Upon hearing this, Zhao Honghui felt a chill run down his spine. "You call others lazy and good-for-nothing, when will you ever be a child yourself?"
She's in her twenties and still mowing the lawn with kids every day. How can she live like that?
Zhao Chunling burst into tears, throwing herself at the old lady, "Mom! He dislikes me, waaaah..."
The old lady patted her back to comfort her, "No, no, don't cry."
She looked up at her eldest grandson and defended her youngest daughter, saying, "Honghui, Ling'er has already gone out to earn work points. Don't have too high expectations for her. She'll be fine once she gets married."
Zhao Honghui had no choice but to eat his rice with his head covered, as his grandmother favored him.
Zhao Chunling kept crying and sobbing, and Yang Chunhua said impatiently, "This is a place to eat, if you want to cry, go outside!"
"Wow... there's no place for me in this house anymore, I might as well just die..."
"Don't talk nonsense! Even if your work points aren't enough to eat, Mom will still give you her rations. Nobody can kick you out!" After saying that, the old lady glared fiercely at Zhao Laoda and Yang Chunhua.
Yang Chunhua wouldn't stand for it. She slammed her chopsticks down and shouted, "Mom! Who's trying to kick her out? We're still eating even if she doesn't want to. Who's she trying to impress with her crying act?"
"Eldest brother!" As soon as the old lady finished speaking, Zhao the eldest brother wiped his mouth and stood up. "I'm full."
I can't afford to mess with them, so I'm leaving!
He sat on the stone bench outside the gate, took out a hand-rolled cigarette and started smoking. A look of helplessness crossed his weathered face. His little sister was causing him endless trouble every day... sigh...
Not long after, Zhao Honghui finished eating and left the table. Zhao Chunling looked at him stubbornly and choked up, saying, "What did I say wrong? That female educated youth also did grass cutting work just like me. She even went out of her way to pick sour pears to eat. And it wasn't enough for her to pick them herself; she also mobilized everyone in the educated youth team to pick them."
Zhao Honghui sensed there was more to the story, so he asked, "Who is that female educated youth you're talking about?"
"It's that new Xie Yuyao." Zhao Chunling said sarcastically, "She seems to have a bit of a crush on you. You'd better not fall for her, otherwise she'll end up doing grass-cutting work too. Let's see what you say then!"
Zhao Honghui was a little dazed and incredulous. "Tell me exactly what happened, word for word."
After Zhao Chunling finished her description, he said expressionlessly, "She has already denied it. You're overthinking it."
My heart was filled with mixed feelings: a touch of relief, a touch of relaxation, and a touch of indescribable melancholy.
*
Zhao Honghui sat down next to his father, took out a pack of "Serve the People" brand cigarettes from his pocket, took one, and handed the rest to his father.
"Honghui, do you know that Xie educated youth?" Old Zhao had already heard the conversation in the main room. He had no prejudice against female educated youths. Although they weren't very good at working, they were educated.
The worst of those female educated youths had graduated from junior high school, unlike the children in the production brigade, many of whom hadn't even attended primary school and couldn't read a single character.
Zhao Honghui exhaled a puff of smoke, the swirling smoke mirroring his inner thoughts: "I've seen it a few times."
"So what do you think of her? If she's interested, have your mother find a matchmaker to propose marriage."
"What marriage proposal! Brother Zhao, don't you know I don't want an educated youth as my daughter-in-law!" Yang Chunhua was anxious. She quickly finished her meal and got off the table to follow him.
She earnestly advised Zhao Honghui: "Honghui, let me tell you, if there is a chance to return to the city, those female educated youths will not be willing to stay in the countryside."
“If you marry a female educated youth, you will be separated from your wife and children if you divorce. If she takes you back to the city with her, you will become like a son-in-law living with his wife’s family. And even if she stays, she will be full of resentment and make your life miserable.”
Zhao Honghui listened and fell into deep thought. Admittedly, what his mother said made some sense, but nothing is absolute. If his wife were a female educated youth, she would certainly not fall into the three situations his mother mentioned.
Seeing her son remain silent, Yang Chunhua was so anxious she was almost losing her temper: "Starting tomorrow, I'll agree to the matchmaker's request. You'll come with me to meet potential partners one by one. We're bound to find someone we like!"
“Chunhua, how can you look at people so frequently? If Honghui is not interested, won’t people say that he has too high standards and is too picky, which will ruin his reputation?”
Old Zhao tried to persuade her, saying that once a woman is married, her heart is only for her husband and children, and she can't break up with her husband.
"What do you know! Don't spout nonsense!"
Receiving a sharp look from his daughter-in-law, Zhao Laoda could only silently smoke and give his eldest son a helpless look.
Yang Chunhua was heartbroken and asked Zhao Honghui in a sorrowful voice, "Have you also taken a liking to that educated youth Xie?"
"No, Mom, you heard what Auntie said too. It's just a misunderstanding. Don't ruin a young lady's reputation." Zhao Honghui denied it outright. Xie Yuyao's situation was a bit complicated, and he couldn't explain it to others in detail.
Yang Chunhua was in so much pain, it felt like she had swallowed a bitter pill. Although her eldest son denied it, judging from the protectiveness he inadvertently revealed, he would fall into the trap sooner or later.
She sighed and walked towards Zhao Lao Er's house next door.
A kerosene lamp was lit in Zhao Lao Er's main room. After hearing her sister-in-law's words, the hostess, Wang Qiufen, asked in surprise, "Really? Are you sure Honghui is interested?"
Yang Chunhua nodded dejectedly and muttered to herself, "I know him too well! Before he realizes it, quickly give me some advice on how to shift my focus."
“If I had a way, that brat Jianbin wouldn’t be in this state.” Wang Qiufen was extremely worried when she thought of her eldest son. “How come those two brothers are so alike? They’re both blinded by female educated youth.”
The two sisters-in-law complained to each other, but in the end they couldn't come up with a solution.
*
Xie Yuyao, who lived in the educated youth compound, sneezed a few times. Strange, she didn't have a cold. Could someone be talking badly about her?
Unaware that she had become a thorn in Yang Chunhua's side, she took out a box of malted milk powder and two pounds of brown sugar from the box, locked it again, took a flashlight, walked out of the east room, and left the educated youth compound with Li Weidong.
She told Li Weidong about her idea of building a house, and Li Weidong offered to go to the brigade leader with her. Firstly, he was worried about Xie Yuyao walking alone at night, and secondly, as the leader of the educated youth team, he could represent the attitude of the educated youth institute.
When they arrived at the brigade leader's house, Xie Yuyao asked in a clear voice, "Is the brigade leader home?"
The brigade leader and his wife, Aunt Tian, looked in the direction of the sound and saw Li Weidong and Xie Yuyao standing at the door. Xie Yuyao was also carrying an opaque bag.
They exchanged a glance, knowing they had come seeking help. Aunt Tian warmly welcomed them into the courtyard.
After they crossed the courtyard and entered the main room, Xie Yuyao said, "Aunt Tian, I heard from Xiao Hu that he has a little brother who is a little over a year old, so I brought a box of malted milk powder to give the baby some nutrition."
"Oh! This is a rare find, how can I accept it?" the brigade leader's wife repeatedly declined.
Xie Yuyao was very familiar with this routine, and she placed the bag on the table with a smile, saying, "No matter how good the things are, they are meant to be used by people, so please don't be so polite with me."
Once upon a time, she was the one receiving gifts; how the tables have turned!
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