Chapter 4 Chapter 4 Marriage
"Feng Lian!"
"Hongyan!"
In the living room on the first floor of the Lu family, there was a tearful and almost touching reunion of old sisters.
"It's been more than ten years. We haven't seen each other for more than ten years!" Hu Fenglian held Wang Hongyan's hand tightly, her eyes moist. "Since Captain Wei died, we have been separated by thousands of miles and haven't seen each other much since then."
Wang Hongyan's face was filled with excitement and tears in her eyes. She could no longer see the fierceness she had shown to Liang Xin and the others. "Feng Lian, I really miss you day and night. I remember when we met at the train station, went to the military district to find a man together, and lived as neighbors in the garrison for so many years. What a pity..."
"Hurry up and sit down. Hurry up and sit down. Let's talk later."
Hu Fenglian knew why the old sister felt sorry for her, so she pulled them to the sofa in the living room and changed the subject to look at Wei Yuanyang standing beside her, "This is Yuanyang, you have really grown up. A few years ago, I heard that your Director Li was demoted, and I looked for you. The military academy said that Yuanyang went to the countryside, and you followed your youngest son. I wanted to look for you again, and our old Lu also had an accident. After going around in circles for several years, I didn't expect you to come to my door on your own initiative."
"Hello, Aunt Hu."
Wei Yuanyang put the net bag on the coffee table, "This is a gift for Uncle Lu."
When Hu Fenglian saw the Hongtashan and Maotai in the net bag, her happy expression paused, "This... Hongyan, you came with the child, why did you bring these things?"
"Captain Lu is now the deputy commander of the military region. You are used to seeing good things now..."
"Hongyan, that's not right." Hu Fenglian's expression suddenly changed, and she said righteously, "What is the relationship between our two families? What kind of person is Lao Lu? Others don't know, and you don't know. How could he have smoked such good cigarettes or drunk such good wine? You can't accept these things. If you accept them, he will scold me."
"What's the relationship between our two families? It's my gift, so he can't scold you!" Wang Hongyan said angrily, "This little thing is nothing compared to Lao Lu's salary. I'm not asking him to do anything for me. I just haven't seen him for so many years, so I want to buy you something good to taste."
"Try it?" Hu Fenglian waved her hand. "I never touch these cigarettes and alcohol."
Wang Hongyan's face froze. "Look, I forgot to tell you. When I arrived in Jiangjing a while ago, I went to the south of the city to buy plum blossom cakes. I just found out that the store was smashed a few years ago. Yuanyang went to the school teacher to exchange a malted milk ticket. I bought it. I was in a hurry to see you this morning. I forgot to bring it when I went out. I didn't remember it until I got to the gate of the military district. I'm really sorry."
"I can't get used to that stuff." Hu Fenglian pushed the cigarettes and alcohol in the net bag forward, "Yuanyang is growing up, these will come in handy in the future."
"Yuanyang doesn't smoke or drink. I brought this specially for Lao Lu today. Please don't be polite."
"Don't drink Yuanyang, save it for Lao Li." Hu Fenglian's face gradually became more polite, with a genuine smile of joy. "The cadres who were sent down in the past two years have been transferred back to their original posts one after another, and some have even been promoted. Military academies in various places have also started to recruit students again one after another. I think it won't be long before Lao Li can come back."
"Feng Lian, you don't think that I brought these things here today because I want your Mr. Lu to think of a way to transfer our Mr. Li back, right? You misunderstood, that's not my intention!"
"No, I don't think so." Hu Fenglian smiled and said, "The military academy is not under the jurisdiction of Old Lu, so he has no way to help."
The smile on Wang Hongyan's face faded slightly, but her tone was still enthusiastic. "Back then, we were both battalion commanders, and our relationship was equal. No one was asking anyone for anything, and we were both very grateful when we gave each other something. But now, I give you something good, but you think I have ulterior motives and refuse to accept it. Are you forcing me to say something unpleasant?"
"Look at you, your temper is still the same as before, you get impatient when you say you want to." Hu Fenglian spoke in a friendly manner, but she still didn't take any of the things back. "We are all working people, workers, peasants and soldiers, comrades of the proletariat, there is no such thing as equality or inequality. Hongyan, if you come to see me, your old sister, today, take the things back. If you have something to do, take the things back too. Just tell me directly. I will see to it if I can do it, but don't blame me if I can't."
Having said that, Wang Hongyan did not insist on pushing the things in. She smiled and said, "Okay, Fenglian, even I can't break through your iron wall. It seems that the people who gave gifts over the years have almost broken down your doorstep, which is why you have developed this ability."
Listening to the sour words, the sincerity in Hu Fenglian's eyes faded a lot, leaving only a little bit of the old friendship.
"Old Wang, we are already this old and have been through so many ups and downs. You are also a straightforward person, so don't beat around the bush."
When Wang Hongyan heard the "title" change, she knew that it was different. She stopped venting the resentment that had been suppressed in her heart for many years and said with a smile:
"Feng Lian, when our men went to the battlefield, I was pregnant and panicked. No matter how you tried to comfort me, it was useless. In the end, I slapped my thigh and said that if Lao Wei really got into trouble, the children of the two families would be married and you would take care of the children. Do you remember what I said?"
When talking about the past, Hu Fenglian softened her attitude and smiled as she looked at Wei Yuanyang. "I remember. Of course I don't remember. It's a pity that you gave birth to Yuanyang instead of a daughter. Otherwise, I wouldn't have to worry about finding a wife for Chongfeng."
Wei Yuanyang was slightly stunned.
Wang Hongyan hurriedly said, "I gave birth to a son back then, but didn't you give birth to a daughter later? Our two families are still relatives!"
Now it was Hu Fenglian's turn to be stunned.
Wang Hongyan sighed, "Back then, Lao Wei really had an accident on the battlefield. The shells were flying towards your Lao Lu. He died trying to save your Lao Lu."
“........”
Hu Fenglian pondered for a while before she figured out what he meant. "Old Wang, that's not right. Captain Wei did save Old Lu. He threw him into the crater before the shells came over. But that time, both of them were fine. They escaped the shells together. Captain Wei was injured by a shell during the positional battle when the main position of the Second Battalion was surrounded. That's why he died."
Wang Hongyan raised her eyebrows, "Feng Lian, are you saying this because you don't want to admit that our Old Wei saved your Old Lu?"
"I admit it. I didn't deny it." Hu Fenglian explained, "But..."
"Just admit it," Wang Hongyan spoke faster than Hu Fenglian, "Then do you deny that you promised a marriage between our two families?"
“…I admit it.”
"In that case, the children are all older now. Yuanyang has never dated anyone in all these years and has always remained chaste for Yueji." Wang Hongyan pushed the gift over again. "We are here today to discuss the marriage between the two families."
Back then, Hu Fenglian was often confused by Wang Hongyan's trick, and by the time she reacted, the other party had already taken advantage of her.
"Wang Hongyan, when we were young, we were both military dependents. The child's father was on the battlefield defending the country, and we took care of each other in the rear. It's okay to give up personal interests. Now that the child is involved, you can't use the old tricks to confuse right and wrong and achieve your goals."
Wang Hongyan looked at Hu Fenglian in surprise.
Just as she was about to speak, Hu Fenglian didn't give her a chance: "When soldiers go to the battlefield to fight the enemy, it is normal for comrades to cover each other. It's not that Lao Lu didn't save Lao Wei's life in time. Lao Wei died. We are all very sad. The organization also tried its best to comfort you. At the beginning, the division wanted you to stay in the military service agency as a salesperson. We all took care of Yuanyang together. It was you... "
Hu Fenglian paused.
"He was Captain Wei's guard. He felt that he had failed to protect Captain Wei, so he made taking care of you and your son a lifelong matter. Later, when you got married, Old Lu also used his connections to arrange for Xiao Li to be a teacher at the military academy, thus ensuring the lives of you and your son. He only used that one time in his life to exercise his power. Many years later, because of that incident, he was demoted to a farm and almost couldn't come back."
Wei Yuanyang turned his head suddenly and looked at his mother in surprise.
Wang Hongyan avoided her son's gaze and said, "Old Hu, what do you mean by saying this now?"
"Correct your words." Hu Fenglian refused to give in. "As for the marriage, I did say that the children of our two families would be married in order to appease you. The original words were that if you were pregnant with a daughter, you could choose between our two sons. Whichever one you chose would be your son-in-law. But you also gave birth to a son. How could the marriage still be counted if I gave birth to a daughter? How can the marriage of our children be so unreasonable like you are?"
"mom......"
"That was my misremembering."
Wang Hongyan avoided her son's gaze, interrupted him, and lowered her head quickly:
"Feng Lian, Lao Lu was demoted because of Lao Li's work. I don't know much about this, but I have always remembered what you said about the marriage between the two families. For so many years, I have only recognized Yue Ji as my daughter-in-law. Yuan Yang has never had any other thoughts for Yue Ji. If you still remember the friendship we had in the past and that Lao Wei is the only child waiting for Yue Ji innocently, you should reconsider the marriage between the two families."
Hu Fenglian looked at Wei Yuanyang, who was lowering his head, his face red to his neck with embarrassment, and she didn't know what he was thinking.
The living room was quiet for a long time.
Wang Hongyan waited eagerly.
Hu Fenglian finally couldn't bear it: "Old Lu went to the army this morning. This is not an excuse. He just left not long ago. You may have bumped into him when you came here. I'm busy with Chongshou's marriage recently. This child has made me anxious. I finally picked a girl. I haven't thought about Yueji's marriage yet. Let's discuss it when Old Lu comes back. Yuanyang is a good child. Don't make trouble again in the future."
Wang Hongyan felt hopeful after hearing this. She was immediately delighted and held Hu Fenglian's hand affectionately. "Okay, you have the final say on all matters concerning our two families. Fenglian, you have made great progress over the years. I can't get away from you!"
Hu Fenglian glared at the old sister and pointed at the things, "Stay for dinner today, don't forget to take the things away."
"Okay, I'll listen to you. You have the final say!"
-
The transfer letter from the Political Department of the Jiangjing Military Region was sent to the Commune Revolutionary Committee three days after Liang Xin’s blind date.
The commune director was so excited that his shoes almost fell off. When he delivered the news to Huaihua Village, it could be said that it was a timely relief to save Liang Xin.
Going to the provincial capital for a blind date was actually a way to avoid the criticism and struggle meeting that day.
Liang Xin found out about this after she came back. Her second sister-in-law had exaggerated the details of the blind date and made the brigade cadres give up the idea.
Three days passed and there was no movement. Liang Tiezhu, who was already skeptical, no longer believed it. Early in the morning, he took the six hens out of the chicken coop and went to the brigade headquarters.
The loudspeaker brought all the villagers together to hold a mass meeting.
The militia platoon carried Liang Xin, who was lying on a recliner in the sun and refused to get up no matter how they called her, to the brigade headquarters.
"Nonsense!" Liang Tiezhu was furious when he saw this scene. "Even if she is my daughter, I will punish her if she makes a mistake! Take her to the middle!"
"Secretary, what are you doing? Aren't they just a few chickens? If the child wants to raise them, let her raise them."
"We don't eat your own food. We just let it roam freely in the reeds of the big river to the west."
"It is because of your thinking that I have to cut off the capitalist tail in time today and put a stop to this unhealthy trend!"
Liang Tiezhu picked up an axe and chopped off the head of an old hen.
The chicken's head fell to the ground, but its body was still alive, crawling around on the muddy ground with its wings spread.
The chicken blood sprayed all over the ground within seconds, and the wall of the brigade headquarters was also splashed with a streak of red blood.
The other five old hens screamed in fear, their bean-sized eyes filled with alertness and fear.
The noisy and indifferent members were suddenly frightened into silence.
The boiling hot chicken blood splashed on Liang Xin's black cloth shoes with straps. The red color disappeared into the black color, and soon only a wet dot was left. It did not stain the socks inside, but she felt the instep of her feet was burned. She raised her eyes lazily and glanced at her righteous father.
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