Qiao Guobin was stunned. Although his face showed no emotion, his heart was already in turmoil.

He pondered for a long time, and after a long time, he spoke for Xu Haizhou.

"Qiaoli, then... just listen to Haizhou and give the money to our mother."

He finally understood that if he wanted to ask Xu Haizhou to do something for him in the future, he would have no bargaining chips if he didn't serve the old couple of the Qiao family well. The couple knew what was more important.

Niu Qiaoli suppressed her displeasure and said with a flattering smile, "I just feel that the journey is long and I am afraid that my mother will be tired. To be honest, I am tired of doing everything myself. So I will give it to my mother. It is a good opportunity for me to take a break."

After that, he took out a stack of banknotes from his pocket and handed them to Lu Xiuhua: "Mom, this is the remaining money our family has this month. I give it all to you."

The moment the money reached Lu Xiuhua's hands, it hurt more than if her heart was cut out!

Lu Xiuhua quickly took it, her hands shaking.

Niu Qiaoli was not stupid, so she naturally heard Xu Haizhou's voice-over. Although she felt that there was no need to invest too much money and food in the two old men, she would definitely have to ask Xu Haizhou for help in the future for someone with such great abilities, right?

When you ask someone to do something for you, you have to show your attitude and complete the "task" assigned by them.

Jin'er, who was feeling frustrated, pinched his thigh and didn't forget to remind him the most important thing: "We are a family from now on, Haizhou, our two families should visit each other more often, don't let things become strangers!"

Xu Haizhou smiled and said nothing.

Niu Qiaoli felt very uncomfortable because she was rejected by the host.

But think about Xu Haizhou's network of contacts... He's so powerful, it's reasonable for him to be a little arrogant, right?

Well, from now on I have to treat these two old guys like my ancestors and serve them!

After dinner, Niu Qiaoli took the initiative to do the dishwashing, and Qiao Lu pulled Xu Haizhou aside.

"Well, what if she really brings her relatives and friends to the city to find us?"

Xu Haizhou smiled confidently: "Don't worry, I won't let her take advantage of you."

Qiao Lu felt relieved after hearing this and gave him a thumbs up: "Then it's up to you."

Before the family of three left, Lu Xiuhua's eyes turned red and she couldn't stop crying.

Thinking of everything my two daughters have done for me, my heart feels like it's being cut by a blunt knife, slowly and painfully...

"When you get to the city, live a good life with Haizhou and raise my grandson well. I don't have many wishes in this life. I will be satisfied as long as you and your second sister are safe and healthy."

"And one more thing." Lu Xiuhua wiped her tears and said, "When you go back to see your second sister, remember to tell her that mom and dad have always cared about her, and tell her not to... not to think too much..."

Qiao Lu responded with mixed feelings: "Okay, I will."

Regarding the conflict between the second sister and parents, the original body can be said to have seen it since childhood. The favoritism of parents and eldest brother made Qiao Yan hate everyone in the Qiao family. Although Qiao Lu was an exception, she was also disliked by her. But the ones she hated the most were her parents.

Qiao Yan took the college entrance exam to prove herself in front of her parents and to prove how poor their vision was.

The beloved eldest son graduated from elementary school and will have to be a farmer facing the loess for the rest of his life; the most beloved youngest daughter is also always struggling on the road to death.

She was the only one who had the most potential and was the most sensible. But why, why was she the one who was ignored the most? How could she accept this? How could she...

Qiao Yuefu, who is usually taciturn, rarely speaks emotionally, his voice is a little hoarse: "Don't worry, I will take care of your mother. Live your life with Haizhou peacefully, don't worry about the things at home..."

"Okay, then take care of yourselves, and if you have any problems, come to the city to find me and my second sister at any time." He then looked at Niu Qiaoli who was late and said, "Sister-in-law, take good care of my parents."

Niu Qiaoli had just finished washing the dishes and came out. She wiped her hands on her apron and smiled awkwardly: "Hey! Okay, okay, don't worry! I will take good care of your parents, so go without worry! Your sister-in-law and your brother are at home!"

The most important thing is to think of your mother’s family when you have benefits in the future!

Qiao Lu smiled with a forced smile, and a huge stone in her heart finally fell halfway.

The last dim cloud gathered on the horizon. Besides sadness, parting also brought a trace of yearning expectation.

Although the past is hard to bear, the future for her and Xu Haizhou will be bright.

The sun was setting in the west, dusk was fading away, the wind blew up my clothes, and it felt a little cold as it brushed against my skin.

Xu Haizhou held Qiao An in one hand and held Qiao Lu's icy hand in the other, stroking it gently, as if to comfort and warm her.

They said goodbye completely.

"Qiaolu, I will give you happiness."

Qiao Lu burst into laughter and slapped him unhappily: "Why are you suddenly being sentimental?"

It makes people want to cry even more.

He smiled and said, "This is a promise."

It is also a vow.

Qiao Lu clutched the letter of introduction and household registration booklet in her arms and turned away.

After this farewell, the two truly became husband and wife.

Everything has finally settled, and their days have just begun.

————

The next day, the weather was clear and the sky was blue. When the door of the Civil Affairs Bureau opened, the couple was the first newlyweds to receive their marriage certificate. Afterwards, they quickly moved into their new home.

The courtyard where Xu Haizhou lived was not a compound before. It was a big house for rich people before liberation. After a special period, the big house was transformed into a compound. The original owner's house was divided into eight families, with more than ten people living in it. Generally, each family had one room. Old natives like Sister Liu had two rooms. Xu Haizhou's family also had two rooms, each of which was about 12 or 13 square meters.

The ground of the yard is paved with bluestone bricks. Due to its age and various factors, you often step on empty bricks. You have to be careful when walking on rainy days to avoid getting splashed with bricks.

Xu Haizhou borrowed a tricycle to help his wife and son move. When the tricycle arrived at the gate of the courtyard, the neighbors came up to help enthusiastically, their eyes staring back and forth at the mother and son like searchlights.

"Is the iron tree really blooming?" There was no sign at all. When I woke up from a sleep, I heard that Xu Haizhou was getting married, and to a young widow with a baby!

Liu Xiaohong smiled proudly: "Of course not, the gay man is already 25 years old, if not now, when will he open it?"

"Tsk tsk, is it really Qiao Yan's girl who takes care of the child?"

Liu Xiaohong: “That’s right!”

"Huh! First marriage for second marriage? Did that boy Haizhou agree?"

Liu Xiaohong glanced at her: "If you don't agree, can you get married? Look at what you said, Qiaolu is such a good lesbian, why can't she be paired with Haizhou? What era is it now? Didn't you hear the radio say that the news advocates that young people nowadays should be free to fall in love, and who still cares about first or second marriages?"

In this compound, Sister Liu is almost the one who has the final say. She has a high seniority score and is also a family member of a martyr. She always lends a hand to anyone in need and is very respected by her neighbors.

If Qiao Lu and Xu Haizhou are not a good match, doesn't that mean Sister Liu didn't do a good job as a matchmaker?

Several old sisters immediately agreed with her: "Of course they are a good match, a talented man and a beautiful woman, they are a perfect match!"

"That's right!" The woman who said the wrong thing also quickly spoke up: "That's right!"

Xu Haizhou's home is more spacious than Sister Liu's, with two bedrooms, clean and tidy. The house is a bit old, with a roof full of spots and cracks. A patterned wire hangs a bare light bulb in the middle of the house, which is low-power and not very bright.

The room at the entrance is the dining area, which has a set of wooden tables and chairs, plus a cupboard. The furniture is quite old, and although you can't tell what kind of wood it was made of, it was considered a pretty good piece of furniture in that era.

Next to the main house is the bedroom. The glass window facing the yard is covered with a layer of newspaper from the inside. The pages of the newspaper have turned yellow, which shows that Xu Haizhou has a strong sense of privacy.

There is a bed under the window, which is neither too big nor too small, about 1.5 meters. In the corner of the wall opposite the bed is a large wardrobe with double doors and a mirror. The mirror is actually on the inside of the wardrobe door, so you can't see it unless you open the wardrobe.

When they were halfway through moving the things, Xu Haizhou brought two chairs to Qiao Lu and said, "Sit down for a while, drink some water and rest. I'll do it."

In addition to Qiao Lu's luggage, there were also some things bought from the department store and the market that morning, ranging from soy sauce bottles to dressing tables. There weren't many things, but I was exhausted and sweating after moving them all.

Qiao Lu stopped to take a breath. The boy was holding a small vase of plums and following his neighbors towards the room, panting briskly and happily.

"Flowers, fragrant."

"An An, come here and rest for a while." Qiao Lu called the child. The little guy put down the vase and rushed into his mother's arms like a cannon.

"Mom, it smells good~"

Qiao Lu kissed his cool face, which was as white and tender as tofu.

"Which is more fragrant, the flowers or my son?"

Little Qiao An bit his lower lip and laughed out loud: "The flowers smell good, An An smells good."

The little guy was a little sad about moving today. He tugged at Qiao Yan's clothes pitifully and asked if he would never see his aunt again. But when he heard that the two houses were close, he immediately became excited and happily got on the tricycle to say goodbye to his second aunt.

The speed of his facial expressions made the adults laugh continuously, and it was the first time that Qiao Lu discovered that her son had a talent for comedy.

Watching the interaction between mother and son, Xu Haizhou's heart was softened.

With a smile, he unbuttoned his shirt and rolled up his sleeves to dissipate the heat, revealing his two strong and powerful arms, ready to continue moving.

Qiao Lu stopped him and said, "You should take a break and stop working. Give out wedding candies to your neighbors."

"That's fine."

The two of them picked up the wedding candies they had just bought, which included plum candies, peanut candies, and fruit candies. They mixed them together and each grabbed a handful. It all depended on luck which flavor they got.

It was only seven o'clock and the neighbors were all at home getting ready to eat breakfast and go to work. When they saw the wedding candies being distributed, they happily came to Xu Haizhou's house to greet him, saying congratulations on the wedding and a happy marriage. They also asked about Qiao Lu's situation and praised Qiao An for being well-behaved and lovable.

The young couple thanked everyone one by one, grabbed a little more when the share went to Sister Liu's house, and finally came to Sister Liu's mother-in-law.

"Come on, An An, grab some wedding candy and give it to Grandma Feng."

The young man grabbed a handful with great force and handed it to the old lady: "Grandma."

Grandma Feng took it with a trembling face, her smile like a chrysanthemum petal: "My little grandson is so well behaved!"

Qiao Lu also praised him: "Baby is awesome."

The child's face turned red with pride, and he buried his head in his mother's neck like an ostrich.

Qiao Lu peeled off the candy wrapper: "Here, reward our good baby with a peanut candy, ah——open your mouth."

The little guy obediently opened his mouth and took a bite of the candy. The candy was sweet and fragrant, and his thin and thick eyelashes fluttered as he chewed. Who wouldn't want to pinch this soft and cute little ball?

Sure enough, it wasn't long before I received calls of surprise from several young lesbians.

"Your child is so sweet! So beautiful."

"Your skin is so nice, so soft and tender."

"Can I touch him?"

Little Qiaoan's face turned red like an apple due to the praise.

The large courtyard is divided into two parts: the inner courtyard and the outer courtyard. The outer courtyard is large and has six households, while the inner courtyard, which is the courtyard in Xu Haizhou, is slightly smaller and has five households.

Opposite was Sister Liu's family, and next door were the Hu family, the Chen family, and the Tian family. Qiao Lu was not very familiar with them and had no face-blindness. She had to be led by Xu Haizhou to introduce them one by one.

After receiving the wedding candy, Tian Jianzhong, the eldest son of the Tian family, asked in confusion: "Are you married?"

Tian Jianzhong is the son of Tian Yongkui, an old carpenter in the compound. He is the same age as Sister Liu's son, but he is not in school. Sister Liu's son is still in high school. Tian Jianzhong started working as an apprentice in a rosewood factory after graduating from junior high school. He has been working there for two years and was just hired as a full-time employee this year. He is young and has a stable job, so he is a "hot" single golden man in the compound.

"Well, this is my wife." Xu Haizhou can now finally introduce Qiao Lu to everyone openly.

Tian Jianzhong carefully looked at Qiao Lu. He heard that she was Qiao Yan's sister, no wonder she looked familiar. However, the two sisters were not very similar. If you didn't look carefully, you couldn't see anything in common. At most, they both had big almond eyes, but Qiao Lu was obviously much prettier.

"You're not..." Tian Jianzhong almost blurted out the word "widow", and quickly changed his words: "Do you have children?"

Qiao Lu smiled: "Yeah."

Seeing that her son was about to make the atmosphere awkward, his mother Xie Xia slapped him on the back and said, "What are you asking, kid? Can't you remarry after a man dies?"

Over there, Auntie Chen's second daughter, Chen Simei, held the wedding candy and asked, "Auntie Tian, ​​whose husband died? Why can't we ask?"

“…”

Her mother Zhang Hongyan glanced at her unhappily and said, "Tsk, why are you asking about adult matters like a kid?"

Chen Simei pouted speechlessly and said to her mother: "...I'm not a child, bother!"

The neighbors laughed and changed the subject. If you praise something, I will praise you.

"You three look like a family of three! The child is only two or three years old, right? He can't remember anything. When he grows up, he will definitely treat you as his real father!"

"Before, I was wondering why Haizhou found a lesbian to take care of the child. Now it seems that she is not bad. In life, it is good to be suitable. What does it matter if there is one more child or one less child?"

"Yes, look how well they match each other."

The aunties in the compound were good at talking, and they praised the family of three in every possible way. The atmosphere became more and more warm, and even Qiao Lu gradually relaxed and chatted happily.

Everyone told Qiao Lu to look for her neighbors if she had any problems in the future and that they would help her if she needed any.

Qiao Lu responded with a smile, and after the greetings, she followed Xu Haizhou into the house to pack her luggage and do some cleaning.

Qiao Lu was making the bed in the bedroom when Xu Haizhou suddenly handed her a stack of money.

She was stunned. The first thing she did was not to answer the phone, but to wonder: "What is this..."

"This is all the money I have, and these are bills." He then put something in his other hand: "This is a passbook, there is 1,700 yuan in it."

"So much?" Qiao Lu counted it. There was a total of two hundred and fifty-six yuan, eight yuan, fifty-seven cents in cash, plus a savings book with seventeen thousand yuan, and various miscellaneous bills. No wonder he said that the two hundred yuan betrothal gift was within his affordability, and that his emotional savings were over a thousand yuan!

In this era, the average family savings was around 100 yuan, and those with better conditions rarely had more than 1,000 yuan. 500 yuan was considered moderately wealthy, but Xu Haizhou actually had 2,000 yuan!

At first, Sister Liu said that Xu Haizhou's conditions were not good. What was wrong with his conditions? It was her who was really bad. She had a little burden and no money. Marrying Xu Haizhou was really "marrying up"!

Seeing the surprise in Qiao Lu's eyes, Xu Haizhou curled the corners of his lips, stuffed the money and passbook into her palms, and squeezed her fingers.

"I saved a little when I was working, and later I made some more money from selling things on the street. I don't have much to spend money on as a person, so a little bit adds up to a lot." Even if I send some money to my parents every month, I can still save a lot.

In the early 1980s, two cents could buy a pound of Chinese cabbage, and five cents could buy a pound of tomatoes. Anyone who could always take out a Da Tuanjie banknote from his pocket was definitely a "local tycoon". At that time, people carried only dimes in their pockets, and one or two yuan was considered a big bill. The status of a Da Tuanjie banknote was enough to compare with three or four hundred yuan or even more thirty years later.

Take Qiao Lu's parents in the countryside for example. They work so hard all year round and only earn ten cents a month!

Qiao Lu was filled with emotion: "Why did you give me these?"

"Aren't you my wife now? It's only natural for a wife to manage the money." His voice was as warm and magnetic as he was, and it made one's whole body tingle when hearing it.

Qiao Lu's heart skipped a beat. When he called her his wife, her heart exploded like thunder.

He silently rubbed his chest and asked, "Who told you this?"

The two of them stared at each other. The golden sunlight from outside the window poured in, casting a sharp silhouette on his face, making his face look even more handsome and three-dimensional.

"I forgot who said it, but that's what I think."

Facing Qiao Lu's teasing gaze, Xu Haizhou's voice was a little awkward: "In the future, I will work hard to earn more so that you and your son can live a life without worries about food and drink."

He was talking about you and your son, not "you".

Various small details can always easily move Qiao Lu and make her feel warm in her heart.

"Your current savings are enough for our family to have enough food and drink."

"Not enough yet." Xu Haizhou smiled and shook his head, gently holding her hand: "It's hard to get tickets now, at least we have to wait until all the money is free."

"Wouldn't that make you a rich man?" Qiao Lu joked, and put her backhand on the back of his hand, which was so warm and comfortable.

After thinking about it, Xu Haizhou felt that it made sense: "Whatever you say is what it is."

Although it is still in the stage of display, people should always have ideals and not be afraid of exaggeration.

Qiao Lu put away the passbook, but didn't take all the cash. She kept a hundred and gave the rest back to him: "Men doing business outside should keep some money on them."

It seemed reasonable, so Xu Haizhou did not refuse this time.

"By the way." Without waiting for Qiao Lu to say anything else, Xu Haizhou suddenly took Qiao Lu to the main room, lifted the cloth on a small table, and inside stood a brand new Butterfly brand sewing machine.

"I just bought a sewing machine. Do I know how to use it?"

"Sewing machine!?" Qiao Lu shouted excitedly. For a fashion designer, sewing machine is life!

She suppressed her excitement and touched the body of the machine. The whole body was polished to a reflective finish and the smooth touch felt very nice. For Qiao Lu, who was used to using an electric sewing machine, the Butterfly brand was almost an antique, as this style was eliminated as early as forty years ago.

"Can!"

Her second sister has always wanted to buy a sewing machine and has even prepared the ticket for the sewing machine. Unfortunately, the house is too crowded and there is no place to put it. She is also thinking of waiting until the house is divided before buying it. Before that, if Qiao Yan wants to make clothes, she can come to the big courtyard!

Seeing his wife's ecstatic expression, Xu Haizhou was also happy: "I have asked around. These days, it is standard to have three things to get married. Now there is only a sewing machine and a bicycle at home. I want to find a way to get some tickets and buy a radio and a watch for you in a while."

After she finished speaking, the emotion in her heart burst out. Although they had a flash marriage, this man made her feel the trust that only an old married couple could have.

Qiao Lu smiled and hooked her finger at him. The man was very interested and bent down slightly. He thought she was going to whisper something to him, but unexpectedly, he felt a heat on the back of his neck and a soft touch on the side of his cheek.

A sweet fragrance penetrates my nose, which is different from all the smells I have ever smelled, so intoxicating and trance-like.

Through the hazy vision, Xu Haizhou could see the tip of Qiao Lu's round nose, and above it were a pair of beautiful and extremely gentle eyes.

At this moment, the intense burning love in the woman's eyes almost suffocated him.

She was kissing him...

Before she had time to savor the memory, Qiao Lu turned around and hugged her son.

"An An, look at the sewing machine that Dad bought for us. We can make new clothes by ourselves in the future! It's great to have a dad, isn't it?"

The boy blinked his big eyes and looked at the man in front of him. Looking at the strange room, he suddenly felt a little shy. He hid in his mother's arms and whispered in Qiao Lu's ear.

"Mom, has uncle become dad?"

Qiao Lu kissed him and glanced at the stunned Xu Haizhou: "Yeah, have you decided to call him dad now?"

The little guy pursed his lips shyly, his long eyelashes covering his eyelids, trembling.

"mother……"

"Um?"

The child suddenly asked, "Can I have some cake?"

Qiao Lu burst out laughing.

This kid is really good at changing the subject when he can't think of an answer.

Rubbing his face, Xu Haizhou went back to the bedroom to get some fried cakes for the child. He bought them at the wedding candy store, and he could already smell the aroma of the fried cakes before he even removed the oil paper.

Qiao Lu took it and fed it to Qiao An: "Eat it, eat it. When you become a little pig, only Uncle Xu will be able to hold you in his arms."

The boy was very excited, but his first reaction after getting the cake was to put it to Qiaolu's mouth first.

His clear eyes stared at her without blinking, his eyes filled with anticipation.

Qiao Lu's heart softened and she kissed his cheek: "It's not in vain that I love you so much."

Qiao Lu took a third of the bite. Little Qiao An looked at the teeth marks left by his mother, hesitated for a while, and then handed it to Xu Haizhou.

"You eat."

After giving a piece of cake to mom and then to Xu Haizhou, how much will be left for herself in the end?

This child is quite generous.

Qiao Lu was very surprised, and Xu Haizhou was even more so. His heart was full and warm. This was more exciting than collecting gold and silver treasures!

The tenderness in her eyes turned into water: "I don't want to eat it, An An will eat it."

The young guy tilted his head and carefully observed Xu Haizhou's expression for a while, and only fed him the food after he was sure that he really didn't want to eat it.

He started to nibble on the gap where his mother had just bitten it. After finishing, he even held her finger in his mouth and sucked it seven or eight times. Finally, he licked her finger and was satisfied.

Qiao Lu handed over another piece: "Do you want more?"

The little tongue licked his lips and shook his head: "I don't want to eat anymore."

"You really don't want to eat?" This is not the style of a little foodie. He wouldn't take her words seriously.

Little Qiaoan was really afraid that her mother would not be able to hold her after she got fat, so she refused to eat the second piece. Even though her eyes were almost falling on the pastry, she kept her little mouth tightly closed.

Seeing that Qiao Lu insisted on feeding him, the boy patted his belly and said, "Full~."

"Really? Let mommy touch it." Qiao Lu slipped her hand under the hem and touched the little guy's belly, touching his ribs.

His fingers were slightly cold, and he shivered.

"Full~" Qiao An felt itchy from Qiao Lu's touch. He bit his lower lip and tilted his head back.

"Hmm... I don't think you're full yet." Then she fed the cake to his mouth: "Do you want to eat?"

Qiao An: “No…”

Open your mouth and feed successfully!

Qiaoan: This food came to me on its own initiative! It didn’t come to me on its own initiative! So it can’t grow fat!

…

The family of three only did one thing in the morning, which was cleaning and doing housework. The couple had a clear division of labor. Xu Haizhou was responsible for sweeping, mopping the floor, wiping the table and cleaning the windows, while Qiao Lu was responsible for packing the luggage and clothes and rearranging the room.

Joan was a little follower. He would do whatever Jolu did. When he saw his mother pasting old newspapers on the wall, he would imitate her.

The little hands clapped their hands together, and Paste firmly grasped the newspaper on the wall. It looked quite realistic.

…

After the whole process, his little face was flushed with heat. Qiao Lu poured him a glass of water, and the little guy said thank you, mom, very politely.

Qiao Lu was delighted: "My son is so polite."

Qiao Lu is very good at decoration. She has her own ideas about design. The whole bedroom has been transformed. She even took Xu Haizhou to a department store.

There are quite a lot of materials in the department store counters. In addition to cotton and linen products, there are also work cloth, homespun cloth, floral cloth, silk and some new artificial synthetic fabrics, such as polyester and chiffon... The most surprising thing is that there are quite a few people buying light fabrics such as shirts!

Qiaolu thought that summer fabrics would be cheaper in winter, but when she asked, she found out that it was because office workers now only have one day off every Sunday, and they can't rest completely during the day off. Most women still have to do housework, so they make summer clothes before the weather gets hot! If they make clothes for the whole family when summer comes, they will definitely not have enough time to wear them!

It is reasonable to make winter clothes in summer and summer clothes in winter...

Qiao Lu picked out a piece of thick, light-blocking fabric and prepared to take it home to use as curtains.

Fortunately, Xu Haizhou was not short of money. If it were another man, he would definitely complain that she was wasteful. Nowadays, who would buy new cloth to make curtains? They could just paste newspapers on them and be done with it.

Because there was a sewing machine at home, Qiao Lu could make her own clothes. Thinking of the three people in her family, she continued to pick out some cloth.

Cotton, plaid, muslin... She bought a lot of fabrics, and after she was done she looked at Xu Haizhou's expression... When she looked over, the man happened to look over at her, and as they stared at each other, his face was calm, he smiled slightly, and was a little puzzled.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

Qiao Lu smiled awkwardly. She had spent a large stack of Xu Haizhou's cloth coupons in just a few minutes. Why did she feel a little guilty?

"Nothing, nothing. Did you bring enough money and tickets?" Qiao Lu kept the passbook at home. Now the family's disposable income was only the two hundred yuan in Xu Haizhou's hand. She was not sure whether Xu Haizhou had brought all of it out today.

"It's enough. You don't have to save money for me." His eyes were full of pity when he looked at her, and then his palms fell on her shoulders, kneading them gently, "You two have been living in the countryside for many years and have never made a few good clothes. It's a good opportunity to choose fabrics today. If you like them, just buy them. If they're not enough, I'll tell you."

Qiao Lu pursed her lips and nodded happily: "That's enough, there are only three of us, which is more than enough."

"Okay, let's take a look at facial oil. I heard that Wan Zi Qian Hong is good for face painting and very moisturizing."

"You know so much about this?" Qiao Lu was surprised.

Xu Haizhou lowered his eyes, looked at her and smiled: "I asked my friend's wife a few days ago, and she told me..."

Qiao Lu secretly raised the corners of her mouth, thinking that this man was too considerate!

They happily got on Xu Haizhou's bicycle and rushed home. On the way, they passed by the flower and bird market and went in for a look. Qiao Lu selected three pots of green plants. They were not expensive, only four cents each. She put them at home to add some vitality, otherwise it would be too dull.

I also bought two goldfish for Qiaoan. At that time, ornamental goldfish were all kept in enamel basins in a very simple breeding environment. A small fish cost eight cents, which was very cheap. I simply bought two at once so that the little goldfish would have some companionship.

When Qiao An heard that the little goldfish was bought for him, he jumped three feet high in excitement, with disbelief in his eyes.

"Mom, is this really mine? Is it just mine?"

Yuyu is so beautiful! He has never seen a red fish before. Yuyu is still very small, super small! Smaller than his hand, its tail is very beautiful, as soft as a feather, its eyes are round and bulging, its belly is also bulging, it swims around and blows bubbles, so interesting!

He really likes the little fish his mom bought for him!

Qiaolu rubbed her son's head and said, "Yes, can you take care of it?"

The boy looked very serious and nodded firmly: "Yes! Mom, I will take good care of it!"

Qiao Lu narrowed her eyes and said, "Mom believes you."

Xu Haizhou also smiled: "I believe you too."

Qiaoan has always been taken care of by his mother, and he never thought that one day it would be his turn to take care of a weaker life. He was suddenly overwhelmed with a sense of mission, and carefully got on the tricycle holding the small enamel basin, looking as cautious as if he was holding a fragile bird egg.

The couple worked until noon and were so tired that they took off their cotton jackets. Looking at their brand new home, they were both very excited, and the hard work of half a day was dissipated a lot.

Jolu, wearing only a sweater and with her hair tied back, prepared to make lunch.

When Xu Haizhou glanced over, he saw the curvy body of his beloved wife. He suddenly felt dry in the mouth and hot in the chest, and he looked away in a hurry.

…

The large courtyards on Ziyuan Street can accommodate more than a dozen households. This may be enough for living in at the beginning, but as time goes by, people get married and have children, and the area gradually becomes insufficient. So some people build a small shed next to their own 10-odd square meters, and slowly expand it, until the public space in the courtyard becomes smaller and smaller.

A small shed was also built at the door of Xu Haizhou's room, which was used as a kitchen. It was shorter than a regular house, less than two meters high, but it was just used as a small kitchen, and it was good enough to shelter from wind and rain.

At noon, I prepared a simple meal of cabbage corn cakes and a dish of stir-fried basil. The dishes were all bought on the way in the morning, and Xu Haizhou was in charge of helping.

Cut the cabbage into shreds and add it to the corn paste and mix evenly. If there is lard in the kitchen, scoop a piece of it into the pot and heat it to melt. After the lard is melted, slowly pour the corn paste in. Fry the bottom layer until golden brown, then turn it over and continue frying.

The fire from the gas tank was not very strong and was slower than the natural gas she used in her modern home.

After about ten minutes, you can smell the corn tortillas being fried. The fragrance of the cabbage has been completely integrated into the corn tortillas. Both sides are golden and crispy, sprinkled with chili powder and fine salt, which smells very good.

Qiao An had a keen nose. Almost at the same time as the food was being fried, he ran out of the house like a bird, sniffing: "Mom! It smells good!"

He lay on the kitchen doorstep, staring at the iron pot without blinking.

Qiao Lu picked up one and put it in the bowl: "It will taste even better when you eat it later."

After the pancakes were fried, Qiao Lu grabbed two sour radish strips from the kimchi pot, cut them into dices, and stir-fried them in the pan. They tasted more fragrant than raw ones, but they used a lot of oil, so most people would not easily be willing to do this.

Xu Haizhou watched, then suddenly rode his bicycle out of the yard. A few minutes later he came back with an oil-paper bag in his hand.

Qiao Lu looked at him while cooking and asked, "What did you buy?"

Xu Haizhou smiled and shook the oil-paper bag in his hand: "Vegetables alone are not nutritious, add some meat."

Qiao Lu's eyes lit up: "Wow, I can eat meat if I follow you."

Xu Haizhou raised his lips and said, "Money is earned to be used by others, don't be reluctant to spend it."

Qiao Lu was moved.

Nowadays, everyone has to be frugal when making a living, and Xu Haizhou is no exception. But after marrying Qiao Lu, he couldn't bear to treat her badly.

He didn't know whether this was right or not, but he liked her and just wanted to be nice to her, and he tried his best to be nice to her.

Want to give her the best of everything.

Of course, out of love for her, he also had to be nice to Qiao An, this quiet, slightly shy, slightly insincere but very well-behaved and kind child.

"You've been so good to me that I'm a little afraid to spend your money recklessly." After all, as a new daughter-in-law, she must at least show that she knows how to live, right?

Xu Haizhou didn't mind that she had to take care of the children or that she was penniless, and he gave her all his savings on the first day of their marriage. He was so good to her that she always felt like she was floating in a dream. This feeling of floating on the clouds made Qiao Lu wary.

Before she traveled through time, she had met too many men who were two-faced...

"We are all family now. It doesn't matter what your money is, husband and wife are meant to be of the same mind." He showed his true heart to her, and she held it carefully in her hands to protect it. Xu Haizhou felt sweeter than eating honey: "Buy whatever you want. Your spending is my motivation to make money."

My God, this man is really good!

The essence of a couple is to support and understand each other. Qiao Lu admitted that she was deeply moved at this moment!

…

Qiao Lu brought the fried cakes and diced sour radish into the inner room, and Xu Haizhou also removed the oil paper covering the brined pork. The aroma permeated the entire room, and both mother and son swallowed their saliva at the same time.

I haven't had a proper meal of meat for a long time.

The bacon I had at home didn’t count. The meat was too salty and I couldn’t taste the real freshness of the pork.

At noon, the family of three ate a delicious meal of corn cakes with salsa and refreshing diced radishes, and they were so happy that they almost cried.

"By the way, let's hold the wedding banquet in two days at the state-owned hotel where we had our blind date last time. I don't have many relatives here, just my parents, brothers, sisters, and a few close relatives and friends, about eleven or twelve people. How many people are coming from your side?" Qiao Lu asked as she picked up a piece of bacon for her son.

Xu Haizhou thought for a moment and said, "My relatives are all in the north, so I can't have many friends here."

Qiao Lu nodded: "Then can we put our two tables together?"

Xu Haizhou estimated in his mind: "It should be possible."

"Okay, let's look through the calendar this afternoon, as soon as possible..."

Before he could finish his words, there was a sound of hurried footsteps at the door. A few seconds later, a familiar male voice was heard, howling like a pig being slaughtered, very rough and unpleasant.

The neighbors were all eating at home at the moment, but when they heard the noise, they came out with their bowls in hand to watch the show.

"Jolu! Where's Jolu? Get out of here! What bastard did you hook up with after kicking me out?"

Phew—I’m sorry, Qiao Lu really couldn’t help it.

It turns out that the uneducated really can't scold others at all. Aren't they just scolding themselves?

When they were almost done eating, Qiao Lu put down her bowl and chopsticks, stood up and said, "Wang Bin, what are you doing here?"

Wang Bin came with great momentum, stern look in his eyes, and those who didn't know him would have thought he was here to catch someone cheating.

After entering the house, he saw a family of three eating. Finally, his eyes fell on Xu Haizhou's face. His vicious gaze seemed to want to poke a hole in him.

"Are you two really married?"

"How can you go to his house for dinner before you're married? If you have something to say, just tell me. Also, the two of us are already in the past. If you come here to cause trouble, don't blame my man for being rude to you!" She has someone to protect her now, so why would she be afraid of him?

After saying this, Wang Bin rolled his eyes at Xu Haizhou and sneered.