Chapter 39: Busy Adding Illegal Buildings, Mingxi Goes to Practice Medicine...
When Mingxi returned from the hospital, she had just reached the entrance of the alley when she saw Aunt He, Aunt Ma, and several other women pulling at Xiao Liu, a clerk from the neighborhood committee, and chattering away. Xiao Liu looked troubled, and finally, surrounded by the women, he hurriedly fled.
Mingxi: "Aunt He, what's wrong? What were you talking about with Xiao Liu just now?"
Aunt He: "Hey, it's all because of these bricks and pieces of wood piled up in the alley. You started it all, Aunt Ma. Go ask your Aunt Ma."
Mingxi looked at Aunt Ma.
Aunt Ma: "I've always thought these piles of wood and bricks in the alley were a nuisance, and I've complained to the neighborhood committee about it, asking them to remove them. But they never took it seriously. Look what happened, they've created a safety hazard! Last time Zhou Cuihua came to our courtyard and almost hurt someone with bricks. This time, the Qin family cracked Ge Heping's head open. I thought this wouldn't do; we had to get the neighborhood committee to remove these things from the alley. But when Officer Liu came over, she said they were helpless, and the neighborhood committee had nowhere to put them."
"Oh dear, this...this is indeed a difficult situation..."
The piles of wood and bricks in the alley were used to build earthquake shelters during the 1976 earthquake. After the shelters were dismantled, the items were left in the alley and no one has taken them away.
Over the years, some neighbors have collected wood and bricks to take home, but most of them are still piled up in the alley.
After receiving reports from several elderly women, the neighborhood committee took the matter of dealing with the building materials piled up in the alley seriously, but as they said before, the neighborhood committee also had nowhere to put them.
In the end, it was the Yan family in the alley who took the initiative to solve this problem for the neighborhood committee.
They spent money to buy these materials.
When Mingxi heard about this, she was puzzled: "Why would the Yan family buy these things?"
Zhao Sulan: "What else can we do? Build a house, of course. Isn't Yan Lao Er getting married? His family has more than ten people, but they only have two rooms. Even before he got married, Yan Lao Er had to sleep on the floor at home, and they were already struggling to make ends meet. After he gets married, we can't expect his new wife to sleep on the floor with him, can we?"
Mingxi: "Where is there a place to build a house?"
Zhao Sulan: "Why can't they build it? There's so much empty space in their yard. Old Man Yan is planning to build a small side room right next to the wall of his house."
Mingxi: Good heavens, isn't this an illegal structure?
She'd seen plenty of kitchens and sheds set up in the yard, but she'd never seen a house built entirely in the yard before.
Mingxi's eyes widened: "Would the people in their courtyard agree to this?"
Zhao Sulan glanced at Mingxi, thinking, "Isn't that obvious? Of course I don't want to."
When Yan Lao Er built his house, he occupied the public space in the courtyard. How could the other residents in the courtyard possibly agree to that?
Zhao Sulan: "They argued about this for several days. Everyone else disagreed, but Old Man Yan was determined. And to be honest, the land he wanted to take was originally the area from the eaves of his house to the courtyard wall. It wasn't adjacent to any other houses in the courtyard, so even if he built a house there, it wouldn't bother anyone else."
That makes sense then.
Mingxi nodded; she had assumed that Old Man Yan had simply occupied the area in the very center of the courtyard.
After buying the building materials in the alley, Old Man Yan hurriedly found a renovation team from the countryside, and they started building the house the very next day.
On the day construction started, Mingxi and the other women in the courtyard went to take a look. The spot that Old Man Yan had chosen was in the corner of the courtyard, which was indeed not in the way.
After the construction of the old man Yan's house started, undercurrents began to stir in the alley.
The Yan family is facing housing shortages, but these days, who isn't? Houses can't be bought or sold; they can only wait for the factory to allocate housing. But the factory doesn't have any houses to allocate. The last time they allocated housing was two years ago, when thousands of employees were waiting, but only a few dozen were distributed at once. Those who didn't get any can only continue waiting. Waiting and waiting, without any housing allocation, everyone is forced to squeeze together in cramped conditions.
Now that the Yan family has started adding a house, everyone is excited.
If the Yan family can add a roof, then so can they.
If you don't have bricks and wood, then go buy them. It's not easy, but it's not as difficult as buying a house.
And so, the day after the Yan family started construction, the Liu and Wang families in the alley also brought back bricks and started construction.
When Mingxi returned home that day, he saw two large rows of bricks piled up on both sides of the alley, almost blocking the entrance.
Mingxi squeezed her way in, barely managing to get through. Back in the courtyard, she sighed, "It's a good thing I'm thin; if I were any fatter, I wouldn't have been able to squeeze into our alley."
Aunt Ma's eyebrows were furrowed almost into knots: "I was just about to say that, why are there more and more bricks piling up? Didn't they say that Old Yan's family took all the bricks away to build a house?"
Aunt He: "Hey, Lao Ma, you don't know this, do you? These bricks aren't the ones from the neighborhood office before. Lao Liu and Lao Wang just brought them over today, saying they're for building a house."
Aunt Ma: "Even if you're building houses, you can't just pile them up in the alley."
Mingxi stepped forward and said, "Well, there's nothing I can do about it. When I passed by their yard this morning, I saw that it was already full of things."
Aunt Ma frowned: "Isn't this messing around? No way, I still have to go to the neighborhood office to report this another day."
Mingxi shrugged, guessing that it would be useless for Aunt Ma to complain to the neighborhood office this time.
After all, it's not just one or two families that are busy adding to their houses.
She just came back and heard the neighbors in the next yard saying they were going to build a house too.
With so many families wanting to build houses, the neighborhood committee can't possibly manage it.
Aunt He and Mingxi shared the same thought. She patted Aunt Ma on the shoulder and said, "Old Ma, you'd better stop wasting your time. There are so many houses being built in the alley. It's no use complaining to the neighborhood committee. Just bear with it and wait until the houses are finished."
Aunt Ma: "How long will that take? Such a long time! All those bricks and tiles are just sitting in the alley, taking up so much space, getting in the way, and looking so unsightly..."
As Aunt Ma continued to complain, Mingxi suddenly heard someone call her from behind.
"Comrade Ming, Comrade Ming!"
Mingxi turned around and said, "Hey, Wu Zhensheng, what brings you here?"
Wu Zhensheng: "Comrade Ming, I've come here to ask you to act as a matchmaker and propose marriage."
Mingxi raised an eyebrow in surprise: "You and Comrade Huang have already discussed getting married?"
A blush rose on Wu Zhensheng's face, and Mingxi smiled knowingly: "Okay, I understand. Come in and talk."
She led Wu Zhensheng into her home and sat him down. Wu Zhensheng said, "Comrade Ming, you were the matchmaker who introduced me to Pingping, so I'd like to ask you to help me with this marriage proposal. Including the matchmaker's gift, I'll give you twenty yuan. Is that alright?"
A normal matchmaker's proposal, including a thank-you gift, usually costs around ten yuan.
Twenty yuan was already significantly higher than the market price, but Mingxi had no objection and readily agreed.
"Okay, then tell me your conditions. How much dowry are you planning to give?"
The main role of a matchmaker when proposing marriage is to help the couple negotiate terms, such as the bride price and dowry. She needs to know Wu Zhensheng's plans so that she can discuss them properly when she visits the Huang family.
Wu Zhensheng: "Pingping and I have already discussed this. I will give 188 yuan as a bride price, plus a watch."
He pursed his lips, a little embarrassed, and said, "Pingping feels sorry for me. She saw that I had just started working in the factory and didn't have much money, so she only planned to ask me to give her a dowry. But I don't think that's appropriate. I want to buy Pingping a watch as a token of my appreciation."
Mingxi: "It's fine if you've discussed it. Have you agreed on when to discuss the marriage proposal?"
Wu Zhensheng: "It's settled, it's settled, this Sunday."
Mingxi: "Okay."
Before she knew it, it was Sunday. Mingxi got up early that morning, got ready, and went out.
Since she was representing the man in proposing marriage, Mingxi had to go to Wu Zhensheng's house first to meet with the man's relatives and friends.
Although it's said that having many sons in the Wu family makes them worthless, and Wu's parents didn't usually pay much attention to Wu Zhensheng, they were still very serious about their son's marriage proposal.
Both Mr. and Mrs. Wu took out their best clothes from the bottom of their trunks and put them on. Their hair was also neatly styled. When they saw Mingxi coming over, Mrs. Wu nervously tugged at the corner of her shirt and asked.
"Comrade Ming, what do you think of my outfit today? Is it appropriate? Is it a bit too flashy? I bought this outfit for my eldest son's wedding. Is it really suitable for a marriage proposal? Should I change into a simpler top?"
Mingxi: "No, no, Auntie, your clothes are just fine, not too flashy."
Wu's mother: "Then I won't change it."
Mr. Wu didn't say anything, but before leaving, he stared at his reflection in the mirror by the door.
Seeing this, Wu's eldest daughter-in-law couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy.
This wasn't the case when the Wu family elders went to her house to propose marriage.
With everything settled, Mingxi walked towards the Huang family with the Wu family. Although Wu Zhensheng's circumstances were not as good as Huang Pingping's, he had still made all the necessary preparations for proposing marriage.
Two cartons of cigarettes, two bottles of Moutai liquor, two boxes of Wu Yutai jasmine tea, and a box of Daoxiangcun pastries.
By today's standards, this betrothal gift is already quite thoughtful.
When Sun Xiuzhen opened the door and saw what Wu Zhensheng was holding, a bright smile instantly appeared on her face.
To be honest, the Huang family has plenty of material things, but what matters is the sentiment behind it.
These things, in particular, weren't so easy for Wu Zhensheng to obtain. The fact that Wu Zhensheng went to the trouble of buying these things showed that he cared about his daughter, Pingping.
Sun Xiuzhen greeted them warmly with a smile, "You've come! Come in, come in and have a seat!"
Mr. and Mrs. Wu knew that their future in-laws were much better off than their own, and they had been feeling uneasy on the way there, worried that their future in-laws would be difficult to get along with. Seeing how warm and welcoming Sun Xiuzhen was, they breathed a sigh of relief.
The Huang family also attached great importance to the Wu family's arrival. As soon as Mingxi entered the house, she saw brewed tea, fruit, and pastries laid out on the coffee table...
The Wu family, including the couple and Wu's sister-in-law, went inside and sat down. Under Sun Xiuzhen's warm hospitality, the three of them didn't know where to put their hands and feet. At this moment, Huang Pingping came out of the house to greet them.
With a blush on her face, she obediently greeted everyone: "Hello, Uncle; Hello, Aunt; Hello, Sister-in-law."
Mother Wu: "Okay, Pingping is good."
She smiled and took Huang Pingping's hand: "Oh, Pingping is such a good girl. It's Zhensheng's good fortune that he can date Pingping."
Sun Xiuzhen: "No, no, Zhensheng is a good boy too..."
The mothers on both sides started showering their children with compliments as if they were free, praising them endlessly. Once the pleasantries were over, it was time for Mingxi to step forward and steer the conversation to the main topic.
"Ahem, Aunt Sun, Uncle Huang, I brought Uncle Wu and Aunt Wu here today mainly to discuss the marriage of the two children. You see, the two children have been spending some time together, and if we delay any longer, people outside might start gossiping. So, shouldn't we consider getting the two children married?"
Sun Xiuzhen and her husband exchanged a glance and said with a smile, "Ah, we've also considered this matter. We agree that the two children should get married as soon as possible."
They had already discussed it beforehand and reached an agreement, so they wouldn't change their minds at the last minute.
Sun Xiuzhen: "As for the bride price, Pingping is our only daughter. We understand that Xiao Wu just started working and might not be very well-off. But since Pingping is our only daughter, we should still give her what she deserves. So, the bride price is 188 yuan, but our family will provide double the dowry. After Pingping gets married, both the bride price and the dowry will be given to her. Consider it as providing funds for the two children's new family to build their future."
Wu Zhensheng had already discussed the amount of the bride price with his parents beforehand, and he would pay for it himself, without needing his parents to contribute.
Therefore, Mr. and Mrs. Wu only showed surprise when they heard Sun Xiuzhen say that the dowry would be doubled.
But Sister Wu, who was standing next to her, was different.
She had heard before that her future sister-in-law's family was well-off, which made her uncomfortable. She was afraid that the sister-in-law would surpass her in every way after marrying into the family, so she insisted on coming along today to find out more about the situation.
Unexpectedly, I was hit with a critical blow right from the start.
A bride price of 188!
Good heavens!
Her bride price was only sixty yuan!
Huang Pingping's bride price was three times that of hers, and she still had money to spare!
Sister-in-law Wu's face immediately changed. Why should Huang Pingping ask for such a high bride price? Even if the Huang family is well-off, it's still unfair!
They haven't separated their households yet. If this money comes from the family coffers, it's like her family is paying for Wu Zhensheng's wedding. Even if Wu Zhensheng pays for it himself, she still feels it's unfair. She had previously suggested that since Wu Zhensheng eats and drinks at home, he should hand over his salary, but Wu Zhensheng refused, saying he didn't have any money.
Hmph, she has no money, yet she buys expensive cigarettes and liquor whenever she wants. She's been married into this family for so many years, how come Wu Zhensheng has never bought her anything?
Wu's sister-in-law was filled with righteous indignation and was about to say something when Sun Xiuzhen said that the dowry would be doubled.
The little flame in her heart was extinguished in an instant.
The dowry was doubled, which amounted to 376 yuan.
My goodness, the Huang family is really rich!
He really loves his daughter!
Thinking of her own family, Sister-in-law Wu was speechless. When she got married, her parents took all sixty yuan of the bride price, leaving her only five yuan as a dowry.
She hadn't thought anything of it over the years, since that's what other families did.
However, when compared to the Huang family, the difference immediately became apparent.
Sister-in-law Wu was no longer concerned about how much dowry Wu Zhensheng gave Huang Pingping. She was just afraid that if she opened her mouth, the Wu family elders and Wu Zhensheng would ask her how much her dowry was.
Actually, Sister-in-law Wu was overthinking it. The elderly couple in the Wu family hadn't even noticed her; they were both stunned by the Huang family's extravagant gesture.
Sun Xiuzhen continued, "Besides money, Pingping's father and I also prepared a house for Pingping."
She smiled and said, "It was just a coincidence. A while ago, someone in our apartment building was looking to rent out their place. I thought that Pingping and Zhensheng had short tenures and probably wouldn't be able to get a house for the next few years, so I discussed with them about buying the house and planning to use it as their wedding home after they get married."
"This, this..."
The Huang family's generosity was terrifying, and the Wu family elders trembled with fear upon hearing it.
They were all honest people who never thought of marrying into a higher social class, but unexpectedly, their youngest son ended up marrying into that class.
Mr. Wu glanced at Wu Zhensheng in silence, thinking to himself, "My son is good-looking, but he doesn't seem to have anything particularly outstanding about him. How come he's so lucky to have caught the eye of the Huang family?"
Mr. Wu remained silent for a long time before his mother nudged his arm, bringing him back to his senses: "Okay, you can arrange the house, and we'll take care of the furniture and decoration."
Sun Xiuzhen: "Okay."
Actually, the furniture in the house was already there, but since the Wu family offered to arrange it, she readily agreed.
To avoid them refusing, the other side might think they look down on them.
The elders of both the Wu and Huang families were respectable people, and Wu Zhensheng and Huang Pingping were also aiming for marriage, so the atmosphere was very harmonious. Everyone discussed things and compromised, and there was almost no need for Mingxi, the matchmaker, to step in and help bargain.
Once the dowry and betrothal gifts are settled, it's time to discuss the engagement and wedding dates.
The Huang family's idea was to skip the engagement and just have a wedding ceremony, since people nowadays prefer to keep weddings simple.
The Wu family also felt there was no need to make any more trouble.
However, the wedding date cannot be set today. We have to go back and choose slowly. Sun Xiuzhen muttered, "I'll find someone who knows how to choose a date to help me in a couple of days."
Although we don't follow feudal superstitions anymore, when it comes to marriage, people still consult experts to ensure good fortune.
After discussing business and exchanging pleasantries, Mingxi left with the Wu family after having lunch at the Huang family's house.
As they emerged from the Huang family's tenement building, Mr. Wu, Mrs. Wu, and Mrs. Wu all breathed a sigh of relief.
Mingxi couldn't help but chuckle at their relieved expressions: "Uncle Wu, Auntie, weren't you all quite enthusiastic? Why were you still so nervous?"
Wu's mother waved her hand and said, "I don't know either. I was just nervous sitting inside."
To be fair, the Huang family was very hospitable. Huang's father, who was a leader in the factory, had no airs of authority at all. He pulled Wu's father to toast and exchange drinks, and Sun Xiuzhen also warmly chatted with Wu's mother about everyday things. However, the two of them just felt nervous.
Needless to say, Sister-in-law Wu regretted it at the dinner table, wondering why she had insisted on coming along.
Isn't this just asking for trouble?
Regardless, both sides were quite satisfied with the outcome of this meeting, and Mingxi can be considered to have successfully completed her mission.
After leaving the Huang family's house, Mingxi greeted the Wu family members and then went home.
She returned to the alley and looked at the increasing number of bricks piled up on both sides of the alley. She couldn't help but sigh in her heart that different people have different fates.
Look at Wu Zhensheng, his house is too small, but he's lucky to be able to live off Huang Pingping. Now he has a wife and a house.
Of course, Wu Zhensheng's case is a special one.
Although Wu Zhensheng was a kept man, he maintained a proper attitude. He accepted being a kept man openly and honestly, without pretending to be superior or being ashamed to admit it in front of outsiders.
Moreover, he didn't say anything about being a kept man because of his poor circumstances, and therefore didn't take the Huang family's benefits for granted; he didn't offer any thanks whatsoever.
Mingxi had heard Huang Pingping say that Wu Zhensheng was never free whenever he came to visit.
That's why the Huang family elders thought highly of Wu Zhensheng; otherwise, they wouldn't have agreed to his marriage with Huang Pingping so easily.
Mingxi sighed inwardly and walked quickly back to her own courtyard. As soon as she turned into the backyard, she saw a man squatting at her door. When the man saw Mingxi come back, he quickly threw the cigarette in his hand on the ground.
"Hey, Mingxi, you're back?"
Mingxi squinted: "Guan Lixin? You want to see me?"
Guan Lixin scratched the back of his head: "You're being too polite. What kind of relationship do we have? Can't I come to see you for no reason?"
Mingxi: "Stop, stop, stop. Just one more question, what's our relationship?"
Guan Lixin smiled broadly: "We're best friends since childhood! Mingxi, you can't do this, okay? We were born in the same hospital, grew up in the same alley, one went to elementary school and the other graduated from junior high and high school. That's how close we are!"
Mingxi rolled her eyes: "...According to you, everyone who grew up around here is my best childhood friend."
Despite saying that, Mingxi still opened the door and welcomed Lixin in.
"Go inside and find a place to sit. If you want some water, pour it yourself."
Guan Lixin didn't stand on ceremony: "Okay, you don't need to worry about me, I can take care of myself."
He casually poured himself a cup of tea and sat down.
Mingxi put her things down, washed her face, and came back to sit down. She said, "Tell me honestly, what brings you here today?"
Guan Lixin's previous words weren't entirely unfounded; he and Mingxi do have a good relationship.
Guan Lixin and Mingxi are the same age. They were good friends when they were young, climbing walls and trees, playing with fire and wetting the bed together. However, after graduating from high school, Mingxi focused on getting into university and didn't go out much, so his relationship with his previous friends faded.
Not to mention, Guan Lixin didn't have a job after graduating from high school and spent his days hanging out with a bunch of hoodlums. I heard from the people in the alley recently that he's been involved in speculation and profiteering. Speculation and profiteering is a crime, and if you're caught, you're in big trouble.
The adults in the alley all taught their children to stay away from Guan Lixin, for fear that he would lead them astray.
Guan Lixin knew he was disliked, so he stopped visiting his old friends' homes, let alone Mingxi's.
Therefore, Mingxi dared to say that he must have come here today for a reason.
Guan Lixin scratched his head and readily admitted, "Alright, I came here today because I have something to discuss."
"Hey, I heard from my mom that you're not planning to go to university anymore, and you've gone off to be a matchmaker and introduce potential partners to people, right? Well, do you know if you have any suitable partners to introduce to me?"
Mingxi: "You? You're serious?"
Guan Lixin: "Of course!"
-----------------------
Author's Note: Let's guess who Xiaoming will introduce to Guan Lixin! (Seems pretty easy to guess [cat emoji])
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com