Chapter 50: When their family knows nothing
Not long after he started to raise the bowls, people started to arrive one after another. At first they said they would prepare five tables, but later they added another table for fear that it would not be enough. There wouldn't be too many people, but Lu Minghai still went to the brigade early to invite the brigade secretary Zhao Ping'an to come and write a gift.
So, Zhao Ping'an was one of the first to arrive, along with the production team's accountant Liu Chaoxing.
Lu Minghai put down his bowl and went forward with Lu Dongcheng to greet people.
Zhao Pingan looked at the tall young man in military uniform, standing tall like a pine or cypress, and patted him on the shoulder: "You kid, you're doing great. After walking for a few years, you've changed a lot. You've become a grown-up!"
Lu Dongcheng smiled, which was rare for him. "It's been a few years since you left, and you're still the same as before, uncle. Have you taken the elixir of immortality?"
"Look at him, he used to be a taciturn person, but after a few years away, he's changed and can talk now. The army is really a good place to hone people."
Lu Dongcheng pulled a bench over: "Come, sit down."
Lu Minghai went into the house and scooped out some rice: "Have some rice to warm you up."
Zhao Ping'an waved his hand: "I've already eaten. Come over here right after eating. I'm afraid I'll delay things."
"Liu Zhaoxing, don't be so polite to me. Eat something?"
Liu Zhaoxing said, "We are friends, and we can't be polite to anyone. I'm hungry now, and I'm going to eat you up by noon."
Lu Minghai said with a smile: "If you have the potential, you will definitely be able to eat enough carrots and cabbages."
After that, he said to Zhao Pingan: "How can it be so early? Eat less. You said you are already here and you are still polite to me. Don't be disgusted."
Zhao Pingan said: "Why should I be polite to you? Just eat yours."
Then Lu Minghai really didn't bother to be polite with him, picked up his bowl and continued to put rice into his mouth.
"Where's Lu Dongping? He usually runs the fastest and talks the most, so why is he nowhere to be seen today?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Lu Dongping's voice came from the entrance of the yard: "Secretary Zhao, you miss me so much after not seeing me for a while!" He was carrying a load of water on his shoulders, his face calm and his breath steady, as if he was playing.
Zhao Pingan was happy: "Get out of here, do your job well and do more. Then let your brother give you some more wine to drink."
Lu Dongping carried water into the house, put the bucket down, then brought out a bowl and sat down by Lu Mingjiang.
"Uncle, you really don't want to eat something? Don't lie, it's still early for lunch!"
Zhao Pingan snorted, "You think I'm you! You're full of tricks."
After that, he asked Lu Minghai, "Have you finished cutting the red paper?"
Lu Minghai nodded: "It's all cut and ordered."
"Okay, give it to me after dinner. I'll bring my own pen."
It seems like nothing is happening, but there are actually quite a few miscellaneous things going on.
Lu Minghai ate his meal in a few gulps. When he picked up the bowl and returned to the kitchen, he asked Gao Xiulan, "Where did you put the red paper Wen Wan cut yesterday?"
"It's on the box in the room next to the new house. Can I put away the things waiting to be used?"
Lu Minghai went out and called Lu Dongcheng, "Go to your room, on the box, and quickly take out the gift book and give it to your uncle."
Lu Dongcheng responded, stood up and put the bowl in the kitchen, then went into the house to get the things out and gave them to Zhao Ping'an.
Zhao Pingan took the book bound with red thread and raised his eyebrows: "Wow, this is quite exquisite!"
The gift book was cut from red paper and sewn with red thread. The two big words "Gift Book" were written on the outside with a pen, and a peony flower was drawn with red ink next to the words. You can't see it unless you look carefully.
This is a gentle masterpiece. The little girl likes these colorful things.
"Who wrote this?"
Lu Donglin leaned over and said, "My sister Wen Wan wrote this."
Wen Wan? Zhao Ping'an thought it sounded familiar, but after thinking for a long time, he couldn't remember which one. He reached out and grabbed Lu Donglin's head: "Look, learn from others. Your handwriting is just like your head."
Lu Donglin didn't react: "What do you mean?"
"It's like being bitten by a dog. It's as bad as it can be!"
Several people of the same age as him from Lu Chunyan and Lu Chunmei's families laughed unceremoniously.
Lu Donglin rolled his eyes and snorted, "Uncle, you don't know how to appreciate it. My handwriting isn't ugly, it's courage, the courage of a man. What's so beautiful about this handwriting? It's just effeminate."
After he finished speaking, Zhang Hongying slapped him on the head: "You don't do any serious work, but you do a lot of evil things. You can make up anything and talk nonsense."
Lu Donglin covered his head and said, "Mom, you can't hit a man on the head. If you hit him, he will become shorter or stupid and can't find a partner. You have to support your son in his old age for the rest of his life."
"Go, go, go, go play somewhere else. If you don't want to play, go write."
Lu Donglin ran away: "Then I must play. Why write words on such a good day? It's unlucky!"
When adults get together, they tease the children. A mischievous kid like Lu Donglin is a must-teasing target. Only after making them laugh enough will they start to do serious work.
At this moment, apart from those busy in the kitchen, everyone else was gathered around two fires outside, chatting about gossip and other people's affairs.
Zhao Ping'an was writing gifts there. They were all from the same production team. Basically, few people gave cash. However, they would write down all the small gifts, such as a few eggs or a bag of candy. If there was any big or small event in their family, these gifts would have to be returned.
After dinner, Shengxia went to sit in the new house. Wenwan had nothing to do but couldn't stay there, so she said goodbye to her and went outside.
Although they were all in the same production team, they worked together for more than 20 days before going into hibernation. Wen Wan didn't even recognize all of them.
She greeted the uncles, aunts, and uncles she knew, and smiled at the ones she didn't know. Then she went to the kitchen and found Zhang Hongying: "Aunt, I don't have anything to do right now. I'm going back to the educated youth site to get some things."
Zhang Hongying said, "What are you going back to get? Let Lu Dongping go with you."
Wen Wan waved her hands hurriedly: "No, no, I'm with Shengxia. We have nothing to do. I went to the county town to buy some wool yarn, but I haven't wound it yet. I brought it over to do it." She smiled a little embarrassedly and said: "I'm busy in the kitchen here. I can't help."
"What can I do for you? Go ahead!"
"Hey!" Wen Wan responded and was about to leave, but turned back and gently pulled her: "Um, cousin, I, I want to ask, I'm having a banquet here, how should I give the gift?" She gave a silk scarf to Shengxia, and she was wondering whether she should write in the gift book that Wen Wan gave a silk scarf?
Zhang Hongying didn't realize she was giving Shengxia a gift. She glanced at the people busy at the stove and said in a low voice, "You're just a little girl. Why would you want to give a gift? Didn't you comb Shengxia's hair? It was so beautiful. None of them could do it with that skill. Just sit down and don't think about giving a gift. You're here to help, don't you understand?"
"Yeah!" Wen Wan responded and left the kitchen.
Wang Mingfang started teasing Zhang Hongying: "Hey! What are you talking about with that young educated youth? You're just mumbling to each other. I heard that young educated youth is dating your Lu Dongping. Is that true?"
Zhang Hongying glanced at her. "What's true or false? Don't say anything. It's not easy for the girl to live so far away from home. Living with us, she's become familiar with her." She knew her son's inner thoughts, but she had no idea what Wen Wan was thinking. That bastard Lu Dongping was so tight-lipped that he wouldn't tell the truth no matter how she asked. She didn't know if the two of them were getting along, which made her afraid to speak boldly, for fear of ruining the girl's reputation.
Wang Mingfang scoffed, clearly not believing her. "In this new society, marriage is free, and dating is such a normal thing, yet you're still hiding it. Even the gods saw it, the two of you holding hands, so happy! That kid, Lu Dongping, has always been so arrogant since he was a kid, and he's even better at finding a partner than anyone else. You're still pretending not to know, but secretly feeling happy!"
Zhang Hongying continued chopping with the kitchen knife on the chopping board, making a thumping sound. As she worked, she said, "We can't get involved in young people's affairs. Young people are always rash and unstable, but we can't be unstable at our age. Things like dating only count if both parties say so themselves. If they haven't said so, then we can't just spread rumors, right?"
After saying that, he no longer paid attention to Wang Mingfang and focused on his own things.
Although life is much better now than when we had to eat in the canteen in the early years, we are still not rich.
After all, now it’s the same as before, all we have to rely on is the work points and food rations we get every year.
The banquet was not very fancy. There were only a few dishes on the table, a bowl of spinach and konjac, a bowl of pork, potato and tofu stew, and then there was the filling cabbage and radish soup and mixed flour steamed buns. This was already the best.
There was wine, too, two pounds of melon wine on the table, but everyone was busy eating and drinking, so few people drank.
The tables, chairs and benches were all borrowed from various households. Originally, only six tables were prepared, but when people sat down, not counting our own, there were actually nine full tables.
Wen Wan saw the banquet in the countryside and found it so crowded that people were afraid they wouldn't get a seat.
She didn't go to sit down. Lu Dongping went home and got a bowl with some dishes in it for her in advance. She didn't feel comfortable taking it because Lu Chun'e and Lu Donglin were still hungry!
However, the feeling of watching others eat was really uncomfortable, so she simply went into the kitchen and sat there to warm herself by the fire.
As they were eating outside, Gao Xiulan quickly called Zhang Hongying to help chop the potato shreds: "I'll mix the noodles, stir-fry the soup, and cut the noodles directly. We'll eat this first, and then cook the meat and have a good meal together."
Zhang Hongying quickly picked up the leftover potatoes and started chopping them.
Gao Xiulan talked to Wen Wan while kneading the dough: "Are you hungry? Wait a minute, auntie will make you a fried egg. You may not have seen it before, but the seating here is like this. The conditions are not good, and only those families who have a banquet and are willing to spend a little can see some money. So, even if we only invite one person, they will bring the whole family with them." She didn't invite many families in total, and they all came by themselves. Those who came to the banquet were there for food and drink, and those who organized the banquet were there for face, but Gao Xiulan felt that she could no longer hold back.
If it wasn't for her son's wedding, which was a good day and it was unlucky to quarrel, she would have had a fight with Lu Minghai.
Those who brought a bunch of garlic sprouts and their whole family to eat and drink, do they still have shame? They think their whole family is stupid, without any eyes or knowledge of numbers!
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