Chapter 5
But Director Wu was very well-mannered. Although he was not very happy, he still stood up with a smile and planned to go back and think of another idea: "Okay, I will definitely tell Comrade Kong what you said. Then I will go back today."
Xia Qingtang immediately escorted her out: "Director Wu, take care. You must convey my words to Comrade Kong."
Only then did Zhao Meizhen realize what her daughter had done and said. This was to push away a golden marriage!
The tall branches that were already there were broken off and thrown away? How could this be possible?!
Zhao Meizhen pushed Xia Qingtang away from the door, rushed over and grabbed Director Wu's arm: "Director Wu, why are you leaving? This matter will only work if we adults talk about it. What does a child like her know? Director Wu, let me tell you, for this marriage, we, the experienced ones, should help these young people to check it out..."
Director Wu looked at Zhao Meizhen with a half-smile and whispered, "This girl of yours is not simple. She obviously doesn't like Xiao Kong."
"Look down on me? I'm a cadre of a family. How dare she look down on Xiao Kong?" Zhao Meizhen was extremely angry. She rolled up her shirt sleeves and was about to teach Xia Qingtang a lesson.
Director Wu held her back, then said with a smile, "Don't touch her. She's already grown up, it won't look good. I think it won't work just by us trying like this. You're her mother, you have to think of more ways."
Zhao Meizhen started to cough violently because of her excitement. When she stopped coughing, she quickly said, "Don't worry, Director Wu. She came out of my belly and I know her best. I will definitely make her agree to this."
Director Wu nodded with satisfaction. She lowered her voice and said, "I feel relieved when you said that. You don't have to worry about Xiao Kong. I'm here. If both of us work hard, the happy event will definitely come true. I'll go back and discuss it with Xiao Kong and the others today. I'll come back and ask you when your daughter is not around."
Zhao Meizhen escorted Director Wu a long way away. When the neighbors saw her coming back from escorting someone, one of them asked curiously, "Old Zhao, has someone come to your house to propose marriage again?"
Zhao Meizhen was in a bad mood, so she just responded casually and went home.
"Xia Qingtang! Xia Qingtang, come out!" Zhao Meizhen started shouting outside the door.
Xia Daming came out and said calmly, "Qingtang will be on vacation for the next two days. He just packed some clothes and said he would go to a classmate's house to play for two days."
Zhao Meizhen spat on the ground: "This bastard is deliberately hiding from me!"
"No way, I saw that she had packed her luggage long ago, and she should have decided to stay at her classmate's house a long time ago." Xia Daming has always been much more honest than his wife.
But his problem is that he is too honest and does not know how to care for his children. Maybe he has thought about caring for his children in his heart, but ultimately did not put it into action.
Zhao Meizhen asked angrily, "Which classmate's house did you go to?"
"I didn't ask that, but she only has two or three close classmates. Why are you asking that? Are you going to go find her?"
Zhao Meizhen sneered, "Is it embarrassing for me to go to someone else's house to look for her? She's hiding from me...how long can she hide? She has to go to work in two days, so she has to come back. I'll deal with her when she comes back!"
Xia Qingtang did hide away. She didn't want to quarrel with Zhao Meizhen, so she went to the home of a female classmate named Hu Yanni. They had been in the same class since elementary school. After graduating from middle school, they were both lucky enough to stay in the city to work, so they met at least once or twice a month.
Hu Yanni has a very good relationship with her, but like Xia Qingtang, although she is beautiful, she has a bad life and she also married the wrong person.
Hu Yanni is the one she dated. The man is young, promising, and daring, but he was born in a poor family and had no help in getting promoted, so he was a little frustrated when he was young.
After the reform and opening up, her husband was one of the first few people to try something new. He went to the special economic zone very early and started a business there.
After becoming rich, his thoughts changed. The man set up another family there without telling his family. Even when Hu Yanni found out, he was unwilling to break up the cohabitation relationship. Instead, he threatened his wife that if she made a big deal, he would not raise the two twin daughters born to Hu Yanni.
Hu Yanni was weak and had a cowardly character. She had to endure it for the sake of her children. In the end, her emotions were suppressed and she developed a disease in her body. She died of illness at the age of 35.
Xia Qingtang came back this time, in addition to changing his own life trajectory, he also wanted to help his good friend Hu Yanni escape from the sea of suffering.
Taking this opportunity, she began to slowly tell Hu Yanni about some of the independent thinking and ideas she saw in the TV drama.
She told Hu Yanni like she was telling a story, that people can choose not to get married and can also get divorced; divorce is not a big deal, and if a marriage can no longer work, one must know how to end it.
A woman can live well in this society with her children. Even if there is an opportunity in the future, a woman can be more successful than her husband in his career. Working hard for the family and career does not have to be done by men; women can do it as well.
It's strange to say, she clearly remembered these lines and plots, but in the 1990s, she just couldn't get it and didn't understand the real meaning of these lines at all. For so many years, she was working as a nanny in a daze, and never thought about going out to fight for her own life. All she did all day was reminiscing about the past and feeling sorry for herself.
While she was telling this to her good friend, she was also silently reflecting on her past in her heart - what a confused person she was in her previous life!
Now that she has the chance to start over, she must live a decent life no matter what.
When Hu Yanni first heard these things, she was naturally shocked, but after the shock, she slowly figured out something.
"These stories you told sound strange, but when I think about it carefully, it seems to be true. We women can hold up half the sky, but I will still get married, otherwise my mother will die with regrets. But I have a job, if I am the only one left in the future, I can also support a family by myself. Men can hold up the sky and the earth, and we can do it too!"
"You're right! Now that the college entrance examination has been resumed, Yanni, you have such good grades, you can actually try to take the college entrance examination." Xia Qingtang couldn't help but persuade.
If Hu Yanni had gone to college, she would definitely not have met her husband.
Hu Yanni looked at the wooden door of the bedroom and said in a low voice: "I have thought about going to college. I even borrowed textbooks from someone, but my mother scolded me."
"She doesn't let you go to college?"
Hu Yanni nodded gently, her voice getting softer: "Your mother has retired, and your brother will be able to return to the city soon. My family is different from yours. My mother will not be able to retire for many years. She said that it is not easy for my brother to live in the countryside. I have the opportunity to work in the factory, so I should work hard and save money for my brother. If I go to college, won't I lose a salary? What about my brother?"
The situation of Hu Yanni's family is the same as that of Xia's. They both have a son and a daughter. The son went to work in the countryside, and the daughter stayed in the city and got a job when she was old enough. Therefore, Hu's parents always felt that their daughter owed their son.
Xia Qingtang said in a deep voice: "Whatever your brother does is his business. It's not your fault that he went to the countryside to work. Besides, I heard from others that they will return to the city in the next two years. But this matter is still a secret, don't tell anyone, just keep it in your mind."
Xia Qingtang knows the course of history, so he can say such things with certainty.
But in fact, even if the educated youth could return to the city, there would not be so many jobs after they came back. However, there was no need to tell Hu Yanni this.
Hu Yanni was really surprised: "Really? Then my brother and the others can all come back?"
"Look, the college entrance examination has been resumed, which means that many things are changing. By then, they will definitely be able to come back. So don't think about saving money for your brother. He will come back in two years. Just let him save money on his own. You have such good grades. Although you have wasted time, as long as you pick it up again, you will definitely be able to get into a school. If you really want to save money for your family, you can become a cadre after graduating from college. Wouldn't the salary be higher?"
No matter what school she gets into at this time, she will become a cadre in the future, and Hu Yanni's future can be completely rewritten.
Hu Yanni was very excited after hearing this. She thought for a moment, nodded and said, "Then I will secretly borrow the textbook back and review it secretly later."
"Go to the library to review. It's quiet there, everyone is reading books and newspapers, the atmosphere is good, and your parents won't know. When the exam comes, you can take it secretly. If you pass, the factory will put you on the honor roll, and your mother can't object. It's useless."
Hu Yanni happily held Xia Qingtang's hand and said seriously: "Qingtang, thank you for encouraging me and supporting me. I will definitely study hard. No matter whether I can pass the exam or not, I have to try."
"Yeah! I will always cheer you on!"
The two young girls hugged each other excitedly for a while, and Hu Yanni seemed to remember something and asked, "Qingtang, don't you want to take the exam?"
Xia Qingtang waved his hand: "My grades were just average before, so forget it. I have other plans."
She hasn't touched a textbook for more than 20 years. She has forgotten everything. There is no way she can pass the college entrance examination.
Seeing Xia Qingtang's resolute tone, Hu Yanni said, "Then I will work hard for both of us and try to get into the same school."
The two girls talked and laughed in the house for a while, and the sun gradually went down. Hu's parents came home from get off work and cooked dinner. After dinner, everyone took their small stools and gathered at the basketball court to reserve seats to watch the movie that night.
Hu Yanni and her family all work in the steel mill. Director Wu also said that the steel mill is a large factory and is different from their cotton mill.
The steel plant has good welfare and plenty of housing, and shows several movies every month, especially in the summer, two or three nights a week, so relatives of the steel plant employees also like to come here and watch a movie.
There is no way. There are not many entertainment activities these days, and watching open-air movies is one of the few pastimes.
Xia Qingtang and her friends arrived not too late and just happened to occupy a spot a little forward at the edge, with a pretty good view. The two of them put down their small stools and took their seats, then went back to Hu's house to take a shower, then smeared themselves with floral water before sitting down again on the basketball court.
The basketball court was already packed with people at this moment. New small stools were placed to the right of the seats they occupied, and there were quite a few people standing to the right of the stools - these were people who arrived late and didn't get a suitable seat.
The sky gradually darkened, and when the movie was about to start, someone appeared to take the empty seat to Xia Qingtang's right.
This is a girl in her teens and a boy in his early twenties. They both have excellent looks. The girl is sweet and lovely, and the boy is tall and handsome. They look like brother and sister, and there is some similarity between their eyebrows and eyes.
But it was impossible for a brother and sister of this age to stay in the city at the same time, so not only did Xia Qingtang look at them a few more times, but Hu Yanni also looked over.
"Sister Yanni, it turns out we are sitting together." The little girl smiled happily at Hu Yanni.
Hu Yanni also laughed: "Yueyue, why are you alone? Where are your parents?"
"They went out for something, so my cousin and I came to see them." Yueyue pointed to the young man next to her and introduced him enthusiastically, "This is my cousin. He is in his twenties and his family is urging him to find a partner and get married. But it's a pity that he is useless and can't find a partner at all."
The young man said without any embarrassment: "It's not that I'm useless if I can't find a partner. It's because my family conditions don't allow it. I can't do anything about it."
If you say that family conditions do not allow it, it actually means that conditions are bad. Either the family is poor, or there are too many brothers and sisters in the family and there is no place to live, or the family cannot even afford to buy a house... In the end, it's still the word "poor".
No matter what era it is, it is difficult for people who are too poor to find a partner.
Xia Qingtang saw that the young man was wearing a very plain old shirt and blue work pants that had been washed to a pale color. Not only did his clothes have many patches, but the pair of slippers on his feet also had two large patches of cloth. She guessed that the young man's condition was indeed a little difficult.
However, when she looked at the handsome face of the young man, she felt that it looked a little familiar, as if she had seen it somewhere.
The young man probably realized what Xia Qingtang meant by his gaze, so he took the initiative to say, "Have we met before? Hello, comrade. My name is Xie Jinxuan."
Xia Qingtang waved his hand: "Then I probably haven't seen it."
The man's name sounded strange, and Xia Qingtang certainly didn't know him, but his face looked familiar and didn't seem like a stranger.
Xia Qingtang held his chin and recalled for a while, then suddenly clapped his hands: Yes, isn’t this Xie Jinxuan’s face the same face of the kind-hearted man who came to help her before she fainted on the street in 1998?
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