Chapter 53 Chapter 53
The next day, Shen Moer went to work at school. As soon as she entered the office, Shen Lingling generously gave her two oranges. Then, seemingly casually but actually boastingly, she said, "My aunt introduced a guy to me. After we met, I felt he was a good match. We have already decided on him. He is a technician in a textile factory. These oranges were given to me by him."
The oranges looked good. Shen Moer took them and gave one to Cheng Tao, who was pretending to be in the equipment class but was actually watching the show. Cheng Tao waved his hand and said, "Teacher Shen Lingling gave it to me yesterday."
Shen Moer threw the orange into his hand: "Isn't that from yesterday?"
As she spoke, she broke the orange into two with her hands, and Shen Moer said as she ate it, "Woo, it's quite sweet."
This reaction was different from what Shen Lingling had expected. Shen Lingling quietly looked at Shen Moer and repeated, "My boyfriend is a technician in the textile factory. It seems that someone in his family knows Chief Xu of the kiln factory's publicity department."
Shen Moer raised her eyebrows slightly. She understood. It seemed that Shen Lingling knew that she and Zhang Junliang had met before. No wonder, before she and Fu Mingze confirmed their relationship, others were talking behind their backs, but Shen Lingling said something like "love is free and feelings cannot be measured by money". Maybe she had already gone on a blind date with Zhang Junliang at that time.
Shen Moer sincerely wished: "Then I wish you a happy marriage."
Shen Lingling: “…”
It felt like a fist hitting cotton.
When Shen Lingling and Zhang Junliang went on a blind date, they were accompanied by their respective elders. She was accompanied by her aunt Shen Xianghong, and Zhang Junliang was accompanied by his mother. At that time, Zhang Junliang spoke frankly about how he and Shen Moer had dated, and then Zhang's mother directly said that their family did not like Shen Moer.
At that time, Zhang Junliang's expression seemed to be hesitant to speak. Shen Lingling guessed that for a cultured and well-mannered person like him, he might feel embarrassed to say so bluntly that his family did not like Shen Moli.
Shen Lingling never thought about the possibility that Shen Moer didn't like Zhang Junliang. After all, Zhang Junliang was good-looking and had a gentle personality. Most importantly, he was a skilled worker in a textile factory. With such conditions, it was completely possible for him to find a regular worker in a state-owned factory. It was not even impossible for him to find a female comrade with a cadre status.
To be honest, Shen Lingling actually felt that it was a bit high for her to find such a partner.
But Zhang Junliang said that he didn't care about the woman's job or status, but cared more about her character and personality. He just liked her gentleness and kindness.
Shen Lingling looked at Shen Moli and thought that Shen Moli might be holding on. After all, the technicians in the cotton mill didn't like her, so she could only find a poor educated youth in the end. She definitely didn't want anyone to know about this embarrassing thing, right?
Shen Moer ignored Shen Lingling, took out two small bags of pastries brought back from the provincial capital from her bag and gave them to Cheng Tao and Shen Lingling, and then discussed the provincial capital competition with Cheng Tao.
Hearing that there were hundreds of students participating in the competition across the province, Cheng Tao comforted Shen Moer: "After all, winning two awards in the city is already a pleasant surprise. It doesn't matter whether you can win an award in the province. Of course, winning an award is a surprise among surprises."
Cheng Tao meant well, probably because he was afraid that the competition would be too fierce and she would be too disappointed if she didn't win the prize. Shen Moer smiled and said, "Yeah, I know."
They had gone there originally with the idea of seeing the world, and since Maomao and Zhou Zhaodi had only studied for a few months, it was normal that they could not win a prize in the provincial competition. Shen Moli had a good attitude and had not really thought about winning a prize.
What's more, the people from the provincial organizing committee also told them that as long as they made it to the finals, they would at least be awarded an Excellence Award.
Maomao and Zhou Zhaodi must be very happy to win an excellent award. After all, children don’t understand the value of an award.
Shen Moer felt that it would be fine as long as it didn't dampen their enthusiasm for learning.
Cheng Tao asked again when she and Fu Mingze would hold the wedding. As a colleague and an educated youth, he would definitely go to the wedding. Shen Moer then told him about the plan she and Fu Mingze had discussed.
During this time, Shen Lingling kept pretending to be preparing for class and listening attentively. When Shen Moer looked over, she pretended to be busy.
After school in the morning, when Shen Moer came out, she happened to see Zhou Zhaodi, so she called her and asked her about her situation after returning home.
"She didn't hit me, just scolded me a few times. Last time, the team leader came to our house to look for grandpa and said that if I hit or scold the children again, the family's work points would be deducted. So she stopped hitting me, but she still scolded me. But scolding doesn't matter, I won't lose a piece of meat. It doesn't matter if I do more work, as long as I can go to school and paint, I'm happy to do more work."
Zhou Zhaodi said with bright eyes: "Teacher Shen, as long as I study hard and draw hard, I will have a good life in the future, right?"
Shen Moer touched her head and nodded affirmatively: “Yes, I will, absolutely.”
Zhou Zhaodi immediately smiled happily.
The master and the apprentice chatted for a while, and when they left the school gate, there was no one in the school. The children were hungry and they were crying for food before the school was over. As soon as the bell rang, they basically ran away.
Chen Moer sent Zhou Zhaodi home first, but when they reached a fork in the road not far from Zhou Zhaodi's home, Zhou Zhaodi suddenly pulled her and hid in an inconspicuous corner nearby.
Zhou Zhaodi whispered, "Teacher Shen, it's Teacher Shen Lingling!"
Shen Moer was a little confused: “Hmm?”
Zhou Zhaodi added: "There is one more."
It took Shen Moer a long time to react and realize who "Zhang Dianzhang" was.
It seems that Zhang Zhiqiang is a bit too obsessed with power. The role of the leader of the educated youth center is actually mainly a communication and liaison role, but he does often emphasize his identity as the leader. Look, even primary school students are familiar with him.
Shen Moer quietly poked her head out, and sure enough, under the pomelo tree not far ahead, Shen Lingling and Zhang Zhiqiang were confronting each other. Zhang Zhiqiang's face was dark red and he was obviously very excited.
"…We haven't established a romantic relationship, but I thought there should be a tacit understanding between us. I have helped you with so much work and given you so many things. I have been pursuing you and you have never refused. I thought you wanted to test me for a while longer. How could you, how could you do this?!" Zhang Zhiqiang's voice was on the verge of collapse.
"No, Zhang Zhiqing, you have praised me before as a kind, brave and iron-willed person, and I also think you are a kind and generous person. We are members and educated youths of the same brigade, and like-minded revolutionary comrades. I don't deny this. You helped me and gave me things, and I thought you did it out of friendship between revolutionary comrades, and I also gave you gifts in return. How can you just say that we have a tacit understanding to be a relationship? How is that possible? My family will not allow me and a educated youth to be a relationship." Shen Lingling said softly but firmly.
"You, you, you, your gift in return..."
Zhang Zhiqiang was speechless for a long time. He had given Shen Lingling hairbands, handkerchiefs, candies and even cakes. Shen Lingling did give him a gift in return once, which was two cucumbers picked from her private plot. The value of the gifts was completely incomparable. But Zhang Zhiqiang was a man who cared about his reputation. He couldn't even say what Shen Lingling's gift was in return and how could she have the nerve to bring it up and say such things.
After stuttering for a long time, he finally blurted out: "What do you mean by not allowing people to date educated youth? You are discriminating!"
After thinking for a while, he asked with a glimmer of hope: "Comrade Lingling, was it your family who forced you to do that? Your family didn't allow you to date the educated youth, so they forced you to find the guy from the textile factory?"
Shen Lingling said softly, "Zhang Zhiqing, you also said that my partner works in a textile factory. He is not an ordinary worker, but a skilled worker. As a revolutionary comrade, you should be happy for me that I have found such an excellent partner."
Zhang Zhiqiang: “…”
After a long silence, he suddenly broke down and yelled, "No, I don't!" He turned and ran away while yelling.
Shen Lingling watched him run away, then sneered and cursed, "You're crazy," and walked in another direction.
Seeing Shen Lingling walking away, Zhou Zhaodi suddenly sighed and said, "Captain Zhang seems a little pitiful."
Shen Moer: “…”
You're just an elementary school student. Not only did you secretly watch this excitement, but you also made comments on it?
"I told you long ago that Zhang Zhiqiang was being sentimental. Tsk, tsk, tsk, he lost his wife and his army. It's so tragic." Wang Qiutong suddenly came out from behind the broken jar in the opposite corner and ran happily to Chen Moer, "Moer, you're back. That's great!"
Shen Moer was curious: "How did you get out from there?"
Wang Qiutong chuckled and said in a low voice, "Zhang Zhiqiang has looked unhappy since the news came out the evening before yesterday. He has been acting like a rage these past two days. I guessed he was going to find Shen Lingling. I saw him walking angrily towards the school before, so I quietly followed him."
Wang Qiutong glanced at Zhou Zhaodi who was looking at her curiously with her head tilted up, and hushed, "Keep it a secret for your sister!"
Zhou Zhaodi covered her mouth with her hand, smiled and nodded.
Wang Qiutong took out two candies from her pocket and stuffed them into Zhou Zhaodi's pocket: "Be good."
Seeing Wang Qiutong's face full of satisfaction at seeing the excitement, Shen Moer actually wanted to remind her: You will be easily beaten if you do this. If it were us in Daliang, I'm afraid the grass on your grave would be three feet high.
But in the end, Shen Moer still said, "Let's go, let's send Zhaodi back first. I brought you some cakes from the provincial capital. Come with me to get them."
Wang Qiutong was pleasantly surprised: "Mo'er, you are so nice!"
Since the wedding was coming up, Shen Shaoyuan postponed the originally scheduled date for moving into the new house and simply set it on the same day as Shen Moer's wedding, as a double happiness.
Before that, the family needs to buy a lot of things.
They had not originally planned to make a bed. In order to maintain their image of poverty, they were planning to move their existing bed over to make do with it. But since it was a wedding, they had to make a new bed, whether it was one bed or two. In the end, they just made two.
Shen Shaoyuan wanted to make another dressing table for his daughter, but due to their "poverty" reality and the current situation, he could not make something like a dressing table, which was not very practical and even had a bit of petty bourgeois style. In the end, he made a more practical chest of drawers.
In addition to the octagonal table, benches, and wooden stools for dining, the cabinets for the kitchen, and some small items, such as the washbasin rack for hanging washbasins and towels, the father and daughter's share of wood was used up in one go, and they even owed the brigade some money.
But the good thing is that, under the pretext of marriage, all the necessary furniture can be purchased at once.
When you get married, it's not surprising that you have to tighten your belt and scrape together enough money to make furniture.
Then there were some daily necessities, quilts, quilt covers, washbasins, thermoses, bowls and chopsticks, towels, toothbrushes, soaps... a miscellaneous bunch of stuff, but most of these were prepared by Fu Mingze. Before Shen Moer took the time to buy them, he sent them over, saying that he had borrowed some money from Zheng Jiamin and Bao Ge.
He refused to pay him back even though she gave him the money. She said she would find a way to pay it back. Seeing his firm attitude, Shen Moer had no choice but to give up. After all, they would live together after marriage, and they would pay off the foreign debt together.
While busy preparing her dowry, Shen Moer also found time to embroider an embroidery. It was still a peony pattern, the style that Concubine Cao liked the most, but this time it was a complete pattern. After finishing the embroidery, Shen Moer found a time to send it out.
Shen Moer was very busy with work, embroidery and preparing dowry.
Fu Mingze was also very busy. It was already very time-consuming to purchase those miscellaneous items. On top of that, he also had to work and help the village set up experimental fields.
So even though they were in the same village, Shen Moer had actually only met Fu Mingze a few times during this period of time. Every time they met, they just exchanged a few words and then went about their own business.
Compared to Shen Moer who was very stingy and afraid that buying too many things would attract attention, Shen Lingling was much more high-profile. Every time the Zhang family sent something over, she wanted to make a big fuss and let the whole village know.
Zhang Junliang's family was short of housing, so the two families decided that after they got married, Zhang Junliang and Shen Lingling would live in Yangliu Brigade.
Shen Lingling now lives alone in half of a large brick and tile house, and this half will continue to be "lent" to the young couple in the future.
Mr. and Mrs. Shen were both shrewd people. It would not make sense for them to pay for half of the brick and tile house when their daughter got married. They said it was a loan, but in fact it was a rent, and they would charge the young couple ten yuan in rent every year.
Of course, in addition to the rent, the couple felt that having a skilled worker son-in-law live in their home would definitely bring them other benefits.
We eat from the same pot, so if the son-in-law buys some delicious food, they must have a share, right? Living in their house, they see each other every day, so the son-in-law must show some appreciation during festivals, right?
As for skilled workers, they earn several dozen yuan a month, which is far from enough for the young couple to spend. Even a little bit left over would be a huge income for them as rural people.
Because the young couple was going to live in Yangliu Brigade, some of the furniture and household items purchased by the Zhang family were gradually moved into the house where Shen Lingling lived.
In fact, if you count carefully, there are not many big items. The room where Shen Lingling lives already has a bed, a desk, a chair, and a box. The Zhang family sent a chest of drawers, two wicker boxes, a thermos, a spittoon and other things.
Oh, and the most valuable thing is a radio that is about 80% to 90% new.
Zhang Junliang has a bicycle. When he and Shen Lingling settled down, he gave Shen Lingling a watch. Together with this radio, it is equivalent to making up two turns and one ring with three turns and one ring.
Even though it wasn't brand new, Mr. Shen and his wife felt very proud.
No girl in the village has so many things when she gets married. Take Shen Moer for example. Her family does have a second-hand bicycle, but it was bought by Shen Laoqi with his own money.
Fu Mingze is so poor that he even had to fight with others to buy a few towels. Let's hope he can buy three spins and one ring in the next life!
In addition to this, Mr. Shen and his wife actually had a secret idea that they could not tell anyone.
It is impossible for Shen Lingling and her husband to live in Yangliu Brigade forever. When Zhang Junliang allocates houses, they will definitely move out. When they move to the new house, they can't take the things in the house with them. Most of the things will belong to the Shen family.
Therefore, Shen Laoer's family did not think there was anything wrong with their daughter finding a worker son-in-law and having him live at home with them. Instead, they were very happy.
As for what the Zhang family was thinking, they didn't consider it at all.
Time passed unknowingly, and Shen Moer spent her eighteenth birthday in a busy manner.
There was no big celebration, they just called Fu Mingze and the family of three had dinner together. Shen Shaoyuan was responsible for frying a poached egg that was as round as a full moon, and Fu Mingze was responsible for cooking a bowl of longevity noodles.
Every year before, Shen Shaoyuan cooked the longevity noodles himself, but from this time on, Shen Shaoyuan just gave some instructions at the stove and handed over the job of cooking the longevity noodles to Fu Mingze.
After her birthday, Shen Moer will reach the legal age for marriage.
Early in the morning, Fu Mingze knocked on the door of the Shen family courtyard. Shen Shaoyuan opened the door for him with a dark face and stared at him: "What are you doing here so early?"
Fu Mingze smiled warmly like a spring breeze: "Let's go register for the certificate today. Go early to get a good start."
Shen Shaoyuan: “…”
Although he will be a formal son-in-law soon, this pretty boy is really annoying!
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