Chapter 26
Jiang Cheng said he had something to tell Jiang Guo.
Jiang Guo was very excited: "What's the matter? Is it a good thing?"
Today is a happy day. Her parents are divorced and she has a stepmother.
The stepmother is smart and capable. Although she seems to look exactly like her biological mother, she is prettier than her biological mother.
While eating at a state-owned restaurant, she heard her stepmother and father say that her father's job would be transferred and he might be promoted quickly and become a leader in the city.
By then, their whole family will be able to move into the staff compound in the city with their father.
I wonder if the staff compound in the city is next to the department store?
If so, she would go shopping in the department store every day!
Jiang Guo thought further and further, and the corners of his lips rose higher and higher.
"Guoguo, let's go back to school." Jiang Cheng's words interrupted her thoughts.
Jiang Guo looked like she had seen a ghost, her eyes widened, and she exaggeratedly touched her brother's forehead with her hand: "Are you stupid? Have you forgotten the suffering you went through every day in school?"
At that time, the brother and sister not only had to go to school, but also had to live in school on weekdays and could only go home a few times a month.
Jiang Cheng and Jiang Guo are not classmates, but they both suffered a lot of grievances in school.
"The teacher in your class is the most ruthless. Every time you talk to others, you are the only one who is punished to stand! He also said, why do country people always like to send wild children to the city? It's hard for their teachers to manage them!"
Jiang Guo was furious when she talked about this: "And our class! The girls in our class are so annoying. They bought their skirts from the supply and marketing cooperative, and they laughed at me for wearing gray pants! What's so great about that? I have a skirt now!"
She said she didn't want to go back to school at all.
At the same time, thinking of those unpleasant memories, Jiang Guo even felt that the steamed dumplings were not fragrant anymore. She quickly took a spoon and tried the crab meat tofu that she thought was the most delicious at the state-owned restaurant that night.
Seeing this, Jiang Cheng felt a little embarrassed.
He used to think that he was the older brother and had to take on the responsibilities of being the eldest brother, but these days, everything he did was wrong.
Now, Shanshan is missing, Youyou is gone with her mother, and only he and Guoguo are left at home.
Although mom didn't let him have a good impression of Guoguo, she did say that if one wants to be a man, one must be decisive.
Either find a way to change the status quo, or if there is no way, then stop procrastinating.
We need to think of a way, a smart way...
"Slurp..." Jiang Cheng sipped the soup from the dumplings, snatched the spoon that Jiang Guo gave him, and tasted the crab roe tofu.
It’s so delicious that it makes your eyebrows drop!
Jiang Guo lost his spoon, but he didn't get angry and went back to get another one.
She was jumping up and down and seemed to be in a very good mood, almost humming a song.
Finally, she came back.
But before Jiang Guo could eat the crab meat and tofu, she suddenly heard her brother say something that made her pupils tremble.
"Guo Guo, are you dark?"
Jiang Guo put down the spoon and quickly ran to look in the mirror.
The wick of the kerosene lamp was almost burned out, and the room was dimly lit. She held the mirror in one hand and tilted her face with the other to check from all angles.
"It's dark?" she wondered to herself.
"Maybe it's because I worked too hard in the fields, and the sun is so strong." Jiang Cheng looked at his sister, who was not tanned at all, with a guilty conscience and coughed softly, "I heard that even the sun in winter can tan people."
Jiang Guo's brows furrowed and he felt sad.
The sun in winter can tan people, so next summer, when she has to go to the fields early in the morning to earn work points, will she become even darker?
"By the way, do you know Qingqing's sister from the next village?" Jiang Cheng touched his nose. "I heard that Qingqing's sister worked as a salesperson in a department store after graduating from junior high school."
"Can I become a salesperson after graduating from junior high school?" Jiang Guo looked curious.
Jiang Cheng nodded vaguely and said a few perfunctory words.
He didn't know if he could be a salesperson after graduating from junior high school. He didn't even know who Qingqing and Qingqing's sister were...
He only knew that no matter how sad Jiang Guo made her mother, deep down, her mother still hoped that she could study.
After studying, she can understand many things. Maybe then she will become sensible.
…
Erni's mother was a teacher and there were many textbooks at home.
Nowadays, the primary school curriculum is a five-year system. Youyou asked sister Erni to find some simple textbooks for her so that she and her mother can teach themselves!
"Let's learn to read first!" said Youyou.
In fact, Meng Jinyu can recognize words.
After all, she now has the memories of two lives. She was exposed to more things in her previous life, and even the illiterate was forced to learn to understand some simple words.
It’s just that I can read but not write.
The articles in the elementary school textbooks were written densely. She read them word by word, and if there was anything she was unsure of, she circled it with a pen.
Youyou stood aside, acting as a strict little teacher, preventing her mother from dozing off. Slowly, her mother finally entered the learning state.
"Zhao—" Meng Jinyu said, "This word is pronounced zhao."
"Find it!" Youyou also followed suit.
However, the moment the words fell, Meng Jinyu's eyes fluctuated.
She suddenly sat up straight: "Youyou, do you have any paper at home?"
"Youyou, go borrow some!" Youyou said, "But what are we going to do?"
These days, Meng Jinyu was busy with moving and divorce, but on the other hand, she was always thinking about how to find Jiang Shan as soon as possible.
Even if everyone forgets Shanshan, she and Youyou will never forget.
But this is not the future. There is no Internet and even telephones are not common. If she wants to borrow a phone to call the police station, she has to walk several miles to Dongli Commune.
The more excited we were when we set out, the more disappointed we were when we came back because the public security comrades could not find any information.
Is there no other way?
"Let's write a missing person notice and go to the street where Shanshan got lost and ask people one by one!" Meng Jinyu held Youyou's hand, "Why didn't I think of this earlier?"
Youyou doesn’t understand what a missing person notice is, but as long as there is a chance to find her brother, she must try!
It was dark now, but not too late, as the villagers had not yet gone to bed. Little Tuanzi put on his coat and set off.
Meng Jinyu was relieved that her child was looking for someone in the village. She pondered the contents of the missing person notice and felt more hopeful.
At the same time, she suddenly remembered the little notebook that Youyou had given her.
The little notebook belonged to Ruan Wenwen. After reading it, Meng Jinyu was sure that she, like herself, had awakened the memories of her past life.
No one would believe this if she told others about it, and the village cadres might even accuse her of being a feudal superstition. Therefore, Meng Jinyu never used this as evidence.
Now, the small notebook can be used to make drafts.
In the village, Youyou did not waste time. Based on her understanding of the villagers, she visited the homes of educated people.
However, no matter how educated the villagers of Fenglin Village are, they only know a few more words than the average person. The person with the highest education level is still her father!
Thinking of this, Youyou went straight back to the Jiang family.
The door was not locked. When Xiaotuanzi came in, everyone was still awake, but had already gone back to their rooms to rest.
It's not that she's not upright enough, it's just that she and her whole family are no longer good friends, and she doesn't want to go out of her way to say hello to them.
Youyou is on her mother's side now!
Where I grew up, even if there is no light, I can still find the way in the dark.
Youyou walked through the main room and went to the inner room where her parents used to sleep.
I thought I would run into my dad and stepmom, but who knew, there was no one in the house!
Youyou was still young and didn't know that for the sake of her last bit of ridiculous face and principles, Old Lady Jiang refused to let Jiang Huanming and Ruan Wenwen sleep in the same room before they officially got their marriage certificate.
In addition, Jiang Huanming was staying in the dormitory of his former unit for one night today, and there was no one in the room at all. Therefore, it was much easier for Xiaotuanzi to go into the inner room to find paper and pen.
Jiang Huanming's papers and pens were all in the compartments of the cabinet, neatly arranged together with the books he used to use.
Youyou took a lot of things at once, and also picked up a book, wanting to take it home for her mother to learn from.
But she didn't expect that as she was holding the book with her little arm, a photo fell out of the book.
She took a look and looked delighted.
It's a photo of their brothers and sisters when they were little!
At this time, footsteps were heard. Youyou quickly hugged all the things she had found and ran away in small steps.
…
Ruan Wenwen chased out the door.
These days, Old Lady Jiang let her live in the side room so that she wouldn't be laughed at when she went out to chat with her old sisters.
Ruan Wenwen felt that she was deceiving herself, as if by doing this, her little son would become a serious person.
But the old lady finally agreed to their marriage, and Ruan Wenwen didn't care about these little things.
She couldn't sleep just now and had nothing else to do, so she came out to the toilet and poured herself a glass of boiled water. Unexpectedly, she heard some noise coming from the inner room.
Looking closely, I saw that it was Youyou who came and took a lot of things!
Ruan Wenwen didn't know whether the mother and daughter were going to do something to harm her, so she followed them.
She arrived at the door of the thatched cottage at the end of the village. Through the window, she saw Meng Jinyu and Youyou writing with a hint of mockery in their eyes. She turned around and wanted to leave, but accidentally saw more clearly.
Why did Meng Jinyu hold the notebook that contained her memories of her past life?
Ruan Wenwen felt a little flustered.
"Jiang Shan."
"He is three years old. He is smart, quiet and timid."
"Lost in the supply and marketing——"
Immediately afterwards, Ruan Wenwen heard Meng Jinyu talking to herself.
"I know these words, but the pen doesn't obey me."
Youyou immediately said, "Practice! Just practice!"
"How do you write the word 'she' in supply and marketing cooperative?" Meng Jinyu searched in her textbooks and the various pamphlets that Youyou brought from the Jiang family. "Ah! I know. It's the word 'she' in socialism. Draw it first!"
"It's writing! Mom, it's writing, not drawing!"
Outside the house, Ruan Wenwen's heart was pounding and she ran away.
They are still looking for Jiang Shan.
And holding her own little notebook.
Could it be that they discovered something?
It shouldn't be the case. After Jiang Shan went missing, no one in the Jiang family suspected her. Even Youyou, who was such a shrewd little girl, didn't think that she did it on purpose.
Ruan Wenwen was upset and walked all the way back to Jiang's house.
The room was pitch black, and she walked quickly to the inner room to see if they had taken any evidence.
Late in the night, Jiang Cheng and Jiang Guo heard the noise and came out to take a look.
"Mom, what are you looking for?" Jiang Guo asked.
Ruan Wenwen was startled and quickly said, "Just take a look." After a pause, she tentatively asked, "I miss your brother. Guoguo, has Youyou mentioned your brother in the past two days?"
"I haven't played with Youyou for a long time." Jiang Guo patted his forehead and turned to Jiang Cheng and said, "If I had known, I would have left a steamed bun for Youyou. She hasn't eaten it yet."
Jiang Cheng didn't say anything, just stared at his stepmother.
So strange, why did she suddenly mention her brother?
Would a stepmother who once tried to sell Youyou really miss her younger brother?
…
Early the next morning, Jiang Huanming came back.
He had a full meal at a state-owned restaurant yesterday, then returned to his old dormitory to chat and laugh with his old co-workers, drank a few glasses of wine, then lay down on the bed and slept until dawn. He was so happy.
It's a rare thing, and people just laughed at it a lot in the beginning, but now it's nothing, right?
Even the law allows couples who are not in harmony to divorce. Once the divorce certificate is obtained, he will have nothing to do with Meng Jinyu and can start a new life.
In the future, he will have a well-educated and good wife, and a father-in-law and mother-in-law who can help him in his career. His life will definitely get better and better.
He was in a good mood and had a smile on his face. When he met the production team members who were on their way to work, he greeted them politely.
An old lady saw him smiling, so she came up to him and asked, "Huanming, how are you and Jinyu doing?"
"What's the matter? We're divorced!" Jiang Huanming said in a casual tone, "Aunt, blind marriages are no longer popular nowadays. Young people in the city are all in love freely. Jin Yu and I have no feelings for each other for a long time. It's better to get divorced as soon as possible."
The old lady said "Oh" in a long tone, and asked in confusion: "So you and that——that Wen at home, are in a free love relationship? But you two have been unfair to Jinyu in the past. In the future, you will see each other in the same village. How can Jinyu and the children feel good?"
Jiang Huanming smiled and said, "Aunt, this is because you can't keep up with the pace of young people. Although there are not many people getting divorced now, there are some. If the relationship is not good, it will torture each other. It is better to separate early! We still have so many children. Even if we get divorced, we will still be relatives in the future."
Jiang Huanming was trying to save his reputation, but the old lady didn't understand. She could only understand the last sentence:
They were a couple before, and now they have become relatives, so their relationship should not be bad, right?
The villagers of Fenglin Village, like the Jiang family, always believed that what Jiang Huanming, the most educated and promising one, said was the truth, especially since the old lady was a fence-sitter and would immediately side with him if the wind blew.
At this moment, she was thinking that people who were used to living in the city had particularly progressive ideas. They divorced and remarried, and they didn't take it seriously, so what else could outsiders say!
Maybe Meng Jinyu is willing to bless her ex-husband and Ruan Wenwen.
The old lady understood what was going on and prepared to talk it over with the other women before going to work in the fields.
Meng Jinyu is not in a hurry, so why should they be in a hurry?
Jiang Huanming succeeded in brainwashing people and was satisfied. He turned around and went home to change clothes and go to work.
Just at this moment, he saw from afar Meng Jinyu holding Youyou's hand and coming out of the end of the village.
The old lady's eyes were sparkling as she looked at Jiang Huanming and then at the mother and daughter.
Some members of the production team also stopped and looked around.
This is the time to prove yourself. Family disgrace should not be made public. Since it has already been made public, it is not too late to resolve the unpleasantness peacefully after the divorce.
As the saying goes, you shouldn't hit a smiling person. Jiang Huanming smiled and said kindly, "Where are you going? What are you holding? Youyou is dressed so beautifully, are you going to the city?"
After he finished speaking, he reached out and wanted to ruffle Youyou's soft hair.
However, the little dumpling was agile and dodged its head backwards, then jumped to the side with a "whoosh".
Jiang Huanming's hand froze in mid-air.
"Get out of the way." Meng Jinyu said this coldly and walked away with her little girl.
The fence-sitter from before looked at this scene and said, "Eh!" "She told you to get out of the way."
Jiang Huanming was defeated and his face looked as ugly as it could be.
All the words he had just spoken seemed to be the opposite, slapping himself in the face.
The members of the production team had seen enough of the show, so they got their tools and went to work, talking as they walked.
"There is no such thing as peaceful coexistence. Jiang Huanming is a heartless man. Jin Yu will never forgive him."
"He's so shameless to get married right after getting divorced. I thought Jin Yu was going to play along with him, but she didn't even bother to pay attention to him and told him to get lost!"
"But where is Jinyu going with the baby? Aren't you going to work today?"
"I heard that she took leave and went to town to look for her baby. It's not easy for her, as a woman with a baby, she has to earn work points and take care of the child. If it weren't for the kindness of the village head's family who helped her take care of the little girl, I guess her life would have been even more difficult."
"Her little son has been missing for ten days or half a month, right? The police station has been visited several times, but even the public security officers couldn't find him. How could she possibly find him?"
"It is estimated that he has been kidnapped a long time ago. It is impossible to find him back."
…
Early in the morning, Ruan Wenwen carried a large basin to the stream to wash clothes. From a distance, she could hear the villagers' voices.
She pursed her lips and smiled, then rubbed the clothes even harder.
At this time, a person came over from not far away.
Ruan Wenwen looked carefully and found that it was the deputy team leader of the production team.
"Hello, captain." Ruan Wenwen quickly stood up.
"You've been here for so many days, why haven't you gone to work in the fields yet?" asked the deputy captain.
Ruan Wenwen was stunned, she didn't want to go to the fields. Jiang Huanming could earn money anyway, and she had food and drink, so why should she go to the fields to work?
She doesn't care about those work points.
"Labor is the most glorious thing. I don't care whether you have a city or rural hukou. Once you come to the village, you have to work in the fields." He paused and pointed to the educated youth camp not far away. "Those young educated youth in the educated youth camp were also spoiled and brought up. Moreover, they are educated and are all scholars! You see, even scholars have to roll up their sleeves and wield hoes, don't they? What about you?"
The team leader and deputy team leader in the production team were both rough guys. Every day, they would walk around the fields with whistles, staring at the team members who were slacking off while working.
Ruan Wenwen had been targeted by them for a long time. Before she could even take a few days off, she was forced to work in the fields.
Ruan Wenwen thought that she must not be assigned to the cornfield, but as luck would have it, the cornfield was the only field that was short of people.
"Deputy Captain, can you let me move to another field? I touched a corn ear and my whole body is itchy. It won't heal for several days."
She grew up in the city and had never done farm work. When she pretended to be Meng Jinyu a while ago, she did some farm work for a while, but she was always lazy.
Now that everyone was staring at her, she couldn't be lazy any more, so she thought about asking the deputy captain to give her an easier job. She still remembered the unbearable itchy feeling when the corn cobs poked her hands last time.
"When you come to our production team, you have to work hard. Everyone is the same. If you don't want to do it, others won't want to do it either. But look at others, who complains about the hard work and who says they are tired?" the deputy team leader said unhappily.
Looking around, there were indeed quite a few team members in the cornfield.
The stalks and leaves have dried, and the corn kernels are full and look bright yellow.
The team members swung their sickles vigorously to cut down the corn stalks and placed them in rows. Some of the children who were helping in the fields did not have so much strength, so they worked together and tried their best to peel off the corn husks.
Although they were very tired, everyone's faces were filled with joy. In comparison, Ruan Wenwen's ideological awareness seemed very low.
"But I--" Ruan Wenwen pursed her lips, reluctant to get out of bed.
The team leader who heard the noise came over and said with a sullen face, "How difficult is it to harvest corn? Compared to that, it's easy. It's itchy, so just grit your teeth and get over it, isn't it?" He frowned as he said this, and looked Ruan Wenwen up and down, "Aren't you wearing long sleeves and long pants? It's enough to cover your arms and legs. Do you still want to wear a thick cotton-padded jacket in the middle of winter? Rural wives are not so delicate!"
Ruan Wenwen lowered her head after being accused.
The other team members in the field had known that they were going to harvest corn, and they were all fully armed. Not only did they wear long sleeves and long pants, but they also wore hats and gloves, and even their necks were covered tightly.
"Are you going or not?" the captain asked.
Ruan Wenwen felt very aggrieved, with tears in her eyes, but no one showed any sympathy for her, so she had no choice but to go down to the field.
She stretched out her hand and accidentally touched the corn cob. She tried to dodge but was accidentally pricked by it again.
She couldn't stand the itchiness and tears kept falling. She wiped them with the back of her hand, and immediately a row of red rashes appeared under her eyes.
When she thought about having to harvest corn for several days in a row, Ruan Wenwen wanted to cry even more. Her shoulders trembled and tears fell.
Unfortunately, no matter how pitifully she cried or how itchy she was, no one paid any attention to her because everyone was busy harvesting corn.
…
Youyou followed Meng Jinyu and took the bus to town.
Along the way, Meng Jinyu was holding the missing person notice, feeling anxious, while Youyou was holding the photo she found at Jiang's house yesterday, not daring to let go for a moment.
This was taken at a photo studio last year.
At that time, Jiang Guo was studying in the town. Seeing that his classmates had all gone to the photo studio to take photos, he also wanted to take photos.
Meng Jinyu couldn't persuade her, so she agreed.
At that time, Youyou and Shanshan were younger than they are now. Meng Jinyu thought that such young children didn’t need to buy tickets on the bus, so she brought them along.
A photo is very expensive, costing several cents.
Since the money has been given, of course the best thing to do is to squeeze in as many people as possible in the photo.
Therefore, this photo is the family portrait of the third branch of the Jiang family.
In the photo, Jiang Huanming and Meng Jinyu stood side by side and looked very unfamiliar. Fortunately, there were a few children among them to ease the atmosphere. At that time, Jiang Guo made a face and Jiang Cheng was trying to stop her, Youyou covered her mouth and giggled, while Shanshan was confused and blinked her eyes with a curious look on her face.
Although Jiang Huanming looked gloomy in the photo, the funny and smiling faces of the children still made Meng Jinyu's mouth curl up unconsciously.
When the mother and daughter arrived in the town, they immediately went to the road where Jiang Shan had gone missing to look for him.
"Comrade, have you seen this child in the photo?"
"He's about here in height, doesn't talk much, and has really big eyes."
"He was only two years old in the photo. He has grown a little this year, but his facial features have not changed much..."
Meng Jinyu walked and asked all the way. Although she knew that it was like looking for a needle in a haystack and the chance of finding Jiang Shan was slim, she had to try no matter what.
"Mom, where's the missing person notice?" Youyou said, "How about we put it on the wall?"
"No, the people at the street office will tear up the missing person notice." Meng Jinyu said, her eyes suddenly falling on some stores not far away.
There is a fabric store and a wonton shop over there. A few steps ahead is the supply and marketing cooperative where Youyou and Shanshan followed Ruan Wenwen to.
Meng Jinyu took Youyou to the door of the fabric store and said, "Comrade, can I put this missing person notice on your counter?"
The old tailor in the fabric store raised his eyelids and glanced at her quickly: "What missing person notice? If you want to find someone, you should go to the police."
"We have reported it to the police, but——"
Meng Jinyu was interrupted before she could finish her words.
"Then I can't do anything about it. We are not responsible for finding people here."
Meng Jinyu held the missing person notice in her hand.
Just as she was thinking about what to say, Youyou took the missing person notice.
She walked to the counter, tiptoed, and handed over the missing person notice and the photo.
"Grandpa, my brother is missing." Youyou's voice was soft and sticky. "Put this here. If anyone comes, let them take a look, okay?"
The old tailor paused his work and looked up at Youyou.
Youyou pursed her lips and took a step back cautiously.
The old man looked so serious that she was a little scared.
But the little girl's anxiety to find her brother overwhelmed her fear. She took a deep breath and whispered, "Grandpa, when we find our brother, we will come to your place to make clothes. Make lots of clothes..."
The old tailor then took the missing person notice and took a look at it.
"Please." Youyou put her two little hands together and made a gesture of asking.
He was moved by the child's sincerity and persistence.
"Put it here." The old tailor thought for a moment and then said, "Print another photo and put it under my glass cabinet."
"I'll go to the photo studio and ask!" Meng Jinyu's eyes sparkled with joy. She bowed vigorously to express her gratitude, then quickly pulled Youyou to find the photo studio without stopping for a moment.
…
Meng Jinyu gained a lot throughout the day.
She had several family photos redeveloped at the photo studio and asked store staff to put the photos in prominent places.
The sales clerks in state-owned stores are always more arrogant, but fortunately, everyone has good intentions, and after much persuasion, even if they are reluctant, they will still agree in the end.
"Can I still develop photos if I can't find the negatives? Do I have to take new photos and have them developed urgently? That price is not cheap, is it?" said the old tailor in the fabric store, pushing his reading glasses.
"I saved money for my baby," Meng Jinyu said with a smile. "No matter what I spend, it will be worth it as long as I can find my baby."
The old tailor looked at Meng Jinyu. She had a hard time. She had been busy all day and was reluctant to buy anything. Even her dry food was the coarse-grain cakes she brought with her, which she had to make do with water.
As for the little girl, her mother asked for a big bowl of hot wontons for her at noon, and she ate every drop.
Although she was fair and tender, her clothes and shoes were very old, and it was obvious that her home environment was not good.
This mother and daughter duo were not afraid of hard work and effort in order to find their lost child. Even if the old tailor's heart was made of stone, he would be moved.
…
When Ruan Wenwen returned home, she had red rashes all over her face, hands, neck and ears.
It's not that she is just being delicate. Among the team members who came out of the cornfield, her situation was the most unbearable to look at.
Some kind-hearted women saw this and taught her to use some traditional remedies to relieve the itching when she got home.
Ruan Wenwen was so itchy that she couldn't speak. She scratched her face and neck with her fingernails and wanted to jump into the hot water to soak.
"Stop scratching - it's getting more itchy!"
"Be patient, it will be fine tomorrow!"
Ruan Wenwen could not listen to any of these words. She just felt like a monkey picking lice in a zoo in the future, being watched by everyone.
She felt extremely aggrieved and ran back home with red eyes.
As soon as Ruan Wenwen returned home, she saw Jiang Guo running up to her.
"Mom! You're finally back. I don't know what to do at home alone. Now you can come back and talk to me!" Jiang Guo raised the corner of her mouth, and her pretty little face had a bright expression. She walked forward with a smile on her face, but after seeing Ruan Wenwen's face, she was startled and took a big step back.
"Guoguo, do you know any way to make me less itchy?" Ruan Wenwen grabbed Jiang Guo's hand as if she had grabbed the last straw.
"I don't know." Jiang Guo scratched his head, and suddenly trembled all over. He pulled his hand back, "Mom, don't touch me. If you touch me, my whole body will itch."
Ruan Wenwen's heart was chilled.
The corners of her mouth were extremely stiff, and she waved her hand: "Go and have fun."
Jiang Guo nodded: "Then I'll go!"
Just at this time, Jiang Huanming got off work and rode his bicycle back home. As soon as he arrived at the door of his house, he parked the bike, dipped a rag in water, and carefully wiped his beloved bike until it was shiny.
"Dad!" Jiang Guo ran forward, his steps brisk and full of energy, "Mom went to the cornfield to harvest corn, and her whole body is itchy."
In the kitchen, Ruan Wenwen was boiling water and wanted to wipe her body when she happened to hear what Jiang Guo said to Jiang Huanming.
Her nose felt slightly sore and she waited for him to comfort her.
But unexpectedly, when Jiang Huanming came in to pour her some boiled water, he just looked at her calmly and asked what she wanted to eat in the evening, just like usual.
Ruan Wenwen felt aggrieved all of a sudden, stomped her feet angrily and ran out.
Jiang Huanming rushed out to chase him: "What happened?"
"I'm tired after a day's work and feel itchy all over, but you don't care about me. Jiang Huanming, I've suffered so much following you, don't you feel sorry for me at all?" Ruan Wenwen's eyes were red and her nose was also red.
Seeing her making such a fuss, Jiang Huanming said in confusion: "Isn't it normal to work in the fields to earn work points? Everyone would do it."
Ruan Wenwen was so angry that she turned her head away, pouted her lips, snorted, and ignored him.
When Jiang Huanming saw Ruan Wenwen's delicate and gentle appearance, he suddenly found it quite novel. His mind moved and a sudden warmth seemed to flow through his chest.
"Don't be angry." Jiang Huanming said.
"Then you coax me." Ruan Wenwen's voice was very soft, as if she was acting coquettishly.
"To coax you--" Jiang Huanming touched the back of his head: "By the way, didn't you say you wanted to split up the family? I'll tell mom today."
"What if she doesn't agree?" Ruan Wenwen glared at him, "If we don't separate, my parents won't agree to my marrying you. Women in the city always stay single after marriage."
"She will agree. My mother listens to me. I will go and tell her after dinner." Jiang Huanming was not confident, but looking at Ruan Wenwen, he felt itchy and wanted to marry her home immediately.
"We'll talk about separation today, separate the property tomorrow, and get the marriage certificate the day after tomorrow." Jiang Huanming said, pulling Ruan Wenwen's hand.
Ruan Wenwen pursed her lips and smiled, then spread out her hands: "Where's the salary?"
"What?" Jiang Huanming asked.
"Don't think I don't know. Your company is distributing wages today." Ruan Wenwen pursed her lips and said unhappily, "You used to hand over your wages to your wife as soon as you got them. My second sister-in-law said so."
"This second sister-in-law!" Jiang Huanming made a "tsk".
Seeing that Jiang Huanming was fooled by her, Ruan Wenwen gently shook his arm: "I don't care. I've been wronged and I want to buy new clothes. Bragi, Dacron... I'll look good and you'll have face."
Jiang Huanming smiled: "Okay, okay, I'll buy them all for you."
Ruan Wenwen pursed her lips, smiled secretly, and waited for him to take out money and cloth coupons from his pocket.
"I also want to buy some vanishing cream!" Ruan Wenwen said again.
Jiang Huanming didn't know whether to laugh or cry, but he was not stingy and simply agreed.
Ruan Wenwen felt much better.
Beautiful clothes, expensive skin care products, delicious food from state-owned restaurants...
This is what a good life feels like. The clouds have finally cleared and the moon is visible!
However, just when a happy smile finally appeared on her lips, Jiang Guo suddenly ran over.
"Dad! Give me three dollars and fifty cents!" Jiang Guo spread out his hands, "And give my brother three dollars and fifty cents!"
Ruan Wenwen's mouth froze: "It's seven dollars in total. Why do you two kids need so much money?"
Jiang Huanming’s monthly salary is not that much. How can he buy her clothes and vanishing cream after taking seven yuan in one go?
She would stop him even if it cost her life!
"My brother and I are going to school. This is the tuition fee." Jiang Guo straightened his chest and spoke clearly, "Mom and Dad, I'm sensible now. You don't have to worry about me anymore!"
Jiang Huanming was stunned when he heard this, and then the joy in his eyes replaced the surprise: "Okay! Studying is good. If you are willing to study, I am willing to support you."
Jiang Guo smiled and ran to Ruan Wenwen. She wanted to hold her arm, but she was ticklish, so she put her hands behind her back and stood one meter away from her: "Mom! Are you happy for me too?"
Ruan Wenwen: …
Happy, so happy that my teeth almost broke.
…
Meng Jinyu and Youyou knew that even if they brought a missing person notice and a family photo, it would not be possible to find their brother so easily.
This is a long battle and they will not give up.
"It's getting late, let's go home." Meng Jinyu rubbed Youyou's head.
Youyou nodded obediently, and on the way to the bus, she would go into every store she passed to give a reminder.
"Sister, remember to let people see my brother's photo."
"Aunt, if my brother comes, can you recognize him? We live in a thatched house at the end of Fenglin Village. Remember to leave the address to my brother. My brother has a good memory and remembers it as soon as he hears it."
"Grandpa, I'll come over in a couple of days. You have to keep an eye on me and mom."
…
Looking at the little dumpling that had caused him so much worry, the old tailor didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
When the mother and daughter left, he lifted the glass top of the counter and gently stuffed the missing person notice and the photo into it.
This is the most conspicuous position and can be seen by everyone passing by.
The sun set and the sky gradually darkened.
The old tailor wiped the counter with a rag and prepared to close the shop and go home.
At this time, a female comrade parked her bicycle outside.
After getting off the bus, she came in and said, "Do you have any softer fabric? I want to make clothes for my child."
"Yes, comrade, come here and choose the fabric and pattern."
The female comrade walked in. She had a good eye and was quick in choosing fabrics. She picked out several styles at a glance.
"Take it out and let me feel the material," she said.
While the old tailor went to get the cloth, she found a tall wooden stool and sat down, bored, with her elbows on the counter and her chin supported by one hand.
"Comrade, are you making clothes for boys or girls?"
"boy."
"Is it your son? How old is he?"
"Well—about three years old."
Ye Meihe answered calmly, and suddenly her eyes fell on the family portrait on the counter.
She was startled, and she leaned forward, staring closely at the confused little boy in the family photo.
Isn’t this their child?
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