Once Chen Zhaodi was certain that Huang Jianjun hadn't gone to the black market, she felt relieved.
"Where did you get your bicycle ticket?"
Huang Eryuan then took out the tickets and said earnestly, "Honey, why don't we go buy bicycles today while everyone's free?"
Chen Zhaodi felt that Huang Eryuan was acting like a young boy and couldn't help but retort, "If you didn't know better, you'd think you were getting married."
“I’ve never seen you this excited when you married me.”
Huang Eryuan wanted to say that this was not the same thing. Getting married was necessary, and he would eventually have to get married.
But buying a bicycle is a different story. Many people never get to buy a bicycle in their entire lives, so of course he was excited.
However, he only dared to think it to himself, and said in a flattering tone, "How could that be? I was also very excited when I got married back then."
"I don't believe you! Tell me! How did you get this ticket? If you don't explain, then don't buy it."
Actually, there's nothing wrong with saying it. Huang Jianjun scratched his head and said, "This ticket wasn't exchanged; it was a thank-you gift from Mr. Fang."
Chen Zhaodi remembered Fang Hui, but she also remembered the thank-you gifts he gave her back then, which were mostly food. Where did the bicycle voucher come from?
"Don't try to fool me. I remember he only brought food, not tickets. Tell me the truth!"
Seeing that she didn't believe him, Huang Jianjun became a little anxious: "Mom, it's true! Why don't you believe me? Dad and I saw the tickets first, and Dad said to pick them up first. That's why you didn't see them."
"If you don't believe me, we can go to the Revolutionary Committee and ask Mr. Fang."
Upon hearing this, Chen Zhaodi remembered that Huang Eryuan had indeed been sneakily hiding something in his pocket that day.
But when she asked him later, he said no, so she didn't bother with it anymore.
Since there was no problem with the source of the tickets, let's buy them. However, Chen Zhaodi felt a little unhappy.
So he deliberately said to Huang Eryuan, "Go ahead and buy the bicycle, but you need to reduce your cigarettes and alcohol consumption these next few months. Otherwise, with two big expenses every month, the family will soon have no savings left."
Huang Eryuan wanted to refuse, but Chen Zhaodi glared at him fiercely, so he didn't dare to speak.
At worst, he can just mooch off someone else, and then let someone else mooch off him when he has his own.
Anyway, let's buy the bicycle first. It's a big deal, much more important than the little bit of cigarettes and alcohol we get each month.
With money and tickets in hand, they set off with Huang Jianguo and Huang Jianjun to buy bicycles.
Huang Eryuan strode out with an air of arrogance, as if he didn't recognize any of his relatives.
...
Xu Junhui couldn't wait to get home. On the way, he told them that he would find time to go to the subdistrict office to get a certificate the next day and asked them to bring him their household registration book when they got home.
If all goes well, they can get their marriage certificate the day after tomorrow. Even though they'll still live separately without a wedding banquet, the marriage certificate makes their relationship legal.
He was really looking forward to the day after tomorrow. Zhang Yumei said no problem, she would give him the household registration book as soon as she got back.
And he reminded him: "Don't actually buy Qinqin a watch. Besides the watch, buy her some clothes, shoes, and the like."
"If you don't have enough cloth coupons, just tell me and I'll go find someone else to exchange some."
If Zhang Yumei hadn't said anything, Xu Junhui might have really only bought watches. It wasn't that he was stingy and unwilling to buy them, but rather that he simply hadn't thought of it.
In order to better cultivate his relationship with Huang Qinqin, Xu Junhui even took the initiative to ask Zhang Yumei for advice on how to win a girl's heart.
Amidst laughter and chatter, the family rode their bicycles slowly home.
After returning home, Xu Junhui discussed with his parents whether to hold the banquet on the 6th of next month at home or at a state-run restaurant.
Xu Junhui preferred to go to state-run restaurants, while Zhang Yumei wanted to stay at home.
Zhang Yumei explained to him, "Look, with the same amount of money, you can get more food at home. And there are no restrictions on when the meal starts or ends."
"If we go to a state-run restaurant, we'll have to accommodate the restaurant's working hours."
Xu Junhui knew this, but he felt it was more convenient to go to a restaurant: "But you cook for so many people at home, and you have to go shopping early in the morning."
"After buying the groceries, you still have to wash and chop them before you can cook them. After eating, you still have to clean up the dishes and tidy up the house. That's so tiring!"
"And we have to ask other people to borrow bowls, chopsticks, tables, and chairs, which is too troublesome."
Zhang Yumei thought Xu Junhui was just young and inexperienced, and said nonchalantly, "Isn't this how every family holds a wedding banquet? You only get married once in your life, so what if it's a little tiring?"
"As for tables, chairs, bowls, and chopsticks, everyone else does the same. When a family is having a banquet, they just borrow things from here and there. What's the trouble?"
Xu Junhui tried to persuade her: "Mom, you said it yourself, you only get married once in your life. Since you can choose to spend the same amount of money and have it easy, why not?"
"Think about it, on the first day of the wedding, after the banquet, you can take a shower and rest. With you, after the banquet, I have to be exhausted cleaning up. Which is more enjoyable?"
Zhang Yumei fell silent. Indeed, although she said that everyone had gone through this, she wasn't really happy on her wedding day.
After the relatives and friends finished eating, she and Xu Weiguo washed the leftover dishes. It was such a happy day.
After finally cleaning up, all that was left was exhaustion, and looking back now, I don't feel very happy.
"Alright, let's go to the state-run restaurant then. Find some time in the next few days to make a reservation with them in advance."
"Once we've confirmed that it can be done at the state-run restaurant, we'll inform our in-laws, and then we'll inform the others, and then we'll go to the state-run restaurant."
......
Huang Eryuan was as excited as he was on his way to the supply and marketing cooperative, and now he was just as heartbroken.
He had planned everything meticulously, but he never anticipated that the supply and marketing cooperative would be without bicycles!
Can you believe it? Such a large supply and marketing cooperative didn't even have bicycles in stock.
The salesperson said that only two or three bicycles had arrived this month, and they had all been sold. He could only wait for the next batch of goods.
However, the supply and marketing cooperative is also unsure when the next batch of goods will arrive.
If I'm lucky, I might get some in the next couple of days; if I'm unlucky, it'll be next month.
After confirming it several times, Huang Eryuan could only go home dejectedly.
Although Huang Jianguo and Huang Jianjun were also looking forward to the bicycle, they weren't too heartbroken, since they figured they would get one sooner or later anyway.
Seeing Huang Eryuan return looking dejected, Chen Zhaodi asked, somewhat bewildered, "What's wrong? Weren't you going to buy a bicycle? Why do you look so unhappy?"
Huang Jianjun, who came in later, shrugged and said, "I couldn't buy any. The supply and marketing cooperative doesn't have any bicycles left."
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