Chapter 113
Unlike what Xia Qingtang had imagined, the female student in front of him was a plain-looking person.
She was not tall, about 1.5 meters tall, of medium build, neither fat nor thin. Because of her short stature, the long coat looked a little heavy on her, like a child who had stolen adult clothes and could not support it at all.
Probably to appear taller, she wore a pair of black leather shoes. Although it was midwinter, she still wore flat shoes, but the heels of the shoes had a height of several centimeters, probably to appear taller.
She had medium-long hair, which was braided into two pigtails. Her bangs were curled and combed up high. It was obvious that she was very concerned about her height.
Apart from being short and of medium build, her looks were also very ordinary. Not pretty nor ugly, but an ordinary face that would definitely not attract attention if she walked in a crowd.
Even her skin is not fair and she has a few pimples on her face. She doesn't look like the kind of girl who can destroy other people's feelings.
Is this really the girl who was talking to Gu Xing'an? Xia Qingtang was confused, and the girl stared at the people outside the dormitory building and said, "Who is looking for me? Where is she?"
When Xia Qingtang heard this voice, he immediately knew that he had found the right person. This was the female student who had talked to Gu Xingan last night.
Xia Qingtang also quickly figured out why Gu Xing'an hesitated. Because Hu Yanni was very beautiful, but the girl in front of him was very ordinary and plain-looking, and he was reluctant to give up such a good-looking girl.
No one doesn't like good-looking people, regardless of whether they are men or women. Being beautiful is a great advantage, so Xie Jinxuan is very popular in school. Even though many people know that Xie Jinxuan is married, they still can't control their feelings and run to write to him or even confess their love to him in person.
Chang Xiaohong looks like this, so her appearance is naturally not an advantage at all.
So on the one hand, Gu Xing'an was reluctant to give up Hu Yanni's beautiful appearance and gentle and kind personality, and on the other hand, he was probably also considering Chang Xiaohong's family background.
Chang Xiaohong's words that day were very attractive. She came from a cadre family and was an only child. She was the only child in the family, and in the future, everything her parents had would belong to her alone.
Gu Xing'an has many younger brothers and sisters. If he marries Chang Xiaohong, he will be half a son of the Chang family. His father-in-law will definitely focus on cultivating him, and the young couple will both become cadres in the future. A family of cadres and cadres will definitely live better than a family of cadres and teachers.
Because in this era, primary and secondary school teachers are still relatively poor. They can only be considered to have stable jobs, but their income is actually not that much. In a few years, some of their welfare benefits will be far behind those of cadres.
Gu Xing'an is an ordinary person, and an ordinary person from a poor family. He has so many younger brothers and sisters, and there is not enough room in his home. So even during summer and winter vacations, he will stay in school just to enjoy the dormitory space all to himself.
In this realistic environment, even true love may not be able to withstand it, not to mention that he and Hu Yanni don't have much love at all. Even if there is love, can it be worth more than bread?
With such a huge temptation from the Chang family in front of him, it would be hard for Xia Qingtang not to be tempted.
But being moved is one thing, and deceiving the person is another. If Gu Xing'an likes Chang Xiaohong, he should tell Hu Yanni honestly, break up peacefully, and then be with Chang Xiaohong again. No one will blame him.
But he kept it a secret from Hu Yanni, and at the same time, he was in contact with Chang Xiaohong every day at school. What was this? He was wasting Hu Yanni's time!
Seeing that no one answered her, Chang Xiaohong shouted again: "Who is looking for me? Who asked me to come down? Why did no one ask me to come down? Are you annoying? I am doing my homework. Who of you can afford to compensate me for wasting my time?"
The people standing nearby ignored her. Chang Xiaohong looked even angrier and started swearing.
Xia Qingtang, who was standing in the corner, whispered, "Hello, classmate Chang Xiaohong, I called you down."
Chang Xiaohong glanced at her with a very puzzled expression: "Who are you? Do I recognize you?"
"Oh, we don't recognize him, but I recognize Gu Xing'an. I saw you two eating in the cafeteria that day. After you left, a handkerchief fell on the table. I thought it must be a girl's thing, so I came to find you and wanted to ask if it was yours." As he said that, Xia Qingtang took out a clean handkerchief from his messenger bag and showed it to Chang Xiaohong.
Chang Xiaohong frowned and looked at the clean white handkerchief with small flowers on it and said, "This is not my handkerchief."
"Okay, then I'll go ask someone else." Xia Qingtang smiled, turned around and rode away, leaving Chang Xiaohong behind who was still a little confused.
Xia Qingtang rode his bike to the boys' dormitory. Although he didn't know whether Gu Xing'an was in the dormitory, Xia Qingtang still did the same thing and asked someone to call him out.
When Gu Xing'an went downstairs, he saw Xia Qingtang sitting on a bicycle with one foot on the stone pillar next to him and a serious expression on his face.
"Xia Qingtang, why are you here? Did Yanni ask me to ask you to come to me? Is there something wrong, Yanni?" Gu Xing'an asked with a smile.
Xia Qingtang said, "Oh, it wasn't Yanni who asked me to come here. I haven't seen you and Yanni for a long time. It just so happened that I came here today to find our Xie Jinxuan to go home together. He was still talking to his classmates over there, so I came to see you on the way. I haven't seen Yanni for a while either. I wonder how you two are doing now."
Gu Xingan smiled and said, "Ah, so you came to see me on your way. Yanni and I are getting along just fine, as always, and we see each other two or three times a week. Oh, by the way, are you sure you won't go to our class reunion tomorrow? Everyone is going, and some classmates who just returned to the city will also go. If you, the class beauty, don't attend, won't it be eclipsed?"
"I have something to do at home, so I can't go to the class reunion tomorrow. You guys can have fun with other classmates." Xia Qingtang said, "Is your relationship with Yanni still okay?"
Gu Xingan said: "It's fine. Our relationship has always been the same. Hey, why are you asking about this? Didn't Yanni tell you something? She's not dissatisfied with me... or angry?"
"Oh, no, no, Yanni didn't tell me anything. I was the one who was worried about you. You know the situation in our family. There are so many things about Xie Jinxuan in our family, which makes me worried. You also know that Xie Jinxuan is so handsome. Now not only freshmen write love letters to him one by one, but many seniors also write to him. This is a headache for me, and I can't stop people from liking him. I thought that your classmate Gu is also a handsome man, young, handsome and talented. Are there other female classmates in school who write to you? Judging from your appearance, you are probably popular."
Gu Xingan was obviously shocked when he heard this. He showed a panic expression and said quickly: "No, of course not! How can I compare with Xie Jinxuan? Your Xie Jinxuan is a famous handsome man in the school. Everyone in the school knows that he is very good-looking, and everyone knows that he has a good family background. He has a bicycle, a watch, and wears leather shoes. It is natural for others to like him. Who would like a poor student like me? And write a letter? No, no, there is no such thing at all."
Xia Qingtang said, "Well, it's good that nothing like this happened. I think if something like this happened, you should still tell your partner the truth. Isn't it important to be honest with your partner? Hey, old classmate, if a female student falls in love with you and writes to you, you must tell Yanni. You know, I know a lot of acquaintances in this school. If someone tells me about it, I will tell Yanni first. If I tell it first, it will be a big deal. But as long as you are honest, it will not be a big deal."
Gu Xing'an's expression became even uglier. He looked at Xia Qingtang's eyes that seemed to be smiling but not smiling, as if she had seen through everything about him. He began to tremble unconsciously.
After a while, Gu Xingan said, "Old classmate, don't worry, I will definitely not deceive Yanni. Yanni and I have been classmates for so many years. If nothing else, I have to respect her just because of our friendship. Besides, she is my girlfriend, how can I not be honest with her?"
Xia Qingtang smiled and said, "Yes, I really believe in your character, classmate Gu. You were a well-known moral person in the class. You have such high moral qualities. If someone really pursues you, likes you, or pesters you, you will definitely tell Yanni at the first time. I absolutely believe in you on this point!"
This was a bit obvious. Gu Xing'an's face turned pale and he trembled for several seconds before he said, "Old classmate, you... there's something behind your words... Did someone really say something to you?"
Xia Qingtang laughed cheerfully, "No, no, no one told me anything! Absolutely not, I can assure you of that. But, classmate Gu, why are you so nervous? Your face is pale, and your lips are trembling. Sigh... Could it be that something really happened and you are hiding it from me? Hey, hey, hey, you can't do this. If someone really likes you, you have to tell me. Otherwise, I will go and ask other people I know in this school. You are also a well-known figure in your department. I will definitely find out the answer if I ask around. Oh, now that you mention it, I am really worried. No, I'd better go and ask someone!"
After saying that, Xia Qingtang got on her bicycle and was about to leave. Gu Xingan was frightened and immediately rushed over to grab the handlebars of her bicycle: "Xia classmate! Don't mess around!"
Seeing that he was covered in cold sweat, you could tell that he was really scared.
Xia Qingtang still laughed out loud. She said, "Oh, old classmate, I was just joking with you. Why are you so nervous? You look like this, and it makes me think that something is wrong with you. However, I still believe in classmate Gu's character. If there is anything, you will definitely tell Yanni first, right?"
Gu Xingan nodded desperately: "Of course, how could I possibly lie to Yanni?"
Xia Qingtang frowned and suddenly lowered his voice and shouted, "You'd better do this! Gu Xing'an, let me tell you, Hu Yanni is my best friend and the most important person to me. She is a very kind and gentle girl. If you dare to let her down, I will never let you go in this life. You know what kind of family I married into, and you also know that our Xie Jinxuan's starting point is much higher than yours. As long as you dare to let Yanni down, I will dare to target you for the rest of my life. I'm not kidding you, for Yanni, I can do anything. Besides, I'm just an ordinary worker, I'm not afraid of college students like you when I'm barefoot."
Gu Xingan trembled all over and was so scared that he couldn't speak.
Xia Qingtang changed the subject and said with a smile, "Oh, I was still joking with you. Old classmate, you are not scared, are you? Hahahahaha... I definitely believe in your character, Gu. However, I also know that feelings can't be forced. You have not been together for a long time, so it's not like you have a strong emotional foundation. When you are in love, you should part ways amicably. If you really don't like Yanni anymore, or you want to end this relationship, please explain it to Yanni. In short, deception is absolutely not allowed. Gu, anyone who is in a relationship must have a moral foundation, don't you think so?"
"Yes..." Gu Xing'an looked at Xia Qingtang, not knowing what else to say.
"Then I will believe you, and I hope you will be a good person with morals from beginning to end. In this way, no matter who you date in the future, as an old classmate, I will bless you, and I am willing to go to congratulate you on your marriage." Xia Qingtang said seriously.
Gu Xingan's body trembled: "Xia Qingtang...I..."
"Okay, I feel relieved knowing that you are doing well. Xie Jinxuan's matter should be over, so I won't tell you anything. I'm going home first. See you next year, old classmate." After saying that, Xia Qingtang smiled at him and rode away on his bike.
She didn't make her words completely clear today, but Gu Xing'an was a smart man and he definitely knew what Xia Qingtang was talking about.
There are only two things he can do now. Either reject Chang Xiaohong completely and continue to date Hu Yanni steadily, or break up with Hu Yanni and accept Chang Xiaohong, who has an excellent family background. From then on, he will embark on a smooth road and embrace his wonderful life.
As long as he can resolve this matter as soon as possible, Xia Qingtang will respect and bless him no matter which path he chooses.
However, she could actually guess that Gu Xing'an would most likely break up with Hu Yanni and then choose Chang Xiaohong.
Because everyone wants to take shortcuts, and when there are no shortcuts, they will want to create shortcuts. Now that there are shortcuts, even if there are inner struggles, they will eventually take them.
Gu Xing'an has been with Chang Xiaohong for such a long time, and in fact, the balance in his heart has long tilted towards that side. However, he still can't bear to part with the beautiful and gentle Hu Yanni, so he has been struggling. But now Xia Qingtang has pushed him, and a cautious person like him will definitely break up with Hu Yanni in the near future.
That's good. As long as he doesn't waste Hu Yanni's time anymore, breaking up is not a big deal. Even if it will be painful in the short term, Hu Yanni is such a good girl. Without her, he can quickly find another better one.
Xia Qingtang rode her bike to Guan Jueming's house. Xie Jinxuan was talking to Guan Chenxiang outside the door. Seeing her coming, Guan Chenxiang said, "Qingtang, my brother has something to do tonight and won't be back for dinner. Do you and Jinxuan want to stay here with me for dinner?"
"Okay, what are we going to eat tonight?" Xia Qingtang parked the car and walked into the corridor.
"There are a lot of potatoes at home. Let's make some potato rice, as well as some vegetables. I also soaked some mushrooms and fried them together. See if you want to eat anything else. I can borrow some from my neighbor." Guan Chenxiang said with a smile.
She and Guan Jueming's daily diet was actually simpler than Xia Qingtang and the others, so Xia Qingtang said, "This is already very good, there is no need to do anything else. Teacher Chenxiang, I will wash my hands and help you."
Guan Chenxiang smiled and said, "Okay, I've already soaked the mushrooms and cut the potatoes, so I'll go simmer the rice and you wash the vegetables, okay?"
"Okay." Xia Qingtang went into the house, put down his cross-body bag, then rolled up his sleeves, took a small bamboo basket, and went to the sink to wash the vegetables.
Xie Jinxuan walked over and looked at her with some concern: "Are you okay? You looked very unhappy when you came back by bike just now."
Xia Qingtang said: "Nothing, I actually went to see Gu Xingan."
"What happened to him? Did he have a fight with Xiao Hu?"
"No, but I know someone has a crush on him, and he is hesitant." Xia Qingtang whispered, "Last night I was washing my hands outside the cafeteria, and I happened to hear his conversation with that girl. I thought about it all day today, and decided that I would handle this matter myself. So I went to find classmates in their department first, and found out that the girl who was close to him was a freshman, and her name was something. Then I went to the girls' dormitory to find the girl, and found out what she looked like. Finally, I went to find Gu Xing'an. I didn't say it directly, but I did warn him, and he should know what I was talking about."
"Then...how will he deal with it?"
"He should break up with Yanni as soon as possible and choose that girl."
Xie Jinxuan nodded: "That girl... is in good condition?"
"Very good. She is the only daughter of a cadre family and the best mate for someone like Gu Xingan. As long as he marries her, his father-in-law and mother-in-law will do their best to help Gu Xingan move up in the future."
Xie Jinxuan sighed slightly: "Then Xiao Hu will be sad."
"It's better to be sad for a while than to be deceived for a long time. Yanni is so young. If she loses this partner, there will naturally be another one."
Xie Jinxuan reached out and touched her head: "How are you feeling?"
"It's not particularly good... This is Yanni's first time dating, and I didn't expect it to turn out like this." Xia Qingtang said with slightly red eyes.
It seems that some things are unavoidable. In her previous life, Hu Yanni was betrayed by her husband, and in this life she was almost deceived by Gu Xing'an... Is she destined to go through this?
If this kind of thing is unavoidable, will Xie Jinxuan become like that in the future?
Xia Qingtang was startled and looked up at Xie Jinxuan.
He was startled by Xia Qingtang's eyes: "What's wrong?"
Xia Qingtang looked at Xie Jinxuan's bright and deep eyes, and she slowly shook her head - a man as honest and noble as him, even if one day he really didn't love her anymore, he would definitely solve it in the most appropriate way and would never do something like cheating.
As long as the person is not cheated on, Xia Qingtang can understand anyone leaving.
Although she will be very sad, nothing in this world is eternal.
Eternal love may exist, but it is very rare. If you have it, you are lucky, but if you don’t have it, it is also normal. She just needs to cherish every day that the two of them are together.
"It's nothing. I just suddenly thought that... things between us won't turn out like that, right?" Xia Qingtang said softly.
Xie Jinxuan smiled and hugged her into her arms: "Of course not. However, what I say doesn't count. But we have a lifetime to slowly verify it. When we are both very old, you will know that what I said is true."
"Okay, when we are very old, you can tell me proudly." Xia Qingtang saw the neighbor next door peeking at this side, so he got out of his arms and said, "Okay, I have to wash the vegetables quickly, I'm hungry."
Dinner was simple, and before long, they were enjoying the hot meal.
As usual, the potato stewed rice has more potatoes than rice, but a small spoonful of lard is added to it, and it is paired with minced garlic soy sauce prepared by Guan Chenxiang himself. After mixing evenly, it tastes particularly fragrant. It is served with stir-fried mushrooms with vegetables. Everyone ate two large bowls and scraped up the rice crust at the bottom of the pot.
After the meal, Xie Jinxuan went to wash the dishes. Guan Chenxiang made some hot tea for them and told them to drink the tea and rest for a while before riding away by bike, otherwise they would easily catch a cold and get a stomachache when they returned.
Seeing that they would have to stay here for a while anyway, Xia Qingtang simply pulled Guan Chenxiang aside and gave her a half-hour English lesson. The two also had a simple conversation in English.
Guan Chenxiang smiled and said, "Qingtang, your level is already very good. If you go abroad now, you should be able to travel alone."
"Really?"
"Of course it's true. For so long, you have studied very hard, and you have completed all the homework I assigned to you in a timely manner. I am very happy to have a student like you."
"It's mainly because Teacher Chenxiang teaches well. I'm not a very smart person, but I understand everything the teacher says, so it's mainly because the teacher is good." Xia Qingtang said, "By the way, Teacher Chenxiang, there's something I want to discuss with you. In a while, I might learn something new from another teacher. If that teacher is really willing to teach me, can we reduce one class at that time?"
"Of course you can. Three classes a week is a lot for a working person like you. Besides, your English isn't going to be used professionally, and it's enough to have learned this far. It would be best if we can relax and have fun learning later."
"Thank you, Teacher Chenxiang. You are so kind to me."
Guan Chenxiang smiled and said, "I treat you well because you are serious and hardworking. Also, your Jinxuan is our family's savior. You don't even know how I treat you well."
"Teacher Xiaoguan, please don't say that again. We are destined to be together. What's the point of saying thank you or not?" Xie Jinxuan said, "If you keep saying that, I'll be embarrassed to come here again."
"Okay, okay, I won't say that anymore." Guan Chenxiang looked at the time and said, "It's really late. Why hasn't my brother come back yet?"
Xie Jinxuan said, "What did Teacher Guan do today? Do you want me to go look for him?"
"Hey, he went to his colleague's house to drink. He said his colleague's family also had a happy event. Coincidentally, he also found Xiaojun, so they got together to have some fun. He originally asked me to go with him, but I don't like drinking, and it's cold, so I'd rather eat and read at home alone. It's nothing, you don't have to worry about him, my colleague also lives here, and the worst that can happen is that he won't come back at night." Guan Chenxiang said, "Okay, you guys go back quickly, it's already late, and we need to boil water for washing later."
"Okay, then we'll go back first." Xie Jinxuan dried her hands, put on her cotton coat, then picked up her backpack and Xia Qingtang's bag and put them across her shoulders.
As soon as he walked out, the sky was full of stars and the air was cold. Xia Qingtang let out a breath and suddenly saw a meteor falling from the sky.
"Meteor! Make a wish!" Xia Qingtang shouted, but then realized it was too late, "Ah, it's too late."
Guan Chenxiang smiled and said, "Make a wish to a shooting star?"
"Yes, yes, yes. I heard from others that if you make a wish to a shooting star, it will come true. But I have never made a successful wish, which is a pity." Xia Qingtang said.
This is what her former teacher and neighbor told her: if you make a wish to a shooting star, your wish will come true. Unfortunately, every time she saw a shooting star, it was already too late.
Guan Chenxiang said: "It doesn't matter. I think as long as the wish is strong enough, even if you don't wish at a shooting star, it can still come true. Just like when we were looking for Xiaojun, we didn't wish at anyone, but we still found Xiaojun."
"Yeah, that makes sense. When I have a strong desire, I can try this. But I don't have one yet, so just do it casually."
Guan Chenxiang touched her shoulder and said, "That's good. Not having any wishes means that your life is stable and everything meets your needs."
"Yes, I have to thank Jinxuan for all this. He brought me all the peace and satisfaction." Xia Qingtang smiled and hugged Xie Jinxuan's arm, saying, "So, instead of making a wish to a shooting star, I might as well make a wish to Jinxuan."
"Okay, as long as you have a wish, I will help you fulfill it." Xie Jinxuan bent down and kissed her.
Guan Chenxiang looked at the two of them with a smile and said, "Okay, go home quickly and be careful on the road."
"Goodbye, Teacher Guan." Xia Qingtang put on his gloves and rode his bicycle back home with Xie Jinxuan.
When they returned to the compound, they found that many people were playing outside, the children were setting off firecrackers, and the adults were not afraid of the cold. They gathered in groups of three or four to chat, and they all seemed excited for the approaching New Year.
When they passed by the basketball court, they found Luo Xiangqian playing basketball with a group of young men. When he saw them coming, Luo Xiangqian ran over and said, "Jinxuan! Do you have time tonight?"
"Tonight? What for?" Xie Jinxuan asked curiously.
"Many of us have made an appointment to go to the cinema to watch a movie in a while. You know Zhang Lin over there, right? He has organized an event and has communicated with the cinema. We can go to the cinema to watch a movie together, and then when midnight comes, everyone can drink beer together to celebrate! Of course, the movie tickets and beer money are all paid by ourselves. But I can pay for you and Xiao Xia's share. After all, you usually take care of me so much and give me a lot of good ideas."
Xie Jinxuan looked at Xia Qingtang: "How about it? Do you want to go with them to welcome the New Year?"
Xia Qingtang didn't expect that such a fashionable New Year's event would exist in this era. She thought about it and said, "I'd better not go. I'm not in a good mood today. I just want to go back and wash up, then lie down in bed and read."
Xie Jinxuan said, "Then I won't go either. Xiang Qian, you can go play with them by yourself."
"Ah? You guys aren't going... I'll be so bored alone." Luo Xiangqian muttered.
"Where's your girlfriend? Why doesn't she come with you?"
"You forgot that we broke up on the surface. How can I rush to her house to find her for this impromptu event? Wouldn't that expose the truth?"
Xia Qingtang said: "Lao Luo, I'm really a little tired today, why don't you let Jinxuan go with you, I just want to go home and rest."
Luo Xiangqian said quickly, "No, no, no, you don't look very well. Let Jinxuan accompany you home. I'll go with them alone to join in the fun. Tomorrow is the year 1980! My grandfather said it will be a year of new beginnings!"
"Then I wish you a good night." Xia Qingtang said with a smile: "Let's go back."
"Go, go." Luo Xiangqian happily ran to the basketball court again.
He has been having a secret affair during this period, and the relationship between the two has become much better. Luo Xiangqian even plans to take Ding Yurou to meet his parents in the first month of the year, but he has not discussed it with Ding Yurou yet.
Xia Qingtang and Xie Jinxuan returned to the small courtyard in a lively atmosphere. Every household was brightly lit, and it seemed that no one planned to go to bed early.
In front of us, there was a family that had set up a small table in the yard. Music was playing on the radio, and a couple were clinking glasses.
If the incident with Gu Xingan had not happened, Xia Qingtang might have been in the mood to have a drink with Xie Jinxuan, but now she just wanted to take a quick shower, then lie in bed and read a novel comfortably.
Xie Jinxuan went to boil water as soon as she got home. Xia Qingtang turned on the radio and listened to a program for a while. After the hot water was ready, she took a bath and then ran to the bedroom wearing her new pajamas.
This new set of pajamas was made for her by her grandmother a while ago. It was made of very soft fabric and was extremely comfortable to wear. Xie Jinxuan also had a set, and they both agreed to wear them to sleep on this night of bidding farewell to the old and welcoming the new.
Unfortunately, the night was not very peaceful. The sound of firecrackers continued in the courtyard, and in the middle of the night I could hear the sound of a large group of people singing.
After being woken up, Xia Qingtang was in a daze for a while and heard Luo Xiangqian's loud voice. He guessed it was the group of young people who came back from the cinema.
They sang in the courtyard until very late, until one of their elders went out to curse someone, then they laughed and went back home.
The next morning, Xia Qingtang also woke up to the sound of firecrackers. She looked at the alarm clock and found that it was already eight o'clock, but she still felt that she had not slept enough and was a little tired.
Fortunately, after getting up, Xie Jinxuan brought a hot breakfast. After breakfast and drinking a cup of hot tea, Xia Qingtang regained his energy.
Xie Jinxuan also set off the string of firecrackers she had bought outside the courtyard gate, and then the two of them locked the door and went to the small Western-style building.
Today, except for Grandpa Xie, the whole family was resting at home. Seeing the two young people coming over, grandma quickly called them over and started chatting with them.
Today, Xie Jinyun rarely did not do her homework upstairs. Instead, she sat next to her mother and ate melon seeds.
"Chen Xing's family over there bought a TV set, and they said they can watch TV programs every night." Xie Jinyun said, "Mom, can I go to Chen Xing's house tonight to watch?"
"You can go." Xie's mother nodded.
Grandma said, "Recently, several families in the compound have bought televisions. Xiaoliu and I went to watch them. They were quite interesting, just like showing a movie, but they were too small, so we had to get close to see them."
Xia Qingtang is very familiar with television. When she was a nanny, she watched many TV programs with her cousin and her family. At that time, her cousin's family watched a large color TV, and each TV series was more exciting than the last. Every night when the time came, everyone stayed in the living room to watch, and only took a bath and went to bed after watching.
She then asked, "Is a TV easy to buy? If Xiaoyun likes watching TV, why don't we buy one too?"
Xie Jinxuan said: "If you want to buy it, you can definitely buy it."
Xie's mother quickly said, "Don't buy it. I heard that after Chen Xing's family bought a TV, he couldn't finish his homework and was scolded by his teacher for several days. As for that thing, let's talk about it later."
"Yes, it's better not to buy it. Xiaoyun just needs to go and have a look today. Studying should be the main focus." Xie Chengye also said.
Grandma said, "If Qingtang wants to watch TV, why not buy one and put it at your place. Jinxuan is a self-disciplined person, and having a TV will not affect his studies."
Xia Qingtang smiled and said, "Thank you, grandma, but I won't need it for now. Jinxuan and I are actually quite busy at night, and I prefer to read books and newspapers. I'm also knitting a sweater this year, so I don't need to buy a TV."
Aunt Liu said, "By the way, the sheets and quilts I washed for you a few days ago have been dried. You can take them back after lunch today."
"Okay, thank you Aunt Six." Xia Qingtang smiled sweetly.
Because there is a washing machine here, the sheets and quilt covers they take off and change over will be sent here to be washed in the washing machine. After they are washed, they don’t have to worry about it. Aunt Liu will be responsible for drying and storing them, which really saves them a lot of worry.
Everyone was chatting and soon it was noon. Grandpa Xie also came back, so the whole family sat together and had their first lunch in 1980.
Everyone's face looked beaming with joy. Grandpa Xie held up his wine glass and said with a smile, "Another new year has arrived. This year will be a wonderful year. I hope our whole family can be healthy, safe, and work hard."
Everyone raised their glasses to celebrate this happy day.
After lunch, Xie Jinyun went out to play with her friends.
Xie Chengye and his mother had already bought the movie tickets. They changed into fancy coats and cotton-padded shoes, and walked out arm in arm.
Grandma and Grandpa were going to take a nap, and Aunt Six was going to the next door house to chat, so Xia Qingtang and Xie Jinxuan went home with clean sheets and quilts, planning to spend a leisurely day at home.
"You really don't want to go out and play?" Xie Jinxuan said, "I heard that the department store has a lot of new products. Don't you want to go and take a look?"
"Let's not go. Let's stay at home and bask in the sun and talk." Xia Qingtang went to the corridor with the radio, and listened to the radio while basking in the sun with Xie Jinxuan.
After basking in the sun for a while, I was about to fall asleep when I heard footsteps approaching the gate of the small courtyard, followed by a crying voice: "Qingtang."
Before Xia Qingtang could react, Xie Jinxuan had already stood up: "Xiao Hu is here."
He opened the door and let Hu Yanni in. Xia Qingtang finally came to his senses: "Yanni, you're here?"
Hu Yanni was wearing a simple blue plaid cotton jacket. Her face was flushed by the cold wind. The corners of her eyes and the tip of her nose were also red. It was obvious that she had just cried.
She walked into the small courtyard and hugged Xia Qingtang, then leaned on her shoulder and whispered, "Qingtang, Gu Xingan doesn't want to date me anymore."
Xia Qingtang guessed that Gu Xing'an would resolve the matter as soon as possible, but she didn't expect him to be so fast.
She said, "Did he just tell you that?"
"Yes, we were fine when we attended the class reunion in the morning, and everyone dispersed before noon. Gu Xing'an said that today was a holiday, so he took me out for a good meal, so we went to a state-owned restaurant to eat mutton soup, and everything was fine at that time. But after we had dinner and walked out, he suddenly said that he didn't want to date anymore, and didn't want to waste my time anymore. He said it would be better for us to separate. I don't understand, weren't we all fine before? He was the one who wanted to date before, and he is also the one who suddenly doesn't want to date now. What's wrong with him?" Hu Yanni started crying as she spoke.
However, her face looked more aggrieved and confused, but not very sad.
Xie Jinxuan had already gone into the house, leaving the space in the small courtyard to the two people outside.
Xia Qingtang said: "Then what did you say?"
"I was very surprised at the time because we were doing fine before. I asked him why he suddenly stopped talking to me, and he said he was too tired."
"He's too tired? What's the point? Do you want us to accompany you to find him and give him a good beating? This guy isn't a particularly good match, and his conditions are just average. Why should he do whatever he wants? No matter how I think about it, I feel that we can't let him go! At least, you should beat him up!"
Seeing Xia Qingtang's fierce and serious tone, Hu Yanni was stunned for a moment and stopped crying.
She said: "It's not that I have to beat him up. Come to think of it, we have talked about it before. If we feel that it is not suitable, either of us can break up. I was just a little surprised because it was too sudden... He was fine the moment before, and then suddenly broke up with me. This... This..."
"This shows that he is good at pretending." Xia Qingtang said.
As they were talking, a bicycle rode over in a panic, and then someone dropped his bicycle and rushed into the small yard without thinking, shouting: "Jinxuan! Jinxuan, come out and drink with me! Damn it, I've been fooled again! I'm such a fool!"
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