roushen to the office to talk.


    ¡°You are now sophomores; you should be progressing in all aspects from a year ago. The two of you in the class have always belonged to the ones who learn well, and I expect more from you than the other students.I believe you yourselves will be able to do it. ¡°


    As a provincial key university, Wudong University is selected by tens of thousands of people.


    After entering the campus, the students were thirsty for knowledge. They studied very hard and completely memorized the stars and the moon.


    With such diligent efforts, the progress of all students was naturally visible.


    Personal progress belongs to vertical comparison. If a horizontal comparison is made, Jiahui and Zhou Ruosen must still be far ahead from everyone, after all, for the two of them, one has a memory of her previous life and the other has his family¡¯s origin.


    ¡°You take these two pieces of information back and bring them to me within a week when they are translated.¡±


    Jiahui and Zhou Ruosen each took a copy and opened it to see that it was an academic paper.


    Since it was an academic paper, a lot of terminologies was involved, and after that, Jiahui looked for information in the library every day and tried to finish it with excellence.


    After a week of working on it, Jiahui finally finished it before the deadline.


    When the translation assignment was handed over to the professor, the professor let them sit across from each other and look over their translation content.


    Jiahui felt like she was back in elementary school, waiting nervously for the teacher to approve her assignments, and this nervousness came from the fear of the teacher¡¯s disappointment and denial, fearing that she had not done well and could not meet the teacher¡¯s expectations.


    The professor looked through the papers, occasionally wrote a few words on the paper and drew a circle, and after nearly half an hour, the two translations were checked.


    The professor put the materials on the desk. He clasped his hands, looked at them, and said, ¡°I¡¯ve finished reading your assignments, so tell me, how do you feel about your work?¡±


    Jiahui and Zhou Ruosen looked at each other, and Zhou Ruosen spoke first and said, ¡°I think it was fine. I went to the steel plant for this information, and it is still very realistic.¡±


    The professor nodded his head.


    ¡°Yes, your translation is really good. If we say it was over a hundred points, I can give you 90 points. I deducted 10 points because the explanation is not accurate enough. This is a foreign research report. Foreign technology is more advanced and developing faster than our country¡¯s. Many foreign technologies can¡¯t be done in our country now. You can¡¯t investigate this part of the translation, so naturally, there are differences. ¡°


    The professor¡¯s words were very pertinent. Zhou Ruosen listened and understood the professor¡¯s meaning.


    ¡°Yes, I should be more careful.¡±


    After commenting on Zhou Ruosen¡¯s homework, the professor turned his attention to Jiahui.


    ¡°Jiahui, how do you feel about your homework?¡±


    After reading the translated materials in her mind, Jiahui said, ¡°I think there are still some places where the translation is not in place.¡± When it comes to the professional field, I don¡¯t understand it. Although I checked a lot of materials, I may not have been careful enough.


    The professor laughed and said, ¡°You are quick to admit mistakes. For your translation, I will give you 95 points if it is over 100. ¡°


    Both of them were considered qualified, and the professor arranged new translation work for them and directly told them that if the translation was adopted, they could get the manuscript fee.


    The country is in the stage of waiting for prosperity. It is eager to demand the science and technology of developed countries, and there is a large demand for translation. As professors and scholars in the English Department, many people come to their door to ask him to translate, but a person¡¯s energy is limited, and he can¡¯t even take it even if he has three heads and six arms.


    Since the two good students have passed the examination, they can fully take charge of their own side, and he will just be the final gatekeeper after translation.


    ¡°I¡¯m going on a long trip tomorrow.¡±


    That day, Zhao Donglin came back from school and told Jiahui about it.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡±


    ¡°The professor wanted to take us on a study tour that could last anywhere from ten days to half a month.¡±


    The professor said it¡¯s better to travel thousands of miles than to read thousands of books.


    In December last year, at the Third Plenary Session of the Shiyi Central Committee held by the Party Central Committee, leaders put forward the policy of ¡°internal reform and opening up to the outside world.¡±


    Subsequently, newspapers and radio reported that Xiaogang Village, Fengyang County, Anhui province, implemented the household contract responsibility system of ¡°dividing farmland to households and assuming sole responsibility for their own profits and losses.¡± In a strict sense, this system is the curtain of internal reform.


    In cities, the right to independent management of state-owned enterprises has also been significantly improved.


    The whole society is undergoing a great social change. The professor doesn¡¯t want to talk on paper. He wants to take the students out for a walk. Only when a person sees more can they think more.


    The whole society is in a kind of huge social change. The professor does not want to talk on paper but wants to take the students out and see, see more to think more.


    ¡°Don¡¯t miss me too much at home.¡±


    Zhao Donglin was happy to go out on a school trip. The only point he was unhappy about was being separated from his wife.


    He hugged Jiahui, who was folding clothes and wanted to embed her in his arms.


    ¡°Who misses you?¡±


    Jiahui pretended to push him, but her hands didn¡¯t use much strength.


    Suddenly, Zhao Donglin picked up Jiahui and held her thighs, his bright eyes staring at her face.


    It is no exaggeration to say that Jiahui could feel the wolf-like ¡°green light¡± shooting out of his eyes.


    ¡°I have to pay my half-monthly ration in full.¡±


    Jiahui¡¯s face flushed and she was rapidly breathing. She pursed her lips and glanced at him, and said, ¡°Who wants your rations?¡± Keep it to yourself. ¡°


    Zhao Donglin laughed lightly. He knew his wife too well. She was knife-mouthed, but in fact, she was soft-hearted.


    He obeyed his inner feelings and lowered his head to hold Jiahui¡¯s lips.


    The couple were kissing inseparably when the voice of Fang Fang spoke from outside the room.


    ¡°Dad, fish, fish!¡±


    It turned out that Zhao Donghe came back from school and passed by the fish pond. The owner had just gotten the fish. Seeing that the fish was big and fresh, he bought a big fish weighing about ten kilograms.


    ¡°Deng Deng Deng¡±, Fang Fang pushed the door and came in. Jiahui just pushed Zhao Donglin away and jumped down from his arms, covering up her hair. Zhao Donglin spat hard and cursed in a low voice, ¡°This brat!¡±


    Jiahui glanced at him with a red face and took Fang Fang¡¯s hand out of the room.


    Fang Fang looked up at his mother and wondered why his mother¡¯s face was so red. It is very much like the big red face of Guan Gong that his brother told him about.


    Jiahui filleted the fish and made a big pot of pickled fish and fishbone stew. She cooked fish soup noodles with the soup skimming the fish bones, and the family sweated as they ate the spicy meal.


    ¡°It¡¯s delicious. I¡¯ll buy it again next time I come across it.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t buy it often. Just eat it once or twice. ¡°


    A fish costs a few yuan. Zhang Qiaoer is used to living a hard life. Now the food at home is very good. She can¡¯t eat the children¡¯s appetites.


    ¡°Grandma, it¡¯s okay, everything cooked by Auntie is delicious. We definitely won¡¯t be picky.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, mom¡¯s tofu is better than others; it¡¯s tender and fragrant, and it tastes good.¡±


    Jiahui smiled and gave Yingbao a piece of fish. But suddenly, she felt someone¡¯s leg touching her under the table. Jiahui didn¡¯t bother with it, thinking it was someone who was careless but who knew that the other party¡¯s leg was touching her again after she ignored it the first time.


    Jiahui looked at it quietly. Judging from the colour of his pants, it was Zhao Donglin. At this time, Zhao Donglin was eating seriously.


    In the evening, Zhao Donglin did what he said he would do and ate Jiahui dry, paying the full amount of his ration. After a good fight, Jiahui lay in his arms.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter with you at dinner? You don¡¯t pay attention to its influence at all. ¡°


    Zhao Donglin hugged Jiahui, lips pressed against her forehead. His voice was breathy and said softly, ¡°You didn¡¯t feel it? I call this ¡°eating tofu.¡±


    Jiahui suddenly felt speechless.

 CH 72

    Zhao Donglin went on a study tour with his professor, and after he left, Jiahui was really a bit uncomfortable. From the time they got married until now, they hadn¡¯t been apart for such a long time.


    Without her husband, Jiahui decided to find something to do by herself. After not making clothes for a long time, Jiahui was a bit itchy, so she asked her mother-in-law to go to the mall with her.


    ¡°Mom, I heard that there is a batch of new clothes in the mall. Let¡¯s also go and take a look if there are suitable pieces to buy.¡±


    The season had changed, and with every change of seasons, Jiahui would always add two new clothes to her wardrobe. This is a habit leftover from her previous life. In addition to the adults, there was Heidan and several children at home. Heidan grows very fast. The coat he wore last year was too small for him this year, especially the pants. The trouser legs were short.


    And Shitou also grew especially fast. Although Zhao Donghe loved his child for such meticulous things, his thoughts were not as comprehensive as Jiahui¡¯s.


    As soon as Zhang Qiaoer heard that they were going to the mall to buy clothes, Zhang Qiaoer waved her hand and said, ¡°Oh, I have clothes.¡± I don¡¯t need to buy new ones. If you want to buy them, go and see them for yourself. Don¡¯t take me. ¡°


    ¡°Mom, your daughter-in-law wants to be filial to you. Just go with me. If everyone had it, but you don¡¯t, then I would feel uncomfortable. ¡°


    This daughter-in-law was too good at talking. Zhang Qiaoer smiled and giggled, ¡°Who can say you¡¯re not filial? If others ask me, how¡¯s your daughter-in-law? I would say, ¡°She¡¯s good; everything¡¯s good about her. I can¡¯t say anything.


    This is the truth. Zhang Qiaoer never says how Jiahui is in front of outsiders. In the same way, when mentioning her mother-in-law, Jiahui would also use the word ¡°good¡±.


    ¡°This is because my mother is kind to me. I call it ¡°toss a peach, get back a plum.¡± [1]


    Zhang Qiaoer¡¯s education level is not high, and she doesn¡¯t know much about idioms, but it doesn¡¯t affect her ability to understand Jiahui¡¯s words. She laughed happily.


    The mall in the provincial capital is a two-story building. The two got off the bus. They held Fang Fang¡¯s hand and walked into the mall together.


    Fang Fang was impressed by the places selling food, especially those flowery iron boxes, which contained all kinds of delicious food.


    He pulled Jiahui to the right and turned to the counter selling food, pointing to a box with a red background and a white rabbit, and said he wanted it.


    ¡°That¡¯s a biscuit. If you want to eat it, let¡¯s weigh it. You don¡¯t have to buy it in an iron box. ¡°


    Fang Fang flattened his mouth and wanted to cry.


    They didn¡¯t know when he had learned this skill. Whenever he is naughty and mischievous and being educated by adults, he will begin to flatten his mouth and cry. Zhang Qiaoer was willing to eat this set, but Jiahui didn¡¯t.


    This time, he flattened his mouth, but Jiahui insisted on declining it. But Zhang Qiaoer, who was behind her, couldn¡¯t bear it. Even though she had misgivings about how her daughter-in-law taught the child, Zhang Qiaoer didn¡¯t lift her foot forward.


    Fang Fang was cleverer; he knew that she couldn¡¯t escape from his mother, so he directly hugged Zhang Qiaoer¡¯s legs. He tilted his head, with his eyes shining with tears. Zhang Qiaoer¡¯s heart directly went soft.


    ¡°How about we just buy a can?¡±


    Well, now more than one person has looked at Jiahui pitifully, and even her mother-in-law has joined the team.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s buy a can, take it back and share it with your brother and sister, okay?¡±


    Jiahui and Zhao Donglin were now students, and the school doesn¡¯t issue any other tickets except food stamps, so Jiahui¡¯s sugar, milk powder, and cookie tickets were all given by Shen Nianru.


    She really treats Jiahui as her daughter and takes great care of the children in her family.


    Hearing that her mother finally agreed, Fang Fang broke his tears into a smile and nodded again and again.


    After buying a can of cookies, the two of them took the children to see the fabrics and ready-made clothes.


    ¡°We need to add new clothes to the children. Their pants are short. I also want to make two more for Meixiang. She has to work and needs to dress decently. Mom, see if you have any clothes or fabrics you like. ¡°


    ¡°I don¡¯t need to buy them. The ones you made for me before are not bad or broken. They are still very good to wear. ¡°


    ¡°Then you have to choose one. It¡¯s not good that everyone in the family has new clothes but you don¡¯t. Then it will be your daughter-in-law¡¯s fault. ¡°


    After Jiahui¡¯s persuasion, Zhang Qiaoer chose a piece of fabric. The ready-made clothes were too expensive. She was really reluctant to spend the money.


    The last time she came back from New Year¡¯s Eve, Zhao Donglin had helped her move her sewing machine over. Jiahui had bought a lot of fabric and was ready to do it herself, not that she couldn¡¯t afford to spend the money, but mainly because she didn¡¯t like the clothes here.


    Wang Mei wore a plaid-striped modified Zhongshan suit. She stepped off in high heels to the mall to buy things. She fell in love with a rose scarf. She missed a batch of goods last time. This time, she had an agreement with the familiar salesperson in advance, and they left one for her. She came to get the scarves today.


    When passing the first-floor stairs to the second floor, Wang Mei turned around violently, as if she had heard the voice of her former mother-in-law.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this too good for me to wear this kind of pattern? How can an old woman over the age of 50 or 60 wear such a bright dress? ¡°


    Zhang Qiaoer said and smiled. Jiahui gave a piece of cloth with black background printing. Zhang Qiaoer had worn blue, grey, and black before and had not worn this kind of printing.


    ¡°This looks good; it suits you best.¡±


    Zhang Qiao¡¯er laughed.


    ¡°Your godmother looks good in this kind of fabric. I am an old woman from the countryside, it is not appropriate for me to wear.¡±


    ¡°I also bought something for my godmother. This is yours.¡±


    What else does Zhang Qiaoer want to say? The salesperson who had been watching silently smiled and said, ¡°Grandma, your daughter-in-law was showing her filial piety to you. You can rest assured and go on. ¡°


    Most of the salesmen in the shopping mall look after people. Jiahui bought so many pieces of cloth at once and chose the best ones. The salesmen knew that their conditions were good.


    Wang Mei found out that she was not being overly sensitive; that the old woman was really her former mother-in-law, Zhang Qiaoer.


    Wang Mei¡¯s heart is full of doubts. How can Zhang Qiaoer appear in the provincial capital? or an upscale place like a mall? Who is that good-looking young woman beside her? Who is the kid sitting on a small bench eating cookies? Is he the new grandson of the Zhao family?


    She was afraid that her position would be exposed, so Wang Mei found another place to observe and found that they had bought a lot of things. They bought seven or eight pieces of cloth alone. The woman is called Zhang Qiaoer¡¯s mother, and the little child is called Zhang Qiaoer¡¯s grandmother.


    She thought that after she left, the days of the Zhao family would not be good. Zhao Donglin could only find a rural wife with little insight. Unexpectedly, the Zhao family¡¯s life was better, which made Wang Mei¡¯s calm heart ripple.


    In the morning, after eating dinner at a house behind the dormitory, Meixiang walked towards school in the sunlight.


    The students who attend the first middle school are those whose families live nearby, so the school does not have a canteen, and the teachers who live in the dormitory share meals with the residents¡¯ homes. Meixiang also joined the team, paying five yuan a month for three meals.


    In recent days, she has eaten meat and vegetables. Although she can¡¯t benefit as much as herself, she has been very moved to eat hot meals on time every day.


    On the way, she met many students from No. 1 middle school. When they saw Meixiang and knew that she was a new intern teacher at the school, they called her ¡°Teacher Zhao¡± politely.


    When she heard the name ¡°teacher¡± for the first time, she was so touched that she almost cried. For her, as long as the students call her teacher for one day, she is their forever teacher.


    When the car bell rang, Meixiang turned around, and it was Cui Zongyi.


    ¡°Good morning, Miss Zhao.¡±


    Cui Zongyi is from Yunxian County. Time has not left too many marks on him. He is still so handsome and bright. His smile was still so sunny and good-looking, just like the youth in Meixiang¡¯s memory.


    The two are in the same office. They looked down and didn¡¯t see each other every day. Meixiang had a good relationship with other teachers, except with Cui Zongyi. They always do not feel comfortable talking to him alone. They would feel embarrassed when they got too close.


    Cui Zongyi took the initiative to say hello, and Meixiang nodded with a smile.


    ¡°Good morning, Mr Cui.¡±


    She thought he would leave after greeting, but I didn¡¯t expect Cui Zongyi to come down from his bike and push his bike to go forward with Meixiang.


    ¡°You¡ª¡±


    Both of them opened their mouths at the same time and froze at the same time when they heard each other speak.


    Cui Zongyi looked at Meixiang with red cheeks and smiled.


    ¡°You say it first.¡±


    After a few seconds, Mei Xiang shook her head and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m going to say. I forgot.¡±


    Cui Zongyi smiled and said, ¡°So, you¡¯re still as quiet and not very talkative as before.¡±


    He said this in a very soft tone. His eyes were also looking at Meixiang. Meixiang was not a little girl who didn¡¯t understand anything. When he heard this, she turned her head and looked at him in surprise.


    One reason was that She did not expect him to say this. If not for her own sensitivity, she would not have noticed the ambiguity.


    On the other hand, she didn¡¯t expect Cui Zongyi to have an impression of her. When she was in high school, she was not a top student. Because of her introverted attitude, she often didn¡¯t speak; she was just like an invisible person.


    Cui Zongyi, on the other hand, was attractive, had good grades, and was from the county. Many girls liked him.


    She always thought that such an excellent male must have married early. The result is that he is still unmarried.


    These days, the teachers in the office always make fun of her, saying that they want to introduce her to someone, and some teachers put her together with Cui Zongyi.


    ¡°Mei Xiang, our little comrade Cui is also a single young man. I heard that you were still high school classmates and now colleagues. How great is this fate? You may want to consider it.¡±


    Half a month was not long, nor was it short. In April, Zhao Donglin finally came back and carried a sack of specialties, including walnuts, longans, red dates, dried persimmons, and dried peach meat. They are all delicious, and adults and children love to eat them.


    They gave some to her godmother and godfather and sent some to Meixiang.


    ¡°Wife, I miss you when I¡¯m outside.¡±


    Although the rivers and mountains of the motherland are good, he is still comfortable at home. He can understand the artistic conception of the sentence ¡°wife, kids, and a warm bed [2]¡± He thought that he was never tired when he was in the army. He just wanted to rush forward. Now he had begun to be infatuated with the warmth of the family.


    Wang Mei came by every now and then over the last ten days to take a look. She had seen Heidan and Yingbao once, and Zhao Donghe, Shitou, but she had not seen Zhao Donglin.


    She has inquired about Zhao¡¯s family and knows that Zhao Donglin and his second wife are students at Wudong University. They have a good relationship and have three children.


    They know that Zhao Donglin was divorced; no one knows exactly why, but they also know that Heidan was not the child of the second wife. They also said that Heidan had good grades; not only had he skipped a grade, but on the exams, he was the first.


    However, it is generally not clear to them if Yingbao was not born to the second wife, and also when the second wife of Donglin gave birth to a son and a daughter.


    This day, Wang Mei came again. She hid behind a tree and saw a man in an army green crew-neck sweatshirt doing carpentry in the yard. The muscles on his arms were bulging, using all his strength.


    Although she hadn¡¯t seen him for many years, Wang Mei immediately recognized him as Zhao Donglin.


    The woman smiled and took a towel to wipe his sweat. Zhao Donglin kissed the back of her hand. The woman smiled and glanced at him. Zhao Donglin looked into the room and saw no one paying attention to them, so he hugged the woman¡¯s waist. The woman bent over after being forced. Zhao Donglin kissed her on the lip. The woman was obviously angry. She hit him on the chest and turned around and went back to the house.


    In April, the weather gradually warmed up, but Wang Mei felt her heart cold like winter.


    In those years of marriage, when did Zhao Donglin become so close to herself?


    Every time he comes back from the army to visit his family, he always keeps on visiting friends and relatives. They couldn¡¯t say a few words all day except in the quilt. Unexpectedly, her divorce made it possible for him to marry another woman.


    The sun is setting and the sunset is in the sky. Heidan leads Yingbao¡¯s hand home, followed by a chattering Shitou.


    I compared with Chen Dafang today. I hit seven, but he hit three. I was left behind. ¡°


    ¡°Jiang Xiaocui¡¯s braids are so long, they keep wiggling around in class, and today they had a red headband. I untied it for her. She turned around and glared at me. I glared at her too. She said she was going to tell the teacher. I said go ahead, I¡¯m not afraid of you. My brother is Zhao Zhuojun, then she stopped talking.¡±


    Heidan is a school grass-like figure in school. He looked beautiful, and his grades were always in the top spot. He can win prizes in all kinds of competitions.


    He is not as arrogant as the average student with good grades. He will explain patiently no matter what the students can¡¯t do.


    In addition, his dress is always clean and tidy, and the desk textbooks are always neat and orderly. It¡¯s the beginning of love when you¡¯re in your teens, and many female students liked this type of guy.


    Heidan is two years younger than girls in the same grade, but he is well-developed and tall. In addition, he has a calm personality and is not small compared with other male students in the same grade.


    Wang Mei saw Heidan for the second time. Because she had just met Zhao Donglin, she felt a little uneasy and pulled out her maternal love for Heidan.


    Her eyes followed several children into the yard and saw Jiahui. Yingbao shook off her brother¡¯s hand and rushed into Jiahui¡¯s arms.


    ¡°Mom, I miss you so much at school.¡±


    The father and daughter said the same thing as if they were buying one and getting one free.


    ¡°Were you good at school today?¡±


    Yingbao nodded vigorously, ¡°Yes, very good. The teacher even praised me.¡±


    ¡°Brother, sister!¡±


    Fang Fang ran out of the house, hugging Heidan¡¯s leg and smiling. Heidan bent down and held Fang Fang, who was more than twenty pounds, in his arms.


    ¡°Go in, I cooked beef noodles today. You all love to eat them, right?¡±


    ¡°I love to eat whatever mommy cooks.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a clever little devil with a sweet mouth.¡±


    Yingbao smiled smugly, holding Jiahui¡¯s neck and leaning on her shoulder.


    When they all entered the house, Wang Mei moved her stiff legs.


    The little girl is her own daughter. When she left, she was still a small little baby. A few years later, the little baby grew up and has grown into a cute and beautiful little girl, but this little girl called another woman her ¡°mother¡±.


    References

 CH 73

    After returning to the city, Wang Mei first entered the textile factory and became a small officer.


    Due to the help of her former object, Wang Mei was able to return to the city. This was a kind of compensation for failing her.


    After returning to the city, Wang Mei wanted to renew the relationship with the former male object. However, the two had an improper relationship, and the male just committed the disease that most males have. The meat in your mouth is not eaten for nothing, and trying to get him to divorce is impossible.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already paid back what should be paid back to you. I don¡¯t owe you anything. ¡°


    ¡°Fan Siping, are you human? I have paid so much for you. Why are you having s*x with me if you¡¯re not going to marry me?


    ¡°Wang Mei, don¡¯t be ridiculous, will you? Did I force you? I¡¯m not the only one who is happy about this affair. ¡°


    Wang Mei¡¯s face turned white.


    ¡°Don¡¯t come to me again. Both of us will be parting here without any hard feelings. ¡°


    After saying that, Fan Shiping left, leaving Wang Mei alone with an empty heart.


    Later, Wang Mei met her current husband, Luan Wei, at a sorority event organized by the provincial labour union, and the two spent some time together and got married.


    His family is well-off; his father works in the government sector. After marriage, through connections, the Luan family transferred Wang Mei to the library.


    Wang Mei and Luan Wei were married based on reality. She chose him for the Luan family background.


    They were married for three years, and Wang Mei was not pregnant during those years. The couple¡¯s life was poor. Luan Wei¡¯s mother died of illness. No one in the Luan family urged her to have children.


    When Wang Mei returned, she became more and more uncomfortable. When she was young, children were not important to her and could not match her future ambitions. However, with the increase of age, perhaps it was an outburst of potential maternal love. Making the child she gave birth to, with her own blood, become someone else¡¯s child made her feel worse.


    This day, Wang Mei came near the elementary school, staring at the entrance, waiting for the school to be dismissed.


    Her thoughts were jumbled, not knowing what to say when she saw the child, and not knowing if Heidan would still remember herself.


    ¡°Brother, I got a hundred points on my test today, and my aunt said she¡¯d cook me a chicken thigh if I got a hundred points.¡±


    Shitou is half a head shorter than Heidan. His volume is really 1.5 times that of Heidan. He likes to eat. He hadn¡¯t eaten well in the countryside before. When he arrived in the city, there was candy and biscuits. The food at home was good and blew up like a balloon.


    ¡°You¡¯ll know when you go back.¡±


    Heidan didn¡¯t give a clear answer, but he knew that Aunt Hui always kept her word and never lied to children. She must be very happy that Shitou has improved in his studies.


    ¡°Heidan, do you still remember me?¡±


    Seeing her son face-to-face, Wang Mei¡¯s emotions were more excited than she thought.


    She looked at Heidan, her eyes tracing her son¡¯s eyebrows.


    He really looked like herself; his eyes looked like her, his face looked like hers, his eyebrows looked like Zhao Donglin, and his mouth looked like Zhao Donglin.


    Her eyes unconsciously flushed. Compared to Wang Mei¡¯s excitement, Heidan looked too cold.


    From the time she stood in front of him, he knew that this was his ¡°mother¡±. Even though he was very young when she left, and gradually forgot what she looked like as time went by, Heidan just knew that this woman was the one who gave birth to him.


    The two looked at each other for a few dozen seconds, and instead of the ¡°hug and cry¡± or warm recognition that Wang Mei had imagined, Heidan moved his feet to leave without saying a word.


    Wang Mei froze for a moment. She had thought of Heidan¡¯s various reactions after seeing herself, but not this kind of no reaction.


    She hurriedly reached out and pulled on Heidan¡¯s clothes, and eagerly spoke, ¡°Heidan, I¡¯m your mother!¡±


    Shitou, who had been watching the excitement behind Heidan, had his mouth wide open in surprise.


    Although he was two years younger than Heidan and had no impression of Wang Mei, he knew that Heidan was his aunt¡¯s child, but this kind of adult matter was too far from the child¡¯s life, plus Jiahui had been in the Zhao family ever since he became sensible, and he did not feel anything special about it.


    Heidan lowered his eyelids, his long eyelashes blocking the emotions in his eyes, and he used up all his force to detach himself from Wang Mei¡¯s grip.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have a mother; my mother is dead.¡±


    Wang Mei was anxious and went up and bent down to hold Heidan¡¯s arm.


    ¡°You have a mother! I am your mommy! Who told you that Mommy is dead? Your father? Your grandmother? Or that stepmother your father married later? Don¡¯t listen to them; they just hate me; they just wanted to bury me on purpose. ¡°


    Heidan¡¯s eyelashes trembled slightly. He looked up at Wang Mei. The woman was young and beautiful. At the moment, her face was full of reluctance and blame, and there was no excitement about seeing him.


    She would not love you. If she did, she would hold you tightly and look at you lovingly, but she didn¡¯t.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already said, I don¡¯t have a mother. Please let go.¡±


    Wang Mei looked at Heidan incredulously, as if she didn¡¯t know him.


    ¡°I really didn¡¯t expect you to become like this. How cute you were when you were little.¡±


    Heidan didn¡¯t say anything and turned to leave.


    In his heart, he doesn¡¯t think so. When he was a child, how long ago was that? A person who disappeared for four or five years suddenly appears and accuses himself of changing as soon as he appears¡ªbut I was just a kid.


    When the two brothers arrived home, Yingbao had been playing in the yard. Today, Jiahui came back from school early and went to get his sister Yingbao back first.


    ¡°Heidan, Shitou, do you have homework today? If you have homework, do your homework first. After that, let¡¯s eat. ¡°


    Heidan went back to the house with his schoolbag on his back. Shitou looked at his brother and Aunt Jiahui, and his face showed a desire to speak.


    ¡°Shitou, what¡¯s wrong? Are the test results out?¡±


    She still remembered the agreement with Shitou: if he got a hundred points, she would cook him a big chicken leg. She thought Shitou had not gotten a hundred points, that¡¯s why he was acting like this.


    ¡°It¡¯s out. I got a hundred.¡±


    Shitou then remembered the score. He pulled out the test paper from the school bag and handed it to Jiahui.


    ¡°Auntie, I want to tell you something.¡±


    Shitou came over and lowered his voice, looking a bit secretive. Jiahui saw that he was a child acting like an adult. She pursed her lips and smiled to signal him to speak.


    ¡°Today after school, there was a woman who went to see my brother Zhao. She said, ¡°She is his mother, but my brother ignored her.¡±


    Before listening, Jiahui thought it was an insignificant thing among children. After listening, she frowned.


    ¡°Well, well, you did the right thing. Remember to tell Auntie if something like that happens next time. ¡°


    Jiahui patted Shitou¡¯s big head and pulled out a gentle smile.


    ¡°Auntie remembered that I promised you a chicken leg. I¡¯ll make it for you tomorrow at noon. ¡°


    Shitou nodded his head like garlic. He smiled and said, ¡°Auntie, I want the biggest chicken leg.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll give you the biggest one.


    Shitou went back to the house with a cheer, and Yingbao looked sideways at Jiahui and asked in confusion, ¡°Mom, what did Brother Shitou say?¡±


    She was still young and did not understand some things, and no one had ever told her about Wang Mei. In her mind, she was her mother¡¯s daughter (Jiahui¡¯s).


    Before the meal, Zhao Donglin came back. Jiahui wasn¡¯t in a hurry to mention it. She paid attention to Heidan. There was no special emotion. He was mostly silent, as usual.


    The meal was finished quietly. When Zhang Qiaoer washed Shitou, Shitou didn¡¯t pay attention to the topic, and Zhang Qiaoer knew it.


    ¡°What? That woman came to our family? ¡°


    Zhang Qiaoer¡¯s voice was directly eight degrees higher. Then she came out of the house, called Zhao Donglin, and went to Heidan¡¯s room with her.


    ¡°Mom, what¡¯s wrong? Why are you so furious? Who made you angry? ¡°


    Zhang Qiaoer stretched out her index finger and pointed at her son, Zhao Donglin, and said sharply and angrily, ¡°Are you asking me why I¡¯m angry?¡± Ask Heidan who approached him today and what she said to him! That shameless Wang Mei is here. ¡°


    Zhao Donglin was stunned.


    Zhao Donglin looked at Wang Mei in front of him, his heart calm and without fluctuation.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have appeared and didn¡¯t dare say those words to the child.¡±


    Wang Mei¡¯s head was sideways, her eyes were red, her lips were tightly closed, and there was a sense of arrogance.


    ¡°They are living a good life now, knowing that there is a mother who gives up on her children and doesn¡¯t care about them because of her own prospects, which will not be good for them.¡±


    ¡°But I am their mother. After all, I gave birth to them.¡±


    Zhao Donglin looked at Wang Mei with indescribable emotions in his eyes, as if he was disappointed and relieved.


    ¡°The greatest kindness of parents to their children is not to give birth to them but to accompany and nurture them. Raising but not teaching¡ªthe fault lies with the parents. You left when they needed you the most. Did you consider how much harm it caused them? You have not considered all of these, because, in your heart, there is only you. ¡°


    When he said these words, Zhao Donglin¡¯s heart carried tenderness because he thought of Jiahui.


    Jiahui said that parents can only walk with their children for a short period of time. When they are small, parents should spend a lot of time and energy with their children, teaching them about the world and teaching them to behave, so that when they grow up and face the world on their own, they will not be afraid and will not go astray.


    They will know that their parents are always behind them, watching over them and supporting them. Their hearts were full of love. They would not be afraid and they would not wander.


    Wang Mei¡¯s tears finally fell, she frowned in pain, and shouted in a questioning tone, ¡°Is all this what I want? I don¡¯t want this either. Is this world fair to me? ¡°


    Zhao Donglin sighed. This issue is no longer necessary to explore. The times have created a lot of defects. Wang Mei said she was innocent. How innocent is Zhao Donglin, and how innocent are Heidan and Yingbao?


    If Wang Mei was not insistent on divorce, he was willing to work with her for the sake of the family¡¯s children. If she wanted to return to the city, she could also realize her ideal through the college entrance examination, but she didn¡¯t wait for a change, so she gave up first.


    ¡°I know that when you get married, you only see the new people laughing and don¡¯t hear the old people crying. You can¡¯t listen to what I say. Only your new wife¡­ ¡°


    ¡°Wang Mei, be a person of conscience. If you again say such nonsense, then don¡¯t blame me for not thinking of the old.¡±


    For whatever Wang Mei said to Zhao Donglin, he can tolerate it, but if she said something to Jiahui, he can¡¯t tolerate it.


    Over the years, no one understands more clearly than him how much Jiahui has sacrificed and worked hard for this family, and for Heidan and Yingbao!


    ¡°No one is sorry for you, and not everyone has to turn around for you. I am willing to come over to you today just to say that I want you to stay away from the children. If I know you¡¯re close to the children next time, I¡¯ll let you know what my regret is. ¡°


    Zhao Donglin got up and prepared to leave. Before leaving, he gave Wang Mei a look.


    ¡°Live your own life. I heard that you don¡¯t have a good relationship with your husband. Women should be gentle. Don¡¯t be so extreme. You¡¯re not young. You should think about it for yourself in the future.¡±


    ¡°I went to see Wang Mei today.¡±


    At night, after their busy work, the couple finally lay in bed. Zhao Donglin took the initiative to mention Wang Mei¡¯s topic. Jiahui nodded as if she knew in advance or had no idea about it.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t ask what I said to her?¡±


    His wife just hummed. Well, she didn¡¯t even ask. Zhao Donglin was obviously not satisfied.


    Jiahui leaned against Zhao Donglin¡¯s arms, not even bothering to open her eyes.


    ¡°Ask what? Can you two still talk to each other and rekindle the old love? I¡¯m not worried.


    The divorce was so ugly that it was impossible to get back together, no matter what.


    ¡°Are you so reassured about me?¡±


    He didn¡¯t know whether he should be happy or sad.


    He sometimes wants to see his wife worry or be jealous of something. She was too relaxed, and he always felt it kind of lacked flavour.


    Jiahuai finally gave up and opened her eyes. She turned her head to look at Zhao Donglin.


    ¡°Of course, I can rest assured of you. Why not? If you really dare to do something sorry for me, I¡¯ll let you know what that regret is. ¡°


    Her face was smiling and her voice was charming and naive, but somehow, as Zhao Donglin listened to it, his heart inexplicably pounded.


    He unconsciously increased the force of his hand holding Jiahui, knowing that Jiahui was telling the truth, and if he really did something wrong to her, she would really make him regret it.


    This woman, lying in her arms, sleeps with him every day, but he always has a feeling that he can¡¯t hold it tightly, as if she could get away at any time.


    ¡°How will you make me regret it? Give up on me? Leave me? Kick me away? ¡°


    Jiahui snorted arrogantly, ¡°That depends on your performance. If you treat me well and stay faithful to our marriage, I will naturally stay with you forever. If you treat me badly and do something wrong to me, then what am I keeping you for?¡±


    How beautiful life is. There is no need to bother with a man who has changed his heart.


    Zhao Donglin was really angry at Jiahui¡¯s words. He was not for others, but for Jiahui¡¯s easy words to leave himself.


    He rolled over and pinned Jiahui down, staring at her face in the darkness.


    ¡°Let¡¯s say this once and for all: I will never do anything wrong to you in this life, so give up. We must entangle ourselves to death. ¡°


    His casual words made him excited. Jiahui was amused and a little touched. She just wanted to say that she was talking for fun, but Zhao Donglin had bowed his head and blocked her mouth. After that, she couldn¡¯t care less to speak anymore.


    Wang Mei¡¯s appearance has some influence on Heidan. He doesn¡¯t like to talk these days.


    In the past, he forgot this person and her appearance. Now this person appears in front of him. In addition, Heidan also feels a sense of guilt for Jiahui, although he himself could not say what he felt guilty about.


    When Jiahui saw Heidan¡¯s abnormality, she went to talk to Heidan on this day on purpose.


    ¡°Zhuo Jun, I know you may not be in a good mood recently. In fact, there is no need for you to take this matter to heart; you are just a child. A victim of the situation What you can do now is to study hard, learn more, become a useful person, and when you grow up and have your own judgment and the ability to decide your own life, you will be able to handle things as you see fit.¡±


    Heidan bowed his head and gave a good grace. He actually wanted to say that he didn¡¯t have a problem with the appearance of that woman, nor did he want to know her. He wanted to open his mouth to call Jiahui ¡°Mother,¡± but he couldn¡¯t open his mouth until the end.


    T/N: I was really busy in these past few days. I will be uploading 1 bonus chapter as compensation. Thank you so much for waiting patiently~

 CH 74

    Meixiang picked up a package from the post office; it was delicacies sent to her by her sister-in-law. It arrived with a letter, in which she specifically asked her to take it to school and share it.


    ¡°You have to learn to overcome your inner barriers, not to be obsequious, to keep your character, but also to learn to get along with people. Sharing food is one of the best ways to quickly bring people closer together. ¡°


    ¡®Sister-in-law¡¯s words always make so much sense.¡¯ After reading the letter, Meixiang immediately replied back, saying that she knew, and she also told her a lot of interesting stories about the internship.


    ¡°Sister-in-law, do you remember that male classmate I told you about before? He turned out to be a physics teacher in the No. 1 middle school, and we were in the same office. ¡°


    The corners of Meixiang¡¯s mouth unconsciously rose and bit her lip as she wrote those words.


    ¡°He hasn¡¯t changed much. He¡¯s as enthusiastic as ever, and he patiently explained to me what I didn¡¯t understand. ¡°


    She had a lot to say in her heart, such as that Cui Zongyi was unmarried, many teachers wanted to introduce him to someone, and there were people who put them together, but she was too shy to write this in her mind.


    The next day, Meixiang brought the delicacies to school and was warmly welcomed by the teachers.


    ¡°Meixiang, where did all this food come from?¡±


    It¡¯s all good stuff; it can be used as a supplement and is not easy to buy.


    Meixiang gave them to everyone one by one. Everyone was asking where they could buy them, and Meixiang replied, ¡°These are the specialties that my brother bought in other places.¡± He came back with a sack. My sister-in-law said that doing an internship was hard and that¡¯s why she sent them to me. ¡°


    ¡°No wonder, it turned out to be brought from different places.¡± By the way, your brother is a transporter. If he still goes out to run in the future, can you ask him to bring some for us? My child is in high school, so he eats more walnuts. They can nourish the brain.


    These days, being a transporter is a very popular job. Not only do they have high wages and good treatment, but they can also drive, which was considered cool. Many girls dreamt of marrying a truck driver.


    Meixiang had just come and gone, and other teachers did not have the heart to inquire too much about her family. They only know that Meixiang was from the Shengli commune. She was at a junior college in the provincial capital. There were two brothers at home. From her dressing, the conditions at home should not be bad. She had a Dacron coat, a Shanghai brand watch on her wrist, small leather shoes on her feet, and a pink scarf. Meixiang is much more fashionable than those little girls in the country.


    In fact, these dresses were all made for her by Jiahui, in addition to the watch and the internship gift given to her by Jiahui.


    As Meixiang listened to everyone¡¯s guess that her brother¡¯s job was a transporter, she smiled and shook her head to explain. My brother was not a transporter. He went to college in the city. It was their professor who took his students to study in other provinces. When he saw those delicacies, he brought some back. ¡°


    ¡°Oh? Your brother is a college student? ¡°


    ¡°How old is your brother? Did he take part in the resumption of the college entrance examination? ¡°


    ¡°Which schools can a professor take the students on study tours?


    Everyone was astonished as they listened. Suddenly, you say something, and I say something. Cui Zongyi sat on his seat, peeling walnuts and looking at Meixiang. Obviously, he was also curious.


    ¡°My elder brother, sister-in-law and I took the college entrance examination in the same year. They both got into Wudong University. My sister-in-law was the county¡¯s top student that year, and she took second place in the province. ¡°


    ¡°Oh! Now that you mentioned it, I remember! Thanks! It was also written in the newspaper that there were three college students in a family. It turned out to be your family! ¡°


    That incident was quite a sensation at the time. Now, everyone looked at Meixiang completely with different eyes. She is not an ordinary college student. There were real college students standing behind her. These days, college students are more expensive, not to mention going to a good university like Wudong University. When Meixiang¡¯s brother and sister-in-law graduate, their work is definitely not bad.


    In this way, people no longer look at Meixiang as an ordinary rural girl.


    ¡°In fact, last year my second brother also went to college. She went to a mining university. So now, in my family, the one who has the lowest education is me.


    ¡°Meixiang, don¡¯t say that again. It¡¯s stabbing our hearts. ¡°


    ¡°Yes, I graduated from high school. I haven¡¯t even touched the door of the university. ¡°


    ¡°In fact, it was my sister-in-law who encouraged me. She said, ¡°We only have a good way out if we take the college entrance examination, so we must take the college entrance exam.¡±


    ¡°Then your sister-in-law is quite insightful.¡±


    Meixiang nodded. She always felt that her sister-in-law was very insightful, and she was willing to follow her to learn.


    When she applied to a normal school, her sister-in-law also said that her character was very suitable for being a teacher. It was simple, pure, and meaningful.


    ¡°Knowledge is too important. I also wanted to take the college entrance examination the year before the resume of the college entrance examination. But my family disagreed, saying that we are poor and that I¡¯m squandering money. I didn¡¯t take the college entrance examination in order to work. I already had a job and didn¡¯t have to bother to take the college entrance examination. ¡°


    ¡°Hey, to be honest, not having gone to college has always been my regret, but I¡¯m not going to be able to do that in this life. I can only put my hope in my children.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s similar to mine, I keep an eye on the children every day to study and must train them to take the college examination. I told them, I will not recognize them if they cannot go to a university. I do not have such useless children. ¡°


    ¡°You¡¯re a little cruel. Whether the test results are good or not, they are our children. We can only say that we should guide and educate as much as possible. Finally, in the end, it depends on what the individual child¡¯s natural position is.


    ¡°Teacher Tian: ¡°Diligence can make up for one¡¯s weaknesses. Do not forget this saying. ¡°


    ¡°Confucius also said to ¡°teach according to ability¡±¡­


    Most of the teachers in the office are already established families, arguing around the issue of education. Their gazes met across the desk, and Cui Zongyi smiled at Meixiang, who returned a shy smile.


    The last time she bought cloth from the mall, it took Jiahui nearly a month to get the clothes done.


    The first thing she made was for several children, especially Heidan, who has grown taller this year. His pants are already too short for him, and he is the one who needs new clothes most urgently. Shitou, as his younger brother, can wear Heidan¡¯s old clothes, but children love to wear new clothes, so she should have one made for him.


    It does not take much time to make a set of children¡¯s clothes, Shitou does not have a mother, so, Jiahui as an aunt would not mention how big or small the matter is, she would be considerate to him. At the very least, she would not excessively favor one and discriminate against the other.


    As Shitou grew up, Zhang Qiaoer and Donghe would take care of his daily life, and Jiahui was also in charge of his studies. She takes a share of what she buys for her three children. As a family, there is no need to worry about what she has done for him.


    Yingbao is the only little girl in the family. Naturally, she should dress up well to meet Jiahui¡¯s careful thought of dressing up her doll. Finally, she should put aside her brother¡¯s and sister¡¯s old clothes for her and prepare new ones for her if there is a shortage.


    In the era of material scarcity, in the children of ordinary families, after the eldest brother¡¯s clothes became small, they would pass them down to the second child. The so-called ¡°three years in the new year, three years in the old, and three years of sewing and mending.¡± ((New clothes were worn for three years. When they became old, they were worn for another three years, and they could be worn for another three years with patches.


    After the children¡¯s clothes are made, the elders¡¯ clothes are made. She made them for her mother-in-law Zhang Qiaoer, godmother Shen Nianru, and her mother Chen Guixiang.


    When Jiahui took out the clothes she made for Shen Nianru, Shen Nianru was very happy, and with her glasses on, she looked at the patterns on the clothes carefully, and she smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s so good that I can finally wear the new clothes my daughter made for me.¡±


    She took Jiahui¡¯s hand; her eyelids were a little red, and her heart was sour and relieved.


    Life had given her trials and tribulations. She had suffered and grieved, and finally, in the midst of this desolation, a flower had finally blossomed that made her happy.


    Jiahui held her godmother¡¯s hand and smiled comfortingly, ¡°It¡¯s not easy for you to wear it? I will make new clothes for you every year from now on.


    Shen Nianru quickly shook her head, ¡°No, just make this one. You are usually so busy. You have to attend classes, and you are also busy with taking care of the children, and this family, may it be small or large things, it has not been easy for you.¡±


    Shen Nianru also sees Jiahui¡¯s hard work. Jiahui had no leisure time from morning to night, but she had a good attitude. She never complains , laughs every day, and would always smile at everyone.


    Jiahui is not without clothes, but lives a frugal life. She can wear clothes on repeat as long as they are not broken and awful. Shen Nianru doesn¡¯t want Jiahui to make new clothes for herself, and she doesn¡¯t want Jiahui to suffer.


    Shen Nianru recognized Jiahui as her goddaughter, but was unable to help her much. Jiahui, from time to time, brought her food, and Donglin would give her manual work, carrying gas and briquettes. Now, she also made her clothes.


    Last year they bought a new yard in order to match themselves with their partners. The family continues to stay at Shen Nianru¡¯s and has not moved away. Their daughter was really thoughtful.


    Jiahui knew that her godmother was concerned about herself, but she really didn¡¯t feel that she was having a hard time.


    In this strange era, she doesn¡¯t lack food or clothing, and she doesn¡¯t have to work hard for life. She just does housework and takes care of her children.


    Who in this world will not experience suffering? She studied in college for a better life. Taking care of the children is in the spirit of their own responsibility. As for the big and small things at home, she was just worried. She always wanted the whole family to work together to live a better life.


    Just before crossing, she helped her mentor with research projects while studying as a graduate student. She also found a part-time job at the weekend.


    The reason she did a part-time job was not that she was short of money; she just felt she should work hard.


    The clothes Jiahui gave Chen Guixiang were mailed to them since she went to school in the city, and the time it took to return to her mother¡¯s home was shorter. Only when it¡¯s summer and winter would she be able to go back home to her mother¡¯s home and see her parents, see her brothers, sisters-in-law, and children.


    She told her family that she wanted to invite them to the provincial capital for a few days. Everyone was very excited and wanted to see the world in the provincial capital, but it was not so easy to leave things at home. They were afraid to come and make trouble for Jiahui, and besides, she always said she would come back later when she had a chance.


    Two months later, after Meixiang¡¯s internship, she returned to school to prepare her graduation thesis. The comments from No. 1 middle school on her internship also arrived at the school. All the scores are excellent. If there is no accident, Meixiang will teach at the No. 1 middle school after graduation.


    Meixiang is very satisfied with the result. From her letter, Jiahui already knew about Cui Zongyi. When Meixiang comes back, Jiahui can¡¯t wait to start gossiping.


    ¡°Is that Cui good for you? Do you have the possibility of development? ¡°


    Meixiang is 22 years old. She is still a little girl in the 21st century, but that was not considered young in the 1970s.


    ¡°Sister-in-law, why don¡¯t you ask me if he is married?¡±


    Jiahui looked at Meixiang with the kind of ¡°are you stupid or am I stupid¡± look.


    Would you still mention him if he was married? You must have distanced yourself from him. ¡°


    Meixiang suddenly realized that it was true. If Cui Zongyi is married, even if she once liked him, she will not have any feelings for him. For herself, Cui Zongyi will only be a teacher who teaches in the same school as her former classmates. Nothing else.


    ¡°Well ¡­¡­ he took care of me quite well during the internship, but I don¡¯t know how he feels about me.


    What if he only took care of her on the grounds that she was his classmate? So Meixiang doesn¡¯t dare think about it. She¡¯s afraid that she was just showering affection on an uninterested party.


    ¡°Then tell us how he takes care of you.


    Meixiang then began to talk about the various good things that Cui Zongyi did for her, such as introducing her to the teachers at the school, teaching her how to make lesson plans, what kinds of teachers students are most afraid of, how to treat naughty students, and so on.


    As soon as Jiahui heard this, she was immediately sure that Cui Zongyi must have had a good feeling about Meixiang.


    ¡°So it seems that our Meixiang should be able to marry soon.


    Meixiang¡¯s face turned red as she listened and looked around, but luckily no one heard her.


    ¡°Sister-in-law, what are you talking about? The eight characters haven¡¯t been written yet. That person was not interested in me.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s bet. If he is interested in you and confesses to you, you will help me knit a sweater. If I lose, I will buy you a Bragi.


    The Bragi is a short-sleeved dress, the same as the Lenin suit. It is a Russian-style women¡¯s clothing item. This dress was most favored by young girls in summer. It has bright colors and breathable and comfortable fabrics. Wearing braji on the street is definitely the most beautiful sight on the street.


    Meixiang had some hesitation and did not know whether to bet with her sister-in-law.


    ¡°Love can¡¯t afford to hesitate, Meixiang, you have to show courage.¡±


    The encouragement from Jiahui made Meixiang¡¯s heart surge with unprecedented courage. She clenched her fist and nodded her head vigorously, exactly like the proletarian vanguard on the propaganda posters, which should look even more like the green army uniform.


    Notlucia: Guess who will win the bet?

 CH 75

    Today is Fang Fang¡¯s birthday. After today, he will be a three-year-old child.


    ¡°Mom, are you going to give me a present for my birthday?¡±


    When Jiahui got up in the morning, Fang Fang asked Jiahui with an expectant face.


    ¡°You¡¯re so young, and you still know how to ask for a present? Then tell me, what do you want as a present? ¡°


    A few months ago, when Yingbao had her birthday, Jiahui made her a little pink bunny hairband, saying it was a gift for her, and that it would only be given to her on her birthday, so Fang Fang probably kept it in mind until his own birthday and was too excited to ask Jiahui for it.


    Jiahui asked Fang Fang what he wanted as a gift, and he thought about it for half a day before finally jumping up and hooking Jiahui¡¯s neck with a smile and saying ¡°I want a kiss from Mommy, and I want Mommy to sleep with me tonight.¡±


    He has been sleeping with his older brother, Heidan since he was 2. Zhao Donglin¡¯s argument is that boys should be independent as early as possible and not sleep with their parents for long periods of time.


    Jiahui believes that it was not the only reason why Zhao Donglin let his two-year-old son sleep with Heidan independently. ¡­¡­


    When Jiahui took Fang Fang into the dining room, the family was already sitting at the table.


    ¡°Good morning, Grandma! Good morning, Dad! Good morning, second uncle! Good morning, Auntie! Good morning, brother! Good morning, sister! ¡°


    Fang Fang shouted one by one, and everyone answered with a smile. Zhang Qiaoer picked him up from the ground.


    ¡°Fang Fang, look what Grandma has cooked for you; lotus eggs. We always eat lotus eggs on our birthdays.¡±


    This is a rule in the old Zhao family. Eating eggs on birthdays is a small ritual in a not-so-rich life.


    ¡°Thank you, Grandma. I love Grandma the most.¡±


    He kissed Zhang Qiao¡¯er on the cheek, making Zhang Qiao¡¯er happy and making her eyes narrow with laughter.


    The Zhao family¡¯s breakfast is quite sumptuous: rice porridge, rolls, and pickles, and the children have a small bowl of milk, which Jiahui ordered for the children after they entered the city.


    At first, the children did not like the taste, but every time they drank half a spoonful of brown sugar, they got used to it. Moreover, Jiahui said that drinking more milk would not only make them grow taller but also make them smarter.


    Fang Fang sat on the chair, shaking his legs and eating poached eggs. After eating for a while, he slipped down from the chair and had to carry the bowl.


    ¡°Hey, baby, what are you doing with the bowl? You¡¯re small, you can¡¯t hold it. ¡°


    ¡°I want to give the egg to my brother.¡±


    Except for Jiahui, Heidan was the one person in the family he liked the most because Heidan was the one who brought him up. He taught him to talk, read words, recite ancient poems, and sing; he also told him stories in bed at night.


    Heidan swallowed the last bite of the pancake. He smiled and shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t need it. I¡¯m already full. You can eat it yourself.¡±


    Fang Fang refused to eat it and insisted on sharing an egg with him.


    Shitou deliberately asked, ¡°Fang Fang, I am also your brother. Why don¡¯t you share an egg with me?¡±


    ¡°I only have one left.¡±


    Putting aside the fear that his brother Shitou would really ¡°steal¡± his egg, he used his body to ¡°protect¡± the bowl, just like a chicken protecting its food, and this action matched his round face, which was very cute.


    ¡°Fang Fang, auntie wants to eat too. Will you give it to auntie?¡±


    ¡°Fang Fang, grandma also wants to eat. Do you want to give it to grandma?¡±


    Fang Fang looked at them and cried out.


    ¡°I just want to give it to my brother. I will give it to my brother and no one else.


    Heidan went over and hugged Fang Fang. He patted him and coaxed him softly, ¡°Fang Fang, don¡¯t cry. Brother is full. I¡¯ll feed you this egg and finish it, okay?¡±


    The cries of the child were held back, but his voice was still a bit choked up.


    ¡°Brother ¡­¡­ uh ¡­¡­ don¡¯t eat?¡±


    Heidan nodded, ¡°Well, since Brother drank milk and ate pancakes, I really can¡¯t eat anymore. Can Fang Fang help brother finish this, okay?¡±


    Fang Fang wiped his tears, gave a heavy hum, opened his mouth, and waited for his brother to feed him.


    The little birthday boy finally stopped crying. Meixiang was scared and patted her heart. She couldn¡¯t bear to hear the child cry. As soon as he cried, she felt at a loss and didn¡¯t know how to coax him.


    After Heidan fed Fang Fang, he carried his school bags with Shitou and Yingbao to go to school. Fang Fang followed them and took them outside the gate.


    ¡°Brothers and sisters, you come back early. Today is my birthday. My mother will make delicious foods.


    He waved as he spoke, amusing passers-by and praising him for his cleverness and loveliness.


    ¡°Fang Fang, what do you want? Okay? ¡°Little Aunt will buy it as an apology, okay?¡±


    Meixiang is still feeling guilty for making Fang Fang cry during breakfast. Of course, she had planned to buy Fang Fang a gift today. Her brother and sister-in-law were so good to her, and she had nothing to repay them but to treat her nephew better.


    When he got up, he told Jiahui that the gift he wanted was a kiss from his mother, and he wanted to sleep with her. He changed his words with Meixiang.


    ¡°Auntie, I want fireworks just like what my brother used to play with.¡±


    Before the Chinese New Year, the family went back to their hometown. Zhao Donglin bought a lot of fireworks from the city and went back to let the children play with them. During the Chinese New Year, when it was dark, one person took a few sticks in his hand and lit a fire. The children were very happy. Fang Fang also wanted to play with his brothers, but Jiahui disagreed and said that he was still young and couldn¡¯t play together until he was as old as his brothers.


    Fang Fang has been looking forward to growing up quickly so that he can play fireworks with his brothers. Today was his birthday. Grandma said he would be one year older after his birthday, so now he has grown up and can play with fireworks!


    Meixiang gave a silent smile. She thought he wanted more food or toys to put on top. Unexpectedly, his favorite gift was fireworks. She didn¡¯t dare buy this for her little nephew.


    ¡°Fang Fang, this is not good. Although you have grown up by one year compared with last year, you are still younger than your brothers, so you still can¡¯t play. You have to be as big as your brothers. ¡°


    Fang Fang put on a disappointed look and said, ¡°When will I grow up to be as big as my brothers?¡±


    Meixiang narrowed her eyes and patted the head of Fang Fang. She softly comforted, ¡°As long as Fang Fang eats hard and sleeps hard, soon you can catch up with your brothers and sisters, so Fang Fang needs to cheer up.¡±


    After saying that, Meixiang pulled the strap of the school bag and waved goodbye to Fang Fang.


    I¡¯ll buy you a toy that boys enjoy playing with when your aunt returns to school.


    Poor Fang Fang. At this time, he still does not understand that he can never grow as big as his brother in this life, because his brother will always be bigger than him.


    In the evening, Fang Fang received many birthday gifts: an aunt¡¯s toy, a second uncle¡¯s gyroscope, grandmother¡¯s clothes and shoes, god grandparents¡¯ Parker pens, and the big brother gave Fang Fang¡¯s favorite comic strip; the second brother gave his own treasured slingshot, and his sister gave him a painting.


    ¡°Mom and Dad, what are you going to give me?¡±


    Fang Fang liked every gift, but he remembered that his mom and dad didn¡¯t give him a gift.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that Mommy only needs to kiss you as a gift?¡±


    Jiahui asked on purpose, and Fang Fang thought about it, but it seemed that he had indeed said so.


    ¡°Okay then, mommy, kiss me and I will count it as a gift.¡±


    With that, he nodded his cheek and motioned for his mother to kiss him. Jiahui really went to him and cupped his little face and kissed him.


    .


    ¡°What about dad? ¡°Dad didn¡¯t prepare a gift for me.


    Zhao Donglin smiled lightly and took out a ball from behind him, drawing the children¡¯s eyes to it.


    ¡°A ball!¡±


    ¡°Big Uncle¡¯s gift is a ball!¡±


    This is a real leather ball. There is no child who does not like leather balls. Fang Fang cheerfully hugged the leather ball in his arms, looking very happy.


    ¡°Daddy, you¡¯re really my good daddy!¡±


    Zhao Donglin smiled as he picked up his little son and lifted him up to his head.


    ¡°Now you know Daddy is good. He is the one who says he hates Daddy all day long.¡±


    ¡°Not at all. I like my daddy the most. Of course, I like my mommy the most, I like my brother the most, I like grandma the most¡­


    Everyone covered their mouths and was happy. Heidan also watched them. His mood may be more complicated. On the one hand, he really loved his brother. On the other hand, he also envied his father¡¯s intimacy with his brother, which he rarely had.


    His father was in the army when he was born, and he couldn¡¯t see his father for a long time. Later, he saw him often, but his parents were divorced.


    Because of the early understanding of the situations, he could not show a childlike innocence like Fang Fang, but he wished he could live like his brother.


    Meixiang¡¯s thesis was completed very smoothly. The thesis requirements in her college were not high. The focus was still on teaching. Meixiang¡¯s scores are more than 90 points.


    ¡°Student Zhao Meixiang, congratulations on your successful graduation. In the future, you will be a glorious people¡¯s teacher. ¡°


    The principal gave each student a certificate of completion and took a group photo with the students.


    ¡°Wu Dong Provincial Teacher Training College, all the teachers, and students of the class of 1977 take a group photo. Taken on June 21, 1979. ¡°


    This is the memory of youth, this is the journey of dreams. They have experienced a different era. Their youth is the richness and beauty that others have not experienced.


    ¡°I can¡¯t bear it. Everyone is going to say goodbye soon. ¡°


    ¡°Who says it¡¯s not? The day I entered the school, it felt like yesterday. ¡°


    Everything is vivid.


    ¡°In fact, it¡¯s OK. Many people are not together. Even if they are not together, they still have a lot of opportunities to meet in the future. ¡°


    ¡°Yes, anyway, I will stay in the provincial capital. Remember to find me when you come back. I¡¯ll invite you to dinner. ¡°


    ¡°That¡¯s necessary. You¡¯re the host. You have to show the spirit of the host. ¡°


    Meixiang looked at her classmates with a smile on her face as they spoke, feeling that this moment was worth remembering for a lifetime.


    Now that she has graduated, she has to go to the new school to report. It won¡¯t be long before the school has a summer vacation. Jiahui is still very envious of this.


    ¡°There are three months of paid holidays a year. Meixiang, I have begun to envy your work. ¡°


    Meixiang did not even care to smile. Her sister-in-law is not envious; if her sister-in-law wanted to be a teacher, it would be easy for her; she is so good at English that many schools must be lining up to hire her.


    But my sister-in-law was restless in nature. If she was a little idle, she would have to find something to do. Just like now, while taking classes, she was doing translation work. Occasionally, she would use the sewing machine to make small things, such as dolls, key bags, and head flowers. It is said that these things are liked by little girls and must be easy to sell.


    Meixiang can¡¯t help but shake her head. Energetic people can be really scary, and no matter what it is, in their eyes, it can turn into RMB. This is indeed a remarkable skill.

 CH 76

    ¡°Meixiang, I told you last time, my mother¡¯s nephew is good. He¡¯s from the public security patrol. He¡¯s very talented and has a good personality. Shall I arrange for you to meet him? ¡°


    Meixiang reported to the No. 1 middle school. She began her summer vacation in July after studying with a teacher who was pregnant and about to give birth. She also stayed at school for a month or so.


    Several middle-aged female teachers were particularly keen on introducing Meixiang to someone, especially Teacher Ji. And just after class, they pulled Meixiang aside to talk about the object.


    The patrol team is the administrative functional department of the Public Security Bureau and the business organ of the patrol police in the whole region. Under the direct leadership of the Party committee of the branch, the main functions of the patrol team are to guide the patrol work in the whole region, maintain the dynamic public security order, formulate the patrol management system, guide and directly participate in the security of large-scale mass activities and the disposal of major social events such as large-scale mass disputes and armed fights, It can be said that the work is very important and complex. It is the first line of defense for local security.


    Meixiang hid several times, so she didn¡¯t hide now, with an embarrassing smile on her face.


    ¡°Miss Ji, I just graduated¡­¡±


    Teacher Ji warmly held Meixiang¡¯s hand and liked the young girl more and more.


    ¡°When you graduate, you¡¯ll be twenty-two this year. It¡¯s time to talk to someone. You¡¯re not in a hurry, but your family will be anxious. ¡°


    At this time, Cui Zongyi entered the office with his lesson plan. He smiled at the conversation between Miss Ji and Meixiang.


    ¡°Teacher Cui, you should also help me persuade her that female comrade and male comrades are not the same. You can¡¯t afford to waste time. The good years will pass if you don¡¯t seize the moment. ¡°


    Meixiang looked to Cui Zongyi, expecting him to help her out.


    ¡°Yes, what Mr. Ji introduced must be good.¡±


    Meixiang sipped her mouth and was very disappointed.


    When teacher Ji mentioned it again, Meixiang promised to meet her nephew.


    Afterward, Cui Zongyi came over and explained, ¡°Meixiang, don¡¯t think too much about it. I¡¯m just afraid of Miss Cui¡¯s misunderstanding. ¡°


    Meixiang would like to ask him, what exactly is this ¡°misunderstanding¡± he was afraid of? What can be misunderstood between them? They are just colleagues, but they have been classmates, and it was just a matter of saying a few words. It¡¯s just that she has always liked him in silence, and all of this, was it even important to Cui Zongyi?


    ¡°Well, I know, I didn¡¯t think much about it.


    After saying that, Meixiang smiled and hugged the lesson plan, and left. From then on, she would never think more.


    Cui Zongyi looked at Meixiang¡¯s back, wanting to shout at her to say a few words and explain a few more, but did not know what he should say, and could only ¡°watch¡± her leave.


    The first time Meixiang agreed, Miss Ji took advantage of the situation and quickly arranged a time for the two to meet.


    Saturday afternoon at 3:00 in the park near the county government was the meeting place. The decision to choose this time was made after careful consideration.


    It¡¯s just that they don¡¯t see the right time. When they see it at the right time, they can have a meal and watch a movie together. The time is just right. It can only be said that Teacher Ji has an outstanding talent for matchmaking.


    ¡°That girl is a new teacher in our school. She has just graduated from the provincial normal teaching school. She is quiet and looks good. Although she is from the Shengli commune and not from the city, her brother and sister-in-law were college students. For you, I talked to her for several days before she agreed to see you. So, you must perform well, do not scare the little girl. ¡°


    Her nephew is 25 years old. He doesn¡¯t care about finding someone. She has introduced several people to her nephew. He either disappeared or didn¡¯t follow up. The elderly at home are worried about him. They want to tie his head and let him have a wedding and enter the bridal chamber.


    Obviously, he is a handsome young man. He is tall and strong. His eyes are double-eyelids and his nose is high. The girl wants to see his eyes after looking at them. How can this character and appearance be single at the age of 25? No one believes it. There should be no shady diseases.


    Ji Zhenfeng had long been immune to these words. He slapped his plank and went along with Teacher Ji. ¡°Got it, Auntie. Don¡¯t worry. When have I ever failed your kindness?¡±


    Teacher Ji shook her head helplessly and said, ¡°Which time you did not fail it? If not, your brat should have gotten married long ago.


    The aunt and nephew waited in advance at the appointed place. At 2:55, Meixiang hadn¡¯t arrived yet. Ji Zhenfeng frowned and looked at the time on his watch.


    He is a person with a sense of time. Punctuality is one of his special concerns. If the other party is late, his first impression of the other party will be greatly reduced.


    Before the blind date, there was a blind date who was late. No matter who it is, as long as the time came and the person didn¡¯t come, I¡¯m sorry. He can¡¯t continue to wait and he will absolutely turn around and leave.


    There is no reason to be late. It¡¯s really helping others or encountering an accident. It¡¯s understandable. Any other reason was just an excuse. If a person can¡¯t even do the basic punctuality, it¡¯s absolutely impossible to get along with him, continuing to date is also a waste of each other¡¯s time.


    ¡°The little girl just came here and didn¡¯t have a bike. Even if she was a little late, she was justifiable. ¡°


    Mr. Ji knows his nephew¡¯s temperament and cares about the little things that others don¡¯t. He has told his family many times to let him not be so serious with the girl¡¯s family. He is a man and should know how to be patient.


    ¡°Why do I have to put up with it? I am not their parents. There is no need to be so spoiled. Why do you have to force me to marry someone with different ideas than mine? ¡°


    There were too many similar responses, so many that the elderly members of the family were so angry that they almost had a stroke, but Ji Zhenfeng continued to do as he pleased.


    The teacher is afraid that her nephew will have a bad impression of Meixiang, so she also helped Meixiang find an excuse. She really quite liked Meixiang, and she could bear the two missing out for nothing.


    After about two minutes, Ji Zhenfeng thought that the blind date must be late. Not far away, a girl wearing a yellow braji and running with a bag appeared in front of them.


    Two braids jump in the air with the action of running, with red cheeks. Ji Zhenfeng has good eyes and can even see the sweat on her nose.


    In fact, Meixiang didn¡¯t want to come before going out today, but she was a trustworthy person. Although she didn¡¯t mean to promise Teacher Ji at that time, since she had promised, she didn¡¯t want to break her promise and go back on her words.


    ¡°Teacher Ji, I¡¯m sorry. Am I late?¡±


    Meixiang¡¯s eyes are bright. There is water mist on her nose and forehead because of sweating. She can¡¯t catch up with elegance and ladies in this way, but somehow, Ji Zhenfeng, who has been indifferent to girls for more than 20 years, is moved by her.


    He gazed at Meixiang, and when Meixiang turned around, their eyes met. He smiled at Meixiang, but Meixiang was stunned with wide-eyed wonder.


    ¡°Meixiang, this is my nephew Zhenfeng. He is a policeman in the patrol brigade. He is three years older than you. He is very decent and has a sense of responsibility. ¡°


    Meixiang smiled and nodded.


    ¡°Then ¡­¡­¡±


    Teacher Ji turned her head to look at her nephew, hoping to see what he meant so she could make arrangements.


    Only to see the nephew smile and turn to look at her and say, ¡°Auntie, didn¡¯t you say that there are things you still have to take care of at home?¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes, I almost forgot, the children at home are waiting for me to go back. Meixiang, you and Zhenfeng can chat for a while. You can be rest assured that he is a police officer and will be responsible for your safety. ¡°


    Ji Zhenfeng nodded at the side, ¡°Yes, I am responsible for sending Miss Zhao back safely.¡±


    Meixiang stopped talking and blushed. She¡¯s not really stupid. How can she not understand Teacher Ji¡¯s intention? That is, to create a chance for them to be alone.


    ¡°I heard that your brothers and sisters have been admitted to college.¡±


    Ji Zhenfeng started the topic with the most comforting topic for Meixiang.


    My two brothers and sister-in-law got in. My elder sister didn¡¯t take the college entrance exam.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not easy for a family to have several college students. Your parents must be very pleased.¡±


    Meixiang¡¯s mood is no longer apprehensive. Following Ji Zhenfeng¡¯s topic, she responded, ¡°Yes, they are indeed quite happy. Even if they close their eyes, they feel like they don¡¯t have to worry about the lives of their brothers and sisters. ¡°


    After graduating from university, the state arranges work. When you have a job, you don¡¯t have to worry about having any food, which is much better than being a farmer.


    Ji Zhenfeng smiled and nodded, ¡°Yes, parents are like this.¡± Just like I became a policeman, my parents also think this is an iron rice bowl. They were very relieved for my life. ¡°


    ¡°Have your parents ever pushed you through your life events?¡±


    Meixiang shook her head, ¡°Well, my mother used to be quite anxious, but then my sister-in-law persuaded her.¡± She said to not rush me to find someone. When I am excellent, naturally, there are people more suitable for me. I shouldn¡¯t get married just because I have to get married. ¡°


    At that time, my sister-in-law said that literature and art had culture, saying ¡°if you are in full bloom, butterflies come from you¡±. Meixiang was moved by this sentence when she listened to it for the first time.


    Ji Zhenfeng was a little surprised by Meixiang¡¯s answer because this concept coincided with his thoughts. The reason why he was already 25 but still had no girlfriend is that he believes it¡¯s ¡°better to have nothing than substandard choice.¡± He also believes in finding his ¡°soulmate¡± rather than meeting his parents¡¯ expectations and just having a casual marriage.


    ¡°Your sister-in-law has a very good point. I¡¯m not going to lie, I think so too. Unexpectedly, your sister-in-law can speak so well. My family has never quite understood me, thinking that I refuse to settle down because I¡¯m unruly and untamed. ¡°


    Meixiang also did not expect Ji Zhenfeng to agree so much with her sister-in-law¡¯s words. As for Jiahui¡¯s fangirl, anyone who agrees with her sister-in-law is someone who has an eye and is worth dating.


    ¡°Well, my sister-in-law can be great. She knows everything and sees things very thoroughly. I¡¯m particularly willing to listen to all kinds of reasons that my sister-in-law tells me. ¡°


    The two unknowingly strolled around the park. Ji Zhenfeng looked at the time. Forty minutes had passed. It was hard to imagine that he would one day talk to a girl so well as if there was no end to the topics they could talk about.


    ¡°Meixiang, if you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯ll invite you to watch a movie. I heard that the movie theater has released a new movie, ¡°Nezha Conquers the Dragon King.¡±


    This is a domestic animation movie released in May. When Meixiang was in the provincial capital, she also took her nieces and nephews to the cinema to watch it. The movie was released at a later date. Meixiang wanted to say that she had seen it, but on Ji Zhenfeng¡¯s expectant gaze, she swallowed the words again, nodded, and agreed.


    ¡°Meixiang, I am a straightforward person and do not want to beat around the bush. I will be straightforward.¡±


    After watching the movie, Ji Zhenfeng invited Meixiang to have a meal again, and after eating, he sent Meixiang to the dormitory.


    In front of the dormitory door, Ji Zhenfeng did not rush to say goodbye but made his heart clear.


    ¡°Meixiang, to be honest, I admire and like you very much. I don¡¯t know how you feel about me, but I ask you to give me a chance to seriously pursue you.¡±


    Meixiang¡¯s heart beat faster and her face burned red. This was the first time that a male comrade expressed his affection for her in front of her. There were male comrades who had a crush on her in the past, but they all expressed it euphemistically, not directly like this.


    Ji Zhenfeng¡¯s gaze was exceptionally bright in the moonlight, and Meixiang bowed her head in such a hot gaze.


    She inevitably thought of Cui Zongyi, a male classmate she had liked since her student days. She was originally filled with delight because she was teaching in a school with him and also felt that Cui Zongyi was kind to her, but since he did not help herself last time and did not give a reasonable explanation afterward, Meixiang no longer had expectations of him.


    In her opinion, if Cui Zongyi had a good feeling for her when teacher Ji came to the office to talk to her about matching her to her nephew several times, he should not be indifferent and show nothing.


    ¡°I ¡­¡­ I didn¡¯t think that much ¡­¡­¡±


    She spent several hours with Ji Zhenfeng today. She appreciated his talk and manners very much. From Ji Zhenfeng, she saw wisdom similar to her sister-in-law.


    ¡°Okay, I understand. It¡¯s getting dark. You should go back to rest early. ¡°


    Ji Zhenfeng is a smart man, a smart man will be considerate of the girl he likes. As long as the other party gives a little response, he understands what he should do.


    Meixiang hummed and looked at Ji Zhenfeng, then walked to the yard. On the way, she heard Ji Zhenfeng shout at her.


    ¡°Meixiang.¡±


    Meixiang turned back with a questioning expression. Ji Zhenfeng put his hands in his pants pockets and smiled brightly at Meixiang.


    ¡°It¡¯s good to meet you today. I wish you a dream. ¡°


    Meixiang was stunned at first, then smiled at him. She turned and went back to her single dormitory.


    Ji Zhenfeng stood at a distance until the lights came on and Meixiang¡¯s figure was projected on the window, then he whistled and turned away in a rather good mood.


    Notlucia: I like this pair¡­.

 CH 77

    After the first meeting, Ji Zhenfeng launched a passionate pursuit of Meixiang. As long as there was nothing to do in the team, he would go to the school gate to wait for Meixiang after work. Within two days, all of the teachers and students at the school were aware that the new teacher, Zhao, was conversing with her object.


    This day was Friday. Ji Zhenfeng again came to Meixiang to ask her to watch a movie for dinner.


    ¡°Comrade Ji, you don¡¯t have to. You always come to me, and if people see this, it will leave a bad impression, so you don¡¯t have to always invite me to a meal and a movie. This is way too much of a waste of money. How much do you even earn in a month? ¡°


    A movie ticket in the county was 6 yuan, two tickets were 12 yuan, plus meals and sodas, so it costs 20 yuan to eat and drink soda at a time. He still won¡¯t let Meixiang pay. He says that there is no reason to let a woman pay. Meixiang was very embarrassed.


    Ji Zhenfeng heard another meaning from Meixiang¡¯s words. Meixiang mentioned that it was not good to be seen and about wasting money, but she did not ask him to not come, nor did she say she did not like him.


    So, thinking about it, Ji Zhenfeng felt he had a better chance.


    ¡°Then, that means I can¡¯t pursue you. When you pursue a girl, you have to be thick-skinned, but you also have to show your sincerity. ¡°


    He deliberately said this just to see Meixiang¡¯s reaction. And as expected, when Meixiang heard his words, she quickly blushed.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t promise to have a relationship with you. You are doing this with coercion.¡± If you do this again, I will not go out with you. You can just wait here alone, see if there is someone that would take care of you. ¡°


    Ji Zhenfeng held back a smile and nodded, ¡°Yes, what you said makes sense. I reviewed my mistakes. Please forgive me, Comrade Meixiang.¡±


    While the two were talking at the school entrance, Cui Zongyi pushed his bike out of the school. When Meixiang saw him, she had some mixed feelings, but she still smiled and greeted him.


    Cui Zongyi looked at Meixiang and then at Ji Zhenfeng. He nodded to the two and then stepped onto his bike and left.


    These days, Meixiang and Cui Zongyi have stopped talking. Obviously, before, their relationship was still good, but now it is becoming colder and colder.


    It¡¯s false to say that she¡¯s not sad. Meixiang also thought about why, but she really couldn¡¯t guess what Cui Zongyi was thinking. Why was he so nice to her but unwilling to take a step forward at the same time? Did he just regard her as a friend from the beginning? Did she misunderstand it?


    After a blind date with Ji Zhenfeng, Meixiang wrote to tell her sister-in-law about it. She just wanted to hear her sister-in-law¡¯s opinion.


    In terms of character, Meixiang is not a person who knows how to refuse. The strong appearance of Ji Zhenfeng is a spiritual shock to Meixiang. On the other hand, she has had no bad feelings towards Ji Zhenfeng from the beginning; in fact, she even has some good feelings towards him.


    Ji Zhenfeng¡¯s views and concepts on many things were very similar to those of her own sister-in-law. His occupation was as a policeman. In this environment, ¡°Call the police if you are in trouble¡± has been talked about since childhood. The police can easily impress people as a symbol of integrity and selflessness.


    When Meixiang mentioned his eldest brother, Zhao Donglin, Ji Zhenfeng expressed his admiration for Zhao Donglin. He said that Zhao Donglin was an unsung hero and his own example. The country is becoming stronger and stronger because of the silent and selfless dedication of countless soldiers. He also said that the fact that he could decisively give up his government position to take the college entrance examination after leaving the army company proves that he is a person with ideals and ambitions.


    All these words are very useful to Meixiang because she is a person who cares about her family. Being good to her family is sometimes more effective than being good to her.


    As soon as Jiahui received a letter from Meixiang, she thought it was an ordinary letter reporting about her life, but she never thought there would be a big surprise in the letter. Someone introduced Meixiang to a man, and she also met him.


    From Meixiang¡¯s countenance, Jiahui felt that this police comrade was very active. He had both intellectual and emotional intelligence. The most important thing was that in the letter, Meixiang only asked for her opinion and did not directly or indirectly express dissatisfaction towards the male comrade. It was enough to prove that this comrade has merit.


    Zhao Donglin came in from outside and saw Jiahui smiling as she looked at the letter. He knew that his sister had written today, so he curiously asked Jiahui what she was smiling about.


    ¡°Meixiang was matched to someone. A teacher from the same school introduced her to the object. He is a police officer. These days, he has actively pursued Meixiang. I think this comrade has hope. Maybe he will be our brother-in-law in the future.


    As for the classmate Cui mentioned by Meixiang, if he liked Meixiang, he should have moved. With Meixiang¡¯s character, even if she liked another person, she couldn¡¯t take the initiative to show her affection. The man must be more active. The performance of this police officer, Ji, is very good.


    Jiahui was full of joy, but Zhao Donglin, on the other hand, was not so good. As Meixiang¡¯s brother, he has a natural hostility to men who pursue his sister. However, the career of a police officer has more or less made Zhao Donglin feel good. Of course, it¡¯s just a little. He is more worried.


    In his opinion, his sister is a very simple little girl who always treats others with kindness. What if she is duped by these honeyed swords and sweet talks?


    If it were not for their final exams, Zhao Donglin really wanted to immediately set off for a trip to Yun County. He wanted to personally meet the kid.


    A few dozen kilometers away, Ji Zhenfeng inexplicably sneezed.


    Jiahui saw her husband¡¯s worry and comforted him. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll write back to Meixiang, ask about the police comrade, and then explore Meixiang¡¯s tone. Anyway, I can receive the letter in three or four days. ¡°


    The standpoint of the family was to still focus on Meixiang¡¯s opinions. No matter who Meixiang looks at, Meixiang must like and like Meixiang enough. Otherwise, a college student who becomes a teacher after graduation, not to mention young and beautiful, Can she casually marry someone she doesn¡¯t like?


    Anyway, when Meixiang graduated, Zhang Qiaoer already made a speech and said that she would find Meixiang an object when they went back on vacation. So it is urgent for Meixiang to find an object.


    This day after school, Ji Zhenfeng, as usual, was outside the school gate waiting for Meixiang. When Meixiang arrived, Ji Zhenfeng was chatting with the gatekeeper.


    ¡°Yo, Miss Zhao is off work. Your partner has been waiting for you for a while. ¡°


    Meixiang smiled at the gatekeeper and then glared at Ji Zhenfeng.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you not to wait outside the door? Do you still tell people that you are my object? ¡°


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say that.¡± Ji Zhenfeng just denied it. Seeing Meixiang¡¯s eyes, he changed his mouth, ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything, but I didn¡¯t deny it when others asked me.¡±


    There is no denying or admitting. Meixiang simply doesn¡¯t know what to do with him. She hasn¡¯t seen such a cheeky and tough person in her life.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be angry; I¡¯ll buy you dinner to make amends.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you policemen have anything to do every day? Why do you always come to me? ¡°


    Ji Zhenfeng inserted his hands into his pockets and whistled, ¡°I thank the motherland and the party.¡± Our county has good public security. We don¡¯t close our doors at night and don¡¯t find anything left on the road. Only now can I have time to chase my girlfriend.


    This is half true and half false. There are few major cases in Yun County, but there are many trivial things. However, recently, in order to pursue Meixiang, the team has covered him up and down. He doesn¡¯t have to deal with unimportant things. After that, he would just invite the people in the team to a meal, but he wouldn¡¯t tell Meixiang about such things.


    As the team¡¯s older unmarried youth, his brothers have wished him an early solution to personal problems.


    ¡°If Brother Ji doesn¡¯t find anyone, we¡¯ll all be affected.¡±


    ¡°Yes, those little girls only have Brother Ji in their eyes.¡± How can they see us? ¡°


    ¡°So, this time Brother Ji¡¯s heart was finally moved. We have to help him.


    This is the cause and effect of the whole thing.


    ¡°My sister-in-law sent a letter to me today. Last time, I wrote to her about my blind date, she was very worried about me.¡±


    Ji Zhenfeng turned his head to look at Meixiang. His expression was both happy and worried.


    ¡°Is that so? What did you tell your family about me? ¡°


    Meixiang mentioned the matchmaking matter with her family. Does it mean that this matter was also important to her? Does it mean that she has seriously thought about herself in her heart?


    ¡°I told her the truth.¡±


    ¡°So, what did your sister-in-law write back?


    Meixiang recalled the contents of the letter and found a few harmless words to say to Ji Zhenfeng.


    ¡°She said that the family respects my choice, so I must pick someone I like, but I also cannot just look at their appearance. I have to observe the person¡¯s character, workability, interpersonal relationships, the family situation, and whether the other person¡¯s ideas were right or not, and there were a lot more, so I won¡¯t say it. ¡°


    Ji Zhenfeng can only say ¡°wow¡± at the end to express his inner feelings. Sure enough, college students are different and can speak more than ordinary people.


    ¡°What your sister-in-law said makes sense. You really should get to know me seriously.¡±


    With that, he turned to Meixiang and began to introduce himself with a serious face.


    ¡°My name is Ji Zhenfeng. I am 25 years old and I am employed in the Yun County Police Patrol Brigade as a deputy captain. My father is a doctor, my mother is a retired teacher, I have a brother and a sister, no younger siblings, so I am the youngest in the family. My brother and sister are already married and have a family, so I¡¯m under less pressure to get married.¡±


    ¡°Of course, I went to the industrial, agricultural, and military universities at the age of 18, which is different from those who are serious about college entrance examinations, but it¡¯s not ugly to have a degree. I¡¯ve worked for four years. When I first worked, I got paid 28 yuan a month. Now my salary is only 75 yuan a month. I don¡¯t smoke, drink, or have bad hobbies. I just have a lot of friends. Sometimes it¡¯s a good idea for everyone to have dinner together. Just normal interpersonal communication. ¡°


    ¡°Our family is quite good to get along with, and they respect the wishes of their children. The one who introduced us together is my own aunt, so don¡¯t worry. I definitely pursued you on the premise of marriage. You are already well known to my parents. My aunt has told my parents about you. They ask me about you whenever I go home every day.¡±


    Meixiang just stared at him dumbfounded for seven or eight minutes, and finally, when he said that his parents already knew her, Meixiang¡¯s face turned redder and redder, and finally, even her heart began to thump faster.


    After saying that, Ji Zhenfeng looked at Meixiang quietly, with a shallow arc at the corners of his mouth.


    ¡°I¡¯m serious. From the first time I saw you that day, I felt that I really fell. My original feeling is that kind of feeling. It¡¯s like the whole world suddenly lights up. I can¡¯t see anything. I only see you running towards me and smiling at me. Your eyes are bright and your smile is particularly good-looking. ¡°


    His voice was very soft. As he spoke, he recalled the day when they first met. Meixiang bowed her head to avoid her eyes. She was shy and had a touch of joy at the same time.


    A young man expressed deep affection for a young girl. Meixiang doesn¡¯t hate him, and she even appreciates him a little. Even if she has a heart of stone, she can¡¯t be indifferent.


    On this day, Meixiang finally watched a movie and had dinner with him. They maintained the frequency of meeting once a day or two. A month passed quickly.


    At the end of June and beginning of July, all schools successively entered the holiday stage. The Zhao family¡¯s summer vacation began after Heidan and Shitou returned to school to get their report cards. The family was going to go back to living in Shanghe village.


    ¡°I asked Meixiang to wait for us in the county and go back together.¡±


    They mainly want to see Comrade Ji. Whether he¡¯s appropriate or not, this can only be said after meeting him.

 CH 78

    Shen Nianru reluctantly said goodbye to Jiahui as she was going back to the village.


    ¡°My child, come back early. I really can¡¯t bear to see you all leave. ¡°


    Shen Nianru held Jiahui in her left hand and Yingbao in her right hand. Together with her husband, they sent the Zhao family out of the courtyard.


    Jiahui hugged her godmother. She smiled and said, ¡°Yes, we will definitely come back early. You and your godfather must take care of yourselves at home. Call us in the village if you need anything. I will write down the phone number for you.


    ¡°Okay, don¡¯t worry, we will take care of ourselves.¡±


    The brothers, Donglin and Donghe, carried the luggage, while Zhang Qiaoer held Fang Fang. Heidan and Shitou followed behind the adults. A group of people went to the station in a grandiose way.


    ¡°Hey, do you want to talk to Mom about the police comrade first?¡±


    On the bus, Jiahui secretly discussed with Zhao Donglin


    The last time she wrote to Meixiang, she asked her what she thought. Meixiang said she didn¡¯t know and was very confused. In that case, Jiahui didn¡¯t tell Zhang Qiaoer about it. She was afraid that Zhang Qiaoer was too excited after Jiahui told her about it. Jiahui thought she¡¯d better wait for Meixiang to think about it herself and let nature take its course, but today they are going to the county, and she and Zhao Donglin want to find a chance to meet with the comrade. Jiahui hesitated whether to say it or not.


    Zhao Donglin looked at Zhang Qiaoer, who was carsick, and shook his head, ¡°Wait for now. We will wait until we get to the county.


    It was at this time that Ji Zhenfeng bought a watermelon and sent it downstairs to Meixiang¡¯s dormitory. His tanned face was full of sweat.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you go to my dormitory and rest for a while?¡±


    Although Ji Zhenfeng often sent Meixiang back to the dormitory, Meixiang never let him inside the dormitory. But today, Meixiang was really touched. How hot was the weather? And he even made a special trip for a watermelon.


    ¡°All right, Can I go in? ¡°


    Saying so, Ji Zhenfeng walked in with a grin, but he didn¡¯t look embarrassed.


    Meixiang¡¯s dormitory was very clean. The room was about ten square meters, with a single bed, a small desk, and a small wooden chair. There are books, pen holders, and a small red round mirror on the desk.


    The broken flower-styled curtain was fastened with ribbons. On the windowsill are two pots of flowers: a pot of cactus and a pot of daffodils. They are green and have a faint fragrance. He didn¡¯t know whether it was the fragrance of daffodils or the smell of Meixiang.


    ¡°When are you going home? I¡¯ll find a car to drive you home. ¡°


    Ji Zhenfeng put the watermelon on the desk, and Meixiang found a fruit knife to cut it down and handed Zhengfeng a piece of the sweetest part of the watermelon.


    The patrol team has a car. When not on duty, it can be borrowed. It takes only about an hour to drive back and forth from Yun County to Shengli Commune. By the way, Ji Zhenfeng wants to take Meixiang home and meet the family.


    Meixiang took the watermelon and hummed, then refused Ji Zhenfeng¡¯s offer to send her home.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not going back alone. My mom and the others will pass by here today from the provincial capital. I¡¯ll go back with them. ¡°


    Ji Zhenfeng stopped moving. He wiped the watermelon juice from the corner of his mouth and looked at Meixiang, asking, ¡°Your family is coming back from the province today?¡±


    Meixiang nodded, ¡°En. The school is on vacation. They just want to go home and have a look. ¡°


    In a year, they can come back from winter and summer vacation. After living in the city for a long time, they really miss living in the countryside. Everyone missed the constant chirping of cicadas, the fragrant and refreshing mountain fruits, the joy of children jumping into the water to swim, and the sweet water chestnuts and lotus in the water.


    Ji Zhenfeng¡¯s mind turned a hundred times. He looked at Meixiang and asked. ¡°So¡­ What time do they arrive? Or should I go with you to the station to pick them up? ¡°


    After saying that, his gaze was fixed on Meixiang. He had an intuition. His intuition told him that the answer to this question was very important.


    Meixiang opened her mouth, and even her eyelashes twitched.


    She didn¡¯t give an answer right away, and after about 34 seconds, Meixiang nodded with a red face.


    ¡°Okay, you can come with me if you have time. The car coming from the provincial capital usually arrives at two o¡¯clock in the afternoon.¡±


    Ji Zhenfeng just opened his mouth uncertainly. To tell the truth, he didn¡¯t have any psychological preparation at the beginning, and he didn¡¯t know that the Zhao family had come back from the provincial capital today.


    Seriously? I didn¡¯t hear it wrong, right? Do you really want me to take me with you? ¡°


    Happiness comes too suddenly. He is like a traveler stumbling along in the desert, suddenly seeing an oasis.


    ¡°Meixiang, you are willing to take me to meet your family? Does that mean that you have accepted me?¡±


    He excitedly held Meixiang¡¯s hand. Meixiang did not pull it away. She stared at Ji Zhenfeng and asked him to let go of her hands by himself.


    ¡°Pay attention to the influence. There are other teachers living in the dormitory.


    She took Ji Zhenfeng into the dormitory under pressure. She was afraid that others would gossip. The dormitory door had been opened. If someone saw them holding their hands together, they couldn¡¯t really explain it.


    ¡°Have you accepted me, and have I become your object from today on?¡±


    Ji Zhenfeng maintained this posture and insisted on seeking an answer from Meixiang.


    Meixiang glared at him in annoyance and hummed, ¡°Then, if you don¡¯t let go, I¡¯ll take it back.¡±


    The meaning is self-evident, that is, she agrees!


    He didn¡¯t loosen Meixiang, but took advantage of the situation; he pulled her hand in his direction. Meixiang screamed and fell into Ji Zhenfeng¡¯s arms. She looked up in surprise and looked up at Ji Zhenfeng.


    ¡°Thank you Meixiang, you can rest assured that I will not let you regret your choice today.¡±


    After saying that, he let go of Meixiang¡¯s hand after smiling at her.


    When the car stopped at the station, Zhao Donghe helped the pale Zhang Qiaoer get off the bus.


    ¡°Aiya, I finally got off the bus. It really made me suffer.¡±


    Zhang Qioaer vomited three times on the way and once when she sat down. She wanted to vomit when she saw the bus on the road. She really didn¡¯t want to take the bus if she didn¡¯t have the conviction to go home.


    Not far away, outside the iron gate, Meixiang has seen her family. She waved her hand happily and shouted. ¡°Brother, sister-in-law, I am here!¡±


    Jiahui turned around when she heard the sound from afar and saw Meixiang outside the iron gate, with a young man in uniform standing behind her.


    Jiahui smiled at Meixiang and pulled Zhao Donglin behind her to look over.


    ¡°Is that the police comrade standing behind Meixiang? I see he¡¯s still wearing his uniform. ¡°


    Zhao Donglin raised his eyebrows to look over. His eyesight was very good. He could see that man¡¯s appearance and the details of his uniform better than Jiahui. He was indeed a patrol team leader.


    ¡°Well, yes, let¡¯s hurry over.¡±


    Zhang Qiaoer drank two mouthfuls of water and was almost slow. Jiahui walked over and helped her out of the station.


    ¡°Mom, Meixiang is here to pick us up.¡±


    Zhang Qiao¡¯er nodded weakly.


    ¡°Mom, I still have something to tell you. Don¡¯t freak out when you hear it.


    Zhang Qiao¡¯er frowned and turned her head to look at Jiahui, ¡°What is it? I have to take it easy. I¡¯m afraid I really can¡¯t stand it. ¡°


    Then she patted her heart. The weather was hot enough. She felt stuffy and dizzy the whole way. Anyone with poor physical quality can close their eyes and see the king of hell.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a bad thing; it¡¯s Meixiang. After she arrived at school, a colleague introduced her to an object. I don¡¯t know if they had a good talk. And I just saw it from a distance, and the comrade came together with Meixiang today. ¡°


    ¡°Ah?! Is this true? ¡°


    Zhang Qiaoer exclaimed, hurriedly looking around.


    ¡°Where is it? How come I didn¡¯t see it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s right outside the door. You¡¯ll see it soon.¡±


    Zhang Qiaoer uncomfortably tidied up her hair. Her daughter had found someone without saying a word. She, as a mother, only knew now and did not know whether she should be happy or worried.


    Her original plan was to go back to the village to find someone to introduce to her daughter. How long has she been in school? A month or so later, and she now has an object. Her silly daughter, she might have been cheated.


    Outside the door, Meixiang¡¯s heart also fluttered. She said to the dignified Ji Zhenfeng behind her, ¡°I told my eldest brother and sister-in-law about you. My mother and my second brother might not know. You have to take it easy when you see them. My mother¡¯s car sickness is very serious. Don¡¯t scare her. ¡°


    Ji Zhenfeng nodded his head and obediently responded.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will behave well.¡±


    Do not look at his face with a calm and collected look. In his heart, he was also very nervous. This was his first time pursuing a girl and the first time seeing each other¡¯s family. He had just met Meixiang¡¯s eldest brother from a distance. He was really worthy of someone who came out of the army, which made him very stressed.


    A group of people went out of the gate in the hot sun. Zhang Qiaoer took care not to look at her daughter. Her eyes fell directly on the young man beside her daughter.


    The boy was tall and straight, with bronze skin, upright and with handsome facial features, and a smile in his eyes. He looked good. Zhang Qiaoer put down half his worries at the first sight of him.


    ¡°Meixiang, this is?¡±


    Meixiang said, with an embarrassed smile, ¡°This is Ji Zhenfeng. I just met him.¡±


    She didn¡¯t have the heart to say the word ¡°object.¡± Mostly because she thought it was wrong to talk to someone without her parents¡¯ consent, but she brought Ji Zhenfeng here today to show her attitude.


    Ji Zhenfeng smiled and took half a step forward. She first greeted Zhang Qiaoer, ¡°Hello Auntie, I am the deputy captain of the Yun County Patrol Brigade, Ji Zhenfeng. My sister-in-law introduced me to Meixiang. Now we are in the stage of mutual understanding. ¡°


    This formal and detailed self-introduction made Zhang Qiaoer quite satisfied. The young man has a good spirit, good work ethic, and the correct attitude.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know about this before. I just heard about it today, and it scared me.


    Isn¡¯t it a shock? The girl, who is usually silent, looks for an object quietly. She was just like the person who usually doesn¡¯t eat salty pancakes but suddenly starts eating salty pancakes. For people who were familiar with her, it was a very significant change.


    Zhang Qiaoer then said, ¡°it¡¯s reasonable to say that parents decide the major matters of marriage, but now is a new era.¡± I¡¯m not unenlightened and old-fashioned, she can look for someone herself. As for the next stage, we still have to follow the rules.¡±


    The insinuation is that she acknowledged Meixiang and Ji Zhenfeng¡¯s matchmaking, but as to whether Ji Zhenfeng¡¯s can finally be approved, they still have to continue to see.


    Ji Zhenfeng stood in front of Zhang Qiaoer. After listening to Zhang Qiaoer¡¯s words, he nodded his head very humbly and said, ¡°You are right. I will definitely perform well to your satisfaction and strive to get your support and approval as soon as possible.¡±


    Jiahui winked at Meixiang. She pointed at Ji Zhenfeng and gave her a thumbs-up, praising her for finding a good object, and the two pursed their lips and smiled together.

 CH 79.1

    Ji Zhenfeng is in the patrol brigade. People from all professions know him. He has the intention of ¡°please¡± his future mother-in-law, uncles, and brothers-in-law. He especially asked someone to borrow a small truck to send the Zhao family back to the village.


    ¡°SH130?¡±


    When it comes to cars, Zhao Donglin is knowledgeable. With just a glance at the car, he would recognize it.


    Unlike other domestic trucks, the SH130 uses an alternative timing chain and belongs to the light-duty series, with a load capacity of 2000 kg. It is a very practical truck type.


    Men are mechanically inclined at heart, Zhao Donglin turned around in front of the car, patted the front cover, and showed an expression of interest.


    ¡°Brother, why don¡¯t you go and drive it?¡±


    Ji Zhenfeng knew that Zhao Donglin had been in the army. The army has a lot of cars, many soldiers can drive, some even drive tanks. Zhenfeng looked at his future brother-in-law¡¯s expression. He knew that his brother-in-law was interested in this truck. Throwing a good deal, he sent the car keys to Zhao Donglin.


    Zhao Donglin smiled and refused. He patted Ji Zhenfeng¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°You should do it. I¡¯ll sit at the back and watch the kids.¡±


    Ji Zhenfeng smiled and got into the driver¡¯s seat. Meixiang took Fang Fang on the passenger side. Originally, the passenger seat should have been for Zhang Qiaoer, but she had extreme carsickness. She would rather bask in the sun outside than suffer from the smell of gasoline from the car.


    ¡°This child looks good. Our Meixiang¡¯s vision is good.¡±


    On the way, Zhang Qiaoer chattered with her son and daughter-in-law.


    Although Ji Zhenfeng appeared very suddenly, he used his outstanding appearance and unassuming talk to win Zhang Qiaoer¡¯s good first impression of him.


    Jiahui nodded, ¡°It looks good, and most importantly, he is good to Meixiang.¡±


    Including the effort of coming to the station to pick them up on a hot day. He even borrowed a car to send them back to the village. If he didn¡¯t really like Meixiang, why would he bother to put in so much effort?


    Zhang Qiaoer smiled and nodded, ¡°It is for this reason.¡±


    From the marriage of the two sons, she also saw a little truth. They still have to find their own suitable pot. What kind of pot should be matched with what kind of lid? A little bit bigger and a little bit smaller don¡¯t match. Their lives would only be bumpy, which is not a good thing for anyone.


    The truck went into the Shengli commune and attracted a lot of attention along the way. Everyone saw that, at the back of the car, the Zhao family was sitting there. There was a look of envy written on their faces.


    Since the Zhao family took the examination, they had four college students and became the only ones in the village. The whole family followed him to the provincial capital and moved there. Zhao Manzhu stayed in the village to look after their family¡¯s property. The Zhao family has lived well and seen the world. In the eyes of the villagers, they are different from everyone else.


    People will have a sense of awe at the heights they can¡¯t reach, and the Zhao family is now at this kind of height that people look up to.


    Zhao Donglin got out of the car and gave cigarettes to his uncles, and everyone took them with a smile.


    ¡°Oh, peony.¡±


    This cigarette can be sold for 1 cent a piece at retail.


    There were also some sayings about smoking. In the province of China, the City of Peony, the grassroots cadre Shi Linyan, Most cadres smoke Daqianmen. Not for ordinary people, though, so peony cigarettes are the best cigarettes they have ever seen.


    Zhao Donglin has quit smoking now. He used to be a cadre, and smoking is in line with his status. Now he is a student. Jiahui told him that no student smokes more seriously than a teacher.


    He bought a few packs of peonies for socializing, and he also brought a whole strip to give a share to the elderly and brothers of his mother-in-law¡¯s family, so that everyone could have fun together.


    The car stopped outside the family¡¯s yard at four o¡¯clock. Donghe got out of the car first and took the children out, then started to unload things, while Jiahui helped Zhang Qiaoer out of the car.


    ¡°Young man, stay and eat here.¡±


    Zhao Manzhu also came back, seeing several grandchildren with smiles on their faces. He even mistook Ji Zhenfeng as the driver, and thanked Ji Zhenfeng with a few words, and led him into the house to drink water.


    ¡°This is the blind date Meixiang met in the county.¡±


    ¡°Ah?¡±


    Only then did he turn around and look carefully at Ji Zhenfeng.


    Although he is silent at home most of the time, he is a father who loves his children very much, especially the youngest, Meixiang. After she was born, the situation at home improved and improved. She grew up in the palm of his hand and stayed with him for more than 20 years. She was admitted to college and became a middle school teacher, but in her father¡¯s eyes, such a girl couldn¡¯t be matched with any kind of man. When looking at Ji Zhenfeng, he was naturally picky.


    No matter how good Ji Zhenfeng¡¯s psychological quality was, in the old father¡¯s scrutinizing gaze, he still couldn¡¯t help but clear his throat.


    ¡°Hello uncle, I¡¯m from the county patrol brigade. My name is Ji Zhenfeng. ¡°


    Zhao Manzhu nodded his head as he looked upright, straight-backed, and broad-minded.


    ¡°Well, hello, come in and sit down if you¡¯re not busy. ¡°


    At this time, he didn¡¯t mention drinking tea, instead of just being polite.


    A few children went down to play with other children in the village. Jiahui repeatedly emphasizes that they can¡¯t play in the water or do dangerous things. If something happens, they must run away and call for help.


    Since Ji Zhenfeng stayed for a meal, Jiahui and Meixiang naturally had to prepare the meal. They picked fresh vegetables from the garden, including cucumbers, eggplants, leeks, lettuce, vegetable peppers, and cowpeas. There were two baskets full of vegetables, as well as the chicken at home. They boiled water, slaughtered the chicken, and removed its feathers. They chopped up a piece of bacon leftover from the new year and began cooking.


    In a short sentence, Meixiang already understood Jiahui¡¯s meaning, and she gave a low declaration.


    ¡°This officer, Ji, is quite nice. He is a good match for you. ¡°


    Meixiang¡¯s temperament was too quiet. There should be an honest and active man to take the initiative and pursue her.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t asked, what happened to that classmate before?¡±


    Meixiang squatted on the ground, picking the vegetables. After Jiahui asked this question, she thought about how she should word it and said, ¡°In fact, I don¡¯t know what happened. When I met him during my internship, he took good care of me. At that time, I also wondered if he liked me a little. ¡°


    ¡°He was there when Teacher Ji said she would introduce me to someone. Teacher Ji also asked him to persuade me, saying that you can¡¯t think you¡¯re too young to not hurry up and find a date. I thought he would help me speak out and reject it. Who knows, he not only helped me speak but also advised me to go on a blind date. I was confused at that time. I thought, ¡°What did he mean?¡± Is it true that he never liked me from the beginning to the end and that I was always the one who made a fool of myself? ¡°


    Jiahui nodded her head. She also felt that the surname Cui had problems.


    ¡°What about after that? What was the reaction of the man named Cui? ¡°


    Meixiang sighed, ¡°After I went on a blind date with Ji Zhenfeng, he (JZ) always goes to school to find me. Cui Zongyi also met with me several times. We get along as ordinary colleagues. ¡°


    They used to talk a lot before, but now there is no communication between them except for work. The awkwardness between the two was visible.


    Jiahui feels that Meixiang was lucky. Fortunately, she was not with Cui. That kind of man is not suitable for Meixiang at all.


    Meixiang is introverted and kind-hearted. A man like Cui Zongyi, who had ¡°love for everyone,¡± will only hurt Meixiang severely.


    He is the kind of man who is good to everyone and irresponsible towards everyone. A man who likes to play ambiguous but will not be responsible for that someone. It was the right choice for Meixiang to quickly cut off her love for him. This is also a very good thing.


    When Jiahui expressed this meaning, Meixiang said with a smile, ¡°Sister, I didn¡¯t think so much. I felt very wronged. Since he asked me to go, I¡¯ll go and have a look. ¡°


    Who knew that she would meet the right one?


    ¡°It¡¯s called fate. If it weren¡¯t for this, you wouldn¡¯t be able to meet him. ¡°

 CH 79.2

    Stew, fried eggs with leeks, fried bacon with lettuce, mushroom chicken, and a pot of tomato egg soup. The staple foods are noodles and corn cakes.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s delicious.¡±


    ¡°Meixiang did both. She followed her sister-in-law and learned how to cook.


    Ji Zhenfeng nodded, ¡°Her cooking skills were very good. I love to eat home-cooked foods. ¡°


    Then he smiled at Meixiang.


    After dinner, Ji Zhenfeng drove away. Zhang Qiaoer thanked him for giving them a ride. She gave him a lot of vegetables and the eggs she had saved at home. The jar was full of eggs. Twenty or so eggs were given to him.


    ¡°Thank you, auntie, then I¡¯ll accept it without ceremony.¡±


    ¡°They are all things from home. What are you polite for?¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll go.¡±


    He put the things in the car, turned around, and waved. He gave Meixiang a final look, started the car, and left.


    ¡°Hey, Meixiang also found someone.¡±


    While in the living room, Ji Zhenfeng had already taken the initiative to explain the family¡¯s affairs. Zhang Qiaoer was becoming more and more satisfied with him, and already considered him as her future son-in-law in her heart.


    ¡°This is Meixiang¡¯s fate, this is good. Meixiang is teaching in the county, and marrying in the county is just right.


    Zhang Qiaoer nodded, ¡°It¡¯s for this reason, but we still have to investigate and find someone to inquire with.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go find someone; it just so happens that a comrade is in the police department.¡±


    Jiahui smiled at Donglin.


    The room had been vacant for a long time. Donglin took the mat that he washed in the afternoon into the room and spread it out. He lit wormwood to make mosquitoes dizzy. After Jiahui washed the dishes and took a bath, she entered the room in her pajamas. Zhao Donglin has been lying in bed in his big underpants. He immediately fetched a tub of well water to cool off.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take the kids back to my mother¡¯s house tomorrow. I haven¡¯t seen my parents in a long time. ¡°


    She wiped her head while talking to Zhao Donglin.


    ¡°En, I will accompany you. We will go together. ¡°


    He is now a student and was on holiday. In addition to the school¡¯s practical projects, he has a lot of time to accompany Jiahui to do what she wants to do and make up for neglecting her before.


    Jiahui rubbed her hair in the mirror. She was twenty-six years old this year, looking a little more mature than when she first arrived, but the whole person was more confident and more radiant, as if a pearl, emitting a faint light.


    Zhao Donglin was lying on the bed watching her. He was infinitely satisfied and calm, just like the cool wind in summer and the warm sun in autumn. He was the most comfortable and happy, from the heart to the body.


    When Jiahui combed her hair and sat on the edge of the bed, she fell into a sturdy arm, and the two of them looked at each other, familiar eyebrows, with a different stirring.


    Some people say that after a year of marriage, the husband will gradually lose interest in his wife, and no matter how beautiful a woman is, she will lose her lure. This law obviously does not apply to Zhao Donglin. Jiahui will always have a fatal attraction to him.


    He carefully traced the shape of Jiahui¡¯s lips and hugged her tightly. He was on fire, and Jiahui was the antidote to the heat.


    The next day, in the morning light, the rooster had already crowed, and a curl of cooking smoke rose in the kitchen. Jiahui opened her eyes and saw the familiar beam above her head. She finally remembered that she had returned to her hometown.


    ¡°Chickens run, cluck, cluck, cluck, see who runs fast.¡±


    ¡°Fang Fang, the chickens were scared to death by you. Look at how many chicken feathers have dropped.¡±


    ¡°Pick up these feathers and let Mommy make us a shuttlecock to kick.


    ¡°These chicken feathers are too soft. You need the ones from the tail.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll go pick up the ones on the tail.¡±


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t go, the chickens will bite. Don¡¯t get pecked in the eye.¡±


    ¡°Hmph, I won¡¯t.¡±


    Outside the window, Fang Fang was talking to Ying Bao. Jiahui looked out through the screen window. The sister and brother were hawking the hens laying eggs in the yard. Heidan sat by the well, reciting English words.


    Jiahui got up late again today. She put on her clothes, tidied up briefly, and went out of the room.


    ¡°Mom, you¡¯re up really late, the sun is almost on your butt.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that mommy is late, it¡¯s that you guys are early. In the future, you should keep this good habit in school and get up early every day, okay? ¡°


    Jiahui stroked Fang Fang¡¯s hair and Yingbao¡¯s little cheeks, then turned around and went into the kitchen.


    ¡°Sister-in-law, breakfast is already cooked.¡±


    A pot of rice porridge, fresh corn on the cob, and noodle sauce made of soybeans and river shrimp were fragrant and ready to be eaten.


    ¡°Meixiang is getting better and better now. She can get married now. ¡°


    Zhang Qiaoer came into the kitchen with wheat stalks, and when she heard this, she smiled and said, ¡°No. She was too old and won¡¯t stay here anymore, and I don¡¯t know how much longer she will stay. ¡°


    If you want, I would like to stay home with you for the rest of my life, to be your sweetheart.


    ¡°But forget it. Even if you¡¯re a cotton-padded jacket, you can¡¯t stay as an old cotton coat.¡±


    Meixiang herself also laughed.


    ¡°Mom, I¡¯ll take the children back to my mother¡¯s house after dinner.¡±


    ¡°Okay, you should. Your mother has not seen you for a long time. ¡°


    After breakfast, Zhao Donglin and Jiahui went to their mother¡¯s house with their bicycles and children.


    ¡°Mom!¡±


    ¡°Grandma, grandpa!¡±


    ¡°Uncle, aunt!¡±


    The family had just eaten breakfast and was ready to go down to the field when the door creaked open and the daughter and son-in-law, whom they hadn¡¯t seen in months, came with their grandson and granddaughter.


    ¡°Aiya, when did you guys come back?¡± Chen Guixiang quickly walked over and said, with a face full of surprise, ¡°I also told your brothers and sisters-in-law yesterday to see if they could meet the people in your village when they went to town and ask if you¡¯d come back. I didn¡¯t expect to see you all today. ¡°


    She patted Heidan and Yingbao affectionately and finally took the youngest Fang Fang into her arms and gave him a fragrant bite on his face.


    ¡°My good grandson, your grandma missed so much.¡±


    Fang Fang also beamed and gave his grandmother a mouthful of kisses. He stretched out his fleshy little hand and caressed Chen Guixiang¡¯s face and said, ¡°Grandmother, even if you miss me, don¡¯t die. Grandmother must live to a hundred years.¡±


    Everyone laughed, and Chen Guixiang rubbed Fang Fang¡¯s face with affection.


    ¡°My Fang Fang wants me to live a hundred years. It¡¯s really my good grandson. Don¡¯t forget that Grandma loves you and cares about you. Grandma will tell you something. Next time your parents go to the city, don¡¯t follow them, okay? Will you stay at home with grandma? ¡°


    They looked at Fang Fang with a smile to see how he would answer, only to see Fang Fang shaking his little head and refusing.


    ¡°No, I want to stay with mom and dad. They will miss me if they can¡¯t see me.¡±


    ¡°What if Grandma Misses You?¡±


    Fang Fang touched the buttons on Chen Guixiang¡¯s coat and replied cheerfully, ¡°That¡¯s okay, I¡¯ll leave a picture for Grandma, so she won¡¯t have to miss me when she sees the picture.¡±


    The children went to the photo studio to take pictures every year on their birthdays. This year, Fang Fang took a picture on his birthday, and Jiahui washed a few more pictures and said she would bring them back home to their grandma and grandpa and her great aunt to see them. Because everyone misses Fang Fang very much, they won¡¯t miss him too much when they see the photos. Unexpectedly, Fang Fang remembered Jiahui¡¯s words.


    ¡°The child is very clever. Come on, give your big aunt a hug, and the big aunt will buy you sugar. ¡°


    Has Heidan grown taller? He has grown so fast. ¡°


    ¡°Yingbao was also getting prettier and prettier; she has the appearance of a young girl in the city.¡±


    Jiahui then remembered what she had brought, including peony cigarettes for her father and brother, food for the children, a flowered dress for Tianniu, and sandals for her mother and sisters-in-law.


    ¡°Ah, these shoes are beautiful. The last time I went to town, I saw some people wearing them. They said they didn¡¯t sell them here. I envied them for a while. ¡°


    The black hollowed-out leather sandals cost about ten yuan a pair. They are absolutely face-saving. These pairs of shoes are equivalent to the salaries of urban workers. Jiahui bought everything with the royalties from her own translation materials.


    It can be said that in the Shengli Commune, it is definitely a very dignified thing to wear a pair of leather sandals.


    The sisters-in-law were overjoyed to receive the gifts. The shoe sizes Jiahui bought for them were all accurate, and she deliberately chose half an inch larger than their actual size, so that they would be more comfortable to wear on their feet.

 CH 80

    On the third day after returning from the provincial capital, her eldest sister-in-law Zhao Caixia came back with her brother-in-law Li Wangping and their two children. After this year, Zhao Caixia found that she was pregnant. The husband and wife were very happy. Daya and Er Pang looked forward to having another brother or sister at home.


    Daya wanted a younger sister because she thought Er Pang was too naughty and always made her mad. On the other hand, Er Pang wanted a younger brother. He envies his friends with brothers, and he can even have more helpers when fighting.


    ¡°So sister, do you want a boy or a girl?¡±


    Jiahui brought a chair for Zhao Caixia and let her sit in the shade to hide from the heat.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care if it¡¯s a boy or a girl, I just want to give birth now. It¡¯s too painful.¡±


    The child¡¯s bloodline changes little by little in the belly, from the size of a sesame seed to a round watermelon. As a mother, I was subjected to various physical and psychological changes, especially in the middle and late stages. In order to protect the child¡¯s safety, she not only restricts her actions but also worries and fears every day, afraid of an accident or something.


    ¡°The due date is in October? That¡¯s a good time to give birth because the weather is not too hot. ¡°


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s also soon.¡±


    As she spoke, Zhao Caixia unconsciously placed her hand on her abdomen, with a smile on her face, having that very maternal glow.


    Jiahui looked at her. In fact, Zhao Caixia was only four years older than Zhao Donglin, but she looked as if she was seven or eight years older. Her skin was no longer smooth and delicate due to years of labor. There were fine lines at the corners of her eyes, and her hands were also very rough.


    Out of the four children of the Zhao family, three went to college, and now the eldest sister was living the worst.


    Don¡¯t mention Zhao Donglin and Zhao Meixiang. One has savings and the other has participated in work. Even Zhao Donghe still works part-time in the city in his spare time to earn some money.


    ¡°Sister, do you still go to work in the field every day?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but the captain took good care of me and didn¡¯t let me do hard work.¡±


    In addition to work, she also has to work on household chores and cook three meals a day. However, Daya has grown up and is sensible. She can take the initiative to help her work when she comes back from school. Now it¡¯s summer vacation, Daya doesn¡¯t have to go to school, and Zhao Caixia is a lot more relaxed.


    ¡°I heard mom said that you had back pain when you gave birth to Er Pang. How is it now?¡±


    Zhao Caixia unconsciously sighed lightly, ¡°It¡¯s okay, as long as I don¡¯t get tired.¡±


    But how can she not be tired? There is pubic separation in the later stages of pregnancy. She can¡¯t even turn her body when she lies in bed at night. When she experiences extreme pain, Caixia can¡¯t help but cry. But when she thinks of the child, she can only endure all the pain and suffering.


    Jiahui smiled and nodded. She had some ideas in mind to help her great aunt find a way to improve her life but now was not a good time. They had to wait a little longer.


    Daya went to Meixiang as soon as she arrived. She¡¯s a 13-year-old girl who has been in junior high school. She¡¯s slim and graceful and looks like Zhao Caixia, quiet and beautiful.


    She went to junior high school in the commune and was particularly curious about the middle school in the county.


    ¡°The contents of the lessons are the same, but there are a lot of extracurricular activities in the county. Sometimes the students will be organized to watch a patriotic education film. There are spring outings and autumn outings every year, and there are literary and artistic performances during the spring festival. I feel that the children in the county are more confident than ours. ¡°


    ¡°What about the provincial city? Is it more prosperous and has everything? ¡°


    She hasn¡¯t been out of the Shengli commune yet. Her mother said she took her to the provincial capital once when she was a child, but she couldn¡¯t remember it. She hadn¡¯t thought so much before. However, since her uncle and sisters were admitted to the provincial capital and took her cousins to live in the city, Daya began to be curious about the outside world.


    ¡°You should study hard, take the college entrance examination like your uncles and aunts, and live a good life in the city.¡±


    Daya herself is a strong girl. Her cousins have moved to the city. They came back from the city during the winter and summer holidays and told a lot of interesting stories about the city. Daya was very envious.


    It turns out that little girls in the city can wear dresses, beautiful white socks, and black leather shoes, and there were many delicious foods in the city,


    ¡°Auntie, can I stay here for a few days? I want to ask you to help me with my composition. ¡°


    She is quite good at math, but weak at composition. Her teacher said that her composition lacks imagination and appeal. She doesn¡¯t know what imagination is. Shouldn¡¯t she write a composition with her true feelings and tell the truth?


    ¡°Yes, you can live with your auntie. Auntie will help you with your homework. ¡°


    This day, Zhao Donglin was doing carpentry in the yard when the village head suddenly came to the door.


    ¡°Donglin, what are you working on?¡±


    Zhao Donglin turned around and saw that it was the village chief, so he hurriedly put down the tools he was holding.


    ¡°Village chief, why are you here?¡±


    He went up to shake hands with the village chief, who smiled and patted his shoulder.


    ¡°I came to see the college students. I heard them say that you are on summer vacation, so I came to talk to you. ¡°


    The village chief said very politely, but Zhao Donglin knows that he doesn¡¯t go to the three treasures hall without anything. The village chief must have something to say to himself.


    ¡°Village chief, come in and sit down. Have some tea.¡±


    The village chief nodded in response. He looked around with his hands behind his back and pointed to the seesaw slide under the tree and laughed, ¡°Did you make all these? These are for children to play with, right? ¡°


    Zhao Donglin smiled helplessly, ¡°No, my lover saw that I had nothing to do at home, so she let me practice my hands as a carpenter.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good. Life is interesting this way.¡±


    Zhao Donglin poured a cup of tea for the village head in the hall and sat down.


    ¡°It¡¯s quite quiet. Everyone in the family has gone out? ¡°


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s cool in the morning. If you have something to do now, it¡¯s best to do it in the morning. ¡°


    Jiahui and Meixiang went down to the river to pick water chestnuts. Zhao Manzhu and Zhang Qiaoer took their little grandson to work. If they could earn a point, they would earn a point. As for Heidan, they asked him to go up the mountain to look for sparrows.


    The village chief nodded, turned the water cup, and drank a mouthful of tea.


    ¡°You are studying economics, right? Have you heard of the ¡°big package¡± launched by Xiaogang Village, Fengyang County, last year?¡±


    It turned out that the village head wanted him for this. Zhao Donglin knew it.


    ¡°I heard that at the end of last year, eighteen families in Xiaogang Village signed a ¡°life and death contract¡± to divide the land among each household because they were too poor to eat. The central government was alarmed. ¡°


    This incident was seen as a prelude to rural reform, and the production team leader of Xiaogang Village was praised for it.


    The village chief nodded and took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket. He smoked one and handed the other to Zhao Donglin, who also took one himself. Zhao Donglin took the fire and lit it for both of them.


    ¡°The day before yesterday, the commune had a meeting to talk about this and told the production teams of all villages to come back and think seriously and use their brains to say that others have made great strides forward. We can¡¯t standstill. If you don¡¯t improve, you are going backward. ¡°


    This is called ¡°rowing against the current.¡± No progress is regression.


    ¡°The commune leaders also have a point.¡±


    The village chief sighed, ¡°I know it makes sense, but how can this whole thing be done?¡± No one took out a charter. No, you¡¯re a college student or an economic student. That¡¯s why I came to talk to you and see if you could give me an idea. ¡°


    Zhao Donglin exhaled a smoke ring and nodded. His firm brow in the smoke had an indescribable taste.


    He also did not answer immediately. After all, he is not working in the village now. He has to think about what he says.


    ¡°I read the newspaper a few days ago. The central government officially approved the two coastal provinces to implement special policies and flexible measures in foreign economic activities, which shows that our country¡¯s economic policy has changed. To speed up economic construction, the land contract system of Xiaogang village also inspired everyone, that is, how to mobilize farmers¡¯ production enthusiasm and maximize production efficiency. ¡°


    Zhao Donglin has lived in the provincial capital for more than a year and knows that the whole social environment is undergoing earth-shaking changes. Many things are quietly changing outside Shanghe village and even Shengli commune.


    In 1978, when they went to the provincial capital, Jiahui, they started a business through the venue of the cinema. She was the first group to set up stalls in the city. At that time, they were also afraid that the relevant departments would look for trouble. In fact, everything was safe. Especially after the business was handed over to boss Zhu, only the people of the Administration for Industry and Commerce urged them to go through the relevant procedures, and no one came out to stop it.


    After a few months, some people began to imitate their business. Biss Zhu came to find Jiahui and bought a few recipes. The business is getting more and more prosperous. The last time they met boss Zhu, he confessed to having earned tens of thousands of yuan, and he is preparing to open a snack store.


    He was very embarrassed and felt that the 6,000 yuan was underpaid.


    Of course, these are secondary reasons why Zhao Donglin remembered them. From these things, it can be seen that the whole society is undergoing great changes. This change is accumulated between the drips and drabs, and it is closely related to people¡¯s lives.


    The village chief chewed carefully on Zhao Donglin¡¯s words and asked, with a frown, ¡°Do you mean that we should also do a big package?¡±


    Zhao Donglin smiled and lit the ash, looking at the date palm tree in the courtyard, which had been ¡°sick¡± in previous years, and then sawed off the bad branches and grafted in new ones, giving it new life.


    The economy may be the same. If we abandon the bad parts and make some appropriate changes, unexpected changes will occur.


    But he can¡¯t say these words directly. His current identity is only as a student, and he can only point it out.


    ¡°This is only my shallow opinion. For the development plan of our village, it is up to you, the village chief, to take the trouble.¡±


    After hearing this, the village head laughed twice, patted Zhao Donglin on the shoulder, and said with emotion, ¡°You still haven¡¯t changed. You are so cautious in what you say and do, but after talking with you this year, I have gained a lot. When I go back, I will write material to the commune to find director Zhong. You will go with me at that time. Director Zhong often mentions you. ¡°


    Zhao Donglin responded with a smile.


    The village chief said goodbye and left. Zhao Donglin sent him out of the courtyard door. Just in time, he just met Jiahui and Meixiang, who came back from picking water chestnuts.


    ¡°Hey, Village Chief? Why are you here? ¡°


    ¡°I came to see Donglin for a few words.¡±


    The village chief looked at the two, smiling with a pleasant face.


    ¡°Meixiang, I heard that you have graduated and are teaching in the county.¡±


    Meixiang smiled and nodded.


    ¡°Good, you have made great achievements. You are all excellent young people in our village.¡±


    After saying that, the village chief waved his hand and left. Jiahui asked him to stay for a meal, but he politely declined.


    After talking with Zhao Donglin for about 40 minutes, he had a lot of ideas in his head and had to hurry back to write them down.

 CH 81.1

    ¡°The village chief went to see you?¡±


    Zhao Donglin took the basket from Jiahui and entered the courtyard together.


    ¡°He asked me about the land reform. I told him about Xiaogang Village. He asked me to go to the commune in a couple of days to see Director Zhong report on the situation.¡±


    Zhao Donglin is studying economics; land reform is also part of economic reform, and participating in it is an important practical experience for him.


    Before the break, the professor assigned homework to let them think and observe the trend of economic development under the current national conditions and policies. Zhao Donglin was ready to list land reform as the topic.


    Jiahui did not express any opinion on this matter. As a traveler in the 21st century, she knew that land reform was the trend of social development, and it would not be long before this system was implemented in the countryside.


    ¡°Last time I thought about something, I forgot to mention it to you. How about asking our eldest sister to go to the county with my brother-in-law to do business? They can open a small restaurant near the school. As long as it is delicious, there will be customers. Last time, I went to Meixiang¡¯s school to see the surrounding environment. There are residential areas nearby, with a sufficient flow of people, which is very suitable for doing business. ¡°


    People who have lived in cities know that restaurants are most suitable near schools and hospitals. This is also an industry with the lowest investment costs and the highest rate of return. As long as you have some skills, you can make money.


    They could sell breakfast in the morning, and they could sell meals for lunch and dinner. In addition, they can sell snacks. This business would definitely be hot.


    In this age of gold everywhere and money within reach, those who make a living by farming can never become the first to get rich.


    Zhao Caixia and Li Wangping were both loyal and kind and had a hard-working and simple temperament. If you give such people an opportunity, they will definitely seize the opportunity well.


    Jiahui¡¯s proposal made Zhao Donglin suddenly feel bright. He looked at Jiahui with burning eyes, as if he were looking at a rare treasure.


    ¡°Wife, you¡¯re so smart, I didn¡¯t even think about that!¡±


    He hugged Jiahui and took a strong breath on her cheek.


    Jiahui looked at his happy appearance and said with amusement, ¡°Now you know.¡± Didn¡¯t you know who I am? ¡°


    She is the prophet of this era. After that, Jiahui thought of her mother¡¯s family again. Although her brothers had a good life, the great wheel of the times had set sail, how could she leave her mother¡¯s family behind?


    Zhao Donglin ate lunch and rode his bicycle to his elder sister¡¯s house. When he arrived, Zhao Caixia was still eating, and there were a pot of cabbage, a pot of eggplant, and a bowl of noodle sauce on the table. There was no fish, no meat, not even an egg.


    How can such a meal be nutritious when he thinks that his eldest sister is pregnant and there are two children at home?


    Zhao Donglin was a little saddened. Zhao Caixia was shocked to see her brother coming to her house. Donglin, why are you here? Have you eaten lunch? ¡°


    Li Wangping brought a stool to Zhao Donglin to greet him and let him sit.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already eaten, sister. No need to make yourself busy. I just came to talk to my brother-in-law. ¡°


    Zhao Donglin waved his hand and sat down.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    In such a hurry, they both thought something big had happened.


    ¡°I just came to ask you if you are willing to do business in the county. It¡¯s not a big business. Just open a small restaurant and have the skill to cook. ¡°


    Zhao Caixia and her husband, Li Wangping, looked at each other. Both were a little confused. It was not in their understanding to open a restaurant in the county. They had never thought about it.


    ¡°That¡­ how can we do business? We have not done it and do not understand it. ¡°


    In their lives, they didn¡¯t understand anything except farming chickens and ducks and raising a few pigs.


    ¡°If you are willing, I¡¯ll help you get things done while we¡¯re at home and before school starts.¡±


    As for the reluctance, Zhao Donglin really didn¡¯t think about it. Before, he thought it didn¡¯t matter if his sister and brother-in-law would do business or not. Today, when he saw this meal, he felt that he still had to make changes. Even if they didn¡¯t want to, he had to try his best to persuade them.


    People have an instinctive fear of the unknown, but Zhao Caixia has always been very convinced of her brother. Donglin grew up with a good mind. The family can live so well because of Donglin. Now that their family was in the provincial capital, and she, as their eldest sister, was living the most unsatisfactory life. Donglin was obviously trying to pull his sister up. She couldn¡¯t brush off the goodwill of her brother.


    Zhao Caixia¡¯s hand unconsciously touched her stomach; the child in her stomach telepathically kicked her; her heart instantly hardened.


    ¡°OK, although your brother-in-law and I can¡¯t do business, we are not lazy and we can learn. For the sake of a few children, we as parents can¡¯t be cowards. ¡°


    Daya held a bowl and watched her uncle talk to her parents. Daya was especially happy to hear her mother promise her uncle to do business in the county.


    ¡°This is the truth. In fact, business is not as difficult as you think. You just need to ensure that things are delicious. There will naturally be customers who will come to your door.¡±


    When Zhao Donglin said so, Zhao Caixia became worried. Her cooking skills were average. Like her mother, it could barely be eaten. It was not delicious.


    ¡°You do not have to worry about this. Jiahui said that she would be responsible for training you how to cook.


    Since things are set, On the next day, Zhao Caixia went back to her mother¡¯s house, and Jiahui taught her a few of the foods she could take home.


    ¡°Noodles must be made. It¡¯s the easiest and can be sold for three meals a day. Fried rice and fried noodles are also easy to learn. The ingredients are ready to be fried. I¡¯ll teach you how to cook tea eggs and all kinds of snacks. In the beginning, we made a lot of money in the provincial capital with these foods.¡±


    Zhao Caixia looked at Jiahui¡¯s movement of flowing clouds and water and was envious.


    ¡°Meixiang always praised you for your cooking. I did not expect you to be so powerful. If I had half of you, I wouldn¡¯t be worried about doing this business.¡±


    ¡°You should study hard, sister. In the future, I will have someone who will take care of my meals at school.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll take care of your meal, but you have to save some time to help with my work. I¡¯m afraid if I go, I will be flustered and have more work than I can handle.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s for sure. I¡¯m not only going to help, but I¡¯m also going to help you market so that all the teachers in our school will go to your place to eat.¡±


    ¡°Maybe in the future, we can also take the patrol brigade¡¯s business. In order to make his girlfriend laugh, a police officer surnamed Ji has to report every day.¡±


    Zhao Caixia has heard of Ji Zhenfeng, this person. Listening to Jiahui jokes, she also followed the joy.


    Zhao Caixia has learned how to cook after several days of learning. The modulation method of brine has basically been mastered. Now she has a big stomach and is afraid that she is too tired. She has to wait until the end of her pregnancy to open a shop, but she is unwilling to wait.


    ¡°I can do all the work in the field, how can I not do the work on the stove?¡±


    Anyway, there is still Li Wangping, and not everything needs to be done by her.

 CH 81.2

    The last time the village chief asked Zhao Donglin about land contracting, the village chief went back and wrote a material combining the specific situation of Shanghe village and called on Zhao Donglin to go to the commune together.


    ¡°Donglin, we haven¡¯t seen each other for quite a long time.¡±


    ¡°Director Zhong.¡±


    Zhao Donglin went up and shook hands with Director Zhong.


    ¡°How was it? How was the harvest at school this time? ¡°


    ¡°I¡¯ve gained a lot, especially the way my view of things has become more objective and comprehensive.¡±


    ¡°This is the importance of learning. It¡¯s unfortunate that I am older. If I were a dozen or twenty years younger, I would also be willing to go back to the university to receive an education.¡±


    Zhao Donglin smiled. ¡°The director has received the best education in this society. I came out of the army and didn¡¯t work carefully enough. I have to accept professional knowledge to be competent. ¡°


    ¡°Have you thought about what work to do after graduation?¡±


    ¡°Not yet. We¡¯ll see what the time has arranged for me.¡±


    ¡°Your relationship is still in the commune. As a member of our commune, I sincerely hope that you can come back to our commune after you finish your studies and contribute to the development of our commune.


    ¡°As long as the commune needs me, I am obliged to do so.¡±


    Director Zhong smiled.


    ¡°Good, young people should be like this, not only know how to enrich themselves but also know how to give back to their hometown. Then I¡¯ll be waiting for you. ¡°


    ¡°Donglin¡¯s return is definitely a great help to the development of our commune. A few days ago, I didn¡¯t understand some of the economic problems. I especially went to Donglin for advice. I gained a lot. No, I also wrote a message to the director. ¡°


    Village chief Xu Haiming handed over his handwritten materials.


    ¡°Oh? Then I¡¯ll have to take a good look at it. ¡°


    Director Zhong took the material and put on his glasses to look through it carefully, especially the various data of Shanghe Village, such as how many acres of land, how many families, how many working people, and the feasibility of implementing the land contract responsibility system.


    ¡°This material is well written. Are these statistics true?¡±


    ¡°Yes, the data is real data from previous years, and I also asked Donglin to help me make data projections.¡±


    ¡°Economic reform, everyone is advancing cautiously, step by step. No one knows how to get it right or what you did wrong. But the leaders above also said that we are allowed to make some small mistakes. If you don¡¯t do it or try it, you will never know how to go on. ¡°


    ¡°The strength of Shanghe village has always been at the forefront of our commune. As long as you, the village chief, have the courage to engage in land contracting, the commune will unconditionally support you.¡±


    Xu Haiming took a long breath and smiled, ¡°Director, with your words, I am relieved.¡±


    Today¡¯s conversation went very well. The village chief, Xu Haiming, is a person who is not willing to be mediocre and wants to achieve great things. Leaving the Revolutionary Committee, the two pushed the cart back.


    ¡°Donglin, I¡¯m going to have a meeting with the heads of the production teams when I go back. Why don¡¯t you come with me? You¡¯ve been the village party secretary of our village and know the situation in our village very well. You¡¯re also a college student and have received higher education. If you speak, some people are still willing to listen to you. ¡°


    One becomes a wood, two become a forest. Xu Haiming was not a jealous person. On the other hand, Zhao Donglin was not in the village anymore, so the credit cannot fall on Zhao Donglin¡¯s head. According to director Zhong, he wants to reuse Zhao Donglin in the future. Now he has a good relationship with Zhao Donglin, and he will benefit from it in the future.


    In the workplace, interpersonal relationships are the most important thing. This moment of good karma, he didn¡¯t know when he¡¯d be able to use it.


    Shanghe village thus began to implement the family joint production contract responsibility system. Some people in the village support someone opposed, and then the captain of each production team can have a family who can vote. The minority obeyed the majority. The official launch of the land contract was made.


    ¡°Donglin, what about our land?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s simple. You can either plant it yourself or rent it to others. Tomorrow I¡¯ll go to the county with you to finalize the matter of opening a restaurant and then make plans. ¡°


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll listen to you.¡±


    Li Wangping still trusts his brother-in-law very much. He can see that his brother-in-law still has some say in the village. It proves that he has strength and real talent!


    There is a residential area near the No. 1 middle school in the county. There is no so-called ¡°fa?ade room.¡± Zhao Donglin and Jiahui took Li Wangping around and found the nearest idle bungalow, which is very suitable for restaurants.


    ¡°No one lives there. We have to find someone to ask the owner of the house.¡±


    Several people looked for someone to ask, and after inquiring, they learned that the house was left by an old couple, who were no longer there, and the house was naturally given to the only daughter, who lived in another district.


    The three inquired about the daughter¡¯s address, which was not far away; it would take twenty minutes by bus to get there.


    ¡°Hello, is this Xu Hailong¡¯s house?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m Xu Hairong. What can I do for you? ¡°


    Xu Hairong looked at them in surprise. After Jiahui explained her intention, Xu Hairong stared even bigger.


    Xu Hailong looked at them with a surprised face, and when Jiahui explained the reason for her visit, Xu Hailong¡¯s eyes widened.


    The house left by her parents had been vacant for several years; it was just two bungalows, not too big and not too small. She had been treating the house as if it were something useless, and now someone wanted to rent it.


    Jiahui did not directly state that the rental of the house was for the opening of a restaurant. When talking about business, she can¡¯t show her cards all at once. It depends on how the other party responds.


    ¡°You want to rent that house?¡±


    Jiahui smiled and said, ¡°Yes, mainly because it is close to the school.¡± Of course, if the price is right, we can also buy it for convenience.


    Xu Hairong was even more surprised, and her husband came out of the house.


    ¡°Are you really willing to buy it? Two thousand yuan. I¡¯ll sell it if you¡¯re willing to pay. ¡°


    As soon as Xu Hailong¡¯s words fell, Li Wangping became anxious. He could not afford to pay two thousand yuan.


    Li Wangping turned his gaze to Zhao Donglin, who gave him a wink and told him not to panic, so Li Wangping pressed down on his anxious mind and calmed down.


    The reason why Jiahui mentioned buying a house was that she was afraid that if business was good, the landlord would raise the rent price. And this house is the closest to the school and has an independent space. With her years of experience, it will definitely work. Taking 10,000 steps back, even if you can¡¯t make a business boom, you can still make a fortune after the renovation and demolition of the old city.


    After she proposed to buy a house, she waited for the homeowner to bid. She could afford the price of 2000 yuan, which is not unreasonable in terms of the size and geographical location of the house. But when it comes to business, there is never a reason for the seller to inquire how much the buyer would be willing to pay. There still has to be a bargaining process.


    ¡°Sister, you see, the house has not been occupied for a long time. We have to spend money to repair it. You can give us 200 yuan as a discount, and we will pay 1800 yuan to complete the transaction. Comrade, we will pay the money and deliver the goods. ¡°


    Xu Hairong is excited. It¡¯s definitely a cost-effective deal to exchange the abandoned house for 1800. When her son is old, she has to spend money to find him a wife. With this money, she can negotiate with any potential wife. She can also use this money to get a head start for her son and find a better job.


    Compared to Xu Hailong, her husband is obviously more thoughtful, pulling Xu Hailong¡¯s clothes and saying, ¡°That is your parents¡¯ house. We can¡¯t just sell it like this.¡±


    Who would spend so many years buying a useless house? The three of them don¡¯t look like they don¡¯t have money, but there is definitely something else in between.


    Xu Hairong didn¡¯t know what her husband thought. She thought her husband had really stopped her from selling the house. After a while, she planned how to arrange the money.


    ¡°Yes, my parents left it. I have the right to sell it. If you feel distressed, Why don¡¯t you move in? ¡°


    Her husband immediately shut up and stopped talking, purely out of anger.


    ¡°1800 yuan is no good. You also heard that this house was left to me by my parents. It is of great commemorative value. If I said two thousand, then it¡¯s two thousand, and not a penny can be less. ¡°


    Jiahui looked at Zhao Donglin and saw the trust in herself in his eyes, which made Jiahui partly pleased.


    ¡°Elder sister, it¡¯s not easy for us to come once. Can you go through the formalities with us as soon as possible? The school will start soon, and the children at home are waiting to live. ¡°


    Jiahui did not remember to say yes but instead, put forward her own request.


    ¡°If you are willing to cooperate, we will not bargain. If you are not willing, we will find other suitable houses near the school, but there are not many vacant houses near the school, otherwise, we won¡¯t come to your door.


    The implication is that you are not the only choice if you want money. If you want money, you have to cooperate with me.


    Before Jiahui came, she brought her passbook just in case. She could take the money out when she went to the post office. Since she liked the two houses, she bought them as soon as possible to avoid delays.


    Obviously, Jiahui was not the only one who was afraid of delays. Xu Hailong followed Jiahui and went to the police station, passing by the post office to get the money.


    Li Wangping was ignorant all the way. They said they would be renting a house before they came. How did it suddenly turn into buying a house? Two thousand yuan. My brother-in-law and his wife even said they could take it out. They are too well off.


    He thought of his daughter-in-law¡¯s belly, thought of his own savings, and once again strengthened his mind to do business.


    The old house had no real estate certificate, only a yellow registration certificate. At this time, there was no housing management office. The police at the police station notarized them and issued a new property right description, and the owner will be Dong Jiahui.


    ¡°Thank you, Sister Xu. I hope we will have good cooperation. ¡°


    The money has been put into their pockets. According to the truth, she should be happy, but Xu Hairong somehow felt a little disappointed. It was the place where she had lived since childhood. If she sells it, she will really lose her childhood memories.


    She felt a stack of money, the 2000 yuan in her pocket, which was very full in her hand, and her thoughts returned to reality from memory.


    ¡°Comrade, we would like to inquire about one more thing; that is, we want to open a restaurant. Where do we have to go for the formalities?¡±


    ¡°You bought the house because you want to open a restaurant?¡±


    The police look at them with a suspicious expression. Now that there are no large-scale individual households, especially restaurants, few people do this. After all, there are still a few state-run hotels in the county.


    But the state did not explicitly prohibit that they could not do this. Since the state issued a document on economic reform, the market has really changed. Previously, they were not allowed to do private transactions, and if they were found, they would be detained. But now private transactions are no longer a major event, and there are people selling sweet potatoes on the street.


    ¡°You guys wait, I¡¯ll go ask our leaders.¡±


    After the police left, Li Wangping apprehensively asked Zhao Donglin, ¡°What do they mean? Won¡¯t they let us do business? ¡°


    Zhao Donglin shook his head, ¡°Do not worry, it should not be. Now the provincial capital has started self-employed businesses, which shows that individual businesses do not violate national policies and regulations.


    Li Wangping nodded haphazardly. His heart is still very worried. He is now particularly concerned about business matters. Failure to do so is akin to deflating their hopes for the future.


    The three sat on the police station chairs waiting for a reply. A footstep sounded, and several uniformed police officers walked in while talking and laughing. Among them was Ji Zhenfeng.

 CH 82.1

    ¡°Brother, sister-in-law, why are you here?¡±


    Ji Zhenfeng came in from the outside, laughing and joking with his colleagues, as soon as he turned his head unconsciously, he saw Zhao Donglin sitting in the corner. He hurriedly left his colleagues who were talking and went to Donglin¡¯s side.


    Zhao Donglin and Jiahui were also surprised to see Ji Zhenfeng. The office of the patrol where Ji Zhenfeng worked was not located in this area.


    ¡°We came to do some business.¡±


    Zhao Donglin got up and told Ji Zhenfeng about it.


    Ji Zhenfeng was delighted to hear that the couple had bought a house near the school and were ready to let Meixiang¡¯s eldest sister and her husband open a restaurant.


    He looked at an honest farmer standing next to him and asked, ¡°This is my brother-in-law?¡±


    Then he stretched out his right hand to shake hands with Li Wangping.


    Li Wangping hurriedly stood up. He saw Ji Zhenfeng wearing a police uniform and felt natural awe. You can¡¯t blame him. He is an ordinary farmer and hasn¡¯t traveled in his life. Let alone the police comrades, he was also afraid to speak to the village head.


    ¡°Hello brother-in-law, I am Ji Zhenfeng. I¡¯m Meixiang¡¯s¡ª friend.¡±


    The two words ¡°blind date¡± that was about to come out of his mouth were swallowed back immediately. After all, their status hasn¡¯t been recognized yet.


    ¡°Oh! Hello, hello! ¡°


    Li Wangping then remembered that his wife said that Meixiang was dating a police officer. It turned out to be such a magnificent young man.


    ¡°Brother, I know what happened. I will help you inquire.¡±


    After listening to the specific situation, Ji Zhenfeng knew how big it was and how small it was. He helped solve the problem in a few words.


    ¡°Good, then I¡¯ll trouble you.¡±


    Zhao Donglin nodded and said thanks. From the appearance of Ji Zhenfeng, he knew that Ji Zhenfeng would definitely help, and he also knew that this matter would be done in the end. If not, he can go to the Revolutionary Committee¡¯s office to find Director Zhong. He could always settle the matter in the end.


    As soon as Ji Zhenfeng looked back, several colleagues of the patrol team asked him.


    ¡°Ji Zhenfeng, who are those? I saw you acting very respectfully. You don¡¯t usually do this to the director or your father. ¡°


    ¡°He¡¯s right, your face was all smiling.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen your brother, but your brother doesn¡¯t look like him.¡±


    Not to mention Ji Zhenfeng¡¯s brother-in-law, who is the director of the office of the municipal committee, with glasses, looking gentle and dignified. He doesn¡¯t look like a farmer at all.


    Ji Zhenfeng laughed and casually responded. This is my blind date¡¯s family. They can be considered my family. ¡°


    The crowd roared, ¡°Oh, no wonder.¡±


    ¡°Then you must really be respectful, otherwise your wife will not marry into your family.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll help you greet them and pour them a glass of water.¡±


    Ji Zhenfeng nodded, straightened the brim of his hat, and walked inside the office.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go talk to Officer Zhang.¡±


    Ji Zhenfeng went in for a few minutes, came out hooked up with the civilian police officer from before.


    The civilian police officer smiled and said to Zhao Donglin and the others, ¡°If you guys said you knew Zhenfeng and were acquaintances, there was no need to make things so complicated.¡±


    Zhao Donglin looked at Ji Zhenfeng and said with a smile, ¡°We don¡¯t want to add trouble to Zhenfeng either.¡±


    Ji Zhenfeng stood aside to help, ¡°My brother is such a person. He was unwilling to use my name and was afraid to affect my progress. Actually, my brother is a party member and used to be a company commander in the army. He left the military and went to college. He is really too low-key. ¡°


    This is to show Zhao Donglin¡¯s background from the side. It also means that they should not underestimate Zhao Donglin.


    The police laughed twice.


    ¡°Your brother is really low-key, which is good quality. You have to learn more from him. ¡°


    After saying that, the police brushed a few words on a sheet, finally signed his name, and handed it to Zhao Donglin.


    ¡°Now, it¡¯s fine to do business and be self-employed. The county hasn¡¯t come up with a specific constitution yet. Take this note to the Bureau of Trade and Industry to register your business. If someone asks for trouble in the future, tell them my name. ¡°


    Zhao Donglin very solemnly thanked him. Regardless of whether the other party was so quick to do it because of the face of Ji Zhenfeng, you ought to accept what must be accepted.


    After leaving the police station, Ji Zhenfeng accompanied Zhao Donglin to the Bureau of Trade and Industry to complete the formalities.


    ¡°Thank you today. It¡¯s a little late today. I¡¯ll invite you to dinner next time. ¡°


    ¡°No, brother, your business is my business.¡± It¡¯s right to help. ¡°


    What he was thinking was that there was no need to wait for next time, just treat him to a meal today.


    ¡°Brother, it¡¯s hard to find a bus at this time. Let me drive you back. ¡°


    Zhao Donglin took a look at Jiahui. She could find out Ji Zhenfeng¡¯s purpose. He wanted to see Meixiang. With that, Jiahui nodded with a smile.


    Falling in love in their youth, their love was really as sweet as a red apple, emitting a charming fragrance.


    ¡°Well, we¡¯ll wait for you to get off work. Don¡¯t delay your work.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. My working hours are very flexible. I¡¯m on standby for 24 hours. There¡¯s no special rest time. I just need to say that it was something about private matters. ¡°


    Ji Zhenfeng went back to the office to borrow a car, and said to the captain, ¡°Leave.¡±


    ¡°According to Ji Zhenfeng¡¯s attentive energy, in a short time, he should get married soon.¡±


    ¡°I thought he would never get married, but I didn¡¯t expect that he would wait and find the right one.¡±


    Ji Zhenfeng¡¯s family¡¯s conditions were good, his father is a surgeon, and the deputy director of the Health Bureau. His mother is a retired teacher, but many of the students she has taught were very promising. As a result, he has ¡°no people with shallow knowledge with whom he had associated.¡± at home. He is experienced and knowledgeable.


    Let¡¯s say that his eyes are higher than the top. He treats people very honestly and has no young master¡¯s temper. But for people like him, kindness is just a mask. It is difficult to genuinely get to know or get along with him.


    There are a lot of people who introduce someone to him, but he doesn¡¯t want those who have a delicate temper, or those who are old-fashioned in the way they think. Zhenfeng doesn¡¯t want to talk to someone without any common topics, and he doesn¡¯t want those who are unattractive. Zhenfeng was so picky and choosy that he still didn¡¯t have an object at the age of 25. Everyone teases him, and if he continues to be so picky, he won¡¯t be able to get a wife in his life.


    If I can¡¯t find one, then I can¡¯t find one. Living with a person you don¡¯t like all your life is also a kind of torture. ¡°


    ¡°You are a well-fed man who has no idea what those starving men went through. People are waiting in line for you to choose, but you don¡¯t want anyone else to see it. Those of us who want to find a wife can¡¯t find one. ¡°


    ¡°Toads with three legs are hard to find, but there are people with two legs[1]. You can¡¯t find someone because you are also picky. If you¡¯re not picky and marry one at random, how can you not find a wife?¡±


    When the other party thinks about it, it seems to be so true.


    ¡°Okay, we can¡¯t talk you out of it. Let¡¯s see what kind of wife you will find later. ¡°


    They have not seen Meixiang, but today, they met Meixiang¡¯s family. Her brother appears to be a natural talent, not in the pond [2]. Her sister-in-law was also quiet and beautiful and had the appearance of a lady; she dressed like she was from a good family. They heard that they were college students, that is, they were educated and had a great future. In this way, the girl from the family should not be bad.

 CH 82.2

    Once again, Ji Zhenfeng came to Shanghe Village. Last time, he drove a truck, and this time, he drove a jeep.


    ¡°Did the Zhao family befriend a big shot?¡±


    If he¡¯s not a big shot, how can he drive a car? He also drove a different car each time.


    In this era, bicycles have not been popularized. People who drive cars are either rich people or public cars. They are beyond the reach of ordinary people.


    The car stopped outside the courtyard of Zhao¡¯s house. When Meixiang heard the sound of the engine, she froze and went out to take a look. ¡®Was that Ji Zhenfeng sitting in the passenger seat?¡¯


    Ji Zhenfeng saw Meixiang and got out of the car with a smile. Meixiang was surprised and happy at the same time. She asked, ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    She hasn¡¯t had time to see Zhao Donglin. They also got out of the car.


    ¡°I just happened to run into them when they went to the county for business, so I followed them here.¡±


    After saying that, he smiled, revealing the standard eight teeth smile. He looks kind of indescribably stupid.


    The two looked at each other in the doorway, and for them, time seemed to stop. Jiahui came over and said with a smile, ¡°Okay, don¡¯t show your love at the door. People are watching. Hurry back to the house.¡±


    The neighbors were all sticking their heads out to watch, and there was no telling what gossip was going to spread later.


    After they came back from the provincial capital, they gradually found that the villagers¡¯ attitude towards them had changed. They were very curious about their family affairs, and a lot of people talked behind their backs, but few came up to say something to their faces, which is also an interesting phenomenon.


    ¡°Ah, Zhenfeng is here.¡±


    Zhang Qiaoer was feeding a pig with her apron. The sows at home were sold long ago. The sows give birth to piglets every year. Zhao Manzhu can¡¯t take care of them alone. He simply sold them, took the piglets, raised them, and didn¡¯t sell them. He kept them for the new year.


    Bacon, sausage, can be eaten by themselves or sent to relatives and friends. This can really make them dignified. Anyway, the family does not need the income from the sale of pigs anyway.


    ¡°Auntie, I met my elder brother and his family in the county. I was thinking of you and your uncle, so I thought I would come and see you. I brought some grapes for the children to eat.¡±


    ¡°Oh, just come inside. What else did you bring? You are too polite. ¡°


    The mouth says so, but people love to hear good things. Ji Zhenfeng looks good and has a sweet mouth. In fact, Zhang Qiaoer likes him very much.


    Today¡¯s dinner was cooked by Meixiang. She cooked corn porridge, corn pancakes, pickles fried with fennel beans, and cold pickled cucumbers. Seeing Ji Zhenfeng coming, he fried another egg and sausages.


    Farmers will move the dinner table to the yard in the summer and enjoy the cool breeze under the tree. In the evening, the sun sets and the evening wind blows. It is no longer hot and uncomfortable, and the mood is calm.


    ¡°Come, eat this Zhenfeng. This cake is delicious; it was rolled with pickles, and then brushed with some sauce and eaten. We eat simple food at home. I hope you won¡¯t mind it.¡±


    Zhang Qiaoer already knew that Ji Zhenfeng had helped Donglin today in the county, so she was naturally more polite than usual.


    She has lived in the provincial capital for more than a year and has seen better than the average old lady of a farming family. She knows the importance of human relations. If he could do things so smoothly, others must have done it for Ji Zhenfeng¡¯s face.


    ¡°It¡¯s very good. It¡¯s OK to eat this way in the summer. I like these. Besides, Meixiang¡¯s rice is delicious and fragrant. ¡°


    Meixiang blushed and looked down. She stepped on his foot under the table.


    ¡°Brother, if you need any help in opening a restaurant, tell me. I know many skilled craftsmen in the county. I can introduce them to you at that time.


    ¡°That¡¯s a good feeling. Next time I¡¯ll ask you for your help.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I promise to be there whenever you call me.¡±


    After eating, Jiahu took the initiative to clean up the dishes and gave Meixiang a wink, asking her to accompany Ji Zhenfeng to talk for a while.


    The two walked along the fence to the river, the moonlight reflecting off the water. It was quiet and peaceful. From time to time, Ji Zhenfeng would give side glances at Meixiang, but the corner of his lips never went down.


    Meixiang pretended not to know he was looking at herself, but her heart was still a little uncomfortable.


    ¡°Thank you for today.¡±


    Her sister-in-law said that if it weren¡¯t for Ji Zhenfeng, they would have had to run twice. Not to mention the delays, it was certain that they would be begging around to say good things by then.


    ¡°This is why we have to study hard and work hard. When our ability improves, then the status will follow. No matter what we do or say, only people who are willing to listen and help you can straighten our backs. ¡°


    Even if your soul is noble, it cannot withstand the tossing and turning of others. What is the point of having an empty pride if you still have to bow down to life in the end?


    Keeping the original mind and moving forward at the same time. This is really neither servile nor overbearing. You can afford to do the same to yourself and to others.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear you say thank you; it seems like we are not close.¡±


    He reached out and took Meixiang¡¯s hand, wrapping it tightly in his heart. Meixiang¡¯s heart pounded and he secretly looked up at him. He met her eyes with a smile that was brighter than the stars, which reminded her of the day he sent her back to the dormitory for the first time. He looked at her the same way.


    Meixiang unconsciously swallowed her saliva. Ji Zhenfeng¡¯s eyes were dark. He approached Meixiang and kissed his hand at the back of Meixiang¡¯s head.


    This is their first kiss. Meixiang unconsciously shivered. Ji Zhenfeng hugged her and slowly deepened the kiss.


    Time seems to be at a standstill. Their breath blends with each other, forgetting everything and even having a feeling that they don¡¯t know what day it is today.


    A sound of ¡°click¡± woke up the couple immersed in love, and Ji Zhenfeng looked back and found that it was the man next door who went out to pee.


    He hurriedly covered Meixiang¡¯s eyes to keep her from seeing what she shouldn¡¯t.


    The other party left after peeing and did not find the little couple in the dark, and when he left, Ji Zhenfeng removed his palm from Meixiang¡¯s eyes. Meixiang showed her frightened eyes. As soon as she looked at Ji Zhenfeng, they laughed together somehow.


    Meixiang¡¯s lips were red and lustrous, and her eyes were sparkling with waves of light, which was a different kind of beauty. It was like a rosebud that suddenly bloomed. She was delicate, bright, and had a light fragrance so that people could not help but hold it in their hands and care for it.


    He kissed Meixiang again. This time Meixiang responded. Ji Zhenfeng had a feeling of suffocation that was about to explode. Finally, he finally stopped with strong perseverance.


    ¡°I want to finalize our relationship sooner rather than later this year or next year at the latest. I want to get married.¡±


    The word marriage used to be very distant to him. He could not imagine what kind of girl he would marry one day. As a result, when he met her, he found that she was the person he was looking for. When he met her, he wanted to see her all the time. She doesn¡¯t feel it¡¯s too hot when it¡¯s hot. He loves to listen to whatever she says. When she was laughing, crying, or angry, in his eyes, it was all good-looking.


    ¡°It¡¯s too soon. My family hasn¡¯t fully agreed yet.¡±


    ¡°As long as I work harder and come more often, your family will certainly accept me. I¡¯ll mention it to my parents when I go back. They certainly want me to get married immediately.¡±


    Meixiang blushed and didn¡¯t answer. The girl was more reserved. Although she was happy, she was embarrassed to say yes. If she did, it was inconsistent with her character.


    The two stayed outside for a short time, and after finishing their talks. Ji Zhenfeng also opened his mouth to say goodbye.

 CH 83

    Ji Zhenfeng returned home after visiting Shanghe Village. His mother, Yang Yuqin, was in the living room, knitting sweaters.


    Yang Yuqin is now retired. She was at the age where she could enjoy time with her grandchildren, but she did not live with her eldest son. Naturally, she didn¡¯t need to help raise the children all day.


    She knits two sets of sweaters for her grandchildren every year. In the summer, she would knit them. She wasn¡¯t in a rush since she planned to let them wear it in the winter.


    ¡°Why did you come back late today? I cooked something for you to eat. ¡°


    By the door, Ji Zhenfeng changed his slippers. He walked over to his mother¡¯s side of the sofa, sat down, took a grape from the tea table, and put it in his mouth.


    ¡°Today, I encountered Meixiang¡¯s brother at the police station; they had purchased two bungalows near No. 1 middle school and were planning to start a small restaurant to do business with students and nearby residents.¡±


    Yang Yuqin looked up as soon as she heard his words, but the movements in her palm continued.


    She was aware of Meixiang. A female college student was recruited as a teacher at No. 1 Middle School. She was introduced to her son by his aunt¡ªlast time when Zhenfeng sent the Zhao family back to the countryside. The last time Zhenfeng returned with some vegetables and an old hen, the Zhao family was sent back to the countryside. Yang Yuqin called her grandchildren and prepared a stewed chicken soup for them. Everyone agreed that it tasted better than chicken bought from the market.


    The chickens of the Zhao family are fed with earthworms, sweet potatoes, and fresh vegetables mixed with rice bran. They were released every morning and would return to the chicken pen at night. It¡¯s the standard free-range chicken farming. The meat is firm and tender, so the stewed chicken soup will naturally be more delicious than the average stewed chicken soup.


    ¡°Their family was quite thoughtful.¡±


    Yang Yuqin is a teacher in the end. Reading newspapers and listening to the radio is something she must do every day. She has a better understanding of the country¡¯s situation than ordinary people.


    The development of our country has been stagnant for a long time, and the development of the economy will be the theme for a long time in the future. Opening a small restaurant may seem like a small fight, but it is extremely rare for them to seize this opportunity.


    What¡¯s more, to be able to freely offer to buy two houses in the county, but also know to buy in the vicinity of the school, only means they have the brains to come up with this idea.


    ¡°What do you think of this girl? If you think it¡¯s good, bring her back for us to meet. ¡°


    Yang Yuqin still believes in his son¡¯s vision. After being picky for too long, the one he chose can¡¯t be a bad one. If he was willing to make do with it, he would have made do with it. Not to mention that his aunt said the girl was good. It will not be bad.


    Although she came from the countryside and her family background is poor, she is a serious college student or junior high school teacher. She heard that her family¡¯s brothers and sister-in-law also got into the provincial university. Their families¡¯ days will certainly be more and more prosperous in the future.


    ¡°Marrying a woman from a high family, marrying a woman from a low family¡± Marrying a wife with an inferior family status doesn¡¯t matter. As long as the girl knows how to behave and how to be polite,


    Ji Zhenfeng spat out the grape skin in his hand and made a sound. I was about to tell you about it; I¡¯d want to properly introduce her to you and your dad, and I¡¯d like to settle in early. If you have time, I¡¯ll bring her to recognize the family. ¡°


    Ji Zhenfeng said, ¡°recognize the family,¡± but also said that he wanted to settle early. He didn¡¯t ask to get his parents¡¯ approval but to tell them that he had identified Zhao Meixiang.


    The education of the Ji family still respects the wishes of their children. Whether Ji Zhenfeng doesn¡¯t get married in his twenties or Ji Zhenlin moves out with his wife after marriage, and his parents haven¡¯t intervened too much.


    The children and grandchildren have their own blessings.


    ¡°OK, when your father comes back, I will ask him, and let¡¯s make an appointment.


    Ji Zhenfeng¡¯s father, Ji Qingming, has a busy schedule, and every day there is a queue of people looking for him, and the Health Bureau often has meetings to attend, so he won¡¯t arrive home until 9 o¡¯clock at night, so he has to come on his own time.


    Zhao Donglin and Li Wangping came to the county the next day to repair the house, clean up the useless furniture, repaint the walls, and replace them with new windows.


    ¡°I know the director of a furniture factory. Let¡¯s go and see if there are any ready-made goods. ¡°


    Ji Zhenfeng took the two to the furniture factory, where they looked at a simple four-sided dining table.


    ¡°This one is sturdy, not fancy, but sturdy.¡±


    The boss slapped the table to prove the firmness of the table.


    Zhao Donglin handed out a cigarette to the boss and also gave one to Ji Zhenfeng.


    ¡°OK, that¡¯s it. We can put six of them in our room, but I want to reduce the width by a few centimeters. ¡°


    This was Jiahui¡¯s suggestion. There is no need to use a large table in fast food restaurants. A rectangular tabletop is more practical than a square one.


    The couple came with their children, so naturally, they had to have a place to live. Two rooms were opened up and separated by a single room with a wooden board, and another bunk bed was placed.


    Looking at the packed house, Zhao Caixia was full of smiles and had infinite visions for their future.


    Although they didn¡¯t buy the house themselves, their sister-in-law said that they bought it only for the convenience of doing business and to prevent the previous homeowner from backtracking. If they didn¡¯t buy it, their business would only end up making wedding clothes for others in vain.


    ¡°Sister,¡± ¡°Sister, you can use this house at ease. I won¡¯t charge you a rental fee or divide your income. Take it as we bought a piece of land and keep it when I can use it in the future. ¡°


    Zhao Caixia told Jiahui not to let her feel embarrassed. which was equivalent to setting up a white wolf with empty gloves [1] According to her eldest brother, her sister-in-law wanted to open a restaurant and buy a house. Her sister-in-law thought of a way to make money for her family without asking for a return.


    Zhao Caixia was particularly moved. She didn¡¯t say anything, but in her heart, she thought that if the restaurant really earned money, they should give her brother and sister-in-law a large share; otherwise, their conscience could not take it.


    Everything is ready. Zhang Qiaoer deliberately found someone to calculate the day. The restaurant¡¯s opening was on the 8th day of the 6th month of the lunar calendar, that is, the 31st day of the 7th month of the solar calendar.


    Before opening, it¡¯s natural that they have to give the restaurant a name. It must be easy to understand, so they called it ¡°Xiao Li Restaurant.¡±


    ¡°We have to advertise the restaurant.¡±


    The advertisement must spread and inform the people. They must make the nearby residents ready for consumption.


    ¡°How to advertise?¡±


    ¡°Write a sign to hang outside the door, and then print some advertising paper to distribute in crowded places.¡±


    The most crowded place is the food market.


    ¡°What¡¯s written on it? Xiaoli restaurant is open for business. It¡¯s half price for three days. It¡¯s delicious. You can have three meals in the morning, noon, and evening. You can also enter the store without food stamps. Cash payment is immediate. The opening time is July 3, Shiyi, and the address is 200 meters east of the No. 1 middle school in the county.] ¡°


    ¡°There are two rows of small characters below. The main products in the store are sour soup noodles, scallion oil noodles, shredded meat noodles, beef noodles, fat sausage noodles, and all kinds of fried rice snacks. ¡°


    ¡°Sounds good. It¡¯s like a noodle shop.¡±


    ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s just around here. Half price should not be expensive; let¡¯s go and try it then too. ¡°


    ¡°Yes, go and see. I can see that this advertisement paper is written well. It¡¯s quite exciting.¡±


    Arousing interest was not as good as action. The opening day was early in the morning, more than five o¡¯clock. Most of the nearby residents were still asleep. Outside the Xiao Li restaurant, the crackling of firecrackers had sounded.


    The old people who woke up early were the first to be alarmed. It was just when the children were on summer vacation. The old people themselves certainly could not afford to eat in the restaurant, but for the sake of the children at home, they were willing.


    The Xiao Li restaurant is busy. It has steamed stuffed buns, soybean milk, cakes, tea eggs, as well as all kinds of minced or diced meat and sauces, with everything needed available.


    ¡°Meat buns-10 cents


    Vegetable buns ¨C 5 cents


    Noodle cake-3 cents per piece


    Tea eggs¡ª10 cents per piece.¡±


    There is a price list hanging on the wall, and the price of each kind of food is clearly marked.


    The price is reasonable. It was neither expensive nor cheap. Besides, it¡¯s half price for three days after opening. It¡¯s only 5 cents for a meat bun or a tea egg. Raw eggs cost more than this price.


    As for the noodles, the price was higher at 15 cents for mixed noodles with scallion oil, 20 cents for egg noodles and sour soup noodles, 30 cents for shredded meat noodles, and beef noodles were sold for 50 cents, and fatty sausage noodles were 50 cents a bowl.


    ¡°Give me three meat buns, two tea eggs, and two bowls of soy milk.¡±


    ¡°A bowl of scallion noodles and a tea egg.¡±


    ¡°A bowl of noodles in sour soup, a meat bun, a vegetable bun, and a tea egg.¡±


    At today¡¯s opening, the whole family came except Zhao Manzhu, who was watching the children at home.


    Jiahui, Meixiang, and Zhao Caixia were in charge of the kitchen; Zhang Qiaoer and Zhao Donghe greeted the customers; Li Wangping and Zhao Donglin cleaned up the table and dishes, and Jiahui also worked part-time as a bookkeeper.


    From five o¡¯clock in the morning until after 9:30, they had a little break, and after a short break, I began to work on lunch again.


    The lunch is even richer: in addition to noodles, there are all kinds of fried rice, chicken rice, chicken legs, chicken wings, chicken fillets, etc.


    All snacks are served in limited quantities.


    ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this limited supply?¡±


    Sorry, I hope for everyone¡¯s consideration. The restaurant just opened, so we do not know the tastes of the guests, what they love to eat, and what they do not love to eat, so the amount of each food prepared is not large. In addition, it is now summer, things are wasted under the feast, so we do not supply a large amount, so it could only be first come, first served.


    Secondly, the preparation of these is also time-consuming. Now it¡¯s summer vacation, they can help, but after the start of the school year, Zhao Caixia and Li Wangping have only left. They are afraid they will be too busy.


    ¡°OK, give me a chicken leg to try. I will know if it is good or not once I taste it.¡±


    ¡°OK, thank you for your support.¡±


    When paying, the customer smiled and said, ¡°Your food tastes good, it¡¯s large, affordable, and you don¡¯t need a meal ticket, so I¡¯ll patronize it more often.¡±


    This day, everyone was busy until after ten o¡¯clock at night and finally had time to sit down and fill their bellies.


    ¡°I just counted. Today¡¯s collection amounted to 137 yuan and 65 cents. For our various ingredients, we spent 80 yuan and 72 cents. ¡°


    Zhao Caixia started to calculate on the board. Finally, she stared and didn¡¯t dare set the channel. ¡°We earned 56.93 yuan a day!¡±


    Li Wangping couldn¡¯t help rubbing his hands together happily. The money could not be earned by the married couple a month ago. It¡¯s more than 50 a day! Wouldn¡¯t it be thousands a month?


    This is not making money. It¡¯s robbing money. No wonder my sister-in-law was willing to spend 2,000 yuan to buy this house. At that time, they still felt that Jiahui¡¯s money was spent in vain. Now that I think about it, they were short-sighted.


    ¡°The profit is OK. On the one hand, half of the ingredients we bought can be used tomorrow, such as eggs, flour, and pepper. On the other hand, we sold at half the price three days after the opening, which means there is a lot of room for profit. Finally, we mustn¡¯t rule out that there is a large flow of customers because there is a half-price activity, so we did word-of-mouth in the first three days. Even if the event is over, there will be no shortage of customers if we did the word-of-mouth was strategy. ¡°


    Zhao Donglin and Meixiang naturally understood after Jiahui¡¯s analysis. Zhao Caixia and Li Wangping were confused.


    ¡°What do you mean, are we making money or losing money?¡±


    ¡°Of course, we are making money, sister. Not counting the decoration invested in the early stage, we earned more than 50 yuan. My sister-in-law meant that we had activities in our store for three days and everything was half price. Many people came to eat because it was cheap. For these three days, we can¡¯t tell how many people will be coming back. If we do our word-of-mouth, we¡¯re not afraid of having no repeat customers.¡±


    JIahui nodded appreciatively. Meixiang¡¯s analysis is very thorough, which fully illustrates the importance of school education. Before, she was a nave girl, but now she can be alone. Ji Zhenfeng also looked at Meixiang with appreciation. His girlfriend is so capable, smart, kind, and considerate. Even if Meixiang sweats a lot after a busy day, she is the most beautiful in his eyes.


    ¡°Just earning money is good.¡±


    Zhao Caixia and Li Wangping were relieved when they heard this.


    ¡°I talked to my parents, and they wanted to see you.¡±


    ¡°Ah? Wasn¡¯t it too fast? ¡°


    ¡°No, I¡¯m too slow. I don¡¯t want to separate from you every day.


    ¡°Why are you always so glib?¡±


    ¡°Am I glib? That¡¯s probably because I only do that to you; no one has ever said that before. ¡°


    Most women like it when men say, ¡°I only do that to you.¡± It makes them feel different, love them, and are unique roses.


    Meixiang is no exception. Listening to Ji Zhenfeng¡¯s words made her feel sweet.


    ¡°I¡¯m leaving. I will come over tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to come over to help, even if you have time. It¡¯s also too tiring.¡±


    After working all day, he came over to help greet customers after work. Meixiang felt distressed for him.


    ¡°I¡¯m not tired when I see you. I¡¯ll come over tonight. Wait for me.


    Meixiang smiled and nodded repeatedly, then waved her hand and said goodbye to him.

 CH 84

    Three days after opening, the restaurant business was very good. Revenue has steadily increased at the same time. They also formed a very good reputation. In addition to the main food, snacks were not enough.


    ¡°Boss, your marinated chicken feet were too good. Every time I want to eat two more, there are none. Can you make more next time?¡±


    ¡°This¡­¡­¡±


    Li Wangping did not know how to respond. He looked at the bookkeeper, his sister-in-law, Dong Jiahui.


    ¡°Sorry, for the time being, the store can only supply this much. If the customer wants more, you can book it in advance, and we will prepare it for the customer the next day.


    When the other party heard this, his eyes brightened. He really likes to chew chicken claws. With his appetite, not to mention two or three chicken claws, chewing 20 to 30 was not even a problem for him.


    ¡°Oh? Can we still make reservations? ¡°


    Jiahui laughed, ¡°Of course, the business came to our door. There is no reason to push out the business.¡±


    The reason for the limited supply, in addition to the hot weather and waste if it can¡¯t be sold, the other intention was for ¡°hunger marketing.¡±


    It has to be said that most Chinese people have a ¡°problem.¡± What they can¡¯t get is always the best. It can¡¯t be rare when there are many supplies of these things, but they will become hot potatoes once the supply is limited.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you, a woman, to be business-minded. OK, I¡¯ll take two kilograms. It¡¯s just that guests will come to my house tomorrow. It¡¯s decent to take it out for guests. I¡¯ll come and pick it up at noon tomorrow.


    After saying that, the other party was ready to leave.


    ¡°Please wait a moment. For the reservation, you have to leave your name and contact information. ¡°


    The other party turned around, and his face was not very good. ¡°What? Are you still afraid that I will run away? Do I have to pay you first or something? ¡°


    He was a fat man. The meat on his face looked overly fierce. Others might be afraid to look at him, but Jiahui was not afraid at all.


    She spoke with a normal face, ¡°if you are willing to pay the deposit, naturally, I want you to leave your name and contact information just to ensure your rights and interests.¡± If someone takes it on your behalf, since we have promised to book it for you, it will naturally have to be handed over to you. ¡°


    Two kilograms of chicken feet can be sold even if the customer really doesn¡¯t come to pick them up. Ten thousand steps back, even if they really can¡¯t sell them, they can eat them by themselves.


    Jiahui let the guests register just to establish an effective system in the case, after the reservation of more people, they all open their mouths, and they wouldn¡¯t pick it up at the end, which is very unfavorable to the operation of the restaurant.


    The other party reluctantly calmed down after hearing Jiahui¡¯s explanation, but he was still unhappy. He wrote his name and address with a pen and couldn¡¯t help complaining.


    ¡°A good-looking face was wasted on a shrewish temper.


    The words were spoken in a whisper. Jiahui did not hear it, but Li Wangping, who was standing next to him, heard the whole thing.


    In fact, Li Wangping has been sweating anxiously for a long time. He is not very talkative. He will be confused when he encounters this kind of situation. His sister-in-law and wife are powerful and can solve it in a few words.


    Zhao Donglin was not here. He went to the vegetable market with Donghe to buy vegetables. In order to ensure quality, the ingredients used in the restaurant are fresh every day. When Zhao Donglin came back, Li Wangping told him about it, even the other party¡¯s words.


    Zhao Donglin¡¯s face was very ugly after hearing this. He is a protective person, especially towards Jiahui. He loves his wife dearly. Usually, he was even reluctant to say a harsh word toward her. Today, he can¡¯t believe she was coldly spoken to by others.


    He took out Jiahui¡¯s account book to see if the chicken feet were ordered by a person named ¡°Ding Guifa.¡± His address was near the restaurant.


    ¡°Donglin, what are you looking at this for?¡±


    Li Wangping is anxious again.


    ¡°Not doing anything, I just took a glance.¡±


    No matter how honest and kind Li Wangping is, he doesn¡¯t believe this. Looking at his eldest brother¡¯s expression, he wants to swallow the other party alive.


    ¡°Don¡¯t find him in trouble. He is a customer in the end. ¡°


    Zhao Donglin closed the book and looked at Li Wangping very seriously, expressing great disapproval of what he had just said.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with it if he¡¯s a customer? If he¡¯s a customer, he can be rude and verbally harass someone?¡±


    ¡°He just talked a little bit and did not harass her.¡±


    ¡°How can¡¯t it be harassment? Whether my wife is good or not, what does her personality have to do with him?¡±


    Jiahui heard the commotion in the kitchen and came out, and he was amused by Zhao Donglin¡¯s last sentence.


    This man¡¯s protective look is quite cute.


    ¡°Donglin, let¡¯s talk about it tomorrow. He only talked louder; the rest is nothing.¡±


    She has seen this kind of person a lot. After all, not everyone in life knows how to be polite and educated, but apparently, Zhao Donglin is not ready to let go easily.


    ¡°I just have to set a rule, we are doing business, and we are selling food, not face. How can we do business in the future if everyone is acting like this? ¡°


    After thinking about it for a while, his words were quite reasonable, and the store was ultimately opened for his sister and brother-in-law. With their character, it¡¯s impossible to say that they were really bullied in the future.


    ¡°All right, then you go deal with this.¡±


    Her man is willing to stand up for herself, and Jiahui is not unhappy about it. Besides, Zhao Donglin, being a measured person, will not make a big deal out of it.


    Jiahui returned to the kitchen. Zhao Caixia asked anxiously, ¡°Are you OK?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all right. Donglin is also considering you and your brother-in-law. If we¡¯re gone, what if someone asks you for trouble? Now it saves a lot of things to set up the rules. ¡°


    Zhao Caixia nodded with lingering fear. In the past three days, she had seen that she earned a lot of money in business, but the money was not easy to earn. She was really afraid that she and her husband could not make it.


    ¡°Sister, you don¡¯t have to worry. It¡¯s not a big deal if we don¡¯t open this store. ¡°


    Zhao Caixia detached the melancholy yet ¡°scared¡± look and shook her head, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I can deal with your brother-in-law.¡±


    A day of income of dozens of yuan, that is, for the sake of money, they can¡¯t back out.


    The next day, at noon, the customer, Ding Guifa, who had booked the chicken feet, came to pick up the goods, was stopped by Zhao Donglin.


    ¡°Brother, let¡¯s go and have a talk.¡±


    Ding Guifa looked around suspiciously to make sure Zhao Donglin was talking to him.


    ¡°What do you want to talk to me about?¡±


    He was simply dumbfounded.


    ¡°I heard that you got into trouble with my wife yesterday.¡±


    Zhao Donglin said and took out a box of cigarettes from his pocket and gave one to Ding Guifa.


    He is taller than Ding Guifa. Although he is not as strong as Ding Guifa, his eyes are firm, his fingers are slender and powerful, and his expression is the same as that of the military instructor or the most severe teaching director of the school. Just looking at you without any expression makes people panic. His momentum is amazing, and it takes no effort to press Ding Guifa¡¯s head.


    Ding Guifa¡¯s heart defense line quickly collapsed. He thought back to yesterday¡¯s events. It seems that his attitude is a little bad, but only a little, and definitely not to ¡°look for trouble.¡±


    ¡°No, how can I find trouble with your wife? I don¡¯t even know who your wife is. ¡°


    He saw Zhao Donglin unmoved. He stretched out his thick right hand like a bear¡¯s paw and swore to the heavens, ¡°Really! Don¡¯t misunderstand me because of my appearance. I just look mean, but I never make trouble or look for trouble. It¡¯s not my fault. I was born like this. It¡¯s only my mother¡¯s fault that I wasn¡¯t born well.


    Zhao Donglin exhaled a smoke ring, nodded in silence, and didn¡¯t speak.


    ¡°It¡¯s really a misunderstanding. You see, I went to your store every day to eat. There is no point in looking for trouble.


    This time, Zhao Donglin finally loosened up.


    ¡°Well, even if we don¡¯t fight and don¡¯t know each other this time, we¡¯re welcome to visit often in the future. Take care of yourself and don¡¯t make trouble. I came out of the army. I don¡¯t mind fighting with people to see who has a hard fist. ¡°


    Ding Guifa looked at the clear muscle lines on Zhao Donglin¡¯s arm, and sweat dripped down.


    ¡°OK, I¡¯ve seen a great man today. From now on, I will absolutely be respectful and don¡¯t dare to be subtle.¡±


    With his strong physique and ferocious appearance, Ding Guifa would scare the children in the street. Generally, no one would cross him. Unexpectedly, he was ¡°threatened¡± today with a few words.


    The news of the two people was seen by many ¡°interested people.¡± Later, it was spread to hundreds of people, saying how powerful the boss of Xiao Li restaurant was and knew how to hit the strong man with one punch. After that, no one dared to make trouble in the store. Of course, the frequent patronage of the police was also one of the reasons.


    (TN: I also really want to see those muscle lines. >///<)


    This weekend, Ji Qingming finally had time to rest. Yang Yuqin talked to Ji Zhenfeng and asked him to bring Meixiang back to eat a meal.


    Since the opening of Xiao Li¡¯s restaurant, the Zhao family has been helping out at the restaurant most of the time, and Ji Zhenfeng came to the restaurant to talk to Meixiang about it first.


    ¡°Huh? So soon? I¡¯m not mentally prepared for this. ¡°


    ¡°If I let you prepare, the dishes will be cold [1]. My parents are kind people. If you¡¯re just coming over to eat a meal, talk to them with a few words and say what you want to say. If you don¡¯t want to talk, look at me, and I¡¯ll do it for you. ¡°


    He said it as if it was easy. Meixiang¡¯s tension did not ease at all, but she knew that it was only a matter of time for her to see his parents. As the saying goes, the ugly daughter-in-law must see her in-laws sooner or later. [2]


    ¡°OK, then you have to help me. You can¡¯t let me down alone.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, and you won¡¯t be embarrassed. You¡¯ll know when you go. My parents will be especially fond of you. ¡°


    His sister-in-law is a woman with a strong sense of career and doesn¡¯t speak and do things gently. His mother tolerated many things for the sake of family harmony and never said a harsh word to his sister-in-law. Meixiang has a gentle personality and knows how to be considerate of others. Such a temperament must get along with his mother.


    ¡°Go to your house for dinner?¡±


    ¡°Yes, aunt, my parents have long wanted to see Meixiang. They also said that let our two families meet if you and your uncle think it¡¯s appropriate.


    Zhang Qiao¡¯er loosened her mouth. If she did not agree with Ji Zhenfeng and Meixiang in the first place, she would not let Ji Zhenfeng come to their door, but the conditions of the Ji family were better than her own. She was afraid that her daughter would be wronged.


    Don¡¯t go empty-handed. Buy something. Do you have money or not? I¡¯ll get you some. ¡°


    ¡°No, I have money.¡±


    Two years ago, Meixiang saved some money by sewing and spent some money on going to school. Now she has officially participated in work. It¡¯s not good to take money from her parents.


    ¡°What are you going to buy?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t thought about it yet.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you buy a can of milk powder and bring some fruit?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good, but I don¡¯t have a formula ticket.¡±


    ¡°I have one there. I¡¯ll get one for you.¡±


    Meixiang happily took Jiahui¡¯s arm and said, ¡°Sister-in-law, you¡¯re still good. You can solve any problem.¡±


    Jiahui laughed helplessly, ¡°What can I do? Look at you now. At most, you are as big as Yingbao. Who can see that you are an aunt? ¡°


    Meixiang snorted a laugh.


    ¡°That¡¯s because my sister-in-law loves me.¡±


    Her sister-in-law was only four years older than her, and besides knowing more than her, she was also better at dealing with people than she was. A reliance and dependence that often made her forget her sister-in-law¡¯s age.


    In the evening, Ji Zhenfeng came to pick up Meixiang. Meixiang wore a blue Bragi dress, stepped on a pair of leather sandals, carried a beige canvas bag made for her by her sister-in-law, and set off. The milk powder and fruit had been bought in the afternoon and were being carried in Ji Zhenfeng¡¯s hand.


    ¡°How is it? Still nervous? ¡°


    In the eyes of Ji Zhenfeng, Meixiang was always good-looking, but today Meixiang looks fresher and more elegant. On the way, Ji Zhenfeng wanted to hold Meixiang¡¯s hand but was avoided by Meixiang. He had to cover up and touch his nose.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t so nervous, but my heart started banging again when you asked me. Did you deliberately remind me to make me nervous? ¡°


    Meixiang usually speaks softly and understandingly but with a little ¡°unreasonable¡± look. Ji Zhenfeng has never seen it. He felt particularly surprised that there was a different flavor.


    It¡¯s like eating too many sweet apples, and occasionally eating a sour apple is also very appetizing.


    The Ji family lives in the heart of the county, adjacent to the county government. The community environment is quiet. The environment of the community is quiet. As soon as they enter, people¡¯s moods calm down unconsciously.


    Ji Zhenfeng took Meixiang up to the third floor and stopped in front of a door with the word ¡°fortune¡± on it.


    When ringing the doorbell, Meixiang took a deep breath and stood behind Ji Zhenfeng for a few seconds, which felt extraordinarily long, until a kind and friendly voice said ¡°Coming¡± inside the door. She was suddenly less nervous.


    ¡°Creak,¡± a woman wearing a white shirt and black pants, with combed neatly coiffed hair, appeared in front of Meixiang. A bookish face, wearing a pair of presbyopia glasses, the corners of the mouth slightly curved, and very kind eyebrows.


    ¡°Mom, this is Meixiang.¡±


    Ji Zhenfeng held Meixiang¡¯s shoulders to bring him to Yang Yuqin. Meixiang smiled sweetly at Yang Yuqin and shouted, ¡°Hello, auntie.¡±


    ¡°Hey, hello, hello, come in and sit down.¡±


    As expected by Ji Zhenfeng, Yang Yuqin especially liked Meixiang once she saw her. The girl has a round face and looks at people with bright, clear, and clean eyes. There is a kind of naive, unfamiliar with worldly affairs, taste. She has taught students all her life. What kind of children and what kind of character do they have? She can sense it. Meixiang is a pure and kind-hearted girl without any bad thoughts.


    Yang Yuqin took Meixiang¡¯s hand into the house, leaving her son behind. Meixiang looked back at Ji Zhenfeng, who returned a smile that reassured her.


    Ji Qingming was writing brushstrokes in his study and came out of the house when he heard the commotion.


    Yang Yuqin smiled and said to Meixiang, ¡°This is Zhenfeng¡¯s father.¡±


    ¡°Hello, uncle.¡±


    ¡°Hey, good, your name is Meixiang, right? Come, let¡¯s go sit on the sofa and talk. ¡°


    Ji Qingming is a leader. He naturally has the temperament of a leader. Meixiang unconsciously respected him. This respect is entirely out of respect for intellectuals, not about identity and background. Ji Qingming can see this, and Yang Yuqin can see it.


    Their first impressions were simple, kind, and gentle when they first met Meixiang.


    References

 CH 85

    ¡°Is Meixiang teaching in middle school now?¡±


    Ji Qingming picked up the teacup on the coffee table, skimming the tea foam while looking at Meixiang. Yang Yuqin went to the kitchen to wash the fruit. Before Meixiang came, she bought grapes, loquats, and a big watermelon.


    ¡°Yes, uncle, I just graduated in June.¡±


    Meixiang sat very upright, legs together, hands naturally hanging on his thighs, looking obedient with a hint of nervousness.


    Li Qingming nodded his head and smoothly put the teacup back on the coffee table. He smiled at Meixiang, ¡°It¡¯s good for a female comrade to be a teacher. The work is stable, and the work itself is very meaningful. Comrade Stalin once said that a teacher is an engineer of the human soul. It can be seen that this profession has a very far-reaching impact on people. ¡°


    Meixiang listened very carefully, and her eyes were bright. She had the appearance of a primary student listening to the teacher. She nodded in agreement from time to time, amusing Ji Zhenfeng.


    He now found out that his girlfriend was like a treasure box. He has a variety of appearances. Sometimes she¡¯s like a good cat, sometimes she dances her claws to show off her ferocity and fight hard, and sometimes she is silly and naive. People can¡¯t help but want to tease her, but he likes her more and thinks how lovely she looks.


    ¡°The main reason you say this is to praise your mother, right? Mom has been a teacher all her life. Peaches and plums are fragrant all over Yunxian County.¡± [1]


    Yang Yuqin came out of the kitchen with a fruit plate and put it in front of Meixiang. She heard her husband¡¯s conversation with her son in the kitchen and knew that he was deliberately teasing her.


    She sat down and said, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with being a teacher? Female teachers can teach and educate people and take care of their families. Since childhood, the three of you have been brought up by me little by little. I carried you to school. I had class. You sat in a wooden basin when you were young, and you grabbed insects and pulled back from the school playground when you were old. Your father was so busy. Coming back to your home for two days a month can be considered good. I couldn¡¯t control you at all. ¡°


    Ji Qingming nodded as he listened, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s all thanks to your mother¡¯s hard work for taking care of our family, which I admit and appreciate.¡±


    Yang Yuqin looked askance at her husband and said, ¡°You said that very reluctantly.¡± What? Am I wrong? Are you not convinced? ¡°


    Ji Qingming waved his hands and said, ¡°No, absolutely not. From the bottom of my heart, I will always recognize your selfless dedication to this family, and I will always recognize any words you say.¡±


    The couple¡¯s feelings have always been very harmonious, though they quarrel from time to time. This is the way they have gotten along for decades, but Meixiang was stunned when he saw it. In her opinion, Ji Zhenfeng¡¯s parents were high intellectuals. They should be those who speak with grace and let people feel a sense of distance from them. Unexpectedly, they will quarrel and toss around, which is no different from ordinary people. The feeling of closeness came up all at once.


    Yang Yuqin also felt embarrassed after ¡°quarreling¡± with her husband. She patted Meixiang¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Meixiang, I hope you won¡¯t mind. That¡¯s how we quarrel. ¡°


    She pointed to the fruit plate on the table and said, ¡°Don¡¯t just sit there. Eat the fruit. I just washed the grapes, and this loquat is sweet. The watermelon is also sweet. You can eat whatever you like, don¡¯t be restrained.¡±


    Meixiang smiled and responded, ¡°Thank you, auntie.¡±


    She took a grape and put it in her mouth. Yang Yuqin looked at Meixiang with a smile on her face. Meixiang was eating like a little squirrel. Everyone will like her when they see her.


    ¡°How does your family feel about your relationship with Zhenfeng? Are they all supportive? ¡°


    Yang Yuqin also took a loquat and peeled it, eating it while chatting with Meixiang.


    ¡°They all respect my opinion, and I feel good about it. They let me find someone who is good to me, can talk to me, and respect me for a lifetime.¡±


    This answer made Yang Yuqin a little surprised. After all, it is still rare to see a family with this kind of awareness.


    ¡°Your family¡¯s idea is very right. Two people live their lives; chatting is very important. I have seen many families. The couple either has nothing to say or quarrel every day. A good life becomes a mess. I quite resent this. ¡°


    So, after the eldest son got married, her daughter-in-law was not close to them and wanted to move out. She was free to talk without speculation. What can you do if people don¡¯t take you as their mother and take you as an outsider? Finally, they got tired of looking at each other. It¡¯s better to stay far away and save face.


    Anyway, they have wages and savings, so they can take care of themselves. In this life, they are not sure if they will be able to have a daughter-in-law that won¡¯t add to their own problems. Is it possible that they still have to look at their daughter-in-law¡¯s face to live their lives?


    ¡°How many people do you have in your family? Do you all live together? ¡°


    Meixiang shook her head. ¡°In my hometown, my parents lived with my eldest brother and sister-in-law. My second brother lived in the yard next door. After going to school in the provincial capital, we all lived together. ¡°


    ¡°Yes, I heard from Zhenfeng, your family has produced four college students.¡±


    Meixiang modestly smiled and explained, ¡°Actually, I¡¯m not technically a college student. I¡¯m a junior college student. I graduated after a year and a half. My eldest brother and they are serious college students.


    ¡°I know the school you went to. It was set up by the Provincial Education Bureau of our provincial government to train educational talents. The admission score was not low. I remember you need 240 points to be qualified. ¡°


    ¡°The teacher in charge of admissions went to our home to mobilize. I think it is quite suitable for me to go.¡±


    ¡°The teacher in charge of admission came to our house to ask. I thought it was very suitable, so I went.¡±


    ¡°I heard from Zhenfeng that your sister has opened a restaurant.¡±


    ¡°Just opened. Business is quite good. Uncle and aunt, if you have time, you can also go over to try it.¡±


    ¡°I will definitely go there when I have the chance.¡±


    After chatting for a while, Yang Yuqin began preparing dinner. Meixiang was embarrassed to sit still, so she also went to the kitchen to cook.


    ¡°Zhenfeng said you¡¯re a good cook. You shouldn¡¯t do it today; it¡¯s your first time here. Next time, I wish to try your craft. ¡°


    ¡°He was just praising me. I didn¡¯t make it so delicious. ¡°


    ¡°Good or bad, I¡¯ll know it when I try it next time. ¡°


    ¡°So¡­ why don¡¯t I make a dish for my aunt and uncle today?¡±


    ¡°Okay, the ingredients are here. See what you make of them.¡±


    Meixiang saw that there was a big piece of pork in the kitchen and thought of braised pork meatballs, which she had learned to make from her sister-in-law. Her sister-in-law said her pork meatballs were very authentic.


    ¡°Do aunts and uncles like meatballs? I can make pork meatballs or roast pork. ¡°


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a big dish. Okay, you can make meatballs. Zhenfeng and his father both love them.¡±


    Meixiang nodded, picked up the streaky pork, cut off half of it, and began to clean up the chopped meat.


    Ji Zhenfeng couldn¡¯t help but come to see the sound of banging in the kitchen.


    ¡°Teacher Zhao, you are going to show your hand today?¡±


    ¡°I have nothing to do. So, I want to make meatballs for my aunt and uncle to try.¡±


    ¡°Let me help you chop the meat.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯ll do it myself.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all right. You should ask him to help, and don¡¯t just let him wait for food. Male comrades also need to help with the housework. ¡°


    Meixiang then handed the kitchen knife to Ji Zhenfeng.


    During Ji Zhenfeng¡¯s meat chopping time, Meixiang took the time to prepare the ingredients for the meatballs, including chopped green onions, ginger, eggs, raw flour, and various seasonings.


    After Ji Zhenfeng chopped the meat, Meixiang put the meat into a clean basin, added salt, monosodium glutamate, wine, onion, and ginger foam, and stirred hard, then added water egg, and starch, and stirred well. Marinate for about twenty minutes.


    Heat the oil in the hot pot until it is 60% or 70% hot. Round up the meat into a meatball the size of a small fist. Deep fry it in hot oil until golden. Control the oil, remove it, and set it aside.


    Heat the oil in a pan, add the spices, then add oyster sauce and stir-fry. Then add water, salt, MSG, sugar, soy sauce, chicken powder, pepper, and boil over high heat. Finally, add the fried meatballs and stew for twenty minutes over medium heat. A colorful and fragrant braised meatball is ready.


    ¡°Meixiang made this.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful. I didn¡¯t expect Meixiang to have this skill.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. You must be nimble when you cook. Take a look at her craft. No wonder your sister opened a restaurant. ¡°


    Ji Zhenfeng first gave his father a clip, then Yang Yuqin and Meixiang, and finally, his own turn.


    ¡°Yes, it tastes good. The meat is tender and not greasy. This craft is already comparable to that of the chef of the state-run restaurant. ¡°


    ¡°We really can¡¯t eat this in our house. This is too delicate. Anyway, I am not able to cook it. ¡°


    ¡°I learned this from my sister-in-law. She is very good at cooking. Many dishes can be made as long as she has seen them. ¡°


    ¡°I always hear you talk about your sister-in-law; I have to meet her later. She must be a particularly good young lady.¡±


    Meixiang nodded, ¡°My sister-in-law is very good. She taught me a lot of things. ¡°


    ¡°This is to marry a wife and a virtuous person. Therefore, your uncle and I also hope you and Zhenfeng can settle down early. He is not young. He hadn¡¯t met the right one before, and we didn¡¯t urge him much. Now that we¡¯ve met the right one, we should hurry up. ¡°


    Meixiang shyly looked at Ji Zhenfeng. He was laughing happily.


    After eating, Meixiang wanted to help Yang Yuqin clean up the table and dishes. Yang Yuqin stopped her and did not let her.


    ¡°You go sit down and rest, stay with your uncle and talk for a while. I will clean these things up quickly.¡±


    Meixiang had no choice but to sit back in the living room.


    ¡°Meixiang, go back and tell your parents that I and Zhenfeng¡¯s mother will come to visit your family after a while.¡±


    The meaning of the official visit naturally means ¡°settling down.¡± Meixiang¡¯s heart jumped; she was happy and yet flustered. Ji Zhenfeng, who sat next to Meixiang, secretly held Meixiang¡¯s hand and, feeling the wetness of Meixiang¡¯s palm, rubbed her palm.


    ¡°En, Okay, I will talk to them when I go back.¡±


    Yang Yuqin finished cleaning up the kitchen, went into the room, and came out with a red envelope in her hand.


    ¡°Meixiang, this is your first visit. Your uncle and I are supposed to give you red envelopes. Take this; it¡¯s a small token of appreciation from your uncle and me. ¡°


    Meixiang panicked and pushed back, ¡°Auntie, I can¡¯t accept this.¡±


    In rural areas, blind dates are quickly set by both parties. The parents of both parties talk clearly about the bride price meeting ceremony. Meixiang¡¯s situation, such as free love, is quite rare, so Meixiang really didn¡¯t know about this custom and whether the money should be collected or not.


    ¡°Listen, this is our rule as elders. It is not inappropriate to receive it.¡±


    Ji Zhenfeng also said, ¡°My parents gave it to you, so you should accept it.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­ thank you, uncle and aunt.¡±


    It was getting late. Meixiang left. Yang Yuqin took a basket of grapes and asked Meixiang to take them back. She said it was sent by a student and could not be bought locally.


    Ji Zhenfeng sent Meixiang back to the restaurant. On the way, he carried the grapes in one hand, holding Meixiang in the other. His heart was particularly happy.


    ¡°It¡¯s great. We¡¯ll settle down soon.¡±


    Meixiang curled her lips in the dark and smiled. All kinds of worries before she came to Ji¡¯s family¡¯s house no longer exist. She felt very lucky. She was admitted to a university, had a good job, and met a good man like Ji Zhenfeng.


    As my sister-in-law said, ¡°If you are fragrant, butterflies will come.¡± After working hard, everything is developing in a good direction!

 CH 86

    ¡°I¡¯m leaving.¡±


    Outside the restaurant, Ji Zhenfeng sent Meixiang to the door. His mouth said he was leaving, but his hand honestly grabbed Meixiang¡¯s hand and refused to let go.


    ¡°Yes, be safe on the road.¡±


    Meixiang shook their hands and waved to him with a smile. Ji Zhenfeng looked at her and suddenly couldn¡¯t bear to leave.


    As soon as he pulled on his hand, Meixiang bumped into his arms. He surrounded Meixiang¡¯s waist and directly sealed Meixiang¡¯s lips.


    Meixiang did not expect him to kiss her suddenly. This is outside of their own store. The house is still lit. If her family catches her, she will have no face to see anyone.


    After the breathless kiss, Meixiang was a little angry. Ji Zhenfeng rubbed Meixiang¡¯s face and said, ¡°OK, don¡¯t be angry.¡±


    After saying that, he handed the basket of grapes to Meixiang.


    ¡°Go to bed early, and remember to miss me.¡±


    Meixiang pursed his lips and nodded.


    ¡°You¡¯re back?¡±


    Zhao Caixia and Zhang Qiaoer came out of the house.


    Jiahui and her family went back in the evening and came back in the morning. Zhao Caixia had a big stomach, and it was inconvenient to come back and forth. Zhang Qiaoer stayed with her. The three of them lived in the house, while Li Wangping lived in another wooden house built behind the house. It¡¯s summer now. It¡¯s OK to sleep in it. When school starts, he will move back to the house, and the wooden house will be used as a warehouse.


    ¡°We¡¯ve been waiting for you for a long time. Mom has been uneasy. ¡°


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    Meixiang put the grapes on the table, sat down, and poured a glass of water, gulping it down. After drinking, she saw her mother and sister staring at her with bright eyes. She smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯m fine. They are very good. His parents are very good. They don¡¯t have the arrogance of being residents of the city. They¡¯re very easy-going and friendly. ¡°


    Zhang Qiaoer¡¯s worry fell into her stomach. She asked again about the details of today¡¯s meeting. Meixiang then remembered that Yang Yuqin had also given her a red envelope and took it out of the bag.


    ¡°I originally refused to accept it, but Auntie said it was their custom, so I must accept it.¡±


    Meixiang opened it and saw that there were new ten-yuan bills. She took them out and counted them. There were eight pieces, for a total of 80 yuan.


    ¡°80 yuan¡­¡± People from the city are really generous. ¡°


    They gave me such a big red envelope for meeting Meixiang for the first time. What¡¯s more, they might give more after the marriage.


    Zhang Qiaoer finally felt reassured. Not because of the red envelope, but Ji Zhenfeng¡¯s parents¡¯ attitude towards Meixiang.


    ¡°OK, you keep this money yourself; do not spend it indiscriminately.¡±


    ¡°Mom, why don¡¯t I give it to you? I have no place to spend the money. ¡°


    ¡°What do I do with your money? I am not short of money. Save it up at the post office tomorrow. There will be many places to spend money in the future.


    When you¡¯re a girl, it¡¯s just a matter of buying a few clothes and face cream, but when you get married, you¡¯ll have more places to spend your money.


    After handing over the house-keeping power to her daughter-in-law, Zhang Qiao¡¯er stopped caring about the money. Her son and daughter-in-law give money to the family every month and some for filial piety during the new year¡¯s festival. She has been living a happy life.


    The Ji family said they would settle the relationship as soon as possible and soon arranged the time. They were ready to pay a door-to-door visit to the Zhao family out of politeness.


    On this day, the Zhao family cleaned up inside and out, and the tea, snacks, and ingredients for the guests were all prepared properly.


    Yang Yuqin did not look well in the car, and Ji Qingming patted her arm and said comfortingly, ¡°Put down your emotions first. We are here today as guests. Don¡¯t let people misunderstand.¡±


    Yang Yuqin sniffed and sighed, ¡°You think I want to be angry? But I can¡¯t help but be angry. ¡°


    The cause of the incident was that on the family¡¯s first visit to the Zhao family, Yang Yuqin wanted to let the eldest son and her daughter-in-law also come over together. It is equivalent to the two families meeting formally, but the eldest daughter-in-law, Luo Siwen, was not willing to come over with them and even complained about Zhenfeng¡¯s finding a rural girl.


    ¡°We are the elderly; we should be more tolerant. Don¡¯t hurt the peace of the family for these small things. ¡°


    Yang Yuqin waved her hand, indicating that she did not want to hear anymore. She had long been tired of hearing these words, but she still let out a deep breath to make her face look less unpleasant.


    ¡°Here it comes. I see the car.¡±


    Zhao Donghe had been watching, and when he saw the car drive into the intersection, the one Ji Zhenfeng had once driven, he hurried back to the house to talk to his parents.


    ¡°Ah, they finally came. Do you think I can do this? Is my hair messy or not? ¡°


    Zhang Qiaoer was particularly nervous. This nervousness was out of her own lack of confidence, a self-imposed shame, and fear of losing face to her daughter.


    ¡°It¡¯s OK, mom. Don¡¯t put too much pressure on yourself. ¡°Zhenfeng¡¯s parents are not the kind of people who look down on people.¡±


    Zhang Qiaoer couldn¡¯t hear it. She responded casually. Meixiang looked at her father, Zhao Manzhu, again, who looked anxious, as if he were ¡°facing a great enemy.¡±


    The car stopped in front of the Zhao family. The family walked out of the yard. Ji Qingming first went out of the car, followed by Yang Yuqin.


    Zhang Qiaoer and Zhao Manzhu have not yet thought of how to talk to them. Over there, Ji Qingming and Yang Yuqin have come with a smile.


    ¡°Hello, Meixiang¡¯s father and Meixiang¡¯s mother. I am Zhenfeng¡¯s mother. My surname is Yang. I¡¯m Yang Yuqin.¡±


    ¡°Hello, Comrade Zhao and Comrade Zhang! How are you? We finally met. ¡°


    ¡°Oh, good. Hello, hello.¡±


    Ji Zhenfeng turned off the engine, got out, and opened the trunk of the car to move the gifts they brought. They brought milk powder, canned foods, noodles, gift boxes of cookies, and a few pig¡¯s feet.


    ¡°This ¡­¡­ come on. Why did you bring so many things? Oh, these are good things. You can¡¯t buy them with money. ¡°


    Yang Yuqin took Zhang Qiaoer¡¯s hand and said, with a smile, ¡°I should do this. You have to show sincerity if you like someone¡¯s daughter, right? There is no reason to pick the fruit home for nothing. ¡°


    Meixiang, who was standing behind Zhang Qiaoer with Jiahui, turned red. At the same time, Zhao Manzhu and Zhang Qiaoer¡¯s hearts were extremely pressed. These words simply touched their hearts. It¡¯s not like marrying a daughter-in-law. Others have picked up the fruits that have been planted for decades.


    Zhang Qiaoer smiled and invited Yang Yuqin and Ji Qingming into the courtyard, where he introduced the two family members.


    ¡°This is my eldest son. This is my eldest daughter-in-law. This is my second son. This is my eldest grandson. His nickname is Heidan. His first name is Zhao Zhuojun ¡­¡­¡±


    This is the first time Yang Yuqin has seen Jiahui, the perfect sister-in-law in Meixiang¡¯s mouth. She has a beautiful face and white skin. Standing with Meixiang, they looked like sisters. She is so different from her imagination.


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­


    The time soon came to the end of August. They had to prepare to go back to the provincial capital, and they had to


    ¡°I want to talk to you guys about something.¡±


    ¡°Mom, what do you want to talk about?¡±


    ¡°Your elder sister¡¯s belly is almost eight months old. You know the situation in the Li family, right? Her mother-in-law can¡¯t help her. I was worried about her, and now they have opened a restaurant, and they will be busy when the baby is born, so I want to stay and take care of her for a while.¡±


    Zhao Donglin looked at Jiahui after hearing this. It¡¯s about his sister. Zhao Donglin must be considerate, but it depends on Jiahui¡¯s meaning.


    ¡°Yes, Fang Fang is old. We can send him to kindergarten. The school is close to home. There¡¯s nothing to worry about. ¡°


    She and Donglin can work harder, but what else can they do? Life always has to pass. Her mother-in-law has put these forward, and she can¡¯t be a villain as a daughter-in-law.


    ¡°Jiahui, I¡¯m really sorry. Both of you are equally important. If I could split myself in half, it would be better. ¡°


    ¡°Mom, Don¡¯t think too much. With the situation now, elder sister really needs your care more. I have no problem taking care of a few kids with Donglin and Donghe. ¡°


    Zhang Qiaoer looked down and tucked the corners of her eyes before opening her mouth. She knew Jiahui would not say anything, but she always felt a little sorry for her in her heart.


    Before returning to the city, Jiahui went back to her mother¡¯s house. Her mother knew that Zhang Qiaoer had left to take care of her eldest daughter. She didn¡¯t say anything, and her face didn¡¯t look good.


    In this era, rural people¡¯s thinking is still relatively solidified. The daughter who marries out is said to have spilled water (which can¡¯t be retrieved). But your natal family will really not reach out to your daughter and son-in-law¡¯s home¡ªespecially those who have daughters. Helping out your son was the more dominant thought.


    ¡°Then what will you do? Do you have to attend classes and manage the family¡¯s food and drink at the same time? ¡°


    Adults can¡¯t make do with children at will. This meal must be cooked.


    ¡°It¡¯s OK, and it¡¯s just the morning and evening meals. The school cooks meals at noon, and I¡¯m relieved to put them in school.¡±


    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s still hard for you. Sometimes I want to. What if you didn¡¯t find Donglin and someone else? ¡°


    ¡°Mom, we have to look forward, not backward. Donglin is not bad. At least he is good to me. Another person may not be able to support me to go to college.¡±


    There is also the matter of business, which not every man can understand. He must have a certain ideological height and mind.


    So, Jiahui has never regretted marrying Zhao Donglin. Even if her life has had a little friction, sometimes it is hard. He has been the best choice at that time.


    ¡°One more thing, now that the national policy is relaxed, the future will focus more and more on economic development. Our family cannot put all its thoughts on the farm; we have to keep up with the times and find ways to do something.¡±


    ¡°Your brother-in-law is not as smart as you. If you have any ideas, you can tell them. They are willing to listen to you. ¡°


    Not to mention the others, just the restaurant opened by Zhao Caixia. I heard that the business was very good and made a lot of money.


    The land contract responsibility system in Shanghe village has been fully implemented, and there is no news in Dayu village for the time being. Jiahui told her brothers that when the land contract responsibility system in the village is promoted, they will ask the village head to buy land. Whether it is a flat, wasteland, or mountain, it is always useful to buy it back.


    The local soil is fertile, and fruits and vegetables are growing well. It is very suitable for growing fruits and vegetables.


    In addition, Dayu village is close to the town with convenient transportation. The fruits and vegetables planted are convenient for transportation. As long as you find a market, you don¡¯t have to worry about pressing it into your hand.


    ¡°OK, you are a college student with a good brain. We listened to you.¡±


    Several brothers immediately expressed their attitudes and didn¡¯t say anything else. Jiahui was also very moved.


    On the third day before school, Jiahui returned to the provincial capital with the four children, Donglin and Donghe. This time, she packed light and only brought the necessary things.


    ¡°You guys pay more attention. If you are really too busy, send me a letter. ¡°


    Zhang Qiaoer looked at several grandchildren. She was quite reluctant in her heart. If not for her eldest daughter, she would certainly follow them back.


    ¡°Sister-in-law, you should take more care of yourself. Don¡¯t be too tired. Brother, you have to take more care of your family and sister-in-law. ¡°


    Meixiang was also reluctant. She has officially started working and will stay in the county. Meixiang knows her sister-in-law works seriously and is always strict with herself and lenient with others. She is afraid that Jiahui will be too tired, so she can¡¯t help telling her brother to love and cherish her sister-in-law more.


    ¡°En, I know, you also take care of yourself.¡±


    After saying that, they carried their things and took the children to the bus.

 CH 87

    Shen Nianru was the happiest when Jiahui came back. She hugged Fang Fang and didn¡¯t let go.


    ¡°I look forward to your return every day, but finally, you guys are back.¡±


    They were so lively. Once they left, the whole yard was cold and quiet.


    Fang Fang quietly stayed in Shen Nianru¡¯s arms and said, in a milky voice, ¡°Grandma, Fang Fang missed you. It would be better if you and grandpa could go back with us.¡±


    Shen Nianru¡¯s heart was moved. She rubbed Fang Fang¡¯s soft hair and smiled kindly.


    ¡°Oh, my little sweetheart, grandma misses you too. She thinks about you every day and has lost weight. ¡°


    She is older, has had a bitter summer, and has lost her appetite; if she eats less, she will naturally lose weight.


    Fang Fang raised her head and looked at Shen Nianru, her eyes full of confusion, asking, ¡°Why did you lose weight? If you don¡¯t eat properly, you will lose weight. Grandma is not good. You didn¡¯t eat properly, right? ¡°


    Shen Nianru smiled.


    ¡°Fang Fang really knows a lot. This is because Grandma misses Fang Fang, so I became thin. ¡°


    Fang Fang listened to these words and took them seriously. While hugging Shen Nianru, he patted her on the back like a little adult.


    ¡°Fang Fang has come back, so Grandma doesn¡¯t have to think of me.¡±


    The lovely appearance amused the family.


    Jiahui brought some local specialties from her hometown, sun-dried mushrooms, and she cooked a pot of mushroom and old duck soup.


    At the dinner table, Shen Nianru was in a good mood and drank two bowls of soup while Zhao Donglin talked to Zhong Daomin about the land contract reform.


    ¡°Very good. It is good to have this momentum. Our country will only become more and more prosperous. ¡°


    After two cups of small wine, Zhong Daomin¡¯s mood also showed the excitement rarely seen in ordinary times.


    After school started, Jiahui went to the professor and turned in the homework she had completed over the summer.


    ¡°Editor Chu read the last book and said that you translated it very well. The publishing company decided to publish it. ¡°


    Jiahui was still quite happy to have the fruits of her own labor acknowledged.


    You grow up very fast, and my request for you can¡¯t be a general requirement. Do you want to learn simultaneous interpreting? ¡°


    A student came to visit him in the summer, saying that there was a shortage of excellent simultaneous interpreters, and asked him if he could train such students. He had considered it, and among the two groups of students now, there were only three students who could meet the same requirement in the professional field, and Jiahui was one of them.


    ¡°Simultaneous interpreting?¡±


    Jia Hui was a bit stunned. She was surprised to hear this.


    She knew simultaneous interpreting; the full name is simultaneous interpretation. It shows the interpreter¡¯s ability to speak without interrupting the speaker. It is a translation method of interpreting content for the audience without interruption.


    If she remembers correctly, this method of translation first appeared when the International Military Tribunal in Nuremberg, Germany, tried fascist war criminals after the end of the Second World War.


    The normal way of translation is called consecutive interpretation, which means waiting for the end of the speaker¡¯s speech and then translating orally alone. Which definitely takes longer than uninterrupted translation, and it is mostly used for general diplomatic meetings, bilateral negotiations, visiting expeditions, journalist interviews, etc. Jiahui¡¯s direction in her training was also to make a consecutive interpretation.


    The advantage of simultaneous interpretation is that it does not take up time and is highly efficient, but it is an interlingual conversion activity that is strictly limited by time and is extremely difficult, requiring the interpreter to listen to and identify the source language speech while quickly completing the prediction, understanding, memory, and conversion of the source language information in a very short period of time with the help of existing subject knowledge, and at the same time to monitor, organize, correct, and express the target language and speak the translation of the target language.


    Even in the twenty-first century, talent for simultaneous interpretation was scarce. It costs a lot to train a simultaneous interpreter. She remembers that a schoolmate she knew at that time said that there were no more than two thousand simultaneous interpreters worldwide, and domestic ones were even scarcer. She did not expect that the professor would let her consider developing towards simultaneous interpretation. In a sense, it was also an affirmation of the professor¡¯s ability.


    ¡°I¡¯m very optimistic about your learning ability. You have such an advantage. You should work harder and go further on your professional path.¡±


    The professor¡¯s words made her feel a bit ashamed. In fact, when she first heard the professor speaking about simultaneous interpreting, she did not have an eager learning attitude. She chose English as her major to a great extent because she had a certain English foundation and felt that the employment prospect for English was good, and it would not affect her greatly in the future even if she did not work in the industry.


    ¡°Well, since you trust me, Professor, I want to give it a try.¡±


    Only then did Professor Mei nod and smile in relief.


    ¡°Very well, in that case, your study direction will have to be re-planned, and I will also go to Zhou Ruoshen¡¯s place to find out more about it.


    Jiahui returned home and told Zhao Donglin about it.


    ¡°In the future, I¡¯ll be responsible for cooking at home, and the children will have to rely on you.¡±


    The choice of simultaneous interpreting means that Jiahui will make greater efforts in her studies. Fang Fang is now in kindergarten, and Yingbao has been promoted to primary school. Heidan, who is only nine years old, was already a freshman in the first year of school.


    Heidan¡¯s stature follows Zhao Donglin¡¯s. In addition, the family has good food and adequate nutrition. He is half a head taller than children of the same age. He doesn¡¯t look much smaller than the children in the class.


    ¡°Well, focus on your studies. You don¡¯t have to worry about things at home. It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t have time to cook. As long as you don¡¯t dislike my cooking, I can do it. ¡°


    Jiahui wrapped her arms around Donglin¡¯s neck. She leaned against his shoulder and said, ¡°Why are you so good?¡±


    But as a last resort, Jiahui certainly can¡¯t let him cook. Their Zhao family really has no talent when it comes to cooking.


    Zhao Donglin wrapped his arm around Jiahui¡¯s waist and let her sit on his lap. He said, half-serious and half-joking, ¡°I can¡¯t help it. My wife is so good, so I can only spoil her a little more.¡±


    Jiahui laughed and lowered her head to give him a peck on the lips.


    ¡°Well, here¡¯s your reward.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it? Can¡¯t you go a little deeper? ¡°


    Jiahui punched him with her small pink fist, ¡°You think you¡¯re beautiful.¡± [1]


    Zhao Donglin laughed lightly and picked up Jiahui in a ¡°princess hug.¡± Donglin then walked towards the bed.


    ¡°I heard from the professor that you also chose simultaneous interpreting.¡±


    After class, Zhou Ruosen caught up with Jiahui and talked to her.


    ¡°Yes, although I don¡¯t know if I can do it, I will never know the answer if I don¡¯t try it myself.¡±


    Zhou Ruosen nodded, ¡°I also think so. Let¡¯s work together in the future. ¡°


    ¡°Good. Good. On a difficult road, you will not be afraid of hardship when you have many comrades in arms. ¡°


    Zhou Ruosen looked down and smiled with a trace of bitterness that he couldn¡¯t even notice.


    He admired Jiahui. He admired her talent and skills, and he admired her beauty, but from the day he met her, she had already become a married woman, and all his thoughts were gone.


    Zhou Ruosen had tried to repress his heart with morality, but feelings like this, the more he restrained him, the more he couldn¡¯t forget. Finally, she became a Cinnabar mole in his heart, which he could not touch or forget.


    For example, now, he is eager to talk to her but also delighted to talk to her, but he did not dare to look at her, did not dare to look at each other. He¡¯s afraid that his feelings could not help but flow out of his eyes, and there¡¯s nowhere to hide.


    Half a month later, the English students, with a total of 77 students, found that Dong Jiahui and Zhou Ruosen began to miss the regular courses of the class. After learning about it, they realized that the two students were undergoing more professional training.


    ¡°The professor is too biased, right? All the good things were just given to them. We are also his students. Why should he favor one over the other? ¡°


    ¡°That¡¯s right, the usual translation work was also given to them, saying that we still need to study more and practice more, but how can we practice without having the opportunity? Just memorize English words and listen to English radio every day?¡±


    The translation work is not only decent, but they also have commissions. Everyone has coveted it for a long time, but so far, the professor has only given three students the opportunity to do some translation work, including Dong Jiahui and Zhou Ruosen.


    Some people expressed dissatisfaction, while others maintained rational judgment and advised, ¡°We should not question the professor¡¯s decision. Let¡¯s ask ourselves. Is our knowledge really better and stronger than theirs? Anyway, I still know myself very well. I think I am not capable enough to compare with Student Dong and Student Zhao. ¡°


    ¡°So what if we can¡¯t compare with them? They are not the only two students in our department; the professor just can¡¯t be biased. ¡°


    ¡°I heard that they are training for simultaneous interpreting, which means continuous interpreting. I consulted a professional teacher, and this translation method is very difficult.¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t give us a chance to try, how can you know we can¡¯t? The professor can¡¯t subjectively deny us. In a competition, even if we are eliminated, we should know why right? ¡°


    In every group, there are always some people who are blind and can¡¯t see reality. They are eager to prove themselves, don¡¯t accept the fact that they are weaker than others, and have been seeking so-called ¡°fairness.¡±


    This was only a small-scale discussion. Later, somehow, this dissatisfaction spread among the students. The monitor could only reflect everyone¡¯s voices to the counselor. The counselor was angry and held a class meeting for everyone.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have such an idea. Professor Mei is a respected old gentleman. He certainly wants every student to learn more. Any decision made by the professor is carefully considered. Who is suitable and who is not? He has made a professional choice. How can he talk about your teacher in private and put labels on his head? What, it¡¯s only been a few years since the Revolution, and everyone hasn¡¯t had enough lessons, have you? ¡°


    During those years, many experts, scholars, and professors were hurt, and most of the hurt came from their own students.


    The counselor¡¯s words were so serious that everyone was silent, and no one dared to say anything.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear similar words coming out of anyone¡¯s mouth again; these are not the words a qualified and respectful student should say.¡±


    The counselor educated the students severely and still approached Professor Mei afterward to explain the situation.


    ¡°I understand the situation. First of all, I did a self-examination. I really didn¡¯t consider it thoroughly enough and didn¡¯t take into account the feelings of the students. I¡¯ll explain it to the students before the next class. ¡°


    The counselor was stunned. His original intention was to reflect on the situation, not to let the professor explain.


    What can be explained? Students should obey their teachers just as children must obey their parents.


    ¡°Teacher, how can you use such a serious word as ¡®explain¡¯? I¡¯ve taught them a lesson¡­¡±


    Professor Mei waved his hand, made a stop hand sign, and said gently, ¡°As Voltaire said, ¡®I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it,¡¯ everyone has the right to express their thoughts. It¡¯s better to block than to be sparse. Even if you block their mouths, don¡¯t let them speak or let them express themselves. This thorn will stay in their hearts forever. ¡°


    Professor Mei has lived to the present age. He has experienced too many things. People¡¯s hearts and human nature can be seen clearly. He doesn¡¯t care about these little things at all, nor does he have the slightest angry emotion.


    He smiled and said open-mindedly, ¡°This matter is not all meaningless. At least they have a good attitude towards striving for the top. It is good to actively ask for progress. What we have to do is to let them know where their gap is and motivate them to learn. ¡°


    The next day in class, Professor Mei let the entire English Department of the Class of ¡¯77 appreciate what is called ¡°simultaneous interpretation.¡± The whole class, except Dong Jiahui and Zhou Ruosen, was unable to carry out uninterrupted translation and keep up with his rhythm.


    At the end of fifty minutes, all the students blushed with shame.


    The professor stood on the podium and looked at the students sitting under the podium with a generous and loving smile.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard about it. To tell you the truth, I¡¯m moved by everyone¡¯s learning spirit. I can see how hard you work and how you have made a little progress since you entered our English department. ¡°


    The students had different expressions, but most of them thought that the professor would scold them or even punish them, but the result was very unexpected.


    ¡°First of all, I started with a self-examination. This matter is my poor consideration. I should have made it clear to you beforehand. I should have respected your emotions. For these, I apologize to you all.¡±


    With that, the professor bowed to the students on the stage to express his apology. The students were ashamed and anxious. Some even cried.


    ¡°Teacher, we are wrong. We couldn¡¯t recognize ourselves. We don¡¯t respect the teacher! ¡°


    Professor Mei smiled and shook his head.


    ¡°I have made mistakes, and you have made mistakes, but I am your teacher. In the final analysis, your mistakes are still my mistakes. ¡°


    This sentence was like a steel knif that poked into everyone¡¯s chest.


    ¡°As you can see, the requirements for simultaneous interpretation are very high. Our country urgently needs such high-end talents. I very much look forward to going further and further on the professional path through our efforts in the future. ¡°


    As for now, at this moment, most people do not have such an ability.


    In this class, the professor¡¯s tolerance and humility made everyone embarrassed and grateful.


    Since then, the students have studied harder, strengthened their professional skills, and made rapid progress. After graduation, this year¡¯s students have made great achievements in their professional fields. Whenever Professor Mei is mentioned, their hearts are full of love and gratitude.

 CH 88

    In October, the school held a large-scale national day party, and Jiahui and Zhou Ruosen participated in the activity as hosts again.


    ¡°In October, there are endless flower rolls, which are colorful.¡±


    ¡°In October, there are endless poems that move people¡¯s hearts.¡±


    ¡°In October, there are endless carols and calendars, recording the fruitful achievements of the motherland.¡±


    ¡°In October, there are endless congratulations on the journey step by step, flashing the sweat of Chinese children.¡±


    The host of this era does not need to wear a beautiful dress or wear high heels. It is already dazzling enough with just a simple military uniform and clean and sharp makeup.


    Today¡¯s party was attended by the leaders of the provincial party committee. After the party, the headmaster called several excellent students from the school, including Jiahui and Zhou Rusen.


    The headmaster pointed to them and said, with a smile, ¡°They are today¡¯s hosts.¡± The two little comrades in the English department have outstanding learning abilities and participate in various school activities. They are very excellent and active comrades. ¡°


    The leader smiled and nodded, ¡°Well, this is what our country needs.¡± Young people who are willing to bear hardships and work hard professionally Our provincial party committee now has a lot of work to do with foreign guests. Since the two young comrades are English majors, they can go to the provincial Party committee to study in their spare time, and practice makes true knowledge.¡±


    The principal also smiled and said, ¡°Yes, Director Zheng is right. Practice opportunities can be met but not sought. The leaders are willing to give them this opportunity. It is also their love and support for us at Wudong University. I believe that all students will study hard, live up to expectations, and become the pillars of the motherland.


    The follow-up on this matter is that the school really arranged for Jiahui and Zhou Ruosen to go to the provincial Party Committee for internships.


    As sophomores, they were already doing enviable jobs, which was naturally very eye-catching, but this time, the students in the department no longer had any micro-aggressions. Instead, they took them as the target they were striving to catch up with.


    ¡°You have done a good job of translation today. The director is very satisfied. This is a gift brought by a foreign guest. The director asked me to give you one.¡±


    The other party handed over two identical boxes. Jiahui and Zhou Ruosen took them, and when the other party left, they opened the boxes to take a look. What was contained inside was actually perfume.


    Zhou Ruosen came from a diplomatic family, so naturally, he can recognize it. Although Jiahui came from an ordinary background, she has the soul of the modern age.


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m a man and can¡¯t use it. I¡¯d better give it to you. ¡°


    Zhou Ruosen closed the lid and sent it to Jiahui with a smile.


    ¡°Perfumes can also be used for men, or you can send them to a lady you like.¡±


    A woman loves beauty. She already had a bottle, and her relationship with Zhou Ruoshen was not good enough to accept his gifts. Naturally, Jiahui will not accept it.


    Zhou Ruosen¡¯s outstretched right hand paused, surprised that Jiahui recognized it at a glance and also heartbroken at her words about giving it to the person he likes.


    Ruoshen smiled bitterly. He took back his hand and held the box in his hand.


    This bottle of perfume may not be delivered for the rest of its life because it has been rejected by the girl he liked.


    ¡­¡­¡­.


    In one month, Jiahui received a letter from her elder brother, Dong Aihua, which said that Dayu village had started implementing the land contract responsibility system. He asked about the fruit cultivation that Jiahui had mentioned before.


    Jiahui immediately wrote back to him, detailing the advantages of fruit cultivation as well as vegetable cultivation and farming.


    ¡°We can¡¯t stick to the old-fashioned life. We have to try to find a breakthrough to the ideal. It¡¯s always difficult to start a new model at first. If brothers choose this road, they must be prepared to bear hardships. ¡°


    She wrote down the pros and cons and left the right of choice to them. Only when they have such subjective initiative can they overcome all difficulties in the future.


    After receiving the letter, Dong Aihua showed it to his family and asked for their opinions.


    ¡°Then do it. You have to bear hardships in everything. Who is afraid of hardship? ¡°


    ¡°I believe Jiahui. She is a college student and has a smart brain. If she said it would be good, then it will be good.¡±


    ¡°I think fruit is very expensive. It¡¯s much more expensive than rice and flour. That kind of fruit must make more money than growing rice and wheat. ¡°


    ¡°Jiahui also mentioned vegetable planting and aquaculture. She also told us how to open the market. I studied it carefully. All the methods she said are feasible.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s not mention anything else. The eldest sister-in-law of the Zhao family used to be average, and the conditions are not as good as ours. Now, she has opened a small restaurant in the county, and her business is doing very well. They can pick up one or two hundred customers from morning to night every day. What¡¯s more, a customer pays 10 cents. They could earn more than 20 yuan a day, 600 yuan a month, and 7000 yuan a year. ¡°


    Jiahui thought of opening a restaurant at the beginning. If Jiahui is so kind to her mother-in-law¡¯s eldest daughter, can she still pit her brothers?


    ¡°I put the ugly words in front, you want to do it, then our family will do it, but whether good or bad, the heart is not allowed to have ideas. Even if the final money is not earned, you cannot blame Jiahui.¡±


    Chen Guixiang gave everyone a precautionary shot. Her sons and daughters-in-law nodded their heads and agreed.


    ¡°Mom, who do you think we are? Are we like that? ¡°


    ¡°Yes, mom. We know that Jiahui is doing this for our own good. We are willing to do it ourselves. We won¡¯t blame other people if we can¡¯t do it well, ¡°


    After discussion, the family decided to do it. Dong Aihua wrote the family¡¯s decision to Jiahui.


    A letter was mailed from the village to the provincial capital for two days.


    ¡°What did your brother say?¡±


    Zhao Donglin asked curiously when he got the letter.


    ¡°They are willing to do it and asked me exactly how they should prepare.¡±


    The document issued by the state points out that rural land contracting adopts the household contracting method within rural collective economic organizations. Rural land such as barren mountains, ditches, hills, and beaches that are not suitable for household contracting can be contracted by means of bidding, auction, and public consultation.


    In other words, those wastelands and mountains can be obtained by contracting.


    Jiahui was slow to reply to the letter and wasted time. She called the Dayu village committee and asked someone to bring a message to her brother. She called him on time at three o¡¯clock in the afternoon.


    ¡°Did your sister send a message?¡±


    The village committee looked for Dong Aihua in the field. Chen Guixiang saw it from a distance. At that time, she didn¡¯t go there immediately but asked when she went home.


    ¡°Yes, she had me answer the phone at the village committee at 3 p.m.¡±


    After working in the field all morning, Dong Aihua held a bowl and ate a large mouthful of rice. He was hungry.


    ¡°The telephone fee is very expensive. It costs a lot of money to make a phone call. ¡°


    ¡°Hmmph, when did your sister become reluctant to spend money on you?¡±


    Liu Xiuyun¡¯s mouth was quick. She said a word casually and was hated by her mother-in-law. She knew what she said was really not beautiful, so she quickly responded back.


    ¡°Oops, mom, my mouth is fast. I said the wrong thing. Of course, I know that sister is good to us. Every time she goes back to her natal family¡¯s house, she brings everyone something good. The whole village cannot find a sister that is as filial as your daughter.¡±


    When Liu Xiuyun finished looking for a supplement, Zhao Lijuan also followed and agreed, ¡°Exactly, who in the village does not envy our mother¡¯s good fortune?¡±


    Chen Guixiang then smiled.


    ¡°I¡¯m lucky not only because my sons and daughter are filial, but also because our family has found three sensible daughters-in-law. I always say that as long as we work together, our family¡¯s life will only get better, not worse. ¡°


    The three daughters-in-law nodded together, but only they knew what was going on in their hearts.


    Before 3 p.m., Dong Aihua went to the village committee to guard the phone. At 3 p.m., Jiahui called.


    ¡°Brother, the state is now very supportive of wasteland planting. You go to Brother Haotian, ask him about the price of our team¡¯s contracted wasteland and the hillside.¡±


    First, inquire about the price, and then, according to their family¡¯s economic situation, see how much they could contract.


    Of course, if the family¡¯s economic conditions are not good at the moment, Jiahui can also give some support. Recently, she has earned hundreds of yuan by working as a translator.


    ¡°Also, you have to tell Brother Haotian that we have to sign a contract, and we have to sign a long-term contract. After all, the planting industry is a long-term investment. We can¡¯t just plant it, let it expire, and finally make wedding clothes for others. ¡°


    Dong Aihua fully understood what Jiahui said. They hung up and went to Dong Haotian¡¯s house when they finished talking.


    ¡°Your family wants to contract the wasteland and mountains on the team?¡±


    Dong Haotian never thought that Dong Aihua would come to the door for this matter. The farmland in the village had just been divided, and Dong Aihua thought about those wastelands.


    ¡°Yes, I think there is a lot of wasteland on the team. It¡¯s also empty. It¡¯s better to use it and plant something else. ¡°


    Dong Haotian smoked a cigarette and thought about it. The vacant barren land is not suitable for crop growth and requires a lot of human and material resources to clean up. There is no use in keeping it. Since Dong Aihua wants it, then it can be contracted to him, but he did not immediately give a positive answer.


    ¡°There is no example of this matter before. I, even the captain, can¡¯t say it in vain. In this way, I¡¯ll ask some uncles on the team to see what everyone thinks. ¡°


    Dong Aihua nodded his head.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be too high on the price. I can¡¯t afford the money. We can only pay as much as our abilities. ¡°


    After Dong Haotian left, Zhao Juhua came and asked.


    ¡°He said he wanted a few pieces of barren land on the team.¡±


    ¡°In my opinion, this must be the idea of Jiahui and Donglin. They are college students and have many ways to make money in their minds. Otherwise, let¡¯s also follow them and ask for a contract, and we¡¯ll plant what they plant?¡±


    After listening to his wife¡¯s words, it is undeniable that Dong Haotian was a little excited, but he refused after thinking about it. He felt that it was not authentic. How could he have the thick skin to do it?


    A few years later, due to the success of planting and breeding, Dong Aihua, together with his two brothers, became one of the richest households in the village. A step ahead of the door into the million-dollar households, Zhao Juhua, has complained about her husband¡¯s indecisiveness and is afraid of losing face. Otherwise, their own family has long been rich.


    Without saying anything, Dong Haotian himself couldn¡¯t help regretting his original choice before going to bed every day, so he had the problem of insomnia.


    The good thing is that he learned from his mistakes, and after missing this opportunity, he seized the opportunity to contract projects, open hotels, and engage in real estate. By the mid-1990s, his assets had accumulated into tens of millions.


    Notlucia: Thank you so much for reading!

 CH 89.1

    In the morning, Dong Haotian replied to Dong Aihua that the annual rent of contracted wasteland was 12 yuan per mu and mountain land was 5 yuan per mu.


    ¡°This is the result of our discussion.¡± If you rent more, the payment could be less.


    They did not decide the price for these lands and mountains blindly but only after a reasonable calculation.


    In this era, there was no hybrid rice. The yield per mu of rice and wheat was not high. It was about two or three hundred kilograms per mu. Half of it will be used to pay for the public¡¯s food.


    The price was based on the market price of wheat, which amounted to 16 cents a pound. 300 kg of wheat was only 48 yuan, excluding the public grain and artificial fertilizer. The remaining income is not much, not to mention that it is a wasteland. It was not a suitable land for farming.


    As for the rent for the mountain, it was even higher. Such a large area is useless except for collecting firewood and catching pheasants and rabbits.


    The barren land was also a waste. It takes a lot of trouble to clean up. You can¡¯t earn money if you plan to plant on it. It¡¯s good to contract it out. With your eyes closed, the team can profit from it every year.


    ¡°So¡­¡± Dong Aihua calculated that there were more than 3,000 yuan in savings at home, which the family saved after so many years of hard work.


    With these savings, they thought they were already working hard enough, at least more than half of the people in the village. They didn¡¯t think the money would come in handy in contracting these lands.


    More than three thousand yuan¡­ This money wouldn¡¯t be enough to rent the land for a year. They have to buy fruit trees, vegetable seeds, fish fry, and fertilizer. Jiahui also said that they shouldn¡¯t expect to earn money in the first year. It¡¯s a long-term plan, at least until the second year.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll go home and discuss with my family how much we ought to rent.


    Dong Aihua first went home and told his family. Everyone agreed that it would be okay to rent 50 mu of wasteland. Renting more land would be troublesome, and they would be able to take care of it. Although the price was lower than the wasteland, there was no need to contract more land. A dozen mu of land was already enough.


    Dong Aihua went to the village office to call Jiahui and told her about the situation and their family¡¯s opinion.


    In order to have smooth contact, Jiahui left two numbers for Dong Aihua. One was from the school reception room, and the other was from a nearby store. Dong Aihua guessed that Jiahui was in the school and called the school at that time. Unexpectedly, he really chanced upon her.


    ¡°Sister, this is the situation. How much do you think our family contract is appropriate.¡±


    Jiahui was not in favor of contracting only a few dozen acres of the mountain. Maybe they were used to their old-fashioned ways and didn¡¯t think it would generate income. However, as a person whose soul came from the 21st century, she saw many cases where a person became rich relying on the lands they owned.


    ¡°Brother, I agree that it¡¯s too big to contract dozens of acres of wasteland. We need to invest a lot of manpower and material resources if we do so. Our current ability is not enough. But my suggestion is that you should contract more in the mountains. In addition to planting fruit trees, we can also plant medicinal supplies. If the climate here is suitable, we can introduce tea in the future. We can also raise livestock. The mountain can serve as a natural pasture if we raise chickens and sheep, right?


    ¡°At present, everyone¡¯s mentality has not turned yet. If we had contracted earlier, the price would have been lower. After a few years, more than ten years, or even decades, we won¡¯t be able to have a contract at the price we paid for now. ¡°


    Jiahui remembered that she once read a column on agricultural science and education, telling the story of how a professional farmer raised mountain pigs.


    ¡°If the family doesn¡¯t have enough money, I still have some here. I¡¯ll go back in a few days and bring it back to you?¡±


    ¡°Are you coming back?¡±


    Dong Aihua wanted to ask Jiahui why she planned to come back now. Later, he remembered that Jiahui¡¯s eldest sister-in-law was pregnant. It was estimated that she would come back for this matter.


    ¡°My mother-in-law¡¯s eldest daughter was in the last months of her pregnancy. I have to go back and take a look. ¡°


    Sure enough, Jiahui came back for this reason.


    She was busy in school and had a lot of things to do. Jiahui needs professional training for simultaneous interpretation, processing of the internship in the provincial committee, and hosting and performing at the New Year¡¯s Day party. She was looking for ways to find time to have a short break in her busy schedule.


    After calling Jiahui, Dong Aihua went home and said Jiahui¡¯s opinion. The family thought about it. As the old saying goes, ¡°the mountain dweller lives off the mountain, the shore dweller lives off the sea.¡± [1] There are many treasures on the mountain. If you contract more mountains, the mountain will be your own in the future.


    ¡°Then contract more mountains. The one closest to our house will be contracted down. ¡°


    ¡°That¡¯s a lot of money, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Liu Xiuyun couldn¡¯t help but open her mouth again.


    ¡°What are you afraid of? When the sky falls, there is a high roof. Your father and I are still here. Can it still crush you? ¡°


    Since her mother-in-law said so, Liu Xiuyu didn¡¯t dare speak. Anyway, her sister-in-law said that she could support the family if they lacked money. Besides, she doesn¡¯t take the money out of her pocket. What is she afraid of? She can just go with the flow, and the loss won¡¯t be counted on her, and she might even enjoy the benefits as she follows along.


    The Dong family decided to contract 50 acres of barren land and the sunrise side of the nearest mountain. As for the back, it¡¯s from another village. Each village planted a tree on the top of the mountain, bounded by trees. Each village does not interfere with the other.


    ¡°So many? Do you want the whole mountain land? ¡°


    When Dong Haotian heard Dong Aihua¡¯s words, he almost dropped his jaw.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s just a matter of maintaining, so why don¡¯t you just wrap it all up?¡±


    Dong Haotian nodded, thinking their family was really rich in that large area. It was almost a thousand acres of land, right?


    The real person does not reveal his face. Some people look so ordinary that you wouldn¡¯t expect their family¡¯s wealth to be so thick.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll take someone to measure the land this afternoon. You follow along to take a look.


    Measuring the mountain is more difficult than measuring the flat land. They had to measure while climbing the mountain. Dong Haotian was looking for several young and clever guys in the village. This quantity is measured from noon to dark. It is 732.07 acres. Point seven was not counted. It was directly measured as 732 acres.


    References

 CH 89.2

    That night, the Dong family didn¡¯t want to eat. If they went home to calculate, they would have to pay more than 4,000 yuan a year. All the deposits in the family add up to less than this amount. Even if the team agreed to pay the rent every six months, the pressure is really not small.


    What if you can¡¯t make money? What if you lose money? That¡¯s the family¡¯s savings for decades! Every cent spent is a cent lost.


    Chen Guixiang picked up the chopsticks, patted the table, and said loudly, ¡°Okay! Don¡¯t be depressed. For what has been decided, it¡¯s better not to think about something unpleasant. It¡¯s better to work when you¡¯re full. ¡°


    ¡°Aihua, you will send the money to brother Haotian tomorrow. As soon as the land is divided, everyone will go to the land to clean it up. If you clean up one day earlier, you can earn money one day earlier.¡±


    After Chen Guixiang¡¯s words, everyone seemed to become motivated, and everyone was instantly in high spirits.


    Yes, although the money at home was less, there was so much more land at the same time! The thought that the whole mountain behind their house was owned by their family gave birth to a sense of pride in having the world.


    ¡°Okay, so Well, let¡¯s eat quickly. If the dish is cold, I¡¯ll take it to the kitchen and reheat it. ¡°


    Zhou Yindi was also happy. All these big and small things in the family were handed over to their own man. Among the three brothers, her father-in-law and mother-in-law trusted her own man most.


    Women are like this. When their men have a face, they also have a face.


    As for Dong Aimin and Dong Aiguo, the eldest brother was born as the eldest brother. It¡¯s right for parents to entrust important tasks to the eldest brother. They have nothing to compete for. With their parents, can they make themselves suffer losses?


    Besides, Liu Xiuyun and Zhao Lijuan were married later than Zhou Yindi. My sister-in-law has been the first proud daughter-in-law in her mother-in-law¡¯s heart in recent years. Like their husbands, they have long been used to their mother-in-law¡¯s behavior. The family is harmonious, neither competing nor snatching something from someone.


    Fifty acres of wasteland and seven hundred and thirty-two acres of mountain land. The half-year rent is 2130 yuan. Dong Haotian gave back the 30 yuan to the Dong family.


    ¡­.


    Zhao Caixia gave birth at the end of October. She gave birth to a little girl. Zhang Qiaoer called to report her joy. She said that the little girl was white and fat. She is a little beauty and looks like Da Ya when she was a baby.


    After Zhao Caixia¡¯s pregnancy, Zhang Qiaoer and Meixiang took turns taking care of Zhao Caixia¡¯s baby. Li Wangping couldn¡¯t come to the restaurant alone, and several sisters-in-law of the Li family came together to help.


    Speaking of the Li family, it¡¯s all trivial things. The Li family¡¯s conditions were not as good as the Zhao family¡¯s, and Li Wangping was not the favorite child of his parents. When Zhao Caixia married into their family, she was suppressed by her several sisters-in-law because of her gentle temperament. At first, she didn¡¯t live well. Later, her mother-in-law died, and her brothers separated, so her life was better.


    The married couple (ZC and LW) had the least property when they separated. They didn¡¯t have an iron pot for cooking and no dishes or chopsticks for eating. Zhao Caixia was busy at home and outside the house, and she still had to take care of her two children. In the winter, her hands were frozen and turned purple, and she had a bad backache after an accidental bump. If Zhang Qiaoer wasn¡¯t worried about her daughter¡¯s wellbeing, she would have chosen not to go back to her mother¡¯s house to make a noise.


    When the couple opened a restaurant, everyone knew that their restaurant was earning a lot of money, and the brothers and sisters-in-law finally seized this opportunity to move forward.


    ¡°How¡¯s Linlin today? Did she sleep well? ¡°


    ¡°No, she slept quite well.¡±


    Zhao Caixia was in confinement in Meixiang¡¯s dormitory. The environment in the restaurant was noisy, and it was certainly not suitable for pregnant women and children. Meixiang thought that several empty rooms in the dormitory were not occupied. With the consent of the school leaders, Zhao Caxia was allowed to be confined there.


    Meixiang put the chicken soup on the bedside table for her eldest sister to drink.


    ¡°How¡¯s the restaurant? Was the business good? ¡°


    ¡°Very good. There are many customers.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s your brother-in-law? Is he busy? ¡°


    The family didn¡¯t tell Zhao Caixia those bad things for fear of affecting her mood during confinement.


    ¡°Well, we looked for someone who could help.¡±


    Meixiang handed the rice, ¡°Sister, don¡¯t worry. Eat first. When Linlin wakes up, you don¡¯t have time to eat well.


    Zhao Caixia nodded and began to drink chicken soup.


    In fact, the restaurant is now a mess. Today, several sisters-in-law quarreled, and the collection of money was in outer chaos. Her brother-in-law was too anxious, but he was too honest to say that he couldn¡¯t help others. Finally, he took it away.


    As they said, they are all brothers with broken bones and tendons. When brothers are in trouble, they all come to help, and if you don¡¯t allow them to help you, then you will be called small-minded and fussy. We don¡¯t care about any small contradictions in the past. Why is it still in your heart?


    If she said these words to her eldest sister, Meixiang felt that her eldest sister could vomit blood.


    Jiahui, Donglin, and Donghe came back with their children at the weekend. The two brothers went to the restaurant first. Zhao Caixia directly came to Jiahui Jiahui.


    ¡°Elder sister.¡±


    Jiahui smiled and pushed the door open. Zhao Caixia just got out of bed and prepared to wash Lin Lin¡¯s diaper.


    There are no disposable diapers these days, and the ¡°diapers¡± in this era were all hand-washed.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it. The water is a bit cold.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯ll just add some hot water.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all right. I¡¯m her aunt. What¡¯s the matter with washing a diaper for my niece? ¡°


    Jiahui put down the things she brought and said with a smile, ¡°Sister, you put it away first. I¡¯ll see my niece before washing it.¡±


    Linlin slept fragrantly, with her small pouting lips and exceptionally small hands. Her skin was white and red, Jiahui was moved at first glance, and her memory pulled her back to the time when Fang Fang was firstborn.


    ¡°It¡¯s wonderful. Children are the purest and most beautiful existence in the world. It¡¯s really great.¡±


    ¡°You like children so much. You should have more.¡±


    Jiahui shook her head, ¡°My energy is limited, and I am too busy. I can¡¯t give birth anymore. ¡°


    And what? Give birth until I have a soccer team?


    ¡°If you give birth, and mom can¡¯t raise them for you, then I will help you raise the baby.¡±


    Jiahui smiled. ¡°Elder sister, I¡¯ll consider what you said, and we will follow fate. We will definitely want it when it really comes. ¡°


    For the sake of their studies, they were very serious about contraception. Jiahui also talked to Zhao Donglin. She did not want to get pregnant again. There were already three children in the family. Although she did not give birth to Heidan and Ying Bao, she cared for them the same way she cared for her own child. She hoped for their success. She hoped that they would grow as independent and strong individuals and have a bright future.


    Zhao Donglin expressed his respect for Jiahui¡¯s wishes; after all, Jiahui suffered from giving birth, and when she was pregnant with Fang Fang, he was quite distressed to see how she did not eat and sleep well.


    Therefore, on the issue of childbirth, he fully respects Jiahui¡¯s wishes, and the couple¡¯s consensus is that they deliberately didn¡¯t want any accident to happen, but they would also still openly accept it if it was their fate.


    Of course, this situation will only last a few years, and in a few years, the country will have to implement family planning.

 CH 90.1

    The two brothers, Zhao Donglin and Zhao Donghe got off the bus and went straight to the restaurant with the four kids. When they arrived at the restaurant, they found that the situation was not right. The Li family even greeted the customers like hosts and even took care of the work of collecting money.


    When Li Wangping¡¯s sister-in-law saw the two of them, she did not show the slightest embarrassment. She smiled and welcomed them and said, ¡°Brothers-in-law, you¡¯re back? Aiyaa, I thought you were busy in the provincial capital and didn¡¯t have time to return. The baby has been born for ten days.¡±


    The words were said without any end. Zhao Donglin frowned and ignored her. Zhang Qiaoer was helping in the kitchen. Heidan took his younger siblings to the kitchen to look for their grandmother.


    ¡°Oh, what are you doing here? Are your parents here? ¡°


    ¡°Dad and uncle are outside.¡±


    ¡°My mom went to see my little sister at my aunt¡¯s place.¡±


    Seeing her grandchildren, Zhang Qiaoer was very happy. She spoke to her son-in-law and left the kitchen with her child.


    At first, in order to take care of the eldest daughter¡¯s pregnancy, she didn¡¯t go to the provincial capital with her son and daughter-in-law. Zhang Qiaoer has always been embarrassed. Her daughter had given birth smoothly. Despite the fact that she had given birth to a girl, they are not the type of family that values boys over girls. The pain of men and women is the same. There¡¯s no difference. But the Li family¡¯s sudden appearance made her very angry.


    On the one hand, she took care of her daughter and her little granddaughter. On the other hand, she helped her son-in-law take care of the kitchen. She didn¡¯t want to quarrel and cause trouble in the restaurant, so she endured it until now.


    Today, when her two sons came back, Zhang Qiaoer suddenly had a feeling of finding the backbone.


    ¡°Have you eaten yet? What would you like to eat? Noodles or dumplings? ¡°


    It¡¯s lunchtime at the moment. There are a lot of people eating in the restaurant, including individuals, couples, and groups.


    After a long ride, the children were really hungry.


    ¡°We want noodles.¡±


    ¡°Okay, so Wait for grandma to do it for you. ¡°


    Li Wangping took the opportunity of serving food to meet up with Donglin and Donghe, but he didn¡¯t dare to look directly at them; his eyes kept avoiding them.


    ¡°Brother-in-law, what¡¯s going on?¡±


    Zhao Donglin naturally asked about the appearance of the three sisters-in-law of the Li family. Li Wangping understood, and the Li family understood.


    Before Li Wangping spoke, Li¡¯s sister-in-law said it first.


    ¡°Brother-in-law, we are here to help. Caixia has given birth to a baby. We mean well. ¡°


    The second sister-in-law of the Li family also helped and said, ¡°Yes. If you are in trouble, we will still have to stretch out our hands.¡±


    If Zhao Donglin doesn¡¯t understand what this means, all the rice for so many years will be eaten in vain. It¡¯s a group of brazen relatives who set up the flag of ¡°family affection¡± to beat the autumn wind.


    Zhao Donglin smiled and sat down with the children. They ordered a bowl of noodles. Fang Fang and Yingbao shared a bowl.


    ¡°After eating, let¡¯s go and see our eldest sister and go back to the village in the evening.¡±


    With so many people, there must be no room for such a number of people in the county. It costs money to stay in the hostel. In addition, Jiahui has to go back to her mother¡¯s house.


    As for the Li family¡¯s affairs, wait until they understand the situation clearly before talking about the rest.


    They can only hope that their helping hand was sincere.


    After eating, Zhao Donglin brought lunch for Jiahui and the others. Donglin went to the Meixiang dorm with Donghe.


    This time, Meixiang also came back from school. Jiahui was talking to her about the wedding.


    The Ji family has planned the wedding date. The wedding will be on the eighteenth day of the lunar month, that is, ten days before the New Year.


    At that time, the school had a winter vacation, and everyone had time. What was not perfect was that Jiahui didn¡¯t have much time to help Meixiang to prepare.


    ¡°Is your wedding dress prepared by the man?¡±


    The Ji family was very sincere, with a gift of 888 yuan, ten cigarettes, 20 kilograms of fruit sugar, ten tables in a banquet in the county, and four popular items, which were watches, bicycles, semiconductors radios, and sewing machines.


    If Meixiang marries Ji Zhenfeng, the Ji family will have to spend four or five thousand yuan.


    ¡°My aunt said she would buy me two sets of clothes. I also bought clothes and made some shirts and coats myself. The clothes are enough. ¡°


    At first, Meixiang thought about asking her sister-in-law to make her a wedding dress. She knew that her sister-in-law had great ideas for making clothes. But now, her sister-in-law is too busy. She has to attend classes, do housework, and take care of the children. Last time, my brother wrote back and said that sister in law had trained in the provincial Party committee, which made Meixiang even more embarrassed to cause trouble to Jiahui.


    ¡°In the twinkling of an eye, Meixiang will get married too. I have to think about what gift to give you.¡±


    Meixiang is her closest little sister in this world. She¡¯s well behaved, understanding, all the virtues that a girl should have. She has all of it.


    Meixiang was like a little girl projected from Jiahui¡¯s own heart, and everything about her made Jiahui very happy.


    ¡°Sister-in-law, there¡¯s no need for that. You have given me enough gifts, and I can¡¯t use them all in my life.¡±


    If it weren¡¯t for my sister-in-law, she might have married early, wouldn¡¯t have taken the college entrance exam, wouldn¡¯t have become a teacher in the county, and wouldn¡¯t have had the opportunity to meet Ji Zhenfeng.


    Meixiang still has self-awareness and knows that if she hadn¡¯t gotten into college and become a teacher, and her brother and sister-in-law were not so excellent, the Ji family would never have recognized her so much.


    ¡­¡­¡­.


    Dong¡¯s family wasteland has been packed up most of the time, first with a hoe to dig the stones, weeds clean, and from elsewhere with a stretcher picked suitable for planting crops of soil over the pavement.


    As soon as they arrived, they dug and leveled the soil. The labor force was really not that big. Not to mention the huge amount of 50 mu of land, the Dong family was almost tired.


    Jiahui went back to her mother¡¯s house and saw that her mother¡¯s shoulders were swollen by the burden carrier, and her hands were cracked. Jiahui was very distressed.


    ¡°Mom, don¡¯t be so anxious. Your body is the capital of the revolution. You can¡¯t do well in so many places for a while. ¡°


    Chen Guixiang smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay. It might look scary (the wounds), but I don¡¯t feel it at all. ¡°


    Jiahui didn¡¯t believe it. Although she doesn¡¯t work much in the field, she knows how tiring it is to work in the field.


    ¡°Mom, you are taking me as a child. How can you not feel it? It must be very uncomfortable. ¡°


    Chen Guixiang then sighed and revealed the truth, saying, ¡°We had so many lands that it made the family panic if they didn¡¯t hurry up and finish cleaning it.¡± To tell you the truth, if we can stay up at night, we¡¯d like to stay awake. ¡°


    She shook her head helplessly, knowing that her persuasion would not work, and turned to other matters.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already asked about the saplings. There will be a batch of them in March and April after the new year. Don¡¯t leave the land empty for a few months. It¡¯s also good to plant some vegetables that are easy to grow and sell them. ¡°

 CH 90.2

    Jiahui was entrusted to look for the seedlings, and she came to ask a professor from Wudong Agricultural University, who specializes in the grafting and cultivation of fruit seedlings.


    This time, Chen Guixiang showed a sincere smile. They sat at home and didn¡¯t know where to get saplings. Jiahui told them not to worry. She came to find a way, but how could they not worry?


    Now it¡¯s good, and everything is in place.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll listen to you. Besides, you said that some poultry and livestock could be raised on the mountain. I have selected eggs to hatch. When the chickens hatch and stay at home for a period of time, they can be directly put on the mountain.


    Dong Dagui has not gone to the field in the past few days. He was on the mountain to build chicken pens and sheep pens. He was in full swing.


    They have all figured out how to raise them. They can raise them in the daytime and go to the enclosure in the evening. The grass on the mountain is enough for them to eat.


    Jiahui nodded and turned to take her backpack in front of her.


    ¡°Mom, I brought some money back. I think there must be more places to use money at home. Take it first and use it if you need it. You shouldn¡¯t save money and delay things. ¡°


    Kraft paper envelopes have a thick stack. At this time, there are no hundred-yuan bills. The largest bill has a face value of ten yuan. Jiahui has prepared 3,000 for her family. The envelope she was holding in her hand was a thick stack.


    Chen Guixiang took the envelope. The mouth says the opposite, but in fact, she was relieved.


    Most of the money at home has been used for half a year¡¯s rent. In addition to the rent, there are a lot of things they need to buy next. It is estimated that there will be no return on investment in this half of the year. The rent in the second half of the year is a big problem, and Jiahui is like giving charcoal in the snow.


    ¡°The money was borrowed by your brothers. When they earn money, I¡¯ll ask them to pay you back first. ¡°


    The son and daughter are the flesh of her heart. The daughter has a good life and is willing to help her family. Chen Guixiang can¡¯t let her suffer.


    Jiahui smiled, ¡°I¡¯m also looking forward to our family¡¯s better days.¡± To tell you the truth, I¡¯m also under pressure to let my eldest brother do this. ¡°


    The idea was put forward by her. It¡¯s better to be safe than sorry. If she didn¡¯t make money and lost the money in the end, she would die of guilt.


    After all, she doesn¡¯t major in social economics. All her ideas were based on her supervisor¡¯s cognition and had no professional data support.


    There are a lot of people engaged in agricultural development, but if this time and place are not suitable for this, who can she talk to?


    Chen Guixiang understood the meaning of her daughter and patted her hand with infinite emotion.


    ¡°Mom knows, mom knows. Anyway, there are so many places. If the same kind is bad, we¡¯ll change it. There¡¯s always a time to make money. ¡°


    On this point, Chen Guixiang is still very optimistic.


    She came all the way from the old world. In the old society, there were landlords, middle peasants, and poor peasants. In her understanding, having land is money. Why were landlords called landlords? Wasn¡¯t it because of the large amount of land?


    Now, in addition to the ten mu of land distributed by the village, there is also 50 mu of wasteland and more than 700 mu of mountainous areas that have completely reached the level of ¡°landlord.¡±


    ¡­¡­¡­.


    ¡°What do you think about the Li family?¡±


    On the way back from her mother¡¯s house, Jiahui talked to Zhao Donglin about the Li family.


    At first, she funded the opening of the restaurant to make her eldest sister live well. Now the Li family came to take advantage of the benefits. Jiahui naturally doesn¡¯t like it, but the Li family is her eldest sister¡¯s in-laws. Jiahui didn¡¯t want to say the words first. She wants to hear Zhao Donglin¡¯s opinion on this matter.


    Zhao Donglin naturally complained about the Li family. No one reached out to help her when she needed it most. What¡¯s the point of running here now? Donglin knows that his brother-in-law is too simple and honest. This character has its advantages, but it also has many disadvantages. It is easy for him to suffer losses.


    Zhao Donglin wants to see his brother-in-law suffer a loss, but his eldest sister, niece, and nephew will also suffer a loss, which is not what Zhao Donglin wants to see.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go talk to them. Don¡¯t care about it anymore. ¡°


    If the restaurant is short of people, they spend money to find others to help. The Li family must leave. This is business, not charity. If they really get involved, the restaurant doesn¡¯t have to be opened, and they will close it directly.


    Since Zhao Donglin said so, Jiahui really doesn¡¯t care. She didn¡¯t know what he said when he went to the restaurant. Anyway, the Li family had left before she left.


    ¡°Donglin, it¡¯s all my fault. I ended up giving you guys trouble.¡±


    Zhao Donglin thought it was a little complicated and patted Li Wangping on the shoulder. Thousands of words turned into a word of comfort.


    ¡°Brother-in-law, don¡¯t think about anything else. Just take good care of your elder sister and the children. We are all one family. There¡¯s no trouble. ¡°


    In other words, whether it is to open this restaurant or to solve the Li family¡¯s affairs, he didn¡¯t do it for his brother-in-law Li Wangping, but for his eldest sister Zhao Caixia, Daya Er Pang, and Lin Lin.


    Li Wangping¡¯s thought was not so complicated. He didn¡¯t perceive Zhao Donglin¡¯s deep meaning. He just knew that Donglin didn¡¯t blame him, which made him very happy.


    Zhao Caixia knew about it last night. She cried in the night and said a lot about her previous days, such as how several sisters-in-law bullied her, how they bullied Li Wangping, how she went down to the ground to earn work points while taking care of her children, and how she couldn¡¯t even get a hot meal when she came back.


    Li Wangping hurriedly caressed her ears and cheeks for comfort and vowed that he would not be involved with his brothers in the future, no matter whether their lives were good or bad. After hearing these words, Zhao Caixia stopped crying.


    ¡°Don¡¯t blame me for being cruel. They¡¯ve been really cold-hearted towards our family for so many years. But if they treated me a little better before, I wouldn¡¯t separate our family from them. ¡°


    ¡°I know. I don¡¯t blame you. ¡°


    How dare he blame his wife? According to the conditions of his wife, marrying him is considered to be a dowry. If he wants to blame someone, he can only blame himself for his incompetence. He hasn¡¯t let his wife live a good life in the past ten years.


    As his brother-in-law said, people have to distinguish right from wrong, know how to never do things that are not conducive to themselves, and can¡¯t be led by others.


    He is the head of the family, and has opened a restaurant and become a boss. He should grow up and give his wife and children a stable and peaceful sky.

 CH 91.1

    Chapter 91 Part 1


    In the twinkling of an eye, January has come. On the 8th day of the 12th lunar month, Jiahui returned to the provincial capital, and the school began its winter vacation.


    ¡°All things that needed to be prepared were almost ready. She bought six cotton wadding, two Shuangxi thermos bottles, a mandarin duck porcelain basin, a spittoon, a pillow towel, and the bride price money she would take with her. In addition, they added 188 yuan to the bottom of the box. There is also a needle and thread box and a mirror comb with these small bits and pieces.


    The betrothal gifts given by the Ji family were a lot of money. It¡¯s an auspicious number, 888. As for the money, Zhang Qiaoer didn¡¯t intend to take it. Naturally, she also gave back the bicycles and watches to Meixiang. Only tobacco, alcohol, and candies were kept at home.


    This bride price money was given back (to MX) together with the money from the bottom of the box and other items. Meixiang¡¯s wedding outfit was definitely one of the best in the whole village.


    As a matter of fact, in many families, the mother¡¯s family will deduct some money from the bride price. After all, many families were not rich, and there were a lot of kids at home. They take turns getting married and doing wedding events one by one. The family property has been hollowed out. Being able to leave a little is good enough.


    ¡°I bought woolen cloth from the provincial capital and came back to make a coat for Meixiang. In addition, this pair of dragon and Phoenix double happiness earrings is also our wedding gift to Meixiang. ¡°


    Originally, Jiahui wanted to buy a bracelet or necklace, but these were not popular at the time. The earrings are just right; not too eye-catching but also very meaningful.


    Gold in this era is affordable. Jiahui herself took the opportunity to buy some jewelry. In the future, if the style is not good-looking, she can melt it and remake the ring again.


    ¡°Aiya, these earrings are really well made, and there are paintings engraved on them.¡±


    ¡°No, dragon and phoenix double happiness, which means good luck.¡±


    Meixiang took them from Jiahui and held them in her hands. The more she looked at it, the more she liked it.


    ¡°Thank you, sister-in-law. Thank you, brother. I made you two spend money again.¡±


    ¡°Marriage is a once in a lifetime event. We must let you be happy on your wedding day. However, without these, you must already be happy to marry Zhenfeng. ¡°


    ¡°Oh, sister-in-law, don¡¯t tease me.


    ¡°What? Were you embarrassed to hear it? ¡°


    Zhang Qiaoer also laughed, ¡°She¡¯s a big girl, but thin-skinned, and can¡¯t bear to listen to it.¡±


    You need to get used to this. There will be many people teasing you these days. ¡°


    Meixiang laughed and pouted, ¡°I don¡¯t care about others. Just don¡¯t tease me, sister-in-law. ¡°


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Meixiang, you¡¯re more articulate than ever since you became a teacher.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true! She had improved a lot. Meixiang used to be a child, but now she¡¯s a little adult.¡±


    Zhang Qiaoer has always been proud of her daughter¡¯s ability to become a junior high school teacher in the county.


    The time soon reached the eighteenth day of the twelfth lunar month. The Zhao family got up just after dawn. Today is the day of Meixiang¡¯s wedding.


    Meixiang¡¯s room is warm. A stove is set up to keep the room warm. They helped Meixiang prepare.


    The cream was applied, the foundation was put on, and the big red lipstick was worn. The hairpins were clipped into her hair, and the double happiness earrings were worn on the ears, along with silver bracelets, big red woolen jackets, and long red skirts and black heels.


    The pair of silver bracelets were bought by Zhao Caixia and her husband. They earned some money by opening a restaurant in the county. Their days were much better than before. On the other hand, Meixiang and Zhenfeng often came to the store to help after opening it. One of the intentions behind this pair of bracelets was to give blessing to their sister and brother-in-law¡¯s marriage, and the other was out of gratitude to the two of them.


    Zhang Qiaoer Zhao Caixia was in the room, watching Jiahui little by little, dressing up and applying makeup on Meixiang. Zhang Qiaoer looked at her daughter with full of pride.


    ¡°Our family¡¯s Meixiang is really good-looking.¡±


    Jiahui dressed Meixiang according to her own aesthetics. The makeup is extremely light, which gives the impression of ¡°natural beauty.¡± Meixiang is also shocked as she looks at her reflection in the mirror.


    She never dreamed that she would look this good one day. Perhaps every girl has imagined that she would be the most beautiful bride in the world on her wedding day, and it was just an unrealistic thought before, but today, she feels that her dream has come true.


    ¡°Sister-in-law, thank you. You are so kind to me.¡±


    The dress she was wearing was made for her by her sister-in-law, and the earrings and hairpins were all bought by her sister-in-law. Of course, these were all small things. Three days and nights were not enough to talk about all of the good things her sister-in-law had done to her.


    Thinking about it, Meixiang¡¯s eyes began to redden. Today, she will marry Ji Zhenfeng. Zhenfeng is a good man. She has been looking forward to a better life as a prince and a princess, but she also understands that she can¡¯t often meet her sister-in-law just like that after marriage. That feeling made her sad. Even if her brother and sister-in-law say that she is still the daughter of Zhao, if you don¡¯t live in one yard, you become two separate families.


    Just like her eldest sister, she was once the daughter of the Zhao family, but nowadays, it is rare for her to go back to her mother¡¯s house. They have their own small family and are living their own small life.


    Meixiang¡¯s bridesmaid is her school colleague named Qin Qing. She is also a young teacher assigned to the school this year. Qin Qing lacks a little luck in love, unlike Meixiang. For the time being, the ¡°supreme treasure¡± that came with colorful auspicious clouds still hasn¡¯t arrived.


    When she arrived at Zhao¡¯s house, Meixiang was already dressed up. She couldn¡¯t recognize Meixiang when she saw her.


    Even though Meixiang¡¯s appearance is good, the difference between wearing makeup and not wearing makeup is still quite big.


    ¡°Meixiang, I really envy you.¡±


    ¡°Envious of what?¡±


    ¡°You married well, your family treats you well, and I haven¡¯t seen anyone around who got married more grandly than you.¡±


    Qin Qing told the truth. She was truly envious of Meixiang, but this envy didn¡¯t have a trace of inappropriate emotions.


    Meixiang smiled and nodded. ¡°My family is quite good to me, but you do not need to envy me. My sister-in-law said that every pot has its lid. There will always be a person waiting for you no matter what time and place. ¡°


    When Qin Qing heard this statement for the first time, she was overjoyed. Your sister-in-law is so funny. How does she know that there must be someone waiting for me? It¡¯s really comforting.


    Meixiang winked at her and said in a sly tone, ¡°Because there is no girl in this world who can¡¯t get married, you just haven¡¯t met the right one yet.¡±


    Qin Qing sighed. Meixiang was right. She really didn¡¯t lack anyone who was willing to introduce her to her. After all, she was a teacher, had a stable income, and was respected, but none of those things satisfied her. At least there was no man like Ji Zhenfeng, who was handsome and honest, had a good family background and good character.


    Of course, it was not necessary to find someone who was good at everything. For example, her requirements need not be as good as Meixiang¡¯s partner¡¯s, but the man has to have one or two things that are good. Such as, if he was not good-looking, he must have had good work, or his family background was almost excellent.


    ¡°I¡¯d better take my time and wait for some, but hopefully, he wouldn¡¯t let me wait too long and become an old girl.¡±


    After saying that, the two laughed in unison.


    ¡°Well, today is your big day. Let¡¯s not talk about me.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all right. Anyway, I¡¯m idle. Let¡¯s talk for a while.¡±

 CH 91.2

    Chapter 91 Part 2


    Today, the Dong family also came. As the eldest daughter-in-law, Jiahui also had to help greet the guests.


    ¡°Your sister-in-law¡¯s wedding was quite decent.¡±


    Dong Aihua and Zhou Yindi, her eldest brother and sister-in-law from the Dong family, attended mainly to show their support.


    ¡°It¡¯s quite good. After all, when you marry in the county, your husband¡¯s family was also in a family with status.¡±


    Zhou Yindi nodded, ¡°The students who went to school were really different. They can even marry better prospects.¡±


    If Meixiang didn¡¯t go to college, it¡¯s unlikely to find such a husband.


    ¡°This shows the benefits of seeking knowledge.¡±


    ¡°By the way, how¡¯s the land at home? Is the harvest for vegetables doing well?¡±


    Speaking of the land at home, Zhou Yindi said more.


    ¡°Cabbage and radish grew very well. Your brother listened to you. We have negotiated to supply vegetables to several restaurants. In addition, the chickens at home have begun to lay eggs. Forty or fifty eggs a day were collected, and all of these eggs were purchased by the supply and marketing agency. They complimented our eggs and said that our eggs were much better than those supplied by other families. The yolk was bigger, and sometimes there were double yolks on it. ¡°


    Although they were worried before, now the vegetables were growing well, the chickens were being raised well, and the fish in the river was getting fatter and fatter. Their family took ten lambs. Although the return of money that was seen this year was limited, everything is developing in a good direction. Everyone in the family feels that their life is getting better and better.


    ¡°When the first batch of fruit trees arrives, the family will be busier.¡±


    ¡°Why should we be afraid that we will be busy? The busier you are, the more prosperous you will be. ¡°


    Everyone in the family calculated the sum of money together. Fifty eggs a day. The supply and marketing cooperatives charge five cents per egg. Selling eggs has an income of 75 yuan each month, which means they earn 900 yuan a year.


    This is only the initial stage. In the future, the more chickens they raise, the more income will continue to increase.


    In addition, when the ten sheep grow up, they will also generate a large amount of income. Half of the rent can be earned back if these two items are added together.


    Zhou Yindi really admired her sister-in-law. In the beginning, her sister-in-law suggested the family engage in contracting and signed a 35-year contract at once. At that time, she thought the signing time was too long. Now, looking back, she can¡¯t wait to add ten more years.


    Ji Zhenfeng came in a car, wearing a brand-new uniform. There was a small red flower pinned on his left chest¡ªpart of his uniform, to highlight his status as the groom. The best man was a little comrade on the same team. In order not to take away from the groom¡¯s style, he didn¡¯t wear a uniform and wore a Tibetan blue Zhongshan suit.


    Zhenfeng was accompanied by several comrades in other teams, driving two other cars to support the scene for their vice-captain.


    ¡°Here comes the bride¡¯s groom! Here comes the bride¡¯s groom!


    Adults and children are all smiling. The children clapped their hands and sang nursery rhymes around them, ¡°the bride¡¯s groom is an official, riding a white horse, with a big red flower on his chest, and the bride is dressed in red with a red cover on her head¡­¡±


    The best man smiled and distributed candies around them. The children stopped singing and ran to grab the candies.


    ¡°Wow, baby candy, this candy is delicious.¡±


    ¡°I ate it once. My father brought it to me from the city.


    And those who couldn¡¯t wait to put sugar in their mouth were conquered by the sweet taste in an instant.


    Zhao Donglin and Zhao Donghe were in the yard. Ji Zhenfeng came over, and Zhao Donglin patted him on the shoulder.


    ¡°Congratulations.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    After saying that, the two looked at each other and smiled.


    In the hall, Jiahui accompanied Zhang Qiaoer and Zhao Manzhu. The old couple looked forward to the happenings outside the house. When they heard that Ji Zhenfeng had arrived, Zhang Qiaoer couldn¡¯t sit still. They looked around and waited for their future son-in-law. When Ji Zhenfeng approached, wearing a uniform with a dignified face. Zhang Qiaoer thought that half of her daughter¡¯s life would rely on him. How well-matched they are, Zhang Qiaoer was happy and at the same time reluctant, and tears came out uncontrollably.


    ¡°Mom, are you so happy that you are crying?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am just too happy.¡±


    Ji Zhenfeng walked in with a smile, bowed to Zhang Qiaoer and Zhao Manzhu, and said, ¡°Dad, Mom, I came to pick up Meixiang from your house.¡±


    The words had not yet fallen, but Zhang Qiaoer¡¯s tears soared out again.


    ¡°Yes, okay, Meixiang is in the room.¡±


    Zhao Manzhu was holding a cigarette stick. He didn¡¯t know if he was happy or sad. His voice was slightly shaky and hoarse.


    In the house, Meixiang was nervously sitting at the bedside. The bridesmaid Qin Qing stared out the window and saw Ji Zhenfeng enter the house and see Ji Zhenfeng come out of the hall towards this room.


    ¡°Meixiang, he¡¯s coming, he¡¯s coming.¡±


    Zhao Caixia hugged Linlin and stood by the window with a smile. She turned back and said with a smile, ¡°Today, Zhenfeng is really handsome. You two, ah, the boy and the girl, were just a natural pair.¡±


    The words somewhat relieved Meixiang¡¯s nervousness, and when Ji Zhenfeng pushed the door in, Meixiang was smiling lightly with her head down, and at this moment, Ji Zhenfeng¡¯s eyes only had the beautiful bride in front of him, and he could no longer see anything else.


    ¡°COUGH.¡±


    Qin Qing coughed, bringing Ji Zhenfeng¡¯s thoughts back to reality. Meixiang also blushed and looked up. Their eyes met in the air, and were once again stunned.


    The crowd covered their mouths and smiled, and there were direct words of jest.


    ¡°The groom became silly when he saw the bride.¡±


    ¡°Such a good-looking bride¡­ if it was me, I would also become silly.¡±


    ¡°The groom is also very handsome.¡±


    Qin Qing held back her laughter, stood in front of the two, and said to Ji Zhenfeng, ¡°The bride is not so easy to take away. You have to show something first.¡±


    Ji Zhenfeng nodded, ¡°Of course, I¡¯m ready.¡±


    He looked sideways at the best man, Xu Zhiyi, who immediately took out a handful of red envelopes from his Zhongshan suit pocket and stuffed them into Qin Qing¡¯s hand, who froze, and Ji Zhenfeng shook his head helplessly.


    ¡°Who asked you to give it like this? You have to give it one by one.¡±


    ¡°This child was honest and sincere.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not. Who had such a mind to give the red envelope that way? ¡°


    ¡°Look at his head. He doesn¡¯t look like a fool.¡±


    Xu Zhiyi finally understood that he had made a fool of himself, but he couldn¡¯t get it back from the bridesmaid¡¯s hand. He scratched the back of his head in embarrassment.


    ¡°The auspicious hour is coming. The new couple, hurry up and offer tea to your parents.¡±


    Ji Zhenfeng helped Meixiang to the main room.


    Zhang Qiaoer¡¯s eyes were red from crying. Zhao Manzhu is also smoking dry cigarettes. Seeing his daughter and son-in-law coming, Zhao Manzhu quickly put out the cigarette.


    After toasting the tea, Ji Zhenfeng will take Meixiang away, and the mother and daughter will hold hands reluctantly.


    ¡°I just can¡¯t bear it. I have loved you most since you were a child, and you have been with me the longest¡­¡­¡±


    Zhang Qiaoer held Meixiang¡¯s hand and was unwilling to let go of her.


    ¡°Live a good life with Zhenfeng in the future.¡±


    ¡°Yes, mom, don¡¯t worry, we will live our lives well. You and dad, take care of yourselves at home too.¡±


    The matchmaker saw that the time could not be delayed any longer. She repeatedly urged, and Meixiang finally got into the car. Jiahui and Zhao Donglin, as the relatives who will see off the bride, also rode the car.


    The car slowly drove, Meixiang reluctantly looked out the window. Zhang Qiaoer and Zhao Manzhu also kept waving their hands. Only when they were out of the intersection and could not see their shadow did Meixiang turn her head to wipe her tears.


    ¡°I¡¯ll retouch your makeup when we get off the car later. The makeup was ruined when you cried. ¡°


    Fortunately, there is no mascara or anything that can make her cry like a giant panda.

 CH 92

    Chapter 92


    The marriage house of Ji Zhenfeng and Meixiang was in the apartment building near the county government. They will be living with Ji Zhenfeng¡¯s parents.


    Ji Zhenfeng consulted Meixiang on this and asked her if she would like to live with her elders.


    ¡°As you know, my parents have good character and are not difficult to get along with. Before my brother got married, my sister-in-law didn¡¯t want to live with them, so my brother moved out. When we got married, I had to respect your ideas.¡±


    ¡°I can live with them. If uncle and auntie didn¡¯t mind if their house was crowded and they wouldn¡¯t feel uncomfortable, then I would be willing to live with them. ¡°


    ¡°This child, why would we be uncomfortable with having the place become lively? We are eager for our daughter-in-law to live with us. Please let Meixiang rest assured that I am not one of those annoying evil mothers-in-law. I will treat her as my own daughter. ¡°


    Yang Yuqin was so happy. Meixiang is a girl who is sweet and sensible. She knew she had not made a mistake.


    At this time, Yang Yuqin and Ji Qingming were waiting happily at home. Ji Zhenlin, Luo Siwen, Ji Jialu, and Lu Wei were also there.


    Ji Zhenlin is the director of the municipal Party committee office. Luo Siwen works in the power department. Ji Jialu married another county, and she is also a teacher. Her husband, Lu Wei, was in charge of the railway department and their department¡¯s head.


    ¡°Sister, have you seen the daughter-in-law Zhenfeng found?¡±


    The room was lively, and Luo Siwen played with her fingers.


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen her once. She¡¯s a nice girl.¡±


    Seriously? I heard my parents praise her like a flower. Was she really that good? ¡°


    Luo Siwen was unconvinced. Her mother-in-law, Yang Yuqin, never mentioned herself in such a satisfied tone.


    But she is still a girl from the countryside. Even if she went to university and became a teacher, she couldn¡¯t hide her rural upbringing. How good could she be?


    Ji Jialu looked at her and did not say anything.


    When the caravan arrived, the courtyard sounded with the crackling of firecrackers. Yang Yuqin, who was originally sitting on the sofa talking and laughing with the old sisters, stooped up happily when she heard those sounds.


    ¡°It¡¯s Zhenfeng who came back from picking up the bride.¡±


    ¡°Oh, today I can finally meet your daughter-in-law, who you praised endlessly.


    This was a thoughtless remark, but Luo Siwen was not happy to hear it.


    Meixiang was wearing high heels. When she got off the car, Jiahui wanted to help her, but Ji Zhenfeng took a big step to get off the car, and the princess hugged Meixiang and carried her out of the car.


    ¡°Oh, oh, the groom hugged the bride.¡±


    ¡°The bride is so beautiful, ah.¡±


    ¡°No wonder the groom likes her so much.¡±


    Yang Yuqin stood at the window watching and saw her son hugging Meixiang as he walked towards the courtyard.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Zhenfeng to love his wife so much, and the two will definitely have a good relationship in the future.¡±


    ¡°Exactly! He loves her dearly. ¡°


    ¡°You, as his mother, do not envy it?¡±


    ¡°The more they live well, the happier I am as a mother.¡±


    The kind of mother-in-law who gets jealous of her daughter-in-law is indeed not uncommon. Anyway, Yang Yuqin didn¡¯t quite understand. She will choose to live far away from her daughter-in-law if she can¡¯t get along with her daughter-in-law. Just like her eldest daughter-in-law, she doesn¡¯t see her figure except during the new year¡¯s festival, and the same with Yang Yuqin¡¯s relative. In fact, her neighbors were closer and kinder to her than her daughter-in-law.


    Meixiang blushed and nestled into Ji Zhenfeng¡¯s chest. This is her temperament. She doesn¡¯t like to attract attention, but today is her wedding day. It¡¯s inevitable to receive countless compliments. Although it was very uncomfortable, there was such a man, with his strong arms hugging her¡ªa man who would accompany her to receive the blessings and attention of all people. Meixiang¡¯s heartfelt sweetness, thus, becomes particularly courageous.


    ¡°Mom, Dad.¡±


    ¡°Yes, good girl. Today you are married to Zhenfeng. You can rest assured that I will definitely treat you as my own daughter.


    Yang Yuqin took Meixiang¡¯s hand and introduced the family¡¯s guests to Meixiang one by one.


    ¡°This is your Great Aunt Mei. She might not be a close relative, but she took care of Zhenfeng from childhood to adulthood.¡±


    ¡°Oh my! What a good girl. It¡¯s so beautiful. No wonder Zhenfeng liked her. ¡°


    ¡°This is your great-uncle, Zhenfeng¡¯s own uncle.¡±


    ¡°This is your great aunt.¡±


    ¡°This is your big brother, sister-in-law, and this is your big sister, big brother-in-law.¡±


    Ji Jialu had met Meixiang before. She took her hand and said some blessings with a smile. For Luo Siwen, this was her first time seeing Meixiang. It¡¯s very different from her imagination. She thought that Meixiang looked rustic and timid and too inferior to show in public. She didn¡¯t expect herself to be so beautiful and fashionable. She didn¡¯t look tacky from wearing red; instead, she looked like a dignified and graceful beauty. She didn¡¯t look like she came from the countryside at all.


    ¡°These two are Meixiang¡¯s eldest brother and sister-in-law. They are both students at Wudong University and pillars of the country. They are valuable.


    Yang Yuqin didn¡¯t ignore Zhao Donglin and Jiahui and introduced them to her relatives and friends.


    ¡°Oh, college students. So many college students in a family. They are a family of scholars. ¡°


    ¡°There is also a brother who was also in the provincial capital to go to college. He was admitted to Wudong Mining University. He did not come today, but he will see everyone again next time there is an opportunity. ¡°


    ¡°Certainly, we can also be influenced by seeing more college students, can¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­¡±


    When the bride arrives, the whole atmosphere becomes lively. The banquet for Ji¡¯s family is placed in the hotel. It¡¯s not time for dinner yet. Those who are close to Ji¡¯s family went to the Ji family¡¯s house. Those who had a distant relationship with them naturally went directly to the hotel for dinner when it was time.


    ¡°Now, I can see you. I often hear Meixiang mention you. ¡°


    It was Ji Jialu, Ji Zhenfeng¡¯s sister, who spoke to Jiahui.


    ¡°Hello, I also heard Meixiang talk about you. She said, ¡°You are very kind to her.¡±


    ¡°We are family. There¡¯s no need to talk about cordiality; it¡¯s all as it should be.¡±


    The two looked at each other and smiled.


    The Ji family¡¯s banquet was very lively. At noon, there were 18 tables in the hotel. The standard banquet for each table was 50 yuan, including chickens, ducks, fish, pigs, cattle, and sheep, as well as crabs transported from other places.


    The wine is Wuliangye. The cigarettes were from China. At noon, it is just relatives and friends. At night, there are all kinds of relations between colleagues and society. There are more tables. According to the preliminary calculation, 36 tables are obtained. In this way, the banquet alone will cost more than 2000 yuan.


    ¡°The event of the Ji family was very big.¡±


    Before dinner, Jiahui whispered to Zhao Donglin, who nodded.


    ¡°Brother-in-law, don¡¯t just sit here. You have to drink it. Come and sit at that table with me. ¡°


    Ji Zhenfeng¡¯s uncle took Zhao Donglin away. Zhao Donglin also looked back at Jiahui, and the meaning in those eyes was to remind her to take care of herself.


    ¡°You two have a good relationship. How many years have you been married? ¡°


    Sitting next to Jiahui is Meixiang¡¯s mother-in-law¡¯s friend, Aunt Da Mei.


    ¡°Five or six years.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not a short time. You look very young. How old are you this year? ¡°


    ¡°I¡¯m twenty-eight this year.¡±


    Virtual age 28, real age 27.


    ¡°Quite young, looking at your appearance, you only looked like you¡¯re more of like 24 or 25 years old. I can see that your husband looks older than you.¡±


    ¡°Yes, he is a few years older than me.¡±


    Probably because she was afraid that Jiahui would feel bored, Aunt Da Mei kept chatting with Jiahui in a pleasant manner, and as she talked, Luo Siwen, who was sitting opposite, spoke.


    ¡°I heard that you are not the original couple. Both of you were married twice, right? ¡°


    When these words came out, the whole table stopped talking, and some people secretly took a look at Jiahui.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s true that we are not the original couple. We were once divorced for some reason.¡±


    Jiahui calmly responded to Luo Siwen¡¯s deliberate provocation.


    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t stare blankly. Hurry up and eat; the food will get cold if you don¡¯t eat.¡±


    Ji Jialu didn¡¯t expect that this sister-in-law would deliberately cause trouble for Jiahui in front of so many people. Not to mention that Jiahui is Meixiang¡¯s sister-in-law. Today is Meixiang¡¯s wedding to Zhenfeng. She said that she is a serious college student and her future must be unlimited. Luo Siwen always felt that she was superior to others in the city since she was a child. In fact, on what grounds does she have the ability to look down on others?


    The river flows thirty years to the east and thirty years to the west. [1] Maybe others will become rich in the future, and there will be places where others can help them.


    ¡°OK, have a meal. Today¡¯s dishes were specially selected by Yuqin. She asked me to try the dishes the day before yesterday. I think it¡¯s good. You should eat more.


    ¡°Hey, OK, it looks good at first sight. It took a lot of thought. ¡°


    Under the guidance of Aunt Damei, the atmosphere finally got better. Luo Siwen took a few bites, put down her chopsticks, and left the table. Ji Jialu sighed. She felt that her sister-in-law¡¯s ¡°young lady¡± temper was getting bigger and bigger. The more she got older, the more she grew backward.


    ¡°Jiahui, don¡¯t take it to heart. She¡¯s just like this. She doesn¡¯t get along well with anyone and doesn¡¯t know how to speak well.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s OK. I don¡¯t care at all, and there¡¯s nothing to say about my marriage.¡±


    Ji Jialu smiled reassuringly, ¡°En, I can see that you are an open-minded person. That¡¯s good. People should not be narrow-minded. If you¡¯re too small-minded, you will lead an unhappy life, and other people around you will also live an unhappy life. ¡°


    For example, an excellent person like her eldest brother took the position of director of the municipal party committee¡¯s office at a young age. In the beginning, he married Luo Siwen because she had a good family background and was a good match. Who knows that Luo Siwen¡¯s temperament can¡¯t help the table at all? Many of her private friends can¡¯t rely on her at all. It¡¯s hard to say what kind of relationship they can establish. Sometimes she can screw things up. Her eldest brother was also miserable.


    Let¡¯s look at Meixiang and her in-laws. Although they came from the countryside, they treated people much better than Luo Siwen. It can be seen that family background is not the only standard to measure people.


    All afternoon, Jiahui stayed with Meixiang at Ji¡¯s house. After having a banquet in the hotel in the evening, today¡¯s highlight is to enter the bridal chamber.


    There is a group of fun young people in the patrol brigade. There were a lot of tricks in the bridal chamber, such as Wuzi Dengke, beating gongs and drums, sweet, very sweet, loving each other, and Meixiang was blushing as red as blood. A bystander can¡¯t help but have a toothache.


    The way to play the Wuzi Dengke was to take five matches, insert them between five oranges, take a red rope and tie the cigarette. The husband and wife bite each end of the red rope with their mouths and light all the matches before the cigarette goes out. The bride and groom cannot use their hands to light all five matches together.


    To beat gongs and drums, one must tie a big spoon around Ji Zhenfeng¡¯s waist and a pan around Meixiang¡¯s waist. Ji Zhenfeng must have straightened his waist and beat the pot at Meixiang¡¯s waist with a spoon ten times in a row, and the two shouted the slogan of Iron Man Wang Jinxi: work hard, go fast, dig wells frequently, and produce more oil.


    Meixiang couldn¡¯t shout at all. Ji Zhenfeng completed all the work alone.


    Sweet, very sweet, is quite moderate. Ji Zhenfeng stood on the chair, threw a peeled orange to a Meixiang, and if it fell out, the penalty was to drink. When Meixiang did not catch, and one of the petals fell off, Ji Zhenfeng drank a glass of Baijiu, which scared Meixiang, so she completely cooperated with him.


    And the last game is to love each other. It¡¯s all about the kissing. The action is developed by the people who disturb the privacy of the bridal room. [2]Whether it is a long kiss or a deep kiss, the action must be in the precise place.


    ¡°This is the last one, but we have to do well; otherwise, we can¡¯t comply.¡±


    ¡°That is, you must show the bravery of a man. You must let everyone see it before it can be considered done.


    These words successfully made Jiahui laugh. She said to Zhao Donglin with lingering fear, ¡°fortunately, we didn¡¯t have these when we got married.¡±


    Ji Zhenfeng looked at Meixiang. They looked at each other amidst the noise. Meixiang blushed. She didn¡¯t know whether she was embarrassed or drunk at night.


    Originally, Meixiang was only flustered, but after welcoming Ji Zhenfeng¡¯s deep eyes, her mood was also attracted to him, and she forgot everything around her.


    Ji Zhenfeng stepped forward and stood in front of Meixiang. Their eyes were glued. He stretched out his hand to hold Meixiang in his arms, bowed his head, and kissed Meixiang¡¯s red lips directly. This French kiss lasted more than three minutes. At first, everyone followed to tease. Later, they found out that the two were kissing sincerely. Everyone smiled.


    ¡°Hey, why don¡¯t we all disperse? A moment is worth thousands of gold. The excitement is over. It¡¯s also time to let the couple go to enjoy their bridal chamber. ¡°


    With that, everyone laughed and walked out of the room in turn¡ªthe last one to leave closed the door very considerately.


    Jiahui and Zhao Donglin looked at each other and smiled. They all remembered the day they got married.


    That day was not very smooth, and there was a mess. Looking back, all the memories are sweet.

 CH 93.1

    Chapter 93 Part 1


    The two embraced and kissed passionately. After the kiss stopped, Meixiang only then found out that the room was empty.


    ¡°They¡­¡­¡±


    To think that she put her heart and soul into that kiss to the point that she didn¡¯t notice that everyone went out of the room. Meixiang covered her burning face in shame and felt that she had no face to see people now.


    Ji Zhenfeng smiled and put Meixiang across the bed.


    ¡°From now on, don¡¯t think about others, just think about us.¡±


    Just like this, Meixiang was intoxicated in his extremely deep eyes.


    The red accounts fell, and the clothes faded away. The so-called morning clouds and evening rain, the dragon, and the phoenix are symbols of good fortune. It is a good scene.


    After tossing around all night, Meixiang woke up at more than seven o¡¯clock the next day. She was startled. She was just ready to get up, but her waist was sore, and she could only lay back in bed.


    ¡°Are you awake?¡±


    Ji Zhenfeng reached out, wrapped his arm around Meixiang¡¯s waist, and took her into his arms.


    ¡°En.¡±


    Meixiang said with a shy response. Although they had been in close contact last night, Meixiang was still very shy and embarrassed to face Ji Zhenfeng¡¯s eyes.


    Maybe it¡¯s because you like this person so much that you always want to show your best side in front of each other, always worry about gains and losses, and often blush in a heartbeat. You can¡¯t be as rational and calm as others.


    ¡°It¡¯s still early. Go to sleep. ¡°


    ¡°It¡¯s daybreak. I can¡¯t sleep anymore.¡±


    When I was in my hometown, which day didn¡¯t I get up at five or six? I remember sister law just got married and didn¡¯t sleep until seven o¡¯clock.


    ¡°It¡¯s all right. Mom doesn¡¯t care about this. The later you get up, the happier she will be. ¡°


    With that, Ji Zhenfeng¡¯s hands were restless. Meixiang couldn¡¯t avoid him, so she could only fool around with him.


    Yang Yuqin had already prepared breakfast: fruit tea, cakes, and steamed buns. But the old couple didn¡¯t eat as soon it was cooked. They waited for the children to get up.


    Seeing that the time had passed eight o¡¯clock and the door had not moved, Yang Yuqin was not angry. She smiled and said to her husband, ¡°It must have been your son messing around. It would be good if Meixiang can be pregnant early.¡±


    Ji Qingming looked at the newspaper and didn¡¯t continue the topic.


    As a father-in-law, he should avoid this kind of topic.


    At a quarter past eight, Meixiang came out of the room, wearing a red coat of Begonia and a braid hanging behind her head. Her face was crimson red, and she looked sleepy with a trace of stiffness. Ji Zhenfeng followed Meixiang with a smile on his face.


    ¡°Woke up? Are you hungry? Breakfast is in the pot. Go wash, and I¡¯ll prepare it. Then you can eat it. ¡°


    Meixiang¡¯s heart was warmed, and she answered.


    ¡°Thank you, mom, thank you, dad.¡±


    Yang Yuqin smiled and turned her back and scolded, ¡°Child, we are a family. There¡¯s nothing to be ashamed of? Didn¡¯t I tell you when you married into our family, I¡¯ll take you as my own daughter. You still think I¡¯m kidding.¡±


    ¡°Mom, she is just too thin-skinned. If she were as thick-skinned as I am, it would be fine.¡±


    Ji Qingming shook his head, and Yang Yuqin spat, ¡°What¡¯s good about being like you? I¡¯m telling you, you¡¯re married now, and you should be calm. Don¡¯t be so careless. ¡°


    Ji Zhenfeng refused, ¡°What¡¯s the matter with me? Meixiang likes me being like this. How could I get you such a good daughter-in-law if I hadn¡¯t have this character? ¡°


    With that, he also winked at Meixiang, who pursed her mouth and bowed her head and smiled.


    ¡°OK, I have a poor mouth. I¡¯ll wash it quickly. It¡¯s time to eat. After eating, I have to wash the pots and bowls for lunch.¡±


    ¡°Mom, I¡¯ll cook lunch today.¡±


    ¡°OK, let¡¯s do it together.¡±


    On the first day after marriage, the family got along well. Meixiang was less worried about her married life. The only worry she had was towards her sister-in-law Luo Siwen. At the dinner yesterday, she heard that Luo Siwen also slandered her sister-in-law, which made Meixiang unhappy.


    ¡°Does your sister-in-law dislike me? She made trouble with my sister-in-law yesterday.¡±


    When they were alone in the afternoon, Meixiang inquired of Ji Zhenfeng.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind her. She just looks down on everyone. Everyone has to flatter her. She can¡¯t stand seeing someone better than her.¡±


    Anyway, this sister-in-law was the one that his elder brother wanted to marry at the beginning. So he could only tolerate his brother¡¯s wife. However, the words of this eldest sister-in-law made Meixiang¡¯s family unhappy, which he couldn¡¯t bear.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, and I¡¯ll find an opportunity for you and make it up for you.¡±


    Meixiang frowned, ¡°What opportunity? Don¡¯t make it too ugly.¡±


    ¡°No, does your man not possess any wisdom?¡±


    Meixiang laughed, ¡°I think so.¡±


    Ji Zhenfeng hummed and laughed, pressed Meixiang underneath him, and looked at her face, ¡°In that case, I have to let you understand me more deeply.¡±


    Meixiang just opened her mouth to retort but was blocked by Ji Zhenfeng¡¯s lips.


    ¡­¡­¡­.


    The Zhao family and Jiahui were doing sanitation at home. Yesterday, they had a banquet at home. It was a mess. They had to clean up for the new year.


    ¡°I¡¯m really not used to Meixiang being married.¡±


    At this time, Meixiang was either cooking or wiping everywhere with a rag. She is clean and hardworking. No matter what she does, she is orderly and sharp. Today, Meixiang has married the Ji family and become their daughter-in-law.


    ¡°Mom, Meixiang will be back tomorrow. You can¡¯t keep such a big girl at home for a lifetime.¡±


    Jiahui knew that her mother-in-law just sighed. In fact, she wanted Meixiang to marry better than anyone else.


    Early in the morning, the family prepared chicken, duck, and fish on the day of their return. Jiahui made meatballs, fishballs, lotus root clips, sticky buns, and other food. Just when Meixiang and Ji Zhenfeng just arrived at the door, they smelled a burst of fragrance coming from the food.


    ¡°Mom, sister-in-law.¡±


    Meixiang pushed the door and entered. The big red scarf set her face rosy, eyes crystal bright and shining. At a glance, you can see that she had a good time.


    ¡°Hey, finally, you¡¯re back. I¡¯ve been looking forward to it at dawn.¡±


    Zhang Qiaoer took Meixiang¡¯s hand and looked at it carefully as if she was a long-lost treasure.


    ¡°Mom, big brother.¡±


    Only Zhang Qiaoer and Zhao Donglin were in the yard. Ji Zhenfeng came over with a smile and said hello.


    As the new son-in-law of the Zhao family, Ji Zhenfeng still knows how to please the Zhao family. In addition to the standard cigarettes and wine, he brought a bunch of things to the house, including fruits, milk powder, cookies, as well as medicinal wine, walnuts, and red dates that he had specially brought from abroad.


    ¡°This is for Dad. I heard that Dad¡¯s legs were not good. He can drink this to relieve the pain.¡±


    ¡°This is for mom, red dates for replenishing blood. Meixiang said you have low blood sugar. You have to eat this often.¡±


    ¡°This is for my nephew. My nephew is a good student. He is in junior high school. He needs to eat walnuts for his brain.¡±


    ¡°This is for Ying Bao, Fang Fang, and Shitou. Children must drink milk powder to grow tall.¡±


    ¡°This is for eldest brother and second brother, smoke and play with it yourself.¡±


    ¡°This is for my sister-in-law. Thank you for your concern and care for Meixiang. I heard Meixiang say that you often interpret to foreign guests now. The cashmere shawl is very suitable for you.¡±


    The cashmere shawl was brought by Ji Zhenfeng¡¯s elder sister from outside the country. She said that it is popular among foreign women. It is elegant and noble. Ji Jialu brought two, one of which was given to Meixiang. Meixiang felt that she couldn¡¯t use it at all as a teacher. It¡¯s better to make her sister-in-law use it.

 CH 93.2

    Chapter 93 Part 2


    The gifts were sent out one by one, and everyone was satisfied. It was sent to everyone¡¯s heart.


    ¡°Zhenfeng, you are so thoughtful.¡±


    Although he was very considerate to them, she only paid more attention to Meixiang. Just now, Zhang Qiaoer has asked Meixiang. Meixiang said that the Zhao family was very kind to her. She didn¡¯t need to get up early to make breakfast. At noon, they are busy cooking lunch with her mother-in-law. In the afternoon, she reads or takes a nap. Dinner is also made by her mother-in-law. They share the housework. They are not tired at all. Zhang Qiaoer is very satisfied.


    ¡°What about the rest of the Ji family?¡±


    ¡°The eldest sister is very kind to me. She speaks and does things very politely. Zhenfeng¡¯a sister-in-law is not easy to get along with, but she doesn¡¯t come back often. She has an average relationship with our father-in-law and mother-in-law. I just have to avoid her.¡±


    Speaking of her, Meixiang also apologized to Jiahui.


    ¡°I heard later from my big sister (ZF¡¯s sister), sister-in-law, you do not worry about it. Zhenfeng said that next, he met sister-in-law, he would talk to her properly.¡±


    Zhang Qiaoer doesn¡¯t know what this is. She¡¯s confused when Meixiang talks about it.


    ¡°I¡¯m not worried about it. Because there are many people who attacked me with these words, can I still be angry all the time? Don¡¯t worry about Zhenfeng. They are relatives. Unlike me, they can¡¯t touch me several times in my life. There¡¯s no need to make trouble.¡±


    Meixiang wrapped Jiahui¡¯s arm tight, ¡°not only is Zhenfeng angry, but I¡¯m also angry. Just like her, I¡¯m not necessarily interested. Nothing can compare with you.¡±


    It¡¯s just that the family background is better. If her sister-in-law has such a good family background, it must be better. Luo Siwen can¡¯t beat her sister-in-law and can¡¯t compare to her.


    Zhang Qiaoer didn¡¯t understand until she heard everything, and then she was not happy.


    ¡°Who is it? We are all relatives. She was not even as good as an old lady in the countryside.¡±


    What¡¯s the matter with the second marriage? I haven¡¯t heard that the second marriage means it was inferior to others. Fortunately, her daughter didn¡¯t eat with her. Otherwise, she may have been bullied by her.


    ¡°You have to be careful not to suffer from her.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s OK, mom. I won¡¯t quarrel with her. If she quarrels with me, Zhenfeng said that there is still him.¡±


    ¡°This silly girl, how can you rely on Zhenfeng for everything?¡±


    Although Zhang Qiaoer said so, she was happy in the end, which showed that her daughter and son-in-law had a good relationship.


    They had a good lunch. Ji Zhenfeng drank a lot of wine and was a little drunk. Meixiang helped her back to the house to have a rest.


    Her room is the same as before her marriage. The desk on the ground was not stained. It must have been cleaned up at home.


    Meixiang was moved. Lying in bed, Ji Zhenfeng opened his eyes and took her hand.


    ¡°Well? Would you like some water?¡±


    Ji Zhenfeng just looked at her and didn¡¯t speak. He just put Meixiang¡¯s hand on his cheek. Meixiang looked out of the window with a red face for fear that her family would pass by and see them.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯re drunk. Was it a lie?¡±


    Ji Zhenfeng rubbed the palm of Meixiang¡¯s hand with his lips. Meixiang felt itchy and wanted to pull back her hand, but Ji Zhenfeng held it tightly, making it hard for her to pull her hands.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do this. It won¡¯t be good if someone saw us.¡±


    What she didn¡¯t know was that. Knowing the stickiness of the newlyweds, naturally, no one would go look at the window. Not only that, but Jiahui also sent several children out to play and didn¡¯t let them shout at home.


    ¡°I wanted to go into your house before we got married. I wanted to lie in this bed one day. Now I finally got to do it.¡±


    Naturally, the girl¡¯s bedroom can¡¯t be entered casually. He has been to Meixiang dormitory several times and can smell her faint fragrance every time. He hasn¡¯t entered this room before marriage. Every time he comes, he looks at it, but with so many eyes, he doesn¡¯t dare to make a scene in front of the Zhao family.


    ¡°What are you thinking in your head all day long? You can¡¯t think of anything good.¡±


    Ji Zhenfeng smiled, and the heat sprayed on Meixiang¡¯s palm.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing in my mind except you. I¡¯ve waited for more than 20 years, and It was not easy to wait for the right one to come. I have to think more.¡±


    Meixiang pursed her lips and snorted, ¡°Your mouth is bad.¡±


    ¡°I have something bad. I¡¯ll go back and tell you at night.¡±


    An eye wave swept over, and Meixiang waved her hand.


    ¡°I won¡¯t stay with you anymore. Go to bed by yourself and get up when you wake up.¡±


    After saying that, Meixiang lifted the curtain, went out, and closed the door.


    Ji Zhenfeng looked at Meixiang¡¯s slender back and knew that his wife was ashamed. He was not in a hurry. He really slept with his eyes closed.


    Jiahui is in the kitchen. She brought the fried meatballs back to Meixiang. Seeing Meixiang coming in with a red face, she laughed and teased her, ¡°Oh? Why don¡¯t you stay in the house with your husband? Why run to the kitchen? It¡¯s smoky here.¡±


    ¡°Oh, sister-in-law, don¡¯t keep teasing me.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s no good. I was teased a lot when I just got married. Now it¡¯s my turn to tease you.¡±


    Meixiang snorted a laugh and washed her hands to help Jiahui knead the pills together.


    Ji Zhenfeng woke up after lying down for an hour and helped Zhao Manzhu cut the firewood in the yard into blocks and kept it for dinner, and when it was getting dark, he took Jiahui¡¯s newly fried pot of radish meatballs and drove off on his return trip.


    Jiahui and Zhao Donglin watched the car drive away until it turned the corner and was no longer visible, then they smiled at each other and went into the courtyard.


    In the yard, Fang Fang chased after Shitou, Ying Bao clapped her hands and stood under the pomegranate tree, Heidan recited the English text in the house, chickens and ducks were in pen, goats were sticking their heads in the fence, although it was winter, it was indeed a thriving scene.


    ¡°Do you remember when we were first married?¡±


    ¡°I remember, you wore a big red dress. Your waist is very thin. There were many red flowers on your head, your face small.  When you look at me, it¡¯s like I was soaked in it, tickling my heart.¡±


    Jiahui smiled, ¡°what are you talking about? You just remember these, but for the other things, do you not remember?¡±


    Zhao Donglin turned to Jiahui and kissed her on the forehead.


    ¡°The most unforgettable thing is that I was almost suffocated after enduring it all night.¡±


    What he said is about the bridal chamber. Jiahui was still embarrassed when she thought about it now.


    She reached out and pinched Zhao Donglin¡¯s waist, forbidding him to say this again, and was held down by Zhao Donglin.


    ¡°What? Are you annoyed? I was thinking, how did I get into this thing? If I want to continue, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll be frightened. If I don¡¯t continue, I can only bear it. You could only sleep next to me. ¡°


    Jiahui leaned in Zhao Donglin¡¯s arms, wrapped her arms around his waist, and sighed, ¡°I was scared, afraid that you would turn into a big bad wolf and eat me.¡±


    In fact, she didn¡¯t know the original owner¡¯s situation at all, and she herself was also confused at that time.


    ¡°I¡¯m the big bad wolf? Then what are you? A little white rabbit?¡±


    With that, Zhao Donglin turned over and pressed Jiahui down. When they looked at each other, they both closed their eyes and kissed.

 CH 94.1

    Chapter 94 Part 1 (Extra 1)


    If anyone asked about the Zhao family of Shanghe village, everyone in that village knew this family.


    ¡°The Zhao family is amazing. The eldest son is an officer in the county, the youngest son is doing business in the provincial capital, and the eldest daughter has opened a restaurant in the county. The youngest daughter is a teacher in the county¡¯s No. 1 junior middle school. Besides, they said that the eldest daughter-in-law of the Zhao family is an interpreter who specializes in welcoming foreigners. They are said to be the leaders of the province. The youngest son-in-law is a policeman. This Zhao family, not only can they walk sideways in the village but also in the county. ¡°


    ¡°That¡¯s true, but it¡¯s no use being envied by others. They are serious about taking the college entrance examination. If you envy it, you¡¯d better go home and let your children study hard.¡±


    This is reasonable. Reading is naturally useful. Since ancient times, too many people have made significant advancements after studying. This is the best way to change their social class.


    In 1981, Jiahui graduated with Zhao Donglin. After graduation, Zhao Donglin was assigned to the economic reform and development commission of Yun county. At first, he told Secretary Zhong that he would work in the commune when he returned. However, in September 1980, the Central Committee issued a document on strengthening and improving the responsibility system for agricultural production. The responsibility system has been rapidly promoted, the people¡¯s commune system has been gradually abolished throughout the country, and the Shengli commune became Shengli township. The county¡¯s higher governing institution is Yun County.


    On this day, Zhao Donglin went to the countryside for research and ran into Mayor Zhong.


    ¡°Donglin, you are in charge of the economy in this county. You have to give our township some benefits.¡±


    ¡°Mayor, what are you saying? I am just an ordinary member of the administrative section. I can only work according to the rules. ¡°


    At most, the research report should be enhanced and detailed, and the decision-making needs to be made by the leaders above.


    Mayor Zhong also joked with him and patted Zhao Donglin on the shoulder. ¡°I believe in your ability. I¡¯m telling you, don¡¯t forget our township. The planting industry of your wife¡¯s family is developing well now. Fruits and vegetables have been supplied to the province and animal farming. Our entire township¡¯s eggs were contracted by them. ¡°


    Who would have thought that the Dong family, who was scolded as stupid by the villagers at the beginning, would really become the first bigshot family in the township? The family is too busy and hires workers to work for them. For this, someone told the higher-ups that the Dong family was a remnant of feudal society and they were landlords.


    The leaders of the townships felt helpless and laughed. Now, with economic reform, the state is very supportive of the people who create wealth. The Dong family¡¯s land went through a formal contract procedure. There is nothing wrong with them.


    Of course, the Dong family is also very good at human relations. They send vegetables and eggs to the leaders of the township during the new year. There must be 20 kilograms of pork and two chickens for the new year.


    In this way, naturally, no leader will find trouble with the Dong family on the premise of not violating policies and regulations.


    ¡°I have a project here. I know a friend in the provincial capital. His uncle wants to set up a garment factory. The wages of workers in the provincial capital are high, and the land is expensive. He asked me if there was a suitable place in Yun County. ¡°


    Mayor Zhong knew the meaning of this information. He pats Zhao Donglin on the arm and says, ¡°While smiling, Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll invite you to dinner at noon. Let¡¯s talk while eating. ¡°


    Their township was full of land. What they lack is a formal factory. In addition to tax revenue, it can also provide employment opportunities for its people. This is why he must take this opportunity, and the key point of this opportunity is Zhao Donglin.


    When Zhao Donglin returned to the county in the afternoon, he called his friends in the provincial capital and told them the situation.


    ¡°Of course, we can. Anyway, where my uncle would run his business doesn¡¯t matter; it¡¯s all the same. Donglin, since it¡¯s your hometown,


    Anyway, it¡¯s the same as where my uncle runs a factory. Donglin, even if it¡¯s for your face since it¡¯s your hometown, I have to go and have a look. ¡°


    ¡°The traffic in Shengli township is still very convenient. If you ride the truck from the township to the county, it would only take you a few hours, and the people here are also very simple. ¡°


    ¡°I know. The people there are excellent. Otherwise, how can your family produce so many outstanding talents? ¡°


    Zhao Donglin smiled brightly, ¡°Yes, when will you come? Can you inform me in advance? I¡¯ll make an arrangement for you and make you feel at home. ¡°


    ¡°Oh, look at you. You¡¯re too polite. Don¡¯t prepare anything else. Just take care of the pheasant from your father-in-law¡¯s family. I like the stewed chicken mushrooms made by your wife. ¡°


    ¡°Then the time will have to be arranged by Madame Dong. She is much busier than me now, and I haven¡¯t seen her for a few days.


    ¡°I can hear from your words a taste of a deep-rooted resentful husband. What, miss your wife? ¡°


    ¡°Yes, I miss my wife. Can you not miss your wife? ¡°


    ¡°I don¡¯t have to miss her. I stay with her every day. We dislike each other. ¡°


    Zhao Donglin laughed and said, ¡°OK, don¡¯t complain in front of me. You two are the standard quarrel at the head of the bed and at the end of the bed. ¡°


    ¡°OK, tell me when Madame. Dong has time. I¡¯ll take my uncle and my wife with me. ¡°


    ¡°Well, then it¡¯s settled.¡±


    After hanging up down the phone, Zhao Donglin thought and called Jiahui¡¯s office again.


    ¡°Hello.¡±


    Zhao Donglin¡¯s heart became soft when the familiar voice came. He untied the buttons on his neck and relaxed his sitting posture.


    ¡°It¡¯s me, Donglin.¡±


    Jiahui was preparing the translation material. When she heard Zhao Donglin on the phone, she was surprised and said, ¡°Well, why did you call me at this time? Is something wrong at home? ¡°


    ¡°No, I just missed you.¡±


    Jiahui held the phone and smiled, ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me. It¡¯s not like I don¡¯t know you. You¡¯ve always been a public and private person. You won¡¯t call me during working hours. ¡°


    Zhao Donglin also smiled and told Jiahui about the garment factory.


    ¡°This is a good thing. With a garment factory, our township will be lively. ¡°


    Economic development needs the word ¡°lively.¡± Like money, it needs to be circulated. If you only cultivate land behind closed doors, you can¡¯t develop the economy. That¡¯s why so many polluting enterprises were established in the early stages of reform and opening up, and why these polluting enterprises should be excluded when the economy is saturated enough.


    Garment factories cause certain pollution, but they are better than paper mills and chemical factories. On the other hand, garment factories need a lot of workers, which drives local employment.


    ¡°Lao Xing said he wanted to eat your stewed chicken mushrooms. When can you come back? ¡°


    Jiahui works as a translator in the provincial government and often receives foreign guests. The provincial capital is more than 100 kilometers away from Yun County. It takes more than two hours by car. Zhao Donglin has no time to go to the provincial capital every day, and Jiahui has no time to come back every day. In this way, they live in a different place.


    ¡°It should be the day after tomorrow. I have some materials on hand that I need to catch up with. I¡¯m sure I can come back the day after tomorrow. Tell Lao Xing and my family. ¡°


    ¡°Well, OK. Don¡¯t work too hard and pay attention to the rest. ¡°


    ¡°Well, don¡¯t worry. You also take good care of yourself and several children. When you go back at night, you should care more about them. There should be no lapses in life and study.¡±


    ¡°OK, I will complete the task assigned by Madame Dong without fail.¡±


    The children¡¯s school has been transferred from the provincial capital to the city. With Jiahui¡¯s current work situation, there is no way to take care of them. Zhao Donglin works in the county. They bought a house in the county, and Zhang Qiaoer takes care of the children¡¯s daily lives in the county.


    ¡°Glib tongue, that¡¯s all for now. There is something to say when you get off work.¡±


    ¡°OK, hang up the phone first.¡±


    Jiahui smiled. That¡¯s how he¡¯s always been. He would ask her to hang up first.


    When Jiahui stepped up to finish her work, she worked late at night until after ten o¡¯clock. When she came home, Shen Nianru was waiting for her.


    ¡°Godmother, why are you still awake?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if you come back. Why are you so late today? ¡°


    ¡°I¡¯ll go back tomorrow afternoon. I have to finish what I have in hand. ¡°


    Shen Nianru sighed helplessly, ¡°You should also pay attention to your body. Don¡¯t treat yourself as a desperate Sanniang.¡± [1]


    ¡°No, I¡¯m combining work and rest. If I go back tomorrow, it¡¯s equivalent to rest. ¡°


    For Jiahui, work always serves life. Winning social status and gaining economic accumulation were to make them live a happy and better quality of life.

 CH 94.2

    Chapter 94 Part 2 (Extra 1)


    The next afternoon, Jiahui asked the leader for leave and returned to Yun County, just in time for the last long-distance bus.


    Halfway through the ride, the sky started to darken, it became overcast, and it looked like it was going to pour down, but it didn¡¯t. Jiahui was very worried about getting caught in the way. Fortunately, it didn¡¯t rain until she got off the bus. It didn¡¯t rain until Jiahui was on the way.


    ¡°In June, the sky is sometimes cloudy and sunny, which can torture people.¡±


    Jiahui heard the voice and looked up. Her mother-in-law, Zhang Qiaoer, was whispering on the side of the road.


    ¡°Mom, where are you going?¡±


    Zhang Qiaoer was not prepared to be called like this and was startled.


    ¡°Oh, Jiahui, I was so scared that I almost didn¡¯t hold my breath.¡±


    Jiahui walked over with a smile. I just came back. Mom, where are you going with your umbrella? It¡¯s Saturday, isn¡¯t it? ¡°


    ¡°It¡¯s Saturday. Heidan has a study group at school. He went to school today and hasn¡¯t come back yet. I see that it¡¯s raining. I have to send an umbrella to him.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll go then. I can walk fast, and I¡¯ll be there in a few minutes. ¡°


    The house they bought was close to the school and not far from the county government. Such a house would only cost more than 3000 yuan. It had two floors and six rooms. It was built by a capitalist before. The whole family was scattered during the great movement, and a distant nephew inherited the house.


    Jiahui took an umbrella and walked to No. 1 middle school. She was already familiar with the school. Meixiang had taught here for three years, and Xiaoli restaurant was also opened near the No. 1 middle school. Heidan is now a second-year student. Next semester, he will be promoted to the third year. It is understandable to be nervous about learning.


    The Second Year Class 1 was located on the second floor. Jiahui went to the door and looked inside. There are a few students sitting in the class, some buried in their homework, some talking to each other, and some holding books to read.


    Jiahui knocked on the door, and the sound of knocking rang out. Those students who were whispering and those students who were reading books, immediately sat down and thought the headteacher had come.


    ¡°Zhao Zhuojun.¡±


    A gentle female voice sounded. The students turned their heads and looked back. A gentle and beautiful woman stood at the back door with long hair and a shawl, wearing a decent suit, carrying a black leather backpack and black high-heeled shoes.


    ¡°Wow.¡±


    She¡¯s so beautiful. It¡¯s like a movie star in a pictorial.


    At present, people don¡¯t pay much attention to dressing up. Maybe big cities receive more fashion messages faster, but small counties and cities are one level worse.


    Zhao Zhuojun, who was giving a lecture to his classmates, turned back in surprise at the familiar voice. Jiahui was standing at the door.


    He got up from his seat and walked towards her, under the eyes of the whole class.


    ¡°It¡¯s raining. I¡¯ll send you an umbrella. ¡°


    Jiahui handed her an umbrella with a smile.


    ¡°Um, did you just come back? I didn¡¯t see you at noon. ¡°


    ¡°Yes, I came back to rest for two days.¡± Then Jiahui looked at the time on her watch. It was more than four o¡¯clock.


    ¡°The lesson is starting soon, right? What do you want to eat tonight? I¡¯ll cook whatever you want. ¡°


    Zhao Zhuojun looked at Jiahui¡¯s half-wet hair and speculated that she must have been caught in the rain on the way. He remembered that it didn¡¯t start to rain until well after 3:40. That means Jiahui was on her way home from the station at this time.


    ¡°I have nothing that I particularly want to eat. So hurry back and don¡¯t catch a cold. ¡°


    Knowing that he was concerned about her, Jiahui was very happy.


    ¡°Well, I know. Go in, and I¡¯ll be right back. ¡°


    Zhao Zhuojun nodded and returned to his seat. All the students in the class were asking, ¡°Who is she? Zhao Zhuojun¡¯s aunt? ¡°


    ¡°Zhao Zhuojun has only two aunts. One is a restaurant owner, and the other is Teacher Zhao of our school. ¡°


    ¡°Then who is she? It can¡¯t be his sister, right? ¡°


    ¡°This is Zhao Zhuojun¡¯s mother.¡±


    ¡°Mom? Whom are you kidding? She looks so young. Is she in her twenties? ¡°


    ¡°You don¡¯t know. Zhao Zhuojun¡¯s real mother divorced his father. This is Zhao Zhuojun¡¯s stepmother. Zhao Zhuojun has been calling her aunt.


    ¡°Oh, no wonder she¡¯s so young, but his stepmother is good to him and also gave him an umbrella.¡±


    ¡°It seems that she¡¯s good, but who knows? They all say that the stepmother is bad. If she¡¯s good, why wouldn¡¯t Zhao Zhuojun call her mother? ¡°


    What was said was in a low voice, but later it became louder and louder. Finally, the whole class could almost hear it.


    Zhao Zhuojun closed the book. He looked at the students in the back row. Zhao Zhuojun picked up his schoolbag and umbrella. He didn¡¯t go to class and left the class directly without telling the teacher.


    ¡°Hey, you¡¯re in trouble. Zhao Zhuojun is angry. ¡°


    The student who was babbling covered his mouth. He felt a little sorry, but at the same time, he was unwilling to admit his mistakes. He touched his neck and said, ¡°I¡¯m just telling the truth, so do others.¡± I¡¯m not the only one who said this. ¡°


    ¡°What else do you know? What does Zhao Zhuojun¡¯s stepmother do? Why did she dress so well? ¡°


    ¡°They said that she was working for the provincial government. She¡¯s working as a translator for foreigners. She often brings back foreign chocolates or something. She has a monthly salary of more than 200 yuan. ¡°


    ¡°Really? Zhao Zhuojun¡¯s family is very rich. ¡°


    ¡°His father is also from the government.¡±


    ¡°Yes. As you can see, what he was wearing was always good. ¡°


    ¡°His stepmother looks very kind. She smiled so kindly. She doesn¡¯t look like a bad person. ¡°


    ¡°If she was so kind to him, why didn¡¯t Zhao Zhuojun call her mother?¡±


    ¡°Maybe he just doesn¡¯t want to call her that. It¡¯s nothing deep. ¡°


    Everyone said one word after another. After talking for more than ten minutes, the headteacher finally came and was very angry to see that they hadn¡¯t studied hard.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? We let you come for you to learn, not for you to talk to each other! ¡°


    Everyone looked down and started to read. No one dared make a noise. The headteacher turned around and finally found something was wrong.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Zhao Zhuojun?¡±


    It took a few seconds for a student to risk his teacher¡¯s anger and whisper, ¡°Went home.¡±


    ¡°Went back?¡±


    The headteacher didn¡¯t believe it. Zhao Zhuojun studies hard and never leaves early.


    ¡°Teacher, it¡¯s Zhao Zhuojun¡¯s stepmother. Oh, no, Zhao Zhuojun¡¯s mother sent him an umbrella, and then he left. ¡°


    The sequence is indeed like this, but there is a little difference in the middle, which can be completely ignored.


    ¡°Well, OK, I don¡¯t think you¡¯re in the mood for class. It¡¯s raining outside. Those with umbrellas can go back. Those without umbrellas wait for their family to pick them up. ¡°


    Everyone was excited. At this time, those students without umbrellas didn¡¯t stay. They just shared those that have it.


    After a while, everyone in the class left.


    ¡­¡­


    Zhao Zhuojun was walking down the road with his schoolbag and umbrella on his back. Although he was young, he had grown to 1.7 meters. The boy was tall and thin, with no expression on his face, but he had an indelible childishness.


    He doesn¡¯t mind others saying that Jiahui is his stepmother because this is a fact in itself. Just as Jiahui doesn¡¯t mind others attacking her with marriage problems, Zhao Zhuojun doesn¡¯t care about what others say. But what he minded was when someone said that his stepmother was bad to him. That¡¯s why he won¡¯t call her ¡°Mom.¡±


    On many sleepless nights, Zhao Zhuojun secretly gave himself the courage to shout that word out, but after dawn, when he met Jiahui¡¯s gentle smile, it was as if he was forbidden to make any sound at all.


    He knew he was an awkward child. If he had been replaced by another child, he might have changed the way he thinks calmly long ago. It was because he took this matter too seriously that he couldn¡¯t say it easily.


    He¡¯s not stingy with his words, but it is his inability to accept the care and attention she had given openly. After all, he is a child abandoned by his biological mother. How can he be worthy of love?


    As Zhao Zhoujun passed by the corner, he saw Jiahui buying vegetables at the brisket store.


    ¡°You¡¯re back?¡±


    ¡°Yes, boss, three cattys of beef.¡±


    ¡°OK.¡±


    ¡°One more roasted pork chop for my big boy as a midnight snack.¡±


    ¡°OK, your big boy is in junior high school, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, he¡¯s in his second year.¡± He has a heavy study load, so he needs to make up for it. ¡°


    ¡°That¡¯s right, and it¡¯s really the time for them to grow up. It¡¯s necessary to take good care of him.¡±


    The boss sharply cut the meat, put it on the greasy paper, then said the price and handed it to Jiahui.


    ¡°This money is just right, my bad. Take care of yourself. ¡°


    Jiahui carried two bags of stewed pork and walked away in high heels. Behind her, Zhao Zhuojun¡¯s eyes were wet.


    She always affectionately and proudly called him ¡°big boy,¡± ¡°my son,¡± or ¡°my family¡¯s Zhuo Jun.¡± She treated him as if he was her own. Why does he stay in that identity and can¡¯t get out?


    She is a mother, and only she deserves the title of ¡°mother.¡±


    That night, Jiahui sent the hot roasted chicken.


    ¡°Zhuo Jun, why haven¡¯t you slept yet? I¡¯ll heat up the roast chicken for you and eat it when you¡¯re hungry. ¡°


    Jiahui put the plate on the desk and was ready to leave.


    ¡°Wait a minute.¡±


    Jiahui turned her head and saw her eldest son looking at herself seriously. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± she asked with a smile.


    Zhao Zhuojun¡¯s heart pounded. He summoned up his courage and opened his mouth.


    ¡°Mom, thank you. I¡¯ve always wanted to say thank you. ¡°


    Although the word ¡°thank you¡± can¡¯t express my gratitude, I really want to tell you that I know what you¡¯ve done, and I¡¯m grateful for that.


    At first, she didn¡¯t react at first and thought she was hallucinating, but she saw her son¡¯s expression and knew that the sentence she had just heard was true.


    Her eyes unconsciously flushed, and she smiled at Zhao Zhuojun with tears in her eyes.


    ¡°Silly son, it¡¯s natural for a mother to be good to her child.¡±


    He has grown taller than himself, but he is thin and looks a little thinner, but he is already a teenager.


    Looking at him, Jiahui is pleased that her son has just grown up.


    ¡°Don¡¯t read too late. Go to bed after eating the roast chicken. Go to Grandma¡¯s house with me tomorrow.¡±


    Zhao Zhuojun¡¯s eyes were also red. He nodded heavily. Tomorrow, he could finally say frankly that he was going to his grandma¡¯s house.


    Jiahui returned to the bedroom with red eyes. Zhao Donglin, who was still working under the desk lamp, looked back at her and found something wrong. She quickly put down her pen and came over.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Why are you crying? ¡°


    Jiahui shook her head with a faint smile on her face.


    ¡°I¡¯m not crying, and I¡¯m just moved to tears.¡±


    Zhao Donglin wondered, ¡°Moved to tears? Why are you moving? ¡°


    Jiahui held Zhao Donglin¡¯s hand and played with his fingers. She lowered her head and said slowly, ¡°Just now, I sent a midnight snack to Zhuojun. He called me ¡®Mom¡¯ and said thank you to me.¡±


    With that, Jiahui¡¯s tears couldn¡¯t help but fall. She fell on Zhao Donglin¡¯s shoulder. Zhao Donglin clearly held her and patted her on her back for silent comfort.


    ¡°I¡¯m so happy. I don¡¯t mind whether he recognizes me or not, and I don¡¯t care about the title, but I¡¯m just very happy. ¡°


    Jiahui was rambling and didn¡¯t know what she was talking about. Zhao Donglin held her in his arms and soothed her. ¡°I know, I know.¡±


    The fact is that he understands her dedication, he understands her tolerance, and he understands why she is moved.


    It is precisely because of his understanding that made him love her so deeply.

 CH 95.1

    Chapter 95.1 (Extra 2) ¨C The most beautiful time to meet you.


    Under Zhao Donglin¡¯s negotiation, Lao Xing¡¯s uncle finally decided to open the garment factory in Shengli township. The township set aside a piece of land for him, which is located in the traffic center extending in all directions in the town, and there are various preferential policies. Both sides are very satisfied with the result.


    Time soon entered October. Meixiang¡¯s son, Leilei, was one year old. Ji Qingming and Yang Yuqin loved this little grandson so much that they held Leilei¡¯s one-year birthday party in the hotel.


    Jiahui and Donglin took the children to Ji¡¯s house first and gave them gifts.


    They gave a pair of Chinese Zodiac bracelets engraved with the word ¡°Fortune.¡± A longevity lock, a small blanket made by Jiahui, and a tricycle that can be ridden and pushed.


    The tricycle was painted by Jiahui and made by the master of the Provincial Machinery Factory with good steel bars and sprayed with red ginger paint, which made it very beautiful.


    The tricycle was later seen by the deputy factory director of the machinery factory, and she especially found Jiahui. He wanted to mass produce this small tricycle and was willing to pay her. Jiahui declined to take the payment and agreed to the production of the machinery factory. In the final analysis, this is not her patent. This kind of tricycle has appeared abroad for a long time, and it will be all over the streets in a few years.


    Her vision is still very long-term. The tricycle can be used for gaining connections. With this, the relationship between the parties will build up.


    ¡°Sister-in-law, your gift is really great and thoughtful.¡±


    Besides Zhao Donglin, Meixiang is the one who knows Jiahui¡¯s mind best. Meixiang was very moved to see this child¡¯s tricycle. Her sister-in-law must have asked someone to do it. For my sister-in-law, the most valuable thing she could do for anyone was to spend time with them. She is so busy with her work and still puts Leilei in her mind. Why would Meixiang not be moved?


    ¡°It¡¯s really good. It¡¯s convenient for me whenever I walk down the street to buy vegetables. I can just push him with this. ¡°


    ¡°When Leilei is older, he can ride it by himself.¡±


    ¡°Jiahui, how did your brain grow? How can you be so smart? ¡°


    Yang Yuqin likes Jiahui very much. One reason was lack of appreciation. The other was to love the house and its crows. ((The meaning of this idiom means that because you love a person, you will also love the crow on his house. It is a metaphor for loving a person and caring about the person or things related to them.


    She always thought she was a person that didn¡¯t have any fate with her daughter-in-law. Who knows that her youngest son found such a good daughter-in-law, Meixiang? She is considerate and sensible and is willing to listen to her elders. Whether what she said is right or not, or whether she did what she said or not, At least Meixiang won¡¯t refute them in front of their faces and won¡¯t give them a face.


    The only thing Yang Yuqin was satisfied with was that Meixiang became pregnant the second month after her marriage. The high efficiency makes Yang Yuqin smile.


    She has three grandchildren. Leilei is the only one who grew up around her. She is busy day and night with a handful of excrement and urine. Although it was hard, she was happy.


    ¡°When I went abroad, I saw that foreign children had this kind of trolley. It was only a reference to theirs. ¡°


    ¡°There are a lot of people going abroad. I don¡¯t see how others can find a way to make a tricycle. You are still smart and know how to learn from one example. ¡°


    While talking, Ji Jialu and Ji Zhenlin came one after another with their other halves.


    Ji Jialu has always been kind, while Luo Siwen has always had a poor complexion.


    On Meixiang¡¯s wedding day, Luo Siwen inexplicably targeted Jiahui. No matter if it was Meixiang or Jiahui, she could no longer get close to this person.


    Everyone sat on the sofa eating and drinking tea. Leilei had a lot of fun playing with the tricycle. Yang Yuqin looked straight at him with a smile. Without preparation, Luo Siwen¡¯s son, Ji Pengyu, said to Yang Yuqin, ¡°Grandma, do you prefer my younger brother? My mother said, ¡°You didn¡¯t get me a one-year birthday party when I was one year old.¡±


    The atmosphere instantly became quiet, and Luo Siwen¡¯s face also carried a hint of discomfort. This is what she had said to her son privately. Siwen didn¡¯t expect him to say it so carelessly.


    The smile on Yang Yuqin¡¯s face stopped, and even Ji Qingming, who had never participated in the lady¡¯s conversation, turned around.


    ¡°Siwen, did you say that in front of the children?¡±


    At this time, if Luo Siwen smiled and explained with two sentences, it would have passed, but she somehow pursed her lips and did not speak. Not denying it naturally means acquiescence.


    The expression on Ji Zhenlin¡¯s face was one of embarrassment and anger. This dissatisfaction has formed over time. He didn¡¯t think it was just his wife¡¯s thoughtless words. After all, from their marriage to now, he knew exactly what his wife¡¯s attitude towards his parents and his family was. But the married couple must be one. Today is his nephew¡¯s birthday party. They can¡¯t make it too ugly.


    ¡°Mom, Pengyu must have heard wrong. Siwen is not petty and won¡¯t say such inappropriate words. ¡°


    Ji Pengyu still wanted to open his mouth to explain, but Ji Zhenlin glared at him.


    Ji Zhenfeng bowed his head to play with his son Leilei, with a sneer in the corner of his mouth. He didn¡¯t know whether he should laugh at Luo Siwen¡¯s arrogance or at the whitewashing of his eldest brother, Ji Zhenglin.


    ¡°Well, no matter who said this, since it has reached me, I have to explain. I wanted to do it when Peng Yu was one year old. But at that time, Siwen said that there was no need to toss the children to earn money. I was very unhappy after hearing this. I put up with it for the sake of harmony in this family. What is her intention for talking about it now? ¡°


    When things are busy at home, relatives and friends will naturally contribute. Luo Siwen¡¯s words made her heartbroken. At that time, Yang Yuqin was angry for months after hearing this. After slowly thinking about it, she realized that some people will not return the same feelings even if you show them your sincere heart. Some people¡¯s hearts are like pieces of ice; you can¡¯t warm them up.


    Luo Siwen¡¯s eyes were red. She didn¡¯t expect her mother-in-law to embarrass her in front of so many people. She admitted that she was young at that time and spoke recklessly. Nonetheless, it was many years ago, and she still remembers her mistakes. Doesn¡¯t that mean her mother-in-law has never been sincere with her?


    This time, for Leilei¡¯s party, I told my relatives in advance that our family would not accept contributions; we just want it to be fun and lively. Have a get-together and have a good time. Our conditions are not so bad that we would have to make an unsightly appearance. ¡°


    Yang Yuqin was obviously not ready to spare Luo Siwen, or endure it for so many years. Today, she is not ready to continue to endure. One by one, she puts Luo Siwen¡¯s face on the ground and tramples it hard.


    Luo Siwen blushed as her chest fluctuated. She suddenly stood up and looked at Yang Yuqin with hatred. Siwen looked at Meixiang, who was sitting next to Yang Yuqin, and said with a sneer, ¡°Yes, mom, since you had this good daughter-in-law, I was naturally not in your eyes.¡± I¡¯m an outsider in this family. I haven¡¯t seen you serve me so well in my confinement. Serving tea, pouring water, washing, and cooking. We are both your daughter-in-law, but there¡¯s such a difference in treatment. Was it because you value your youngest son? I don¡¯t want anything from you. The family property will be given to whoever you like. I will not do it if I have to wag my tail and beg like a dog!


    ¡°SLAP¡± Ji Zhenlin slapped Luo Siwen on the face. Luo Siwen covered her cheek and looked at him in disbelief.


    ¡°How dare you hit me!¡±


    ¡°Luo Siwen, you¡¯re making too much of a scene.¡±


    Luo Siwen sneered. Tears rolled straight down her cheeks. She wiped her face and picked up her handbag.


    ¡°Ji Zhenlin, I advise you not to regret doing this to me.¡±


    With that, she turned and left, not even caring about her son.


    After Luo Siwen left, Yang Yuqin sighed, ¡°Let¡¯s go. If your minds were not as one, the days ahead for you would be hard. ¡°


    Then she smiled again, ¡°Today is a good day. Don¡¯t be unhappy about these things. ¡°


    ¡°Yes, Siwen¡¯s temperament is like this. It¡¯s just a small conflict; it will be fine in a few days.


    Ji Jialu also smiled and helped out, but Yang Yuqin didn¡¯t follow the words. For her, since she has been provoked and said something Today, it¡¯s impossible to regard it as ¡°nothing happened.¡± Yang Yuqin always wanted to let Luo Siwen know that she endured up until now, not because she was helpless against her, but because she was unwilling to seriously care about it. Nevertheless, as long as the mother-in-law takes it seriously as her daughter-in-law, she will only suffer in life.


    In the farce, Jiahui has been watching coldly. She also deeply understands what the words ¡°if you don¡¯t do it, you won¡¯t die¡± mean. Jiahui knows what it means to be arrogant and domineering. Luo Siwen¡¯s EQ is simply negative.


    Looking at Meixiang, she is also silent. As a sister-in-law, she was scolded by Luo Siwen by pointing her nose, but there were three: her father-in-law, mother-in-law, and a husband who protects her. Meixiang doesn¡¯t care about that verbal embarrassment.

 CH 95.2

    Chapter 95.2 (Extra 2) ¨C The most beautiful time to meet you.


    On the way to the hotel, Yang Yuqin also especially comforted Meixiang and told her not to take it to heart. Luo Siwen made such a fuss today. She didn¡¯t give Meixiang, and Zhenfeng faces. Yang Yuqin was afraid that Meixiang would be unhappy. Who knows that Meixiang was not unhappy, but instead, she comforted her and said, ¡°Mom, it doesn¡¯t matter. It¡¯s just a word or two. Don¡¯t be angry. ¡°


    Yang Yuqin happily took Meixiang¡¯s hand and smiled, ¡°I¡¯m so old. Many things have been thought of. It¡¯s not so easy for anyone to anger me.


    People only care about the people and things that they really care about. Once some people and things are released, they will no longer affect her mood. This is also a kind of cultivation of life.


    That day, Ji Zhenlin was drunk and pulled Ji Zhenfeng to say a lot of words.


    ¡°You are so smart. You know how to find a sweet one. Your brother and I have never had a comfortable day. ¡°


    ¡°Women¡ªit¡¯s better if they are considerate.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve had enough. She thinks she¡¯s some kind of high and mighty princess! She¡¯s just relying on the shadow of her ancestors. What is their Luo family¡¯s outstanding character?


    ¡°When I get promoted, I¡¯ll see if she still dares.¡±


    Ji Zhenlin is now the director of the office of the municipal Party committee. He has done a good job in his position in the past two years. If he makes a good plan, it is expected that he will be promoted to the province. The Luo family has a good family background, but this is good only for the older generation, and in the younger generation, no one is better than Ji Zhenglin.


    Seeing his brother drunk as mud [1] saying these half true and half false drunken words, Ji Zhenfeng didn¡¯t know whether to sympathize with him or blame him.


    His wife was chosen by himself. Their parents did not interfere with him. He could only live his life on his own, and no one else could interfere.


    ¡°Brother, you can only blame yourself for choosing such a wife. Your vision was not good. Look at me. If I¡¯m happy, it¡¯s because I chose the right wife for me. ¡°


    When Zhenfeng sent his brother to the door of his house, Ji Zhenfeng did not knock on the door to send Ji Zhenlin in but instead turned around and left. He didn¡¯t want to see his sister-in-law, who has a face longer than a horse.


    As Ji Zhenfeng drove home, his mother and Meixiang helped Leilei finish bathing. They are now giving Leilei bubble milk powder.


    In the past, his mother would ask two questions, such as whether his brother arrived home safely or if his sister-in-law had not taken care of his brother. But today, she didn¡¯t ask.


    ¡°Meixiang put away this jewelry. It¡¯s easy for children to lose them. Just keep two bracelets. ¡°


    In addition to Jiahui, other people also gave jewelry. The Ji family doesn¡¯t want to receive money, and others can¡¯t eat white rice with empty hands. They will bring something, more or less.


    ¡°OK, I¡¯ll put it away for him first.¡±


    Yang Yuqin nodded and looked at Leilei, drinking his milk in the bottle. His small appearance was amusing.


    ¡°These are all earned by Leilei himself. Keep them for him to use when he marries a wife later. ¡°


    Meixiang smiled, ¡°Mom, how old is Leilei? Why are you talking about marrying a wife? ¡°


    ¡°With children, life goes fast. I still remember when I was just born. I was just a little old. Now I¡¯m married and have children. ¡°


    It¡¯s true that the days are fast and slow; that is, when you think it¡¯s fast, it¡¯s particularly long. When you think it¡¯s slow, it¡¯s gone with a brush.


    Leilei sleeps with Yang Yuqin at night, which has been the case since she was weaned for ten months.


    In the room, Meixiang took a bath and wiped her hair. Ji Zhenfeng came and took the towel from Meixiang¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Are you angry about today?¡±


    Meixiang knew he was talking about Luo Siwen and shook her head.


    ¡°I won¡¯t be angry about unimportant people and things. If I was really mad, I would have been angry for a long time. ¡°


    Ji Zhenfeng smiled. He put his hand around Meixiang as if she were embedded in his arms.


    ¡°That¡¯s why I like you. You¡¯re right. We shouldn¡¯t be angry with unimportant people.¡±


    When he said this, he kissed her hard on her forehead. Meixiang smiled and thought, ¡°Why should I be angry?¡± My mother-in-law loves me, and I have a husband who thinks of me all the time. Now their son is one year old, and there¡¯s nothing to be unsatisfied about in her life.


    She remembered that when she first got married because Luo Siwen was not friendly to her sister-in-law, Jiahui. Her husband really found trouble with Luo Siwen and detained the car of Luo Siwen¡¯s second brother¡¯s transport team. Naturally, the reason was that the car was illegal, but he usually turned a blind eye to it. The Luo family came to their door to greet her and give her gifts.


    She told her sister-in-law about it. After hearing this, her sister-in-law smiled and asked her to live a good life with Zhenfeng.


    ¡°Zhenfeng is a man with good fortune. What¡¯s rare is that he is also honest and resolute, scheming without conspiracy. This kind of man is worth your trust for life. ¡°


    Meixiang sighed more than once. What kind of luck did she step on? In this life, she was so lucky and happy.


    She was spoiled by her mother¡¯s family and had such a good mother-in-law. She also had a good husband. Her mother said she fell into the honeypot, and she thought so herself. Sometimes she would wake up when she fell asleep. Sometimes, she finds herself smiling whenever she wakes up from her sleep.


    When the person behind her noticed that Meixiang¡¯s attention was not on him, He was unhappy. Zhenfeng turned around and stared at her face, asking, ¡°What are you thinking?¡±


    Meixiang put her toe ring around his neck and smiled, ¡°I¡¯m thinking of you.¡±


    My sister-in-law said that the interest between husband and wife is very important. She has to give her husband some sweets from time to time so that he feels refreshed and can¡¯t stop thinking about herself.


    Ji Zhenfeng was stunned when she saw that his wife had taken the initiative to hug him. She smiled so beautifully and said that she thought of him. Who can bear it? He didn¡¯t say much and went to bed with his wife.

 CH 96.1

    Chapter 96 Part 1 (Extra 3) ¨C Efforts will eventually be rewarded


    Zhao Zhuojun was admitted to Tsinghua University. He was the only person who was able to get this achievement, not only in the Shengli Township but in the entire Yun County. Zhuojun was even in the newspaper. In addition, some leaders in the county came to praise him, saying that he had won glory for their county. Heidan was young and promising, and his future would be prosperous.


    Unlike the other people, Zhao Zhuojun was not proud of being admitted to Tsinghua University. As usual, he got up at five o¡¯clock to read English, then ran at six o¡¯clock and had breakfast at six-thirty. Zhao Donglin was very satisfied with Heidan. He felt that his son was not arrogant and impetuous. With such a personality, Donglin didn¡¯t have to worry about Heidan in his life.


    ¡°Heidan has been admitted to a university. This is the most joyful event for our family in recent years. I think we have to celebrate with a drink. ¡°


    Jiahui didn¡¯t expect that Zhang Qiaoer, who has always been thrifty, was the first one to propose having a celebration at home, but it¡¯s not hard to understand what she felt. After all, going to Tsinghua University was equivalent to honoring their ancestors. It¡¯s the best university in the country. Her pride and joy can¡¯t be suppressed. It¡¯s human nature to want to have a celebration.


    ¡°It¡¯s time to do something big! Let¡¯s have a three-day banquet in the village. Brother, sister-in-law, this money is my gift to my nephew for being successful with his college entrance examination. ¡°


    After graduation, Zhao Donghe first did some small business and then contracted a coal mine with his friends. He made a lot of money in recent years and started trading in the provincial capital at the beginning of the year.


    Now he has the appearance of a big boss. There is a BB machine on his waist, and from time to time, this BB machine rings twice. He would pick it up and look at it. If he is anxious, he will call back and ignore it if he is not anxious. Jiahui can always imagine Donghe wearing sunglasses, carrying a leather bag, and holding a phone every time she sees him.


    ¡°Well, his uncle should spend some money on his nephew.¡±


    When the family returned to the village from the county, they really set up a three-day flowing banquet, and the chicken, duck, and fish were eaten openly by everyone.


    ¡°Donghe, you are a big boss now. You can¡¯t patronize and make a fortune by yourself. You have to take the younger generation to our village. ¡°


    Ding Huaishan, the village head, smoked and chattered with Zhao Donghe. One of the Zhao brothers is an official in the county, and the other is doing business in the provincial capital. In addition to the spring festival, he rarely goes back to the village. The village head is taking the opportunity to pull in some ¡°benefits.¡±


    The village introduced the joint production responsibility system several years ago. In the village, there is not much work on the land. Except for the farming season, there is not much to do at ordinary times. The village boys also want to go out to find something to do, but the factory can not enter, and there is no other way for Donghe. After all, in the provincial city, the village chief wants Donghe to find a way for the village boys.


    Donghe understood the intention of the village head. He went through it in his mind and thought it was OK to lend a hand. Anyway, the village head has always been good to their family.


    ¡°OK, I know a friend who has contracted a project. There is a shortage of workers there. Uncle Huaishan, find some honest and capable young men and go to the provincial capital with me in two days. ¡°


    Ding Huaishan didn¡¯t expect Donghe to accept it right away. He was both happy and satisfied.


    ¡°OK, Donghe, you¡¯re doing a great thing now. Don¡¯t worry. Uncle will definitely find the most capable young men on our team. ¡°


    Donghe exhaled a smoke ring and smiled. His face showed confidence that was not seen in earlier years.


    The time soon came to mid-August. It was time for Heidan to go to school to report. No one in the group was relieved; it was the first time for them to be far away from Heidan.


    Jiahui decided to send Heidan to the capital because Zhao Donglin had a prior commitment to his work.


    Jiahui works as a translator. With the leaders of the province, she often has to go on business trips. She has also been abroad several times. If she sends Heidan to the capital, their family will be at ease.


    Before the start of the school year, Jiahui prepared Zhao Zhuojun¡¯s luggage, food, and clothing. Everything was carefully selected. In the end, two boxes weren¡¯t enough to fit in all of the things Jiahui packed.


    ¡°Mom, don¡¯t bring so much. Just keep it simple.¡±


    Most of the important things, such as bedsheets and quilt covers, can be bought at school. The rest is a few sets of clothes to change and wash, as well as his study notes for so many years. For other things, Zhao Zhuojun doesn¡¯t think it¡¯s important. He¡¯s going to study, not go on an outing. There¡¯s no need to pay too much attention to food and clothing.


    But he was particularly moved. This was a mother¡¯s little love for her son, who was about to travel far away.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be living far away from us, and we can¡¯t go see you often. These cans of sauce must be brought. I made it especially for you.¡±


    Jiahui made chili sauce, beef butter, and peanut butter. Whether eating noodles or steamed buns for dinner, they match very well. She also made beef jerky, which Zhuojun loved to eat from childhood. This time, she specially made a few kilograms more and brought over a share for other students, which is also a kind of way to socialize with people.


    She told Zhuojun all these principles. Although he was no longer a child and knew many principles, he still listened carefully.


    The night before he went to Beijing, Zhao Donglin went to Heidan¡¯s room and gave him a copy of Zizhi Tongjian. On the title page was the famous quote from Chairman M. ¡°Hope rests on you.¡±


    The original words were, ¡°The world is yours and ours, but in the end, it is yours.¡± Your young people are vigorous and flourishing, like the sun in the morning. Hope rests on you. ¡°


    ¡°Since childhood, you have never let me down, whether it is learning or dealing with people. I have always been proud of you.¡±


    This sentence directly made Zhuo Jun¡¯s eyes red. At the age of 17, he has grown into a young man, tall, straight-backed, with clear and resolute eyes, with a trace of young people¡¯s fearlessness and longing expectations for the future.


    He has a handsome face. His face was a combination of Zhao Donglin and Wang Mei.


    Although he hasn¡¯t mentioned it to anyone, he studies so hard and strives for the top in order to let his father see his excellence.


    Or maybe, deep down, he had a fear of not getting his father¡¯s attention and affection, fearing that his father would loathe him because of his biological mother.


    Now that his father told him that he was proud of him, there was a feeling of pleasure and ease of finally being recognized by his father.


    ¡°This is the book I always read, and it is also Chairman M¡¯s favorite book. One must understand the history. I hope you can learn from it and be a good and diligent thinker. ¡°


    The book ¡°Zizhi Tongjian¡± focuses on politics, military, and ethnic relations but also covers the economy, culture, and evaluation of historical figures. The title of the book was given by Emperor Shenzong of the Song Dynasty, who thought that the book was ¡°in view of past events and useful for the way of governance¡± and gave it to future generations through the description of the policies of the ruling class that concerned the prosperity and decline of the country and the rise and fall of the nation.


    Whether Zhao Zhuojun was admitted to the Department of Economics at Tsinghua University, whether he entered officialdom or business and entrepreneurship, reading this book will be of great benefit to his thinking. Just like what others said, ¡°To use history as a guide to know the rise and fall, and to use virtue as a platform to know the gains and losses.¡± It would still be useful for him.


    After saying goodbye to their families, Zhao Zhuojun and Jiahui set off on a train. There was no train station in Yun County, but there was a train station in the provincial capital.


    ¡°Heidan has been sensible and obedient since he was a child. It¡¯s really good to be admitted to Tsinghua University. ¡°


    Shen Nianru is also happy for Zhuojun. She has long regarded these children as her grandchildren.


    ¡°This is a gift from your Grandpa Zhong and me. See if you like it. ¡°


    Zhuojun took the box and opened it. A Parker fountain pen and a bookmark with the words ¡°the three conditions for learning are to observe more, bear more hardships, and study more.¡± were written on the bookmark.


    This is Ji Fi ¨¢o¡¯s famous quote.


    ¡°Thank you, Grandpa and Grandma. I like this gift very much.


    Shen Nianru and Zhong Daomin smiled happily, ¡°It¡¯s good if you like it. You can learn more and have better knowledge when you enter the university. In the future, it¡¯s up to young people to strive for the future. ¡°


    ¡°Strictly speaking, we are working together. You have been teaching and educating people and have not stopped struggling. ¡°


    Shen Nianru shook her head with a smile and said to her partner beside her, ¡°This Jiahui is so eloquent. No matter what comes out of her mouth, people will love to hear it.¡±


    Zhong Daomin also smiled and nodded, ¡°She¡¯s really eloquent, but I believe that Jiahui is sincere in whatever she says. At most, she exaggerates it a little bit.¡±


    Zhong Daomin was praising Jiahui at the time. Finally, there was a turning point. He not only praised Jiahui but also had the meaning of unpretentiousness. This is the way of speaking of the older generation. It is meaningful and interesting at the same time.

 CH 96.2

    Chapter 96 Part 2 (Extra 3) ¨C Efforts will eventually be rewarded


    The green train travels for seven hours and forty minutes from Wudong to the capital. Jiahui and Heidan rode the train at 7:10 in the morning and arrived at the capital train station at 2:50 in the afternoon.


    ¡°Are you hungry? If you¡¯re hungry, let¡¯s find a place to eat first.¡±


    Jiahui and Heidan bought the sleeper tickets. They didn¡¯t eat fast food on the train at noon; they took the dry food they brought to pad their stomach. So, Jiahui was afraid that her son was hungry.


    ¡°Mom, I¡¯m not hungry. Let¡¯s eat if you¡¯re hungry. ¡°


    ¡°I¡¯m not hungry either. Let¡¯s go to the school first. I¡¯ll take you out to eat when the school matters are taken care of. ¡°


    After coming to the capital, she must take her son to eat something good, such as the famous capital roast duck, brush lamb, and so on.


    As for Jiahui herself, not to mention her previous life, she has been here several times with the leaders of the province, and she still knows the overall administrative and business planning of the capital very well.


    Walking outside the car and passing the platform, they saw a group of little comrades holding banners with words such as ¡°Welcome to Tsinghua University,¡± ¡°Central China Normal University Welcomes you,¡± and ¡°Welcome to Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications,¡± all of whom were students of major colleges and universities.


    Zhao Zhuojun also saw it with Jiahui and stopped in his tracks.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go and get to know them.¡± Jiahui looked back and said that.


    Zhao Zhuojun immediately nodded in agreement. Those were his seniors. After seeing his seniors, he sincerely wanted to be close to them, and his heart was filled with an emotion that could not be described in words.


    The students who had been talking together saw a fashionably dressed aunt with a young and handsome boy walking over. They changed their previous careless appearance and looked brightly at them. They guessed which school they were from.


    ¡°So handsome, he must be from our Central China Normal University.¡±


    ¡°Why? I think he¡¯s from our Posts and Telecommunications. ¡°


    ¡°I think he¡¯s from our institute of technology.¡±


    The junior student from Tsinghua University, who was in charge of welcoming the new students at the station, stroked his glasses. He had just clearly noticed that the other party¡¯s line of sight looked in his own direction. If he hadn¡¯t guessed it wrong, the other party should be their University¡¯s freshman.


    Sure enough, they walked towards Tsinghua University¡¯s banner.


    ¡°Hello, little comrade. My son is a freshman in the Department of Economics, Class of ¡¯85. ¡°


    Jiahui said and asked Zhao Zhuojun to come forward and meet the Tsinghua University students who were welcoming the freshmen.


    ¡°Hello, Seniors. My name is Zhao Zhuojun, from Wudong province.¡±


    ¡°Oh, hello.¡±


    They warmly shook hands with Zhao Zhuojun and introduced themselves. The leader was Zhang Qiangwei from the Department of Mathematics. There was another one named Ding Hanyu from the Department of Chemistry, and the last one was a girl from the Department of History named Gu Pan Pan.


    ¡°Junior Brother looks quite handsome.¡±


    Gu Panpan joked when shaking hands. Zhao Zhuojun immediately blushed. After saying that, Gu Panpan regretted it. Heidan¡¯s parents were still there. When she looked in Jiahui¡¯s direction, she saw Jiahui smiling and not angry at all. Gu Panpan sticks out her tongue.


    ¡°Aunt, Zhuojun, the situation is like this: The school arranged a car for freshmen, but in order to make use of the space, we had to wait until 20 people arrived before we drove.¡±


    This was done to save fuel. Jiahui nodded understandably.


    She looked at the time. It was already 3:08. It was estimated that they had to wait for a while before twenty people arrived.


    ¡°Then we won¡¯t wait. We¡¯ll eventually get to know each other. You¡¯ll be familiar when you meet at school. ¡°


    Gu Panpan was disappointed, and Zhang Qiangwei nodded directly.


    ¡°Then, of course, bumping into each other is fate. In the future, student Zhuo can come to me if he has any questions at school.¡±


    Zhang Qiangwei is from the student union. He is good at observing. It can be seen that Zhao Zhuojun comes from a well-off family. His mother is well-dressed, looks beautiful, and treats people well. It shows that he has seen the world naturally different from the students born into poor families.


    After the mother and son left, a group of students whispered.


    ¡°His family must be rich, and he is also very handsome.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have a crush on him, do you? He¡¯s two years younger than you. ¡°


    Normal students enter University at the age of 20. According to common sense, Zhao Zhuojun should be two years younger than his female classmate. In fact, Zhuojun jumped two grades and enrolled in the primary school a year earlier. He is only 17 years old this year, but he is calm and tall and doesn¡¯t look so small.


    ¡°He must be very rich. I think the bag carried by that Aunt was only available abroad and can¡¯t be bought in our country. ¡°


    The speaker was a female classmate from the Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications with good family background. Naturally, everyone believed her words. Wen Yan had no other emotions except emotions.


    As soon as they left on their front feet, several freshmen with luggage came on their back feet, waiting to go to school by car.


    ¡­¡­


    ¡°I¡¯m going to leave now. Write home often. Call me or call your dad if anything happens. ¡°


    The next afternoon, Jiahui was going to leave by bus. Her scheduled departure was on the 2:15 pm train. If she hadn¡¯t been late, she should have been able to arrive at Wudong before 10 p.m.The reason why she chose the afternoon ride was to spend more time with her son.


    ¡°Well, you should have bought an airplane ticket.¡±


    ¡°The airport is too far away. It¡¯s inconvenient to come and go. The train is very good. You¡¯ll be home after you sleep.¡±


    Zhao Zhuojun nodded and felt reluctant.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take you to the station.¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯ll take a taxi and leave. You can rest in your dormitory, read books, chat with your roommate, or ask your classmates to go shopping with you.¡±


    Zhuojun has seven roommates. Jiahui met and invited them to dinner last night. According to her first impression, these roommates are good people. Most of them come from the countryside and are very simple. One is local to the capital and has the frankness and self-confidence of a capital boy, which is not difficult to get along with.


    ¡°Well, go back, take care of yourself, and come back after the holiday. Your family will miss you very much. ¡°


    Zhuo Jun held back the sourness in his eyes and nodded. He did not listen to Jiahui¡¯s words to go back to the dormitory. He stood in place and watched Jiahui¡¯s departing figure until he could not see her silhouette, then he bowed his head and walked back.


    Zhao Zhuojun performed very well in school. He won school-level scholarships every semester and refused his parents¡¯ tuition fees from the beginning of his sophomore year.


    He joined the student union and was also the main debater in the debate society. When he was in his junior years, he served as the president of the student union. completed the undergraduate course ahead of schedule, and continued to study for a master¡¯s or doctor¡¯s degree abroad.


    After graduation, he chose to work for a Wall Street investment bank. He made tens of millions of dollars in only two years with his keen economic sense.


    ¡°Zhuo, do you really want to leave?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m going home to start a business.¡±


    ¡°Oh, what a pity. You are such an excellent young man.

 CH 97

    hapter 97 (Extra 4) ¨C All is well.


    As the first private restaurant opened in the county, Xiaoli Restaurant quickly gained a firm foothold in the county due to its excellent geographical location and novel, delicious snacks. The income from the first year was 1,000 to 2,000, but later on, it turned into 7,000 to 8,000 yuan. Just like what the married couple, Li Wangping and Zhao Caixia, said to Jiahui, they didn¡¯t take advantage of Jiahui¡¯s house. For the first three years, they gave half of their profits to Jiahui. Unfortunately, Jiahui didn¡¯t take it, so they decided to stop.


    A few years ago, the couple opened a hotel at the suggestion of Zhao Donghe. From then on, from being an owner of a small business, they now became a real boss.


    ¡°Donghe, your sister and I don¡¯t know how to run a business.¡±


    ¡°Brother-in-law, you don¡¯t have to do it yourself. If you don¡¯t understand, ask someone who does understand to help you. That¡¯s the advantage of being a boss. ¡°


    It took a year and a half to select the location, build the house, decorate, and finally run the hotel. Due to the luxurious decoration design, the couple¡¯s savings were insufficient, so Zhao Donghe accounted for a large share of the investment.


    The name of the hotel is Jinyun Hotel. On the day of the opening, all the famous people in the county and many people in the province came. The Jinyun Hotel became popular.


    Jinyun Hotel operates in a high-end way, with a high-end environment and high-end service. Its managers and service personnel have received professional hotel management training, reaching the level of three-star hotels. Naturally, the price is also rising. It¡¯s truly ¡°talking and laughing with Hongru.¡± [1]


    Daya is 21 years old and was about to graduate from University.


    ¡°Is this your daughter? Oh, she¡¯s so beautiful. How old is she? Have you arranged for her? ¡°


    Daya went to the hotel several times, but eventually, she became too scared to go back again. Her mother was completely brainwashed and wanted to introduce her to someone all day long.


    ¡°Mom, I¡¯m only 21. There¡¯s no need to remind me to get married. ¡°


    ¡°You¡¯re not too young; you¡¯re turning 22.¡±


    ¡°There is no law that stipulates that you must find someone to marry. I haven¡¯t graduated yet.¡±


    Daya learned from her sister-in-law, Zhao Meixiang. She¡¯s a model example chosen by the University. However, she didn¡¯t go to a specialized training school; she took an undergraduate course. Teachers and staff are the most popular types of jobs in the blind date market.


    ¡°Find a suitable person before graduation. I didn¡¯t tell you to get married now, and you¡¯re going for an internship soon. Your Aunt found a partner as soon as she started working. You have to keep up with your Aunt. ¡°


    Daya pursed her lips and didn¡¯t want to get entangled with her mother on this topic. She decided to go to her Aunt¡¯s house for refuge.


    ¡°Aunt, my mother asked me to go on a blind date after hearing a few words from someone. She didn¡¯t have her own ideas and refused to respect my wishes. ¡°


    Meixiang, with a faint smile on her face, lowered her head to cut the apple for Daya. The peeled skin of the apple reached the coffee table.


    ¡°Did you like someone at school?¡±


    With that, Meixiang handed the peeled apple to Daya.


    Daya felt uncomfortable when she heard this question. Meixiang knew at a glance that it meant something.


    ¡°If you have someone you like, you should consider whether the other party is suitable for you and make a decision early. Girls¡¯ youth is very important. It¡¯s OK not to want a blind date now, but you can¡¯t put your precious feelings on someone who is not suitable for you. ¡°


    Just like when she had a young love for Cui Zongyi, she finally proved that she was really wrong.


    Daya listened like she understood but actually, she didn¡¯t understand it. For young people, it may be difficult to understand adults¡¯ thinking. They should like everything from whom they like. They shouldn¡¯t care about each other¡¯s conditions and family; otherwise, they will look insincere and snobbish.


    Daya hid in her Aunt¡¯s house for two days. On the third day, her mother blocked her at the door.


    ¡°Today¡¯s children are really disobedient. It¡¯s not comparable to our time. ¡°


    Zhao Caixia also complained to her sister, and Meixiang poured a cup of tea in front of her.


    ¡°Times have changed. We had little knowledge and didn¡¯t understand anything at that time. Now children are much happier than us. ¡°


    Zhao Caixia agreed with this, sighed, and said, ¡°Yes, a few years ago, who would have thought we would live well like this today?¡±


    Ten years ago, she was still poor. Now she has opened a hotel and become a big boss. There are four brothers and sisters in her family. Donglin has been promoted from the county to the province. Donghe¡¯s doing more and more business. Meixiang is the most stable teacher. Her brother-in-law¡¯s grandfather was promoted from his position again and again. He is already a deputy director as of now, which is very rare for someone his age.


    And Jiahui, as the head of the Provincial Foreign Affairs Department, although she is nearly 40 years old, is well maintained, and she looks like 30 at most. Zhao Caixia has lived for more than 40 years. She has seen a little of the world in recent years. What she admires most in her life is her sister-in-law.


    It was also heard that there was a willingness to send a sister-in-law to the capital. The sister-in-law declined. Compared with her sister-in-law, she was too much of a loser. If she didn¡¯t have useful relatives at home, she wouldn¡¯t be able to live well today.


    In a yard near Wudong University, a teenager with a board-inch head, carrying a schoolbag and a basketball, strode through the door. As soon as he entered the door, he shouted, ¡°Mom, I¡¯m hungry. Make me something delicious.¡±


    After not hearing his mother¡¯s response, a girl in a dress came out of the house.


    ¡°Mom hasn¡¯t come back yet. There¡¯s leftover food at noon. Why don¡¯t I heat it up for you? ¡°


    The one who talked was Yingbao, whose name is Zhao Xinyi. Naturally, the teenage boy is Fang Fang, whose name is Zhao Zhuorei.


    Once he heard that Mom was not at home, the only one who could cook for him at home was his sister, and he immediately acted spoiled.


    ¡°I want to eat noodles. Sister, can you make it for me?¡±


    Fang Fang, who had a tiger¡¯s head when he was a child, has grown into a small teenager. He looks more like Jiahui, with white skin and beautiful eyebrows and eyes. Although he is only 13 years old, he is already 1.7 meters tall.


    He loves playing basketball. His mother said that boys are the most handsome when playing basketball. On the other hand, he doesn¡¯t like the way he looks. He looks too pretty. When he was a child, people always thought he was a little girl, so he was willing to tan and grow stronger. He found out that he was unable to get tanned. Other little friends had already become darker after playing basketball in the summer. But he didn¡¯t change. In fact, he was getting whiter and whiter. In this contrast, it stands out from the crowd.


    At this time, he is like the green onions in the fields in the morning, white and green. He has a youthful flavor of vitality, reminiscent of the green onions under the sunrise, full of vitality and hope.


    Zhao Xinyi has loved this younger brother of hers since childhood. When he entered puberty, his younger brother became less cute than when he was a child. Now hearing his younger brother talk to her in a coquettish tone, Zhao Xinyi couldn¡¯t bear it.


    ¡°OK, I¡¯ll make it for you if you want.¡±


    Zhao Xinyi is in high school this year. Her brother Zhao Zhuojun was admitted to Tsinghua University at her age. Therefore, Zhao Xinyi is under great pressure. She wants to enter a good university like her brother.


    Tsinghua is her brother¡¯s alma mater, and Wudong University is her parents¡¯ alma mater. These two schools are her choices. In fact, her family wants her to take the Wudong University examination. She is a girl. Her family couldn¡¯t help but worry about her. It¡¯s more reassuring for her not to go far and stay near her parents.


    Zhao Zhuorui sucked up a bowl of shredded pork noodles with green peppers. Finally, he leaned on the back of the chair and patted his belly to express his satisfaction.


    Zhao Xinyi sneered and said, ¡°Look at yourself. Why do you look like an old man? ¡°


    Zhao Zhuorui replied discontentedly, ¡°What do you know? I call it masculinity.¡±


    ¡°Masculinity doesn¡¯t mean looking like an old man. The definition of masculinity is our father and brother.¡±


    Zhao Zhuorei was discouraged. The young man always wanted to act like an adult. He also took his father and brother as his inspiration, but when could he become like that? It doesn¡¯t look scary but mighty. People won¡¯t dare look down upon them. It¡¯s really a headache for him.


    As night fell, Zhao Xinyi and Zhao Zhuorei did their homework and reviewed their lessons in their respective rooms. The Zhao family has a strong learning atmosphere. No matter how naughty and how to play, the children must finish their homework, and their school ranking for each exam cannot fall out of the top ten. This is their agreement after lowering the requirements.


    Once Zhao Zhuorui and Zhao Zhuoming raised an objection, Jiahui or Zhao Donglin faintly said, ¡°Your brother was the first in the school back then.¡±


    With one sentence, the two shut up.


    Later, after Zhao Zhuorei was admitted to Tsinghua University, he was very popular in school because of his handsome appearance and cheerful personality. When others talked about learning, he would always sigh heavily.


    ¡°I¡¯m forced to study. If your parents are Xueba, your brother is Xueba, your sister is Xueba, and your whole family is Xueba, you have to study and be excellent. When you break the exam, you feel like a reform through labor prisoner and can¡¯t raise your head at home.¡± [2]


    The words are said in jest, but the reason is indeed this reason.


    Zhao Zhuoming is the worst student in the Zhao family. But who let him have a father who can earn money? He is a real rich second generation. The money his father earned, even if he worked hard to spend it all, he will never be able to empty all his father¡¯s money with it all his life. That¡¯s why Zhao Zhuoming also took an examination at the University of science and technology, majoring in architecture. After graduation, he is ready to become the prince of his father¡¯s real estate company. Zhao Zhuorei was most envious of this cousin of his.


    Of course, these are later words. We will continue to go back to the present: 1990.


    Zhao Donglin and Jiahui were busy people, but today it was rare for them to go back home together.


    Zhao Donglin is currently a member of the Standing Committee of the Wudong Provincial Party Committee and the head of the provincial economic development zone. In the past ten years, he has made a lot of achievements in the economy.


    ¡°Dad, mom, you¡¯re back.¡±


    Zhao Xinyi saw her parents enter the yard and happily came out of the room. She affectionately held Jiahui¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Have you had dinner with your brother?¡±


    Zhao Xinyi smiled and shook her head. ¡°I didn¡¯t eat it. My brother came back and said he was hungry and asked me to heat up a bowl of noodles, but his belly was like a black hole. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s hungry again now.¡±


    While talking, Zhao Zhuorei also came out of the room.


    ¡°Dad, mom.¡±


    Zhao Donglin was stricter with his son, so Zhao Zhuorei was still afraid of his father. At this moment, Zhao Donglin¡¯s eyes lightly sweep over him, and Zhao Zhuorei inexplicably feels that he has done something wrong.


    ¡°Dad, I finished my homework, and I¡¯ve studied it. I¡¯ve won first place in this monthly exam. I am friendly to my classmates and respect my teachers at school. I haven¡¯t done anything wrong, have I?¡±


    Jiahui chuckled. She turned her head and looked at her husband. As his position became higher and higher, his face became fiercer and fiercer like Bao Gong. No wonder whenever her son saw him, he looked like a mouse that saw a cat.


    ¡°Your father just looks like this. If you make a mistake, he will not stare at you. He¡¯ll beat you with a stick.¡±


    Zhao Zhuorui murmured discontentedly, ¡°It¡¯s a fascist education¡­¡±


    When Zhao Donglin¡¯s eyes swept again, Zhao Zhuorei quickly closed his mouth and ran back to the house. He also missed a smile on the corner of Zhao Donglin¡¯s mouth.


    It¡¯s rare for the family to sit together for dinner. Jiahui warmed up the dishes that could be eaten at noon and fried two new ones.


    ¡°You two should eat more. It¡¯s the time for your body to grow. You need to supplement your body with more vegetables and protein. You can¡¯t be picky about food. Only in this way can you grow tall.¡±


    ¡°Mom, I¡¯m already 1.66 meters. I don¡¯t want to grow any taller.¡±


    Girls are not short if they are 1.67 meters. If they become taller, they will be 1.7 meters. Zhao Xinyi does not like to be too tall.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Girls usually stop growing when they reach the age of 18. You are just right.¡±


    Jiahui comforted her daughter and looked down at her son, saying, ¡°Zhuorui, you have to play more basketball and drink more milk. Your father and brother are both 1.8. You can¡¯t be left behind. ¡°


    Zhao Zhuorui choked on his rice. He patted his chest and coughed with a red face. After coughing, he complained about a little unhappiness, ¡°Mom, I¡¯m only 13 years old, and I¡¯m already one of the best in the class.¡± Aren¡¯t you asking too much of me? ¡°


    Zhao Donglin looked over and put down his chopsticks. Zhao Zhuorei¡¯s anger immediately disappeared, and he said, in a condescending manner, ¡°I¡¯m just reasoning with my mother, not being mean to my mother.¡±


    There is an unwritten rule at home that everyone must abide by. You can¡¯t talk loudly to your mother, don¡¯t make her angry, or make her cry. Or else, Dad will definitely teach the who made a mistake a lesson.


    Therefore, the sons of the Zhao family have a gentlemanly demeanor that their peers don¡¯t have, thus attracting the hearts of many girls, as the saying goes. ¡°Unintentionally passing through like a wind, but causing torrents.¡±


    ¡ªend


    T/N: Yes. This is the last chapter of this novel! Thank you so much for reading up to this chapter. I know that my translation is far from perfect (very), but you still supported me, which I truly appreciate. Thank you very much. I really love this novel, and I hope you also enjoyed this novel. Bye to my favorite son Heidan! Love lots ! See you in my next project! The Peasant Female Doctor!