Qin Hanshu and Zhou Weiguang stared at each other for a while.
She asked, puzzled, "Why did the Party Secretary... give me cigarettes?"
Sending donkey offal is understandable, since it's food.
Offering her cigarettes...but she doesn't smoke!
And it's such an expensive cigarette.
Zhou Weiguang remained silent for a while before saying, "Just take it... Your brother asked me to take care of you, so consider it a gift from your brother. Don't feel guilty."
Qin Hanshu was both amused and exasperated. "Why would my brother give me cigarettes? I don't smoke."
Not smoking?
Is the rumor wrong?
Zhou Weiguang slowly withdrew his hand, somewhat embarrassed.
Sensing Zhou Weiguang's good intentions, Qin Hanshu said solemnly, "But thank you anyway, Brother Zhou, for taking such good care of me."
Although this thoughtfulness was somewhat laughable.
It can be seen that Zhou Weiguang is an honest person, and he is seriously fulfilling his promise to Qin Feiyang.
Qin Hanshu felt a surge of goodwill and respect for Zhou Weiguang.
"Brother Zhou, you should go back inside. I'll be leaving now."
Qin Hanshu turned and left.
Zhou Weiguang stood there stunned for a moment, then quickly walked to the courtyard gate and looked in the direction Qin Hanshu had left.
Qin Hanshu's figure gradually shrank, and white snowflakes clung to her blue cotton-padded coat.
Zhou Weiguang suddenly realized that he should take her home.
He held up an umbrella to shield her from the snow.
He's tall, so he can definitely protect her completely and prevent any snowflakes from falling on her.
***
Before the Lunar New Year, Zhao Ru finally managed to get a chance to visit the commune.
She wasn't alone; Niu Xiaosan was with her.
Niu Xiaosan was ten years old. Because he was going to the commune, he even took off the pants that his second brother was wearing, which only had one patch.
The pants were a bit too big for him; they kept slipping down as he walked, and if he accidentally stepped on the hem, he would tumble and fall.
When Zhao Ru saw this, she tied his waistband with a straw rope and rolled up his trouser legs.
Niu Xiaosan sniffed and chuckled as he called out, "Mom."
In Niu Quangen's heart, Zhao Ru held a certain place, but compared to his six sons, that place was insignificant.
At home, Zhao Ru could occasionally lose her temper with Niu Quangen, but she had to flatter and fawn over these six boys to make her life easier.
Otherwise, all six boys are troublemakers, and offending any one of them would lead to endless hidden losses.
She never wanted sand in her rice bowl again, and she never wanted her shoes to be soaked with urine.
Zhao Ru suppressed her disgust and smiled gently at Niu Xiaosan, "How much money did your dad give you for coming to the commune with me today?"
Since marrying Niu Quangen, Zhao Ru has not had a single penny in her pocket.
Niu Xiaosan was very cautious, clutching his pocket, and said, "Anyway, my dad said he'll buy you a red ribbon to tie your hair, but you can't spend the rest of your money recklessly."
"Just buy one red silk ribbon!" Zhao Ru's face turned cold.
However, she hadn't left the production brigade in a long time, so going to the commune would be a good way to get some fresh air.
The two walked to the commune.
As the year drew to a close, the commune was bustling with activity, people packed tightly together, and it was easy for those traveling together to get separated.
Actually, this was a great opportunity to escape, but Zhao Ru didn't have a penny, so where could she go?
Otherwise, Niu Quangen wouldn't have let her come to the commune.
Despite his young age, Niu Xiaosan somehow learned the skill of overseeing construction, and he even refused to give Zhao Ru money to buy red silk at the supply and marketing cooperative.
He insisted on going in with Zhao Ru and paid the salesperson directly.
It only costs two cents, but they still managed to make it!
Zhao Ru said she was thirsty and wanted to buy some soda, but Niu Xiaosan refused, saying that his father had instructed him not to buy anything except red silk.
The money in our family didn't grow on trees!
Zhao Ru tried to coax and coax her for a long time but failed; her will was very firm.
Visiting the commune didn't improve Zhao Ru's mood; instead, it left her feeling even angrier.
Niu Xiaosan was still a child at heart; he couldn't resist stopping when he saw someone selling sugar figurines on the street.
The eyes that had been glued to Zhao Ru also shifted to the person blowing the sugar.
Upon seeing this, Zhao Ru immediately turned a corner and slipped away.
She wasn't trying to escape; she had no money and no letter of introduction, so she had nowhere to run.
She just wanted to make that kid anxious.
After leaving Niu Xiaosan, Zhao Ru started to wander around.
Suddenly, she felt a hand reach out from the side and pull her aside.
Zhao Ru thought it was a human trafficker and turned pale with fright. When she looked up, she found it was a disheveled woman.
Upon closer inspection, Zhao Ru exclaimed in surprise, "Hu Wenwen!"
"What are you yelling about? Keep your voice down!" Hu Wenwen shouted in a rough voice while looking around warily.
They were surrounded by people, but that was fine; as long as they could speak without being overheard, they wouldn't attract attention.
Zhao Ru immediately realized what was going on and pointed at Hu Wenwen, saying, "You escaped from the farm!"
Hu Wenwen said angrily, "I told you to keep your voice down!"
It was incredibly difficult for educated youth on the farm to get leave to go out, let alone Hu Wenwen, who no longer had the status of an educated youth but was now a prisoner undergoing reform.
Looking at Hu Wenwen again, she was wearing tattered clothes and a headscarf. Due to overwork, her face was dark and yellow, her lips were chapped and peeling, and she was so thin that her cheekbones protruded high.
He looks more than ten years older than his actual age.
Zhao Ru thought her life was tough, but compared to Hu Wenwen, she found that her life was much better!
If she hadn't chosen to marry Niu Quangen, she would have ended up like Hu Wenwen...
Zhao Ru couldn't help but shudder.
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