The news that Zhao Mingyue stayed in Beijing to teach at a university spread far and wide even before she returned home. Not only did everyone in Moon Bay know, but many people throughout Nan'ao Township and even Yunwu County knew about it. A university teacher, still in Beijing—that was quite an impressive figure.
With such a remarkable daughter, Zhao Shunsheng and Hu Nianchun felt an unprecedented sense of pride, their backs ramrod straight, and they always wore a cheerful smile. Zhao Shunsheng was the third child in their branch of the family, and now everyone who saw him would respectfully address him as "Third Grandfather," "Third Uncle," or "Third Uncle."
Yu Youqing also came back. His sister's divorce case has been dragging on for so long without being resolved. He came back to help his sister negotiate the divorce.
Cheng Yongqiang didn't come to pick up Yu Youfen, presumably at the urging of her parents, intending to divorce her and remarry. Yu Youfen, completely heartbroken, initiated the divorce, but demanded custody of the child and a lump sum of 2,000 yuan in alimony. In rural divorces, there's little property division, and even child support is often just empty talk; those with a conscience will pay, while those without will get nothing no matter how much they cry or plead. Therefore, Yu Youqing suggested his sister settle things once and for all.
Two thousand yuan is actually quite cheap to raise two children to adulthood, especially considering future inflation and currency devaluation. What can two thousand yuan really buy? But this was 1983, and the normal annual income per capita in rural areas was just over one hundred yuan. Two thousand yuan was equivalent to more than ten years' income. Naturally, Chengjia was unwilling to give it, believing that Yu Youfen was making an exorbitant demand.
Many people advised Yu Youfen to simply let it go, leave the children with Chengjia. They were his flesh and blood; he could raise them as he pleased, or not. She could divorce him and live a carefree life, easily remarrying later. Why bring two burdens with her? But Yu Youfen couldn't bear to part with her two daughters. Chengjia's preference for sons over daughters was so extreme; they would never treat her daughters well. Her daughters would only suffer there, and if they had a stepmother, they would be abused. She would rather endure hardship herself than leave her children with her.
Both of Yu's parents shook their heads, and the two brothers also held differing opinions. In the end, Yu Youqing made the decision: he supported his sister in getting custody of both children, and as their uncle, he would definitely help if she encountered any difficulties in the future. Yu Youqing was now the most influential person in the family, and once he made a promise, it was a done deal.
The problem now is whether they can get the two thousand yuan from the divorce settlement. Chengjia is only willing to give five hundred yuan. Their son is divorced and still needs to get married, so of course they are unwilling to give that much money. Therefore, the matter has been deadlocked. Yu Youqing said that if they are unwilling to give, then let's drag it out. Anyway, the other side is eager to get married, while the other side is not in a hurry to get married. Let's see who can afford to delay.
This was the first time Zhao Mingyue had such a leisurely summer vacation. She didn't have to think about making money; she could just stay at home with her parents, help her mother pick tea and sew quilts, and discuss the details of her wedding with them.
She even went with her older brother to sell tea once. When the siblings talked about the tea factory in the village, Zhao Mingliang said with some emotion, "I don't think the tea factory will last long."
"What's wrong?" Zhao Mingyue looked at her older brother in surprise.
Zhao Mingliang said, "We collect tea leaves from various villages, and the money we earn is divided equally among all the villages. It's free money, but many people still feel it's unfair. Some families have many members, and some have few. If we divide it by the number of households, the families with more members feel it's unfair. If we divide it by the number of people, the families with fewer members feel it's unfair. This has always been a problem. Every day, people go to the village head to talk about this, and he's fed up with it."
Zhao Mingyue sighed, "Yes, there will always be people who are dissatisfied. Brother, if the village's tea factory can't keep operating, you can open your own tea factory." This idea of sharing the same resources has made many people dependent on the village, and everyone probably thinks it's only natural. Her initial idea was to help everyone get rich together, but now some people feel that it's unfair.
Zhao Mingliang looked at his sister and raised an eyebrow: "You mean, you want me to open a tea factory?"
Zhao Mingyue said, "Why don't you partner up with your second brother? You already know the sales channels, so one of you can be in charge of making the tea and the other can be in charge of selling it. Isn't that a good idea?"
Zhao Mingliang had also considered this possibility: "But I'm afraid people will criticize me. They'll gossip about us if we don't share the profits with them. They'll say we're hoarding the money."
“You decide how the village tea factory operates. If it really can't keep going, you can go out on your own. At this point, it's all about ability. Anyone who wants to go out on their own like you can, nobody's stopping them, right?” Zhao Mingyue knew that this kind of egalitarian, egalitarian system always had its drawbacks, and communism was currently just an ideal. Collective tea production and sales were more in line with the current national conditions, but in a few years, when the market economy had fully developed, it wouldn't just be Zhao Mingyue who wanted to go out on his own; many more people would. Their village didn't have a Wu Renbao with that kind of boldness.
In fact, if the tea factory really develops in the future, whether it is public or private, it will be a good thing for the village's economy. It can create jobs and promote local economic development.
When Zhao Mingyue returned from outside, she saw her mother sorting cotton again: "Mom, why are you still sorting cotton in this hot weather?"
When Hu Nianchun saw his daughter, a smile appeared on his face: "I'll tidy up the cotton, dry it in the sun, and then ask a craftsman to make cotton quilts for your wedding."
Zhao Mingyue said, "Didn't you already prepare three quilts for me?"
“Three beds aren’t enough. I need to prepare four quilts and four mattresses for you. According to the old custom, there should be eight bedding and eight blankets, but your place is too far away, and it’s inconvenient to bring them over, so we have to cut it in half,” Hu Nianchun said with a smile.
Zhao Mingyue was startled: "Mom, don't scare me. Eight quilts and eight blankets? Even four quilts and four blankets are scary enough. It's so far away, how are you going to bring them over? If you ask me, two quilts are enough. If not, I'll buy more later."
Hu Nianchun waved his hand with a smile: "Don't worry about that. We'll go with your uncle and aunt. There are so many people, we can manage. If you marry someone from this area, we'll have to bring furniture over. Now Xiao Shen says he'll handle the furniture, so I don't need to. But how can we not prepare the quilts and mattresses properly? Otherwise, our family will look too shabby."
Zhao Mingyue once again felt the boundless love and concern of parents. She said, "Mom, we actually keep everything simple and don't have many formalities. We can gradually acquire these things ourselves. Xuyue knows that our family's financial situation isn't good. I didn't ask for a dowry when I married into his family."
Hu Nianchun said, "Since his family is preparing furniture, and also buying a sewing machine and a bicycle, then the bride price will be waived. But I will definitely prepare a dowry; it can't just be a marriage where the bride is married off. Don't worry, I will take care of everything."
Zhao Mingyue entered her room and saw the red and green satin sheets on the bed. She couldn't help but laugh: "Mom, don't prepare this satin quilt for me. Just prepare a cotton quilt cover. You know, my house in Beijing isn't spacious, unlike our house here. There's not enough room for me to sew quilts."
In those days, the popular quilts and covers were made of two separate pieces of fabric, called "stitched quilts." Before winter arrived, every household had to stitch their quilts together, which was a big and easy task. A mat had to be laid out in the main room or courtyard, followed by the quilt sheet and the quilt filling, and then sewn together stitch by stitch. It took most of the day to finish several quilts. Stitching the quilts meant winter was coming soon. Unlike the later popular quilt covers, which were simply a cloth bag to which the quilt filling was stuffed, a few corners were grasped, and it was shaken neatly. More particular quilt makers would even sew a few stitches to prevent the filling from shifting.
Hu Nianchun turned to look at her daughter: "How can that be? This satin quilt is the only way to show respect. If you find it troublesome, Mom will prepare two more quilt covers for you, but you still need the quilt cover. Otherwise, people will say that our family has no manners at all." Satin is used for the quilt cover, and cotton is used for the quilt lining. This way, it looks good and is comfortable to sleep under. It's just that sewing it is too troublesome, and taking it apart to wash is not an easy task either.
Zhao Mingyue looked at her mother and sighed helplessly, "Alright then, you decide." When she has money in the future, she will buy a big house, get a big bed, and sew quilts right on the bed.
Zhao Mingyue asked her mother, "Mom, my third brother isn't married yet. If I get married first, will it have any impact on him?" Although she didn't think it was a big deal, the older generation was particular about this, so it was better to talk about it openly.
Hu Nianchun paused for a moment: "This shouldn't be a big deal. It's his own fault for not finding someone first. Xiao Shen is getting on in years; it's time for him to get married. Hasn't your third brother already found someone?"
"Really? Why didn't he tell me?" Zhao Mingyue wrinkled her nose. "Hmph, that Zhao Minglang, he said he would tell me if he had a girlfriend, but he didn't tell me at all."
Hu Nianchun said, "He probably hasn't decided on this yet. Last time he came home for the Dragon Boat Festival, I said, 'You're graduating soon, and you should be getting married in the fall. He hasn't decided yet, so don't blame your sister for getting married before him.' Your brother said that he's almost settled now, and told us not to worry, and that you should just focus on getting married."
"That's wonderful! I'll go to the county town to see him tomorrow." Zhao Mingyue was still looking forward to her future sister-in-law, wondering what kind of person her brother had found.
"Then go and take a look." Hu Nianchun used his hands to pull out the cotton seeds that hadn't been properly crushed from the cotton and threw them on the ground. A chicken ran over, pecked at one, and then put it down after realizing it couldn't be eaten.
Hu Nianchun sighed: "You'll be going to Beijing from now on, and it'll be difficult for you to come back."
"Mom, don't worry. I might not be able to come back for Chinese New Year in the future, but I have summer and winter vacations. The holidays are very long, and I'll have time to come back and see you and Dad. It's just that Xuyue might have less time, unlike us who have such long holidays." Zhao Mingyue came over to help her mother sort the cotton. She noticed that her hands were sweaty when she touched them, so she put them down. It was too hot in this weather, but her mother was sorting the cotton with ease, without breaking a sweat.
Hearing this, Hu Nianchun nodded and said, "That's true. It's alright. If you can't find the time, that's fine. Work is more important."
Zhao Mingyue added, "You and Dad can come to Beijing to see us then, and stay at my place for a while longer."
Hu Nianchun laughed: "Where would we find so much time? We raise chickens, ducks, and pigs at home, and your father is also farming. We simply can't leave."
“Then we won’t plant or raise any more animals; we’ll leave it all to my brother and sister-in-law,” Zhao Mingyue said. “Mom, I was also thinking, if I get pregnant and have a baby, can I bring you over to take care of me?”
Hu Nianchun looked at her daughter and nodded, "Okay." She only had this one precious daughter, who was considerate, sensible, and capable. If it weren't for her own success in getting into a university in Beijing, she really wouldn't have wanted her to marry so far away. But children always have their own lives, and as parents get older, they can't help their children much more. If they have a better life, they should naturally let go and let them pursue it.
The next day, Zhao Mingyue rode her bicycle to the county town. She first went to her second sister-in-law's shop. Her second sister-in-law's shop had been open for a year and was quite well-established. Business had gradually stabilized, and she was now calmly and leisurely busy in the shop every day, no longer anxiously waiting for customers like she had at the beginning, fearing that business would be bad.
When her second sister-in-law saw her, she was very happy: "Sister, you've come? Please sit down." Her second sister-in-law quickly put down what she was doing and brought her a stool, a fan, and water.
"No need to bother, Second Sister-in-law, I can do it myself. Is business at the shop alright?" Zhao Mingyue took the fan from her Second Sister-in-law and sat at the doorway, fanning herself.
Second Sister-in-law smiled broadly: "It's alright. Thanks to the two new samples you sent me later. Several tailor shops in the county are also making our styles from last year, but their styles aren't as new as mine, so my business is still better."
Zhao Mingyue nodded: "That's good. Second sister-in-law, my third brother found a girlfriend?"
The second sister-in-law looked at Zhao Mingyue and said, "Yes, didn't he tell you?"
"No. What kind of girl is she? Have you ever met her?" Zhao Mingyue was full of curiosity.
Second Sister-in-law said with a smile, "I've seen her. She's had clothes made at my shop twice. She's good-looking, from the county town, and a doctor at their hospital, but she's not very talkative."
Zhao Mingyue nodded: "Then I'll go take a look in a bit."
"Go ahead and go. Do you want me to come with you?" Second Sister-in-law asked.
"No need, I can go by myself. You go ahead with your work," Zhao Mingyue said with a smile.
"Then eat here with me," said the second sister-in-law.
Zhao Mingyue waved her hand: "I'll go ask my third brother to treat me to dinner."
Zhao Mingyue sat for a while, then got up and went to the Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital. It was a sweltering day, so she wore a straw hat and two arm sleeves for sun protection before riding her bicycle there.
Zhao Minglang was overjoyed that his sister would come to see him: "When did you get back?"
"I've been back for so long, and you haven't even come back to see me. You heartless bastard!" Zhao Mingyue scolded her brother.
Zhao Minglang said, "Heaven and earth bear witness, I've been swapping shifts with my colleagues to save up my vacation days so I could go back and help my parents harvest rice during the busy farming season. I figured you should be back by now, and I thought you would come to see me, but I've been waiting for so long."
Zhao Mingyue said, "I ran into my older brother when I got home. He went out to sell tea, so I went with him for a while, and then I came here."
"Then why don't you stop by and see me when you come back?" Zhao Minglang said.
Zhao Mingyue said with a smile, "I wanted to make my parents happy first, so I came to see you."
Zhao Minglang glanced at his watch and said, "Come on, I'm off work. I'll take you to eat." He then took off his white coat and hung it on the coat hook next to the cabinet.
"Oh, my brother is wearing a watch too. Let me see, how much does it cost?" Zhao Mingyue smiled and took his hand to look at it. It was a quartz watch made in Shanghai.
A smile spread across Zhao Minglang's face: "It's free, I found it."
"Heh, where can I find one? I'll go pick one up too. Who gave it to me?" Zhao Mingyue smiled ambiguously.
Zhao Minglang tapped Zhao Mingyue's forehead with his finger: "You little devil."
Zhao Mingyue followed her brother out of the hospital and looked around, asking, "Brother, are we just going to eat together?"
"Who else do you want to call?" Zhao Minglang glanced at her sideways.
Zhao Mingyue smiled and said, "It's the person who gave you the watch."
Zhao Minglang said, "She's not here."
Zhao Mingyue immediately became alert: "My second sister-in-law clearly said she was a doctor at your hospital, why isn't she at work today?" Could it be that she's been replaced again?
Zhao Minglang chuckled: "He's a doctor, but not from our hospital. He's from the one next door."
Zhao Mingyue craned her neck to look and realized that it was from the county hospital. She smiled and said, "Great, brother, from now on our family will be a combination of Chinese and Western medicine. That's promising!"
Zhao Minglang rolled his eyes at her. Zhao Mingyue said, "Brother, let's go next door and invite her to eat together."
Zhao Minglang said, "Why go? When the time comes, I will naturally show it to you."
"And you even showed her to my second sister-in-law?" Zhao Mingyue snorted in dissatisfaction. "Hurry up, I came all this way today specifically to see my future third sister-in-law. Are you coming or not?"
Zhao Minglang sighed helplessly, "Fine, fine, go ahead, okay?"
Zhao Mingyue followed behind him, chattering, "Look at me, you should have taken me to see her. I won't be able to go home even once a year. If I want to see my third sister-in-law, it'll be a long time coming."
Zhao Minglang stopped, looked at Zhao Mingyue, and thought about how his clever and mischievous younger sister was about to get married. He reached out and patted her head: "I'm sorry, Mingyue, I might not have time to go to your wedding. I've saved up all my vacation time to go home and help with the farm work."
Zhao Mingyue had guessed that was the case; working people are often powerless to change their lives. "It's okay. If you help Mom and Dad, I won't feel so disappointed." She and her third brother were the closest in age and had spent the most time together. They played together a lot and had the closest relationship. Of course, she hoped that her third brother could come to her wedding.
Zhao Minglang said, "Don't be sad. When I get married next year, I'll have my honeymoon. How about we go to your house for our honeymoon?"
Zhao Mingyue smiled and said, "Okay."
Zhao Minglang suddenly sighed for some reason: "My sister is getting married soon, and I really can't bear to part with her." This sister, though called a sister, is actually more like a teacher and friend. She has prevented him from going astray several times in his life. In fact, he really has to thank her, otherwise he would be a rat digging coal somewhere underground.
“My brother is going to marry someone else, and I’m worried that once you have a sister-in-law, you won’t treat me the same way as before.” Zhao Mingyue puffed out her cheeks.
Zhao Minglang smiled reassuringly: "Of course I'll still love you just like before, and there will be another person to care for you in the future."
"Are you talking about my sister-in-law?" Zhao Mingyue winked her left eye at her brother.
Zhao Minglang smiled without saying a word: "She's not a talkative person, especially when she meets strangers. But she's very kind, so please don't take offense."
"Then how did you meet her?" Zhao Mingyue asked curiously.
Zhao Minglang said, "I ran into her once when she went to her second sister-in-law's shop to make clothes. Later, we ran into her again when we went to a regional meeting. I took the initiative to talk to her. At first, she didn't want to talk to me, but she couldn't resist my persistence."
Zhao Mingyue gave a thumbs up: "That's how it should be. Once you've identified a target, you should act quickly. A real man!"
Zhao Minglang laughed heartily. They had already arrived at the entrance of the People's Hospital. Zhao Mingyue said, "I'll go in and call her. Wait for me a moment."
Zhao Mingyue nodded and stood in the shade. About ten minutes later, Zhao Minglang led a girl out. The girl was quite tall, even taller than Zhao Mingyue, with ear-length hair, an oval face, and very pretty features. She had a slightly aloof air about her, probably due to her personality. When she saw Zhao Mingyue, she smiled faintly.
Zhao Minglang quickly explained, "This is Gui Dan, an ENT doctor at the People's Hospital. Dan Dan, this is my sister, Mingyue. I've told you about her many times."
Gui Dan extended her hand: "Hello."
Zhao Mingyue found her voice melodious, like a nightingale singing in a valley: "Hello, may I call you Sister Dandan?"
Gui Dan nodded: "Mm." She said very little.
Zhao Minglang said, "Let's go eat. We're a little late; she's already eating. Have some more, Dandan?"
Gui Dan said, "Okay." She was truly sparing with her words.
Zhao Mingyue laughed and said, "Sister Dandan has such a beautiful voice, why doesn't she like to talk?"
Gui Dan was stunned for a moment before saying, "My grandma said, 'The more you say, the more mistakes you make.'"
Zhao Mingyue laughed: "Yes, it's okay, as long as you like it." This also shows that her family has good upbringing, at least she is not a gossip or troublemaker.
Zhao Minglang clearly liked Gui Dan, and he kept trying to ease the tension between Zhao Mingyue and Gui Dan. However, Gui Dan was clearly not yet comfortable being with Zhao Mingyue and remained very quiet. During the meal, it was evident that she was well-mannered, polite, and ate slowly and quietly.
Zhao Mingyue felt that if her brother married Gui Dan, his lifestyle would probably take a leap forward, and she wondered if they could get along.
After dinner, the brother and sister took Gui Dan back to the hospital. Zhao Mingyue said to her brother, "When you're alone with her, is she always this quiet?"
Zhao Minglang shook his head: "No, they'll talk more when they're with me."
"What does her family do?" Zhao Mingyue asked.
“Her grandfather and father were both doctors. However, they were persecuted and died. Now, only her grandmother, mother, and an older brother remain in the family, who is already married,” Zhao Minglang said.
It turns out he's someone who's suffered a lot.
Zhao Minglang added, "She had excellent grades in the college entrance examination and applied to medical school, but she was not admitted. She went to a junior college and graduated in the same year as me."
Zhao Mingyue said, "I think she's great. Treat her well, brother."
"Of course I will," Zhao Minglang smiled.
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