Chapter 51

There were only two people left in the classroom. Principal Cai looked at Jiang Suihan carefully and said, "Your mother-in-law and I have been friends for many years. You can call me Aunt Cai when no one is around."

Jiang Suihan was the most sensible person. She climbed up the pole and called out in a clever way, "Aunt Cai."

Principal Cai started to act like an elder: "How long have you been in the army? Are you used to it?"

Jiang Suihan replied: "It's been a month, I'm quite used to it. Although the customs are a little different from ours, it's still quite interesting."

Principal Cai and Chief of Staff Xu have two children, a boy and a girl, who are not around. When he saw the well-behaved and delicate little girl, he couldn't help but think of the days when his youngest daughter was still around, and his eyes became more gentle and loving.

She smiled and joked, "You don't know, Xu Zhao only cares about work. People of his age are either married or have become fathers, but he is still single. His mother was so anxious, but unexpectedly, this kid got married without saying a word. We were all so happy."

At that time, Xu Zhao's father, Xu Zhenguo, acted first and informed others later, and hastily arranged the marriage with the Jiang family. He told Xu Zhao's mother, Ms. Su Ying, only afterwards, and she was almost sent to the hospital for anger.

Later, Xu Zhenguo took the trouble to persuade his wife for a long time and explained many reasons to her. Only then did Su Ying reluctantly accept Jiang Huihan as her daughter-in-law. Her husband was right in saying that if her son didn't really like her, he would not agree even if you put a knife to his neck and forced him.

"You're back. What are you holding in your hand? Such a big package." The people in the compound saw a large package tied to Su Ying's bicycle and asked curiously.

Su Ying smiled with a hint of boasting in her face, and said in a nonchalant manner, "Well, it's probably just some food. Xiao Jiang is really something. Li Province is so far away. His father and I don't lack food, but he didn't listen to me and insisted on sending things over, saying that they were specialties from there for us to try. If they taste good, he'll send them next time."

I told you to keep saying that no one wants my son at his age, and spread rumors that I have high standards, a bad temper, and am picky about my daughter-in-law. No girl is willing to marry into the Xu family.

Look, my Xu Zhao got married, and he married such a good wife. Xiao Jiang is so filial that she even thinks of sending things home from far away. She is not like some daughters-in-law in the compound who only think about how to get things back to their own home from their husband's family.

Wang Chunyan pulled the corners of her mouth awkwardly, her eyes almost rolling up to the sky. Every family has a daughter-in-law, but your Xu family's daughter-in-law is the most filial. Before Xu Zhao got married, I didn't see you showing off all day long.

Grandpa Xu had a high military rank and real power. The family Wang Chunyan married into was not as good as the Xu family. Although the two families were neighbors, Wang Chunyan just disliked Su Ying. The two were elementary school classmates and had been competing with each other since childhood. Su Ying married better than her, but she had three sons. In this respect, she was better than Su Ying.

Seeing Su Ying worrying about Xu Zhao's marriage and wishing to pick all the girls of suitable age in the compound, Wang Chunyan watched the joke with her grandson in her arms. What if she married better than her? She still couldn't have a grandson.

Unexpectedly one day, Su Yingte happily told everyone that her son was getting married. She wanted to set off firecrackers to let everyone in the compound know. She happily bought things for her daughter-in-law, from food to daily necessities, big and small, and sent them all to Li Province.

Wang Chunyan didn't want to see the big package, and said with little interest: "Your daughter-in-law is okay. In my opinion, you and Old Xu are old, so you might as well ask your daughter-in-law to come back and take care of you. Staying in Li Province, the food and accommodation are not good, and you won't ruin your health. It would be great to come back to the capital."

Su Yingcai was not provoked: "Old Xu and I are in good health and do not need their care. Besides, Xiaoling is married not far away and comes back to see us from time to time. We don't need someone to take care of us."

The young couple has a good relationship, so there is no need for her to be a wicked mother-in-law. She also wants to have a grandson soon.

Seeing that Su Ying was not fooled, Wang Chunyan didn't want to listen to her showing off anymore, so she made up an excuse and left. When she returned home and saw her daughter-in-law sitting in the living room eating biscuits, she became furious.

"You don't even cook after get off work, and you wait for me, at my old age, to serve you, the old and the young. You are so precious, but you can only eat but not cook. I am so unlucky to have a daughter-in-law like you."

Wang Chunyan's daughter-in-law was no pushover either. She was young and had a bad temper. She stood up and put her hands on her hips and said, "Mom, what are you doing? You come home and start swearing. It's just a few cookies. I've worked all day and I'm so hungry. What's wrong with eating two? If you don't like me, I'll just go back to my parents' home so you don't get angry when you see me."

She picked up her son, picked up her bag, and left without even looking at her mother-in-law.

Wang Chunyan pointed at the door with trembling hands, her chest heaving. She wanted to curse, but no one was there, so who could she curse at? When her son came back in the evening, she complained to him. When he heard that his wife was taking him back to her parents' home, he pushed his bicycle out without saying a word and hurried to his father-in-law's house to pick him up.

Both of them were disobedient and could not help complaining to their husband at night. However, her husband did not want to pay attention to her and turned over and snored soundly in his sleep. Wang Chunyan was angry all night and tossed and turned for most of the night before she could barely fall asleep.

As soon as Xu Xiaoling entered the room, she saw a large package in the living room: "Mom, who sent this?"

Su Ying came out with a pair of scissors, squatted down and cut the straps on it: "Your sister-in-law sent it, saying it is a specialty from Li Province. She sent it here for us to try. If you think it tastes good, she will send it next time."

Xu Xiaoling also squatted down to help: "That's okay, at least I still remember you and dad. Did Xu Zhao call back?"

She felt it was a pity that her brother, such an outstanding man, married a girl without parents. It was not that she had any problem with Jiang Suihan. After all, she had never met her and it was difficult to judge. She just thought that her brother deserved better. Jiang Suihan was not a bad person, but with her family background, she would not be able to help Xu Zhao in his career in the future.

A few days ago, a new colleague came to her unit, a girl of about 21 or 22 years old. Her parents worked in government agencies and her uncle was the head of a military region. The girl was good-looking, a little spoiled at home, but she had a spoiled personality and was cheerful all day long. Xu Zhao had a cold personality, and the two complemented each other perfectly.

I originally thought that I could introduce the two of them to each other when Xu Zhao came back at the end of the year. On the one hand, this would solve my brother's long-standing problem of getting married, and on the other hand, I would become a relative of the girl, so that her husband would have someone to look after him in the officialdom in the future. It would be the best of both worlds.

Who knew that her father would arrange a marriage for her brother on his own initiative, leaving no room for maneuver. Her brother got married and the girl also had a boyfriend, so the whole plan fell through.

Su Ying put down the scissors and pulled the tape apart. "No, the last time I called was a month ago. Oh, there are still photos."

I picked up a photo inside, there was only one photo, of a young man and woman sitting together upright, Xu Zhao still had a blank expression on his face as always, while Jiang Huihan smiled sweetly at the camera, her eyes curved into crescents.

That day, he and Wu Guihua made an appointment to go to the county together. The night before, Xu Zhao said that he also wanted to go to the county for a meeting, so he drove her there. When they arrived at the county, they went their separate ways, one for the meeting and the other for shopping.

After Xu Zhao finished the meeting, it was still early, so Jiang Huihan saw a photo studio on the side of the road and remembered that they didn't have wedding photos yet, so she pulled him in to take a few photos.

Xu Zhao seldom takes photos and doesn't like facing the camera. He is tense and serious throughout the whole process.

The boss poked his head out from behind the camera and said, "Don't be so nervous, comrade. Relax a little. Come on, laugh with me."

Jiang Huihan turned her head to look at him and couldn't help but said with a smile: "That's right, if you don't know, you would think I forced you to come here, smile happily and shout after me, eggplant."

Xu Zhao glanced at her indifferently, with a look on his face that said, "You're the only one who could come up with such a stupid statement." Jiang Huihan angrily reached out and twisted his waist, but unfortunately this guy's muscles were stiff and he couldn't feel it. Her hands were tired.

Looking at his angular profile, Jiang Huihan's heart moved, and before the boss pressed the camera, she quickly turned her head and touched his left cheek.

By the time Xu Zhao reacted, the camera had already frozen.

Jiang Huihan looked straight ahead, like a dead pig that is not afraid of boiling water. She just didn't look at him with a slightly red face.

Xu Zhao's ears instantly turned red. He quickly glanced at her and whispered, "Don't make trouble."

The boss was very happy. Jiang Suihan waved her hand and asked for two copies of each photo, which cost more than four yuan in total.

Jiang Suhan was embarrassed to include the photo of Xu Zhao being secretly kissed. She still had her dignity to save. At night, she went to take a shower and forgot to take her hairband. When she walked to the door, she secretly glanced at Xu Zhao and saw a smile on his face. She stared at the photo for a long time.

She secretly complained that he seemed to be taken advantage of in the photo studio. He kept a distance from her when walking on the street. Look at this night, his true nature was revealed without a doubt, in two words, repressed and sultry.

Su Ying couldn't let go and looked at them again and again: "These two children are really a perfect match. Look how well-matched they are. They are both handsome."

She has already begun to imagine how beautiful and cute her grandchildren will be in the future. The more she thinks about it, the more impatient she becomes and she really wants to call and urge the birth of her grandchildren.

Xu Xiaoling came forward curiously: "Where is it? Let me see."

She snatched the photo from her mother's hand. Wow, he is indeed good-looking. Her brother's looks are not exaggerating. Looking at the whole compound, if you have a broader vision, even in this area, he is one of the best. When he was in school, there were so many girls following him. She didn't expect that her brother's wife was not inferior to him in appearance. The two of them are really a match made in heaven.

Su Ying was worried that her daughter had damaged the photos, so she didn't fight with her and took out a letter from Jiang Suihan in the package.

She greeted them first. Xu Zhao was not around all year round, so his parents must want to know how he was doing. So she wrote down everything, no matter how big or small. Jiang Huihan wrote down whatever she thought of, chattering on and on, filling up two pages. She even wrote about small things like how Jiang Leyun was tricked by her into kneading dough and sneezed, flour flying everywhere, and the little guy became a white man. Finally, she mentioned what they bought, and how some of the things had a short shelf life and needed to be eaten quickly.

Seeing her mother smiling while reading the letter, Xu Xiaoling leaned over again and asked, "What did you write? Have you finished reading it? Let me see it."

Su Ying handed the letter to her daughter and rubbed her cheeks: "Take a look at it. Show it to your grandfather and father when they come back in the evening."

She thought to herself that her daughter-in-law was quite considerate and knew how to write back letters. Her writing was witty and humorous, making people laugh.

Xu Xiaoling read quickly, "It turns out that Xu Zhao has this side to him, and he hides it well. Mom, you don't have to tell me, I think they are a sweet couple. Dad did something right."

You have to know that her father arranged a marriage for Xu Zhao in a hurry and she hadn't even met the person. When her family found out, they were very dissatisfied and thought her father was too feudal. Nowadays, it's about free love. How can you decide your child's life just because you are a parent? Her mother was almost crazy.

Now it seems that the result is pretty good. The young couple has a stable relationship. My brother's wife is a nice person and knows how to care about home. In the past, her brother would only call or write home a few times throughout the year.

Su Ying said with some emotion: "I am now looking forward to them letting me hold my grandchildren sooner rather than later. I will be satisfied with that."

Xu Xiaoling curled her lips and pretended to be angry and said, "My Xiaozheng is not your grandson?"

Su Ying took out the things in the package one by one and put them aside. Without raising her head, she said, "It's my grandson. His surname is Yang, not Xu. I want to hug our Xu family's good grandson right now."

I knew her mother would say this. Xu Xiaoling was a little unconvinced: "It's old feudalism, favoring boys over girls. I'm still okay, but you don't treat me that well."

There are three children in the family, and she is the second oldest. Her eldest sister went to another place with her eldest sister's husband, and Xu Zhao was not at home all year round. She married nearby and would go back to her parents' home when she had time. She thought she was very filial to her parents, but her mother's idea of ​​liking boys had not changed after these twenty or thirty years.

Just because she and her elder sister are girls and Xu Zhao is a boy, her grandparents, parents and father have always valued him since he was a child, and he has received more attention than her two sisters. She was angry when she was a child and felt that it was unfair, but what could she do? Girls cannot inherit the family business, and when they get married they belong to someone else's family. Naturally, they cannot compare to the natural advantages of boys.

Su Ying knew about her second daughter's little discomfort, but she didn't think it was a big deal. Girls are supposed to get married, and by raising her daughters to adulthood and ensuring they have happy marriages, her mission as a mother would be accomplished.

"Okay, you're so jealous, why don't you bring Xiao Zheng with you?"

She also watched her grandson grow up. The little glutinous rice leader grew up slowly. He is well-behaved, sensible and sweet-mouthed. She hasn't seen her grandson for a few days and she missed him very much.

Xu Xiaoling: "He had a little cough these past two days, so I let him stay at home to avoid going out for fresh air."

When Su Ying heard that her grandson was ill, she asked hurriedly, "Is it serious? Has he seen a doctor?"

Xu Xiaoling looked relaxed: "It's not a big deal. I've already seen a doctor. I just caught a cold. I'll be fine in a few days."

I pulled out something tightly wrapped in newspaper. I couldn't tell what it was. I smelled it and it smelled good. When I opened it, I saw a large piece of smoked bacon.

"Why did they send the meat back? We have plenty of meat at home. The conditions there are tough. It would be better to keep it and eat it slowly. I don't know where they got such a big piece of bacon."

Su Ying took it and weighed it in her hand, estimating that it should be ten kilograms, which could last for a long time. Although she kept complaining about wasting money, she was actually very happy in her heart and thought her daughter-in-law was very capable.

The bacon was also bought on the day the photo was taken, but not at a grocery store. When passing by a small alley, Jiang Huihan saw someone coming in and out, behaving a bit sneakily, and couldn't help but follow him.

If she was alone, she would not dare to go there, but with Xu Zhao by her side, she felt braver. After entering, she found another world, a spontaneous black market. The two of them wandered around in there, and when they came out, they were carrying a lot of things in their hands.

Xu Xiaoling could not help swallowing her saliva. Such a big piece of bacon was a bit greedy. She married into an ordinary family, which was far inferior to her parents' family. Unlike her grandfather and her father, especially her grandfather, he was an old revolutionary with a high military rank. The monthly supplies he gave were the envy of others.

As soon as she saw her second daughter's expression, Su Ying knew what she was thinking and said unhappily, "Take some back when you leave later."

The second daughter and the second son-in-law are in a free love relationship. The second son-in-law is a nice person, ambitious, and treats the second daughter well. However, there is a biased mother who favors the second son-in-law's younger brother. As long as there is something good, she wants to take it to the youngest son's house.

Su Ying was too lazy to go to her second daughter's house. She didn't want to deal with her shrewd and mean mother-in-law. It was impossible to reason with her. She had her own reasons. If her second son-in-law was not good to her second daughter, she would not agree to the marriage.

But the person was chosen by the second daughter, and whether she lives a good or bad life is her own choice.

Grandpa Xu squinted at the photo and said with a smile, "Not bad, the two children look good."

Xu Zhenguo stared at the side eagerly, not daring to grab the old man. He leaned over and took a look. He saw that the man was talented and the woman was beautiful, and they were indeed a perfect match.

He couldn't help feeling a little proud in his heart. You see, I had a good vision at that time. I was quick, accurate and ruthless. I found a good daughter-in-law for my family. Who will say that I am unreliable in the future?

Ever since he was scolded by his wife and daughter, Xu Zhenguo couldn't help feeling guilty. He knew he had acted impulsively, but as a person who always cared about his reputation, he refused to admit that he had done anything wrong. He was also worried that he would harm his son and his best friend's daughter, and that the two would end up becoming a pair of resentful lovers, which would then be a great sin for him.

Fortunately, both children are sensible people. Although it was a bit hasty at the beginning, the result is good. Now that my son is married, maybe he will be able to become a grandfather soon. Life is getting better and better.

After looking at the photos, Grandpa Xu handed them to Xu Zhenguo, and then said to his daughter-in-law, "I remember someone sent some seafood to our house last time. Please pack them up and send them to the children. I have some unused tickets here, take them too."

Su Ying nodded: "Okay, I'll go right away."

After thinking about it, I decided to take an hour off tomorrow afternoon and go to the department store to buy some good things to send to Li Province. That place is remote and travel is inconvenient, so sending more things will save them from making more trips.

At dinner, Jiang Huihan suddenly asked, "I wonder if your parents received the gifts?"

She packed all the things. At most, Xu Zhao just carried the package to the post office and paid the postage. When she wrote the letter, she asked him if he wanted to join her, even if it was just a few words. But he just sat on the bed reading, not moving at all. It was unclear whether he was lazy or he didn't like to show his emotions to his family.

She had no choice but to write, but she was not familiar with Xu Zhao's family and had no idea what to write. In the end, she had no choice but to write a bunch of random things. When she finished, she found that two pages were full. It was all nonsense. She wanted to tear it up and rewrite it, but she was too lazy to waste time, so she left it like that.

Xu Zhao estimated the time: "It should be here in more than a week."

After a while, he said, "I have a mission tomorrow that may take a month. If you have any questions during my absence, go find Da He. I have already told them. Aunt Cai is also fine."

He was a little worried. There were only Jiang Huihan and Jiang Leyun at home without a man. If something urgent happened, the two of them might not be able to handle it. He was also afraid that Jiang Huihan was shy and would be embarrassed to ask others for help.

Jiang Suihan was stunned for a moment: "You want to go out?"

Xu Zhao: "Yes, one month if everything goes well."

As for where he was going and what mission he was on, he couldn't tell them and they had to be kept secret.

"It's so sudden. I get it. I will take good care of the family." Jiang Huihan raised her eyes and looked at him. She had a thousand things to say but suddenly didn't know what to say.

After a pause, she asked again: "Will it be dangerous?"

Xu Zhao remained silent. He couldn't guarantee safety.

Jiang Huihan was a little frustrated, and tried to look up and smile at him: "Then you have to be careful and don't rush forward without caring about anything. I'll wait for you at home."

Xu Zhao held her hand and nodded solemnly: "Okay."

After dinner, Jiang Huihan packed his travel things, including clothes, socks, and some food. She remembered that she had bought some dried pork last time in the county and had half a bag left, so she hurried downstairs to search for it.

Xu Zhao supported his chin with one hand and just watched her running up and down, without offering to help.

Jiang Huihan stood up with her hands on her hips and looked at the bulging package in front of her: "Is it a little too much?"

He was going on a mission, and carrying such a big package might make people laugh at him.

Xu Zhao's lips curled slightly: "Then reduce it a little more."

This was the first time that someone other than Ms. Su Ying had packed his luggage for him, and he wanted to experience this feeling of being cared for a little longer.

He didn't tell Jiang Huihan what she must bring and what she couldn't bring. He just smiled and watched her running around like a busy little bee. Anyway, he would definitely have to sort it out again in the end.

Jiang Suihan was in a dilemma and frowned. She felt that this ointment was really necessary. It could be used for mosquito bites and bruises. There was also this bottle of floral water to repel mosquitoes. Two sets of clothes should be enough. She couldn't reduce it any further. She also needed to bring two pairs of socks and an extra pair of shoes.

It was done in bits and pieces, increasing and decreasing, and finally it was reduced by half.

Jiang Huihan exhaled slowly: "Is this okay?"

Xu Zhao glanced at the still large cyst on the ground and nodded perfunctorily: "Okay, stop working and go take a shower."

It's half past seven. The lights will be turned off soon.

Maybe because they would be separated for more than a month, Xu Zhao demanded it a little too much last night. Jiang Huihan felt as if she had been on a boat all night. The wind and waves were strong, and the boat was shaking constantly. Her head was dizzy and she didn't know when she fell asleep.

She felt some movement around her while she was half asleep. She struggled to open her eyes and saw Xu Zhao turning over and getting out of bed.

Xu Zhao heard a rustling sound behind him and paused in his dressing. He turned around and saw Jiang Huihan yawning while holding the quilt with one hand and covering her mouth with the other.

He walked over, sat down beside the bed and touched her head: "Why are you up? It's still early, sleep a little longer."

Jiang Suihan rubbed his palm unconsciously, her voice a little unclear: "No need to sleep, I'll make you some breakfast."

It was very late last night, and Xu Zhao was reluctant to let her get up, so he pinched her face and said, "It's okay, I'll go to the cafeteria to eat, you go to sleep."

Jiang Huihan hugged his waist and shook her head gently: "I want to cook for you."

The voice is soft and sweet, with a long tail, as if humming from the throat, slightly raised, with eyebrows raised and eyes big and bright.

Xu Zhao's heart suddenly tightened. He really fell for it.

"Then get up."

Jiang Suihan reached out to him: "Pick me up."

Soft and delicate, looking at him eagerly.

Xu Zhao put his arm around her waist and, with a push, lifted her up with one hand.

Jiang Suhan hugged his neck with both hands and smiled with curved eyebrows. Such a strong boyfriend makes people feel safe.