Chapter 38 I can't see through this person.
After breakfast, Zhou Yue saw them off to work.
This might be her last day working here. To be honest, Cheng Cheng really misses such a good company. The work is easy and free, and there are no complicated interpersonal relationships.
Her dream job!!
After hearing his wife's troubles, Zhou Yue was both amused and exasperated. He had thought that his wife loved her job and was reluctant to leave, but it turned out that this was the real reason.
He comforted his wife, saying, "It's okay, there's a library at the base too."
However, since the base established a family quarters in recent years, families of soldiers and technicians have been gradually allowed to come and live with the troops.
He had no interest in things outside of work and never paid them any attention. He only occasionally heard Luo Yuquan complain that the number of family members coming to accompany the military was increasing, and the positions at the base were basically full. His wife's relationship had been transferred, but she still hadn't found a job.
His wife had nothing to do at home, spending all her time taking care of the children and doing housework. It was inevitable that she would complain, and Luo Yuquan would inevitably get scolded.
Luo Yuquan had poured out his grievances to him several times, but it seemed that there was still no progress on his job search; he had to wait in line for further instructions from above.
"Really? Can I transfer my employment status? Will I be able to continue working at the library?"
Meeting his wife's bright, expectant eyes, Zhou Yue couldn't bear to disappoint her, so he nodded slightly, "I'll give it a try."
If his wife truly enjoys this job, fulfilling her wish is not out of the question; given his current position, he could easily grant her wish.
Since the big shot has spoken, success is sure to follow!
Cheng Cheng's reluctance to leave her job quickly turned into anticipation for a new life.
Goodbye, Daddy!
The two, one big and one small, waved to him at the same time. Zhou Yue's eyes lit up with a smile as he waved goodbye to his wife and daughter.
Zhou Yue had something to do today, so Cheng Cheng didn't let the man take Xiao Xiao with him; she decided to go to work with him instead.
They arrived at the perfect time; only Wang Zhengming had arrived early in the library and was watering his precious plants.
Good morning, Grandpa Wang!
Wang Zhengming smiled and greeted the girl, "Good morning!"
Cheng Cheng didn't arrange a study plan for Xiao Xiao today, letting the little guy make his own arrangements.
After greeting Grandpa Wang, the little girl ran off to the book section with her short legs.
During breakfast, Cheng Cheng told the little one that today might be their last day working at the library.
The little one didn't understand what separation meant. After hearing his mother's words, he just said with distress, "I haven't finished reading my book yet!"
Speaking of which, the little guy has a small dream: to read all the books in the library!
Cheng Cheng naturally knew about this as well. After listening to her daughter's troubles, she remarked to Zhou Yue, "Are all geniuses' troubles so unique?"
The man neither agreed nor disagreed, but nodded slightly.
Cheng Cheng let the little one explore on her own. The little girl wandered around the book section. Cheng Cheng thought the little girl would devour the books, not even glancing at each one.
As a result, the little girl returned with only one book in her hand, sitting upright on the stool, reading intently.
She admired their self-control!
Once everyone had arrived, Cheng Cheng told them about her departure. In a few days, she would be taking Xiao Xiao and her father with her to join the army in the Northwest.
Upon hearing this, Zhu Kangnian and the others were all surprised. There was no warning about this, so why was he suddenly leaving?
Tang Xiuqing put down the shoe pattern in her hand and asked, "Xiao Cheng, is your man in the army?"
Cheng Cheng hesitated for a second, then nodded.
I don't know if I can reveal Zhou Yue's identity; it should probably be kept secret. Should we just tell everyone he's a soldier?
That's what we'll do!
Seeing this, Tang Xiuqing sighed with some emotion: "So young and already at the deputy battalion level, what a promising young man!"
It's a pity that it will be difficult to see Xiao Cheng and her daughter again, especially Xiao Xiao. The little girl is well-behaved and cute, with a sweet mouth. Tang Xiuqing treats her like her own child.
But since it was a family reunion, there was nothing to be sad about. She smiled and asked, "When did you decide to head north?"
Cheng Cheng replied, "I'm leaving on Sunday."
I attended Sister Xiaojuan and Comrade Leng Gang's wedding on Saturday and left the next day.
After discussing their departure in the morning, Cheng Cheng received gifts from Sister Tang and the others in the afternoon.
Tang Xiuqing handed her two pairs of thick cotton shoes, one pair for adults and one pair for children, and said with a smile, "I don't have anything good to give you, so I'll just give you and Xiaoxiao two pairs of shoes. I heard that it gets cold early in the Northwest, starting in September. We southerners definitely won't be used to it!"
"We don't have much else at home, but we have these shoes. You must take good care of yourselves over there."
"Sigh, to be honest, I really don't want you and Xiaoxiao to go so far away. I've heard that conditions in the Northwest are extremely harsh, the climate is terrible, and the snow can be knee-deep in winter."
Cheng Cheng was deeply moved, knowing that Sister Tang was thinking of them when she said those words.
She stepped forward and hugged Sister Tang, saying, "Sister, thank you! I will write to you when I get to the Northwest."
If you ask Cheng Cheng what moved and amazed her most about this era, it would definitely be the simple and genuine emotions between people. They were sincere and warm-hearted, and being kind to others meant being kind from the bottom of their hearts, without expecting anything in return.
Give her the most genuine feeling that there are still more good people in the world, and let her believe that good people will be rewarded!
Wang Zhengming gave her a large bag of seeds, all of which were his treasured seeds collected over the years. He selected some seeds suitable for the climate in the Northwest, believing that no matter where one goes, one should never forget to grow vegetables.
As long as you can grow vegetables and have something to eat, your life won't be too bad.
"Xiao Cheng, remember to plant vegetables when you get there. You reap what you sow! If you have any questions, just write to me."
Holding the heavy bag of vegetable seeds, Cheng Cheng couldn't help but smile, a hint of amusement in her upturned lips. She said earnestly, "Okay! I'll definitely plant vegetables!"
Zhu Kangnian gave a book to Xiaoxiao, a little girl who loves reading and learning, and he hoped she would continue this habit.
When Cheng Cheng saw the book that Director Zhu had given her, she looked surprised and couldn't help but pick it up and flip through it.
Do we already have "100,000 Whys" now?
Xiao Lingxiao recognized all these words and looked at his mother with bright eyes, "Mom, it's '100,000 Whys'!"
Cheng Cheng found the publication date—it was published in 1960!
"Director Zhu, has this book been published so early?"
Zhu Kangnian nodded and explained the history of the book to them. It was published by the Children's Publishing House in 1960, and two versions were published in the past ten years. The one he gave to Xiaoxiao was the first edition, the astronomy and meteorology volume.
Next, Cheng Cheng learned from Director Zhu that the first edition of "100,000 Whys" was divided into eight volumes, totaling one million words, and was divided into eight sections: mathematics, physics, chemistry, zoology, agriculture, astronomy and meteorology, geology and minerals, and physiology and hygiene, for a total of eight volumes.
The second edition expanded from eight volumes to fourteen volumes based on the first edition, with extremely rich content and invited famous scientists to serve as consultants. However, it is difficult to buy all of these volumes in bookstores.
"Thank you, Grandpa Zhu!"
When the book came into Xiao Lingxiao's hands, it was like a fish finding water; the little girl loved it so much she couldn't put it down.
The little girl spent the entire afternoon engrossed in the book, completely absorbed in her own world.
As soon as she saw her father, the little girl couldn't wait to share with him:
"Dad, do you know why the moon we see at night is round? Sometimes the moon looks like it's been bitten off, and it becomes crescent-shaped, do you know that?"
"Dad, do you know why our shadows are shortest at noon and become very long when the sun goes down?"
The little girl tilted her head back and forth, her eyes curving into crescents, and her voice involuntarily rose at the end of her sentences.
They look absolutely adorable!
Zhou Yue looked up at his wife and saw her beaming. He couldn't find the answer in her face, so he bent down, picked up his daughter, and answered her question as he walked home.
He looked thoughtful as he looked at the book "100,000 Whys" that his daughter treasured.
After dinner, Cheng Cheng saw Zhou Yue writing a letter.
I walked over and asked curiously, "Who is it addressed to?"
The man handed the letter to his wife and explained, "I wanted to ask my cousin if he could get a full edition of '100,000 Whys'."
"Oh!"
Cheng Cheng returned the letter to him. She didn't know much about Zhou Yue's maternal family. However, seeing that the recipient's name, Xing Huasheng, shared the same surname as her mother-in-law, Xing Xunzhen, she knew they must be related.
Seeing his wife's confused expression, Zhou Yue continued to explain, "Xing Huasheng is my uncle Xing Qiuzhen's son, ten years older than me. He works at a publishing house..."
Then, Cheng Cheng learned that Zhou Yue's maternal grandfather, Xing Yuanda, was a famous calligrapher, his uncle, Xing Qiuzhen, worked in the government, his aunt worked in the education bureau, his cousin worked in a publishing house, and his cousin's wife also worked in a publishing house. The whole family were cultured people.
"Zhou Yue, could you ask my cousin if he can buy the complete set of 'Self-Study Series on Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry'?"
"good."
Zhou Yue wholeheartedly supports his wife's pursuit of progress and desire to learn!
Cheng Cheng was just thinking that it was better to be prepared than not. She started preparing now because there were still several years before the college entrance examination was reinstated, so she could start early.
Maybe she'll actually succeed in her act and become a sensation!
These were college students in the 1970s, the first cohort of college students after the resumption of the college entrance examination. The value of their degrees is self-evident; those who know, know!
She absolutely has to pull this B- act!!
I slept well all night.
The next day, Cheng Cheng didn't go to work at the library. Since she was leaving anyway, it didn't matter whether she worked one more day or one less day; the salary would be the same.
And because I only have a few days left before I leave, I feel like I don't have enough time. First of all, I need to pack up the house inside and out, and pack out some important but not urgent items to send out in advance.
For example, the cotton quilts used for winter, the thick cotton-padded coats and trousers, etc., were collected into several sacks, along with a sewing machine.
Cheng Cheng hesitated for a moment, "Zhou Yue, can you send this?"
"It should be possible. I'll go find a car."
Half an hour later, Zhou Yue borrowed a tricycle from somewhere, loaded all the luggage onto the tricycle, and transported it over first.
It took two trips to get everything to the post office; my back was soaked with sweat.
Cheng Cheng took a handkerchief out of her pocket and handed it to the man, "Wipe your sweat."
After sending the items and arranging everything, Cheng Cheng said, "Shouldn't we call Grandpa and Grandma to let them know?"
The last time I called them, Zhou Yue hadn't told her about going to join the military, so I didn't mention it on the phone.
Now that we're about to leave, we need to let our parents know so they won't send us anything again, since we won't be able to travel back and forth by then.
"Okay, let's make a call."
Little Lingxiao was unusually excited about this. He jumped up and reached for the phone receiver, shouting, "Mom and Dad, tell Xiaoxiao!"
Cheng Cheng and Zhou Yue exchanged a smile, and Cheng Cheng said helplessly, "Alright, alright!"
Zhou Yue gave the man a look, dialed a number, transferred the call to the Zhou residence in the compound, and then held the phone to his daughter's ear.
The call was answered by Old Master Zhou. "Hello, this is Zhou Jianying. Who are you looking for?"
"Great-Grandpa~ It's me, Xiaoxiao~"
Grandpa Zhou's voice softened instantly, "It's Xiaoxiao! Why are you calling your great-grandfather? What do you need from him?"
On the sofa, Qin Youyi could hardly bear to watch the old man speaking in his rough voice.
The old man was talking to his great-granddaughter, so the caller must have been his grandson and granddaughter-in-law. Didn't they talk on the phone the day before yesterday?
Why are you calling now? Has something happened?
Qin Youyi got up and walked over quickly, asking the old man for his phone number.
Grandpa Zhou glanced at his wife, waved his hand at her, and held onto the phone receiver, his old, rough voice softening into a low, hoarse tone: "Xiaoxiao, are you saying that you and your parents are leaving in a few days? To the Northwest?"
"The Northwest is a great place; you can eat meat to your heart's content and drink wine to your heart's content—"
Before Zhou Jianying could finish speaking, Qin Youyi snatched the phone away and softened her voice: "Xiaoxiao, are your parents with you? Can you give the phone to your mother? Your great-grandmother can say a few words to your mother."
Okay~
Little Lingxiao obediently looked up at his mother and handed her the telephone receiver.
"grandmother."
"Ah Cheng, are you going to take Xiao Xiao and Ah Yue to the Northwest to join the army?"
Qin Youyi's loving voice came, and Cheng Cheng hummed in response. Then she heard her grandmother ask, "Have you made up your mind?"
"Grandma has made up her mind. She'll be leaving in a few days."
Upon hearing this, Qin Youyi asked her granddaughter-in-law to hand the phone to her grandson. She then gave her grandson a few instructions on the phone, telling him to take good care of Acheng and Xiaoxiao and not to let them suffer any grievances. She also told him to send Acheng and Xiaoxiao back if they couldn't adapt to the environment in the Northwest.
"Okay, Grandma, I understand."
"Give the phone to Acheng, I'll talk to her for a bit more."
Cheng Cheng answered the phone, "Grandma, it's me."
“Cheng, when you get there, you must take good care of yourself and Xiaoxiao. Don’t let yourself be wronged. If you need anything, write back and tell Grandma.”
"Oh right, look at my memory, I meant to tell you something last time but I forgot. Ah Cheng, Ah Qiong has some foreign exchange certificates and asked me to ask you if there's anything you want?"
Ah Qiong is Zhou Yue's second older sister. Upon hearing this, Cheng Cheng raised her eyes and glanced at the man.
The Zhou family consists of three siblings. Grandpa Zhou and Grandma Qin only have one son, Zhou Jingli. Grandpa Zhou Jingli and Grandma Qin Xing Xunzhen have three children. Zhou Yue is the youngest, with an older brother, Zhou Lang, and an older sister, Zhou Qiong.
The eldest brother, Zhou Lang, married Qi Yun. The two had a son named Zhou Kaihao, who was four years older than Xiao Xiao. The family of three lived in Xinjiang Province, which was also in the Northwest, but they were far away.
The second sister, Zhou Qiong, is unmarried and childless. She works in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and is usually very busy, sometimes having to travel abroad for extended periods.
Cheng Cheng thought for a moment, then covered the telephone receiver with her hand and whispered, "Grandma, could you ask my second sister if we can buy sanitary napkins at the Friendship Store?"
Cheng Cheng found the menstrual belts used in this era the most difficult to adapt to. Putting aside whether they were hygienic or not, the key issue was that they had to be reused, which meant that she had to wash them manually after each use.
She now wants to tell her body to stop visiting, it's too painful!
“Okay, I’ll tell Arjun.”
Qin Youyi readily agreed, gave a few more instructions, and talked to Xiaoxiao for a while before ending the call.
After a busy day, Cheng Cheng slept well that night and got up early the next morning to go to the market with Zhou Yue to buy groceries.
Cheng Cheng rolled up her sleeves and fought hard, while Zhou Yue followed behind, carrying her spoils. An hour later, they returned laden with their spoils.
After breakfast, the two of them took Xiaoxiao and set off to visit Xiaoxiao's parents' home.
A tractor was parked at the intersection, and Cheng Xiangming grabbed his older sister and pressed her about his brother-in-law.
The day before yesterday, my eldest sister sent someone back to say that her brother-in-law had returned and would be visiting the day after tomorrow. My eldest sister and brother-in-law would also be bringing their nephews and nieces back with them.
It caught the whole family completely off guard!
His older brother was also supposed to come pick him up today. Last night, he went to the reservoir with his father to catch fish, and then went to the river to put baskets in the river overnight. He went to collect the baskets before dawn this morning. When he left, his older brother had not yet returned.
"What's your brother-in-law like? Does he seem easy to get along with?"
Upon hearing this, Cheng Ping frowned. She couldn't quite put her finger on her brother-in-law, as if she couldn't see through him.
She put the things on the tractor and said to her second brother, "The person will be here soon. You'll know when you see them."
Cheng Xiangming could only look at his brother-in-law, Yan Jianhua, who was about to speak, but his son beat him to it!
"I know, Second Uncle!"
Niu Niu puffed out his little chest and patted it, then raised his chin at his second uncle, looking like he was waiting for his uncle to ask a question.
Cheng Xiangming picked the boy up and sat him in front of his tractor, amused, and said, "Alright, then let me ask you, tell me what your uncle-in-law looks like?"
Niu Niu glanced smugly at his second uncle and said confidently, "My uncle-in-law is taller than you! He's also better looking than my second uncle! And he knows so many things!"
"You little rascal!"
Cheng Xiangming chuckled and pinched the boy's cheek. "Taller and more handsome than your second uncle? You little jerk, did your second uncle spoil you for nothing?"
Niu Niu covered his face, his dark eyes darting around, and exclaimed loudly, "Second Uncle, Auntie's husband said he'll treat me to Peking duck sometime!"
"You were bought off with just one roast duck? You're so pathetic!"
Cheng Xiangming scoffed, thinking to himself that his brother-in-law was quite good at winning people over!
Just then, Erni suddenly stood up, pointed to the street corner, and cheered, "Auntie and the others are here!"
Cheng Xiangming squinted and looked over. Next to his younger sister stood a tall young man, carrying a lot of things in one hand and holding his niece Xiaoxiao's hand in the other, walking towards them.
The other person seemed to notice his gaze, turned their head to look over, their eyes cold and distant, but in an instant, warmth appeared in their eyes, and they nodded to him from afar.
Cheng Xiangming glanced down at Niu Niu in front of him, told the boy to sit still so he wouldn't fall, then jumped off the tractor and strode toward the family of three.
My brother-in-law has a leg problem, so he's the only one who can go. Hey, his sister has been married for several years and his niece has grown up so much. This is the first time he, the brother-in-law, has ever picked up his sister's husband!
The July sun was scorching and blinding. Cheng Xiangming habitually squinted and asked in a boastful tone, "Zhou Yue?"
Zhou Yue nodded slightly, released his daughter, and extended his hand: "Second brother, hello."
With his hands clasped together, Cheng Xiangming exerted force with his palms. The other person seemed to pause for a moment, then also increased the force.
"What are you two doing? Shaking hands for ages?"
Cheng Cheng looked at them suspiciously, "If you're not leaving, we're leaving first, hurry up! It's so hot!"
Get home early and relax!
Upon hearing this, Zhou Yue was the first to release his grip, and Cheng Xiangming immediately understood and also let go, taking the package from the other's hand and turning to leave.
A clash between men can happen in an instant, revealing each other's true nature.
After a flurry of activity, the tractor, carrying people, chugged off towards Xintang Brigade.
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Author's note: Goodnight, see you tomorrow!
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