Gao Guojing, unaware of what was going on, said, "Brother, it's already eleven o'clock. We'll be making lunch soon. Even if we're going out to play, we should eat lunch first. Duofu, don't you think?"
Before Duofu could speak, Gao Shujing raised his eyes and said, "Rujia and I don't have time to take Duofu and the others out to play. After you leave, they will be confined to the backyard all day. Can you bear to watch them wander around this small plot of land all day long?"
Duofu, who had previously thought of going out to play after a delicious lunch, immediately turned his expectant eyes to Gao Guojing upon hearing this.
No matter how well-behaved and sensible he is, his IQ is still that of a child under ten years old. He likes to play everywhere. Knowing that Uncle Guojing has left, they will have to stay in the backyard again, so he wants to take advantage of his presence to go outside more often.
Duolu tugged at Gao Guojing's trouser leg: "Uncle Guojing, let's go out and play."
Duoxi, the little tagalong, trotted over to Gao Guojing's side and, just like his second brother, reached out and tugged at his other trouser leg: "Uncle, let's play."
Duo Shou stared at him expectantly, and with several adorable little faces in front of him, Gao Guojing couldn't bring himself to refuse: "Okay, Uncle Guojing will take you out to play now."
Gao Shujing gave a suggestion: "When you go out to play, casually mention to people that Rujia is your future sister-in-law."
Gao Guojing, who was pulling Duolu and Duoxi to turn around, paused. So the real intention of rushing them out was to have them spread the word to the people of Shangfen Brigade that he and Sister Rujia were dating.
Are he and Duofu just tools?
Gao Guojing felt he had finally seen through his older brother's true colors. He glanced at him with disdain and then arrogantly ordered from the menu.
Gao Guojing: "Today at noon we're having garlic ribs, braised pork, stir-fried bamboo shoots with cured pork, stir-fried pork belly, boiled mutton, home-style tofu, stir-fried bok choy, and radish and pork bone soup."
Their family usually eats three meat dishes, two vegetable dishes, and a soup for a meal. Gao Guojing felt that since he had been Gao Shujing's tool today, he had to fight for more benefits for himself, so he ordered five meat dishes, two vegetable dishes, and a soup.
After reciting the menu, without waiting for Gao Shujing's feedback, he pulled his nephews out, saying, "Let's go, Uncle Guojing is taking you out to play. Hurry up and come back for a big meal."
Doro's excited voice rang out: "Yay, another big meal is coming!"
Watching the departing figures, Gao Shujing's lips curled up: "A bunch of foodies." Resigned, he turned around and rummaged through the ice bucket to find the ingredients needed for the dishes Gao Guojing had just ordered.
Li Xiaoyuan and Zheng Lanlan were still plotting to scheme against Gao Shujing when Captain Huang encountered Zheng Lanlan's father, Zheng Daxiong, who was about to enter his house.
When Zheng Daxiong saw Captain Huang come to the door, he thought that he was being asked to start work early: "Captain, what brings you here? Come in and sit for a while."
To ensure the brigade has a good New Year, the Shangfen Brigade scheduled to start work on the sixth day of the Lunar New Year. Today is the third day of the Lunar New Year, so we can still have two more days of fun.
Captain Huang: "It's good that you're here. I have something to tell you."
Zheng Daxiong thought he had guessed correctly. He nodded to the three women washing clothes in the yard as a greeting, and then led Captain Huang into the house to sit down: "Captain, do you want us to start work ahead of schedule?"
Captain Huang: "It's not about that. It's about your daughter, Zheng Lanlan."
Zheng Daxiong was completely confused: "Lanlan stays at home every day, what could possibly happen to her?"
His daughter Lanlan is a bit spoiled, but only at home. When she goes out, she might have a fight with someone, but it's nothing serious. Why did the brigade leader have to make a special trip for her?
Captain Huang: "If I remember correctly, your Lanlan is eighteen years old, right?"
Zheng Daxiong chuckled and said, "Yes, is the brigade leader going to introduce her to a potential partner? My Lanlan has been carefully raised since she was little, and she's very pretty. If the brigade leader is going to introduce a partner, he should introduce a good one."
"My wife and I are both very old when we finally had this daughter. We can't let anyone bully her."
Captain Huang choked. If he were to introduce Zheng Lanlan to someone, he would be making an enemy of them.
Captain Huang: "It's not about that. It's about the fact that all over the country, we have been advocating that we should focus on revolution, vigorously promote production, be diligent and thrifty, and not have the hedonistic style of capitalism. We must always remember the enterprising spirit of hard work and struggle."
“Your Lanlan is already eighteen years old and has never earned a single work point. This is absolute hedonism, the pampered daughter of a landlord. We must resolutely eliminate this kind of behavior. When work starts this year, we will have your Lanlan work with us.”
Captain Huang's management of Shangfen Brigade was relatively humane. He didn't keep an eye on people's work. In an era where diligence was the foundation and people lived off their earnings, very few people would stay at home and not work. Even if they wanted to slack off, they would go to the fields to find opportunities to do so.
It's not just that Zheng Lanlan doesn't work; she also keeps causing trouble. Captain Huang felt more at ease leaving her in the fields, thinking that as long as she's tired enough, she won't have the energy to think about other things.
Even if Zheng Lanlan didn't work in the fields, she was under everyone's watchful eyes, so she had little chance to cause trouble for Gao Shujing.
These words made Zheng Daxiong break out in a cold sweat. Whether you're a capitalist or a landlord, if you're associated with either of these two identities, you can forget about having a good life in the future.
Zheng Daxiong hurriedly waved his hand and said, "Captain, it's not that serious, it's not that serious."
"You know our Lanlan. She was born when her mother was over thirty. She was malnourished and weak, unable to do any work. How did she become the pampered young lady of a landlord's family?"
"The captain can't say things like that; if word gets out, people will die."
If a pampered young lady from a landlord's family comes into the family, what are these people? Aren't they just landlords?
Captain Huang: "I don't see anything wrong with her health. She used to pester Officer Gao all day long and nothing happened to her. Now she's even trying to force someone to marry her. What's wrong with your family? Are you landlords or bandits? Whoever she sets her sights on has to marry her?"
Zheng Daxiong had heard Zheng Lanlan say many times that she wanted to marry Gao Shujing. If such an outstanding person really became his son-in-law, he would wake up laughing at night.
He knew that Li Xiaoyuan had gone to propose marriage, but he truly knew nothing about the forced marriage. Li Xiaoyuan hadn't met him since her proposal today, and he had no idea what had happened in between.
Zheng Daxiong asked, puzzled, "Captain, how did a simple marriage proposal turn into forced marriage?"
Hearing Captain Huang's voice from the next room, Li Xiaoyuan, who was about to come over to check, stopped in her tracks upon hearing the words "forced marriage." She shrank into the corner, afraid that Captain Huang would see her and drag her out for a scolding.
She harbored some resentment towards Gao Shujing for leaving no room for maneuver, and thought to herself that once Zheng Lanlan succeeded, she would see how she dealt with him.
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