Feng Mingshu woke up thirsty the next morning, but luckily there was a thermos and a water cup on the small table in the bedroom.
She got out of bed and drank a large glass of warm water to quench her thirst, only to find that there was something extra beside her pillow—a watch.
She picked it up and saw a brand new watch, a Shanghai brand, with a metal bracelet that felt cold and hard to the touch, just like a certain man.
It was as if a switch had been flipped, instantly triggering memories of last night's drunkenness, and Feng Mingshu couldn't help but cover his face.
She was glad she was really drunk at the time, otherwise she wouldn't have dared to be so provocative. She hadn't been devoured yet, but was just held tightly. Just when she was about to lose control, the man bit her earlobe again, then let go, left the watch behind, and left.
Feng Mingshu pinched her earlobe; the teeth marks were long gone, but it still sent a tingling sensation through her heart, just like last night.
She hurried to the bathroom, turned on the tap, and splashed water on her face before the strange feeling subsided.
After washing up, she returned to her bedside and put on the brand-new Shanghai brand watch, while her old foreign brand watch was put away in the drawer.
After going downstairs, Xiaomingxue held her hand and looked at the new watch. When she learned that it was a gift from her brother-in-law, her big eyes lit up and she chattered, "Sister, I heard from Sister Qin next door that the most respectable dowry for a wedding is 'three turns and one sound': a watch, a bicycle, a sewing machine, and a radio. When will your brother-in-law bring them over?"
Feng Mingshu was taken aback. She had never paid attention to what the four essential wedding items were in this era. She just felt that since the watch was a gift from Zhou Jinshan, representing his sentiments, she might as well wear it.
"Sister, I'll buy you the remaining three things. I've saved up a lot of money, I'll go get it for you!" Xiao Mingyu said indignantly. He still didn't think his brother-in-law was that great. After saying that, he ran upstairs to get his piggy bank.
Feng Mingshu quickly grabbed him: "Sister has money, she can buy it herself, but these things require special tickets, so sister needs to find a way to get the tickets first."
She was a little worried; she could put everything else aside for the time being, but a sewing machine was urgently needed.
She planned to learn sewing skills so that she could support herself in the future, but sewing tickets were really hard to come by. Only a limited number of tickets were issued each year, and most of them were snatched up by government agencies and large state-owned factories.
Yu Jingqiu came downstairs and looked at the three siblings who were worried together. She smiled and said, "I've already prepared the sewing machine ticket. Zhuzhu, wait for Mom to finish her errands this morning, and then we'll go to the department store together to buy a sewing machine."
The twins immediately perked up and insisted on going to the department store together.
But Feng Mingshu noticed something else, and she asked excitedly, "Mom, is what you're going to do this morning to get your marriage certificate with Uncle Li at the Civil Affairs Bureau?"
Yu Jingqiu met her daughter's expectant gaze and nodded with a smile.
The thing she had been looking forward to most since her rebirth had finally come to fruition, and Feng Mingshu was so happy that her eyes welled up with tears.
Unlike her hesitation when faced with Zhou Jinshan's "pie in the sky," she genuinely hoped that Uncle Li could marry her mother. In her past life, she had witnessed Uncle Li's unwavering love and devotion to her mother. In this life, she didn't want her two elders to miss each other again. Moreover, after marriage, Uncle Li would have a legitimate reason to protect her mother, which would put her at ease.
Just like her mother, she hoped that her daughter would marry Zhou Jinshan and be protected by him for the rest of her life, even though her family background was still unresolved when she was pushed to attend the military social gathering.
From this perspective, both she and her mother were selfish.
"Why are Zhuzhu's eyes red? Is she upset with her mother...?"
"I do, I couldn't be more willing!" Feng Mingshu quickly wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes, took her mother's hand and said, "Mom, I'll go to the Civil Affairs Bureau with you."
She wanted to witness it with her own eyes.
"Mom, we want to go too!" the twins shouted immediately.
Looking at her three equally excited children, Yu Jingqiu smiled and nodded, "Okay, let's go together after breakfast."
This breakfast was made by the family of four together: fried dough sticks, boiled eggs, pancakes, and finally served with hot milk. The family enjoyed the meal very much and the plates were emptied.
It was just past eight o'clock when they finished eating, but the twins couldn't wait any longer. Feng Mingshu was the same. She rushed upstairs to change into her beautiful new clothes and then eagerly waited for her mother to come out of the room.
Yu Jingqiu came out quickly, but she surprised the three siblings because she was not wearing a cheongsam today. Instead, she was wearing a Lenin suit and black trousers, with black leather shoes on her feet.
"Isn't it pretty?" Yu Jingqiu asked with a smile.
"nice."
A firm voice came from the doorway. It was Li Yanzhong. He had changed out of his usual Zhongshan suit and was wearing a brand-new black suit, looking exceptionally dignified and spirited.
Their eyes met, and Yu Jingqiu gave him a gentle smile.
The two elders' attire was clearly mismatched, yet it brought tears to Feng Mingshu's eyes, and she vaguely understood something.
Finally, at Yu Jingqiu's request, Li Yanzhong changed into the Zhongshan suit she had prepared for him, and Feng Mingshu also changed into simple clothes with the twins.
Afterwards, the family of five went to the Civil Affairs Bureau she had visited the day before. Seeing the same staff member holding up the same red stamp to affix it to her mother and Uncle Li's marriage certificate, Feng Mingshu's joy and excitement at this moment far surpassed what she felt yesterday.
Yesterday, she felt mostly lost and anxious about the future.
Today, however, was filled with pure joy and excitement, which lasted until my mother and younger siblings' household registrations were all transferred to Uncle Li's household registration book.
My younger siblings also changed their surnames from Feng to Li.
Seeing Li Mingyu, Li Mingxue was only stunned for a moment before happily hugging Uncle Li's arm and calling him "Dad." Seeing Uncle Li's eyes well up with tears and he choked up as he responded, Feng Mingshu felt a complex mix of emotions welling up inside him.
When he met Uncle Li's expectant gaze, Feng Mingshu opened his mouth, but in the end he couldn't change his words. He simply congratulated Uncle Li and his mother on their marriage and wished them a long and happy life together.
After all, she still shares the surname Feng.
A hint of regret and guilt flickered in Li Yanzhong's eyes. He took out a bulging envelope and handed it to Feng Mingshu: "I was going to give this to you last night, but you were drunk. There are some banknotes inside; you and Xiao Zhou should be able to use them."
Mentioning last night, Feng Mingshu's face flushed, and she quickly pushed the envelope back: "Uncle, you and Mom are also newlyweds, and you need to prepare a lot of things too."
"Keep what your uncle gave you. Take out the tickets; we used them all at the department store. Whoever needs what we bought can have it." Yu Jingqiu walked over, stuffed the envelope into her daughter's hand, and made her decision.
Feng Mingshu couldn't refuse her mother.
Li Yanzhong, who had never opposed his wife's decisions before, is even less likely to object now that they are husband and wife.
So the family of four, along with their large child Feng Mingshu, arrived at the department store.
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