After leaving, Zhang Guoqing still didn't know that someone was evaluating him like this behind his back. Of course, even if he knew, he wouldn't argue for himself.
He is not made of gold, so how can he be liked by everyone?
I took a walk with my wife and we left the city. In the cold winter, going to the cinema became a luxury, not to mention the chaos and war, when there was no entertainment anywhere.
The little guys I met on the road, who I didn't know if they were in a group, also started to walk in a hurry on this snowy day and no longer bothered the old men sweeping the streets.
Life, whether good or bad, has to go on...
He accompanied his wife to several public places where her butt was freezing, and gave some pitiful coarse grain steamed buns to several elderly people. Finally, before nightfall, he took her on the way home.
As the days passed, this Lunar New Year seemed even more inadequate than previous years. There was noticeably less laughter and joy. During this time, I attended Shen Shiyun's wedding, which was both simpler and more solemn.
If it weren't for the big red wedding characters or the big red wedding quilt, one would at some point believe that this was a company symposium or a general meeting.
It is said that, well, according to Jonah, now things like betrothal money, dowry, and red envelopes are all old customs, and everyone is eager to break the old ideas.
Many people have taken a leave from work to get a marriage certificate, then returned to work. At night, the man and woman moved their quilts together and continued to work the next day.
Ping An, one of the listeners, was lost in thought. After returning home, he solemnly told Zhou Xiaozheng about this matter. He thought it was a very good idea. If his father hadn't raised the several hundred yuan betrothal gift, the three brothers would have been gone.
A joke made the whole family burst into laughter.
Like them, Zhang's father and mother back home in Northeast China were also witnessing a unique wedding. This was the wedding of Huang Xiaomai, the successor to Huang Xiaomi.
Of the two old flowers in the Huang family, one was picked by a soldier half a year ago, and the last one was introduced to his comrades by his brother-in-law who was ahead of the victory.
Finally, Xiaomai and Xiaomi from the Huang family successfully married and became a military wife. It was impossible for her, her eldest aunt Zhang's mother, who was her closest relative, to be absent from this final happy event.
Unlike Huang Xiaomi's husband, Huang Xiaomai's groom is not from Northeast China. For this wedding, the groom's parents rushed to the provincial capital half a month in advance.
My daughter-in-law is a train conductor and will work on the train that travels back and forth between Northeast China and my hometown. She is not only good at her job, but also beautiful and gentle.
The parents-in-law naturally didn't want to let their youngest son down, but they were even more concerned about the different customs in different places. After asking around, they discovered that weddings are different nowadays.
So the astute father-in-law discussed things with his in-laws in secret, hiding it from outsiders. "On the surface, let's still follow the general arrangement. Privately, I won't say how much I'll give these two children. Just give this small box to them tomorrow."
Uncle Huang was honest and dull. He didn't even ask anything, just nodded repeatedly. In his heart, he didn't want to keep a single cent of his daughter's betrothal gift.
What's more, this son-in-law is so good. He comes to help out every holiday. This kid from the big city doesn't mind his family's shabby house and shabby quilt at all. According to my daughter, he had to hand over his private money early on. To have such a good child as his son-in-law is worth it for my daughter!
So, this wedding left Zhang's mother stunned! She couldn't ask her eldest brother and sister-in-law how much the man had given as a betrothal gift on the wedding day.
After taking a look around the two-bedroom, one-living-room apartment assigned by the army, Zhang's mother came back and whispered to her husband, "Dad, what do you think of this?"
Yes, except for the four quilts that came as a dowry, washbasins, thermoses, and other miscellaneous items given by relatives and friends, it seemed that all the things in the room belonged to the man.
Zhang's mother didn't dislike the man, she was just feeling sorry for her niece. No one knew better than her how much the man earned a month, yet he was still so stingy. Wasn't that a lack of respect for his niece?
Father Zhang, who went to the wedding, was different from these old women who were busy running around and wandering around. He chatted with the groom's in-laws and two brothers-in-law for a long time.
Although the man's father didn't say much, Father Zhang relied on the old man's words that his several sons had separated after getting married, and they were just waiting for the youngest son to get married.
Zhang's father could also tell that this wasn't a foolish person. How could someone who wasn't a fool do such a foolish thing? Not to mention that this family was all workers, the savings of his nephew and son-in-law over the years must have been quite substantial.
He took a puff of his pipe and laughed, "Not everyone cares about ostentation. Some people are quite shrewd. Look at that mother-in-law, she keeps pulling your little niece and can't stop talking. She will give her a lot of things in private."
"Yeah?"
Zhang's father smiled and said nothing. His son Xiaowu had actually managed to bring his uncle's family ashore. No wonder so many of his cousins didn't join him, only his two cousins.
This brat probably figured out that the two daughters loved their natal families and were more suitable than the sons who had married wives. It looked like the two brothers-in-law's grandsons wouldn't need their older son to help them when they became soldiers or workers once they reached adulthood.
"My eldest sister-in-law and my younger sister-in-law have been nagging about these two girls not being able to get married. Now, within six months, they've all left home. It's so fast."
"Xiaowu has already taken care of your mother's family affairs, so there won't be any more trouble in the future. When you have time, go and give the old family some warning. Don't just agree to Xizi's marriage. And what about the eldest daughter? My eldest grandson isn't in a hurry to get married now, so why should she be in a hurry? Give those people a good warning."
Zhang's mother nodded happily, "You old man, you made me the bad guy. The eldest lady mentioned it to me a few days ago, and she also said that we can talk about marriage after Xizi graduates."
"That's better! Let him find it on his own first, and then we can discuss his character. Xizi is not in a hurry, but Ziwen is worrying me."
"What's wrong?"
"Many people have asked me to be a matchmaker. How can I, a grown man and a relative of my own, get involved in my grandson's marriage? I don't even get involved in Xizi's marriage, let alone my grandson's?"
Zhang's mother nodded. That's what happened!
"Some time ago, Mr. Huang next door said that his eldest niece had graduated from high school, was good-looking and had a good temper, and asked me if I could help guide these two children."
Father Zhang couldn't help laughing when he thought about it. "Do you know how old his eldest niece is? She's three years older than Ziwen. It's a good thing he said that. I told him at the time that Ziwen wouldn't get married until he was 20."
"The second oldest also said that a colleague of his had mentioned their daughter to him. She's still in junior high and only sixteen. Your oldest daughter was so excited when she heard that and said it was a great idea. So, what's the rush?"
Seeing her husband's speech getting faster and faster, Zhang's mother gave him a worried look, as if the old man was also getting anxious. "So what do you mean?"
"What do I mean? I mean to wait a little longer. At least we have to wait until the child is older and understands more."
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