"So someone's waiting, huh?" Before Xie Zhuo could finish speaking, Old He interrupted, then twisted his face, "So you're the only one with a wife, huh?"

"No," Xie Zhuo said helplessly, "My father-in-law and mother-in-law came to visit recently, so I really haven't had time."

"Alright," Old He didn't intend to force him to drink. Seeing that it was getting late, he started to talk about business.

"We're out of stock this time, but I have another batch of radios coming over next time. It might be a lot, but I reckon you can handle the speed, so I won't bother looking for anyone else."

Xie Zhuo considered it for a moment and nodded.

"Also," Old He glanced at Mr. Zhang before continuing, "are you interested in developing your career in Hong Kong?"

Um?

Xie Zhuo was a little taken aback.

“With your abilities, it’s a waste for you to stay in the mainland and farm,” Old He said. “It’s different over there than here. There are cars everywhere, and there’s TV and movies.”

“If you’re going, you can bring your wife with you. Don’t worry about anything else, I’ll take care of it.”

ah!

They eloped with their whole family!

Xie Zhuo suddenly recalled Xu Yan's words.

“Take your time to think it over,” Old He said. “There’s no rush.”

Xie Zhuo originally wanted to refuse outright, but after thinking about it, he decided not to say it explicitly.

Although it's unclear how Lao He will safely transport them without a letter of introduction or a transfer of grain rations, who knows what will happen next?

After leaving Lao He's place, Xie Zhuo finally felt relieved.

Before going to buy meat to take home, he went to the department store again and bought a flashlight.

There was only one flashlight in the house, which was inconvenient for Chen Lihua and Xu Cangsong to use in their room.

When he arrived at his doorstep after buying meat, just as he was about to go inside, he saw that Xu Yan had washed all the clothes and was about to hang them on the wire strung up in a corner of the yard.

He walked over quickly.

"Hey," Xu Yan said before he put the meat on the table under the tree and was about to come over to help, "We've been waiting for your last dish. Da Bao and Xiao Bao are almost crying from hunger."

"Da Bao is going to cry from hunger," Da Bao heard the voice and poked his little head out from the kitchen.

“Xiao Bao is crying too,” Xiao Bao shouted.

Then you can hear Chen Lihua and Xu Cangsong laughing in the kitchen.

Xie Zhuo glanced at Xu Yan, then carried the meat into the kitchen.