Chapter 56
Xie Jinyun glared at his brother with an unhappy look on his face: "What time is it? I usually go to bed at nine and won't be late. Brother, don't you want my sister-in-law to talk to me?"
Xie Jinxuan said, "If it were another time, you could talk to your sister-in-law as long as you want, but not today. It's already very late. I have to take your sister-in-law back to rest."
"Why not today? We're talking about something interesting! It won't waste time chatting for another hour." Xie Jinyun felt aggrieved.
Grandma couldn't help but smile and said, "Your brother will be traveling with his boss tomorrow. He won't be able to see your sister-in-law for several days. They must want to talk alone tonight. Just pity your brother and let them go back to rest."
Xie Jinyun then said, "Okay, okay, then sister-in-law, when can we talk about this again? I still have a lot to want to know."
Xia Qingtang said: "I don't know much, that's about it. If I remember anything else, I'll tell you then."
"Okay..." Xie Jinyun stood up, looking even more aggrieved, "You guys go back, I'll go upstairs to wash my feet too."
The whole family laughed. Xie's mother said, "Jinxuan, when you are not busy, take Xiaoyun out to play. He told me last time that he hasn't played with him since his brother got married. If you really don't have time, you can also take him to play ball in the courtyard or something. This child has always been very attached to you."
"I understand. When I come back from my business trip, I will play ball and chess with him." Xie Jinxuan said, "Then we will go back. I will not be home for the next few days. Grandma, please help me take care of Qingtang."
"Don't worry, I will take good care of Qingtang." Grandma smiled and said, "It would be even better if Qingtang is willing to come back and stay for a few days."
Xia Qingtang said: "Maybe I will be scared when I'm alone tomorrow night. If I'm scared, I will go home immediately."
Amid laughter, the two young men slowly rode home carrying the local specialties brought back by Xie's mother.
Although it is a women's bicycle, it can still carry an adult, so it is very practical.
When they got home, Xie Jinxuan parked the women's bicycle in the corridor and said, "You have only learned half of it today. I will teach you completely when I come back."
"It doesn't matter. I can ride this bike with both feet on the ground. I can learn by myself when you are not at home. After all, riding a bike is all about balance. Once you find the balance, you can ride it." Xia Qingtang didn't care.
"What if he falls?" Xie Jinxuan was still very worried.
"I'm still wearing a cotton coat, so I'm not afraid." Xia Qingtang changed the subject and said, "Let's not talk about this for now. Have you asked for help in learning foreign languages?"
The two walked into the house and turned on the light. Xie Jinxuan said as she changed her slippers, "I found out. The teacher who taught me Russian before, Mr. Guan, has a sister who can speak English. Both of them are working at the provincial capital university now. They were originally going to be foreign language teachers, but Mr. Guan's sister ruined her health on the farm and can't stand for long periods of time. She is still looking for a doctor for treatment, so the university arranged for her to work in the office first. I rode my bike to find Mr. Guan at noon. He said his sister's English is very good, her current job is not busy, and she gets off work on time every day. She should be willing to teach you English."
"You said her health is not very good. Can she have the energy to teach English in her spare time?" Xia Qingtang was a little worried.
"That's what I asked, but Teacher Guan said that if he sat down to teach a female student one-on-one, it shouldn't take much energy. His sister likes teaching and will definitely be able to handle it. Unfortunately, I have to go on a business trip tomorrow, so I can only ask about the specific situation there after I come back."
Xia Qingtang said: "Can I go and ask myself? I also want to see the teacher in person before making a decision."
Learning is actually a two-way choice. Xia Qingtang is an adult. If he doesn't get along with the teacher, he will be in a bad mood when studying, which will delay things.
Besides, Xie Jinxuan is not at home, so she can just use this time to find something to do. Besides, now that she has a bicycle, it is very convenient to ride it to anywhere.
Xie Jinxuan was stunned for a moment, and after thinking for a while, he said, "Then I'll write down Teacher Guan's name and address for you. If you want to go, just go find him directly. He lives with his sister. If you go there after work, you should be able to see the brother and sister. When you go there, tell me my name. Teacher Guan is very familiar with me. Show him the note I wrote, and he will recognize my handwriting."
"Okay, then please write down the address for me. If I have time, I will go to find them." Xia Qingtang leaned over and kissed him, then hurried to the kitchen to boil water.
Xie Jinxuan will be going on a business trip tomorrow. After washing up, the two young people expressed their reluctance to leave each other with their bodies in the bedroom. However, no matter how reluctant they are, work is the most important thing. Xia Qingtang said, "It's good this way. A short separation is better than a new marriage. When you come back after a few days away, our relationship will be even better."
Xie Jinxuan said: "But we are newlyweds anyway."
This sentence made both of them laugh. Xia Qingtang said, "That's true, but it can't stop you from going on a business trip."
"Fortunately, our office takes turns on business trips. I'm accompanying my boss on a business trip now, so I'll probably just be in the city in March. The next business trip will probably be in April."
"That would be great. The weather will be a little warmer in March, and we can ride our bikes around."
"Okay, actually, if you ride a little further west, there's a large area with pretty nice scenery."
The two of them snuggled together and chatted for a while, and Xia Qingtang slowly fell asleep.
After each intimate moment, she could fall asleep easily. When Xie Jinxuan saw that her eyes were closed, she gently turned off the lights and fell asleep while holding her.
After breakfast the next morning, Xie Jinxuan rode her bike to take Xia Qingtang to the cotton mill as usual.
This time they are going on a business trip by car, so they can just meet at the office during working hours and there will be a driver waiting there.
Xie Jinxuan packed her luggage bag when she went out. After she arrived at the office, she locked her bike and could go on the business trip directly. When she came back to the office, she would report her work and then ride home.
"Just work hard when you go out and don't worry about me. I can take care of myself." Xia Qingtang gave him a quick hug, then quickly separated, using only her eyes to express her reluctance to leave.
Xie Jinxuan looked at her gently: "I know, don't worry about me, I will take good care of myself outside."
"Then go quickly."
Xia Qingtang waved his hand, and Xie Jinxuan got on his bike and left. Xia Qingtang stood there watching his bike slowly go away, then he sighed and turned to walk into the factory gate.
It is easier said than done. They had just separated and Xia Qingtang already started to miss Xie Jinxuan. This was the first time for her to feel this way. She had never missed anyone like this before.
The guard smiled and said, "Secretary Xia is indeed a young man, he is inseparable from his lover on the road early in the morning."
"Yes, we have a good relationship." Xia Qingtang said confidently as he strode in.
Hugging your lover is not a big deal. In a few years, there will be young people kissing each other directly on the street. Wouldn’t the security guard be scared to death?
When he arrived at the office, Xia Qingtang fetched some hot water as usual, wiped his desk and sat down.
You don't have to clean the office every day, once every one or two days will be enough.
Today's work content is relatively simple. The first thing is to deal with the warehouse issue.
Xia Qingtang and Wu Feng found a suitable time to go to the warehouse, asked all the employees who had not been asked yesterday, and then took careful notes.
Xia Daming was also here today. After Xia Qingtang finished asking about the content of the work, he quickly called her over and wanted to talk to her about some private matters.
Wu Feng took the initiative to walk away so as not to disturb their conversation.
"Qingtang, I didn't let your mother give away the gifts you brought as New Year's greetings last time, and I kept the liquor. When you and your son-in-law want to come home for dinner later, I'll take it out and we can drink together." Xia Daming said hesitantly.
"Don't leave it for us, we won't go back for dinner."
"That's not necessarily the case. What if you come to your senses?"
Xia Qingtang laughed: "Has your lover come to terms with it?"
Xia Daming sighed, and Xia Qingtang said, "I heard that you have a lot of night shifts this year. Pay more attention to protecting your back when you work. Don't wait until you can't move before going to the hospital."
"Don't worry, I'm in good health recently and don't have any problems. A few new young people have come to the warehouse, and it's indeed much more relaxed. Everyone is saying that it's all thanks to the article you wrote that was seen by the leader." Xia Daming said.
"Is there anything else? I still have to continue working." Xia Qingtang said lightly.
"That's all. Just work hard and I won't bother you anymore." After saying this, Xia Daming went back with a smile.
Xia Qingtang walked to Wu Feng's side and said, "Okay, Comrade Xia Daming is the last one, there shouldn't be anyone left out."
"It's OK now. Except for Liu Jun, no one else has any objection to the new rules for warehouse managers. In fact, everyone supports it." Wu Feng said, "I wonder what else Liu Jun can say?"
"Yes, I sorted out everyone's names and opinions, divided them into anonymous version and registered version, and then gave them to Chairman Qin for review." Xia Qingtang said.
Wu Feng laughed and said, "Then I'll leave it to you. Fortunately, you are here. It really makes the work much easier."
"I'm a newcomer, this is what I should do."
"It would be great if Liu Jun understood this. He obviously doesn't like the warehouse work, but now he picks out so many things, as if there is something wrong with the warehouse rules."
Back in the office, Xia Qingtang sorted out the opinions of all the warehouse porters, and then copied an anonymous version. After showing it to Wu Feng, the two went to Chairman Qin's office.
Chairman Qin flipped through it and said, "Since everyone except Liu Jun agrees with the new warehouse regulations, there is no problem. You can go directly to Liu Jun and tell him that the union's decision is to respect the opinions of all other employees and follow the warehouse director's decision. If he is still dissatisfied, then we can only ask him to change his job."
"Okay, he is on the afternoon shift today, I will go to see him in the afternoon." Wu Feng happily returned to the office with Xia Qingtang.
But Liu Jun was obviously much more proactive than them. Before they could find him, he came to the union again. Moreover, he did not go to the big office, but went directly to Chairman Qin's small office and asked to arrange three to five night shifts for the newcomer every month.
Chairman Qin called Wu Feng and Xia Qingtang over and showed Liu Jun the anonymous version of the opinions they had compiled.
"Xiao Liu, you can take a good look at this. This is the opinion of all the employees in your warehouse. It is obvious that no matter whether they are new or old employees, everyone agrees with the director's decision and is willing to obey the assignment." Chairman Qin said slowly: "These are all the results of our union employees' questioning one by one. They are all true and valid. There is no fraud."
Liu Jun frowned as he read through all the opinions. He looked up and said, "There are no names on it. How can you prove that it wasn't made up by the workers in your union? The new employees who came into the factory with me were obviously dissatisfied with this arrangement. How could everyone say they agreed with the director's idea?"
"We also have a version with your name on it, but we won't show it to you casually. If you really want to see it, then bring your warehouse leader, your father, and the new employee you mentioned who is dissatisfied with you. We will ask the factory office to help supervise and ask the deputy factory director to come and solve this matter together. As long as you can bring other employees who agree with you, we will definitely help you solve this matter."
"They must be afraid of being fired, so they don't dare to tell the truth! Who would like to work the night shift? This survey and summary of yours is simply a lie!"
Chairman Qin said: "But these opinions are real. Secretary Wu and Secretary Xia personally asked and took notes. There is evidence. You are a member of the collective, and the minority must obey the majority, especially when you are the only one in the minority. If you are not satisfied with the rules, all you can do is to leave on your own initiative. Our union believes that the warehouse leaders have made normal coordination and arrangements, and they meet the needs of the vast majority of people, so we will not change this matter."
Liu Jun's expression looked very ugly. He clenched his teeth tightly, and breathed out loudly through his nostrils. He looked very angry.
The office was quiet, no one spoke, and only his heavy breathing could be heard.
After a long while, Liu Jun said, "Isn't this bullying? Just because I'm young and new, do I have to obey such rules? Why? I just can't do it. Do you know how hard it is to be a warehouse porter? Why do you only take care of middle-aged people?"
As he spoke, his eyes became red, and it was obvious that he was really angry and aggrieved.
He was actually not thin, and he was not short, nor did he have a small frame. If he really had to do physical work, he could still do it. Besides, he was a person who returned from the countryside. Generally speaking, people who have farmed in the countryside for a few years will become stronger.
But Xia Qingtang's previous observation was correct. He didn't look dark at all, and his hands were not like those of Xia Qinghai and Luo Xiangqian. There were almost no calluses or cracks on his hands, and it was obvious that he had never done any heavy farm work, so the job of a porter was probably too hard for him.
Chairman Qin said, "If you can't continue, it's because your physical condition doesn't allow it. You can go to the factory director and apply for a transfer to a position you can continue to work in, but the warehouse can't change the original regulations just because of your needs. You have to know that this job is not easy to come by. There are so many male educated youth in your batch who competed for this position, but in the end only a few of you succeeded in getting into the factory. I know that young people must have their own ideas, but no matter what ideas they have, it is important to cherish your current job. There are still so many people who don't have job opportunities. Think about them and grit your teeth and persevere."
Liu Jun didn't say anything this time. He just stood there with his teeth gritted and his neck stiff.
Chairman Qin said: "If you have nothing else, please go back to the warehouse and work. We have to continue working."
Liu Jun wiped his eyes with the back of his hand, turned around and ran out.
After he left, Chairman Qin shook his head and said, "How could Accountant Liu's son be like this? How could a young man not be able to endure any hardship? If you really can't handle being a porter, then go back to the countryside and give this position to someone who can do it."
Wu Feng said: "Yes, I have been working in the trade union for so many years, but this is the first time I have met such a young person, and the first time I have encountered such a thing. When we first started working, who didn't look forward to doing more work every day? How could someone just want to be lazy?"
"Times have changed. I hope Liu Jun can think this through and work hard in the future so that he won't make mistakes again." Chairman Qin said, "You two handled the situation well this time. Xiao Xia should have also accumulated relevant experience. That's good."
"It's all thanks to Secretary Wu's good teaching. In the future, I will also learn well from Chairman Qin and several old colleagues, and strive to be able to stand on my own as soon as possible." Xia Qingtang said sincerely.
Chairman Qin smiled and said, "Xiao Xia, you seem to be younger than Liu Jun. Look at you, you are so smart and capable. It's true that you can't compare yourself to others."
Wu Feng said: "If Xiao Xia couldn't do it, you wouldn't have booked her in advance."
"That's true."
Everyone laughed for a while and then returned to their posts to continue working.
Xia Qingtang worked diligently all day and got on the bus after work. When she was almost at the stop, she realized that no one would come to pick her up today, and Xie Jinxuan would not be home at night.
I don’t know how Xie Jinxuan and the others are doing now. Judging from the time, they should have arrived at the county where they were going on a business trip a long time ago. I guess they are still working now.
Arriving at Zhongxin Road, Xia Qingtang followed a few passengers and slowly got off the bus. Before she could stand still, she heard her grandmother's excited voice: "Qingtang, Qingtang!"
Xia Qingtang was stunned and saw his grandmother and Sixth Aunt standing on the side of the road. They were both waving at him and looked very happy.
"Grandma, Sixth Aunt, why are you here?" Xia Qingtang hurried over.
"Xiao Liu and I went to a relative's house to get something. When we came back, we found that it was almost time. You should be back too. We stood here and waited for a while. It's just right for us to go home together." Grandma took Xia Qingtang's arm and said with a smile, "Jinxuan is not at home. Come on, you and grandma will go home for dinner."
"Well... okay, let's go to my house for dinner today." Xia Qingtang said with a smile, "What delicious food will Sixth Aunt make tonight? I'll help you."
"We got a big bag of red dates and walnuts from someone else's house today. I plan to make red date and walnut steamed buns tonight. What do you think?"
"Okay, how do I do it? Aunt Six, teach me."
Aunt Liu said: "It's very simple. Just remove the core of the red dates, chop them together with the walnut kernels, mix them with the white flour, and then steam them normally."
"Is it too late to knead the dough and let it rise now?" Xia Qingtang asked.
"I put the dough in a bowl before we left. Now we can make steamed buns directly when we get home."
The few of them were talking as they walked, and when they arrived at the compound, they happened to run into Du Cheng again. There were obvious bruises on his face, as if he had been beaten.
Seeing Xia Qingtang from afar, Du Cheng ran away to the other side immediately like a mouse seeing a cat.
Grandma whispered, "This child from the Du family is really unruly. Old Yu told me about what happened yesterday. He was rude to you, wasn't he?"
"He just didn't speak properly. I was afraid that Jinxuan would hurt him, so I taught him a lesson myself." Xia Qingtang said, "There are bruises all over his face. Was he beaten by his family?"
"Yes, many people went to tell his parents yesterday. He must have been beaten up when he got home. I remember that Du Cheng was very well-behaved when he was little, but now that he has grown up, he has become a person like this."
Aunt Six said, "It's easy to learn bad things when you grow up. How many people are like our Jinxuan, who has been a good child since childhood?"
Grandma nodded proudly: "Of course not, our Jinxuan has always been our pride."
After returning home, Aunt Liu washed her hands and went to see the dough she had risen before going out. Seeing that it had risen very well, she quickly took out the red dates and walnuts to prepare.
Xia Qingtang also washed her hands and went to help Aunt Liu. She had never made such steamed buns before. In fact, the operation was relatively simple. Aunt Liu also added some sugar water to the dough, so that the steamed buns would be sweet and everyone from adults to children would like to eat them.
After putting the steamed buns on the stove outside to slowly steam them, Aunt Liu started to prepare a side dish and a pot of soup.
Because white flour steamed buns are already a very good meal, we eat the cheapest and simplest stir-fried vegetables as the side dish, and the soup is the simplest seaweed and shrimp soup, which is simple and delicious.
At around six o'clock, the few people who had returned gathered around the dining table and started eating.
The red date and walnut steamed bun was really delicious. You could taste the chopped red dates and walnuts in every bite. Plus, the steamed bun and red dates were sweet, so it was like eating dessert. Everyone ate several.
Xie Jinyun even asked: "Can I have some left tomorrow morning?"
"Of course you can. I cook so much just to have breakfast tomorrow." Aunt Six smiled and said, "You just love sweets. You feel happy every time you eat something sweet."
"Because it's so rare to have the chance to eat such sweets." Xie Jinyun said.
Grandma said, "How is it so rare? We have all kinds of snacks and cookies every week, and you can eat canned sugar water every month. How is it so rare?"
"The taste of those things is different from this steamed bun. I think steamed buns are more delicious." Xie Jinyun said: "Last time, Luo Changjiang's mother made brown sugar steamed cakes, which were also delicious and very fragrant."
Xie's mother said: "Maybe it's because the steamed buns and steamed cakes are both hot, so they taste better."
Xia Qingtang said: "I can make steamed cakes, how about I make it for you next time?"
Before Xie Jinyun could say anything, Xie's mother said, "Qingtang, you don't have to bother with these kids. The food in our house is already very good. In the countryside, you can barely eat sweets all year round. He's the only one who's trying to get better food. Don't bother with him."
Xia Qingtang smiled and nodded: "Okay, then I'll listen to mom."
Xie Jinyun was indeed disappointed. When they were cleaning up the dishes, Xia Qingtang whispered to him, "It's okay. I'll make you steamed cakes next time. I'll make them secretly and you can come to our house to eat."
Xie Jinyun's eyes lit up and she jumped up immediately: "Then we have a deal!"
"Yes, it's settled."
After cleaning up the kitchen, Xia Qingtang was called by her grandmother to listen to the radio. After listening for a while, seeing that it was getting late, Xia Qingtang prepared to go back.
"You really don't live at home? The upstairs is clean. Xiaoliu cleans it every day."
Xia Qingtang said: "I will come back to stay tomorrow night. I didn't bring my things today."
"Okay then." Grandma shouted, "Xiao Yun, send your sister-in-law back."
Xie Jinyun dropped his pencil, put on his coat and ran out to see Xia Qingtang off.
Xia Qingtang found it a little funny. Why would she, an adult, need a child to take her there?
But Xie Jinyun was very serious. The young boy's face was full of due diligence and seriousness, so she followed him carefully and slowly walked towards the small courtyard.
Before we got halfway there, all the street lights went out.
"The power is out again. Luckily I was prepared. I brought matches." Xie Jinyun proudly took out a pack of matches from his pocket.
Xia Qingtang smiled and said, "It's okay, you can see it, the moon is big today."
With the help of moonlight, the two of them walked into the small courtyard. Xie Jinyun turned around to leave, but Xia Qingtang stopped her: "Don't run. I'll give you a flashlight."
She lit a match and took out a candle from the house, then found a flashlight and handed it to Xie Jinyun: "Be careful on the way back."
"Don't worry, I'll walk slowly, not run." Xie Jinyun turned around and ran away with the flashlight.
Xia Qingtang locked the yard gate, went back into the house, closed the main door, and inserted the bolt installed by Xie Jinxuan.
When he was at home, the bolt was almost never locked, but when Xie Jinxuan was not at home, Xia Qingtang would definitely lock it.
Because of the power outage, Xia Qingtang went back to the bedroom after washing up, listened to the radio for a while, and went to bed early.
It was a quiet night. Because of the power outage, the neighbors all went to bed early, and Xia Qingtang didn't even have a dream.
When he woke up, Xia Qingtang rolled to the side out of habit, then he remembered that Xie Jinxuan was not at home.
She had no choice but to sit up and try the light switch, but sure enough, there was no electricity.
It is very normal to have a power outage at this time. Generally speaking, priority will be given to ensuring electricity supply to factories, and other places will be shut down if necessary. Fortunately, apart from lights, most households do not have much need for electricity at this time, so everyone can live normally without electricity.
After fumbling to put on his clothes and getting out of bed, Xia Qingtang opened the curtains. It was still dark outside and it looked like the sky would be sunny.
Breakfast consisted of the red date and walnut steamed buns brought back last night. Sixth Aunt packed several for Xia Qingtang. She certainly couldn’t finish them this morning, so she planned to continue eating when she came back in the evening.
After making a cup of milk powder, Xia Qingtang slowly enjoyed his breakfast while listening to the news. It was not yet half past six when he finished eating. It was too early to go to work now.
Xia Qingtang thought about it and simply took out the note that Xie Jinxuan had written to her. Then she put on her clothes, put on a scarf, and went out with two bags of snacks.
The teacher Guan and his sister that Xie Jinxuan mentioned live in the provincial capital university, which is not far from here. It only takes about ten minutes to ride a bike there. She can take this time to go and take a look, and she will still have enough time to go to work afterwards.
Of course, she was able to make it in time because she now has a women's bicycle and can ride it wherever she wants.
Xia Qingtang pushed her ladies' bicycle out of the yard and was about to lock the door when her neighbor next door happened to be carrying a small pot to the canteen. Seeing her, she said in surprise: "Xiao Xia, do you know how to ride already? I saw you learning to ride the other day."
"I've almost learned it. Riding a bicycle is not difficult." Xia Qingtang said with a smile.
"Then it's okay for you to ride your bike like this..."
"It should be fine. I'll practice riding my bike first while it's still early. If I can't ride it, I won't ride this anymore."
"Then you better be careful." The neighbor carried the pot and walked towards the canteen.
Xia Qingtang locked the yard door, then sat on the bicycle, pedaled and rode out.
After all, she hadn't ridden a bike for a long time, so she rode crookedly at the beginning, but by the time she reached the main road in the compound, the bike was much more stable.
Xia Qingtang didn't speed up, and rode out of the compound steadily at this speed.
It's still early, but there are quite a few people on the road, people working early, people going back from buying groceries... it seems very lively.
There were quite a few people riding bicycles, but not many were riding women's bicycles. Plus, she was a very beautiful lesbian, so many people would look at her.
Xia Qingtang was still relatively calm. It took her more than ten minutes to ride to the provincial university, and then she found Teacher Guan's home according to the address written by Xie Jinxuan.
The residential area of the Provincial University is just behind the teaching area. Xia Qingtang had been here before, so he came in directly from the door of the residential area.
According to Xie Jinxuan, Mr. Guan's family are all intellectuals, and his parents used to be teachers at the provincial university. But because of previous events, the whole family suffered. His parents couldn't stand it and passed away a few years ago, leaving only him and his sister at home.
The two of them came back from different farms. Teacher Guan was a man, and with the secret support of Xie Jinxuan, he was able to make it. But his sister was not so lucky. Her health was broken and it was unknown when she would be able to recover.
After returning to the city, life was not so hard anymore, and the house where the family used to live was returned to them.
When Xia Qingtang walked to the housekeeper's door, he saw a middle-aged man with graying temples cooking breakfast in the corridor. He was using a coal stove with a pot on top. He was probably cooking some soup in it. He was stirring it slowly with a large spoon.
Xie Jinxuan said that Teacher Guan was less than 35 years old, but the man in front of her had gray hair and looked weather-beaten. He didn't look like a man in his thirties at all.
Xia Qingtang hesitated for a moment and asked softly, "Hello, is this Teacher Guan's home?"
The middle-aged man turned around and looked over: "Yes, this is Teacher Guan's home, you are..."
"Hello, Teacher Guan. I'm Xie Jinxuan's lover, Xia Qingtang. He should have told you that I want to find an English teacher." Xia Qingtang quickly parked his bicycle and walked over.
Teacher Guan laughed: "Ah, it's you. Xiao Xie did tell me that, but why did you come here alone? Where's Xiao Xie?"
"He's on a business trip and won't be back for several days. I thought it was still early this morning, so I wanted to come over and ask." Xia Qingtang said, "Am I disturbing you?"
"Don't bother me, don't bother me. What are you talking about? How can it be bothering me? You don't know how much help Xiao Xie has given me over the years! If it weren't for him, I would have starved to death!" Teacher Guan smiled.
Xie Jinxuan also told Xia Qingtang about these things. He had learned foreign languages with Teacher Guan when he was a child. At that time, Teacher Guan was still very young. In addition to teaching him foreign languages, he also took him out to play.
Later, Teacher Guan went to the farm and his parents were gone. Although Xie Jinxuan was still very old, she would always ask for her parents' consent and send some coarse grains to Teacher Guan.
Even when he later joined the army and it was inconvenient for him to send food himself, he would ask his grandmother to send it for him. So Teacher Guan was right. If Xie Jinxuan hadn't been helping him all the time, he might really have starved to death.
"Come in quickly and sit down. My sister is reading a book inside." Teacher Guan said as he led Xia Qingtang inside.
The house is not small. The doors are all open and you can see the living room, two bedrooms, a small study, and its own toilet. I just don't know why there is no kitchen. No wonder Teacher Guan cooks in the corridor.
Although the house is not small, the furniture inside is not complete. There is no sofa like in ordinary homes, nor those tall and short cabinets. The living room only has a very old octagonal table and a round table with table legs padded. The chairs and stools are not a set. They are tall and short, and of various colors. They look like they were picked up at random.
Sitting behind the round table was a woman in her thirties with short hair, a very thin oval face, sallow skin and bloodless lips. One could tell at a glance that she was not in good health.
But she has delicate features and a good temperament. Once her health recovers, she will definitely look good.
"Chenxiang, there are guests at home! This is Xiao Xie's lover, Xia Qingtang!" Teacher Guan said happily: "I told you that Xiao Xia wanted to learn English. Didn't you say you were willing to teach?"
Xia Qingtang quickly greeted him: "Hello, Teacher Guan."
The female comrade smiled and said, "You can call me brother as Teacher Guan, and you can call me Teacher Guan as well. Then we can't tell them apart. My name is Guan Chenxiang, so you can just call me by my name."
"How can that be? I'll call you Teacher Chenxiang, so we can tell each other apart." Xia Qingtang said.
Teacher Guan said, "My name is Guan Cassiae, the Cassiae in Cassia seeds, it's easy to remember. Hey, Xiaoxia, please come and sit down. I'll make you some tea. I happened to have boiled water this morning."
Xia Qingtang said quickly, "Teacher Guan, you don't have to worry. I had breakfast and drank enough water before going out this morning. Go and make breakfast and don't worry about me. Oh, by the way, this is a little snack. I don't know if it suits your appetite."
As he spoke, Xia Qingtang placed two bags of snacks on the eight-immortals table.
Guan Chenxiang said: "You are thoughtful and brought some snacks. I really like sweets."
"Then Teacher Chenxiang, please eat more. I will bring you more after you finish eating. Snacks like these will not give you heartburn and are easy to digest." Xia Qingtang said.
"Did Xiao Xie tell you that I'm not in good health?" Guan Chenxiang said, "Actually, my health isn't that bad. I just injured my leg over there and delayed treatment, so now I can only walk slowly and can't stand for long periods of time. There's nothing wrong with the rest of my body."
Xia Qingtang immediately asked: "Now that you are back, can you find a doctor to treat your leg?"
"I saw a doctor, and he said it was difficult to cure. Someone recommended that I see a Chinese medicine doctor, but now I don't know who to see. But don't worry, take your time. Now that we're back, everything will be fine." Guan Chenxiang smiled.
It was obvious that she had suffered a lot, but there was not a trace of hostility in her. Instead, her eyes were calm, her expression was gentle, and she had a calm sense of knowing her destiny.
"Yes, that's what I said. Now we both have jobs, so we can slowly heal our health problems." Guan Jueming brought a cup of hot tea over, "Xiao Xia, drink your tea. I'll go check on Xi Fan. Talk to Chen Xiang about how you want to learn. Chen Xiang used to be an English teacher, so just ask her."
Guan Jueming went out to continue stirring his porridge. Inside the room, Guan Chenxiang looked at Xia Qingtang and said, "Do you need to use English in your work?"
"No, but I want to learn it because I think English will be needed in the future society."
"Like when will it be needed?"
"For example, if I want to do business with foreigners." Xia Qingtang said generously.
Guan Chenxiang was slightly startled, her eyes flickered for a moment, and then she laughed. She said, "Isn't your idea too bold? You won't need it at work, aren't you afraid that others will sue you?"
"No, the news said it. With the reform and opening up, we will definitely do business with foreigners in the future. College students are all learning this now, and I also want to learn a little. Even if I can't use it in the future, I can teach it to my children." Xia Qingtang said with a smile.
"That's very good. I'll teach you." Guan Chenxiang said, "Have you learned it before?"
"I only know the simplest hello, thank you and my name." Xia Qingtang told the truth. She learned all this from the teachers in the community. Apart from these, she knew nothing else.
"That means you're starting from scratch. How far do you plan to go?"
Xia Qingtang said: "I want to be able to communicate with foreigners at a basic level, without having to learn anything too profound."
"Oh, I see. It's mainly about oral communication and is more practical. Well, then... when is it convenient for you to attend the class? Do you have time to study?"
"I have time to study. I get off work at five o'clock every day and have a day off on Sundays. If it's convenient for you, teacher, I can come over during these times."
Guan Chenxiang said: "In addition to the class time, I will also assign you homework. You must ensure that you have time to do your homework and study on your own when you go back. Can you do this? After all, you are a married person, and Xiao Xie is still a big family, so you must consider it carefully."
Xia Qingtang said: "I thought about it before I came here. I may not be able to study every day, but I should be able to guarantee three or four days of study time a week."
"Okay, then I'll make some preparations based on your situation. Can you come over after get off work today? Strike while the iron is hot."
Xia Qingtang was very happy: "Of course, I will come over after get off work, thank you Teacher Chenxiang."
"You're welcome. This is what I should do. Your love has helped us so much. My brother and I didn't starve to death because of him."
Xia Qingtang was also quite saddened when he heard this, and at the same time he realized once again that Xie Jinxuan was really a good person and had made good connections in many places.
After making an appointment with Guan Chenxiang and saying goodbye to the two siblings, Xia Qingtang happily left on his bike.
She went through the university because if she went out from the main gate and then rode south for twenty minutes, she would reach the cotton mill, which was more convenient than going out from the side door.
There are already quite a few students in the provincial university, all of whom have passed the two college entrance examinations. There is a big age gap between them. When she sees those people reading books under the trees, she can't really tell who is the teacher and who is the student.
There were also many people walking towards the cafeteria with lunch boxes or large enamel pots.
Xia Qingtang rode her bike towards the road next to the cafeteria. Because there were many pedestrians on the road, she rode slowly.
Just as she turned the corner, she heard someone calling her name: "Xia Qingtang! Xia Qingtang!"
She was slightly stunned, then quickly stopped the car, put her right foot on the ground and looked around.
"Xia Qingtang! It's you!" A young man jumped in front of her with great surprise. "I saw you just now, but I didn't dare to recognize you. I didn't expect it was really you!"
"Ah, you are Gu Xing'an, why are you here? Have you returned to the city?" Xia Qingtang was very surprised, because this young man was her former classmate. She remembered that this person also went to the countryside to join the team. She didn't expect to meet him here.
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