During the few days they stayed in Beijing, Liu Meiyu's family was basically busy every day. Today they went to □□, tomorrow they climbed the Great Wall, and the day after tomorrow they visited the park.
In order to accompany his three great-grandchildren, the old man gritted his teeth, leaned on a cane, and even climbed the Long March. He also asked the guards to carry a camera to take pictures along the way, and a lot of film wasted.
The triplets have been spoiled by their grandfather these past two days and they don’t even want their biological parents. When they see other children holding rare things on the street, they call them “Grandpa”.
We just came out of the zoo and saw a soda fountain in front of a state-owned store. The triplets grabbed their grandfather’s leg and said coquettishly, “Grandpa, is that yellow water good to drink?”
The old man smiled from ear to ear, waved his hand to the police officer, and said to the three kids, "That's soda. Grandpa bought it for Dabao, Erbao and Xiaobao to try!"
"Thank you, Grandpa!" The three brothers nodded their heads in tacit understanding.
So, in the middle of winter, the triplets, who were sweating profusely after playing, sat on the lounge chairs at the entrance of the zoo, each with a bottle of Arctic Ocean, and they lived a very comfortable life.
Liu Meiyu thought that it would only take a few days, so she just let the old man do as he pleased. Anyway, the three brothers would never get the same treatment again when they returned to the island.
"Meiyun, let's go out by ourselves tomorrow." Lu Changzheng finished his soda in a few gulps and squeezed in next to his wife, watching her sip through the straw.
"Why?" Liu Meiyu shifted her gaze away from the triplets, turned around and saw the silly expression on the man's face, then she understood.
Frowning, she said with some concern, "I wonder if Grandpa and the others can do it? What if the three boys make trouble?"
"It's okay. Aunt Wu and the others are here. Bowen is old enough and can help to comfort her." Lu Changzheng finally took his wife back to Beijing. The vacation was almost over, so he thought that he should go out and spend some time alone with his wife!
He is not happy to serve three little ancestors every day.
"Then go and talk to Grandpa yourself."
Liu Meiyun was not unhappy to leave the triplets behind and go out for a day.
After being someone's mother for so long, I really miss the days when I was free and could go wherever I wanted.
When the old man heard that Lu Changzheng wanted to take his wife out for a walk alone, he didn't say a word and just asked her to come back later so as not to delay the development of his relationship with his great-grandson.
So early the next morning, when the triplets got up from bed and looked for their mother and found that she was not there, they started crying pitifully.
Grandpa and Mother Wu were busy trying to coax the baby, giving him snacks and toys. The guards held him one by one and played with him on the flying trapeze. They played for an hour or so and their arms were almost broken before they finally coaxed him into submission.
The house was in chaos as if there was a war, but Lu Changzheng and Liu Meiyu, the biological father and mother, were enjoying this rare time alone.
Lu Changzheng rode a 28-inch bicycle with his wife, traveling through the streets and alleys of the capital. The scenery was beautiful, the people were pretty, and even the sound of the bicycle bells sounded crisp and pleasant.
The two of them went to the state-owned hotel to have breakfast early. Without the three children making noise nearby, Liu Meiyu had a rare appetite and ate half a fried dough stick and half a bowl of tofu pudding. The rest was given to Lu Changzheng.
"Where are we going?" Liu Meiyu couldn't help but wonder as she sat on the back seat of the bicycle.
"We'll be there soon." Lu Changzheng kept it a secret with a smile.
When Liu Meiyu saw Lu Changzheng riding his bicycle gradually towards Shichahai, she vaguely guessed something in her heart and couldn't help but smile.
The Shichahai Ice Rink at the foot of the Imperial City was a great place to relax and date for young people in the 1960s and 1970s who had few entertainment activities.
When Liu Meiyun came to Beijing on a business trip last year, she heard from the local boss that they dated in parks and other places! In the winter, they brought their partners to the ice rink and taught them how to skate. There was inevitably some physical contact, but they taught them the key points of the movements seriously. As long as it was not excessive, the patrolmen outside the ice rink would not say anything.
"We're here. I'll buy the tickets and then take you to see the shoes!" Lu Changzheng parked his bicycle and excitedly went to the window to queue up to buy the tickets.
Liu Meiyu stood under the big tree waiting, and straightened her clothes at the same time.
She was going out to play today, so she wore a red plaid cotton jacket, which was made by her mother Wu. It was not only warm but also not bulky. She also wore around her neck the big red wool scarf that her good friend Song Hongying gave her when she left the art troupe, and she wore woolen gloves given to her by her aunt Lu Wanjun. She didn't feel cold at all, especially when she saw Lu Changzheng standing in the crowd with high spirits, smiling and waving at her. She felt warm all over, especially in her heart.
Fortunately, they arrived early and the ticket line was not particularly long. Lu Changzheng quickly bought two tickets and then took Liu Meiyu to the state-owned store next door to pick out ice skates.
"You may not know how to do it your first time, so let's buy the simple ones." Lu Changzheng's eyes fell on the shelves. Just as he was about to ask the salesperson for the size, his wife pulled his sleeve.
"No, I want to be like you. I have a strong learning ability."
Liu Meiyu ignored the man and picked the pair of folding legs herself. Lu Changzheng wanted to persuade her at first, but then he thought better of it and told him to be more careful and try not to let his wife fall.
But when he entered the ice rink, Lu Changzheng was a little dumbfounded.
He had just told his wife the key points of the movements, and then took her for two laps, and she was able to stroll around in circles on her own, yet she still complained that he was getting in the way.
"Meiyun, have you played this before? How come you are so good at it?" Lu Changzheng couldn't believe it.
He grew up in the capital, and when he was only a few years old he followed his friends from the compound to Shichahai to skate. He had never seen anyone learn as quickly as his wife.
Liu Meiyun skated expertly and calmly said, "I am your wife, the lead dancer of the cultural troupe. As long as you master the balance and movements, it shouldn't be difficult, right?"
"Well, my wife, you are really smart!" Lu Changzheng couldn't help but give her a thumbs up in praise.
Especially when you see Liu Meiyun moving gracefully around the ice rink, her free and agile figure, and her charming eyes, you can't take your eyes away.
Lu Changzheng followed Liu Meiyun with a foolish look. The two skated freely on the ice rink and did not deliberately sit together. However, the look in each other's eyes was full of tacit understanding.
Many young people nearby couldn't help but cast envious glances.
"Qingyang, look at that girl, she's so pretty, and her skates are so smooth!" In the crowd, a man who had just put on his ice skates saw the pretty figure in the center of the ice rink and couldn't help but say to his companion.
Chen Qingyang looked up subconsciously, and when he saw the pair of eyes that had appeared countless times in his dreams, his body froze.
A few years ago, at the military gate, in the gap between the art troupe's military truck, he saw a pair of eyes that he would never forget in his life, and that big red scarf.
"I'm not lying to you, it's really beautiful!" When the man saw his companion's reaction, he knew that he was also surprised.
"But it seems like she has a partner. You see, she's been smiling at that guy." Li Jianan saw a tall man with his back to him from a distance and he couldn't see his face. When he put on his ice skates and skated over and saw the man's outline, he was even more surprised than Chen Qingyang just now.
"Lu Changzheng!"
Lu Changzheng was telling his wife about the embarrassing things he did when he was ice skating as a child when suddenly a big face appeared in front of him.
"Jian'an?"
Li Jianan was so surprised that he threw a punch. Although he was blocked by someone, he was very happy: "When did you come back? Why didn't you tell me? I asked someone to pick you up! Oh my god, you haven't been back for several years!"
"I've only been back for a few days. I was planning to visit you guys in a couple of days to reminisce." Lu Changzheng smiled and gave the man a pat on the shoulder.
Lu Changzheng was not surprised to meet his childhood friends here, as they were all from Beijing. Those of his childhood friends who did not join the army just hung around Beijing doing nothing every day. Li Jianan was one of them, and it was said that he had a leisurely job in the Food Bureau.
However, the man next to Li Jianan was a stranger. He was very handsome and stood out among the crowd. He had been staring at his wife. Lu Changzheng glanced at him sharply and asked, "Jianan, is this your friend?"
"My cousin, Chen Qingyang. We played together when we were kids!" Li Jianan also noticed that Chen Qingyang was absorbed in looking at the girl next to Lu Changzheng, and felt a little embarrassed. After pulling the girl over and briefly introducing her, he smiled and asked Lu Changzheng, "Who is this?"
"My wife, Liu Meiyu." Lu Changzheng replied.
Li Jianan's eyes widened and he gave him a thumbs up: "No wonder you made your old man so angry that he had to fight with the Sun family to marry her. Amazing!"
The fact that Lu Changzheng had offended the Sun family because of marrying a wife had long been known in their circle.
Everyone was very curious about what kind of woman could make Lu Changzheng act like he was under a spell, not only get married quickly, but also completely offend the Sun family.
"Hello." Liu Meiyu stood next to Lu Changzheng and greeted them with a smile.
She has not forgotten Chen Qingyang, whom she had only glanced at once. He was Qin Xiaoyue's childhood friend and fell in love with the original owner at first sight in the previous life. However, before the sparks could be created, the original owner was unlucky.
She didn't have any feelings for this Chen Qingyang. Although he was indeed very handsome, it had nothing to do with her. It was like meeting a stranger.
"Hey, hello, Comrade Liu!" Ever since Li Jianan knew that this beautiful woman was the young wife that Lu Changzheng was determined to marry at all costs, he dared not keep his eyes on her for too long.
After all, they grew up together, so he knew Lu Changzheng's temper.
"Lu Changzheng, you are so mean. You came back without saying anything. I will set up a game tomorrow. Bring your wife and we can have a get-together."
Lu Changzheng did not agree immediately, but looked at his wife for advice.
Liu Meiyun smiled and said, "I have no objection, as long as you are not afraid of your son causing trouble."
"You both have children!" Li Jianan was surprised. To be honest, Liu Meiyu didn't look like someone who had already given birth to a child. If Lu Changzheng was not around, he wouldn't have thought that she was married.
"Nonsense, my son is already three years old." Lu Changzheng rolled his eyes at the man.
Li Jianan shrugged awkwardly. Well, they have been married for a long time.
"That's all right. Bring your son along. Everyone has a family these days. We'll be at my house tomorrow. Don't be shy. I'll call Da Zhuang and the others along. We haven't seen each other for so long. Let's just have a good reunion."
"Okay." Lu Changzheng nodded decisively.
Li Jianan wanted to spend the afternoon with his good brother, but was ruthlessly driven away by Lu Changzheng. "My husband is at home taking care of the kids. My wife and I finally have a chance to spend some time alone. Please don't waste my time. See you tomorrow!"
Lu Changzheng left the person behind and left the ice rink with his wife.
They had played on the ice rink for a whole morning and that was enough. His wife was too beautiful and too eye-catching. When more and more people came to the rink, he didn't like other men's eyes lingering on his wife, especially Li Jianan's cousin, who stared at his wife. Lu Changzheng was not very willing to stay there any longer.
"Where are we going now?" After Liu Meiyu came out of the ice rink, her body was still warm, and she was waiting for the man to arrange it.
"Let's watch a movie." Lu Changzheng had already made a plan. He rode his bicycle and took his wife to the cinema.
Liu Meiyu let the man arrange everything for her and she didn't have to think about or worry about anything.
This time the movie was a rare romance. Although the story progressed slowly and monotonously, it was rare that there were no noisy children around. Liu Meiyun watched it with gusto. However, Lu Changzheng did not have that kind of patience. He just secretly looked at his wife the whole time. He was not interested in what the story was about.
After watching the movie, Lu Changzheng took her to a department store in Beijing for a shopping spree.
"Wife, pick out two sets of clothes and I'll buy them for you." Lu Changzheng pulled her to the clothing counter with an attentive look on his face.
Liu Meiyun was very happy, but she also asked: "Haven't you handed in all your allowance? How can you afford to buy me clothes?"
"I have extra subsidies for the New Year." The man touched the back of his head and said carefully, "I haven't paid that yet. If you are angry, I will start paying next year."
"No need!" Liu Meiyu laughed, pinched the man's arm, and said angrily: "I'm not a bad daughter-in-law, and I plan to increase your pocket money next year. In the future, you don't have to pay so much to your family. You can keep more on yourself and don't have to report it to me."
"That won't work." Lu Changzheng was not very happy about the increase in pocket money. Instead, he looked anxious: "The third kid is eating more and more. There are many places to spend money at home. I don't need much. I will ask you for more when I need it."
“…”
"It's up to you." Liu Meiyu was speechless. She was not happy about raising the salary for others.
"Comrade, how much is that skirt?" Liu Meiyu returned her gaze to the counter. Although she couldn't wear this kind of skirt most of the time when she was at home taking care of the children, as a woman, she could never have too many clothes.
"This one's thirty-five!" the salesperson glanced at it and said directly.
"Please take it down and let me see it." Liu Meiyu communicated with others with a smile.
Seeing that the two women were dressed decently and did not seem like the type who just wanted to look without buying, the salesperson took down the skirt.
Liu Meiyu touched the fabric. It wasn't pure cotton, but it didn't feel bad. She nodded to the man and said, "Let's take this. The size is suitable."
Lu Changzheng smiled and said, "Okay, let's pick two more!"
Liu Meiyun glanced at the counter and shook her head, "This one looks better."
As for the others, they were not as good as the ones made by Wu’s mother at home. It’s not that the fabric was bad, but that she didn’t like the style or color.
"Then put this up." Lu Changzheng took out the cloth coupons and money and handed them to the salesperson.
The salesperson saw that the man was generous and bought a skirt for thirty-five yuan for his wife without blinking an eye. This was a month's salary for others, and the skirt had been hanging from summer to winter, and only a few were sold.
But when she took another look at Liu Meiyu's enviable face wrapped in the red scarf, she understood.
Who made me look prettier than the big stars in magazines?
After coming out of the clothing counter, Liu Meiyu pulled Lu Changzheng to the men's clothing section.
"Wife, I don't need anything."
Lu Changzheng usually wore military uniform when he was in the army and didn't need any clothes all year round. The few clothes he wore at home were bought for him by his wife before. They were in good condition and had no holes in them.
"Don't worry about it and don't pay. Just buy it when I say so!" Liu Meiyu was too lazy to argue with others, so she said it directly and decisively, blocking the words that were about to come out of Lu Changzheng's throat.
"Comrade, take off that white shirt, those trousers, and that belt and show them to me." Liu Meiyu did not allow Lu Changzheng to express his opinion, but pointed at the sample clothes and demonstrated them to him.
It cost sixty-five yuan to buy a set, and he also needed cloth coupons. Even if Lu Changzheng wanted to pay, he didn't have any extra money.
But Liu Meiyu was not short of money, so she paid the bill without blinking an eye. But she was still not satisfied, so she bought two pairs of cashmere socks for Lu Changzheng.
"Wife, you bought me too much."
Seeing his wife buying so many clothes for him, Lu Changzheng felt uncomfortable and said, "Buy yourself a few more. I'm a grown man, I don't need to dress so well!"
"Okay, I won't buy it for you anymore. Let's go buy it for Grandpa, Aunt Wu, and my aunt."
Once a woman's pleasure in shopping is aroused, it is difficult for her to stop, especially when she has plenty of money and free labor around her.
"This hat suits Grandpa, look how warm it is"
"My aunt's watch seems to be a little inaccurate. Buy her a newer one."
"These cotton shoes are suitable for Mother Wu."
"Bowen will definitely like this pencil case."
"…"
This was the second time that Lu Changzheng had encountered this kind of situation in his entire life. The last time was when he got married in Shanghai and he and his mother-in-law were buying supplies for their home.
It seemed as if the money in my wife's pocket was endless, and the key was that she had all kinds of bills. They walked from upstairs to downstairs and went to almost every counter. His hands were full, and by the time he left the state-owned store, it was almost dark.
"Wife, where did you get so many tickets?" Lu Changzheng couldn't help but be curious.
"I have a fellow villager who went to a rural area near us. He got it done in the countryside." Liu Meiyu casually brought up Yao Shunliu.
Lu Changzheng nodded and said nothing.
When the couple returned to the military compound with a bunch of spoils, Liu Meiyu was worried that her husband would be unhappy and think that she was spending money lavishly. But to her surprise, her husband was not only happy, but also handed her a passbook.
"Spend what you need to spend! If you don't have enough money, grandpa has more here! What's the point of keeping things that you can't take into the coffin when you die if you don't spend them!" The old man is very open-minded.
Moreover, most of the things bought by my granddaughter-in-law were for family members, and she didn't have much for herself.
"Grandpa, I really don't want this. The gift you gave me when Changzheng and I got married is still untouched. If you give me more money, both of us will be embarrassed!" Liu Meiyu couldn't accept it no matter what. The old man's family assets were almost used up, and she couldn't take it no matter what.
Not only was she not allowed to take it, she had also discussed with Changzheng that when she left, she would secretly give her grandfather some New Year's money and put it under his pillow, as a sign of filial piety.
Seeing that his grandson's wife was determined not to accept it, the old man gave up. He put on his new hat with a smile on his face, and went to play with his great-grandson in a good mood.
The next day, when Lu Changzheng went to Li Jianan's house for a gathering, he brought not only his wife but also his three sons.
It’s nothing, I just wanted to show off my baby.
As far as he knew, there were quite a few singles among his childhood friends, so he simply brought them along to attract hatred.
When Li Jianan and his group heard that Lu Changzheng was returning to Beijing with his wife and children to visit relatives and get together, they all went to Li Jianan's house early to wait.
After much effort and with everyone's joint efforts, the table was not filled with enough hot dishes, so they packed up a few dishes from the state-owned hotel and served them on the table. Then, Lu Changzheng finally showed up with his wife and children.
"Lu Changzheng, whose children did you bring? And you brought three at once!" When Li Jianan opened the door, he was startled by three little monkeys dressed exactly the same.
What a family, triplets, they are all so cute, chubby and white, making you want to pinch and hug them.
"Didn't you ask me to bring our sons here?" Lu Changzheng pushed open the door, and the triplets immediately walked in on their short legs, not timid at all.
"Lu Changzheng, you are not the one? These three are yours!"
"Oh my god, Brother Changzheng, where did you find this little sister-in-law? She's so pretty!"
The group of people who were originally sitting around the table in the room suddenly became furious.
They all grew up playing together naked as kids. Some of them are married with children, some are still going on blind dates, and some are simply too lazy to even look for one. But suddenly, they see Lu Changzheng, whom they haven't seen for a few years, coming back from a visit to his relatives in the army. Not only does he have a beautiful and stunning young wife, but he also has three lovely sons. Who wouldn't be jealous? Who wouldn't be envious!
"My husband has work today, otherwise I would be left home." When Lu Changzheng and his wife sat over, the triplets were already being held and teased by different people, just like beckoning cats or teasing dogs.
Liu Meiyu just sat there and smiled faintly, not exposing him.
Just show off your child and make up for it.
"Sister-in-law, what do you like about Brother Lu? He used to be very cruel to girls." A girl with short hair and sweet dimples when she smiled, holding the chubby Dabao in her arms, couldn't help but ask Liu Meiyu curiously.
Before Liu Meiyun could even say anything, someone laughed and said, "Cui Dayuan, are you still thinking about the time when you were a kid and tried to be nice to Brother Lu and got scolded and cried?"
"Call me Cui Yuanyuan! Ivory can't come out of a dog's mouth. That happened hundreds of years ago. Why don't you bring it up again?" The girl yelled at the man and then turned to Liu Meiyun with a smile and explained, "Sister-in-law, don't listen to his nonsense. We were young and ignorant. When we were playing games, I wanted to play the role of Brother Lu's wife, but he scolded me and said it was troublesome to lead soldiers to war and bring a wife with you."
Cui Yuanyuan has been hanging out with Lu Changzheng and his friends since she was a child. Although she looks cute, her personality is similar to that of a boy. She is carefree and straightforward, but she can also be delicate at times and is afraid that Liu Meiyu will think too much.
But to her surprise, Liu Meiyun not only didn't think much about it, but also joked cheerfully: "He was not very popular when he was a child!"
Cui Yuanyuan's eyes lit up, and she instantly fell in love with Liu Meiyu, who was beautiful, had a good personality, and spoke freely and unpretentiously.
So, the two of them hit it off right away, sitting together with endless topics to talk about.
Cui Yuanyuan told Liu Meiyun about the embarrassing things that happened to them when they were little, and Liu Meiyun told them about the life stories of the triplets on the island...
The people at the table were all Lu Changzheng's most familiar companions. When Liu Meiyu listened to their stories, she felt as if she had also participated in the years before Lu Changzheng met her.
Simple and pure, yet it touches people's hearts.
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