Zhu Xiaofang also listened silently to the greetings between Zhao Huimei and the Liu family. It turned out that they had known each other for a long time. Wouldn't Liu Qiao be promoted quickly then? It really was easy to get things done when you had someone in the court!
After Zhao Huimei left, she finished watching TV and went home shaking her head.
Chen Yun put Zi Rui on the bed to play, and she made the bed while talking to Liu Qiao, "Do you think the baby will drool when he sees us eating delicious food?"
"Why not? My mother said that I was very greedy when I was a child. Other people's children drank milk until they were two or three years old. I myself took the initiative to ask for food and vegetables when I was less than one year old." Liu Qiao said this with a bit of pride. Woolen cloth?
"Brother Liu Qiao, I can imagine that you must have been a very cute kid when you were young." Chen Yunrao looked at Liu Qiao with interest.
Unexpectedly, Liu Qiao was unhappy: "I'm not cute, I'm more mature."
Chen Yun came over and held his face: "Okay, let me kiss your mature face."
The two of them were making a noise again. When the baby saw his parents making a noise, he also laughed on his bed. What a laughing baby.
The two of them lay on the bed at the same time. Liu Qiao took the baby and put it next to him. Although he was lazy in doing housework, he was active in taking care of the baby. Whenever the baby got a little closer to him, he would pay more attention to the baby. Chen Yun always felt that when children are young, they should be allowed to be closer to their parents, so that they would have the confidence to do anything.
This is her own experience. When she was a child, she had no confidence in doing anything because her parents were not around and she was very scared. Now that she has grown up and has her own children, she naturally hopes that her children can have a good family atmosphere.
The next day, Zhu Xiaofang came again as planned. Chen Yun offered her sofa. She was going to call her mother and chat for a while, but she stopped talking when there were strangers around. Zhao Huimei also came as scheduled. She didn't know many people in this family building, and Chen Yun's house happened to be quite lively, so she came too.
Zhao Huimei and Zhu Xiaofang sat together. They looked very similar. Feng Yu noticed it, but she didn't say anything. Chen Dafen, who was visiting, saw them and was particularly surprised. She joked: "Sister Zhao, you and Xiaofang really look alike. If you don't know, you would definitely think you are sisters."
Zhu Xiaofang, who originally had no feelings, looked at Zhao Huimei again and said with a smile, "Yes, Sister Zhao has taken good care of herself."
Zhao Huimei was also very happy to hear this. After all, Zhu Xiaofang was tall and beautiful, and it was not good for her to say that she was young.
"Aunt, winter vacation is coming soon. Do your children want to come over to play?" Chen Yun asked casually.
When asked about this, Zhao Huimei said perfunctorily: "Probably not. They have to stay at home with their grandparents."
Feng Yu quickly changed the topic to TV series. The broadcast of "Xiao Yue" was indeed a sensation, but only the protagonists were famous. Only a few people were in Beijing, and most of them returned to their respective units.
Zhu Xiaofang, who had no hope at first, was lucky. Although she only played a few episodes and her character was not outstanding, she was treated like a star. At this time, an advertising company in Longcheng asked her to do publicity, and Zhu Xiaofang went there with great pride.
When Zhu Xiaofang came back again, she was dressed differently. It was said that she had gone to work as a consultant in another company. Chen Yun asked her in confusion, "So you don't want to work at the school anymore?"
Zhu Xiaofang said indifferently: "I don't have much money to begin with. If it weren't for Meng Xiang, I would have gone south to Guangdong a long time ago. Now I stay in Longcheng for the sake of the children. The children are the most important."
She said so, but Chen Yun didn't think she really did it for the child. Maybe her salary is high now and she is busier, but the child is only a few months old and has been drinking milk powder. She doesn't take care of the child and leaves everything to her mother-in-law. Chen Yun thinks this is not advisable.
When the baby was four months old, it was Chinese New Year and the family building was bustling. Zhang Han took Lan Lan to play with Zhu Xiaofang. Once she went, Xu Lijie would definitely go too.
As soon as Xu Lijie arrived, she told them, "You may not know this yet, but our new deputy head's wife is a stepmother. The previous pair of children were not hers at all."
"No wonder she squeaked and cried when Chen Yun asked her that day why her children didn't come over. It turns out she's not their biological mother!" Zhu Xiaofang curled her lips.
"Yeah, she's only been married for a dozen years, how can she raise a son who's almost twenty years old?" Xu Lijie said with a smile.
Zhang Han looked at Zhu Xiaofang and said, "You know what, you really look like her. I feel like you two are related."
Not only one person said this, Zhu Xiaofang also felt a little suspicious after hearing it.
**
The New Year atmosphere is strong now. Chen Yun and Feng Yu pickle bacon and bacon at home, and then make sausage and brine. They don't make much, but always let the family have a taste.
The sausages were in five-spice and spicy flavors, and were hung on the balcony. Chen Yun couldn't help but smell the aroma of salted chicken legs in the kitchen. She was so hungry that she went into the kitchen and saw Feng Yu hanging a chicken leg on the curtain.
"Mom, I want to have a bite." She was drooling as she spoke.
Feng Yu found it funny. No matter how you look at it, she is an adult, but she is still so childish. She picked up a chicken leg and gave it to Chen Yun. Chen Yun smiled and said to Feng Yu, "Thank you, Mom."
This child loves to act coquettishly even more than her own daughter. Her daughter Liu Lu has been very independent since she was young, and seldom shows such intimate behavior after she grew up and started a family. On the contrary, she likes her daughter-in-law who is gentle and kind, and acts coquettishly and adorably.
After drying all the brines, Feng Yu packed some to send to Zhao Huimei. After all, she and Zhao Huimei were somewhat related, and Zhao Huimei often sent her some side dishes, so it was only right to reciprocate!
While her mother-in-law was out, Chen Yun went in to see her son. Zi Rui was sleeping peacefully. Chen Yun thought happily in her heart, my son is so handsome.
When Feng Yu went upstairs to deliver the food, Zhao Huimei asked her to stay and talk to her. She said, "Sister Xiaoyu, I really envy you. You have everything and everything is good."
"You are not the same." Feng Yu replied with a smile.
Zhao Huimei shook her head: "That would be great, that was the one born in front, it has nothing to do with me."
So that's how it is. Feng Yu was puzzled and asked, "Isn't it family planning? How can you have two children?"
Zhao Huimei said unnaturally: "The daughter is my sister-in-law's daughter. She and my aunt were both in a car accident, so the child was adopted by us."
She also urgently needed Feng Yu's help. "Sister Xiaoyu, I should still be able to have children at this age, but I lost my health when I went to the countryside. Can you take me to Lulu's mother-in-law to take a look at me?"
Feng Yu knew that this matter was not so simple. How could Zhao Huimei, who hated her so much back then, be so passionate about her? However, no matter what, she couldn't bear to see Zhao Huimei like this.
Her daughter Liu Lu's mother-in-law was a famous barefoot doctor in her time, especially an expert in treating infertility. But now she basically doesn't treat outsiders, no matter how much money she pays. She will only help family members.
"I'll give you the number, you can call it yourself."
It would be great if I could give her a phone number. Zhao Huimei was very excited as she held the phone number paper between her fingers.
At the same time, Zhu Xiaofang also returned to her hometown. She was indeed thrown to the Zhu family by the educated youth and adopted by the Zhu family, but she didn't know her specific name.
That day, Zhu Xiaofang came over to Chen Yun's side, saw Feng Yu watching TV, and quickly sat down on a chair.
"Aunt Feng, this is from the war, right? It's pretty nice."
Feng Yu hummed.
"Aunt Feng, were you an educated youth before?" Zhu Xiaofang asked curiously.
Chen Yun came out with some fruit and found it funny: "How is that possible? My mother was already in her twenties during the Cultural Revolution. Mom, please have some fruit..."
Because the Chinese New Year was coming, Chen Yun's school also distributed fruits and meat, and the army also distributed some. The combination of these two things actually meant that there were a lot more fruits at home. So, she would wash a few and eat them from time to time.
Zhu Xiaofang felt a little unhappy that Chen Yun interrupted her. When she wanted to say something else, she heard Gao's mother say that the child had a fever, so she hurried back.
"I don't know what she is busy with all day long." Chen Yun felt that she was putting the cart before the horse by not taking good care of her own child and letting him run around all day.
In the evening, Liu Qiao came back. He looked a little haggard today. Chen Yun hurriedly asked, "What's wrong?"
Liu Qiao shook his head: "Today, a few soldiers played the piano randomly and I scolded them. You said it was just for a place in the military academy, right? I must have selected them with the most fair heart. It hasn't even started yet and they have come one after another."
"Don't be angry, don't be angry." Chen Yun quickly brought warm water.
The new deputy regiment commander had no flaws, except that he was too arrogant and a bit formalistic. Every day in the battalion, he just cleaned the place and checked it dozens of times. Then he met the newly appointed regiment commander, and he burned everyone to death.
As the year came to an end, things became more and more complicated. Liu Qiao never accepted gifts, nor did he ask for anything from the soldiers. He even kept his birthday a secret. But he took training very seriously. After all, he always believed that as long as you work hard in peacetime, you won't have to suffer in wartime.
Now, the reunion dinner is coming up, and the second, third and fifth battalions are going to training, so Chen Yun and the others have to celebrate the New Year by themselves. Zhao Huimei is no longer panicked because she got the answer from Granny Liu Lu.
She even came over to thank Fengyu. Zhu Xiaofang, who was watching TV at Chen Yun's house, was also there. At this time, she seemed to be certain that Zhao Huimei was her biological mother. She asked casually, "Aunt Zhao, were you sent down to Congyang County before?"
趙惠美想了想，有些不自然道：“是啊，我是下放過那個地方？”
“那你知不知道高家村這個地方？”朱曉芳又問。
趙惠美搖頭：“不知道，我那個時候下放到農場了。”
接下來朱曉芳說出了一番讓衆人驚呆了的話：“我這次回去問了我爸媽，我是被抱養的，而且就是被一個知青遺棄的，想知道趙姨有沒有見過跟我長相相似的。”
這下把大家都震驚了，當着趙惠美的面說這個，也許別人會覺得她是真的在尋問，但以陳芸對她的了解，隔壁這位朱曉芳素來就是這種想的很多的人，不知道她是不是真的以為她是趙惠美的女兒。
前些天趙惠美還在為她自己跟這麽漂亮的姑娘長的相似而感到高興，這就馬上被打臉，她趕緊搖頭：“不認識，不認識，我當初都沒結婚就回家了。”
朱曉芳覺得這趙惠美心知肚明，她很不忿，但轉念還是咬了咬牙回去了，以後她一定要活成個人樣，讓丢棄她的人覺得後悔。
朱曉芳走後，趙惠美也頗為尴尬的走了，她當年确實下鄉跟人家結了婚，還生了一雙兒女，只是後來她回城之後就經人介紹嫁到北京了，再也沒了聯系。她回城的時候女兒得了腦膜炎死了，兒子後來也沒有音信，她又怎麽會有朱曉芳這樣的女兒？
這種話趙惠美不會跟任何人說起，除了她自己的爸媽知道，連她現在的老公都不清楚這些，以為她是初婚。因為當年鄉下結婚，擺酒就算是結了婚了，連結婚證都沒打。
她們這一走，陳芸婆媳對視一眼，都覺得蹊跷，但畢竟不是自己家的事情，也不太關心。
陳芸趴在寶寶旁邊聽他呼氣，小寶寶睡熟了還有小鼾聲，聽起來特別可愛。她覺得就這樣看一天也看不膩寶寶。
可惜過完年産假休完，她就要上班了，她心裏對寶寶很歉意，如果能一直陪着寶寶就好了。想着想着竟然有點想哭，看到劉橋又憋住了眼淚，劉橋雖然很累，但還是很細心。
“芸芸，怎麽啦？劉橋哥哥說過有什麽不高興的事情可以跟我說。”
陳芸對他招了招手，把頭靠在他腰上：“我真的想在家裏陪寶寶，但是還是要上班，所以覺得有點對不起寶寶。”
“這沒什麽，其實寶寶也會長大的，如果寶寶長大了，你要做好你自己的事情，好讓他為你驕傲。我前幾次就發現了，你是對孩子很好很細心的人，可你也有你自己的生活。讓孩子真正的為你的工作，為你的成績而驕傲。”劉橋說完，俯下身子堵住她的唇舌，慢慢品嘗其中滋味。
過了好一會兒才笑道：“你看看你，以後做自己喜歡做的事情就好了。不用擔心孩子，有爸媽還可以幫我帶帶孩子，你就去做你自己的事情即可。”
陳芸故意道：“那我想回江城開一家書店……”
劉橋攬住她：“不許，你還是好好待在我身邊吧。我看看剛剛是不是要哭了……”他用粗粝的手指摩挲着她的下巴。
陳芸很享受這樣的愛撫，她緩緩的圍住劉橋，劉橋也是不常開葷，今天終于跟陳芸來了一次魚水之歡，夫妻二人都很滿足。
潮水剛平，陳芸臉上紅潮還在，她把臉埋在劉橋的胸膛，把朱曉芳的事情跟劉橋說了，“我看曉芳姐好像懷疑表姨是她的親媽？”
劉橋還是挺冷靜的，好像覺得沒什麽大不了的：“是不是她親媽有什麽要緊的？”
陳芸奇道：“這是什麽意思？”
“就是說反正也不要她了，她現在更重要的是過好自己的生活，天天逼人家認她，也不好啊。而且那個年代這種事情本來就很多，這都是時代的悲劇，當然，這也不是說随便抛棄孩子是對的，反正吧，我覺得她應該更關心她的丈夫跟孩子。高國斌本來是副營長，沒升成營長就惱火，孩子又天天哭鬧，今天被二營長訓話了。”劉橋是很看不上這樣的人的，永遠分不清楚主次。
劉橋這個人是個很淩厲的人，就是外表溫和，心裏很強大。
**
在熱鬧的氛圍中迎來了新的一年了，陳芸這還是休完産假後頭一天去上班，她有些陌生。走到學校，找到大忙人戴主任要了一張課表，按表去上課。
上午上了兩節課，中午她就匆匆回家了，一回家就趕緊喂奶，她實在是漲奶難受。寶寶睜開迷蒙的雙眼，嘴巴卻沒放松。這個寶寶，越來越淘氣了，一邊吸奶，一邊還把另一邊也護住。
“臭寶寶，你還閉着眼睛騙媽媽，其實你醒了，對不對？”
看寶寶喝完奶，陳芸就抱着他逗他玩，隔壁陳大芬家裏卻吵了起來。馮瑜準備去隔壁看看，被陳芸叫住了：“媽，別去了，她們自家事自家去掰扯。”想起朱曉芳告訴她陳大芬還在背後說她勸她離婚的事情，她就火大。
本來她自己出那麽原則性的問題，在她們面前哭，她也是站在她的那一邊去說的，沒想到還有這樣的人，而且她也沒勸她離婚啊，只是說要有自己的底線罷了，就這樣還被她在後面罵，她以後是絕對不會摻和任何事情了。
馮瑜其實覺得陳大芬別的方面都不錯，勤快、熱心、大方，但就是太過于依靠她老公，不是說她讓她老公要做什麽，而是在錢方面太過大意。都住隔壁，她們那邊那麽大聲音在吵的無非就是，她的小姑子和姑爺嫌棄分紅分的少了。
她們覺得當初她們也拿了錢出來的，而且陳大芬天天在家看孩子，一走就是一天，這家店幾乎都是她們夫妻倆看的，但最後倆夫妻才分了兩千多塊錢。
一年才兩千多，這對比她們來說，比在家務農是多了很多。可跟陳大芬家裏比，卻完全不值得一提，陳大芬家裏看的是彩電，還買了錄音機，她兒子胡強還去學音樂，天天上補習班，穿的那麽貴的衣服。
她們也沒有要很多，至少三千塊應該給的，有時候店裏要熬夜看店都是她們夫妻在那兒，她們心裏不舒服啊。胡永兵對她弟弟，出手就是四千塊，既不要出錢也不要出力，對讀書的妹子一個月都給兩百多，對她們夫妻，常年幫她們做飯看店，還除了錢的人，就給這麽點兒。
陳芸不管了，朱曉芳也不在家，她們家吵了個天翻地覆，直到胡永兵回來，胡永兵也很奇怪，對弟弟妹妹那麽好，對嫁出去的這個妹妹卻很一般，在這個問題上也同意陳大芬一分多的錢都沒給。
胡永娥兩口子人在江湖也不得不低頭，陳大芬覺得自己勝利了，到哪裏都覺得自己厲害着。
讓看熱鬧的人也覺得挺唏噓的，馮瑜抱着梓睿在沙發上玩，陳芸在家裏做飯，正好客廳來了電話。
馮瑜接起了電話，陳芸炒完菜出來看到馮瑜臉色不好看，便問了一聲：“媽，這是怎麽了？”
“你姐跟你姐夫吵了架了，想過來咱們這邊，我答應了。”馮瑜也沒想過兩口子結婚這麽多年，還會吵的這麽大的架。
陳芸立馬道：“那要不要再買一張床？怕姐睡着不舒服。”
劉璐和廖平的問題她也略微聽說過一些，但吵這麽大的架，她想離婚是不會離，但要來這裏，她也不能慢怠這位姑姐。
女兒要過來，兒媳婦也沒有推三阻四的，馮瑜笑道：“沒事，我睡的這張床也很大，讓她跟我睡就成。”
“媽，姐要過來的話，我們再去買點洗漱用品過來，讓她也住的舒服點。再者寶寶還沒見過姑媽呢，正好現在讓姑媽見見我們寶寶。”陳芸對劉璐的印象也不錯，再者看到婆婆和丈夫的面子上，她也要對這個大姑子好啊。
也不知道是什麽情況，她想了一下還是沒問婆婆，等晚上劉橋回來了，她把這事說了，又有點小心翼翼道：“你說這是為什麽？免得你姐到時候過來，我說錯什麽話了。”
劉橋捏了一下她的鼻子：“別怕，我姐來了之後反正別說其他的就行，就裝不知道。其實我也不知道是什麽情況，到時候等她過來了再說吧。”
她跟劉橋撒嬌：“哎呀，我真的是覺得你們家人都挺好的，劉橋哥哥，萬一你跟我吵架，我也跑了好不好？”
劉橋一把把她的小腿抓住，“就你這個小短腿還想跑到哪裏去。”
還笑她腿短，劉橋跟她越來越熟悉，也會經常打趣她。剛結婚的時候，基本二人還沒有這麽親密。陳芸用自己的腿跟他的腿比了一下，默默捂臉，她的腿真的比劉橋短很多。
“說真的，你說姐姐喜歡吃什麽，我也好去準備。”陳芸拉了一下他的手臂。
Liu Qiao thought for a while and said, "She seems to like vegetarian food more, Yunyun, don't be nervous. My mother and sister are nice people. Besides, if you feel uncomfortable somewhere, just tell me. They will definitely listen to me." He understood Chen Yun. She was the kind of person who attached great importance to family atmosphere, so sometimes she would rather do more than ruin the family atmosphere.