Chapter 25: Proposal
Ma Xiaojuan picked the peanuts and came back. She was surprised to find that Su Mo had already picked almost one-third of the remaining half of hers.
How did Su Mo become so powerful?
Is it because she has a boyfriend and is full of energy? Or is it
because she will take root in the countryside in the future and has started to work actively?
Ma Xiaojuan thought it should be the latter, and she couldn't help but feel a little sympathetic towards Su Mo.
When Su Mo saw Ma Xiaojuan coming back and saw that it was almost 11 o'clock, she said, "Xiaojuan, I will pick for a while and then go back. It's our turn to cook today. We will pick the rest in the afternoon."
During the autumn harvest, people usually start work at 6 o'clock in the morning and finish work at 12 o'clock; in the afternoon, they start work at 1:30 and finish work at 6 o'clock. This is when they don't rush to work. If they rush to work, they have to eat lunch in the fields and work until eight or nine in the evening with torches.
Because the lunch time is tight, the educated youth who are responsible for cooking will usually tell the team leader around 11:30 and go back to cook.
Anyway, the daily tasks are arranged. If they don't finish in the morning, they can continue in the afternoon. The team leader usually doesn't say anything.
Ma Xiaojuan nodded vigorously. Su Mo has helped her pull out a lot of weeds. Maybe she can get another mu of land to pull out in the afternoon, earning four work points a day.
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On the other hand, Li Yue'e also finished pulling out four mu of land this morning. She left a bundle of peanuts for Lu Changzheng to pick, and hurried home to cook.
She has already found four aunts she is familiar with, and they will go to the educated youth site to propose marriage together, and she also called the village women's director.
At noon, these helpers had to be treated to a simple meal.
The staple food was the steamed buns made from two-grain flour last night, and some corn porridge.
I heard from the third brother that he also cut two pounds of meat in the morning. Then cut a pound of cabbage to stew, make some scrambled eggs with green peppers, and stir-fry two green vegetables with lard. That's it, it's pretty decent.
Li Yue'e had just finished cooking when the aunties arrived. They knew they had to help, so they got off work earlier, and some even went home to change clothes.
Li Yue'e hurriedly invited them to the table, leaving the meals for the other people in the family, and the group of people who had things to do ate first.
After the meal, Li Yue'e changed into a set of clothes that were 70% new and without patches. Then they picked up their things and went to the educated youth point.
At this time, it was lunch time. Many people asked them where they were going. Soon, the whole village knew that Lu Changzheng was going to propose to Su, an educated youth.
After hearing the news, Li Cuihua was so happy that she drank two bowls of corn porridge. Finally, it was successful.
From then on, Li Yue'e was a head shorter than her.
When Li Yue'e and her friends arrived, the educated youth had just finished their meal.
Because she knew that someone would come to propose marriage at noon, Su Mo took eggs and made a pot of scrambled eggs with green peppers when she was cooking. It's easy
to be soft-mouthed when eating. If there is any disturbance later, they can't say anything.
"Oh, are you eating?" The one who spoke was Lu Guilan, the women's director of the brigade. Just when they were eating, it was agreed that she would be the matchmaker.
The other educated youths were confused when they saw the director of women's affairs with a group of aunts coming to their educated youth camp.
"We just finished eating, Director Lu, what's up?" Ma Jianmin, the person in charge of the educated youth camp, stood up and asked.
"Something's going on, a happy event." Lu Guilan said with a smile, "We are here today to propose to Comrade Su Mo on behalf of Comrade Lu Changzheng."
"Ah? Oh, oh! Please sit down."
Ma Jianmin was flustered and quickly asked the educated youths to clear the table and let the aunts sit down.
Then he thought about getting something to entertain them.
Oh my God! Who can help him! He is a young unmarried guy and has no idea how to deal with this kind of thing.
After sitting down, Li Yue'e put the basket she was carrying on the table.
Su Mo took 6 clean bowls from the cupboard, picked up the big iron teapot of the educated youth camp, poured some water into each bowl, and handed it to each auntie.
"Aunties, have some water." Su Mo said with a smile. Su Mo
knew that people at this time liked to drink sweet drinks, so she had already prepared a pot of sugar water and put it in the big iron teapot of the educated youth camp. It was just that it was still hot just now, no one drank the water, and no one noticed.
This big iron teapot, two pots, a cupboard, a set of bowls and chopsticks, and several basins for vegetables were all prepared by the production team for the educated youth camp. But the educated youth mostly used their own lunch boxes to eat, and rarely used the bowls and chopsticks here.
One of the ladies took a sip of water, and her eyes lit up instantly. She whispered to the aunt beside her, "Sugar water." When
the aunts heard that it was sugar water, they all took their bowls and took a sip.
It seems that this educated youth Su is also a sensible person. Seeing her bright eyes, she is not shy and treats them generously. It should be good.
Li Yue'e was also secretly observing Su Mo. Seeing that she acted calmly and generously, she was quite satisfied in her heart.
Although the room of the educated youth point was large, it was still a bit crowded with a large group of people. Several male educated youth took the opportunity to return to the room, leaving only Ma Jianmin, the five female educated youth and the six ladies.
"Su Zhiqing, Comrade Lu Changzheng said that his revolutionary goal is very consistent with yours, and he hopes to establish a revolutionary friendship with you as soon as possible. I wonder what you think about this." Lu Guilan asked. "
I will listen to Director Lu's arrangements." Su Mo pretended to be shy.
Lu Guilan's smile deepened, and letting her arrange it meant that she agreed.
"I think you and Comrade Lu Changzheng are very suitable. Since your revolutionary goals are the same, you should unite as soon as possible and continue to participate in the revolution together."
"Okay, I will listen to Director Lu." Su Mo nodded. It was something that had been discussed, and it was
just a formality. Director Lu said some official words to Su Mo again, and finally said two paragraphs of Chairman Mao's quotations, which were nothing more than the formality of that stage.
Su Mo responded obediently.
Finally, Li Yue'e spoke: "We don't have so many rules in the countryside, you two just need to live a good life together. You can share the things in this basket with everyone later, so that everyone can share in the joy."
Then, she took out a thick red envelope from her pocket and handed it to Su Mo: "Even if your family is not around, our Lu family will not treat you unfairly. We will do everything we should. This is the betrothal gift, take it and arrange it yourself."
Su Mo didn't expect that the red envelope was so thick. Judging from its width, it should be a big reunion, at least a few hundred yuan. She read the period article and it seemed that the betrothal gift for marriage in the countryside was only a few dozen yuan, so she forgot to reach out to take it.
Seeing that Su Mo didn't take it, Li Yue'e took her hand and put it in her palm.
"Take it. When his elder brother and second brother got married, they also gave him a betrothal gift. It's just that your family is not around, so it can only be handed over to you. You can discuss it with your parents."
"Yes, thank you, auntie."
"Okay, everyone is tired from the autumn harvest, so we will go back and not disturb you to rest." Li Yue'e was also very efficient in doing things, and she would leave as soon as she was done.
"Have another bowl of water." Su Mo quickly poured another bowl of sugar water for the aunties.
After the aunties finished drinking, they prepared to go back.
Today's meal is really a bargain. You don't have to work hard, you don't even have to talk, and there is sugar water to drink.
Su Mo saw that they were about to leave, and thought of what Li Yue'e said just now, to share the things with everyone. She then took the basket and saw that the things inside were all in pairs, so she took out one each and then handed the basket back to Li Yue'e.
"Auntie, I don't understand the customs here either. Please help me divide these things among the aunties."
Li Yue'e saw that Su Mo was very magnanimous and knew how to behave, so she happily accepted it.
If the woman didn't give a return gift, she would have to give each of them a 20-cent gift as a reward for their hard work. Now that she had a return gift, she didn't have to do that.
The aunties were also very happy to hear that there was a return gift, and they all praised Su Mo a few words.
Lin Xia had been watching coldly, feeling jealous.
No wonder the little hoof had scrambled eggs and changed clothes at noon, it turned out that she was waiting here.
Such a thick red envelope must have cost about 100 or 200 yuan, and so many gifts were bought. This is such a respectable thing.
How could God be so blind? How could such a good thing fall on Su Mo's head?
Su Mo sent a few aunts out of the educated youth point, returned to the kitchen, and said to Ma Jianmin: "Ma educated youth, please call the other educated youth out, I will divide the things, and everyone will share in the joy."
Since the aunt just said that the things should be divided, it is probably the custom here, so Su Mo divided the things.
"This is a good thing, don't say it's disturbing, we are all revolutionary comrades." After Ma Jianmin finished speaking, he went to call the other male educated youth.
After everyone gathered, Su Mo gave some sugar, egg cakes, and red dates to each person and divided them equally. Each one weighed one pound, not much, just one piece of egg cake, a few pieces of candy and dates per person.
After returning to the room, Ma Xiaojuan said to Su Mo with admiration: "Su Mo, aren't you nervous? If it were me, I would probably be scared to death, but you can still entertain them so decently."
Su Mo pursed her lips and smiled, but didn't say anything.
She had experienced transmigrating into a book before, it was just a marriage proposal, there was nothing to be nervous about.
The aunties just left the educated youth point, and they all surrounded Li Yue'e and asked gossipingly: "Secretary's family, how much do you give as a betrothal gift, such a thick envelope."
Li Yue'e held up four fingers.
"Forty?" It didn't look like it, "Could it be four hundred?"
Li Yue'e nodded.
All the aunties took a breath of cold air, even Lu Guilan was not surprised.
400 yuan!
Many people have never seen such a lot of money in their lives!
So, after Lu Changzheng proposed to Su Mo, the news that the Lu family gave a sky-high betrothal gift of 400 yuan swept the Lujia Village Brigade.