So when Lin Guoqing went to deliver the goods on the morning of New Year's Eve, he made a special arrangement with the restaurant owners to deliver the goods in the afternoon of the first day of the new year. The best business time is definitely in the evening, and since there is always a shortage of goods, he decided to do it in the afternoon of the first day of the new year.
On February 2, 1984, which was also the first day of the Lunar New Year, all seven members of the Lin family, big and small, got up early and prepared to go for a walk in Xia Xi Mountain.
Each person received a bowl of the essential New Year's Day rice cake and dumpling soup, symbolizing a sweet and happy new year, reunions, and prosperity. Sweets are particularly filling, and after finishing their meal, the elder and the younger collapsed in their chairs, unwilling to move.
Chen Chunhua returned to her room and put on the wool sweater that Lin Guoqing had brought back for her from Shanghai. She stood in front of the mirror with a missing corner and looked at herself for a long time, reluctant to leave.
"My wife is just beautiful! Hehe!" Lin Guoqing sat on the bed and smiled at his wife. Seeing Chen Chunhua glaring at him, he smiled even more happily. "When there's a chance, you can come with me to Shanghai! Go there and get the most fashionable hair perm! It will definitely look better!"
"Perm your hair?" Chen Chunhua touched her shoulder-length short hair. It was originally ear-length, which was more convenient. When it grew longer, she asked Liang Shengdi to help her cut it with scissors. She had been too busy recently, and her hair had grown so much.
"Yeah! Perming their hair!" Lin Guoqing slapped his thigh. "You have no idea how elaborately dressed women in big cities are! When I went to collect a debt, it was almost Chinese New Year, and there was a line outside the barber shop!"
"It's not like the barbershops in our county where you just have a pair of scissors and a razor. They have all these fancy sofas and hair dryers! I looked in through the glass and saw everyone had those little curling rods on their heads and had to sit under the machines for a long time. And then when they walked out, wow! Every one of them had curly hair and high heels! So stylish!"
Chen Chunhua knew all about Lin Guoqing's description. She had seen how developed the beauty industry became later. Her little girl loved beauty the most. Even when she was in her forties or fifties, she still refused to miss out on manicures, hairdressing and beauty treatments. She was just like the city women Lin Guoqing described, with big wavy hair, high heels, lipstick and perfume.
Unfortunately, she was already old at that time, and she had never tried any of this. After hearing what Lin Guoqing said today, she was really moved, but only a little.
"City people have money, so of course they live a luxurious life. Besides, they are all young..."
"Are you old? You're only 34 this New Year! I'm only one year older than you! Don't make me old!" Lin Guoqing retorted immediately.
"Really? Next time, why don't you come with me? I'll ask the factory to issue me an extra letter of introduction so I can buy you a ticket... Then I'll take you to Shanghai for a good stroll, get your hair permed, and buy you some high heels! City people have money, and our family isn't poor either!"
"Nervous!" Chen Chunhua couldn't help laughing, but she said something sarcastic, "Where will I wear these high heels? To the fields? To ride my tricycle? Or to the farm to look after the chickens, ducks, and geese?"
"If you buy it, you'll always have the chance to wear it! If you don't buy it, you'll never have it!"
"Oh, let's talk about it later..."
…
Before going out, Lin Shuchao held the flintlock gun he had just obtained yesterday and refused to let go, saying that he would take it with him to climb the mountain.
"We're going to ask for the Buddha's blessing, not to rob the God of Wealth. Leave this thing at home and don't force me to beat you up!"
His father pointed at the gun in his arms and urged him to put it back. The third child refused to let go and even cried a little.
"But you just gave it to me yesterday! I have to go out again today and I don't have time to play!"
"Then you stay home and play, and we'll go by ourselves."
I've seen people carrying incense and offerings into temples, but I've never seen anyone carrying guns. Oh, no, it's not that there weren't some, but bandits and warlords in the old society would carry them. So, what was their fate?
Lin Guoqing's face was as hard as diamond, and he was determined not to let him go out. The third brother looked around and saw that no one in the family spoke up for him. His eyes quickly filled with liquid.
Before the tears could fall, a face appeared in front of him. It was his public enemy number one, Lin Shumei.
Little Lin Shumei tilted her head and took a closer look, then she opened her mouth.
"Shame on you! Third brother is about to cry again! I'm not crying anymore, but you're still crying~"
"I'm not going to cry! You're talking nonsense!" Lin Shuchao raised his hand and wiped it with his arm. His eyes were red, but he refused to let the tears fall.
"Then what are you smoking? Dad's right! He came all the way from Shanghai to buy you such an expensive gun. What if someone steals it? There must be a lot of people outside today, and you're always losing things. What if you forget where you put it?"
"How could I always lose things!" Lin Shuchao retorted loudly, but after holding his precious pistol for a while, he reluctantly returned to his and Lao Er's room and hid it.
"I'm sure it won't get lost if I take it out. I'm just worried some bad guys might come and steal it... I'm still too young and haven't learned Shaolin Kung Fu yet, so I definitely can't beat them..."
Lin Shuchao, whose self-esteem is harder than iron and stronger than steel, kept muttering from his home to the foot of Xiaxi Mountain without stopping.
Chen Chunhua secretly pinched Lin Guoqing where the children couldn't see.
"She's not as good as your little girl. She can convince people with just a few words... You can't talk to the third child nicely. You always yell and scold him. I've never seen you treat the second child like this!"
Lin Guoqing also wants to treat everyone equally, but he really can't do it!
"The second brother has the same temperament as his sister. If you praise them, they will start to look for any mistakes they have made. If you scold them a few times, they will get stuck in a rut and won't be able to get out. Believe it or not!"
"Besides, when I'm not talking to the third brother, he's like a fool! I've yelled at him, scolded him, and he's never learned his lesson!"
In fact, Shumei and Shuchao are very similar sometimes. Neither of them is a good kid. It's just that the little girl is more capable of acting spoiled and naughty than the little boy. Or maybe because she is the youngest, Lin Shumei is very good at reading people's expressions.
Whenever adults show signs of disapproval, she knows that this is something that cannot be done, and she will immediately put on a flattering smile and apologize with a sliding tackle, leaving you unable to even get angry.
Unlike the third brother, his temperament is more like a line of lyrics that Chen Chunhua heard later when watching TV - I'm so stubborn that I can't learn to bend down!
Even if you get hit on the butt with a feather duster, you have to stand up straight and cry! Even if you cry! You have to cry the loudest in the village! This is a real man!
Just tell me, with this kind of behavior, how could Lin Guoqing not get angry just looking at him?
Chen Chunhua sighed deeply and once again felt that having many children was a headache.
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