Chapter 119

A rabbit lantern lit up at the entrance of the dark alley.

In early summer, I walked into the alley with a lantern in my hand, and my mood was as bright and light as the dancing flame in the lampshade.

Holding a lantern, he went to the gate of Courtyard No. 8 and opened it, and the firelight illuminated the dark courtyard.

When I entered the second gate, the yard was very quiet and no one was talking. I guess Han Lei, Li Lan, Han Mengyuan and Han Feipeng went back to their own homes after the holiday.

The east room was lively when their family was here, but became deserted as soon as they left.

The West Room has never been very lively. It was a little better when Jiang Shan was there, but Jiang Shan went back to school early, leaving only Jiang Jianping, Xu Lihua and the taciturn Jiang Guanjie at home.

Of course Chuxia didn't care much about the affairs of their two families.

She didn't look at the east and west rooms, but went straight across the yard carrying the lantern and ran to the north room.

As she came down from the second door holding the lantern and walked to the north room, sparks as big as beans kept flickering in the dark corridor in front of the south window of the east room.

Han Ting leaned lazily against the pillar beside the corridor, with a cigarette in his hand.

Seeing Chuxia coming in from the second door in the light of the lanterns, his eyes were always on Chuxia, watching her walk lightly down the steps of the second door and go straight into the north room.

You don't have to look closely at her face to know that she is in a good mood tonight.

He remained silent in the night.

After entering the north room in early summer, he withdrew his gaze and took another puff of cigarette, exhaling a long puff of smoke as if he was holding his breath.

***

After Chuxia entered the house, she did not go back to her room directly, but went to Tang Haikuan and Wu Xuemei's room first.

Tang Haikuan's condition after drinking was much worse than Lin Xiaohan's, and he had fallen asleep.

Wu Xuemei asked Chuxia: "Did you send Xiaolin home safely?"

Chu Xia nodded and said, "He and I went to see the lanterns, so we came back a little late."

I guessed it when I saw the lantern she brought back just now.

During the Lantern Festival, young people should go out and have some fun. Wu Xuemei smiled and said, "It's getting late. You should go to bed early. You have to report to work tomorrow morning."

It was early summer so I didn't waste any more time. I went back to my room, hung up the lantern, washed up, and went to bed.

After turning off the lights in the room, the lanterns still glowed red until the candles inside burned out.

***

The holiday is over.

The next day, early summer, I could no longer sleep in.

She woke up at the sound of the alarm clock, quickly washed up, and had breakfast with Tang Haikuan and Wu Xuemei.

Tang Haikuan was sober by now.

Chu Xia smiled and asked him: "Do you remember what you looked like last night?"

Tang Haikuan thought for a while with a confused expression, then his eyes froze, and he looked at Chu Xia fiercely and said, "Hey, did I get drunk and talk nonsense with Xiao Lin?"

Just when Tang Haikuan was feeling embarrassed, Wu Xuemei smiled and said, "It's okay. Xiaolin has been talking nonsense too. You two are talking so much that Xia Xia has blocked her ears and can't listen at all."

After hearing this, Tang Haikuan immediately relaxed and said, "It's okay then."

Chu Xia: “…”

So as long as they don't feel awkward, it doesn't matter?

***

Time is tight in the morning.

They exchanged these two words casually at the dinner table, and then the three of them went out together after the meal.

The unit that Chuxia was assigned to is about half an hour away from Tianxian Temple by bike, so she didn't plan to live in the unit's dormitory after work, so she bought a new car a few days ago.

Because her restaurant usually needs to transport a lot of things to buy vegetables, she bought a three-wheeled cart a long time ago.

The three of them went out together after breakfast.

Tang Haikuan and Wu Xuemei rode tricycles to buy groceries, and Chuxia rode a bicycle to report to work.

The three of them left the alley together and then went their separate ways.

Tang Haikuan and Wu Xuemei came back from buying groceries, and the three young people just happened to come to work.

The restaurant was waiting to open, so they didn't waste much time and sat down in the yard to pick and wash vegetables.

Tang Haikuan and Wu Xuemei did not act like a boss and a boss's wife in front of the three young people. They usually worked with them and got along with them in a casual and easy-going manner.

As long as the three young men work diligently and efficiently with clean hands, they won't be picky about anything else.

After chatting and laughing for more than half an hour, someone suddenly called out from the second door: "Is Sister Wang home?"

The five of them looked over and saw that it was the matchmaker named Yang who had been there once before.

I know that Matchmaker Yang came to find Wang Cuiying.

Wu Xuemei helped her call to the east room, "Sister Wang, someone is coming to your house."

Wang Cuiying responded, came out of the east room, and hurriedly welcomed Yang the matchmaker into the room.

After entering the house, he poured tea for Matchmaker Yang, sat down and asked, "Have you found any results in finding a partner for my third son?"

Matchmaker Yang said, "I have indeed found a suitable one. Why don't you ask your son to meet her first?"

Wang Cuiying asked first: "Tell me first, what are the conditions of this girl?"

Matchmaker Yang said, "According to what you said, this person's appearance is above average. Of course, we need to meet him in person to take a closer look. He is a first marriage, has a good personality and temper, and has a job."

This sounds pretty good.

Wang Cuiying asked again: "What job do you do?"

Matchmaker Yang smiled and said, "It's a good job. I work in the neighborhood committee."

Wang Cuiying thought about it after hearing this, "Is there no salary?"

Matchmaker Yang continued with a smile, "There is no salary but there is a subsidy, which is seven or eight yuan a month."

Wang Cuiying was a little dissatisfied, but she could barely accept it and asked, "What about the family?"

Matchmaker Yang stopped and took a sip of water first.

After drinking the water and putting down the bowl, he looked at Wang Cuiying and continued with a smile: "I won't hide it from you. This girl's family conditions are relatively ordinary. There are many brothers and sisters in the family. Their family also opened their own conditions."

Wang Cuiying asked: "What conditions did they set?"

Matchmaker Yang said bluntly: "If the marriage is successful, in addition to the four major items of marriage, namely a bicycle, a sewing machine, a watch and a television, you also have to ask for a betrothal gift from the bride's family."

Hearing this, Wang Cuiying’s eyes widened.

I don’t know how much these four items alone will cost, and I still have to give a dowry to my wife’s family?

What kind of precious girl is this that requires so much money to marry her?

In this ordinary family, who can spend so much money at once?

The TV alone is killing me.

Matchmaker Yang said: "This family is getting married for the first time, and their other conditions are all good."

Wang Cuiying said, "Didn't our third son marry his first wife? We only bought some things for the new house, why did we spend so much money? Her job doesn't make money, and her family conditions are not good, and she dares to ask for such a high price? The one you picked is not suitable at all."

***

Tang Haikuan, Wu Xuemei and a few others were working in the yard, listening to gossip.

After listening for a while, Wang Cuiying sent Yang the matchmaker out, saying, "This won't work. This isn't a marriage, this is a business. Please help me look at it more."

After sending Yang the matchmaker to the second gate, she came back and muttered, "I don't even like her conditions. She wants so much betrothal gifts. She thinks she is a fairy who has come down to earth."

Tang Haikuan and Wu Xuemei listened to the gossip but did not say anything or ask any more questions.

After washing the vegetables and going to the front kitchen, Wu Xuemei whispered, "When Su Yun was around, she always wanted Han Ting to divorce and find someone better. Han Ting's divorce from Su Yun fulfilled her wish, but I don't know if she can find someone better than Su Yun."

Tang Haikuan said, "You're already divorced, yet you still have such high demands."

Wu Xuemei smiled, "That's because she has a sense of justice in her heart and is unwilling to find someone with inferior conditions."

Tang Haikuan: "Han Ting is the same. He just got divorced a few days ago, but he is already in a hurry to find another partner."

Wu Xuemei: "I'm afraid it's not him who's anxious, it's Wang Cuiying herself who's anxious."

Han Ting became very depressed because of the divorce.

In the past, he always seemed to be indifferent to everything, living a playboy and not worrying about big or small things. Ever since his divorce, he has not been like that before and does not seem to be in a hurry to find another partner.

Before the Chinese New Year, he just stayed at home and slept.

After the Chinese New Year, I no longer stayed at home and slept. Like before, I was not at home most of the time, but when I saw him occasionally, he was still in a very depressed state.

Tang Haikuan and Wu Xuemei chatted casually for a few words and then went to open for business.

It is open until the evening, and there are many people coming to eat at dinner time, so the restaurant is very busy and noisy.

In early summer, I rode my bike to the alley from the south and happened to meet Lin Xiaohan who was coming from the north.

When the two saw each other, they were subconsciously surprised by this coincidence, and then the front ends of their cars bumped into each other and they braked to a stop at the same time, and they couldn't help laughing.

After getting off the car, the two pushed the car into the alley together.

Chu Xia first asked Lin Xiaohan: "How do you feel about your first day at work?"

Lin Xiaohan said: "It's OK, I'm adapting well, how about you?"

Chu Xia also said: "Well, all my colleagues are very enthusiastic and polite."

After all, they are the first batch of college students to graduate from the college entrance examination, and the school is both well-established and big.

Lin Xiaohan looked at Chu Xia and asked again: "Are there any enthusiastic male colleagues?"

Chu Xia deliberately moved closer to him and whispered, "They are all enthusiastic male colleagues."

Lin Xiaohan reached out and was about to pinch her face.

Chuxia smiled and immediately retracted her head and dodged.

The two men pushed the car to the gate of Courtyard No. 8, parked the car in the front yard, and went into the restaurant together.

Seeing the two of them come back, Wu Xuemei's face was full of joy. She first asked them how their first day at work was today, and then did not let them stay busy in the restaurant, but asked them to eat first.

Chuxia and Lin Xiaohan didn't care and just stood in the corner of the kitchen and ate a bowl of noodles.

While standing in the kitchen eating noodles, Tang Haikuan asked about their work today.

After dinner, the two of them did not stay idle and went outside to help.

After being busy until closing time at night, Chuxia walked Lin Xiaohan out of the alley as usual, and then walked him a little further after he left, chatting with him a little more alone.

Chu Xia asked him, "Have you settled down in the dormitory at your workplace?"

Lin Xiaohan responded: "Yes, everything has been settled."

Chu Xia looked at him and said, "You probably don't like living in a dormitory, right?"

But he would rather live at home than in a dormitory.

Lin Xiaohan didn't answer this, but just said: "After we get married, the company will allocate a wedding house, and then you don't have to live there anymore."

When Chuxia heard this, her heart felt numb as if she had been electrocuted.

She lowered her head and muttered softly: "I didn't say I wanted to live with you in your workplace..."

Lin Xiaohan looked at her and smiled, "Then I'll live in the courtyard?"

Chu Xia raised her head and looked at him, "Why didn't I realize you were so shameless before? You are becoming less and less of an outsider..."

Lin Xiaohan: "Am I an outsider? Uncle said last night that this is my home."

Okay, okay, I’m no longer an outsider.

Chu Xia smiled at him and waved: "Then you are welcome to come home tomorrow. Goodbye."

Lin Xiaohan did not say goodbye to Chuxia and leave immediately.

He looked at Chuxia for a while, then suddenly reached out and pulled her in front of him, then bent down and kissed her on the forehead.

Chu Xia was stunned by his kiss, and when she came to her senses, she turned around and looked around.

Damn it, this was on the road, and there were still people passing by even at night, so she quickly raised her hand and hit him, turned around and ran away in a hurry like a thief.

Lin Xiaohan couldn't help laughing and told her, "Run slower."

Chu Xia directly replied to him: "You should just ride slower!"

Chuxia ran hurriedly for a while, and then slowed down.

When I entered the alley, my breathing and mood were relaxed. I went back to the restaurant to help clean up, and then went back to the north room in the inner courtyard to help count money.

After counting the money, I finished the accounts.

Wu Xuemei suddenly held up a handful of money and said, "I earn so much money and save it all. I can't spend it all on food, clothing and daily necessities, and I have nowhere else to spend it. It would be great if I could expand the store."