Chapter 375: Returning Home with Your Partner
The autumn of 1979 passed particularly quickly, and it was over in the blink of an eye. Then, in 1980, everyone was also extremely busy.
Wen Wan was busy with school and internships, while Lu Dongping was busy expanding his business. Their child went to school in the compound, and on weekends, Wen Wan would take him to Tonghua Lane to fulfill her parental duties. She spent most of the day at Li Laiyu's place, learning martial arts and other things that interested him.
After knowing Li Laiyu's skills, Lu Dongping boldly handed her over to her.
When he was in school, he would continue to practice under the supervision of his father-in-law in the morning and evening.
Therefore, Dandan likes school even more.
The school was great. As long as he did well on his tests, everyone was nice to him. Even if he snored in class, the teacher would smile at him. It was okay for him to secretly hold his deskmate's hand. When the teacher criticized him, he was always so gentle. He was simply the best person in the world.
Xu Qingming was also busy, busy with various exams and busy with various cases. He gradually became famous quietly and was considered a well-known figure in the law school.
After a busy year, until 1981, when we were seniors, we finally settled down.
Xu Qingming was admitted to graduate school at the same school and opened a law firm. Wen Wan officially went to work at the Ministry of Finance. Lu Chun'e went to work for Zhou Mingli. Only Li Laiyu did not change much. He graduated step by step and then ran the small shop in Tonghua Lane.
During the summer vacation of her senior year, she went to Guangzhou and stayed there for three full months before coming back. When the winter vacation came, Xu Qingming finally had time to accompany her back to Cen An's hometown.
Also with them were Xu Guoliang and his wife.
After the two of them had been together for several years, Li Lai Yu finally agreed.
This time, we are going to go back to her hometown to visit, tell the elders at home, get engaged in her hometown, and then return to the capital to get the marriage certificate and hold the wedding.
Li Laiyu has an uncle named Li Guangwen in his hometown. He is not young anymore, he is already forty years old, but he has never married.
Originally, he was the only one taking care of Li Lai Yu. Because of his bad background, no one wanted to follow him. Later, he gradually lost interest in him.
Li Laiyu left him some money, so he had no worries about food and drink. This was the life he had dreamed of for many years. He was very content and didn't want any changes.
The four of us bought sleeper tickets and got off at Yangping Town, Songning County, Cen'an City. Then the journey was on a mountain road, and we had to walk all the way.
It was snowing in Yanjiang Commune, leaving the surroundings a vast expanse of white. With the New Year approaching, the town was crowded, so Li Laiyu bought some New Year's goods and then went to a cotton-spinning machine maker to get two quilts. By the time he finished packing, it was already evening. Luckily, a tractor arrived at the commune, saving him a long trip.
After getting off the bus at the commune, you can only rely on your two feet.
Li Laiyu was a little worried about Wang Mengfang: "Auntie, is this okay? Give me the bag and I'll carry it for you."
Wang Mengfang panted and waved her hands: "It's okay, it's okay. I used to travel around with your uncle, and I've been to Sichuan Province before. It's not like I haven't walked the mountain roads before."
She only had a bag with her change of clothes in it. Xu Guoliang and Xu Qingming carried more things, including clothes, New Year gifts from the capital, and two newly bought quilts.
Li Laiyu also had plenty of luggage. In front of so many people, she couldn't completely smuggle everything into the space. This was the heaviest luggage she'd ever brought home, and the most difficult journey home.
By the time we got to the place, it was already dark. If we hadn't prepared a flashlight early, we wouldn't have been able to find the place.
She sent a telegram to Li Guangwen early in the morning to say that she was coming back for the New Year, but it only said that she was coming back.
It was snowing, and everyone should have been asleep by now, but as soon as Li Laiyu and the others arrived in the yard, there was movement in the house.
Li Guangwen's voice came from the kitchen: "Who's outside? Is Xiaoyu back?" There is nothing else to do in winter except chopping wood. I get up early in the morning and don't want to go to bed so early at night. I feel warm by the fire and feel cold when I go to bed.
Li Laiyu responded: "It's me, I'm back."
The kerosene lamp in the room lit up.
Li Guangwen came out with a kerosene lamp and looked at the people in the yard in surprise: "Xiaoyu?"
Li Laiyu responded: "Uncle, this is my boyfriend. I brought him back to show you."
"These are my boyfriend's parents."
Xu Guoliang greeted him: "Hello, my last name is Xu, Xu Guoliang. This is my son, Xu Qingming."
Xu Qingming followed Li Laiyu and called out, "Uncle."
Li Guangwen looked at the few people at a loss: "Ah? Oh, oh, come in first, come in and warm yourself by the fire, it's freezing outside."
Li Laiyu called out to Li Guangwen, "Put the luggage back inside first!"
Only then did Li Guangwen notice that several people were carrying large and small bags.
With his hand shielding the bean-sized flame from the oil lamp, he led a few people into the house, saying to Li Laiyu as he walked, "I started packing after receiving your telegram. The weather was still good a few days ago, so I dried all the straw for bedding. I washed and dried your old bedding and used it as a mattress for you. I also saved up some cotton this year, and I went to town a few days ago to get some new cotton quilts, and asked Xiaoxi's mother-in-law to help sew it."
After saying that, he subconsciously glanced at Xu Guoliang and the others from the corner of his eyes, and after a long while he said, "You didn't say you were bringing someone back. I didn't know we had guests, so I didn't prepare anything."
Li Laiyu said, "It's okay, this is already very good." As he said that, he put his backpack on the table, took the things from Xu Guoliang and Wang Mengfang, and finally took care of Xu Qingming.
Li Guangwen asked Xu Guoliang: "Have you all eaten yet? If not, should I go and cook something?"
Xu Guoliang said hurriedly: "I ate, I ate. I ate in town when I got off the bus. Don't bother."
After putting the things down, Li Laiyu called Xu Guoliang and the others: "Let's go to the kitchen and warm ourselves by the fire first. It's warm over there."
"Okay, let's go and roast a fire. I roasted a fire here a few years ago when I went to the countryside. I haven't roasted a fire in so many years, and I miss it."
It was late at night and there was no light in the house, so it was pitch black everywhere.
Li Laiyu invited Xu Guoliang and the others to sit in the kitchen, and then called Li Guangwen: "Uncle, are the old door panels still in our house?"
Li Guangwen heard her shouting and hurried out: "Yes, it's here. It has been well preserved. It has not been moth-eaten. It's fine!"
Li Laiyu said, "Then get both pieces out. Use a high stool to set up another bed in the room where I live, otherwise there will be no room. I have quilts. When I got off the train, I was afraid there were none at home, so I made two more. Let's make do with them tonight. I'll sew them tomorrow. I'll have both the quilt cover and the quilt inside."
Li Guangwen didn't know what to say at the moment, and just nodded with a sigh.
Xu Qingming also ran out to help, turned over the two door panels and brought them into Li Laiyu's room, and found a few benches of the same height and brought them into Li Laiyu's room to set them up.
The room is not big, and if a bed is put there it will seem extremely crowded. There is only one path to walk through after entering the door.
Li Guangwen said, "No, I can clean up my room and live there."
"No need. It's winter now. It's okay. I'll live with Qingming's mother, and Qingming will live with his father. Let's just make do with this for now." Li Guangwen's room was not easy to clean.
He lived in the room where Li Laiyu's mother-in-law and grandfather used to live. There was a bed, a granary, and everything else piled up in that room. It was really hard to clean up.
After smoothing the planks, Li Lai Yu rummaged through the drawers and took out two old plaid cloth sheets while the two men were not paying attention.
He took off the bed sheet that had been patched many times and used it to wrap the door panel, put cotton quilt on it, added another layer of sheet, and put the new quilt that had been sewn on the bed.
I found a piece of cloth and hung it between the two beds to cover them.
She sighed and asked Xu Qingming: "Is this okay?"
Xu Qingming nodded: "It's OK, it's new cotton, it won't be cold."
After cleaning up, Li Lai Yu went to the kitchen to greet people.
Li Guangwen was a dull person himself, and when he suddenly met a few city people from outside, he almost didn't know how to start the conversation.
Xu Guoliang was quite talkative and took the initiative to ask him questions. He answered every question, but after a few words he didn't know what else to ask.
Li Lai Yu went to find a basin for several people to soak their feet and wash.
After packing up, I went into the house with Wang Mengfang.
"Our family's conditions are like this, so we can only make do with this for now."
Wang Mengfang said, "It's okay, it's fine as long as there's a place where I can stay out of the cold."
As he spoke, he took off his outer coat and said, "Go to sleep. Don't think too much. This is fine. Your uncle and I have suffered hardships before."
Li Laiyu nodded, took off his coat, and crawled into the quilt without even a quilt cover with Wang Mengfang.
After the two of them lay down, Xu Guoliang and Xu Qingming came into the room with flashlights.
Even though it was a sleeper berth, I couldn't get enough rest on the train. But when I got to my destination, I slept very soundly and slept until dawn.
The windows of the old house were not big, and the sky outside was still bad and dark, making it even darker inside the house.
Day broke out with the crowing of roosters. Soon after daybreak, voices could be heard in the yard.
It was Zheng Xiulan talking to Li Guangwen: "I went to bed last night and saw a flashlight outside and the sound of voices. Is Lai Yu back?"
Li Guangwen was very happy, with a smile on his face when he spoke: "Yes, Lai Yu is back."
"Lai Yu is a city dweller now. He's quite successful."
Li Guangwen said: "She has made some progress, but it's not easy for a girl to live outside."
As they were talking, Xu Guoliang and Xu Qingming came out of the house.
Zheng Xiulan was stunned: "Oh, you have guests in your room?"
Li Guangwen nodded: "Yes, Lai Yu's boyfriend and her boyfriend's family are here."
As he said that, he turned around and looked at Xu Guoliang and Xu Qingming: "Why, why don't you sleep a little longer? It's very cold in the morning." It was pitch black last night and he couldn't see clearly. Now that it was daybreak and he could see clearly, Li Guangwen felt even more restrained.
The man Lai Yu found seemed to be more decent than the top cadres in the commune.
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