Chapter 241: Family Gossip
The two old brothers started talking nonsense, and the party was basically over. The two armed forces officers brought by Lu Dongping and Lu Dongcheng were talking, and the remaining Xu Qingming leaned against the pillar under the eaves and listened quietly to their conversation.
Lu Chun'e came out of the kitchen, glanced at him, hesitated for a moment, walked over, leaned forward slightly with her hands on her knees, and called out to him, "Brother Qingming, do you want some water?"
Xu Qingming was a little drunk and felt a little dizzy. When he heard the voice, he slowly turned his head and looked at her and said, "No, thank you!"
"Well, Brother Qingming, can I ask you something?"
Xu Qingming glanced at her again and suddenly burst out laughing: "What's wrong with you today, little girl? Why are you so polite all of a sudden?"
Lu Chun'e felt embarrassed by his smile and her face was burning.
She turned around, pulled a bench, sat down next to him and said, "I'm not being polite to you. Well, actually, I do want to be polite. I have something to ask you!" As she said this, she felt like she was speaking a tongue twister and she even laughed at herself.
Xu Qingming rubbed his forehead and asked her, "What do you want to ask?"
"It's about work. My sister-in-law asked me about it. A year has already passed in the blink of an eye, and I will have to graduate from school before this time next year. A while ago, my sister-in-law also asked me what I planned to do after graduation. I didn't really have a clear idea. Originally, I wanted to join a textile factory, but the textile factory only needs so many people, and there are not many good positions. I was worried that I wouldn't be able to compete. Then I thought that maybe I could do like my sister-in-law and go to school to be a substitute teacher. So, I'm quite conflicted and can't make up my mind."
When it came to business, Xu Qingming put away his previous nonchalance, sat up a little straighter and said, "Actually, in this matter, others can only give suggestions. The key lies in you. You also said that there is still a year. There is no need to rush. A year is enough time for you to think carefully and figure out what you lack and want the most. Once you have figured it out, you can work hard towards that goal. Competition, everything is competitive. If you want it, you must compete hard and think of all the ways you can to achieve it. If you try your best and still can't achieve it, then you can settle for the next best thing. There is nothing to regret."
Lu Chun'e seemed to understand a little, but not completely. She wanted to ask again but felt a little embarrassed. In short, she just remembered his words first.
The men drank a little too much and left before dark. Lu Dongping saw off his colleagues from the Armed Forces Department, and Xu Qingming went with him.
In the middle of summer, Hu Qingqing was still here, helping to clean up the pots and pans, and then Lu Dongcai, Lu Dongfu and Lu Donglin returned the borrowed tables, chairs, benches and dishes one by one.
Wen Wan packed up the wooden wheelbarrow that Xu Qingming had made in the house and put a small quilt inside. When Dandan woke up, she could put him in the wheelbarrow and push him outside to play. The adults just had to watch him and make sure he didn't cry. They could also do other things at hand. It was so worry-free.
Before it was completely dark, the frogs in the grass began to croak one after another, and the fireflies also came out to join in the fun, making it very lively.
After cleaning up, Gao Xiulan went back to feed the pigs and chickens. Now she came back and sat on the millstone, chatting with her sister-in-law.
What they were talking about were nothing more than the trivial matters in the team.
"This year, the sun really did not rise from the west. Zhou Meiying is not to be mentioned. She has always been very good at preserving her reputation. Outsiders can't find any fault with her daughter-in-law, Hu Xiujuan. But Wang Mingfang is weird. She used to run all the big and small things in the team, and she was the boss at home. She said that if she drank thin things, her family wouldn't eat solid food. I don't know what's wrong with her this year. She hasn't been out much. Whenever anyone in the team needs help, it's always my sixth sister who goes. She doesn't talk much either."
Gao Xiulan said: "What's so strange about this? No matter how strong-willed she is, she has to bow to reality when she's in front of him. Although she has been with Lu Changfa for twenty years, Lu Mingqing is not her biological child after all, and the child knew everything when he came into the house, so it's good enough that the Sixth Sister gave birth to a son, and she has completely established herself in the family. The young wife has a good temper, and the couple's relationship has become better and better. Lu Mingqing used to ignore everyone as long as he had a stutter. Now that he has a wife and a child, he can stand up straight. Wang Mingfang doesn't have a son, so she will always rely on him in the future. I heard that when the Sixth Sister first came into the house, Wang Mingfang withheld her food and didn't let her eat enough. After she got pregnant, it was still the same. Lu Mingqing lost his temper at home and said he would take his wife and live separately. Even someone as honest as Lu Changfa got angry. They made a big fuss, and Wang Mingfang has been quiet since then."
"You said, I don't know what her fate is. She has to be strong for half her life, and she gave birth to two girls in a row. After giving birth to Sanya, there was no movement. If she gave birth to a son——"
Before Zhang Hongying could finish her words, Gao Xiulan laughed: "Just don't bother with her. She has such a bad temper. It's a good thing she didn't give birth to a son. If she had, wouldn't she have been spoiled to death? Just look at Cuicuizi. She's such a grown-up girl, but she's not a bit of a person. She's inherited her mother's stubborn and stubborn nature, but she hasn't learned a thing about her mother's shrewdness and efficiency. She's just a lazy person. I've sent this little one to school. I hope he can be a good person in the future. Otherwise, her life will be really sad!"
"Come to think of it, Cuicuizi isn't young anymore. I think she's old enough now, right? I haven't heard any rumors about her meeting someone."
Gao Xiulan said, "I've been looking for a daughter-in-law for a long time. There are no older girls left. But Wang Mingfang is very picky. She doesn't want her daughter to marry far away, but she also wants to find a girl with a good family. She thinks her daughter is good in every way. She doesn't think that people look for a wife to live with. The girl must have two things to offer. Otherwise, why would you choose her?"
That's the truth. For a woman, the most important thing is to know what's good and what's bad, what's right and what's wrong, and how to live a good life. As for Wang Mingfang, that girl, who was in the same team with me for so many years, I still can't tell what she is good at.
People who are older don’t fall asleep so early. It’s cool now, so they are chatting outside. But the young people have gone back to their rooms and to bed early.
Without closing an eye, after swatting mosquitoes and lying on the bed, Lu Dongcheng asked Shengxia: "Do you want to stay in the commune or go to the county?"
Shengxia was stunned for a moment: "Is there any news?"
Lu Dongcheng hummed, "Before the documents come down, we can do some activities."
Shengxia didn't know either: "I'm not familiar with this place. I don't really want to stay in the commune. It's too close to the production team. Of course, it's not that I don't want to be close to home. My family is good, and my parents are very nice. It's just that I feel that these people in the production team are very cunning. They set traps for others as soon as they open their mouths. It's very tiring to get along with them."
"You've only been back a few days, and you already understand so much? It's the same everywhere, you always have to interact with people. But if you really don't want to stay in the commune, then we can go to the county town. It's not too far from home."
Shengxia sighed. "That's just me saying. We can't just go wherever we want. If we can choose, we have to choose what's best for us." She was different from Lu Dongcheng. She was just a small clerk in the art troupe. After demobilization, she couldn't get a good position in either the county town or the commune. She relied on Lu Dongcheng to assign her a job. She cherished her work in the art troupe before, and she still does. But she wasn't the kind of person who would stick to one path until the end. She always knew what she wanted.
At first, she just wanted to have enough food and clothes at home. After the art troupe chose her, she worked hard to learn and gain a foothold in the troupe. After being promoted, she wanted a reliable and considerate man, and she achieved all of these little by little.
She has nothing to be dissatisfied with.
Even now, when Lu Dongcheng was injured and had to change his career, she didn't have any extra thoughts.
This is her man, and home is where there are people.
Lu Dongcheng's low laugh came to her ears: "Okay, then I'll watch you do it. I'll try my best not to make you feel wronged." As he said that, his hands became unruly, and he flipped over his long legs to hook Shengxia's legs and press them down.
In summer, people wear thin clothes, which provide almost no coverage.
It has been a long time since they last had an intimate relationship. He was away on a mission for two months and was in the hospital for emergency treatment when he came back. This took so long.
Shengxia's passion quickly melted under his teasing, but she still had some sanity and remembered that he was a wounded soldier.
"Why are you so mad if you haven't drunk anything? You're not well yet, don't move around."
The arrow is on the string, how can it not be shot? His injuries have healed a lot, and he is not dying. Now he is almost dying of holding it in.
"Okay, I won't move, you move—"
After the confinement period, the changes in Dandan became more obvious when he saw the sun and the wind. His eyes became more lively and he seemed to be getting stronger day by day. He is a cute little boy who is easy to take care of and loves to smile. His face is completely gentle. His face is not big, but chubby, with big eyes that are bright and lively.
Wenwan was very particular about her upbringing, and she was also very particular about how she looked after her children. She would wash her face and hands several times a day, morning and night. Besides the white quilt and patchwork quilt Zhang Hongying had prepared for her, everything else she wore was brand new. She was spotless, not at all like the children from the mountains, who were always covered in mud.
It was a leisurely day and no one was busy. Even Zhang Hongying was either sewing shoe soles or sleeping at noon. There were other people doing the housework and she was not needed at all.
In addition to taking care of the children, she also did needlework, for the children and Lu Dongping. Zhang Hongying helped her sew a few pairs of soles. She made the uppers and asked Lu Dongping to run to the county to send them to the north, for Old Wen and the old man and lady of the Xu family.
In a blink of an eye, it’s time for school to start, and the start of school means the beginning of autumn harvest.
Wen Wan asked Lu Dongping to take the wooden cart into the school.
In the morning, she went to school, and Lu Dongping took the child with him when he went to the Armed Forces Department. During class, he put the child in the car and looked after him next to the podium.
Dandan is very well behaved. Whether he is awake or asleep in class, he doesn't cry much as long as he doesn't poop or pee. He just kicks his legs and makes "ahhhhh" sounds to entertain himself. After class, the students in the class rush to tease him. Don't be too happy.
Wen Wan didn't feel any pressure.
Such days continued until around the time of Frost's Descent, when the weather became completely cold.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
