Chapter 51
"Our Xiao Yun is really a smart guy. With him around, we don't have to worry about anything. Besides, your mother is not that kind of person. She knows the importance of things. This time she is going back to her parents' home for her mother. If she is angry, she will definitely hold back and vent it to Chengye when she comes back." Grandpa Xie said.
Xie Chengye and his wife have a very good relationship, so Grandpa Xie is very familiar with the style of his son and daughter-in-law.
Seeing that Xia Qingtang's attention was successfully diverted, Xie Jinxuan nodded and said, "Grandpa is right. Now I don't have to worry."
Aunt Six's voice came from the kitchen: "Is everyone down? It's time to have breakfast!"
Xia Qingtang immediately ran to the kitchen to help. Aunt Liu cooked homemade glutinous rice balls, which she put in crushed peanuts and black sesame seeds and mixed with brown sugar. The stuffing would flow out when you took a bite. It was very sweet and delicious. Everyone ate a big bowl.
After eating, Grandpa Xie had to go out to work again. Today was the Lantern Festival, so he naturally had various activities and meetings to attend, and would not be back until the evening.
Grandma was afraid that eating glutinous rice would be difficult to digest, so after Aunt Six had cleaned up the kitchen, she took her to go talk to her old friend.
Aunt Six said, "Why don't you bring Qingtang with us?"
"I'll be at work tomorrow, let them be alone today." Grandma smiled and said, "I think Jinxuan seems to have something on her mind, so let the young people stay together, maybe their worries will be resolved."
When it was almost eight o'clock, Xie Chengye also ran to the company with his briefcase, leaving Xie Jinxuan and Xia Qingtang alone at home.
Xia Qingtang was sitting in the backyard basking in the sun. Xie Jinxuan brought her a cup of hot tea and asked her if she wanted to go out and play.
"What to play?" Xia Qingtang said, "I don't have any hobbies or interests in playing."
Her previous hobbies were cooking, reading, and watching TV series, basically hobbies that could be done at home. Because she had no money and no time, she could only find fun in these things.
As for now, she has money and time, but there are few entertainment activities in the whole society. Xia Qingtang even thought about finding a teacher to start learning a foreign language.
Xie Jinxuan likes outdoor sports very much. He can play basketball, table tennis, and is also good at track and field.
Xie Jinxuan thought about it, and seeing that the sun was shining brightly and there was not much wind, he asked her if she wanted to go out and play table tennis. He could teach her the techniques.
"I want to play ball, but will playing ball with me interfere with your reading?"
"Today is a holiday, it's okay to take a break." Xie Jinxuan said as she went to get the racket and ball and took Xia Qingtang out.
In the past the basketball court in the compound was a row of ping-pong tables, all made of bricks and stones, and many children and young people were already playing there.
Fortunately, the table closest to the main road was empty, so Xie Jinxuan took Xia Qingtang there to play.
Xia Qingtang's table tennis skills were average, as she had learned the skill casually from following her classmates when she was in school. However, Xie Jinxuan was very patient. She fed her the ball, guided her to play the ball, and told her how to correct her movements.
After the two of them fought for a while, Xia Qingtang began to sweat. She took off her cotton coat and put it aside, then came back to continue fighting.
She didn't play ball sports much before, but now with Xie Jinxuan's guidance, she actually found it quite fun.
Several kids around 11 or 12 years old came over with rackets in their hands. After watching them play for more than ten minutes, the girl in the lead said cautiously, "Can we play for a while?"
Xie Jinxuan smiled and said, "Ask my sister. If she agrees, I'll let you play for a while."
The little girl quickly looked at Xia Qingtang: "Sister, can we play for a while?"
Xia Qingtang smiled and said, "Help me keep track of the time. I'll let you play for another fifteen minutes."
"We don't have watches," the little girl said.
"I have it. I'll count the time and it'll be your turn when the time is up." Xia Qingtang smiled and swung the racket again, but the ball missed.
The round-faced boy next to the little girl said, "Oh, your skills are so bad that you can't even catch the ball."
"Yes, I just don't play well, so I need to practice more." Xia Qingtang picked up the ball and served again.
Sure enough, the two of them played for another fifteen minutes and then gave the table to the other kids.
The little girl asked, "How long will it take for us to be beaten?"
"About half an hour, then we'll switch." Xia Qingtang said.
"Okay, then you can't underestimate our time." The round-faced boy said loudly.
"Don't worry, I won't lie to children." Xia Qingtang shook his head in amusement, then looked at Xie Jinxuan, "Do you want to go home and drink some water? I've sweated a lot and I'm thirsty."
"Okay." Xie Jinxuan picked up the two people's cotton coats and was about to help Xia Qingtang put on his coat when she heard a loud voice coming from the road: "Xie Jinxuan!"
They both looked towards the direction of the voice at the same time, and saw a tall, dark young man wearing a dark blue cotton coat, army green trousers, and a pair of Liberation shoes. He was carrying a huge green backpack and holding a large bundle in each hand. He was running towards the gate like a refugee.
Xie Jinxuan's eyes lit up, and she immediately shouted, "Luo Xiangqian! You're back?"
"Yes! I'm back!" Luo strode forward, threw the two big bags on the ground, and was about to hug Xie Jinxuan.
Xie Jinxuan quickly stuffed the two cotton coats in her hand to Xia Qingtang, and then hugged Luo Xiangqian tightly. Both of them looked very happy.
Xia Qingtang had heard Xie Jinxuan mention this person. Luo Xiangqian was Xie Jinxuan's childhood friend. They were born in the same year as another person named Leng Feng, and grew up together.
The three of them went to kindergarten and studied together. After graduation, Leng Feng and Xie Jinxuan chose to join the army, and Luo Xiangqian went to the countryside to work in a production team. Now Luo Xiangqian has returned from the countryside, and only Leng Feng is still standing guard in another place.
After the two of them were excited, Luo Xiangqian loosened his arms and looked Xie Jinxuan up and down several times: "You've become pale, now you've really become a pretty boy!"
Xie Jinxuan laughed: "We sit in the office every day and don't get much sun, so of course we will get whiter. But you are so dark that you can't see without a light."
Luo Xiangqian wiped the back of his head and said with a smile: "Men look better when they are a little darker!"
He was about the same height as Xie Jinxuan, probably a little over 1.80 meters, but he had been living in the countryside and his diet might not be very good, so he looked very thin, with slightly sunken cheeks, but his facial features were still good. He had a tough appearance, a square face, thick eyebrows, big eyes, and a mouthful of white teeth when he smiled. The first impression he gave was that he was a very cheerful person.
This is consistent with Xie Jinxuan's description. He said that Luo Xiangqian is the most cheerful and talkative one among the three of them. He is righteous and enthusiastic, consistent in his words and deeds, and his thoughts are written on his face. He is a straightforward person.
But Leng Feng is different. As his name suggests, he has a very cold personality, doesn't like to talk, and always has a blank expression, making it impossible for you to guess whether he is happy or unhappy. But Leng Feng is also a very loyal person, but his loyalty is different from Luo Xiangqian's. Luo Xiangqian is loyal to everyone, but Leng Feng is only loyal to his own people.
Xie Jinxuan said, "Why did you come back today? I wrote to you before but you didn't reply, and your family members were also unclear about what was going on. I thought you wouldn't be able to come back this time."
"I almost thought I couldn't come back, but luckily my family found me a job. I didn't finish the formalities until before the Chinese New Year. But the commune needed to build a bridge urgently. If I came back, they would be in need of a strong laborer. I couldn't bear it, so I stayed there to help them until the last day. I came back today and I can go to work tomorrow."
"Which unit were you sent to?"
"The Grain Bureau originally said there were no positions, but somehow they created two more positions. I'm one of them, and I don't know who the other one is."
Xie Jinxuan couldn't help laughing. Luo Xiangqian said, "What are you laughing at? I have no choice. I also want to work in the provincial government, but there are no positions. My family said that I should work in the Grain Bureau first, and then find a way to transfer to the provincial government in a few years. You are really capable. You have made contributions and can write eight-part essays. You entered the secretariat with your own ability. You can laugh if you want. You can laugh at me. After all, I am not as capable as you."
"No, no, why would I laugh at you asking where you work? Nowadays, how many people would beg for a job? How could I not know how difficult it is? I laughed because I know why the job was vacated in the Grain Bureau." Xie Jinxuan said.
Xia Qingtang also thought it was quite a coincidence. He didn't expect that Xie Jinxuan's childhood friend actually went to the Grain Bureau. One of the vacant positions must be Kong Liangchao's.
"Why? Tell me quickly." Luo Xiangqian widened his eyes.
"This is a long story. I'll tell you in detail when I have time. Let me introduce you first. This is my lover, Xia Qingtang. I wrote to you about her before." Xie Jinxuan stretched out her hand and pointed at Xia Qingtang behind her.
Xia Qingtang took a step forward and stretched out a hand towards Luo Xiangqian with a smile on his face: "Hello, Comrade Luo, I often hear Jinxuan talk about you. Now that you are back, he has friends to play with."
Luo Xiangqian moved his gaze to Xia Qingtang's face. He immediately seemed to be greatly frightened. He took a breath, took a step back, and then covered his chest and said, "You! Aren't you the lover of Xie Jinxuan's dreams? Are you really marrying him?"
Xie Jinxuan didn't know whether to laugh or cry: "What are you talking about? Didn't I tell you in the letter that Qingtang and I were married? My names were already written on it, why are you so surprised now?"
"Hi, how could I remember your junior sister's name? I just remember that I often accompanied you to see her when we were in school, and I only remember her stunning face." Luo Xiangqian laughed, and he took another step forward and held Xia Qingtang's right hand, "Hello, junior sister, we are also alumni, I won't call you Comrade Xia anymore, it's too distant, from now on I will call you Xiao Xia, and you can just call me Lao Luo. So you married Jin Xuan, then I'm relieved. From now on, we will live in the same compound, and we can play together when we are free?"
Xia Qingtang smiled and nodded: "Okay, Lao Luo, come to our house for dinner when you have time, I'll make you some snacks."
Luo Xiangqian took his hand back, his eyes brightening: "I am really excited when you mention this. It has been so hard in the countryside these past few years. It is rare for me to have a drink. Now that I am back, I will definitely go to Jinxuan to have a drink more often. I am just afraid that if we do it too often, Xiaoxia, you will find us annoying."
Xia Qingtang smiled and said, "How could that be? As long as you are willing to come, I will definitely welcome you anytime."
Xie Jinxuan is a very self-controlled and organized person. It is impossible for him to bring friends to his home to drink frequently. He has been good friends with Luo Xiangqian for so many years, and he believes that the other party is not the kind of person who has no sense of propriety.
"I feel relieved when you say that. I'll go play with you guys after I have a few days' rest." Luo Xiangqian looked at the two of them and said, "What are you two doing here?"
"Playing table tennis. Today is the last day of the holiday, so we must have some fun." Xie Jinxuan said, "How about you come and play a game?"
"I just can't. I've been on the train for dozens of hours and my bones are almost rusty. I want to go home to put my things down, and then ask my mother to cook me a big bowl of egg noodles. After eating, I'll go to the bathhouse to take a bath and relax."
Xie Jinxuan said: "The bathhouse is closed in the morning and only opens at 2 o'clock in the afternoon."
"Then I'll eat the egg noodles and go to bed first, and then go to the bathhouse at 2 pm. Or you can come with me and help me rub my back." Luo Xiangqian put his arm around Xie Jinxuan's shoulders, "Looking at your physique, you're stronger than me."
"I also run and exercise every day after I came back. Besides, I eat well, so I must be stronger than you. You are too thin now. Will you be able to eat enough over there?" Xie Jinxuan looked at her childhood friend's overly thin body with a little worry.
Luo Xiangqian said, "How could my family be short of food? They send me food coupons every month, so I have enough food. It's just that I'm so tired from carrying stones while repairing the bridge recently. I feel so tired that my whole body aches at night. If I don't rest for a month after returning this time, I'm afraid I won't be able to recover."
"Tell your dad to find you an old Chinese doctor. Many of the old Chinese doctors we knew when we were young have returned. Lifting rocks will definitely hurt your waist, so you have to take it easy." Xie Jinxuan said, "Luckily you came back in the first batch. You should rest for a year or so while you are still young, and you should be fine."
Seeing that the two of them were talking so much, Xia Qingtang knew that old friends would definitely want to talk more after not seeing each other for so long, so she said, "Jinxuan, why don't you accompany Lao Luo back to his house? He has so many things on his back, and you can help him pack them. You can go home at lunch time."
"What about you?"
"I'll go home and drink some water, then read a book and prepare lunch." Xia Qingtang said with a smile, "You go and keep Lao Luo company, don't worry about me, I'm happy alone."
Xie Jinxuan understood her intention, so she nodded, put on her cotton coat, helped Luo Xiangqian carry his things, and then the two of them continued to chat loudly as they walked.
Xia Qingtang put on his cotton coat, picked up his tennis racket and followed him home.
Although they have been married for a long time, it was the first time she saw Xie Jinxuan so talkative. He talked excitedly with Luo Xiangqian, and the two of them often talked about people and things that she could not understand.
Along the way, many people greeted Luo Xiangqian. He had a loud voice and always laughed when he saw people. He was really a lively person.
The Luo family and the Xie family are actually in the same row. Their house is the one at the front, which is also a three-story Western-style building. Xia Qingtang actually passes by here every day, but has never been in.
Arriving at the door of Luo's house, Luo Xiangqian turned around and said, "Xiao Xia, I'll take Xie Jinxuan to my house."
"Go ahead, go ahead, and talk nicely." Xia Qingtang waved his hand, winked at Xie Jinxuan, and went back alone.
Grandma and Sixth Aunt also came back. When they saw her coming back alone, they asked where Xie Jinxuan had been.
"Luo Xiangqian has returned from the countryside. He is talking to him at Luo's house."
Grandma laughed, "Xiang Qian is back? That's great. Jin Xuan will have someone to play with in the future. You don't know, Jin Xuan, Xiang Qian and Xiao Feng, the three of them are as close as brothers. Later, the three of them went to different places, and Jin Xuan came back alone. I was worried that he had no friends to play with, but I didn't expect Xiang Qian to come back so soon. I will go to see Xiang Qian in a few days. I wonder where he works after returning to the city?"
"It's called the Food Bureau."
Grandma was stunned at first, then she started laughing: "That guy named Kong was fired, so there is indeed a vacancy."
"It is said that there are two new people joining, so there is more than one vacancy." Xia Qingtang said.
"This is what the higher-ups want. All units are arranging jobs for young people, but there are so many people going to the countryside. How can we arrange them all?" Grandma sighed. "I don't know what will happen in the future."
"If there are no jobs, we can only create them ourselves. We can always solve the problem when the time comes." Xia Qingtang said, "Grandma, what are we going to eat for lunch? Can we make lunch now?"
"There aren't many people at home today, so let's keep it simple. Just look at what you want to eat and let Xiaoliu make it."
Aunt Liu said, "There's not much food today. We only have bean sprouts that I grew myself and some dried vegetables. Otherwise, we can fry the bean sprouts, make some sausage and dried vegetable stewed rice, and boil some seaweed soup. What do you think? We can still have glutinous rice balls in the evening. We made so many this morning and they're still there."
"You call eating sausages casual? That's a delicious dish. Let's just eat braised rice. Jinxuan also likes braised rice." Xia Qingtang said with a smile, "Sixth Aunt, let me help."
"What kind of help do you need? I'm just making a stewed rice. Do you need help?" Aunt Six said, "You have to go to work tomorrow. Why don't you take a good rest today?"
"It's okay. I'm not tired from work now. I'm just sitting in the office. Aunt Liu, let me pick the bean sprouts." Xia Qingtang said as he walked into the kitchen.
Aunt Six followed in: "Yes, Qingtang, I always forget that you have gone to the office, and I always think about how hard you work in the workshop."
Aunt Six took out the bucket she used to grow bean sprouts, took out the vibrant-looking bean sprouts, and gave them to Xia Qingtang to pick.
Grandma moved a small stool and sat at the kitchen door to talk to the two of them. Because Luo Xiangqian had returned, the topic always turned to him.
By the time lunch was ready, Xia Qingtang had already learned a lot about Xie Jinxuan and her childhood friends.
I have to say that Xie Jinxuan is a very happy person. He not only has a happy and healthy family, but also has very good friends. The three of them grew up together, which also played a big role in his healthy personality.
To be honest, in her previous life, Xie Jinxuan had the best family and friendship. The only thing missing was his love.
And in this life, in a place he didn't know, his love was quietly made up.
Xia Qingtang pursed her lips and smiled, feeling that although she and Xie Jinxuan had gone through a lot of twists and turns, they were destined to be together in the end.
After the seaweed and shrimp soup was ready, Aunt Six said, "Qingtang, go call Jinxuan back for dinner. As soon as Xiang Qian came back, Jinxuan became like a child, just like before. She needs to be called for dinner and doesn't know how to come back on her own."
"They haven't seen each other for such a long time, they must have a lot to talk about. This is normal. I'll go call him now." Xia Qingtang wiped her hands on her apron, took the apron and walked out.
When we arrived at the Luo family’s door, we could hear laughter and joy coming from inside the house even from outside the yard. It was obvious that Luo Xiangqian’s return made everyone very happy.
Xia Qingtang shouted loudly: "Xie Jinxuan! You can go back and eat now!"
After shouting three times, a response came from inside the house. After a while, Xie Jinxuan came out holding her cotton coat: "Here I come!"
He looked rosy-cheeked and had a big smile on his face, which showed that he must have had a very happy chat.
Luo Xiangqian also followed him out. He was not wearing the dark blue cotton coat he had just worn, but only a military green sweater. He followed behind and said, "Xiao Xia, I'll go over and take a look too. I have to say hello to my grandparents."
"Grandpa is not at home. He is out working." Xia Qingtang said with a smile.
"That's right, my grandfather isn't home either." Luo Xiangqian said, "What are you having for lunch? Is there enough for me to share a bowl?"
"You didn't eat just now? Didn't you say you were going home to eat egg noodles?"
"We did eat, but the food in our house isn't as delicious as yours. Sixth Aunt's cooking is the best in our entire compound. When I think of Sixth Aunt's cooking, I start drooling even when I'm full." Luo Xiangqian laughed.
Xie Jinxuan said: "Let's go, even if there is no share for you, I will give you half, and it won't matter if I skip a meal."
"Hey, good brother! You are so nice! If it was Leng Feng, he would definitely not be so lenient with me!" Luo Xiangqian laughed and walked forward with Xie Jinxuan arm in arm. "Come to think of it, Leng Feng doesn't know I'm back yet. I will write him a letter tomorrow. I don't know when he will be discharged from the army and come back. Every time I write to him, he won't tell me."
Xie Jinxuan lowered her voice and said, "You may not know yet, Leng Feng and his military district are on standby."
Luo Xiangqian's eyes widened: "Are we going to fight over there?"
"My grandpa said it's almost time. Leng Feng and the others will definitely go. I'm worried about him. I hope he comes back safely."
Luo Xiangqian's expression turned serious: "Then I won't write to him for the time being, so as not to distract him."
Because they were close, Xia Qingtang could smell cigarettes coming from Luo Xiangqian, and it seemed that he was smoking.
She had heard Xia Qinghai say before that when they were sent to work in the countryside, many people learned to smoke because the life there was so depressing.
Cigarettes did not require tickets to buy, and everyone could afford the cheapest ones, so they would hide a pack under their pillows. After a day of farm work, when they returned to the educated youth site, the only way for them to relax in the dim environment was to smoke a couple of cigarettes.
Xia Qinghai also learned to smoke there, but in his previous life, because Ji Fangfang didn't like the smell of cigarettes, Xia Qinghai quit smoking. He can be considered a person who is willing to make real efforts for his goals.
When I got home, before I even entered the house, Luo Xiangqian shouted, "Grandma! Aunt Six! I'm here!"
Grandma came out with a smile: "I knew you wanted to come and eat for free! Xiaoliu, look, what did I say?"
Aunt Six came out with a pot in her hand: "What's going on? You don't have food to eat at home? Why do you come to my place to eat again?"
"The food cooked by Aunt Six is the most delicious. Please be kind and give me a bowl of it!" Luo Xiangqian smiled and gave his grandmother a hug, then hugged Aunt Six.
Aunt Six smiled and said, "Okay, I'll be kind enough to buy you a bowl of rice."
Grandma took Luo Xiangqian's hand and looked him up and down, saying, "How come you've become so thin? You weren't like this when you came back last year."
"Recently, I've been very tired from repairing the bridge. It's okay. I'll take good care of myself when I get home, and I'll be fat again." Luo Xiangqian rubbed his hands, "Then shall we eat?"
Xie Jinxuan said, "You just had a big bowl of egg noodles an hour ago. You beat four eggs and ate them all."
"I'm so thin, what's wrong with me eating a little more?" Luo Xiangqian didn't bother to be polite, he walked to the dining table and sat down.
Aunt Liu said, "You ate so much before, so now is the perfect time to eat one bowl. If you eat too much, be careful not to get upset in your stomach."
After saying that, she started to serve the rice.
"Oh, it's braised rice. It must be delicious. I really want this bowl." Luo raised the big bowl and took a big sniff. "It smells so good!"
Seeing that he was greedy, grandma quickly picked up the chopsticks and picked up a mouthful of rice and put it into her mouth: "Okay, eat it quickly."
Seeing that grandma had started eating, Luo Xiangqian didn't hesitate and picked up the chopsticks to start eating.
Xie Jinxuan washed her hands first before sitting down with Xia Qingtang to eat.
Luo Xiangqian ate very quickly. Xia Qingtang had only taken four or five bites when he had already finished a large bowl of stewed rice.
Aunt Liu looked at him with a bit of heartache: "Do you want more? I cooked more, another bowl?"
Luo Xiangqian waved his hand: "No, no, I really can't eat anymore. The bowl of egg noodles I had before was also very big. If I eat more now, something bad will happen. I think my stomach is already full."
"You ate so quickly just now, I thought you were very hungry." Aunt Liu couldn't help laughing.
"I can't help it. I've developed a habit in the countryside. Farm work really makes me hungry quickly, and the food doesn't have much oil. I have to cook for myself every day when I go home. By the time the food is ready, I'm already very hungry. I just want to eat it quickly."
Grandma said: "You have really suffered a lot in the past few years in the countryside."
"I'm average, I'm lucky. I didn't go to the most difficult and remote places. Our commune is a big grain producer, the climate is good, and my family also sends me food coupons. It's actually much better than where Jinxuan served in the army. That place is so cold."
Xie Jinxuan said: "I didn't stay for many years and came back."
"Luckily you're back, otherwise I'd be so lonely now that I'm back."
Grandma said, "Our Jinxuan was also lonely after returning to the city. Most of your classmates went to work in the countryside, and the few who were left in the city were not familiar with him. His colleagues in the office were much older than him, and they couldn't play together. Fortunately, he got married and had Qingtang to accompany him. Now he has you, so I am even happier."
Luo Xiangqian said, "Jinxuan is really amazing. She married our school's most beautiful girl without making any noise. Grandma, do you know that Xiaoxia was so popular at that time? In addition to our school, male students from other schools and those who were already working would come to see her and give her cookies and candies. There were even more people who sent her letters."
Xia Qingtang blushed slightly after hearing what he said: "It's not that exaggerated..."
"It's really exaggerated, but I remember that you didn't seem to care about those people before. You always looked like you didn't care about the world. When male students talked to you, you always had a stern face. At that time, I told Jinxuan that it was okay for you to like the campus beauty, but if you really wanted to date, it would definitely not be easy. Unexpectedly, Jinxuan's dream really came true."
Grandma said: "Although I have never heard of her, I can guess that Qingtang is the school belle. But since there is a school belle, there must also be a school tree, right? Our Jinxuan is so handsome and tall, he should be the school tree."
Luo Xiangqian laughed: "I haven't heard of the school tree, but grandma, you do have good taste. Jinxuan also received many letters from girls before. At that time, Leng Feng and I envied him. You said that we are all human beings, why is he so popular?"
Aunt Six said, "Of course it's because our Jinxuan is pretty."
"Leng Feng is also good-looking." Grandma said, "No one wrote to him?"
"It's useless for him to be good-looking. He can't do anything even if you hit him with three sticks. He has a cold face and doesn't talk all day long. Female students run away when they see him. Who would write to him?" Luo Xiangqian's tone was very exaggerated and everyone laughed.
After dinner, they chatted for a while, then Xie Jinxuan took the basin and went to the bathhouse with Luo Xiangqian to take a bath.
After a while, Xia Qingtang, her grandmother and Aunt Six also went to the bathhouse. They went late, but when they came back, the two men had not returned yet.
Aunt Six said, "Jinxuan will probably have to stay at Luo's house tonight."
Grandma said, "No, why would he let Qingtang sleep alone?"
Sure enough, when it was dinner time, Xie Jinxuan came back alone with a basin in her hand.
He smelled of soap and cigarettes, which mixed together and was a little choking. Xia Qingtang coughed a few times, and he immediately took off his sweater: "We have to let Xiang Qian smoke less."
"It's okay. Quitting smoking takes time." Xia Qingtang said, "This is a question I left behind in the workshop. Don't tell Lao Luo about quitting smoking."
"Smoking is bad for the body. Now that he's back in the city and isn't so depressed anymore, we still have to persuade him to quit." Xie Jinxuan said, "He suffered a lot when he was sent to work in the countryside. He was tall and looked strong, and he was the first to do any heavy work in the youth work center. As a result, his waist and legs were injured. Fortunately, he came back early, so he should be able to recover."
Xia Qingtang said: "Why don't you two go see a Chinese doctor together? You should start recuperation as soon as possible."
Xie Jinxuan smiled gently, held her hand and said, "Don't worry about me, I'm really fine."
Xia Qingtang said: "How can I not worry? Where there are old injuries, it will always be different."
"Okay, after a while, Xiang Qian and I will go find a Chinese doctor." Xie Jinxuan said, "Okay, let's go upstairs and pack up. We originally agreed to pack up in the afternoon, but in the end we didn't do anything."
"It's okay. If you really can't clean it up, you can come back in a couple of days and clean it up slowly."
But having said that, Xia Qingtang still went upstairs with Xie Jinxuan to clean up for a while. While cleaning, he talked about Luo Xiangqian. It was obvious that he was very happy to see his childhood friend return to the city.
The next day was Monday. After the Chinese New Year, people returned to work or school. The streets were bustling with energetic people. Xie Jinxuan also rode her bike to take Xia Qingtang to the gate of the cotton mill early in the morning.
"Morning, Secretary Xia. You look so radiant. It seems you had a good year." Old Ren from the Security Department greeted Xia Qingtang cheerfully.
Xia Qingtang also greeted the acquaintances with a smile. When she arrived at the office, she opened the door. A dull smell with a musty smell suddenly came into her nose. Xia Qingtang coughed twice and quickly opened all the windows for ventilation.
Then he boiled some water and got some cold water to clean the office. When other people arrived, the entire office had been cleaned and the air had been changed long ago. There was still a scent because a little toilet water was sprinkled when mopping the floor.
Feng Xinhui smiled and said, "Xiao Xia, Happy New Year! Thank you for your hard work, cleaning so early."
"I'm responsible for opening the door, so it's my duty to come early." Xia Qingtang smiled as he took out the specialties he brought back from Moon City from the cupboard and distributed them to several colleagues.
Feng Xinhui, Wu Feng and Zhang Ning also brought some food sent by their relatives from their hometown to share with everyone. Only Li Yue didn't bring anything and accepted everyone's things with peace of mind.
Fortunately, everyone knew that this was her personality, so no one said anything.
After Chairman Qin arrived, she sat in the large office and held a New Year meeting for all staff, talked about the work prospects for the new year, and then distributed some rice dumpling candies that she brought from her mother's home to everyone before leaving.
There is really not much work to do at work today. That is, for the new batch of workers who have joined the company, they first report to the factory office, and after they have registered there, they come to the trade union to register. Soon there will be no work left.
Everyone ate and drank tea, and then talked about some things during the New Year.
Li Yueshen asked mysteriously, "Do you know about Director Wu from the factory office?"
Wu Feng said, "What happened to Xiao Wu?"
"Don't you know? Before the Chinese New Year, there was a lot of commotion. Secretary Wu's family came to pick her up, but she ran away and couldn't be found. Her parents called the police and asked the factory office to look for her too. It was a big commotion."
"What happened later? Did you find it?" Wu Feng asked.
Li Yue said, "I don't know. I asked Secretary Wang, but she didn't know. I was too embarrassed to ask Director Huang, so I don't know what's going on. Otherwise, why don't we go to the factory office to take a look? We should go say hello when we go to work in the New Year."
Wu Feng said, "I won't go. You female colleagues can just go over and say hello."
Li Yue stood up and walked to Xia Qingtang's desk, grabbing her arm and saying, "Xiao Xia, come with me to the factory office to say hello."
Xia Qingtang went with her. When they arrived at the factory office, they didn't see Wu Jinfeng in the big office. Li Yue immediately ran to the desk of Secretary Wang and asked, "Secretary Wang, your Secretary Wu is not really missing, is he?"
Secretary Wang whispered, "Wu Jinfeng came to work. Director Huang called her to the small office and she hasn't come out yet."
"What happened to her during the Chinese New Year? Did she go home with her parents afterwards?"
"I don't know either..."
It was just a coincidence that as they were talking, they saw Wu Jinfeng coming back from Director Huang's office.
She was wearing the same navy blue woolen coat that she had worn last year. She still looked decent and elegant, but her complexion was not as good as before. Her face was sallow and she seemed to have lost a lot of weight. There were also dark circles under her eyes, as if she had not gotten enough rest.
The other people in the factory office all had rosy faces because they had had enough rest during the New Year. In contrast, Wu Jinfeng looked particularly haggard.
Xia Qingtang knew why she looked so haggard. Anyone who lived in the Xia family for half a month would definitely become like this because of the poor food and hunger.
Wu Jinfeng walked into the office with her chin held high, and snorted coldly when she saw Xia Qingtang and Li Yue.
Xia Qingtang didn't say anything, but Li Yue smiled and said, "Secretary Wu, Happy New Year. When did you come back by train?"
"Does it have anything to do with you?" Wu Jinfeng said coldly, "Don't meddle in other people's business."
As soon as these words came out, Li Yue's face fell immediately. She said with a dark face: "I heard that you had a conflict with your parents before the New Year and disappeared. I was just concerned about my colleagues, so I asked. If you don't want to say it, forget it. There is no need to talk like this."
"That's how I talk. What's it to you?" Wu Jinfeng walked to her desk and was about to sit down when she looked at the thick dust on the table and chair and frowned.
There was no other way, she could only go to the sink in the corner to fetch water and rub the rag, then started to wipe the tables and chairs with a frown.
Li Yue sneered: "You are so great, but you still have to clean the table yourself? I thought people in cadres' families were served by others."
After saying that, Li Yue threw the rag down without caring about Wu Jinfeng and ran away.
Xia Qingtang said goodbye to the other people in the factory office, and then went back under Wu Jinfeng's murderous gaze.
Although there was not much work to do, several union members still waited until the end of the get off work day before closing the shop and going home.
Looking at the factory office, they had already left work early and even Director Huang's office was locked.
Xia Qingtang happily took the bus back, said goodbye to her family, and then moved her packed things to their new home with Xie Jinxuan.
The new home is a bungalow with a yard, three bedrooms and a living room. The old-style living room is not very large, but it is more than enough for the two of them.
Xia Qingtang stood at the gate of the yard, his heart beating violently.
Xie Jinxuan whispered, "Why don't you open the door?"
The key is in Xia Qingtang's hand, and she wants to open the door to her first home by herself.
"I'm a little excited. This is my first home. I'm very happy..." Xia Qingtang took a deep breath, stabilized his slightly trembling right hand, took the key and opened the yard door.
The moment she walked through the door, her nose felt sore and her eyes became slightly moist.
She couldn't describe her feeling at the moment, she only knew that it was a kind of happiness mixed with excitement, nervousness, and excitement, and a slight sense of uneasiness.
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