"You said that the time you came was both coincidental and unfortunate. It was almost time for dinner, so I didn't have time to show you around the house. I didn't think that Dashan would go home with you to see the kids today...
How about you take a look around now? Auntie is busy cooking and can't take time to show you around. You don't have to be shy. This is your home from now on, so feel free to walk around."
Shen Huanxi shook her head. Of course she wanted to see the living environment in Chang'an and Changning in the future, but she couldn't just run away halfway through helping.
"Auntie, let me help you deal with this chicken first."
"Okay, okay, I'm really stupid. What nonsense are you talking about? There's no reason for you to get familiar with our home by yourself. But you can sit here and take a look. If you want to know anything, you can ask me, about our home, about the mountains, about anything."
"Yeah." Shen Huanxi nodded.
In fact, there was nothing to ask. Matchmaker Zhou had explained the situation of Xiao Shanhe's family to her very clearly, including the fact that Xiao Shanhe was injured and his former unit had given him a large sum of compensation.
He used the pension to buy two shops. Even if he can't work now, the rent from the two shops is enough to live on.
She was not afraid of being dragged down by Xiao Shanhe; she was more concerned about where to live.
He looked around the Xiao family's courtyard without avoiding Zhang Guifen's gaze.
She had also made it clear to Xiao Shanhe that she married him for Chang'an and Changning, and she didn't need to pretend in front of Zhang Guifen. She just had to be open and honest and let Zhang Guifen know that she was attracted by their family conditions.
Besides, Xiao Shanhe has a disability in both legs. If his family has some industry and he is a city dweller, how can he take advantage of others? She can be justified.
In the 1980s, some city dwellers began to own their own cars, and many newly built houses in the city were no longer surrounded by walls as before, but instead had a large gate that allowed vehicles to enter the yard.
The Xiao family does not have a private car, but the main entrance is a large iron gate with no obstruction to the view.
The yard faces south and has five rooms in the north house, four rooms in the east house and four rooms in the west house, a total of thirteen rooms, all of which are covered with blue bricks. In that era, it could be considered a luxury house.
There is a toilet in the west room near the front door, and a bathroom next to it. Shen Huanxi was very satisfied.
Even in the city at that time, few families had independent bathrooms. The tube-shaped buildings built by the state-owned hardware factory next door as dormitories for employees did not have independent bathrooms. If you wanted to use the toilet, you had to go to the public toilet in the factory.
After being reborn decades ago, Shen Huanxi can adapt to any living conditions, except for the public toilet, for which he is still not used.
Of course, none of these are important compared to having a good living condition in Chang'an and Changning. She only knows now that she is creating a good life for Chang'an and Changning. Life in Chang'an and Changning will definitely not be as miserable as in the previous life.
Zhang Guifen felt relieved when she saw Shen Huanxi looking at her house seriously. She thought Shen Huanxi really wanted to live with her son.
"My two grandchildren are now living in the west room near the door. When Chang'an and Changning come, they can live in another room in the west room. This way, they can live together and it will be easier for them to develop feelings for each other."
"Yeah." Shen Huanxi nodded. Seeing Zhang Guifen thinking so much about Chang'an and Changning, she was also happy.
"Dashan lives in the second room from the left on the north side. The first room is his study, which you have been in. When you come, you can live with Dashan, or you can live in the east room. I also live in the east room near the bathroom. Of course, you can live in the north room. Oh, I won't say too much. There are many empty rooms in the house. Some have kangs and some don't. You can choose for yourself."
"Okay." Shen Huanxi nodded.
Overall, she was quite satisfied with the Xiao family's situation.
After preparing the chicken with Zhang Guifen, the two of them went into the kitchen to cook together.
The kitchen is in the east room.
At that time, even in the cities in the northwest, gas had not yet been used. Those in the cities with better conditions burned coal briquettes, while those with worse conditions still burned firewood.
Shen Huanxi saw that there were a lot of honeycomb coals piled up in the Xiao family's kitchen. The coal used for cooking in the stove was also honeycomb coal. No firewood was seen. No wonder Zhang Guifen said just now that the steamed buns had been served, but she was not seen going into the kitchen to check the fire.
The two of them cooked four dishes together: spicy chicken, braised potatoes, braised beef, and a vegetable soup. In this day and age, many people may not be able to eat so well during the Chinese New Year.
In her previous life, Shen Huanxi had experienced two failed marriages. Both of her in-laws treated her very badly, and she herself didn't have many friends. This was the first time that she felt the attention from someone other than Chang'an and Changning.
Zhang Guifen was quite embarrassed.
"Originally I should have treated you well, and you helped me a lot, but we're a family now, and it wouldn't hurt for you to get used to the kitchen at home, don't you think?"
Shen Huanxi nodded, and then he heard the sound of a car horn outside.
"Who is this? What's the matter? You've been away from the mountains for so long, and I don't know when you'll be back."
Zhang Guifen walked out of the kitchen while talking, and Shen Huanxi followed behind her. They saw that the car had actually stopped in the Xiao family's small courtyard.
A tall and straight man, who was about 1.8 meters tall, was helping Xiao Shanhe out of the car and onto his wheelchair.
Zhang Guifen suddenly came over enthusiastically.
"Hey Jianguo, it's you. Long time no see. How come you are back with Dashan?" He said as he supported Xiao Shanhe.
The young man named "Jianguo" also greeted Zhang Guifen.
"Da Shan asked me to help him with something, and I happened to be on vacation, so I came over, and this is..."
Pan Jianguo was stunned when he saw Shen Huanxi.
Zhang Guifen was busy introducing.
"Hey, what a coincidence today. Huanxi, this is Dashan's best friend from college, Pan Jianguo. Jianguo, this is Xiao Shen who came to have a blind date with Dashan today. Shen Huanxi, they are attracted to each other, and she will be Dashan's wife in the future."
Zhang Guifen said this with a proud look on her face.
Pan Jianguo was still a little stunned. It took him a while to react and go to say hello to Shen Huanxi.
As soon as Xiao Shanhe met him today, he told him about Shen Huanxi. At that time, Xiao Shanhe was talking about her appearance.
Xiao Shanhe seldom compliments people's appearance, and has never complimented a woman's appearance. Pan Jianguo thought that since Xiao Shanhe could compliment someone who was pretty, she must be very beautiful. He could not have imagined that she was so beautiful.
At the same time, Pan Jianguo was also worried about Xiao Shanhe.
Lan Linxiang is also pretty, so she is arrogant and thinks she should marry someone richer than Xiao Shanhe, so she runs away with the nouveau riche. Shen Huanxi is even more handsome, and now he has a disabled leg. Can she really live peacefully with him?
Of course, he couldn't say these words in front of Shen Huanxi and Zhang Guifen.
Xiao Shanhe explained with Zhang Guifen and Shen Huanxi.
"It's at least five or six kilometers to Taolin Village. It's inconvenient for me to sit in a wheelchair, so I asked Jianguo to drive me there. Xiao Shen, do you mind?"
Shen Huanxi shook his head.
"Of course I don't mind."
Transportation was not convenient in those days. In Taolin Village, villagers basically traveled by walking or by ox carts to transport agricultural products.
This time when she came to the city, she took a ride on Uncle Zhang's car, which was the only farm vehicle in the village.
Today, Xiao Shanhe said he wanted to go back to the village to see Chang'an and Changning. She didn't even think about the transportation problem. Unexpectedly, before she realized the problem, Xiao Shanhe had solved it himself.
"Don't just think about how to get back to the village. Have you bought the gifts for Chang'an and Changning?" Zhang Guifen was still concerned about this issue.
Xiao Shanhe nodded.
“I’ve bought it.”
"Then let's eat. Let's eat quickly to avoid getting cold."
As Zhang Guifen spoke, she asked the three of them to go in and eat. Only then did Shen Huanxi realize that Zhang Guifen had cooked so many steamed buns, the staple food. Even with Pan Jianguo coming along unexpectedly, they still couldn't finish them. This shows how much she can eat.
Before leaving for Taolin Town, Zhang Guifen kept giving Xiao Shanhe some instructions.
"Don't look so stern when you see the child. Don't scare Chang'an and Changning."
"I'll try my best." Xiao Shanhe said seriously.
Shen Huanxi spoke.
"Don't force it. It takes time for children to accept you. We just need to give them more time."
Xiao Shanhe nodded.
In fact, Shen Huanxi only said that, he was still worried in his heart.
Before she went out in the morning, Chang'an and Changning's faces were full of worry and fear. After all, the "new father" was a stranger to them. There was no blood relationship between them at all. How could the children accept him so easily?
In her previous life, she remarried for the purpose of obtaining a household registration in Chang'an and Changning, but Chang'an and Changning never understood her. Of course, that was also because Su Chaoyang was really not a good person.
At least now she can be sure that Xiao Shanhe and Su Chaoyang are not the same person.
But he is still my stepfather after all...
She was afraid that when Chang'an and Changning saw Xiao Shanhe, they would resist, feel wronged, or even cry...
However, we can only know what will happen in the end when we meet the child.
Pan Jianguo helped Xiao Shanhe get into the car and sat down, then he went to fold Xiao Shanhe's wheelchair and spoke to Shen Huanxi while folding it.
"Dashan has always been a very capable person. This wheelchair was designed by himself. He can design many things. I wonder if you have seen his mortise and tenon mechanisms.
Of course, he is not only good at carpentry. He said that the beauty of mortise and tenon joint structure is a kind of harmonious beauty. He has mastered the beauty of harmony and applied it to mechanical power, and also..."
When Pan Jianguo said this, he shut up when he saw Xiao Shanhe's eyes gradually dimming.
"Hey, hey, hey, today we're taking Dashan to meet his future girlfriend, so let's not talk about anything else. Comrade Xiao Shen, I'll put the wheelchair in the trunk, you get in and sit down first."
…
Returning to Taolin Town from the city, there is only a dirt road that can only accommodate one car, and the dirt road only extends to the entrance of the village, where it branches into a small path that can only accommodate two people.
The car had to stop and we had to walk the rest of the way.
Cars are rarely seen in the countryside. As soon as Pan Jianguo's car drove into the village road, it attracted countless eyes. Especially when they arrived at Taolin Town, after Shen Huanxi got off the car, it attracted a lot of attention.
Shen Huanxi came back in a car. Did he have a successful blind date with a city girl?
The news spread quickly. The villagers who were busy in the fields put down their sickles and hoes, the villagers in the threshing ground put down their sorghum, the villagers in the drying ground put down their rakes, and even the villagers who were carrying water to water the fields put down their shoulder poles carrying buckets and trotted to the village entrance to watch the excitement.
"Is it the one with crippled legs? He has a car and some money, so Huanxi likes him?"
"He has some money and a three-story house. But I heard he's not a decent person. I want to see what he looks like."
…