Chapter 42(1)
Li Zhongxia has been taking care of her daughter these days and knows her problem of not wanting to get out of the bath once she's done. I thought there would be another quarrel, but when the little guy saw his mother leaving, he stood up and started to chase after her.
"Wait, Daddy will dry you off and get dressed. Mommy won't leave, you sleep with her today."
After hearing this, the little guy calmed down. After dad put on the little skirt for her and put her on the kang, she walked towards Gu Yan staggeringly.
"Mother."
Gu Yan reached out to catch the child, patted her and held her in her arms, letting the little one smear saliva on her face. In return, she kissed the little guy's tender and soft face several times. After the mother and son played for a while, she put the child to bed.
"Be good and close your eyes. Mommy will sing a lullaby for you."
Li Zhongxia quietly went to get some water and came back having washed up. He was wearing a tank top and shorts. The arm muscles are strong. With broad shoulders, narrow waist and long legs, she is simply a walking hormone.
"Li Zhongxia, what's Niuniu's name?"
"Li... Tiemei." Facing Gu Yan's mischievous smile, he added, "Her mother named her that."
Oh! Fanatics, your daughter's name has a strong sense of the times. No wonder I divorced a “backward” person like you.
The man lifted his legs onto the kang and looked at his daughter who was sleeping soundly between them. He raised his hand and extinguished the oil lamp. There are no stars or moon tonight, and it is pitch dark in the room.
"Go to sleep, you are tired after a long day."
Seeing that he didn't say much, Gu Yan also lay down and went to sleep. After one night, the child came between the two of them, and two families were separated. They all had their own secrets, and the previous intimacy seemed to be suddenly divided.
"I'm such a bad father. Her mother wrote to me and told me she had a daughter and asked me to name her. But I was too busy at that time. I wrote the reply but forgot to send it. When we talked on the phone again, the child had already been registered." The man chuckled. "We've been married for ten years, but we've been living apart. The time we've been together is less than three months in total. We don't communicate enough and don't know each other's preferences at all."
"No way. Ten years of marriage, and less than three months together. Li Zhongxia, aren't you exaggerating?" Feeling that he wanted to get closer, Gu Yan also cooperated in the small talk.
“That’s not an exaggeration at all.”
The man leaned towards her, his voice sounding extremely sincere in his ease. The momentary silence just now made him feel uneasy, as if the quicksand in his palm was seeping away bit by bit. The urge to hold on to Momo tightly made him feel that he should say something.
"She's very busy at work." He smiled gently. "I'm also very busy at work. Especially since the army is open all year round. When we first got married, I finally managed to find time to visit her, but she happened to be on a business trip. She managed to find time to visit me, but it happened to be a military exercise, so we didn't even get to see each other. After two such coincidences, we stopped bothering each other."
"Two workaholics." This kind of situation is very common in this era, and there are also many people like them who get divorced because of the general environment. After this special period, most couples will remarry. It is because many people left their homes and careers to work hard at their jobs that our country was able to take off.
"What about you? You live in the same brigade. Han Laoer hasn't harassed you and the children over the years, right?" I wanted to get to know her better, but I always felt that I couldn't connect them together. Just thinking about it makes me feel uncomfortable.
"He dares. He is just a coward. You don't have to care about him." Gu Yan yawned. "Go to sleep quickly. Don't wake up Niuniu."
The lights-out night talk ends here. Li Zhongxia still didn't fall asleep until he heard her even breathing. After they got married, there were naturally people who would tell him about her past.
She married into this village at the age of seventeen and lived in the Han family for eight years. Then she got pregnant with twins, had a falling out with her husband's family, got divorced, and left with the children.
A woman was forced into such a desperate situation that she fought back like crazy and broke up with them. How perverted must Han Laoer be to make her so alert after sex.
In the dark night, the man was tense all over, his hands were clenched into fists, and he gritted his teeth as if he wanted to pick out that bastard and teach him a lesson.
He turned around and looked at his wife, listening to her shallow breathing. The faint, almost imperceptible rhythm stirred his thoughts. After living for more than thirty years, this was the first time he experienced the feeling of loving someone.
The next day, the sky, which had been clear for many days, began to drizzle. It was the old farmer's only day off. Gu Yan sighed and said, "God is taking care of us. He knew that everyone was tired from working, so it rained so that everyone could have a rest."
The Dahua sisters went to the commune central school to take their final exams. Gu Yan had already gone to the kitchen early to make some scallion egg pancakes for the children to take as lunch. I gave the child an umbrella and rain boots, and stuffed a bag of biscuits into his schoolbag.
"Mom, you brought too much."
"Xu Wade is going crazy. It's actually scallion egg pancakes and biscuits."
I've gotten used to it over the years. My classmate Xu Wafen will definitely help me bring things. Aunt Xu's family didn't feed any pigs, so the children had to collect grass for the pigs almost every day. Mom would always prepare a little extra food for them.
Li Zhongxia went to feed the pigs, while Gu Yan was cleaning up the dishes in the kitchen, listening to the noises in the main room with his ears pricked up. With my mother-in-law around, she should be able to keep an eye on the children and prevent them from doing anything dangerous. Niu Niu is a very well-behaved child. She can play for a long time by herself without making any noise. It makes people feel at ease to have her older sisters and older brothers around.
"Crow, Crow, are you there?"
When Gu Yan heard the voice, he hurried out. Why did the original elder sister come? Didn’t they break up because of the death of the original body’s mother a few years ago? How come you are here again?
This person has a kind heart, but it is hard to describe how he feels about my mother's family. The two of them have different values. She is unwilling to bow to her family and says that she will never have a sister like her. We haven’t been in touch since then, why are you back now? Are you going to force her to go back to her parents' home again?
"Yes. Sit in your room."
In any case, she was not so stingy as to refuse to receive a kind sister who had taken care of her original self. He led her into the house and made her a cup of brown sugar water. Sister Gu greeted her sister's new mother-in-law who was lying on the kang, and then sat down on the chair on the west side.
"What are you doing to me? Hurry up and share it with the children."
"They have it, so just drink it." Gu Yan smiled, as if the previous breakup between the two sisters had never happened. "Sister, are you here to see me, or are you just passing by?"
"I heard you got married, so I came to see you." Then she took out the thing in her arms and said, "Three feet of floral cloth, enough to make a vest. I don't have anything good to say, but I'm relieved to see that you're doing well."
He actually gave her the flowered cloth, Gu Yan suddenly became puzzled. How could her elder sister, who couldn't even decide on a pound of sweet potatoes at home, have three feet of floral cloth at her disposal?
"I haven't finished washing the pots and dishes yet. Sister, come with me to the kitchen so we can chat for a while."
"Okay." The woman agreed. Gu Yan brought the brown sugar water he had prepared for her, and the two sisters went to the small shed one after the other. After chatting for a long time, I still couldn't find out what the woman was doing.
"Sister, do you really have nothing else to talk to me about?" It's better to just say it directly. She looks a little embarrassed, and if I don't ask her directly, she probably won't be able to open her mouth. Seeing that Li Zhongxia couldn't even speak just now, she sent the man to the main room to look after the children.
"I... am fine." After struggling for a long time, he only uttered these two words. The woman looked up at the sky and said, "The rain has stopped. I should go now. I still have a lot of work to do at home."
"Sister, are you really okay?"
"……without."
After the woman left, Gu Yan remembered that he had forgotten to ask her to take the floral cloth. I just let her eat the pancake. If I don't take it back, I'll get beaten. Give her a few more dollars. I was going to give her that last time, but we ended up parting on such a bad note.
"I'm going to be out for a while, please take care of the child!" After giving instructions through the window, Gu Yan ran out in a hurry. We haven’t walked far yet. We should be able to catch up.
Walking north along the road in the village, I heard a man yelling loudly just after leaving the village: "What's wrong with you? I asked you to borrow money from your sister, why did you come out empty-handed without saying anything?"
"I... I don't have the nerve to ask. Crow has four children by herself, and we haven't helped her at all. Now that she's just married and we're going to borrow money, how will her in-laws look at her?"
"You've been thoughtful. If you don't lend me the money, I'll..."
"What are you doing? Do you want to hit someone?" Gu Yan had a cold look on his face as he grabbed the wrist of his cheap brother-in-law. He exerted force on his hands and his face changed immediately due to the pain. He continued to struggle and couldn't break free, so he quickly begged for mercy.
"Sister-in-law, don't do it, don't do it. How dare I hit your sister? I was just threatening her..."
Gu Yan pinched him hard, causing him to cry out in pain, and then he let go. "I'm warning you. Don't fight with my sister in the future. Otherwise, I will destroy you."
"Oh, I didn't do it. I didn't..."
Gu Yan secretly put the handkerchief into his sister's pocket: "Why do you want to borrow money?"
"It's nothing. It's just..."
"Your nephew and Gouzi are getting married, but they don't have enough money for the betrothal gift. My relatives borrowed fifteen cents, but your brother didn't lend a cent. That's why..."
She didn't know her brother-in-law, so she turned around and looked at her eldest sister questioningly. Sister Gu nodded, "It's okay, we'll find a way. The main reason is that the brigade has been issuing IOUs for the past few years, otherwise, this wouldn't have happened."
"How much more?"
"Twenty is enough. I'll pay it back as soon as the brigade cashes the IOU." The elder brother-in-law was not so powerful anymore and smiled apologetically at his younger sister-in-law. My sister-in-law is feeding the mission pigs, and she can get cash when she sells them to the purchasing station.
Gu Yan took out two big unity notes from his pocket and handed them to the eldest sister. The woman took them and said quickly, "I'll send them to you when the team fulfills the promise."
"Yes, don't worry, sister-in-law. I will pay you back as soon as the team delivers. I will never default on my debts."
"Don't fight with my sister in the future." Gu Yan reiterated: "Young couples grow old together. You are middle-aged and will become grandparents soon. My elder sister has worked hard all her life. You should at least give her the respect she deserves."
"Oh, no, I won't do it. I'll change this bad habit in the future."
Sister Gu suddenly burst into tears and covered her face, not daring to face her sister. She always thought that her brothers from her natal family were her support, and she even went against her sister for this. But they have never said a word for her over the years. Instead, the girl lent her money for emergency without holding a grudge and even complained for her.
"Crow, I'm sorry."
"Why are you saying this? If you hadn't helped me when I was little, I wouldn't have grown up this big. You're my biological sister, how can there be any hatred between biological sisters? Just talk it out."
"Yes, there is no such thing as overnight hatred between two sisters."
Gu Yan looked at the sky and it seemed like it was going to rain again. He urged his sister: "If you want to go back, hurry up. It may rain again."
"Hey, sister-in-law, let's go now. We'll come to see you next time."
"Yeah. Remember not to fight with my sister again, otherwise I won't forgive you."
"I see. Your sister is so lucky to have you as her sister. Don't you know how to be nice to your brother-in-law? Look at my arm, it's all bruised."
"You deserve it. Don't you always leave me bruised and blue when you do that?" Sister Gu was very happy, feeling a sense of joy at how things change. Start to ridicule men.
"Oh, I get it. Woman, I have to stop taking action against you from now on."
When Gu Yan heard this conversation, he shook his head and smiled, then turned around and saw Li Zhongxia. "When did you come?"
"Just arrived. I was worried about you so I came to check on you."
Gu Yan pulled him and said, "Hurry up, it's going to rain." The two of them ran all the way home, and Gu Yan finally spoke to explain his confusion, "You kept talking, I thought it was something difficult. In the end, you just borrowed money, twenty."
The two of them sat in the ear room, and Li Zhongxia wiped his hair with a towel. He turned around and took out a small bag from the box and gave it to her.
"Is this?" Gu Yan took the small package but did not open it rashly.
"My belongings will be kept by you from now on."
Hand over your property! Gu Yan opened the small bag with a giggle, flipped through it and widened his eyes. "Li Zhongxia, how do you have so much money? And tickets."
"My salary was not bad before! I always split the bill with my ex-wife, and I hardly had any money to spend in the army. Over the years, I have saved some money." The man smiled and said, "It will be gone in the future, so you should plan your spending accordingly."
"You and your ex-wife actually split the bill?"
"She said that women in the new era don't need men to support them. After we had a child, I paid child support every month. It was all directly given to her mother. We also agreed during the divorce that when our son grew up, he would belong to her and I would take care of Niuniu."
"Good personality." Gu Yan was now really curious about his ex-wife. Women in this era actually went AA with their husbands. The two of them didn't see each other for many years and didn't interfere with each other. If it were the same environment in later generations, would people be the type who believe in not getting married?
“It’s very individual.”
Gu Yan stood up and returned the bag to him, grinning and blinking: "Am I very unique like this?"
Li Zhongxia was really confused. How could he marry two wives, neither of whom wanted him to support the family? Other families' wives have to keep all their husbands' wages in their hands, for fear that their husbands will spend the money recklessly. Or maybe you have some fancy ideas. What's your mentality? Do I look so safe and reliable?
"Haha..." Gu Yan smiled, raised his hand and pulled it back. "I don't want a personality. My man's money is my money, and I will be in charge of it from now on."
"Well, it was meant for you."
It turns out that watching my wife sitting cross-legged counting money can also give me a feeling of peace and happiness. Li Zhongxia was thinking about his future life and what he could do to make life better for his wife and children.
Three days later, Dahua and Xiaohua officially had their summer vacation. The two children led their younger brother and sister into the house holding their notification letters and final exam papers.
Dahua rushed to the front, lifted the door curtain and shouted loudly: "Mom, mom, guess how much I scored this time?"
Gu Yan stopped making shoes and gently ran the needle tip across his scalp. : "You are so happy, you must have passed."
Dahua's smile was as bright as the magnolia on the branch. She went over, hugged Gu Yan, and shook him coquettishly. "Mom, everyone said you did well on the test, how could you just barely pass? Guess, guess again."
After saying that, he ran to the east kang and said, "Grandma, you guess too. Let's see who can guess it right."
"I guessed what you were going to do. Have you taken care of all the housework today?"
"If you want it all, then you want it all." The child was obviously too excited today and ran over again, jumping and skipping. "Mom, guess quickly, quick, quick."
"Mathematics 92, Chinese 82.5."
As soon as the words fell, Dahua's eyes widened in surprise. "Mom, how did you guess that? How did you get it right so quickly?"
"Of course. Who am I? I'm your mother. I'm good at predicting things and I know what you can do as soon as you open your eyes."
"Mom, you are so awesome." Little girl Gu Yanxi's admiration for her mother reached its peak in an instant, and she gave her mother a thumbs up to praise her.
"Haha..." Gu Yan bent over with laughter. Xiaohua came over and hugged her sister with a smile on her face. "Stupid sister, hold the test paper face up. Mom has already seen the score."
"Ah?" Dahua was confused and raised his arm to look. Sure enough, I held the test paper straight so my mother could see it. "Oh, it doesn't count this time. I'll let you guess next time."
"Okay, Mom will guess again next time."
"Mom, do you know why I got such a high score this time?"
"Why?"
"Because of my dad. My dad is so awesome. The problem-solving method he taught me is so useful. Just by looking at the keywords, you can know which method to use. Xiaohua got all the additional questions right this time, and got 120 in math. She is first in the whole commune."
"Really? That's pretty impressive. From now on, I'll leave this job to your dad."
"Ah? Mom, you're not serious, are you?"
Facing the eldest daughter's wrinkled face, Gu Yanshen nodded. Seeing that her daughter was about to cry, she burst into laughter. Reach out and touch the child's head to comfort him.
"Okay, I won't force you. Your dad said that you have good flexibility, speed and strength. So he wants to contact the provincial sports school to see if you can join the provincial gymnastics team or track and field team. Do you think you are willing?"
"What is gymnastics? Is track and field running?" Dahua started to get excited again. She had been practicing martial arts with her mother for more than three years, and she always ranked first in sports in the commune. Can this be studied as a major? Are there any schools like this?
"Competitive gymnastics is about performing complex movements on various apparatuses. There is also artistic gymnastics, which is also about various fancy movements. Both require very good body flexibility. Track and field is about running, long-distance running, short-distance running, endurance, and explosive power."
"Is there really such a school?" After asking, seeing Gu Yan nodded, the child bit his lip excitedly, not knowing what to do. "But what is the purpose of learning this?"
"Sports competitions. There will be competitions in the country. There are also large-scale events such as the Asian Games and the Olympic Games. The Asian Games is attended by all countries in Asia. The Olympic Games are even more exciting, with countries from all over the world participating. If you really have potential and make a name for yourself in the provincial team, you will be recommended to the national team and may then represent our country in competitions."
“So amazing!”
Several children were amazed. The little girl came over and held her elder sister's hand, blinking her starry eyes full of envy. It was the first time that Dahua received her younger sister’s admiration, and she was so excited that she didn’t know what to say.
"Your father has already sent a telegram to the provincial sports school. There will be a reply in about a week. So you can practice for the next two days. There may be an exam then."
"Ah? Then, how do we practice? Practice?"
"There are parallel bars in your school yard. You're pretty good at them, right? Then practice to get even better at them. Another option is running. You already have a good grasp of your breathing, practice your explosive power. See how long it takes to run 200 meters. Mom will take some time off these days to practice with you. Let's try to be noticed at first sight."
Li Zhongxia has seen Dahua's level. There is absolutely no problem for this child to get into the provincial sports school. Moreover, the person in charge of the sports school was his comrade-in-arms, the kind with whom he had shared life and death. This is almost certain. Otherwise, Gu Yan would not have given her hope and pressure and told her to prepare in advance.
The mother and daughter started training that same day. Gu Yan took a timer and practiced the 200-meter sprint with Dahua on the playground for an entire afternoon.
At dusk, the girl sat down on the steps, exhausted, as if all her bones had been pulled out.
"Mom...how long is my fastest time?"
"Forty-three seconds and two-three."
“Does this qualify?”
"It's definitely far from the world record, but mom thinks if it's just the provincial sports school, it should be possible to get admitted, right? It's okay, let's practice more."
Gu Yan wiped the sweat off the child and handed her the kettle. "Baby, do you really like this? If you enter a sports school or even join the national team, the training intensity will be much higher than this. It will be very hard and tiring."
"It's okay, Mom, I'm not afraid of this." The child looked up at her with a bright smile: "I like the feeling of sweating when exercising. The end of get out of class every day is the time I look forward to the most. I don't feel tired no matter how tired I am. It's much easier than sitting there reciting texts and doing exercises."
Gu Yan smiled and didn't ask this question anymore. Everyone has their own preferences, and she doesn't force it. In fact, after experiencing the end of the world, her temperament has become somewhat negative. If Li Zhongxia hadn't discovered her eldest daughter's talent, she would never have thought of letting her child follow this path.
"Let's go home." After putting away his things, Gu Yan squatted in front of his daughter. "Come, mom will carry you."
The child smiled and pushed her: "No, I can walk by myself. Mom, please don't treat me like a little girl, I'm a big kid. Sister Wang has been in school for half a year, and now she can earn work points in the fields."
"Mom doesn't care what others do. No matter how old you are, you are still my children." Gu Yan didn't force it. She did this just because she wanted the children to know that she loved them. No matter what time it is, mom will always be your safe haven.
"Then walk slowly. Mom will give you a massage after dinner."
When he returned home, Li Zhongxia brought back good news. "Student Gu Yanxi has been admitted to the provincial sports school. I will take her to register in a week. The sports school does not have a summer vacation, so it will be hard work in the future."
"Oh!" The little girl no longer complained about the pain in her legs and jumped three feet high with joy. Hug your mother and spin in circles. "Mom, did you hear me? I'm going to the provincial capital to go to school."
“Yes.”
The child laughed and jumped happily in the yard, holding his sister high up in his arms. Gu Yan stood by and protected her like a hen.
"Alright, alright. Don't let the little girl fall." He picked the little girl up and said, "Your arms are so strong. You can lift such a heavy girl."
"Hahaha...I'm a strongman."
"This crazy girl."
Li Zhongxia held Niu Niu in his arms and watched them laughing and joking, then reached out to pat his wife, who looked pleased and reluctant. Children will always leave their parents when they grow up. What we need to do is to give them plump wings so that they can fly freely.
I gave my eldest daughter a leg massage in the evening, and she cried for help because of the soreness. Gu Yan's feeling of being abandoned by the stinky girl finally faded a little. Suddenly I found myself very funny, but at the same time I felt sorry for my parents.
In her previous life, she left home very early and was very happy. At that time, her parents must have felt the same as she does now. No wonder the old saying goes, only when you have children do you understand the kindness of your parents. If you have never been a parent, you really cannot understand this complex feeling of sadness, relief and anticipation.
After coaxing Niu Niu to sleep at night, she lay flat on her back, looking at the floor, and spoke with emotion. "She is just leaving to go to school. If she grows up and gets married, I will be so upset. I will cry for a long time because I have raised a girl like her."
Li Zhongxia chuckled when he heard this. No matter how strong and generous a woman is, she is still a woman, just as sensitive, delicate and soft-hearted. Especially for several children, each of them is a treasure. Niu Niu fell in love with her at first sight and insisted on having her be her mother. Not to mention, his daughter has good taste. Isn't this just finding herself a good mother who loves her?
"We will have a holiday for National Day, and we can come back then."
"No. It's too far, and it's not safe for a child to ride alone. Let's talk about it after the New Year." The National Day falls at the end of August in the lunar calendar, the busiest time for autumn harvest. She doesn't have time to see her children, so it's more reassuring for them to stay in school.
"Do you miss your son?" He seems to care about his children and is not an irresponsible man. You must be worried and missing your own son, right?
"Yes." He sighed. "The child is introverted and doesn't spend much time with me. He is a little distant. He speaks very politely and seems a little afraid of me."
"How old is the child this year?" Gu Yan turned sideways to face him. Because she was afraid of crushing Niu Niu behind her, she stayed very close to him. As a result, the two of them were almost touching each other.
"Nine years old." Her unique scent filled his nostrils, and the man in his prime suddenly felt his blood boiling. At this moment, this woman didn't look like a mother of four children at all. She was charming and seductive like a fairy. It makes people feel irritated and scratches them like a cat's claws.
"Go take a look when you have time, or you can bring it back to live with you for a while."
"You have to go and see it, but there's no need to bring it back." The child was taught by his grandmother to dislike the countryside, so he would feel uncomfortable if he didn't bring it with him.
"daughter in law……"
"Hmm?" Why stop talking halfway?
"I think……"
"What do you want to do?"
The man said nothing more, hugged her and gave her a passionate French kiss. "Is that okay?"
I've already taken off my clothes, don't you think it's redundant to ask this? Without wasting time talking to him, she tilted her head back and kissed him, expressing her feelings with quick and decisive actions.
The next morning, the branch secretary came to their house. "Good news, good news. Gu Yan was named a model worker again this year. He received the award at the Octagonal Building during the June 6th commune fair."
The whole family was very happy to hear this. Dahua clapped her hands and came over to hug her mother. "Mom, I can see you wearing a big red flower."
When they were happy, the secretary pointed at the little girl and said, "Can you lend your little girl to the brigade to work with?"
"What are you doing? Pretending to be a sugar man?" Gu Yan has lived here for several years, so he naturally knows the routine of telling stories at the fair.
"Of course. Our team doesn't know how to play flower drums, walk on stilts, or row land boats. It's as simple as this. Men just need to have strong arms. Look, we're looking for the right kid in the team. Your little girl is the right age. Do you think she's willing? The team will give you five kilograms of wheat after you're done."
"Then you have to ask my daughter." Gu Yan squatted down and looked at little Gu Yanzhu. "Grandpa asked you to dress up as a sugar man. Stand on a wooden stick several meters high and let people hold you up for fun. You saw it last year, do you remember?"
"I want to go, I want to go." The little girl jumped up excitedly, her little face turning red like a big apple with excitement. Gu Yan smiled, knowing that this would be the result. The little girl was clamoring to go last year, but she was too young to go.
"Okay, if the child is willing, then go. But, Secretary, please pick some strong men, so that my daughter won't fall." The child and the wooden pole were quite heavy, and he had to carry them while walking two or three blocks.
"Don't worry, I can't throw her down even if I fall. If you're really worried, why don't you let your man go. Zhongxia has good arm strength, and no one in our team can beat him in arm wrestling."
All of a sudden, everyone's eyes were fixed on Li Zhongxia. The secretary patted him on the shoulder and said, "Just like your daughter, I'll give you five catties of wheat. Do you want to go?"
"Go." Whether it is wheat or not is a trivial matter. The key is to reassure the child’s mother.
Gu Yan picked up the excited girl and kissed her on the face. "Okay, let daddy hold you up this time. You can stand high so Momo can see you."
"Okay, I want daddy to lift me up high."
The little guy stretched out his arm to Li Zhongxia, and the man took it and raised his hand. He was tall to begin with, and this time he was running so fast, the child suddenly felt a sense of pleasure as if he was taking off. Giggling with excitement.
Most people have played this game when they were young, but it is the first time for little Gu Yanzhu to play it. His little face was flushed with excitement and his laughter could be heard two miles away.
Gu Yan picked up Niu Niu from the kang and rubbed the child's cheek. "Do you want daddy to lift you up?"
The little guy stretched out his hands and hugged her neck: "I want mommy."
Well, here's a shy and soft one. Not all of them are crazy extrovert girls like her daughter.
Three days later, the whole Li family got up early. Gu Yan is going to receive an award as a model worker today, and Xiao Ya and Li Zhongxia are going to participate in the community performance. You have to prepare early.
"Mom, I've prepared the meal. Sister Xu is not going to the market, she said she will come to take care of you later. Leilei should listen to grandma at home, do you hear me?"
"I know."
The old lady smiled and said, "I've said this several times. Don't worry, kid. We won't starve to death even if we don't eat for a day."
"You are just kidding. How can I let you go hungry? If that's the case, I won't go. I have to make arrangements before I can go."
"Okay, I know you are a thoughtful kid. Just go ahead and buy something for Lei Lei when you come back. It's pitiful for a kid who can't go out."
"Okay. Let's just talk about him. What about you? If you want one, I'll buy it for you when I get back."
"I...wife, can you buy me some material for my old clothes? If there's something suitable, also buy me a quilt cover?" They sell it at the market and in the supply and marketing cooperatives. But she couldn't go out, and there was no way she could buy anything for herself.
There is a local custom of making arrangements for funeral affairs early, and some people even prepare coffins in advance. These clothes, beddings and other things should be prepared early so that you won’t be caught off guard when the time comes. When people get older, they seem to feel more at ease seeing these things, for they are afraid that they will be left with nothing when they die.
"Okay. I'll buy it for you if I find something suitable."
"Hey." The old man was obviously happy and reached out to take something from the box on his back. Gu Yan stopped him.
"I haven't touched the money you gave me last time, so don't give me any more. Don't worry, I promise to buy them all back for you."
It is a local custom to cover women with the same blanket as men. It was her daughter who prepared the old clothes, but she seemed not to have thought of it. Gu Yan felt a little sorry. She should have prepared it earlier. She was too careless and made the old man so uneasy.
"Don't worry, I promise to buy them all for you."
"Well, I must remember it!"
"Don't worry, you can forget this even if you forget anything else."
After communicating with her mother-in-law, she dressed her daughter in flowing ancient costume and combed her hair into double buns. Tie a headband on top. Gu Yan took out some simple cosmetics from the space and did some simple application.
The little girl already had thick eyebrows and big eyes, and now her facial features are more prominent, making her as cute as a doll.
"Oh, my daughter is so beautiful."
"Because my mother is beautiful, so I was born beautiful too."
Gu Yan was so overwhelmed by the sweetness of this little mouth covered in honey that he happily kissed her on the cheek. "He just says sweet things to your mom. But mom likes to hear it."
Those who needed to participate in the performance gathered in the team. Gu Yan cut off her lipstick and put it in a colorful box to give to everyone.
"Wow, this stuff is really good. It's better than the rouge I had before."
"Gu Yan, where did you buy this? The color is really beautiful."
"Needless to say, such good stuff must have been brought back from a big city."
The children were given blush and a rouge mole was dotted on their brows, and then they were taken to the commune in two vehicles of the brigade. Gu Yan held Niu Niu and Li Zhongxia held Xiao Ya. When people in the car talked about her winning the title of model worker, everyone gave her a thumbs up.
"Gu Yan, you are amazing. You have been awarded the model worker title for several consecutive years. You should get rewards every year."
"Of course. I remember it was an enamel basin last year, and I don't know what it will be this year." The woman's words were full of envy and jealousy, but Gu Yan didn't take it to heart at all. Holding a small flower in his hand, he was talking to Niu Niu. The benefits are mine, your jealousy is in vain.
The journey was not far and we soon arrived. The two main streets of the commune were already filled with small vendors. All they sell are daily necessities. The vehicles went around the periphery and entered the commune's big stage, where all the storytellers from various brigades gathered.
Niu Niu is a timid child, and the noisy and bustling environment around her makes her feel a little uneasy. The little hand subconsciously pulled Gu Yan's collar. The two sisters Dahua have grown up and want to travel around.
"Here, take the money. If you like it, buy it yourself."
"Yes. Mom, let's go to the Octagon Building later to watch you receive the award and wear the big red flower."
"Okay, be safe."
"Do you want us to take Niuniu with us?"
"No, you two can go play. Your dad is here, let him look after the kids today."
The two girls left happily. Before leaving, they glanced at their new father who was helping to set up the stage in the distance. Their proud eyes were filled with a strong sense of security.
Soon, the sound of gongs and drums began to sound on the stage, and the various teams began to gather, and the community fire activities were about to begin. Walking in the front was the team from the commune. Following the old rules of the Eight Music Concert, they led the various teams of people dressed in different styles to start the dance in a lively manner.
Captain Kono was in the middle position, and Gu Yan was holding Niu Niu and following the father and daughter. Each child was drawn like a doll in the New Year's painting, and was fixed on a wooden stake and held high.
The little girl was very excited and looked around with her big eyes. Niu Niu was not afraid anymore. She looked at her sister and father, and her little head turned back and forth among the people dressed strangely.
The team set out along the road and walked uphill to the main road. The commune cadres sat in the octagonal building next to the supply and marketing cooperative, and the programs of each brigade officially began to be performed here.
The women rowing the land boat dance with the "boat" around their waists and paddles in their hands as if they are rowing in the water. Those who were walking on stilts were as big as giants. Walking back and forth made people worry about falling down. But two of the strongest ones actually somersaulted in the middle of the field. Won the audience's applause.
The finale was the commune's opera, in which the county drama troupe's leading actress sang a piece of "Killing Wife" in full costume. This play is a famous excerpt from Shangdang Bangzi opera and is well known to the general public. The beautiful singing immediately won the warmest applause.
"Okay, this is the end of our commune's community fire activities this year. Now I will read out the list of people who have won the title of model workers this year."
Xiao Ya had taken off her costume after the performance and was carried over by Li Zhongxia. The two sisters Dahua had also squeezed in and helped their mother hold the little sister. So that she can go on stage to receive the award herself.
Sixteen brigades and eighteen model workers. Gu Yan stood out among the sturdy women and muscular men. As bright and shining as the moon.
She was wearing navy blue pants and a white shirt with red leaves on it today. Her two braids were tied behind her head, and the yellow handkerchief tied at the end of her hair made her face look youthful and beautiful.
"Comrade Gu Yan, keep up the good work! You have been named a model worker for three consecutive years. If you are still named a model worker next year, it will be your fourth consecutive term. Wearing the medal will make you proud wherever you go."
Gu Yan was a little surprised that the commune secretary actually remembered her.
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