As 1962 drew to a close, the Tang sisters were all striving for a better future.
Whether it's the fifth or sixth oldest in college, the second or third oldest with formal employment status, or the eldest still burning the midnight oil to get a permanent position, even to the point of bruising their own and their sisters' elbows.
There's also the fourth sister, who just started working in the cafeteria and spends her days studying lip reading; the seventh and eighth sisters, who are trying hard to close the gap with their older and younger sisters; and the ninth sister, who studies practice questions every day for the college entrance exam until her fingers develop calluses...
So what if they have cheat codes? None of the kids misuse them, nor do they take advantage of them to lie down. Instead, they are all looking for the most advantageous development path for their lives.
When your career is going well, it's inevitable that you'll find it difficult to balance love and career.
When January 1963 arrived, Niu Feng took a special leave to return home and talk to Cui Hong about their marriage.
Cuihong looked at Niu Feng in surprise: "I just found a job,"
Niu Feng was also embarrassed. "I've been promoted to captain, the rank of company commander. I've met the requirements to accompany my unit and have been transferred to Xishi. I'll be reporting for duty after the New Year. I want to take you with me. If you agree, I'll submit a report. After we get married, I'll give you all my salary. I currently have about a hundred yuan a month on average, including the money I earn from each mission. That should be enough to support you."
It means that even if I don't have a job, I can still support you.
Although the West Market wasn't far from them, it would still take more than a day to go there and back.
"Will you stay in Xishi indefinitely?"
Niu Feng shook his head directly, "No, maybe it will be changed in a few years, it depends on the arrangements from above."
He's only in his early twenties, and he's already reached the rank of captain at such a young age; his future is still promising.
Niu Feng is different from others. It's normal for them to get married in their thirties, but he has never had a family since he was a child, so he really wants to get married as soon as possible. After all, he has a very stable career, and he naturally doesn't want to fall behind in other aspects.
Cuihong never expected that she would face such a choice before she had even been working for a month.
Fortunately, Niu Feng didn't put too much pressure on her. When Cuihua and the other sisters came back, he said it again very sincerely.
"I need to report to my new unit after the New Year. If I can submit my application before the New Year, I will be able to get a suitable house. There are military factories and schools there. If military spouses go with their husbands, they can still find jobs."
After hearing this, Cuihua felt that what Niu Feng said was true. Besides, Cuihong was already 21, and Niu Feng was five years older than her. Once she turned 25, she would be approaching 30, which was, frankly, the age to get married and have children.
Cuihong was different from them. They couldn't find a suitable one, but Cuihong had one right next to her. Moreover, he held a high military rank, earned a good salary, treated her well, and never looked down on her. That very night, Cuihua gave Cuihong sincere advice.
Cuihong came from the Beast World, after all. In their world, finding a partner wasn't so complicated. They valued mutual affection and chemistry. It was all about first impressions. The stronger the ability, the easier it was to find a partner. Moreover, they could have more than one partner and have children with whomever they wanted.
She wasn't married before she came here, so she wasn't particularly interested in this phenomenon.
But what my sister said is also right. When men and women are together, the most important thing is comfort. If he treats you well and you don't feel disgusted, then it's a good match.
She has no bad habits and no messy relationships at home; there really is no man more suitable for her than Niu Feng.
"If I accept, what do I need to prepare? Is there enough time?"
Niu Feng was overjoyed and said, "There's no time to lose. I'll submit the report first. It will take time for approval. It would be best if there was a suitable house. If not, we'll have to wait. Let's get married on May Day, okay?"
That means we have another six months to prepare.
Tang Cuihong subconsciously looked at Cuihua, who then slowly and carefully explained the situation to her again, after which she nodded in agreement.
"This is a good time; it's enough for us to use up our cloth coupons to make clothes for Cuihua and prepare a few quilts."
Unexpectedly, Niu Feng even thought of these things: "These are cotton coupons and cloth coupons. I asked my comrades for them last year. We always help each other out. There are twenty feet of cloth and fifteen jin of cotton coupons. I'll look for them again when I get back."
After all, it was a difficult time. During that difficult time, even people with official household registration and jobs could only collect no more than five feet of cloth per year. It was extremely difficult to accumulate that much.
Cotton coupons were even more exclusive; only married women and women who had given birth were eligible for special treatment, but the amount could not exceed two jin (1 kg).
Before leaving, Niu Feng left Cuihong two hundred yuan to prepare her dowry.
"You don't need to worry about anything else, I'll take care of buying it myself. I'll prepare everything for you, including the three turns and the sound system."
Cuihua quickly stopped her, saying, "Wait a minute, since it's a dowry, we'll take care of it ourselves, so we don't need your money, right?"
"Hey, big sister, you don't need to be so calculating. We don't have parents, and we don't need to follow any rules. Just do whatever makes you comfortable."
But Cuihua insisted: "We haven't touched the money you sent before. Cuihong will take it with us to start your little family later."
Then he continued to suggest, "Let's exchange the 'three turns and one sound' (referring to a type of cigarette, a sewing machine, a watch, and a radio) for cash and give it to Cuihong as a betrothal gift. Someone like you, whose situation is not stable right now, might be transferred again one day. To avoid the difficulty of moving later, the decoration of your new house doesn't need to be too complicated. If you have an old one, just use the old one first. The money saved can be used to buy a new house when you are settled in a stable place. What do you think?"
Niu Feng thought it made sense, but he was worried that he might upset Cui Hong. Unexpectedly, Cui Hong nodded vigorously after hearing the note her older sister had written.
“I think my sister is right. Just save the money for me and we’ll talk about it when things are more stable.”
"Putting everything else aside, we need to buy a watch. The rest can wait. The military factory is quite a distance from the family compound, and bicycles..."
"Buy a used one. You've just arrived in a new place, so I don't recommend being too extravagant, lest you attract unwanted attention."
These numerous detailed reminders made Niu Feng admire Tang Cuihua's considerations even more. The Tang sisters, who were used to being low-key, were becoming more and more comprehensive in their thinking.
After discussing the matter with the Tang sisters, Niu Feng went to the Tao family to explain their plans in detail.
After listening to his arrangements, Tao Changyi and Zhao Lingli couldn't find any fault with them. In the end, they decided to hold a banquet here during the May Day holiday and not go back to Niu Feng's hometown. He would go home to pay respects and talk about this before the Qingming Festival, and then invite a few more tables back to the army base. That would complete the formalities.
Niu Feng stayed in Xihe Village for four days, discussing all the procedures with the Tao and Tang families. He decided not to take the two hundred yuan, intending to leave it for the banquet. Afterward, he would return to the provincial military region to handle the aftermath before his transfer.
Only after he left did Cuihong belatedly realize that she might not be able to stay in this house for much longer.
"What will you all do if I leave? Also, I just started working, where's my job? Sister, how about waiting a few more years?"
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