Chapter 49 Diligence
Secretary Song drove a ox cart to the brigade headquarters first, made his request to the team leader, and then followed Secretary Su into the office.
"Thank you for your hard work, in-law." Even though Secretary Su was feeling anxious, he still greeted him with a smile and poured him a cup of hot tea. "We have to make at least two trips here. Can you eat lunch at home?"
"Let Chu Tong make us some braised fish, and some wine, and we'll have a nice drink."
Secretary Song refused outright: "I have already told my family that it is too cold in the morning, so let Xiaoyuer sleep a little longer. I will let Chutong and I go back at noon and bring Xiaoyuer home for the New Year."
Secretary Su was eager to do so, but he had to pretend to be kind: "Yes, Xiaoyu'er is not at home. Not only do we adults feel lonely, but even Xiaojun is always thinking about his sister."
"You don't have to make another trip, just let Hongqi go and bring Xiaoyuer back."
He also likes his grandson more, but he has never beaten or scolded his granddaughter.
It's just that I have some old-fashioned ideas. I always feel that my eldest son must have a son, otherwise who knows who will benefit from the family fortune earned by him in his lifetime?
Thinking about the fact that his eldest daughter-in-law gave birth to a granddaughter right after she came into the family, and that the granddaughter was already five years old and still pregnant, he felt that Secretary Song was a step behind him and sighed, "After the Chinese New Year, Xiao Yu'er will be six years old. I want the eldest son to accompany Chu Tong to the town hospital for a checkup."
Secretary Song heard the meaning behind his words and said righteously: "I have to criticize you now. You are also an old comrade and now you are the secretary of the branch. Why do you still favor boys over girls?"
"Nowadays, women can hold up half the sky, and men and women are equal. You can't discriminate against your granddaughter."
He didn't feel guilty: "My Chu Tong has already given birth to Xiao Yu'er. She hasn't had another child in so many years. Maybe her health is too poor."
"Give her something good to eat first. Once her body gets better, there will naturally be good news."
Without giving him a chance to speak, she said seriously, "Of course, if you are not satisfied with Chu Tong, you can also divorce her and let Su Hongqi marry another one."
Secretary Su felt very uneasy after hearing this. He clearly felt that his in-laws had a strong attitude towards him and were not as easy to talk to as before.
But now I can't offend him, so I can only look ashamed and say: "The burden on my family was indeed heavy in the past few years, and Chu Tong was wronged, but don't worry, I will never let Chu Tong be wronged in the future."
They are all thousand-year-old turtles, why are they pretending to be turtles? Secretary Song certainly didn't believe him, but said solemnly: "My dear, you also know that my Chu Hong is divorced, and I don't mind having another divorced daughter in the family."
"Not really, really." Secretary Su was shocked by his words and attitude. Even after he became the branch secretary, his wife had this idea, but he did not dare to agree.
Not to mention that divorce will bring a bad reputation, it will also offend Secretary Song, and I will definitely be targeted and troubled in the future.
He had just been appointed as the branch secretary, and he didn't want to be kicked out before he even had time to warm up to the position, so he immediately said, "When a couple lives together, there will definitely be some clashes between their tongues and teeth, but they are usually in good terms, and there is no chance they will get divorced."
He had been to school for a few years, but his ideas were old-fashioned. In order to let Secretary Song see his sincerity, he said seriously: "Even if they can't give birth to a son, they can adopt the son of the second brother in the future."
In other words, the current policy does not allow it, otherwise the older child can just raise the younger one.
Of course, he only dared to think about this idea.
Secretary Song didn't say much and started talking to him about how much vegetables the village could harvest.
Not only was he driving the ox cart, but the ox carts from Lingshang Village were also loaded with goods. The team leader personally drove the ox cart and followed him to deliver the goods.
Still according to the price of vegetables, he converted them into biscuits and matches, and agreed to send six more carts of vegetables after the third day of the New Year before driving the ox cart home for lunch.
Even those families who usually live frugally and only eat coarse food are willing to prepare delicious dishes such as fish and meat today.
Especially at Secretary Song's house, the sisters who had returned long ago after delivering the lotus root clips cooked a pot of white rice, made crucian carp and tofu soup, lotus root clips, spicy fried pork tripe, and stir-fried vegetables.
Fortunately, it is cold now. Both the pig stomach and the meat are left over from slaughtering the pig. If they are rubbed with some salt, they can be kept for ten days to half a month.
Secretary Song didn't see Xiao Yu'er, so he asked, "Did Su Hongqi come to take the child back?"
Wu Xiu, who was wiping the table, responded, "Xiaotong didn't come, but Su Hongqi came, and he brought a bag of sesame sticks and a bag of biscuits."
The sesame sticks are filled with sesame seeds on the outside and maltose on the inside. When you bite them, your mouth is filled with fragrance. Many families buy them specifically for visiting relatives during the Chinese New Year.
Chu Dan, who had cooked the food and brought it over, couldn't help but look down on him: "That packet of biscuits is all broken. I guess it was the packet that Gu Zhiqing sent to them."
"After the Su family became the branch secretary, they received a lot of gifts." Chu Hong behind the stove shoveled the charcoal into the brazier, brought it over and put it under the table: "Gu Ci said that the educated youth who returned only got the introduction letter after giving gifts."
Secretary Song didn't want to say more, so he simply changed the subject: "Where is your grandfather? The dishes are already on the table, but he hasn't come back yet?"
Grandma Song said, "He went to call Youfu and the others to come over for dinner."
As soon as she finished speaking, Song Weibin rushed in from outside: "Wow, what a delicious dish! It smells so good!"
Secretary Song smiled and said, "Then eat more later."
Wu Qiaofang came in first with a bulging belly, followed by Song Youfu carrying a tidy rooster, and finally Grandpa Song.
Song Lao Er handed the rooster to his mother: "Mom, this year is New Year's Eve, let's eat chicken tonight."
During Chinese New Year, fish is a must on the table, as it is a good omen for abundance every year.
Then there is meat and fried tofu. As for the rest, it depends on the family situation.
Grandma Song glanced at her younger daughter-in-law and saw that she was also smiling and talking to her eldest daughter-in-law, but she still felt something was wrong.
My youngest son is generous, but my youngest daughter-in-law is very protective of her food, so when my youngest son has a good harvest in the fish basket, she has to send the fish and shrimp secretly.
The daughter-in-law was reluctant to give away even the free fish and shrimps in the river, but today she gave her a big rooster, which made Grandma Song feel a little nervous.
She whispered, "Did the chicken freeze to death?"
In spring and summer, chickens are prone to fowl plague, so you need to be careful.
When winter comes, hens don’t like to lay eggs, but they won’t get sick easily either.
But she didn't think her daughter-in-law would be so generous, so she immediately suspected that it was a dead chicken.
Song Lao Er didn't know whether to laugh or cry: "What are you thinking? The chicken is fine."
He wanted to save face for his wife, so he raised his voice and said, "Qiaofang said that this rooster can't lay eggs, and it won't grow any meat if we keep it."
"Since everyone is here during the Chinese New Year, they asked me to bring it as an extra dish."
Grandma Song glanced at her husband and saw from his expression that this matter was not simple, so she asked everyone to sit down and eat.
The family had a lively lunch together. The Song brothers began to discuss the delicious food and wine for the evening. Chu Hong saw that there were many empty bowls and chopsticks on the table, so she was diligent enough to help clean up the dishes.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
