Chapter 50 Preparation before marriage.
In August, Cheng Shi and the He family went through the engagement process.
Cheng Shi brought the necessary engagement items such as four-color cloth, candy, pork, etc. to the He family. The He family also prepared cakes, candy, and fruits to entertain him. He Susu and Cheng Shi exchanged gifts in the presence of their third brother and sister-in-law, and the marriage was settled.
Cheng Shi gave a betrothal gift of 500 yuan, which is rare even in Shanghai and Beijing. He said that his parents sent it specially and he was very satisfied with He Susu as his daughter-in-law.
The He family gave a dowry of 200 yuan, and together with the 500 yuan gift from Cheng Shi, they gave them all to He Susu as private money.
Because everything was kept simple in the army, the house assigned to Cheng Shi was not yet fully furnished, so the man did not have to set up the table for the banquet.
Cheng Shi specially bought a lot of candies and distributed some to familiar leaders and comrades. He Susu also distributed some wedding candies to neighbors upstairs and downstairs. Everyone knew about their engagement.
Cheng Shi doesn't have many vacation days, and he's thinking of saving up some so he can take a long vacation and go home with Susu to visit her parents, so he doesn't take vacation days easily.
But he was also busy installing the family housing. He picked a day to go to the county town to find Carpenter Tan to order all the furniture, and then went to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy some daily necessities.
His comrades knew that he needed all kinds of tickets to set up his new home, so without waiting for him to ask, they each gathered some tickets that they did not need temporarily and gave them to him, which really helped Cheng Shi a lot.
Cheng Shi immediately thanked them: "Brothers, you have helped me a lot, thank you very much."
The comrades waved their hands and said with a smile: "Why are you being so polite? Just treat us to a meal when you get married to celebrate."
Cheng Shi smiled and said, "Definitely."
In addition, Cheng Shi also used the rest time at noon and in the evening to often visit the family quarters. The invited workers repaired the kitchen and toilet one after another, the army's electrician came to connect the electricity, and the plumber came to connect the faucet.
At the end of August, Cheng Shi stood downstairs for a while after dinner in the evening, and saw Su Su running downstairs. He smiled and said, "Slow down."
He Susu did not slow down her pace and walked up to him in a few steps: "I am afraid that you will wait for a long time, right?"
Cheng Shi was busy with the installation of the family housing recently, and they hadn't walked together for a long time. She just walked to the balcony at home and looked down, and she was so happy to see him.
Cheng Shi asked her: "The house is almost finished, do you want to go and take a look?"
He Susu nodded: "Okay, I haven't been there for a long time."
She still has high expectations for the house she will live in in the future.
She went to see it with Cheng Shi at the beginning of the month before the installation. The house was quite large. Apart from the living room, kitchen, and toilet, there were three other rooms, but they were all empty. The yard at the door was fenced, similar to the one in my hometown. If you are diligent, you can open up a vegetable garden, and there is still a lot of space left to plant some fruit trees.
Therefore, if you are assigned a house with a yard, the army will not allocate additional land for growing vegetables. The land in your own yard will become a vegetable field.
He Susu was quite satisfied with the environment nearby. It was only about ten minutes away from the second family quarters and was surrounded by houses with yards, about ten households in total, so it was not too noisy.
At this moment, she and Cheng Shi went to throw away the garbage first, and then walked to the first residential area. The house assigned to Cheng Shi was at the end of the first residential area, which was the place closest to the main road outside. Although any noise on the main road side could easily cause noise, it was much more convenient to enter and exit.
The two of them came here, Cheng Shi took out the key to open the door, and He Susu followed him in and found that the inside had changed a lot.
A cement path is left in the yard directly facing the door. A large piece of dirt ground is repaired on the left. If you want to grow vegetables, you just need to carry fertile soil and then sow the seeds. The right side is also paved with cement, and a row of bamboo poles are used to hang clothes.
Many trees were planted around the fence. He Susu saw the osmanthus trees and peach trees she wanted. When they grew tall and had lush branches and leaves, they would be able to block out some of the sun.
Cheng Shi smiled and said, "There is still some space left in the northwest. We can plant some grape vines and climb up there. Not only will it look nice, but we can also pick and eat the grapes. I asked the workers who connected the water taps in the army to lay a circle of water pipes in the yard. In the future, whether it is these trees or the vegetable fields, we can just turn on the tap and pick up the water pipes to water them. It is much more convenient."
Growing vegetables at home can save a lot of expenses. It is troublesome to go to the county town to buy vegetables frequently. Cheng Shiyou plans to grow vegetables. Anyway, the vegetable garden is in his own yard, so he can take care of it. Susu also agrees with this.
He Susu nodded in satisfaction: "Your idea is good. If you don't have time to water the vegetables, I can just use the hose to water them."
The two walked into the house. The floor was paved with red bricks and the walls were painted white. There was a shoe cabinet at the entrance, a newly made coffee table and chairs in the living room, and a round dining table and six chairs opposite the kitchen.
Walking into the kitchen, the chopping board and sink were all laid out, there were wall cabinets hanging on the wall, and two vertical cabinets on the floor. It was basically the same as He Lianzhou's house, except for the lack of a coal stove.
Cheng Shi explained: "I have asked a friend in the county to keep an eye out for the coal stove, and it will be delivered in a few days."
"Very good." He Susu said with satisfaction.
She went to see the bathroom again. The squat toilet was clean and tidy, with a sink and mirror all in place. She then looked at the other three rooms, all of which were furnished with beds, wardrobes, and desks. The largest master room also had a dressing table made of the mahogany style she liked.
He Susu was surprised: "You have decorated all three rooms?"
Cheng Shi nodded: "Let's install it now, it will only cost a little more money, and if the parents from both sides come over in the future, they will have a place to stay."
He Susu nodded: "That's right."
She looked at Cheng and suddenly tiptoed over to kiss him on the face: "You've worked hard recently. This is a reward for you."
Just like last time, before Cheng Shi could feel the softness of those red lips, the other party had already withdrawn.
The two were already engaged, and there was no one around in their future home. Looking at He Susu's bright eyes, his Adam's apple moved slightly, and he reached out to embrace her and bent down to kiss her cheek.
"Then I want a little more reward."
Unlike Susu, he did not pull away after kissing her once. Her fair cheek was softer than the white bread she had eaten, and he only let go after feeling her for a while.
He Susu blushed and scolded him, "Who would take the initiative to ask for a reward?"
"Then give me more rewards next time, and I won't have to ask for them actively." Cheng Shi hugged her and said with a smile.
The two separated, and He Susu thought: "I think it's basically installed, except for pillowcases, sheets, quilts, and daily necessities such as pots and pans."
"I bought a thermos, a cup, four bowls and a plate, and also a set of bed sheets and quilt covers. I'll look for the rest when I go to the county town after I take a break." Cheng Shi said.
Even if he had tickets, the supply at the supply and marketing cooperative was limited and he couldn't buy all of them in one day.
He Susu said, "You are usually tired from training, so leave the rest to me. Anyway, I often go to the county town with my sister-in-law to buy things."
Cheng Shi thought for a moment and nodded: "Alright, then I'll give you the money. Thank you for your hard work, Susu."
He Susu smiled and said, "Why work so hard? It's all for our future home. My parents' side will give me a quilt as a dowry. It's hot now, so I have to buy a thin quilt. In addition, I just need to buy two sets of sheets and quilt covers."
She silently made a mental note of what she wanted to buy.
"By the way, where did you put the dishes you bought? Let me take a look so I can buy the same ones later."
Cheng Shi took her to the kitchen to see that the bowls and plates were all simple white porcelain bowls and plates, placed in the cabinet. He Susu breathed a sigh of relief when she saw this. It shouldn't be difficult to find such simple bowls and plates in the shopping system.
The two stayed in the house for a while. Although they were engaged, they were afraid of being seen by the neighbors in the middle of the night, so they quickly locked the door and left.
Cheng Shi sent Su Su home and said, "Don't rush to buy things. Buy them if you see any. You may have to buy several times. Don't carry too many things at once to avoid getting tired."
He Susu smiled and nodded: "I know, don't worry. By the way, I met a man selling electric fans last time. The one I have at home is not a big brand, but it only costs 120 yuan without industrial coupons. If I meet him again, I will buy one and install it at home."
The weather was hot and humid, and an electric fan was much cooler. Cheng Shi had experienced the benefits of that electric fan when he went to He's house, so he naturally wouldn't save money on it. He nodded: "Okay, if you come across one, buy one. I'll bring the money and ticket back to you tomorrow."
He came here after training and eating, so he naturally had no money on him. Fortunately, in order to arrange for his family, he took out a lot of money and put it in the dormitory. It was just right for him to bring it to Susu tomorrow so that she could go shopping.
Cheng Shi remembered something and asked hurriedly, "By the way, Susu, where did you buy the hemostatic medicine you gave me last time? Is it still available? I lent it to a comrade who was injured in training a few days ago. The bleeding stopped quickly after applying the hemostatic medicine. The effect is very good. Several comrades want to buy a bottle as a backup."
Bumps and bruises are inevitable on the training ground, and missions are even more dangerous, and everyone is eager to find life-saving things. Cheng Shi didn't expect that the bottle of hemostatic medicine Su Su gave him would be so effective, so he thought the medicine for treating injuries wouldn't be bad either.
He Susu said casually, "I met an old man in the county town. He said that he made the medicine according to his ancestral recipe and would occasionally sell it. If I meet him again in the county town, I will buy more."
Cheng Shi smiled and agreed.
"Okay, then I'll go upstairs first. See you tomorrow." He Susu smiled and waved her hand and went upstairs.
After resting at home, He Susu took her clothes and took a shower. After that, she washed and hung clothes. When she finished her work and returned to her room, she looked at her watch and it was already past nine o'clock.
He Susu lay down on the bed. She was still very energetic and not feeling sleepy at all. She simply brought up the shopping system screen.
It is true that Cheng Shi had prepared various tickets and had money, but it was not difficult to buy pots, pans, and utensils in the county town, but it was difficult to buy sheets, quilt covers, and pillowcases, not to mention thin quilts.
He Susu planned to buy most things directly in the shopping system, and then buy some at the supply and marketing cooperative, so that she wouldn't have to make so many trips.
As for the quilts and sheets that needed to be prepared from her mother's side, cloth coupons were required, and cotton was even harder to buy. Seeing Su Yu in a dilemma, He Susu took over the matter and simply asked her friend to buy them in Shanghai and send them over. The styles were newer and the quality was better.
The bride's family, if they are better off, will prepare a red dress for the bride to wear on her wedding day, which means they have to buy a piece of red cloth to make the dress.
Su Yu does know how to make clothes, but cloth is hard to buy from the supply and marketing cooperative these days. Her family has enough cloth coupons, but those with brighter colors are sold out as soon as they arrive. The army has to go to the county town every ten days, so she doesn't know when she can get cloth again.
He Susu simply made an excuse and asked her friends in Shanghai to buy it for her and send it over.
Su Yu was naturally happy to hear that. All the things coming from Shanghai were good things, and it would be good for her to let her friend buy them. She stuffed all the money she was going to use to buy fabrics and quilts into her aunt's pocket: "Susu, send this money to your friend first. If it's not enough, I'll give it to you later."
"Thank you, sister-in-law." He Susu accepted it with a smile and went back to find a chance to go to the mail room to send something.
During this period, apart from exchanging some fruits every time she went back to the county town and taking them home as an excuse, she did not exchange anything in the shopping system and saved a lot of diligence points.
Previously, every time I submitted an article to a magazine, I was rewarded with diligence points. After I finished the last story and sent it out, I received a generous reward from the system, a full 5 diligence points.
However, after she finished writing the second story, she took the opportunity to take a break and shifted her attention to her engagement. She has not yet come up with any new inspiration to write a story.
Fortunately, she had saved a lot of royalties, and there were basically no daily expenses in the army. He Susu was naturally happy to be lazy and just treat it as a vacation to rest.
She was looking through the items in the shopping system and soon found the equally simple white porcelain bowls and plates. She actually bought a complete 28-piece set, including bowls, plates, bone dishes, sauce plates, chopsticks, spoons, and soup spoons.
Looking at the diligence value required for redemption, it is actually only 10 points after the discount. Compared with the price sold by the supply and marketing cooperative, it is really a great deal.
He Susu immediately clicked the exchange button and put it into the storage compartment, then started looking at other things.
I quickly found the sheets, quilt covers, and pillowcases. The styles include light pink, sky blue, and light yellow, with petal patterns on the corners. They are all made of cotton cloth, soft, comfortable and breathable.
The things in the room were not afraid of bright colors, these three colors were very pleasing to He Susu's eyes, and they looked very nice. Thinking that Cheng Shi probably didn't like light pink, and she had already bought a set of bed sheets, she planned to exchange them for sky blue and light yellow.
As a result, she caught a glimpse of the goods at the back and found that there was a four-piece set of bed sheets, quilt covers and pillowcases that could be exchanged together. The labor points required were more cost-effective than exchanging them separately. He Susu immediately chose the sky blue and light yellow four-piece set for exchange.
Then she exchanged for a piece of red cloth so that her sister-in-law could make her wedding dress. In addition, He Susu also exchanged for two thin quilts and a six-jin cotton quilt.
The two thin quilts can be kept in the future home as backup, and the one cotton quilt can be brought back as a dowry from the bride's parents' home.
Of course, this quilt is also very valuable, and it took 15 points of diligence to redeem it. However, if you want to buy it in real life, you will need a lot of connections and money to buy just six kilograms of cotton, so it is worth it when you think about it.
Thinking about the kitchen utensils that the family would still lack in the future, He Susu exchanged for an iron pot, a casserole, a soup pot, a spatula... She exchanged for all the ones she could think of, and even exchanged for those that she thought were novel, although she didn't know if she could use them in the future.
Then she exchanged five bottles of hemostatic medicine and put them in the storage compartment so that she could find a chance to take them out and give them to Cheng Shi later. If she didn't exchange them now, she was afraid that she would forget.
Finally, looking at the storage compartment filled with various things and the plummeting diligence value column, He Susu smiled with satisfaction, turned off the shopping system screen, closed her eyes and tried to fall asleep.
Soon, it was the day when the family compound had to go to the county town. He Susu and Su Yu carried their backpacks and packages and went downstairs to catch the bus.
When they arrived at the county town, she followed Su Yu to the grocery store to buy things as usual. In Su Yu's words, these were things to eat for the next ten days, so it would be good for you to go along and pick out some of your favorites.
Entering the grocery store, Su Yu picked out a crucian carp, two pieces of tofu, half a chicken, a handful of bean sprouts, two pounds of corn, twenty eggs, a handful of rice noodles, a carrot, and two pounds of lotus roots.
The supply today was pretty good. He Susu saw some freshly ground sweet potato flour and ordered half a pound of it. "Sister-in-law, I just heard from Sister-in-law Chen that it tastes good when you roll the ground sweet potato flour into noodles and fry them. Let's buy some and try it at home."
Su Yu naturally agreed with a smile and went to pay the bill with a bunch of things.
After leaving the grocery store, she asked He Susu to buy what they needed, while she went to the slaughterhouse to buy pork.
After He Susu separated from her sister-in-law, she found an empty alley nearby and turned in. She took out two sets of bed sheets from the storage compartment and put them in the backpack as a cushion. She then took out the 28-piece set of bowls and plates and put them in there so that they would not break easily. The backpack had limited space, so the extra chopsticks and spoons were placed in the package.
Remembering the hemostatic medicine Cheng Shi wanted, she took out the five bottles of medicine and put them in the package. She would take out the remaining pots and spatulas and bring them back with her next time she went to the county town. She would go to the mail room one day and pretend they were parcels to get the quilt and red fabric back.
After putting everything in place, He Susu put on the backpack and carried the package and went straight to the supply and marketing cooperative.
There were many things missing at home, most of which had to be exchanged in the shopping system. He Susu walked around the counters and saw mosquito nets for sale, so she simply bought two. Without a mosquito net in such a hot day, she would be bitten to death by mosquitoes.
Then she bought two towels, two toothbrushes, toothpaste, a mouthwash cup, and a comb. These scattered daily necessities require money and tickets. If you come across them, just buy them first, so you don’t have to worry about them in the future. In addition, she also bought a set of school supplies, including pencils, erasers, and rulers.
After completing the purchase, He Susu stood beside the supply and marketing cooperative waiting.
Su Yu came back after a while, and seeing her full backpack and parcel, she knew she had made a lot of money. She saw that her aunt's backpack was full and smiled, "It seems that you have come across a lot of things to buy this time."
He Susu nodded: "I bought bed sheets, quilt covers, bowls and plates, and there are many more things I want to buy, but I didn't see them in the supply and marketing cooperative today. I can only come back later to see if they are available."
"Don't worry, it's still early, just take your time to buy." Su Yu consoled, "If we buy too much, we won't be able to take it back."
When they were engaged, He Lianzhou asked someone to help pick a good date. September 22nd was a good date for the wedding. Then my sister-in-law and Cheng Shi would go to get the marriage certificate and officially get married. It was about a month away.
He Susu smiled and said, "Yes, the things I bought today alone have filled up my backpack."
Su Yu remembered something and reminded him, "If there is no news in a few days, call your friend again. I have to make a skirt for you when the fabric arrives. Leave more time so that I can make some changes when the time comes."
"Okay, sister-in-law, I understand." He Susu agreed.
The wives of the soldiers who were waiting for the bus gathered around one after another. Seeing that Su Yu and He Susu's backpacks were full of things, they couldn't help but ask, "Why did you buy so many things today?"
Su Yu smiled faintly: "Of course I need to buy a lot of meat and vegetables to last for ten days. I bought more vegetables at the grocery store today, so I filled up the whole backpack."
He Susu explained casually: "There are a lot of things to buy to decorate the new house. Cheng Shi is usually busy, so I will help buy some."
She had to bring a lot of things with her when she went to the county town these times. Instead of letting her sisters-in-law speculate privately, it was better for her to tell the truth first.
Anyway, everyone in the family area who wanted to know about her engagement with Cheng Shi knew about it. The situation in the army was special, so it was not uncommon for her, a daughter-in-law who had not yet married, to help with shopping.
Sure enough, the wives of the soldiers said as soon as they heard it: "It's as they should be. Soldiers are very busy. Susu, if you have time, please help buy things. It will also make Captain Cheng feel more relaxed."
"The most tiring thing is setting up a new home. When I first came here to join the army, it took me a month to buy all the things and get it done."
"Don't even mention that you have to buy food in the county town to last for ten days. Everyone buys large and small bags. It's really worrying that the weather is hot and muggy and the food won't last long."
The wives of the soldiers immediately started chatting, talking about the prices of the food stores, saying that the supply and marketing cooperatives were out of stock again, and that their children were about to go to school so they could relax...
Su Yu and He Susu stood aside, just listening to them talk with a smile, rarely interrupting them.
When she heard about the child going to school, He Susu asked, "By the way, sister-in-law, Dabao is going to school soon. Have you prepared everything? I just bought a set of stationery at the supply and marketing cooperative, including pencils, erasers, and rulers. I'll give it to Dabao as a gift for his school start."
"You are so thoughtful." Su Yu smiled, "I have already helped sew Dabao's schoolbag. With the stationery you gave him, everything will be complete."
All a child needs to go to school is a schoolbag and paper and pen. It is not difficult to prepare if you have notebooks at home.
He Susu nodded: "That's good."
Soon the car arrived and everyone got on and went back home.
In the evening, He Susu carried the bowls, plates, bed sheets, quilt covers and some daily necessities downstairs and handed them to Cheng Shi, and they walked together to the new house to put them away.
Cheng Shi smiled and said, "Susu, you are really efficient. You bought all the dishes in no time. The bed sheets and quilt covers are also beautiful in color and feel comfortable. They are better than what I bought before."
He Susu said casually, "It's just luck. It just so happens that the supply and marketing cooperative sold a lot of bowls and plates today. It's normal that the sheets and quilt covers are made of cotton cloth and are comfortable."
"Which color do you like? I'll wash it and hang it up for you later." Cheng Shi asked with a smile.
It was hot and humid in the summer, so He Susu chose something that looked comfortable and cool: "Let's use the sky blue one first, and wash the others and keep them for later use."
Cheng Shi smiled and agreed.
He Susu handed him five bottles of hemostatic medicine that were placed in the pockets on both sides of her clothes: "I ran into that medicine seller and bought all five bottles of hemostatic medicine from him."
"Great, I'll give you the total amount first." Cheng Shi took it happily. Distributing these medicines to his comrades was a means of saving their lives.
He Susu quoted a price, and she even went to the supply and marketing cooperative to check the price. It was a little more expensive, but it was worth it considering the excellent effect.
Two days later, He Susu found another morning and went to the mail room pretending to pick up a package, and took a six-pound quilt and a piece of red cloth home.
Su Yu touched the firm and soft quilt and was very happy: "The quilt I bought in Shanghai is different. The cotton stuffed inside feels firm and must be warm to cover myself with. The sheet is also soft."
She took the red cloth and started making a wedding dress for her sister-in-law every day.
Every time she went to the county town on the 10th day, He Susu would bring back the pots and spatulas, as well as some other daily necessities from the storage compartment.
The new house is almost ready, just waiting for the owner to move in.
According to reason, Cheng Shi was assigned a family room, so he could not live in the dormitory. However, the logistics department gave him some time, so he could wait until the new home was ready before moving in. Now that the home was ready, Cheng Shi also checked out of the dormitory and moved to the new home.
The day soon came to September 22nd, the day when He Susu and Cheng Shi got their marriage certificate.
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