Chapter 101
Bi Chunliu looked up at the sky. The snow didn't look like it would stop anytime soon. If tonight's snow turned to ice, they wouldn't have to have dinner together tomorrow night. It would be bad if Grandpa and Xiaomei fell.
Just as Bi Chunliu had thought, this first snow fell for most of the day and did not stop until around three o'clock in the afternoon. A dense layer of white snow accumulated on the ground.
Deputy Factory Director Xiong Wenhua took the lead, setting an example himself by heading out to clear the snow. In a flash, not only the factory workers but also the various cadres and staff members—a total of 20 to 30 people—were out sweeping the snow. Large brooms and shovels weren't enough, so small brooms from the office were also used as a last resort.
Wang Xiaojun patted his gloves, sighed, and moved to Bi Chunliu with a small broom, muttering to her, "It would be better to arrange for someone to sweep. Now it's so bad, there are not enough tools."
Bi Chunliu also held a small broom in his hand. "Deputy Director Xiong is working very hard, and Director Dong is not here. Who can persuade him?"
"Ah..." Wang Xiaojun sighed deeply, "That's true."
Rumor has it that a textile factory in Shanghai has received new equipment, and Director Dong is away studying. The factory is now under the leadership of Deputy Director Xiong and another deputy director. However, the other deputy director has always been in charge of production and has no say in anything, which means that all matters, big or small, must be decided by Deputy Director Xiong. According to a rumor shared by Zhao Mei, when Director Dong is promoted, Deputy Director Xiong will likely be the next director. Now that the future director is personally involved in the work, how can the others just sit there and watch while sipping hot tea?
Wang Xiaojun sighed, "When it snows, I think of my sister. She wrote to me a few days ago and said that she only wears a coat in the morning and evening, and usually wears a short-sleeved shirt. That's great!"
Bi Chunliu nodded. It was said that the place Wang Xiaoman went to was a winter resort in later generations.
Strength lies in numbers. After clearing the snow, it was time to go home. After working for over an hour, Bi Chunliu was sweating profusely. She put on her scarf and wrapped herself up even more tightly, trying to avoid any wind before going home.
As soon as he entered the alley, Bi Chunliu saw Xing Fei sweeping snow with his neighbor Gao Da Ge who lived diagonally across the street.
Gao Jin and his younger brother Gao Bu both worked at the steel mill. Gao Jin's wife, He Xi, was a hospital nurse, and Gao Bu's wife, Niu Tiantian, worked at the towel factory. Bi Chunliu had lived here for over two months and only knew the basic information about her neighbors, such as their names and jobs, from Qiu Guo.
Bi Qiuguo had become familiar with Gao Jin and Gao Bu's four children within two weeks of moving in. Meanwhile, Bi Chunliu and Xing Fei had spent very little time interacting with their neighbors. Bi Chunliu felt Qiuguo was very sociable. She envied the fact that each of the Gao family's four children, aged six to fifteen, had something to say to her.
"Xiao Xing, your Xiao Bi and her sisters are back." Gao Jin saw the three sisters of the Bi family.
Bi Chunliu looked back and saw that Xia He and Qiu Guo had both returned. It seemed that they had walked quite fast.
Bi Qiuguo ran home, his face flushed with heat. When he arrived at the door, he took off his hat. His sweaty hair stuck to his scalp, and he could vaguely see the steam coming out of his head.
Bi Chunliu put her hat back on her. It would be so uncomfortable to catch a cold in the cold winter!
"Brother-in-law, Brother Gao, have you finished sweeping the snow? We also swept the snow in the afternoon and had a snowball fight! Brother Gao, take this for you. Your elderly family member wants it. Just put it on the windowsill." Bi Qiuguo let her elder sister put the hat on her. She handed a big, compacted snowball in her hand to Gao Jin.
Gao Jin put the big broom against the wall, reached out to take the big, solid snowball, and asked in confusion, "What does he want this for?"
Bi Qiuguo laughed out loud, "Gaonian had a snowball fight with his classmates that afternoon, but he lost and got his pants wet. I happened to meet him when he went to my sister's class to ask Gao Xin to dry her pants. I promised him that I would teach him how to make a snowball to win the fight."
Gao Jin: “……!!”
Using this thing? It really won't knock people out? He didn't want to get a call from the teacher at work because his child had knocked other kids out with a snowball at school.
"Sister Qiuguo! How come you get home faster than me? Dad, are you off work? Sister Qiuguo, the snow on the street hasn't been cleared yet, shall we go?" Gao Nian was very excited, then his face was full of regret and unwillingness to accept it. He must learn Sister Qiuguo's unique skills, so that next time he plays snowball fights, he can make his classmates scream.
Gao Jin threw the snowball against the wall, and it cracked into several small pieces with a loud bang. Gao Jin's heart was pounding as if it was his son's classmate's head that was broken. Look, look, it's too dangerous! "Qiu Guo, you can't hit people with such a big snowball. If it hits the head, it can cause a concussion. Gao Nian, be careful that your mother will spank you."
Gao Nian yelled, "My snowball!" and rushed over. He picked up the small snowball, but the snowball had already cracked and would not return to its original shape. He turned his head and glared at his old father who was making things difficult for him, "I'm not stupid! This was made by Sister Qiuguo specifically for me to play with..."
Gao Jin looked at Bi Qiuguo, who nodded. She helped Gao Nian up and comforted him, saying, "Stop crying. I'll make another one for you. Brother Gao, don't worry. I told Gao Nian he won't hit you with a big snowball."
"Oh, okay, okay." Gao Jin smiled awkwardly and said, "Tsk! You kid, your sister Qiuguo said she would make one for you, and you're still crying! If you cry again, Qiuguo won't make one for you."
Gao Nian put down his arm that was covering his face. Seeing that his brother's face was clean and not chapped, Gao Xin said something to her father and followed Bi Xiahe into the house to study. She was not a child who had just started elementary school. She had not had many opportunities to interact with Bi Xiahe in the past. Now she wanted to study hard with Bi Xiahe. She had to go to either technical secondary school or high school!
Gao Nian raised his eyes and muttered softly, "It's obviously you who did something wrong, and you still blame me!" He reached out and pulled Bi Qiuguo outside, "Sister Qiuguo, let's get two more. I'll leave one for Lili."
Gao Lili is Gao Bu's daughter, two years older than Gao Nian. Today, she went to their grandmother's house with her brother Gao Yuan.
Seeing that the matter had been resolved, Gao Jin shouted to his son to go home quickly after finishing the work. Bi Chunliu also told Bi Qiuguo to go home early. The three adults said goodbye and went back to their homes.
Gao Jin walked in, glanced at his son, who was jumping around beside Bi Qiuguo, and slapped his head. Usually, his son always called him Sister Qiuguo, but Qiuguo called him Brother Gao. What a mess of generations! It seems that he should tell Qiuguo to call him Uncle next time they meet. As for Xiao Xing and Xiao Bi... he should just call them Brother as before.
Bi Chunliu returned home, washed her hands, and began to mix the filling, while Xing Fei cleared the table and prepared to roll out the dough. He had returned early in the afternoon and had already kneaded the dough and chopped the vegetables and meat. All that remained was to mix the filling and roll out the dough for the dumplings. All this preparation made Bi Chunliu feel relieved.
"Sister, brother-in-law." Bi Weiguo called out. He had also returned from get off work. He went back to the house to put down his backpack, washed his hands and went to the kitchen.
There are two kinds of meat fillings on the table, one is beef with green onions, and the other is pork with green onions.
Bi Weiguo put the bag of brown sugar he bought in the cupboard and said, "Sister, I just met Sister Xiaoyue at the supply and marketing cooperative. She said that Brother Dali is getting married."
"Is this true?!" Bi Qiuguo poked his head out and yelled, "Why didn't I listen to what Liu He said? How mean!"
Xing Fei had been married to Bi Chunliu for over two months and knew Chen Dali's personality and high standards for choosing a partner. He was surprised and asked, "Did Aunt Wen really find him someone with those qualities?"
Bi Weiguo wasn't sure either; he'd just listened and didn't ask further. "Sister, Xiaoyue asked if Chen Dali gave you money for your wedding. If he did, you have to go back. If not, don't come back to the compound before Saturday, so he doesn't have to borrow your apartment or anything. It seems Chen Dali's partner isn't very easy to get along with." Looking at Xiaoyue's indescribable expression, he probably meant this, didn't he?
Bi Chunliu sighed. His own rebirth was no longer meaningful at all. Chen Dali, an old bachelor, was about to get married...
I clearly didn't participate in anything, so why did they go astray?
"He didn't bring any money with him, so if there's nothing else, he won't be going back this week."
"Okay! I won't go back either. Anyway, everything at home is locked up."
Bi Qiuguo shook the water off her hands and came into the house. She went close to the stove to dry her hands, then took over the job of rolling out the dough. Xing Fei sat next to Bi Chunliu and helped her make dumplings.
The lights were dim, and the small kitchen became warm under the burning fire. Gao Xin had already left, and Bi Xiahe threw down her homework and went to the kitchen.
"No, no, Third Sister, come and help me roll out the dough. I can't make enough for the four of you by myself!"
Bi Qiuguo's voice was shouting in the kitchen.
Bi Xiahe changed her position and replied, "Okay..."
.
The next day is the winter solstice, which is also the first day of the ninth day of the ninth lunar month. As the saying goes, if you don't take action on the first and second ninth days of the ninth lunar month, it will get colder and colder.
The snow that had stopped yesterday afternoon began to fall again in small flakes. Bi Chunliu looked at the sky, hoping that the snow would stop soon, otherwise he would not be able to eat his dinner in the evening.
The dumplings were cooked, and each of the five people had a big bowl of dumplings. After eating the dumplings, each of them had a bowl of the original dumpling soup. The dumpling soup slid down the throat into the stomach, warming the chest and abdomen, and also warming the whole body. The tip of the nose was warm, and even the ears were warm.
Bi Chunliu told her brothers and sisters to put on their hats and gloves and to carefully protect their ears. She then muttered that they had eaten dumplings during the winter solstice and that they must not get their ears frozen again this year. After Xia He and Qiu Guo left with the four Gao children and Wei Guo went to work, she and Xing Fei put on their hats and gloves and went to work.
At six o'clock in the evening, Han Kemei and Han Zhong arrived with their things.
Bi Weiguo took the half lamb chop from Han Zhong and praised him, "Uncle Han, these lamb chops look really fresh! It's too late to make them today. Let's freeze them and grill them on Sunday, shall we?"
Han Zhong smacked his lips. "I think it's a good idea. Let's roast half of it and make the rest into mutton and radish soup. We eat radishes in winter and ginger in summer. We have to eat some radishes in the winter."
"Dad, you and Xiaomei come over again this Sunday. Weiguo will grill the lamb chops, and I'll make some lamb and carrot soup." Bi Chunliu came out of the kitchen carrying the dishes.
Han Kemei took the food and asked, "Sister-in-law, where is my brother? Why isn't he working?"
Bi Chunliu: "He went to buy soda."
She used to think Xing Fei's love of sweet drinks was a habit he developed after getting Coke, and she'd even thought about buying him a few bottles of it once it hit the domestic market. Only after they got married did she realize he liked it, too. He'd have a bottle of Beibingyang soda every five or six days, saying his time in the army was tough, and he needed to reward himself...
"He still has some behavior of a husband!" Han Zhong nodded. He raised Xing Fei and Han Kemei by himself, but he didn't think that men had to wait for others to serve them.
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