Chapter 52
Xie Jinxuan had been staring at her, and now seeing that her eyes were moist and slightly excited, she did not say anything, but put down her bags, turned on the lights at the entrance, and stood quietly by her side waiting for her to finish feeling this moment.
As a person who has had a happy family since childhood, Xie Jinxuan can understand Xia Qingtang's excitement at this moment. To use an analogy, it is like the moment when a dream comes true, the mood must be extremely exciting.
After about three or four minutes, Xia Qingtang closed his eyes and sniffed the special smell in the air of the new home. Then he smiled, opened his eyes and said with a smile: "I know, strictly speaking, this is the house your father was assigned, but since he said it's only for us to live in, I will treat this as our first home. Xie Jinxuan, thank you, and thank you mom and dad, for giving me my first home in my life."
Xie Jinxuan held her hands and said softly, "No, I should thank you. Without you, this is just a house. With you, this is home."
Xia Qingtang couldn't help but burst out laughing: "Xie Jinxuan, you are so good at talking! But it does make sense. I thought about it. If I am with you, even if we live in the most shabby house, it is still our home."
The two young people stood at the door hand in hand and grinned foolishly for a while, until the sound of children playing outside the yard was heard, and Xia Qingtang came back to his senses.
"Ah, I haven't finished what I said yet." Xia Qingtang tightly grasped Xie Jinxuan's two big hands, then looked straight into his eyes and said seriously: "Our first home was given to me by you. But we won't live here forever. Wait for me, give me some time, and in the future, I will make money and buy you a big house."
Xie Jinxuan was a little surprised, but also very happy: "Then am I not too happy?"
"Yes, just wait to be the happiest man! Today is February 12, 1979. I will definitely buy you a beautiful big house within ten years and bring you in." Xia Qingtang said as he made a secret resolution in his heart.
Xie Jinxuan said: "Then should we make a promise? Not to lie to anyone for ten thousand years?"
Xia Qingtang chuckled, stretched out his hand and made a pinky promise with him: "A liar is a puppy."
Then she let go of his hand, cheered and threw herself into Xie Jinxuan's arms: "Ah, Xie Jinxuan, I'm so happy, I'm really so happy! I don't know how to describe this kind of happiness, it's like there are dozens of little rabbits in my heart, jumping up and down all the time, and there are many flowers blooming in it, in clusters, like a huge mountain in a mythology."
Xie Jinxuan was amused by her description, so she held her and spun around several times, then put her down and said with a smile, "I am also very happy, but my happiness is not jumping up and down. Instead, I feel very at ease, as if a small animal that has been wandering has suddenly stepped on the ground, and my heart is at ease all of a sudden."
"Are you so relieved?" Xia Qingtang said, "I am a little bit uneasy, just a little bit, and I feel uneasy."
Xie Jinxuan was shocked: "Uneasy? Why? Is there something I didn't do well enough to make you uneasy?"
"No, no, it has nothing to do with you." Xia Qingtang looked around in his arms, looking at the newly painted white walls, the refinished and repainted floors, and the complete set of furniture that was not brand new. After pondering for more than ten seconds, he said softly, "My uneasiness and restlessness may be because this house was not bought by me."
If they didn’t buy the house and their name isn’t on it, it’s hard to say whether they will lose the house one day.
It may be difficult for Xie Jinxuan to understand this idea now, because for people of this era, it is impossible to buy a house. As long as you have a job, you can wait for a small house of your own no matter how difficult it is.
Xie Jinxuan thought for a while and said, "I think I understand a little bit what you are saying. After all, this house was allocated to me by my father. If one day, he is gone... well, I mean, if, for example, he is gone in fifty years, this house will be taken back. Only the house allocated to you is the safest. Then I will make a promise with you. I will also work hard and make sure that we have our own small house before you buy me a big house."
Xie Jinxuan's idea is a very normal and progressive idea in this era. As long as he works hard and improves as soon as possible, he can get a house of that level.
Although he can only be allocated a room vacated from a warehouse now, as long as he is promoted quickly, it would be normal for him to live in his own small courtyard before he is thirty years old.
"Okay, then it's settled!" Xia Qingtang made a promise with him, then smiled and said, "Okay, put the things in the room first, I'll boil some water and then make dinner."
The layout of the new house is relatively simple, with a small yard of about ten square meters. Some vegetables were planted in it before, but after the previous family moved out, the vegetable garden was abandoned. Xia Qingtang plans to plant a few trees on the left side in the spring, and still turn the right side into a vegetable garden, planting some easy-to-care-for vegetables, such as leeks and onions.
The house, like the courtyard wall, is made of red bricks. There is a wide corridor in front of the house. At the left end of the corridor is a pool that can be seen everywhere nowadays. Usually, families wash clothes in this pool.
Going up the steps is the front door to the house. After opening the door, there is a small kitchen on the left. The kitchen has already been tidied up. Xie Jinxuan asked someone to buy a new coal stove, and all the pots, pans, and utensils are also available.
Because he was moving today, he came back specially at noon to light up the new coal stove that had been unused so that he could use it to boil water and cook in the evening.
The living room is actually on the right side of the door. There is a shoe cabinet and a wooden clothes hanger next to the door. After entering the door, you can hang your backpack, coat, keys, etc. here. There are new slippers in the shoe cabinet, which were made and put in advance by grandma and Aunt Six.
There is an octagonal table in the corner on the far right. Usually, there are two of them eating together, and placing the octagonal table against the wall can save space.
If guests come, you can pull out the round table and put it back in the corner after the guests leave.
Next to the octagonal table is the layout of an ordinary living room. Because it is a small family of two, there is only a wooden three-seater sofa. Because the weather is cold, soft cushions are laid on it. These cushions are all made by Aunt Six and Grandma. The color is dark gray with black plaid, which looks generous and dirt-resistant.
In front of the sofa is a long wooden coffee table, which is also old, but has two layers underneath and can hold a lot of things.
On the coffee table was a new tea tray sent by Xie's mother. On the tray was a white porcelain teapot and four white porcelain cups with lids next to it. These were for them to use to entertain guests.
As for Xia Qingtang herself, she still planned to continue using the enamel cup she brought from her mother's home.
The other furniture in the living room is also simple, with a set of low cabinets and tall cabinets as usual.
The tall cabinet has glass doors. It was a gift from Xie Chengye. Although it is not brand new, it looks very grand because it has new glass and has been wiped clean.
This set of low cabinets under the window was newly made by a craftsman asked by Xie Jinxuan. In order to match the color of the sofa and coffee table, they were also painted in the same light color.
There is also a self-ringing clock on the low cabinet that chimes on the hour. This was bought by Xie Jinxuan herself. Generally, only people from well-off families can afford to buy this clock. For ordinary newlyweds, they can just buy a few small alarm clocks.
Of course, the portrait of Lingxiu and this year's calendar were posted on the wall. In order to make it obvious that they were a newlywed couple, Aunt Liu even cut out two big red wedding characters and posted them on the other side of the wall, which really added a lot of festive atmosphere to the home.
Although the living room is not large, the master bedroom is not small, about ten square meters.
Xie Jinxuan asked someone to make a very large and long double bed, and placed a row of newly built hanging wardrobes, as well as a desk and a new dressing table specially made for Xia Qingtang. In the corner, there was a small round table and two rattan chairs. It was very comfortable to sit here and read a book to relax.
Another smaller bedroom was made into a study. The desk used here is very large. Although it is old, it is very practical. The other bookcases were newly made by the master. They were not painted, but only coated with a layer of tung oil. They look simple, but very sturdy and durable.
The last room was also made into a bedroom, with a layout similar to the master bedroom, except that it did not have a dressing table and the relaxation area designed by Xie Jinxuan.
This bedroom can now be used as a guest room, and when you have children, it will be the children's bedroom.
The whole house is bright and clean, with white gauze curtains hanging on each window, which looks very grand. The master bedroom also has double curtains. The gauze curtains are hung during the day, and the dark blue curtains are drawn at night, so you can sleep peacefully.
What surprised Xia Qingtang the most was that the bathroom in her home had been completely replaced with a new set of equipment. Even the squat toilet was brand new. It looked bright and reflective everywhere, which made people feel happy.
After inspecting his new home, Xia Qingtang was in a good mood. He quickly went to the kitchen, filled a new kettle with water, turned on the coal stove and started boiling water.
Then, she opened the rice bucket that she had brought earlier, scooped out two bowls of rice, and began to wash the rice in preparation for dinner.
This is an old tradition taught to her by her grandmother. She said that on the first day of moving into a new home, one must first boil a pot of water and then cook a meal at home. In this way, one can live a prosperous, harmonious and happy life.
Xia Qingtang hummed a little tune while standing in front of the sink and washing rice carefully.
This was the first time she and Xie Jinxuan lived alone after they got married, and it was also the first time she cooked for two people.
The vegetable basket in the kitchen contained vegetables, eggs, bacon and other items that Aunt Liu had brought in advance. Since this was the first dinner after moving in, Xia Qingtang planned to eat better and use the bacon today.
She first made rice with dried vegetables and bacon. After it was cooked, she scooped a spoonful of lard and mixed it with the rice. It smelled so good that she started drooling.
She secretly tasted a spoonful of the stewed rice to make sure her cooking skills had not declined, so she put the small pot in a cotton blanket to keep it warm. She then took out the iron pot and made scrambled eggs with leeks and braised white radish slices.
Vegetables now are not as abundant as they will be in a dozen years, especially in winter. What we eat are always green vegetables, cabbage, radish, bean sprouts, leeks, etc. But as long as we have good skills, the same vegetables can be made into delicious food.
Xie Jinxuan came out of the bedroom smelling the aroma: "Qingtang, the things I brought today are almost all arranged. I arranged them according to your previous habits. You can take a look after dinner. If there is anything wrong, tell me and I will put it back together."
Xia Qingtang smiled and said, "I trust you to clean it up. It doesn't matter whether you look at it or not."
Xie Jinxuan really didn't need to worry about this aspect. This man had an excellent memory and could remember the exact location of every thing Xia Qingtang had previously placed. Now that he had moved into the new house, he would definitely have placed the items in the same order as before. Even if there was a mistake, Xia Qingtang himself would not be able to discover it.
Besides, she didn't actually have many things. Some of the things she brought from the Xia family were too worn out and had already been thrown away. The number of new clothes she bought was also limited. As for the other new things, which were just some daily necessities, she just needed to put them where they could be seen. She didn't care much about them.
As he was talking, Xie Jinxuan had already walked into the kitchen. He sniffed, smelling the tempting aroma of food in the kitchen, looking at his wife standing by the coal stove, and suddenly a strong sense of happiness surged in his heart, even happier and more at ease than when he entered the house just now.
Xia Qingtang felt his gaze, she turned her head with a smile and asked, "Why are you looking at me like that? Is there something dirty on my face?"
The new house had a coal stove that was not lit until noon, so the indoor temperature was not as warm as that at my grandparents' house. When Xia Qingtang cooked, she wore an old autumn coat over her sweater, then tied on the apron she brought with her and rolled up her sleeves, looking very neat.
To make things easier, she also pulled her two braids behind her head and tied them together with a hairband. Because she washed her hair less frequently in winter and didn't want to dirty her hair, she habitually wrapped her head with a large square scarf.
If others wrapped their hair like this, they might look like country folk and rustic, but the scarf Xia Qingtang used was a light grey plaid one, and when she wrapped it on her head, it looked like the fashionable style of later generations, making her look lively and playful, and making her look even sweeter and more lovely.
Although Xie Jinxuan didn't understand the fashion of later generations, he knew how to appreciate beauty. He looked at Xia Qingtang's playful bun hairstyle and sweet smile, and said in a deep voice: "I think you look even better today."
Xia Qingtang burst out laughing: "I don't believe it. People say that no matter how good-looking a person is, you won't feel anything after looking at them for too long. How can someone become more beautiful the more you look at them?"
"That's what I think of you. I always think you're getting more and more beautiful. In my heart, even if I look at you for ten thousand years, I still can't see enough of you." Xie Jinxuan said very seriously.
Xia Qingtang laughed so hard that she couldn't straighten her back: "Stop, stop, it's not convenient to say this kind of love talk somewhere else. The kitchen is too small."
Xie Jinxuan rubbed her hands and said, "Okay, is there anything I can do now?"
"Wash your hands and take two sets of bowls and chopsticks to the dining table." Xia Qingtang instructed, "Also, take out these two thermoses and pour us each a glass of water. Grandma said that after we move, we should drink the water from the new house first."
The older generation had many things to be particular about, but because of the years before, many old traditions dared not be mentioned. Even though they were not mentioned now, grandma secretly told Xia Qingtang about these old traditions.
Xie Jinxuan washed her hands, then went out with the thermos, took out the drinking cups they brought from home, poured two cups of hot water and left them there to cool, then came back in to get the dishes and chopsticks.
The dishes and chopsticks used in the small family are all brand new. They were bought by Xie's mother and given to them. There are eight plates, eight blue-rimmed rice bowls, eight porcelain spoons, two soup bowls, a large soup spoon and a bunch of brand new bamboo chopsticks, as well as some large and small aluminum spoons, which are convenient for daily use when flushing water and putting in lunch boxes.
After Xie Jinxuan placed the dishes and chopsticks on the dining table, Xia Qingtang also scooped up the braised white radish from the pot into a large bowl and asked him to take it out.
At 6:50 in the evening, the first meal in the two young people's new home finally began.
Under the warm light, Xia Qingtang picked up his water cup and said with a smile: "From now on, the two of us will live together. I hope we won't quarrel, have enough for three meals a day, and our lives will get better and better."
Xie Jinxuan smiled and said, "Well, I'll listen to you."
They clinked their glasses, and then both took a big sip of the first glass of water in their new home.
"I don't know if it's because I'm in a good mood, but I tasted sweet even though I was drinking plain water." Xia Qingtang took two more sips of water, put down the cup, picked up the rice spoon and started to serve rice.
The risotto had been kept warm in a cotton container, so it was still steaming hot when she scooped it out. She filled a large bowl for both of them, and then urged Xie Jinxuan to have a taste quickly.
"It's delicious, especially fragrant, and the saltiness is just right." While Xie Jinxuan was eating, Xia Qingtang was picking up some food for him.
"Try my cooking again."
"You are such a great cook." Xie Jinxuan said, "I didn't expect your cooking skills to be so good. Take this fried leek and eggs for example. It's different from Aunt Liu's method, but the taste is just as good, especially fragrant."
Xia Qingtang is used to cutting the leeks into small pieces before frying them, so that the eggs and leeks will be mixed together, making them more delicious.
Xia Qingtang smiled and said, "When there are more vegetables later, I will make some things that Aunt Liu can't cook for you to try."
When working as a nanny at her cousin's house, Xia Qingtang put a lot of thought into cooking because her cousin's child was very picky about food.
"I really found a treasure." Xie Jinxuan couldn't help but sigh: "No one is happier than me."
"We both love each other. You are a treasure to me." Xia Qingtang took a big mouthful of stewed rice and showed a happy expression.
She got a new job in the office, moved into a new home to live alone, and had such delicious food to eat...life was really wonderful.
Because they were in a good mood, the two of them ate most of their dinner, leaving only a little stewed rice and half a bowl of braised white radish.
Xia Qingtang said: "Tomorrow morning, add some water and boil it into a pot. I will make two pancakes. What do you think?"
Xie Jinxuan said, "Okay, but don't get up too early. We can actually go to the canteen in the compound to have breakfast. That's more convenient and saves time."
Although cooking at home is cheap and saves money, eating in the cafeteria is indeed more convenient. Many newlywed families or large families who are too busy at work choose to eat in the cafeteria in the morning and evening because of its convenience.
"It's okay. I just moved in and I'm in high spirits. Let me cook for a few days. I'll tell you when I don't want to cook." Xia Qingtang sighed again, "Xie Jinxuan, I feel so happy."
"Me too." Xie Jinxuan smiled and kissed her, then started to clean the table and took it to the kitchen to wash and scrub.
Xia Qingtang cooks and he washes dishes and cleans up. It is the most reasonable for the two of them to work together.
Xie Jinxuan washed the dishes, Xia Qingtang wiped the table and followed over, standing at the door and smiling at him.
She was admiring his broad shoulders, narrow waist and long legs when a familiar voice came from outside the yard: "Qingtang, are you still awake?"
"Sixth Aunt?" Xia Qingtang quickly opened the door and rushed out.
With the help of the light from the street lamps and the kitchen window, I could see that Aunt Six and Grandma were standing outside the yard gate. They were both holding two bulging cloth bags in their hands.
"Grandma, why are you here too?" Xia Qingtang opened the yard door and let the two in.
Grandma smiled and said, "I feel a little uncomfortable with you not being home, and I'm also worried that you two young people might not do a good job after just moving in, so I told Xiaoliu that we would come over to take a look."
"Then why are you carrying so many things? Our things should have been moved here." Xia Qingtang took the two cloth bags from his grandmother's hands and found that they were not light.
Aunt Six said, "We went to the grocery store today and bought a lot of things. I thought it would be inconvenient for you to buy food when you're at work, so why don't we buy it and send it to you in the future?"
As they were talking, the three of them walked into the house.
Xia Qingtang closed the door and said with a smile, "How can that be possible? How hard will that be for Aunt Six?"
"Why is it so hard? I was going to buy groceries anyway. Besides, I don't have to fight with others for groceries, but you guys have to fight with others. Can you beat others with your small body?" Aunt Liu walked into the kitchen carrying a cloth bag and said, "Oh, did you make braised rice for dinner? It smells so good."
After Xie Jinxuan called people, she said, "Yes, today we had dried vegetables and bacon stewed rice, fried leeks and eggs, and braised white radish. Qingtang's cooking is delicious, not inferior to Aunt Liu."
Grandma said, "I was worried that you would be in a mess after just moving, but I didn't expect that you two would eat well and clean up well. There's no need for me to worry at all."
"Grandma, we are all adults now, you don't have to worry about us." Xie Jinxuan said, "Grandma, go sit in the living room for a while. There is boiled water over there. Do you want to make some tea?"
"I can't drink tea at night. I can't sleep later. I'll just drink some boiled water." Grandma took Xia Qingtang to the living room and asked her if she would feel uncomfortable living here. If she was not used to it, she could go back.
Aunt Liu took out the things she brought one by one, including a large cabbage, a handful of spinach, a bundle of dried kelp, and several heads of garlic, and placed them all in the vegetable basket in the kitchen.
She also brought a salted fish and some salted duck eggs, put them down in the kitchen, and came over with another cloth bag, putting the fried peanuts, fried broad beans, fried melon seeds, egg cakes and date paste biscuits inside under the coffee table.
"Okay, now it's more like that. Qingtang loves snacks the most. If you're hungry at night, you can have some egg cakes." Aunt Liu said, "These are all freshly made today. They taste best in the first two days."
Xia Qingtang quickly thanked her and poured some water for Aunt Liu.
Xie Jinxuan cleaned up the kitchen and came out, and came over to talk to Grandma and Sixth Aunt for a while.
But after sitting for less than 20 minutes, grandma said, "Okay, it's getting late. Hurry up and wash up and go to bed. If you don't want to make breakfast tomorrow morning, go home and eat. From now on, if you don't want to cook, go home and eat. It's convenient to cook anything at home."
"Yes, we have two stoves at home, so cooking is faster than here." Aunt Six said, "Your grandma is eager for you to come home for dinner every day."
Xie Jinxuan said: "Qingtang and I want to spend some time alone. If we get lazy later, we can go back to eat."
Grandma laughed and said, "Well, we'll talk about it when you get lazy. Okay, let's go back to bed."
After seeing off grandma and Aunt Six, Xie Jinxuan locked the gate and went back to the house with Xia Qingtang. He asked seriously, "Are you tired today?"
Xia Qingtang said innocently, "I didn't do anything at work today, and I just cooked a meal when I got home in the evening. Why should I be so tired?"
Xie Jinxuan nodded with confidence, her dark eyes shining brightly: "Okay, then I'll be relieved. I'll go get you some water for a bath now."
After cooking, Xia Qingtang filled a pot of water and placed it on the coal stove, which was just enough for washing in the evening.
This is the advantage of using a coal stove: there is hot water available all day long. As for the disadvantage, it is that there are too few coal coupons, so many people cannot use it even if they want to.
Xia Qingtang suddenly reacted when she saw him quickly walk into the kitchen and pick up the kettle.
They had agreed before that once they moved into their own little home, they would truly start a new chapter in their lives - completing everything they had not done before.
Thinking of this, Xia Qingtang couldn't help laughing, and quickly went to the master bedroom to get his own change of clothes.
Because she had just taken a bath in the bathhouse yesterday, she just took a simple shower today. After putting on her clothes, she brushed her teeth while the room temperature was not too low. When she opened the door and walked out, she saw Xie Jinxuan waiting outside with a change of clothes and a thermos.
His voice was full of anticipation: "I put a bottle of saline in the quilt to keep it warm. Go lie down on the bed and wait for me. I'll be fine soon."
Xia Qingtang deliberately said: "You can't be quick, you have to wash it clean before you come."
"Yes, sir." Xie Jinxuan said and rushed into the bathroom.
Xia Qingtang was so happy that she went to the bedroom first, reached out her hand, and found a bottle of saline wrapped in an old towel in the quilt. It was hot and a little hot to the touch.
She moved the bottle of saline solution to a place where it would not disturb them while they were doing their work, then put on her cotton coat, sat against the head of the bed and opened a novel.
The bedroom in her new home was more spacious than any other bedroom she had lived in before. Now, sitting here, after reading a few glances at the novel, she couldn't help but look up at the bedroom, then happily lowered her head to read again.
When Xie Jinxuan came in, Xia Qingtang realized that he had not read a few pages of the paper at all and was just laughing foolishly.
Of course, what happened afterwards was no longer just silly joy, but a kind of happiness that could not be known to outsiders.
From a physiological point of view, this was Xia Qingtang's real first time, but because the two of them had tried other intimate behaviors before, and Xie Jinxuan was very gentle and patient, she didn't feel any pain at all, just some slight discomfort.
But more importantly, it is the psychological happiness it brings.
A person who loves her wholeheartedly will take into account all her feelings, worry that she will feel uncomfortable, worry that she will feel pain, and hope to make her happy...
Xia Qingtang felt his full love and tenderness, and couldn't help but shed tears from the corners of her eyes.
Xie Jinxuan was slightly startled: "Does it hurt? I'm sorry, was I too rude?"
"No, no." Xia Qingtang hugged him tightly, "I am happy and blessed. Xie Jinxuan, thank you for loving me like this."
Xie Jinxuan's heart softened. He placed numerous light kisses on her forehead, then whispered, "No, I should be the one thanking you. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to love you."
Xia Qingtang didn't really remember what happened after that. She only knew that she fell asleep due to exhaustion, and then she had a deep dream. In her dream, she was driving a car, pointing at a small villa and saying to Xie Jinxuan, "From now on, I will support you!"
Then she burst into laughter, and as she was laughing, she heard Xie Jinxuan's voice: "Qingtang? Qingtang, what's wrong with you?"
"Huh?" Xia Qingtang stopped laughing and opened his eyes, only to find that he had been dreaming.
It was just daybreak, the curtains were drawn, and the sound of birds could be heard. Xie Jinxuan was standing in front of the big bed with her sleeves rolled up, looking at her with some worry.
Xia Qingtang laughed again: "I was dreaming, and I laughed very happily in the dream."
"What did you dream about that made you so happy?" Xie Jinxuan asked.
"I won't tell you." Xia Qingtang said proudly, "I'll tell you when I can do what I dreamed of."
It seems like a nice dream to become a rich man and support Xie Jinxuan in the future. A handsome man like him should be well taken care of by a rich woman.
"Okay, let's talk about it later. How are you? Are you feeling unwell?" Xie Jinxuan came over and gently touched her forehead, her eyes full of concern.
"I... don't feel uncomfortable." Xia Qingtang felt her own physical condition and found nothing wrong, so she started to put on her clothes. "You were so gentle last night, you don't have to worry about me."
"I heard that it's uncomfortable the first time." Xie Jinxuan said, "I'm still thinking about whether I should ask for a day off for you to rest."
"It's okay, it's okay. My waist and legs are a little sore, everything else is normal." Xia Qingtang put on his clothes and got out of bed.
"I cooked the soup and rice you asked for, added some chopped cabbage, and bought four steamed buns, so you don't have to make pancakes." Xie Jinxuan said, "After you finish eating, should I send you to work as usual?"
"You made breakfast and bought steamed buns? I didn't hear any sound. When did you go out?"
"It was about the same time as usual. I went for a run, chatted with grandpa for a while, and then bought some steamed buns and came back." Xie Jinxuan said, "Then go brush your teeth and wash your face. I'll bring out breakfast."
Xia Qingtang hurried to the bathroom, washed up, and went to have breakfast.
Although Xie Jinxuan's cooking was not delicious, he knew how to do basic kitchen work. He also scooped out some of Aunt Liu's homemade spicy dried radish and mixed it with a little sesame oil, which made it taste even more delicious.
After breakfast, the two of them cleaned up the dishes and washed them, then went out together with their bags on their backs.
The neighbor next door to the left just happened to go out. When she saw the two of them, she smiled and said, "It took so long to clean up the house, and now we're finally moving in. Are you going to live here from now on?"
Xie Jinxuan said: "Yes, we will live here from now on."
"You two are so lucky to be able to live in such a spacious house at such a young age. When we were young, we couldn't even imagine that." The neighbor was telling the truth, but it sounded a little sour.
"Yes, thanks to my good grandfather and father, I will respect them well in the future. Then aunt, I'm in a hurry to send my husband to work, so let's not talk for now." Xie Jinxuan smiled lightly, rode a bicycle and took Xia Qingtang out.
Xia Qingtang waited until the car reached the main road before saying, "It's not easy for you either. People like you, even if you achieve something in the future, people will say that you benefited from your ancestors' success."
Xie Jinxuan said: "It is true that I benefited from the good fortune. Take the furniture making for example. Because of my grandfather, even the furniture was made more carefully. I did benefit from the good fortune. What they said was not wrong."
"I am grateful to you." Xia Qingtang said, "But life like this is indeed much better. Now when I think about the little shack I lived in before, it just seems fake."
When they arrived at the entrance of the cotton mill, Xie Jinxuan whispered, "If you feel unwell halfway through work today, don't force yourself and ask for leave to go back and rest."
"Okay, I'll remember it, don't worry about it." Xia Qingtang smiled and squeezed his big hand, then turned and walked into the factory.
Facts proved that Xie Jinxuan's worries were in vain. There was no serious work to be done in the union today. Everyone just drank tea, read newspapers and chatted all day. After a day's work, no one felt tired at all.
Xia Qingtang locked the office door and walked out with Feng Xinhui.
Walking to the cafeteria, Feng Xinhui said, "I'm going to buy some steamed buns to bring back for dinner. Xiaoxia, you go back first."
"Okay, then I'll go first. Goodbye, Director Feng." Xia Qingtang turned a corner with his bag and continued walking out.
There happened to be a bush in front of her. Just as Xia Qingtang walked over, a man rushed out from inside and almost bumped into her.
"Secretary Wu, please walk carefully." Xia Qingtang said lightly.
She had sharp eyes and noticed at a glance that Wu Jinfeng's eyes were red and there were traces of tears under her eyes.
Wu Jinfeng bumped into Xia Qingtang and quickly wiped her face and started to speak harshly: "You should be more careful when you walk! Let me tell you, my clothes and shoes are very expensive. If you damage them, you can't afford to pay for it!"
Xia Qingtang smiled and said, "It doesn't matter if I can't afford it, as long as my wife can. If my wife can't afford it either, that's fine, because there are still my wife's parents and grandparents."
As expected, Wu Jinfeng was choked by her words. She stared at him with her red eyes, looking like a wild beast wanting to eat someone.
Xia Qingtang thought Wu Jinfeng would curse at him, but surprisingly, she said nothing. She just gave him a murderous look, stomped her feet and left.
After Wu Jinfeng walked away, Xia Qingtang looked behind the bushes and deliberately said, "I saw you, don't hide."
Sure enough, a familiar voice came from behind the bushes, and Xia Qinghai walked out with a nonchalant look on his face: "Why should I hide in front of you? Didn't you guess it a long time ago?"
"What did you guess?" Xia Qingtang also played dumb.
"Are you still playing dumb with me? When you came home that day, didn't you deliberately want to see if she was there?" Xia Qinghai said, "But I am a little curious, how did you guess that she was at our house?"
"Do you even need to guess? People who know you will know it without guessing. Who are you? You are the kind of person who waits and schemes for opportunities. The fact that you can give up Ji Fangfang, that good girl, means you must have found a better substitute. You stay in the factory to work every day, so where else can you find a better substitute? Looking around the whole factory, who else could it be except her? She is angry and doesn't go home for the New Year. For you, this is a godsend opportunity. How could you not seize it?" Xia Qingtang said slowly.
Xia Qinghai showed a slightly surprised look: "Xia Qingtang, you are indeed a smart person. You must have been pretending when you looked silly before."
Xia Qingtang was indeed stupid before, but she did not refute Xia Qinghai's words. She only said: "What are you two doing hiding here? She has lived in your house for a whole month. It is impossible that you haven't taken her down yet."
"Nothing, just a little conflict. She grew up in a cadre family and has a bad temper. Logically, I should be more tolerant of her, but sometimes it's too hard for me to coax her and I don't want to coax her anymore, so she gets even angrier." Xia Qinghai said, "Don't worry about me. I'm definitely going to be the son-in-law of the Wu family."
"I've never been worried about you." Xia Qingtang showed a disgusted expression, then strode forward.
"Qingtang, don't tell anyone about this." Xia Qinghai grabbed her sleeve and whispered in a threatening tone, "I don't want others to know about this before I succeed. I will tell anyone after I register my marriage with her. You are my sister, please don't betray your brother."
"I won't tell you." Xia Qingtang said, "I won't mind your business."
"That's good. If you keep it a secret for me, I will keep it a secret for you, too. You know, when grandma and her family came over on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, my uncle asked about you. He thought you wouldn't marry an ordinary person, so he planned to go to the province and find a few more people to ask about Xiao Xie's situation. At that time, I persuaded him not to meddle in your affairs. Tell me, should you thank me?"
Xia Qingtang pulled back his sleeve expressionlessly, said nothing, and walked away.
When they took the bus back to Central Road, Xia Qingtang didn't see Xie Jinxuan pushing the cart on the side of the road when they got off the bus. He knew that he must be working overtime, so he went to his office to check first.
Sure enough, the lights were on in their office, and several people were working overtime. Xie Jinxuan stood in the corridor and whispered, "I won't be home until very late today. You can go to grandma's house to eat, and you don't have to wait for me to go to bed."
"I'm not going to my grandma's house for dinner. They sent so many dishes over yesterday, so I can just cook for myself." Xia Qingtang said with a smile, "Do you want me to make you some midnight snack?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
