Chapter 105: The Red Marriage Certificate
Zhang Hongying didn't know whether she really didn't understand the meaning of his words or she understood it but pretended not to. She continued to warmly invite him to eat, and Wen Wan beside her was not ignored either.
After greeting her, he said, "My own son knows what kind of person he is. He treats Wen Wan like a treasure! There may be bumps in life, and I can't just pick out the good things to say. Let's speak frankly. Wen Wan came from so far away to our house, it's only right to treat her well. I treat her like Chun'e, caring about her, teaching her, and saying what I should say. If you have any opinions or anything inappropriate, Wen Wan, just tell me directly. Our family is simple and straightforward, and we don't like those beating around the bush. Dongping is older than Wen Wan, and men should give in to women and take care of women. What's more, he is several years older, so being older always has its uses. If you treat Wen Wan badly in the future, I would rather have Wen Wan than such a troublesome son."
Wen Wan looked at this and that without saying a word.
She and Lu Dongping were the ones who lived their lives together. As for other people, if things were going well, they would be closer to her; if things were not going well, they would be farther away. She was not like clay that could be molded as people pleased.
The meal started in the afternoon and continued until the evening when the road was pitch dark and we could no longer see anything.
Lu Dongping lit a torch and sent Xu Qingming back.
They had said almost everything they needed to say. The two of them didn't say anything all the way. When they arrived at the educated youth station, Xu Qingming said, "Lu Dongping, you, you have to remember to be nice to An Bao. Apart from being nice to her, there's nothing else you can do to keep her."
Lu Dongping nodded: "I know!" He knew it better than anyone else.
Xu Qingming said nothing more and waved his hand: "Go back!"
Lu Dongping didn't stay long. He watched him reach the door, then turned around and walked back with the torch.
Getting the marriage certificate, well, tomorrow is a good day.
During the break after school at noon, he borrowed a bicycle and took Wen Wan to the commune.
When they arrived at the commune's big office, Wen Wan didn't need to worry at all. She just followed Lu Dongping the whole time. After a while, the marriage certificate with the leaders' quotations, the Double Happiness logo and a pair of red flowers printed on it was produced.
Besides the quotations, the following are the names of the two people. "Lu Dongping, male, 24 years old, and Wen Wan, female, 18 years old, voluntarily marry. After examination and compliance with the provisions of the xxx Marriage Law, this certificate is issued.
—April 1972
"Twenty-eight".
The seals of the Revolutionary Committee and the People's Commune were then stamped on it.
The marriage certificate came out, and the bright red color like fire showed Lu Dongping's mood at the moment. It was as if there was a fire burning, and his whole body was burning, and his eyes were looking at Wen Wan with burning heat.
Everyone in the commune was familiar with him, so they couldn't help but tease him a few times, but they were still tactful in front of Wen Wan, only asking him when the wedding would be held and wanting to come to his house for the banquet.
Lu Dongping said, "Come autumn, when the summer harvest is over and we're preparing to build the house, come and help me then!"
Everyone in the office pointed at him and said, "You're not polite at all!"
Lu Dongping smiled and replied, "We are so familiar with each other, why are we being so polite?"
"This shameless guy is even more powerful than before."
Lu Dongping smiled and said, "That's right. How can you pursue a partner if you don't have thicker clothes?" After that, he glanced at the girl waiting outside the door and was too lazy to bother with the group of men inside. He waved his hand and said, "Let's go. We'll talk later."
He was filled with excitement and was extremely proud. All he needed was a tail, which would have flown straight up into the air.
After leaving the commune and walking down the cement road, he felt like he was floating in the air. He reached out and grabbed his new wife and squeezed her again and again.
With a push of his foot, the bicycle wheel slid a long way away: "Wanwan, we're going to the county town the day after tomorrow. Shouldn't we buy the things we want together?"
"I haven't packed it up yet. Where should I put everything I buy? I'll buy the things I need immediately and come back later."
"Okay!" You have to listen to your wife and take whatever she says as your truth.
Wen Wan went back in the afternoon and did not rush to do her homework. Instead, she asked Lu Donglin to help boil water and she sewn
The finished clothes and pants were rinsed and wrung out, then spread out on a cleaned table and pressed repeatedly with a teacup filled with boiling water.
Lu Donglin watched from the side, very curious: "Sister, what are you doing?"
Wen Wan answered him while busying herself with her hands: "Ironing clothes. If you don't have an iron, you can only use this thing instead. Ironing the clothes will make them smooth and beautiful. But don't iron them too hard, or they will be damaged. So you have to wet them first, and then move them back and forth to evenly heat them."
"Sister, you know a lot!"
Wen Wan was not modest: "That's right, I've learned a lot! It doesn't matter if you don't understand, you'll understand as you learn."
As she spoke, her shirt and pants were straightened into a neat line. She then stopped, shook the clothes and hung them on the rope under the eaves.
When Zhang Hongying got home from work, she saw the clothes under the eaves and said, "Oh, are they finished?"
Wen Wan sat there without getting up, continuing to look through the homework book under her hand, and replied: "Okay, let it dry for a while and you can put it on."
Zhang Hongying hasn't made new clothes for many years. The clothes she already wears are all patched up with patches. She is very surprised to see the new clothes hanging there.
Wenwan did a good job, the clothes were made finely, and after ironing them again, they were straight. Zhang Hongying wanted to take a closer look, so she reached out her hand and then retracted it for fear of getting it dirty.
"Are you going to the county on Sunday?"
Wenwan responded with a "hmm".
Zhang Hongying went into the house and came out soon with an old handkerchief in her hand, its original color unrecognizable. She wrapped it up and unfolded it: "Here are the cloth and cotton coupons I've saved over the past two years. A small portion was exchanged for work points from the production team, and some were given by Dongping, which I saved there. I have to work all day and night, and I don't have the time to go to the city all year round. The things in the city are definitely more complete than here in the commune. Take it and buy it if you find it. I'll go find the cotton spinner to have the quilt chopped up later."
Originally, she hadn't planned to give it to him. She saw that the quilt Wen Wan brought was completely new, so she thought that the more she saved, the better.
It was Lu Mingjiang who reminded her: "The house has been renovated, the furniture has been made, and the bulk of the money has been spent. What's the point of still being stingy with cotton and cloth? Buying them is a honor for Dongping and for the two of us. After all, it's in our own house and we can't go to other people's houses."
At this moment, when she saw the clothes Wen Wan had made for Lu Dongping, she thought about it. After all, the cloth and cotton coupons she had saved were originally intended to be used by Lu Dongping when he was looking for a partner. Why should she be so stingy and cause gossip?
So, in addition to the cloth and cotton coupons, she gave him another ten yuan, which was really a lot compared to the average family. Moreover, she knew that Lu Dongping had money. Not to mention the money he made from secretly dealing in things, even his salary was ten yuan a month, and he kept the rest for himself.
From now on, their life will be theirs as a couple.
Wen Wan didn't hesitate to accept the offer. "Thank you, auntie. I'll buy something suitable later." Lu Dongping said he had already asked someone to make the quilt, and she could just pick it up when she found the time. So, she could put the cotton coupons in her hand aside for now. Whether to make another quilt or save it for winter cotton-padded clothes was something she could consider later. As for the cloth, she could buy it if she found the right one. She didn't lack clothes, but she saw that everyone in her family was short of them. If the elders were generous, she could be a little more generous and make some clothes for them.
The cloth I brought back last time, Zhang Hongying said she wanted it, but then she put it aside and never asked again. She didn't ask again. In total, she only made this one set of clothes for Lu Dongping. The rest of the cloth could be cut and used to make something else when she had time.
What was due was given, and Zhang Hongying felt relieved all of a sudden.
As for the rest, you can do whatever you want to yourself.
She had just entered the kitchen when Lu Dongping came back.
Because he got the marriage certificate, he was in a good mood all day. When he saw Wen Wan under the eaves, his whole body was filled with a different aura than usual, and he was very excited.
"Why are you so late today?" Normally, he should be back before getting off work.
Lu Dongping climbed up the eaves, pulled up a bench and sat down: "Well, something delayed me for a while."
Just as she finished speaking, Zhang Hongying came out of the house: "Are you back? Don't sit still. Go help your father plant the seedlings while it's still light."
Wen Wan looked up: "Even seedlings? What seedlings?"
Zhang Hongying said, "Corn seedlings. When weeding the fields, thin out the seedlings at the same time. Leave two in each nest. Pull out the extra ones. It would be a waste to throw them away. Pick them up and plant them in your own plot. Be diligent and water them frequently. They will grow easily. Every bit you harvest is a good harvest."
After he finished speaking, Lu Dongping had already left the yard.
Lu Donglin shoved his notebook and pencil into his pocket and said, "Brother, wait for me, I'm going too!"
Wen Wan hissed, "The private plot is only a short distance away. Why are you in such a hurry? Flatten the notebook and pack it neatly."
Lu Donglin: —— He pulled it out with a sigh, smoothed it out, and then put it back in.
Wen Wan finished correcting the homework she had collected that afternoon before daybreak, and then reviewed the material for tomorrow's class. It was already getting late. She packed up, put her homework and books in her pocket, and then went to the kitchen.
Lu Chun'e was making a fire, and it seemed that there was no need to check the pot, so she simply went to her private plot.
The potatoes planted in early February were dug up in the morning and evening and all were done. The corn seedlings were planted in the empty space.
While it was still light, Lu Mingjiang dug a hole, Lu Donglin helped plant the seedlings, and Lu Dongping took a shoulder pole to fetch water.
Water the plants after planting so that dew can form at night, making it easier for the seedlings to take root and survive.
Lu Mingjiang saw Wen Wan coming over and called out to her, "Go back and ask your aunt where the pumpkin and cucumber seeds left at home are. Bring them over and plant them in there too, so you don't forget about them later."
I planted a crop around Qingming Festival, and now the pumpkins and cucumbers are blooming in quick succession, and some are already bearing fruit, each one a different day. It looks like they'll be ready to eat in a few days. Planting another crop now will keep them around until after the National Day holiday.
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