"Xuemei, you're off work today!" As Xuemei entered the yard, she saw a young man in military uniform walking out of the main room.
"Third cousin, when did you come back? I switched shifts with someone else this afternoon to help. I can just make up for it tomorrow afternoon." Xuemei asked in surprise.
"I just came back yesterday and said I would come to see my brother-in-law today!" Zhiwen said with a bit of hostility.
"Third cousin, you'll know whether Ken is satisfied or not when you see my eldest brother later." Xuemei turned and asked, "Mom, you haven't taken Third cousin to visit Second Uncle's house yet."
"Your cousin lied to you. He has already met your eldest brother, and your eldest brother just sent your cousin back!" said Liu's mother.
When Xuemei heard this, she glared at Zhiwen.
"Okay, your sister is grown up and can't be teased anymore. I even brought you some beef jerky and milk slices. Don't be angry!" Zhiwen said quickly.
"I'm not angry. I see you look a lot more mature this time!" Xuemei said jokingly as she looked at Zhiwen, who had become much calmer.
"You think I'm getting old, but I'm a young talent. I'm very likable the way I am! You little girl, what do you know? You have no taste!" Zhiwen said, putting his face in front of Xuemei.
Xuemei looked at Zhiwen's narcissistic look and immediately pushed his face away with her hand out of disgust.
"Okay, you two little enemies, stop bickering. I don't know how you two have been bickering every time you meet since you were little. Aren't you tired? Xuemei, take these winnowing baskets, Zhiwen, take the fish you brought! Let's go and help! What else are you two doing? They're waiting over there." Liu's mother said as she took the things.
As Xuemei and her companions went out, they ran into some educated youth who had just returned from outside. Xuemei extended her hand to greet them. Zhiwen, who was standing by and saw that Xuemei had difficulty holding things with one hand, quickly took over a few stacked dustpans from her hand.
"It's okay, I'll get it myself. You're carrying a bucket of fish?" Xuemei said.
"Let me do it! This little bit of food is nothing to me. Let's go!" Zhiwen put down the bucket in his hand and patted Xuemei's head.
"Don't pat my head all the time, you'll become stupid." Xuemei glanced at Zhiwen.
"You have been such a good student since you were young, and you are so smart now. Is it all because of me patting you on the head?" Zhiwen said nonsense.
"I think the Northwest wind has really made you thicker and thicker, and your brain has become stupid!"
"Nonsense! My face is chapped, which shows how thin-skinned I am!"
Xuemei looked at Zhiwen's frostbitten face and knew that his military service in the Northwest must have been very hard. She said with concern, "Cousin, how long can you stay this time? I'll make you some delicious food to nourish you!"
"You're leaving on the third day of junior high school. I heard from your aunt that you can cook a lot of pasta dishes now. I'll come and try them one day to see if your cooking is authentic?" Zhiwen said jokingly.
"Just wait." Xuemei said and went to chase Liu's mother empty-handed.
…
After Xuemei and her group left, the educated youth also began to discuss.
"Hey! Who was that soldier next to Xuemei just now? He looks quite handsome." He Wenting asked curiously.
"I don't know, maybe he is a relative of Liu Xuemei's family? He should not be from our village. It seems that no one in our village has gone to the army?" Zhou Bing replied. Apart from going to work, he usually pays close attention to the news in the village. Now he basically knows who are the people in every family in the village.
"I think he might be Comrade Liu Xuemei's boyfriend!" Dai Dongfeng also said.
"Dai Dongfeng, don't talk nonsense before you figure out the situation! If someone passes by and hears it, Comrade Liu Xuemei's reputation will be ruined by you!" Han Chen said unhappily, and left in a hurry alone.
"What's wrong with Han Chen? There are only a few of us here. What's wrong with me telling you my guess?" Dai Dongfeng felt very puzzled.
"Oh, Dai Dongfeng, Han Chen is right. We are on the road now, so be careful with your words! Don't accidentally cause trouble for Xuemei. It's also my fault for bringing up this topic first!" He Wanting said regretfully.
Zhou Bing looked at Han Chen's hurried back and nodded meaningfully. He Wanting pushed He Jing and said, "Xiao Jing, what are you looking at? Let's go home!"
He Jing withdrew her gaze from Han Chen's back and nodded to He Wanting.
Han Chen returned to his room and sat down at the table. He took out the pen he had just bought at the commune from his jacket pocket and looked at it. Han Chen's mind flashed back to the scene of Xuemei and the soldier talking and laughing. The soldier touched Xuemei's head and Xuemei didn't stop him, and she didn't even try to avoid him. Han Chen thought of Dai Dongfeng's words again.
Han Chen felt very uncomfortable at the moment, his heart was full of sour water, and he felt very uncomfortable. He looked at the pen in his hand, opened the drawer, and put the pen inside. Han Chen stood up again, rubbed his face with his hands, sighed, and walked out of the room.
As soon as Zhou Bing and the others came back, they saw Han Chen chopping wood.
"Brother, thank you for your hard work. Let us put down our things and come to help you!" Zhou Bing said, pulling Dai Dongfeng.
"Then Xiaojing and I will make something delicious for you in the evening! Xiaojing, think about it, what should we make? Do you want to be innovative?" He Wenting said as she pulled He Jing into the main hall.
"You two should just give up! Just cook the food well and don't try to make any innovations! That's not food for humans." Dai Dongfeng was so scared that his scalp was numb, and he quickly chased after He Wenting and her sister and said.
…
"Fei Fei, why are you here?" Zhou Bing asked, putting down the axe in his hand.
"Zhou Zhiqing, Dai Zhiqing, I'm here to ask Han Zhiqing for help with something?" Feifei said to Han Chen.
"Fei Fei, what do you want to talk to me about? Come into the room and talk." Han Chen put down the things in his hands, patted the firewood chips on his body, picked up the coat beside him, and walked towards his room. Fei Fei hurriedly followed him.
"Brother Han, can this be told outside? The front of my second uncle's bicycle is always shaking, and I'm afraid it will miss tomorrow's important event. My eldest sister said that you have research in this area, and she wants you to help find out if there is anything!" Feifei explained her purpose.
"Did your elder sister ask you to call me? Why didn't your elder sister ask the soldier next to her to help take a look?" Han Chen asked deliberately, but he regretted it as soon as he asked. He was afraid of hearing something he didn't want to hear, so he looked at Feifei with uneasy eyes.
"Comrade soldier? Brother Han, are you talking about my third cousin?" Feifei thought for a while and said.
"Today, the military comrade walking with your eldest sister is your cousin? I thought..." Han Chen asked in surprise. When he heard this, he felt that his heart was about to jump out. He was as excited and happy as if a long drought had finally brought rain.
"Brother Han, what did you think? By the way, why is my cousin repairing cars, but my cousin has just returned home?" Feifei asked puzzledly, thinking that the second cousin just came to deliver a fish, which would be used for cooking for the eldest brother's wedding tomorrow. Did Brother Han misunderstand something?
"Ah? Nothing, some branches of the military will learn the knowledge of repairing cars. Feifei, your cousin has gone home now, wait for me for a while, I'll get some things and then go with you to look at the bicycles?" Han Chen said with a suppressed smile.
Han Chen took out a small wicker box from under the bed, walked to the table, took the pen from the drawer, and then walked towards the Liu family's old house with Feifei.
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