Chapter 207 Introduction
"Hey, Seventh Brother, what do you think about that elementary school thing? Your uncle came to you and you refused him?"
In front of others, Wen Wan was reluctant to say it directly and was vague, but Xu Qingming still understood.
"Not really. I don't want to teach. I have other things to do. You're enough for the two of us, and I can do something else. Besides, isn't Xu Wenfang a good fit? Women aren't good at manual labor. I heard the exams are pretty difficult for elementary school students. Several teams are taking them, and she scored the highest. Isn't that great?"
Wen Wan sighed: "I don't know what you are thinking, isn't it better to relax a little?"
Xu Qingming touched her with his hands and said, "I think it's better to suffer first and then enjoy the sweetness, okay? Don't worry about it like an old lady, just worry about yourself. Go back quickly, Lu Dongping is waiting for you over there!"
Well, I didn't get any results. It seemed like Xu Qi had become increasingly unruly since going to the countryside. When there's no tiger in the mountains, the monkey becomes king. Without Grandpa and Third Uncle to control him, Wen Wan felt like he was getting more and more rampant.
Two people with the same name but different surnames were competing fiercely in the wheat field. With Xu Qingming giving advice behind the scenes, Lu Mingqing got two more votes than Zhou Mingqing, and a new production team leader was born.
Regardless of whether the team members were convinced or not, and whether Lu Mingqing was stable as the production team leader, Lu Minghai breathed a sigh of relief and finally got rid of the burden on his shoulders. Apart from working at work and taking care of Chuyi after work, he no longer had to worry about anything else.
That’s not right. I still have to worry about Lu Dongcai’s marriage.
Finding a bad one doesn't mean there won't be a good one. They are already this old, and they don't know how long they can live. When they close their eyes and kick their legs, this life is over. If their children don't have a home, they will be worried when they die.
Ask people around to find a suitable girl.
In a blink of an eye, it is March in the Gregorian calendar.
The spring corn had already sprouted, and the wheat seedlings in the fields had grown taller, creating a lush green scene. Mountain flowers were blooming in rapid succession, and the willow branches by the river were also turning green, waving in the wind.
March is a good season for planting trees. Wen Wan is particularly active in this matter. She doesn't plant trees, she plants flowers.
The forsythia, forsythia, iris, and wild roses in the mountains - some are in bloom and can be seen, and some have not bloomed yet but will bloom in a while, so I brought them all back.
Lu Dongping spoiled her, knowing that she loved flowers and plants. Whenever he had time, he would go to the mountains and the fields and come back with his hands full. Lu Donglin was the same. When he wasn't working, he would run around the mountains and fields, and when he was digging wild vegetables, he would always bring her some.
There was a Chinese toon forest right outside their house, and there was some vacant space near the edge, but Wen Wan felt embarrassed to occupy it. Nowadays, all land was collectively owned, and each household had only a small plot of land for their own, so the little space at the doorstep felt particularly important.
There were palm trees growing beneath the Chinese toon trees, and konjac trees growing nearby. Zhang Hongying would also casually plant some peppers and other things along the roadside, so the space was always open year-round. Wen Wan dug up the gutters on both sides of the new house's door, and also planted everything that could be planted near the pigpen.
Lu Donglin dug wild roses for her, saying that the vines grew very fast and could not be planted in the yard, so he buried them in the konjac field.
Zhang Hongying saw this and started complaining, "Every day, you're so full you don't even know what it's like to be hungry. You're dragging all the thorny vines home. You have so much energy, but nowhere to use it, right?"
Lu Donglin was not afraid of her and made a face at her: "This will bloom, and you don't understand."
"I don't understand, but you do. What's the point of spending money? Can it fill your stomach? What else can it do? If you have this free time, why don't you do something useful? Are you afraid that if you have too many work points, you won't be able to finish all the food rations and your life will be better or what?"
Lu Donglin dug up the dug-up soil and filled the gap, tamped it with his feet, and then scooped up water to fill it.
Hearing her complaining, he couldn't help but interrupt her: "Or you're just old! What do young people like? How can the old people like the same thing? I tell you, you can just complain to me, but don't tell my brother about it. If you do, he won't respond well. And don't let my sister-in-law hear it. People should be content and cherish what they have. Do you think our family doesn't have enough work points or food, and we can't make ends meet, or what?"
In their family, two people get a salary and a work-point subsidy. Aside from Lu Chun'e, who goes to school, the other three work in the fields to earn work points. No one eats for free. At the end of the year, after averaging the rations for the six people, there's still some left. Lu Donglin doesn't go to school anymore, and by the end of this year, he might get even more work points. His life will be no better than any other family in the production team. He complains all the time, and Lu Donglin really doesn't know what's going on in his mother's mind. She's a good person, but she's prone to little whining and complaining all the time. She feels like she can't live without it.
Zhang Hongying picked up the broom and hit him with it. "You damned little bastard, have you grown wings? I can't even speak. Not going to the fields doesn't mean there's no work. The bamboo shoots on the mountain are almost out, and the wild vegetables are starting to emerge. There are two mouths waiting in the pen, and we can't afford to miss a bite. You have time to waste here, why don't you do something useful? I'm not stupid, I don't need you to tell me what to say to anyone."
Lu Donglin grabbed a basket and ran as fast as he could, so he wouldn't let her hit him. As soon as he ran out of the yard, he bumped into Liu Zhaoxing's wife, Zhou Meiying. He stopped abruptly and greeted her, "Aunt, what a rare guest! How come you have time to come over today?"
Zhou Meiying said, "I have something to ask your aunt! What are you doing? Going up the mountain to pick pig grass?"
Lu Donglin nodded: "Pulling pig grass, I have two hungry pigs at home, so I have to pull them. I'm leaving now, aunt, you go play at the door."
"Go, go!"
Passing by the door, Zhou Meiying called out to Zhang Hongying, "Hongyingzi, you're home!"
Zhang Hongying said: "I'm at home. Taking advantage of the good weather these past two days, I need to take a break in the fields. I'll wash my coat and put it away. Come sit by the door!"
Zhou Meiying said, "Wait, I'll go to your sister-in-law and talk to her about something."
Unfortunately, Gao Xiulan was not at home at the moment.
She didn't have the time to wash and clean at home like Zhang Hongying. After dinner, she carried Chuyi to the fields to pick grass for pigs. It was already noon and she still hadn't come back.
Zhou Meiying took a look and saw that all four doors were closed and locked, so she ran over again.
Zhang Hongying shook the water off her hands, took a stool and asked her to sit down.
After Zhou Meiying sat down in the sun, she said, "You've finally turned over a new leaf. The hardships are over and happiness is finally here. For us, we don't know when this will end."
"Look at you, why do you start saying sour things? How is your family's life worse than anyone else's? Besides, you can't compare. You can't live by comparing yourself to others. You only see that others are good, but whether they are good or not, only you know."
While the water in the wooden basin was still a little warm, Zhang Hongying took a mallet and hit the jacket that had been soaking all morning. "What do you want from my sister-in-law? If she's not here, she might be picking pig grass."
"Didn't she ask me last time to point out any suitable girls? Dongcai's kid is handsome, hardworking, and has good conditions. The problem is that he's divorced and has a child. Your sister-in-law doesn't want to find him a divorced woman, so she's been asking around for a long time, and only now has she found a suitable one."
Zhang Hongying's eyes lit up, and she stopped washing her clothes. She sat up straight and asked her, "Where is it from? Did you find out clearly? How is it?"
"I've inquired carefully. She's also from Maoerling. Her situation is similar to that of Lu Changfa's daughter-in-law. She has many children, both big and small, so a girl is not worth much. They don't care about her situation. They just give her food."
"Well, have you seen that girl? What's she like? Does she have a good personality? I'm not praising my own family, but we're in the same team and we see each other every day. You've been watching Dongcai grow up, so you know him very well. He's honest, hardworking, and even if he's divorced with a child, you can't just pick any girl. You know why the first one got divorced; it really put a lot of pressure on the whole family. So if you're looking for another one, you have to be careful and make thorough inquiries."
Zhou Meiying said, "I know, you don't need to tell me. I'm introducing this guy, and it has to be something that both parties like. We can live in harmony and happiness, and I can also look good on the surface. I can't do anything that makes things awkward, and I can't do it! He's a little young, only seventeen this year. His family is really poor, and there are five or six children in the family. He's hardworking, there's no doubt about it. I've seen his appearance, and he's good-looking, but he's a little thin and timid. Otherwise, there's absolutely no problem."
Zhang Hongying hissed, "She's only seventeen, doesn't that mean she's only sixteen? She's not even old enough to get married!"
"So, didn't I come to discuss it with your eldest sister-in-law? I just want to ask her what she thinks. I think it's really suitable. The family can just live together for two years. I can take some food to pick her up and let her stay here first. Then we can get the marriage certificate next year or the year after. She's such a grown-up girl, she can do everything. It's just about making two bowls of rice in the morning and evening. Not to mention other things, there's always someone to share the burden of taking care of the children, tending the stove, and picking grass for the pigs. Your eldest sister-in-law can also have some relief. She's fifty years old, and she's still suffering the hardships of her youth. She has to carry the children on her back wherever she goes, and she has to do everything at home and outside. I feel uncomfortable watching her."
Zhang Hongying sighed, "Who says it's not true? People are born to suffer all their lives, and the suffering is endless. I really need your help to take care of this matter."
"Well, of course I am. I am still waiting for your sister-in-law's thank-you gift. How can I not worry about it?"
The two chatted for a while at the door and then Zhou Meiying left. She was busy at home and there were things to do everywhere, so how could she sit here and gossip all the time?
Gao Xiulan came back just as I left.
Carrying pig feed on his back and holding the child in his arms, he looked completely worn out in just a few months, with his hair turning white and looking older.
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