Chapter 215 Visiting Relatives
It was still a while before work after dinner. Chuyi had a rare chance to sleep, and Gao Xiulan was so tired that she planned to go into the house and take a nap.
Hu Qingqing was in a state of panic and called out to her, "Mom, can I use your scissors?"
Gao Xiulan didn't ask her what she wanted to do. She went into the house and got it for her. She excitedly grabbed the long worm that was already being infested by flies and was thrown next to the firewood pile, then took a basin and went out to the yard.
Lu Dongcai called out to her, "Qingqing, where are you going if you don't take a break?"
Hu Qingqing shook the snake in her hand and said, "I'll go to the bamboo forest to peel the skin, wash it, and cook it when I get back. We'll be able to eat it in the evening."
Lu Dongcai followed, feeling very complicated as he looked at the thin figure walking in front of him.
Hu Qingqing and Li Laiying have completely different personalities. She is not cheerful, but she is not introverted either. She is not the quiet type. Although she is young, she is very efficient at work. After being at the Lu family for more than two months, she feels like she has entered a different world. She is dressed better than before, eats more than before, and everyone speaks to her in a gentle voice. No one scolds her or hits her. She feels like she is about to die of happiness. As for working, she is not afraid of it. She has been used to it since she was a child. What else can she do if not work? Eat and sleep? Sleep and eat? That's a pig, right?
Therefore, she was particularly energetic in everything she did, and was particularly happy every day. When she spoke, her eyes and eyebrows could not help but smile, and even her steps were cheerful. This cheerfulness infected Lu Dongcai, and he felt that the stagnant days seemed to have been injected with new strength and vitality.
The two of them had been living together for a while now, and at first, Lu Dongcai was extremely uncomfortable. He and Li Laiying had slept in that bed for several years, and they had been comfortable at first. Even though she became erratic after she got pregnant, that couldn't erase the fact that they had been comfortable.
Now there is someone else lying on the bed, and he is covered with the same quilt. If he is not careful, he will touch it. He feels very uncomfortable.
However, slowly, as he became familiar with Hu Qingqing, it seemed not so difficult to accept. Sometimes when Hu Qingqing kicked off the quilt, he would cover her up. Or when the little girl leaned over to him in a daze, he would hug her, the petite girl in his arms. She was so thin that her bones felt uncomfortable, but the hole in his heart was quietly filled up bit by bit.
While working in the fields, a group of men were chatting freely, all teasing Lu Dongcai: "Hey, you're so lucky, you can find such a capable wife in the second place."
"Hey, Second Lu, have you slept with your wife? How could you have the heart to do that to someone so young?"
"If you can't do it with your hands, why not just bite it with your mouth?"
A group of people were laughing loudly while saying dirty words.
Lu Dongcai didn't care. When he took a break in the field, he would always look at Hu Qingqing. The little girl was indeed kind and capable, and she was especially lovable.
He was thinking, after finishing his work, he would take her to the commune for a walk. He couldn't dote on his wife like Lu Dongping did, not even letting her work in the fields, but he would try his best to be nice to his young wife.
Once the work starts, it's a complete chaos. After the wheat is harvested, there's no time to catch your breath before you have to plow the fields, plant the autumn corn, and level the fields to plant rice.
Then we have to weed the second weed in the spring fields.
By the time I finished all the work, it was already July.
The dog days of July are really hot. When there is nothing to do at noon, the team members like to run to the Xihe River to wash clothes and catch fish. The most important thing is that it is very cool to soak in the water.
Wen Wan doesn't like going there at noon. It's cool to soak in the water at noon, but her face will be so sunburned that it's simply unbearable to look at.
Besides, she had to go to the commune every day and didn't have the time. The most she could do was take a stroll by the river after lunch, wash her hair and take a bath. By the time she got home from the dam, her clothes and hair would be almost dry. It was really convenient.
Lu Dongping and his companions would all be there at this time. Wen Wan, Lu Chun'e, and Hu Qingqing would sit in the shallow pool, pouring water over themselves. It wasn't yet completely dark, and the sun had already set, but a tinge of red still lingered on the hillside. The moon, seemingly impatient, had already risen, reflected in the water. The movement of the people in the water sent ripples scattering the jade-like moon.
The days are quiet and beautiful.
It was at this time that Old Wen's letter arrived. The letter only reported good news and not bad news. Although it said that he was at Gaotai Farm, it also said that everything was fine with him, so Wen Wan didn't have to worry about him. Since he was married and had a family, he was an adult and should take good care of himself. He shouldn't be too willful, but he also didn't have to put himself in a difficult position.
Wen Wan read the thin piece of letter over and over again.
I picked up the pen to write a reply, but the only thing in my mind was: "Dad, I'll come see you!"
After Lu Dongping said that, her mind became active. She wasn't sure if it would work, but she kept making preparations. In addition to the gabardine Zhongshan suit, she also made a Dacron shirt and twill trousers for Lao Wen. Lu Chun'e helped to sew the soles, and she also prepared two pairs of shoes.
The closer the final exams got, the more uneasy she felt.
When she got home in the afternoon after the exam, before she could even bring up the matter with Lu Mingjiang and his wife, Zhang Hongying asked her, "I heard from Dongping that you're planning on going back after the holiday?"
Wen Wan was stunned for a moment, then nodded: "I do have this idea, but it depends on Dongping to see if he can get leave. It will take several days to walk back and forth."
After saying that, he looked at Zhang Hongying, then at Lu Mingjiang, thought for a moment, and finally explained, "I've been here for three years now, and I'm married. I have to let my father see Dongping. He can't let me get married when he doesn't even know my partner's height, weight, or body shape. The educated youth could go back home during the Spring Festival, but I lived a little far away, and it wasn't convenient to take a bus back then, so I couldn't go back either."
Lu Mingjiang nodded: "I know what's going on. The exam is today, and you can get the notice on that day. If you want to go, go earlier. It just so happens that these days are free days." He did not mention that Lu Dongping had asked for leave.
Well, it's so far, and the round trip will not only take time but also money. Is he happy about that? Of course not. But this trip will have to happen sooner or later, and Lu Mingjiang isn't that pessimistic. The key is that it's useless for him to be pessimistic. Lu Dongping has always been opinionated and won't listen to him. This time was no different. He decided to go, booked the time, and applied for leave before telling them.
As soon as Lu Dongping came back from fetching water from the bamboo forest, Wen Wan called him into the house.
"Have you told Mom and Dad that we're going to the capital? Can you take some time off?"
Lu Dongping nodded: "Yes, I have already invited you. I haven't delayed for the past two or three months. If there is any shortage, I have told Minister Lin that I will make up for it in the fall."
Wen Wan smiled with her lips pursed, lowered her head, and warm tears quietly fell on her toes.
Did she miss home when she left in anger? Of course she did, she missed it every day. But she also knew that once she left, it wouldn't be easy to go back. It would take a lot of effort to make this trip, and if Lu Dongping hadn't doted on her, there was no way she would have been able to go back.
Wen Wan counted the days on her fingers every day before going back.
The gift was not much. She took two sets of happy clothes and a pair of shoes for Lu Dongping and herself, and the rest was prepared for Lao Wen.
She didn't know where Gaotai Farm was, how far it was from the capital, or what the situation was like for Old Wen there. In addition to preparing clothes and cotton shoes, she also went to the commune clinic to get some cold medicine for her headache and fever.
She thought about packing everything bit by bit, and it was not time to receive the notice yet. Wen Wan now truly experienced what it meant to live every day like a year.
The next morning after sending out the notice, the two got up before dawn.
Zhang Hongying got up even earlier, cooked breakfast for him, and even boiled ten eggs for him to take with him. She walked him all the way to the wheat field, saying, "It's been so hot these past two days, and eggs won't keep well. You have to eat them today, don't forget to eat them, or they'll go to waste. Dongping, be careful out there, stay safe, and take good care of Wanwan. I heard it's a mess out there, with human traffickers everywhere, so you have to go early and come back safely."
"It's over. Remember what I said, buy some favors, don't come empty-handed—"
She didn't know that Old Wen had been demoted, and she thought the couple went directly to the capital to Wen Wan's home.
Wen Wan's family was well-off, so the two of them got married. However, Zhang Hongying felt uneasy at first, fearing that people would look down on Lu Dongping and that she would suffer from Lu Dongping's displeasure.
"Why are you thinking of going back now? It's so far. I heard it takes more than two weeks to go back and forth by bus. Not to mention the fare, it's also very tiring. I heard that the road is really unsafe, with thieves and human traffickers everywhere."
Lu Mingjiang sighed, "But we can't stop them from going back. That's their home. They married into our family, not sold them to us. We can't stop them from going back either."
"I didn't say you can't go back, I'm just worried and my heart is beating fast." Although they are married, the gap between the two families is too big, and Wen Wan is not pregnant. What if she goes back and is detained by her family and not allowed to come back? What will Lu Dongping do when he is alone and no one can help him?
Lu Mingjiang didn't think so much. "Why are you jumping around? Going back to your parents' home is like going to the gates of hell. Is it really that serious?"
Lu Dongping carried the luggage on his back, and Wen Wan carried the cloth bag that she usually used to carry books, and walked towards the commune.
Back at the commune, Lu Dongping and Liu Dacai had already agreed to take a tractor to the county seat. He had already inquired about the tickets; there were two trains to the capital, one at around 1:00 p.m. and another at 1:00 a.m.
Lu Dongping planned to catch the noon bus.
Just as I was walking on the road to the commune, I saw a man standing there with a backpack in the distance.
It wasn't bright enough yet, so I couldn't see clearly from a distance.
Only when she got closer did Wen Wan see clearly who was standing there.
"Seventh Brother? What are you doing?"
The update is late today, but I still shamelessly ask for votes. Today is the penultimate day, and tomorrow is the last day. Thank you all for your support. In addition, there is still one more update that has not been revised. I will update it in the early morning before going to bed. You will be able to see it when you wake up tomorrow.
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