Attending a wedding during the National Day holiday
The next day, Li Wei continued her life of accompanying her child to school and acting as a tutor and nanny after school.
However, the teacher announced that starting next week, due to the arrival of October and the cooler weather, the lunch break will be shortened by half an hour. This means that most students will have to eat lunch at school.
Li Wei knew this. Back then, once winter arrived, students would bring their own lunchboxes. During the last period in the morning, the teacher would put the lunchboxes on the stove in the middle of the classroom to keep them warm. So, as the class progressed, the aroma of the food would gradually waft out, and the children's little eyes would scan back and forth between their textbooks and the lunchboxes on the stove. The fourth period was truly unbearable.
Although Li Wei's home is relatively close to the school, she used to go back home to cook lunch for the three of them because of the one and a half hour lunch break. Her father would eat at the company cafeteria, and her mother would eat wherever she was working.
But with limited time, the back-and-forth travel, plus the time spent cooking and eating at school, made it seem quite hectic. In the end, Li Wei told her mother that she should bring some money and eat lunch at school.
For them, eating at school, without the warmth of a stove to heat their meals before winter, definitely didn't mean buying boxed lunches or going to the school cafeteria. It meant grabbing a piece of bread or a fried dough twist from the small shop in front of the school to make do with a quick bite; soft drinks or bottled water were out of the question. Of course, at that time, bread and fried dough twists were definitely not something to be taken lightly; they were a rare treat and would absolutely rival the status of "delicious" snacks more than a decade later.
The twins have no say in their own livelihood issues. Li Wei and her mother discussed it and made a decision, but Li Wei didn't take it to heart.
She has something even more exciting waiting for her this weekend: her grandfather is going to take her to the city for a stroll. This is her first time since she was reborn, like a young woman getting married. She's so excited!
The weekend is fast approaching. It's still a single day off, with only Sundays off.
Li Wei got up early on Sunday and tidied herself up nicely. After all, she was going to the city, and she couldn't be as casual as she was when she was at home working and taking care of the children.
She, who never wore red ribbons before, surprisingly took out the two pink ribbons she had treasured for Li Lin. These ribbons were just a foot long and an inch and a half wide of gauze or silk. She tied one of them into a bow on her ponytail.
Ugh! When in Rome, do as the Romans do. These are poor times. There really aren't many decorations.
It's still quite hot at midday. I'll wear that light pink dress with a few delicately embroidered butterflies. Her mom bought it for her and Li Lin this year when they started school—one for each of them. Worried about the cooler mornings and evenings, she found one of Li Lin's dresses to wear as a small overshirt. Last night, her mom altered it according to her request. Now it's a red three-quarter sleeve cardigan that doesn't reach her navel. It goes perfectly with the dress, and it looks quite fashionable. Even her mom said it looks good, like something a city person would wear. Wow!
But Li Wei found it all rather unsettling. She couldn't believe her mother's claims about the taste of city people. After all, information wasn't readily available these days. How city people dressed was just her mother's assumption after seeing a few city folks.
She turned around in front of the mirror a few times, then pulled off the red ribbon from her head. She let her hair down. After thinking for a moment, she called her mother to cut her shoulder-length hair into a neat, student-style bob. She instructed her mother to cut the hair closer to the inside of her head shorter in several layers, so that the hair would look natural and curl slightly inwards, forming a natural shape that followed her head.
My mom's hands are quite nimble. Li Wei was basically satisfied with the cut. Then she joined the two pieces of silk together, tied a bow at the waist, and let two ribbons hang down slightly.
Hmm. Look in the mirror. Not bad!
Watching Li Wei fuss around and even have her help out, her mother couldn't help but tease her: "Where did you get all these tricks from, you brat? You don't even listen to your mother's advice. Really, you're so vain."
Li Wei couldn't help but retort, "That's the opinion of a rural woman. How could it be suitable for a young and beautiful girl like me? If I listen to your opinion, when I go out with my grandfather, people will think that my grandfather has found a young old lady somewhere."
It's not that serious, it's just a little squabble with her mom.
The red corduroy canvas shoes with rubber soles don't quite match; they would be perfect with a pair of leather shoes. But, oh well, I'm poor, so I won't even think about it. At least the color is acceptable.
With this outfit imitating later generations, I believe that someone who always talks about how fashionable and stylish city people are would be completely smug if she compared herself to a modern city kid.
Thankfully, Mom was taking the twins to a family in the village for their one-month celebration and to eat "meatballs" today; otherwise, seeing Grandpa coming to pick up the older sister this morning would have been a nightmare. Even so, looking at Li Wei who was about to leave on a "long trip," she still felt a little longing. Li Wei couldn't bear it and couldn't help but write a promise: "When your sister comes back, I'll buy her something delicious, okay? Be a good girl at home and listen to Mom. When you come back from eating 'meatballs,' write down all the questions and idioms I gave you yesterday. I'll check them when I get back, okay? Just look for them when you're done..."
"Alright, alright, hurry up and go with your grandpa. People who don't know better will think we have another mom in the family. Hurry up and go." Cheng Min couldn't help but laugh and scold. This girl is acting like a little adult, not even trusting her own real mother.
Regardless, Cheng Min was quite satisfied with her eldest daughter, Li Wei, who had gone away with her father. After all, in the entire village, no other child her age was as sensible and capable as Li Wei. She could handle most of the housework, and more importantly, she not only took care of her younger siblings but also supervised the two younger children's studies. Looking at the other children in the village, who seemed to care about studying? Besides eating and sleeping, they were always running around outside.
Sigh, even though there are no elderly people around, her daughter is more capable than the elderly.
Li Wei, of course, had no idea that her father had just compared her to her shrewish aunt Luo, and her mother had elevated her to the level of being equivalent to two old men and women.
If she found out, she would definitely jump three feet high with excitement and demand an explanation from her mother. She is still so young, no, so young, and her parents have already made her enter middle age and old age in just a few words. If things continue like this, how can anyone live like this?!
Grandpa rode his bicycle with Li Wei to the town's bus stop, left the bicycle at the blacksmith's forge (a place where blacksmiths also shoe horses), locked the bicycle, and waited for less than five minutes before the bus arrived. Li Wei suddenly realized how old the bicycle looked.
The ticket was cheap, only five cents, and the ticket seller was a young and pretty girl. It is said that the adults later remarked that being a bus ticket seller or a shop clerk in that era was a fashionable job comparable to being a flight attendant in later generations—a good job that required outstanding looks and strong connections.
It's only a little over half an hour's drive from the town to the city. Li Wei and her group left early, so they managed to get seats, and the ride was quick and easy.
I got off at the station in front of the station, crossed the road, and took the tram. The ticket was even cheaper, only two cents.
Looking out the car window at the city, Li Wei found the cityscape, dominated by cement gray, rather unremarkable compared to the towering skyscrapers and colorful shop signs of later generations. As for the pedestrians, while there weren't as many as in later times, and their clothing was far inferior, their overall demeanor was noticeably better. There were rarely any bewildered or lost looks; everyone seemed to be rushing about, as if they had something urgent to attend to.
Clearly, the shopping culture was not as developed as it is in later times. Material conditions determine consciousness, and consciousness determines behavior. In this era of limited material resources, survival was the top priority.
According to Li Wei's memory, the city had six districts. Like many cities, it was divided into two districts by the railway. The railway ran through the city from north to south, so there were Tiedong (East Railway) and Tiexi (West Railway) districts. Additionally, based on location, there were Beiguan (North Gate) and Liuhe (West River) districts to the north, and Nanguan (South Gate) and Yangbao (South Fortress) districts to the south. Tiexi and Beiguan were mainly industrial areas, while Yangbao and Nanguan were semi-urban, semi-rural areas. The best geographical location and environment were in Tiedong and Liuhe districts, with large parks and rivers. People of high status mostly lived in these districts. These districts later became the most expensive in terms of housing prices.
And Mr. Cheng Enjiu's friend lives on Nanshan Street in Tiedong District.
Li Wei really didn't know what relatives or friends her maternal grandparents had there, so she asked her maternal grandfather, "Grandpa, what kind of relatives are they? I've never heard my maternal grandparents mention them."
The old man chuckled and said mysteriously, "Of course your grandma doesn't know. I just told her they were all comrades-in-arms. Girl, you have to keep this a secret from me."
"Don't worry, Grandpa, you can trust me to handle things. I'm very tight-lipped." Li Wei quickly assured him. The more secrets she knew about her grandpa, the closer their relationship would be. She wouldn't have to worry about him killing her to cover it up, hehe.
The old man smiled and said, "Do you remember what your grandfather told you about when you were young and encountered three robbers while riding your bicycle?"
Li Wei certainly remembered her grandfather's boast: "Grandpa, could it be... a hero who saw injustice on the road... or a policeman?"
The old man glared at him: "How dare you talk like that? I settled that matter myself. What hero did you come up with? Have you been listening to too many storytelling performances, kid?"
Li Wei suddenly realized: "Oh, Grandpa, could it be those three petty thieves? Good and evil have always been irreconcilable! Or... did you take those three petty thieves as your underlings?" Li guessed.
The old man continued to smile: "The girl is quite clever. That's right, we've become sworn brothers. I'm the eldest brother, and the three of them are brothers."
Good heavens! She had no idea her maternal grandfather was a gangster! It was a classic scene from the Water Margin, so melodramatic! She was utterly shocked. No wonder she had to keep it a secret from her maternal grandmother; with her grandmother's fiercely righteous nature, it would be a miracle if they kept in touch.
However, Li Wei still had some doubts: "Grandpa, are they reliable people?"
After all, what they did was a bit illegal and disorderly.
Grandpa waved his hand and said, "Sigh, we were all young and hot-blooded back then. A few harsh words and we would start fighting. Actually, it wasn't as serious as robbery. It was just a case of the brave winning when two people meet on a narrow road."
Naturally, her maternal grandfather was that hero!
As for robbery, that was her maternal grandfather's official terminology. Now, her maternal grandfather has corrected it to "If you see injustice on the road, why not step on it if it's free?" In the end, her maternal grandfather stepped on all three of them.
"Grandpa, can you take on all three of them by yourself?" Was her grandpa that fierce back then?
The old man said with a hint of pride, "Girl, let me tell you, even your grandma doesn't know about this. Remember not to tell your grandma."
"Don't worry, I came from the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics. I'm very tight-lipped; I wouldn't have confessed even if I'd been to the Zhaizidong Concentration Camp." Wow, her grandfather has quite a few secrets, huh? Excited.
"When Grandpa was serving in the army in Shandong, he had a comrade-in-arms who was from Shandong. He said he was a descendant of Wu Song (a famous Chinese general known for his martial arts skills). Grandpa and he got along well. He had a sister who was quite beautiful... Look, why am I telling you this, kid? Well, my comrade-in-arms liked to practice his skills when he had free time, and I learned from him for two years. After he was discharged from the army, he ran into the three of them as soon as he got home. Grandpa was young then, and with their physiques, even if there were ten or eight more of them, he wouldn't be a problem for you. We became friends after a fight, and later we even became sworn brothers. Don't let their unreliable appearance fool you; their sons are all very capable, a hundred times better than your uncles."
The father and son chatted all the way until they arrived at the home of his sworn brother's youngest son, the fourth son. It was a fairly clean residential area, and the fourth son lived on the second floor.
Cheng Enjiu took Li Wei to sit at Lao Si's house for a while. It was said that the banquet was to be held at a restaurant, and the bride would be picked up and then they would go there.
The old man's sworn brother, surnamed Li, was a thin, small old man. He and his wife, a fair-skinned old lady, warmly welcomed the father and son. They offered the old man cigarettes and tea, and Li Wei candy. Li Wei could tell that the relationship between the two men was quite good; the respect they showed each other came from the heart.
They also introduced some of their important relatives. Soon after, the old man's sworn brothers, who had helped with the wedding, returned. The old brothers greeted each other warmly, and when they saw Li Wei, they knew she was the old man's eldest daughter's child. Without saying a word, each of them gave Li Wei a ten-yuan gift.
At that time, a worker's monthly salary was only a little over thirty yuan, so this gift was quite generous. Li Wei accepted it at her grandfather's suggestion, and she was overjoyed. Now she had money to buy things for Li Lin and Li Lianhui when she got back.
Li Wei took a closer look. The bride was quite pretty, wearing a red woolen skirt and red leather shoes, and had a slender figure. The groom was her great-uncle's third son (that's what her maternal grandfather told her to call him), named Li Zhe. He wore glasses, was of medium height, and while not particularly handsome, he had a refined air. She overheard people nearby saying he was a college graduate working in the technical department of a chemical plant. He and the bride were classmates.
Li Wei knew without a doubt that in ten years, given the groom Li Zhe's education, as long as he didn't make any mistakes, he would be a high-ranking leader in society, definitely holding an important position.
It seems that Fourth Grandfather has a good son. No wonder Grandpa sighed, "No matter how heroic or capable a man is, one son is worth three. If his son is not as good as others, it's all for nothing." As for daughters, once they are married, they are like water spilled from a cup, especially in rural areas where people rely on their sons to support them in their old age.
Li Wei thought back to the years when her maternal grandparents were old and in poor health. Her son and daughter-in-law's aunts, while not abusing the elderly, weren't exactly filial either. And her son, well, he was just so-so; it was her mother and aunt who took care of him tirelessly. Who says women are inferior to men!
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