When Chen Ping and Wang Ying arrived, the Xu family's food had just been served.
Chen Jianguo: "Dad, Mom, what brings you here too?"
Chen Ping: "You brat, you're allowed to come and freeload, but we're not allowed to?"
Xu Yaozu was in a good mood today. When he saw Chen Ping, he greeted him, "Come on, let's have a couple of drinks today, brothers."
Chen Ping raised the glass of wine in his hand and said with a smile, "I brought some good wine. I guarantee you and your uncle will want more after you drink it."
When Grandpa Xu heard there was good wine, his eyes lit up: "What kind of wine is it? Let me see."
Chen Ping immediately handed it over. Old Master Xu had also attended a private school before, although for a short time, he still knew the basic characters.
Grandpa Xu: "Oh! Moutai, I've never had it before. Is this wine very good? I only know that Sanhua wine, Taibai wine, and Erguotou are all good wines. I've only drunk Erguotou. The others are just legends. But this Erguotou is too spicy. I still prefer my homemade rice wine, which is mellow and smooth."
Mu Jingheng: "Grandpa, this Moutai seems pretty good. My husband loves wine, and he said this wine tastes good. If you like it, I'll ask my husband to buy it for you."
In the 1970s, you needed ration coupons to buy anything, and Moutai was especially scarce; even with coupons, you might not be able to buy it.
Chen Ping was a driver for the supply and marketing cooperative's transportation team. Although it was called a transportation team, the supply and marketing cooperative of Hongxing Commune in Qinghe County only had one vehicle and two drivers. For short-distance transportation, the two drivers took turns, but for long-distance transportation, the two drivers went together.
In those days, being a driver was a highly sought-after job, not to mention the drivers of supply and marketing cooperatives. All the goods sold by the cooperatives had to pass through their hands, so although they didn't seem to have any official positions, in reality, many people had to be mindful of their behavior.
When they go out, they have many opportunities to earn extra money. They can easily earn what others earn in one or two months, or even several months. So, although Chen Ping is quiet, he is actually quite well-off and has a lot of influence when he goes out.
Chen Ping and Wang Ying never told Old Mrs. Chen about these things, but every time he came home he would bring back rare items, so Old Mrs. Chen used her imagination and finally found something for her son to be proud of.
Grandpa Xu was overjoyed. He liked this young man; he was good at handling things, good-looking, and had a pleasant voice. Most importantly, his wife was very happy around him. Grandpa Xu felt that this boy was someone he could get along with.
Grandpa Xu: "Oh my! Little Heng is such a good boy. Grandpa will make you malt candy next time."
Xu Laosan: "Grandpa, I want some too! Grandpa's malt candy is the best, even better than White Rabbit milk candy."
Old Master Xu was pleased with Old Master Xu's flattery. He loved it when people praised his maltose, a skill that was supposedly passed down to him by his father, Ada.
Wang Ying and Chen Ping then noticed Mu Jingheng and asked, "Have you had guests?"
Xu Yaozu: "Do you still remember Commander Mu? This is Commander Mu's son. He just came to our brigade as an educated youth."
Chen Ping looked surprised; he never expected that Commander Mu's son would go to the countryside.
Mu Jingheng's family situation was no secret in the military. They were a military family, and children from such families would either join the army or go into politics. It would be easy to arrange a job for someone. Why would they be willing to send their child to the countryside? If they wanted to gain experience, they should send him to the army.
Has something happened to the Mu family?
It's no wonder Chen Ping had this suspicion; in this era, it's not uncommon for people in high positions to get into trouble.
Chen Ping: "It's good to come to the countryside for some experience. Commander Mu is our old leader. You've come all the way to our brigade. Don't hesitate to ask for help. I'll definitely help you. Back when we were under your father's command, those were the happiest years."
People who have served in the military all have a common trait: when they talk about things related to the military, they become very close to the people around them. Even someone as quiet as Chen Ping can become a chatterbox.
Mu Jingheng: "I won't stand on ceremony with you all. This Xujia Village Brigade is really great! The air is fresh and the people are simple and honest. To be honest, I felt a sense of familiarity as soon as I arrived here, as if I had been here before."
When Xu Xinning heard Mu Jingheng say this, she glanced at him with amusement, thinking to herself that this person didn't even bother to think before he lied, and that he was really shameless.
Grandpa Xu: "Haha, it's fate, it's fate. Just like how I liked you the moment I saw you. People need to have a connection to get along. And my wife, she's such a reserved person, but she hasn't stopped smiling since she saw you, young man."
Everyone: ...Are we already being fed dog food before we've even had our meal?
Grandma Xu gave Grandpa Xu an embarrassed look. This shameless old man is so old, why does he always ramble on and on?
Grandpa Xu laughed even harder after seeing Grandma Xu's little gesture.
Mu Jingheng: "Grandpa and Grandma have such a good relationship!"
Grandpa Xu: "Of course! My wife is someone who accompanies me for a lifetime. No one is closer to her than that. Even parents and children can't compare."
Grandma Xu was truly embarrassed to say such things in front of so many younger people: "You old rascal, you're already talking nonsense before you've even had a drink. Just eat your food."
Grandpa Xu smiled and leaned closer to Mu Jingheng, whispering, "Your grandma is embarrassed."
Mu Jingheng has truly fallen for the Xu family now; the atmosphere is intoxicating.
Xu Xinning has a habit of taking a walk after meals. Seeing that Xu Yaozu, Chen Ping, and Grandpa Xu were drinking happily, and talking more after a few drinks, she guessed they would continue drinking for a while.
After Mu Jingheng, Xu Laosan, and Chen Jianguo finished eating, they went to the educated youth settlement to move their luggage. It was then that Xu Xinning learned that Mu Jingheng, that shameless guy, was coming to stay at her house.
She felt inexplicably uncomfortable, but since her father had let her move in, she, as a junior, couldn't say anything. Fortunately, her older brother's room was downstairs, so she probably wouldn't have much contact with him except for meals.
The Xu family's courtyard is actually somewhat like a traditional courtyard house, but it's built of stone and wood. The main house is two stories high. Originally, two families lived in this courtyard: the Chen family and the Xu family. To make things easier, they divided the courtyard into two parts with a wall in the middle. The Xu family's side consisted of half of the main house plus the east wing, while the Chen family's side consisted of half of the main house plus the west wing. However, the Xu family's side had a second floor, while the Chen family's side did not. In fact, the Xu family occupied the majority of the courtyard, which was probably related to the number of people in their family.
After Yang Chunqin and Xu Yaozu returned, they built a kitchen and a woodshed in the yard. The coops for chickens, ducks, and geese were all built in the backyard. This way, the main house could be kept clean and tidy, and it would be much more spacious. Everyone could have their own room, which was rare in that era.
The Xu family's courtyard was paved with bluestone slabs, which shows that their family background wasn't so bad in the past.
The alleyway is paved with pebbles, so it's not too muddy even when it rains.
Xu Xinning walked slowly along the alley.
By this time, most of the commune members had finished eating dinner.
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