Chapter 61 The villagers were amazed.
The dawns come a little later in winter, and smoke from the farmers' homes rises quickly.
Cheng Shi lived in his father-in-law's house, so he naturally couldn't sleep in. He got up when he heard the noise. Fortunately, he slept well last night, so he was refreshed now.
He got up quietly, tucked in Susu, put on his coat and clothes, then took his toothbrush and mouthwash cup and went to the yard to wash.
Mother He came out of the kitchen and greeted them with a smile: "Is Cheng Shi awake?"
Cheng Shi nodded: "Well, good morning, mother. Is there anything I can help you with?"
Mother He waved her hand: "No, no, breakfast will be ready soon, just wait and eat. Susu hasn't woken up yet, right?"
Cheng Shi: "She slept well, so I didn't call her and let her sleep until she woke up on her own."
He's mother smiled and said, "Susu just likes to sleep in, let her be."
Cheng Shi walked into the main room and greeted He's father and others. When he heard them ask him if he was used to sleeping, he smiled and said he was used to it.
The He family's children looked at their uncle, feeling curious and wanting to get closer, but also a little afraid of strangers.
They heard from Dabao and Erbao that their uncle was a very nice person. When Erbao went to his aunt's house to play, his uncle would often buy cakes and candies for him to eat.
Cheng Shi noticed that these little kids were observing him, smiled at them, and stretched out his hand to call them over.
He was quite friendly towards children. With his handsome face, he took the initiative to get close to Dabao and Erbao, and soon he became familiar with Kejie and the others.
He's mother and Zhao Miling brought out the cooked porridge, sweet potatoes and pickled white radish. When they saw Cheng Shi playing with the other children, they couldn't help but smile.
Zhao Miling: "My brother-in-law seems to like children. When my sister-in-law has a baby, he will definitely treat the child very well."
When He's mother thought about her daughter having a baby in the future and living happily with her son-in-law, the smile on her face deepened.
"Come over and eat."
When Cheng Shi and others came over, she said, "I've left Susu's breakfast in the pot as well, everyone can eat first."
The He family's food is not the best in the village, but it is not bad either. With the presence of son-in-law Cheng Shi, the food has been upgraded to a higher level. Everyone eats sweet potatoes and drinks porridge, which is so warm and comfortable in the stomach.
He Susu woke up not long after. After changing her clothes and washing up, she sat at the dining table and ate the porridge and pickled white radish that her mother had brought out.
She smiled with curved eyebrows and eyes: "Thank you, mother."
"Eat quickly." Mother He was happy to do this for her daughter. She missed her daughter so much in the past six months that she even wanted to cook and serve her daughter.
Now watching her daughter drinking porridge, she remembered what her daughter said yesterday, that her son-in-law also helped to leave breakfast in the pot when he was in the army, so that she could have breakfast by heating it up when she woke up.
He's mother felt very happy, thinking to herself that her daughter Susu was destined to enjoy a good life. She had someone to take care of her at her parents' home, and she had found a good husband who could take care of her after she got married. She would definitely not have to worry for the rest of her life.
After breakfast, He Susu sat in the main hall for a while. Seeing that everyone was just chatting, she couldn't help but pull Cheng Shi's sleeve and asked, "Do you want me to take you for a walk in the village?"
Cheng Shi happened to have nothing to do, so he always went outside to take a look when he came here, so he nodded in agreement.
The couple said goodbye and went out.
It doesn't snow here like it does in the army, but the temperature is low and the wind is howling. Fortunately, the two of them were dressed warmly enough. He Susu also wore a scarf that she had crocheted with leftover wool, so she was not afraid of the cold at all.
She introduced with a smile: "The houses in our production team are all built in one area. Our house is at the head of the village. If you walk forward, you can see several alleys. Every house is occupied."
"The village committee and the production team are both in the middle of the village. The farmland is located on the east side and connected to other production teams. There is a mountain to the west. People usually go to the foot of the mountain to pick grass for pigs and mushrooms if they are lucky. Few people go up the mountain. I heard there are many big wild animals there, which are quite dangerous."
Cheng Shi followed the direction He Susu pointed and listened to the introduction bit by bit. Most of the houses here were red brick houses, with only two or three green tile houses in the middle of the village. Of course, there were also earthen houses.
Late rice is planted in the farmland, and the seedlings are growing well now. They are not affected much by the cold weather. The soil is moist enough, so there is no shortage of water, and there are no weeds. Even during the wintering period, the team regularly sends people to take care of the crops.
Neither He Susu nor Cheng Shi went to the back mountain. At this time, the mountain was bare and there was nothing to see, so it would be a waste of time to go there.
On the way, I met many people, and they all smiled and shouted, "The He family girl is back."
He Susu smiled and responded. Facing the villagers' curious gazes, she introduced them openly, "This is my husband Cheng Shi. We just got married in September."
After saying this, it was no surprise that he received congratulations from the village aunties and praised Cheng Shi.
Cheng Shi also cooperated and greeted them.
After the couple walked away, the gossiping women in the village finally got angry.
"I didn't believe it when I heard from the He family that Su Su was married. I didn't expect that she was really married and even brought her husband back to her parents' home to celebrate the New Year."
"I heard that this man is He Lianzhou's comrade-in-arms, in the same unit, and also an officer. Oh my god, I didn't expect that the girl from the He family would marry so well in the end!"
"When the girl from the He family followed her third sister-in-law to the army, I felt that something was wrong. Sure enough, she found a husband that suits her heart. Not to mention, this man looks very tough, and the way he looks at the girl from the He family is very gentle. His heart is full of the girl from the He family. He is so handsome and he is a perfect match for the girl from the He family."
“…”
Everyone was talking about it, one after another, talking about the matter over and over again.
I really didn't expect that the girl from the He family, who had looked down on everyone before, would fall in love with this handsome and capable young man as soon as she joined the army and marry him off.
Many of these women have boys of marriageable age in their families. The girl from the He family has been beautiful since she was young. Even if she is a little lazy and not well-known, it does not prevent her son from liking her. He even begs her to go to their house to propose marriage.
What these women are most proud of is that they have suppressed the idea in the quilt and would never marry the girl from the He family. Otherwise, not only would there be an extra person in the family who would not earn a cent, but would also have to get more food rations. After they had finally become mothers-in-law, they would have to serve their daughter-in-law.
They were very proud of this in private, and although they didn't say anything, they were hoping in their hearts that no matter how beautiful the girl from the He family was, no one in her family dared to marry a young man with slightly better conditions, and they didn't know what kind of person she would marry in the future.
As a result, we can see now that the girl from the He family married better than anyone else. The young man is handsome and an excellent military officer. Not only does he have a bright future, but he also loves the girl from the He family very much.
This completely surpasses all the young men in the village.
Everyone felt uncomfortable for a moment.
He Susu had no idea what the aunts in the village were thinking behind their backs, and even if she knew, she wouldn't care. She always believed that only living a good life could be real.
After she and Cheng Shi walked around the village, they went back home. As soon as they got home, they heard the noise of the house. It was the eldest sister and her family who had returned!
After joining the army, He Susu also wrote two or three letters to her elder sister, and her elder sister would send her canned meat every time she replied. However, the two sisters did not communicate as frequently as she did with her parents.
Even so, when her eldest sister learned that she was getting married, she sent her a package, saying it was a wedding gift for her.
He Susu and her elder sister have always had a good relationship. When they met again after a long separation, she immediately ran in and said, "Eldest sister, long time no see."
He Xiuxiu was also very happy to see her younger sister whom she hadn't seen for a long time. She looked at her younger sister and couldn't help but smile: "Little sister, you look much better and plumper. It seems that you are having a good time in the army."
He Susu came over and took her elder sister's arm, smiled affectionately and said, "Sister, I am indeed living a good life in the army, and you look very healthy too."
She smiled and greeted her brother-in-law Gu Chengli, then introduced Cheng Shi to them: "Sister, brother-in-law, this is my husband Cheng Shi."
He Xiuxiu was very satisfied with her brother-in-law. He and her younger sister were a perfect match. He was much better than those young men in the city that her mother had asked her to help find, and he was also very capable.
She smiled and nodded: "Hello Cheng Shi, I am Su Su's elder sister He Xiuxiu."
Gu Chengli also greeted him with a smile: "My name is Gu Chengli."
Cheng Shi smiled and nodded: "Sister, brother-in-law, hello."
He Susu asked everyone to sit down and chat, and then she turned her attention to her two nephews: "Haohao Juejue, you two look a lot taller, and your faces have gained some weight."
She couldn't help but reach out and gently pinch the tender flesh on Haohao and Juejue's faces.
Although Haohao Juejue hadn't seen his aunt for a long time, he still remembered how kind she was to him and how she often played with him. He didn't feel strange at all and smiled, "Hello, aunt. You're pretty, too."
He Susu was touched by their cuteness: "You two are so cute."
She talked to Haohao and Juejue for a few words, and then the two children ran off to play with their older brothers and sisters.
He Susu looked up and saw Cheng Shi chatting with her brother-in-law, so she simply came over to chat with her elder sister.
He Xiuxiu explained: "I heard from my mother that you guys were going to come back on the 27th day of the lunar year, but I had to work yesterday and couldn't take a day off. I thought that your brother-in-law was also on vacation today, so we just came back together today."
He Susu smiled and said, "It's okay. We didn't get home until the afternoon yesterday. It's not too late for you to see Big Sister today."
After He Xiuxiu showed concern for her younger sister and the others and said that they had a smooth journey back, she raised her chin slightly in Cheng Shi's direction and said, "My brother-in-law is good-looking. When I first saw his photo from mom, I knew that you must have been attracted by his face at first sight."
"You've been married for three months. How are you getting along? Is he treating you well?"
Even though it was mentioned in previous letters and she heard her parents talk about it when she returned to her parents' home, saying that her younger sister told the family that Cheng Shi treated her very well, He Xiuxiu still felt that it would be more realistic to hear it from the person himself.
He Susu did not show any impatience and repeated what she had said to her mother last night: "Cheng Shi is very good to me and it is very comfortable to get along with him. Usually he goes to the army for training, and I sleep until I wake up naturally at home, and occasionally write articles. He gets off work late, so I help prepare lunch and dinner, and then cook for him when he comes back. He also washes the dishes..."
The more He Xiuxiu listened, the happier she became. Her brother-in-law was truly a good man. Military training was tiring, but he was still responsible for cooking, washing dishes, and cleaning the house. None of her husbands were so diligent.
She smiled and said, "I feel relieved after hearing what you said. My brother-in-law is a good man. You have a good eye for choosing people. If you can live a prosperous life, my mother and I will be completely relieved."
He Susu couldn't help laughing after hearing this: "Big sister, why are you talking like an old lady in her 70s or 80s? Has your work and life been going well in the past six months?"
In the past, when they exchanged letters, her elder sister rarely mentioned matters at home or at work, and mostly expressed concern for her.
He Xiuxiu nodded: "It's going well. I worked hard in the workshop before, and I won the monthly excellent worker award for several times in a row. The director also liked me. When the deputy director of our workshop retired two months ago, I was promoted to deputy director. My salary increased by one level, and the meat coupons I received every month also increased."
"Haohao and Juejue are still in the nursery. Everything is fine at home. When my mother-in-law retires next year, I can leave the two children at home with her. In another year or two, Haohao and Juejue should be able to go to primary school."
She also picked out some good things that happened in the past six months and told them to her younger sister.
He Xiuxiu didn't expect that her elder sister had been promoted to deputy director of the workshop. She joked, "It seems that I have to call you Director He from now on!"
He Xiuxiu couldn't help but pat her on the shoulder. "Even you are making fun of me. I haven't even secured my position as deputy director. It's because I've only been in the meat processing plant for a short time, and there are quite a few people in the workshop who are dissatisfied. I've been working diligently during this period, and I dare not slack off, for fear of being caught doing something wrong. I didn't even have a day off during the Chinese New Year."
"But I can go back to my parents' home on the second day of the Chinese New Year, and that's the only thing I can accept."
He Susu encouraged her, "It's ok, big sister. You are at a good age to work hard. You may even be promoted to director in the future. I will wait for you at home on the second day of the Chinese New Year."
He Xiuxiu smiled and said, "Since you think so highly of me, little sister, I must work hard."
The two sisters talked a lot about personal matters, and of course they did not forget to talk to their three sisters-in-law occasionally so as not to ignore them.
Gu Chengli looked at his brother-in-law Cheng Shi and admired soldiers very much. He was handsome and capable. He was also really happy that his sister-in-law could find such a husband.
The topics he and Cheng Shi talked about were mostly daily life. Later on, he couldn't help but ask Cheng Shi how to be good to his wife, and then he started chatting with his three brothers-in-law.
The men were talking and chatting, but the women were restless and needed to prepare a table for lunch.
Qian Chunhe was pregnant and had cooked dinner yesterday. He's mother simply let her take a rest and called the eldest and third daughters-in-law into the kitchen to help.
He Xiuxiu quickly took the two pounds of pork and three pieces of tofu she had brought with her and said, "Mom, please arrange to cook these for lunch."
Mother He took it with a smile: "Girl, you just come back, why do you need to bring your own food?"
He Xiuxiu said: "This is also a little gift from Chengli and I. We went to the grocery store this morning to buy it specially, thinking that we can cook it for lunch, and I hope everyone is happy with it."
She was also thinking that since there were many people in her family, meat dishes would be necessary for the entertaining, and she was afraid that the meat prepared by her parents' home would not be enough, so she went out of her way to buy two kilograms of pork. When she saw there were tofu for sale, she bought three pieces as well.
Only then did He's mother smile and take two pounds of meat and three pieces of tofu into the kitchen.
He Xiuxiu pulled Susu, who wanted to go into the kitchen, back to the main hall and sat down. "Don't even think about going into the kitchen when Cheng Shi is here. Usually, whenever I come back from the wedding ceremony, my mother won't let me go into the kitchen no matter what. She also said that it's unreasonable for a married girl to cook when she returns to her parents' home."
She had been rejected several times, and now she saw clearly. I wanted to cook a delicious meal for them, so I let her do it.
When it was time for lunch, we ate at two tables as usual. With two more adults and two more children, there was almost no room. In the end, we had to pull the chairs a little further out before we could barely sit down.
There were six dishes on the table, three meat dishes and three vegetarian dishes. The portions were large and the food was delicious. Everyone was chatting while eating, and the atmosphere was very lively.
The neighbors of the He family suffered because they could smell the meaty aroma wafting from her house every meal and felt that their own meals were too plain. But there was nothing they could do because their conditions were not as good as the He family's.
After dinner, the main room became a place for the adults to chat and drink tea. A total of nine children gathered in the yard to play various games, chattering and making a lot of noise.
He Susu had no intention of taking a nap. Fortunately, she didn't feel sleepy after getting up late in the morning. She asked Cheng Shi, "Do you want to go back to your room and sleep for a while?"
Cheng Shi smiled and shook his head: "No, it's good to chat with everyone."
It was rare for the army to be so lively. The people from Susu's family were all very kind and talkative, and they talked about topics that he could join in on.
If he initially chatted with them simply because they were Susu's family, now he really wanted to sit here with them. He found it interesting even to just listen.
There were many things in the countryside and factories that he didn't know before.
The days of chatting and laughing passed quickly. He Xiuxiu and her family did not stay at her mother's house for dinner and hurried home before dark.
Before leaving, she did not forget to hold her younger sister's hand and agreed to meet again on the second day of the Chinese New Year.
This year New Year's Eve is on the 30th, so the 29th day of the twelfth lunar month seems less rushed.
There was nothing much to do at home but chat, so He Susu simply said hello to her parents and took a ox cart with Cheng Shi to go to the county town for a stroll.
Today He Lianzhou also has to accompany Su Yuxian back to her parents' home. They have to pay a visit after not seeing them for a long time. The two children haven't seen their grandparents for a long time.
Seeing this, He Susu simply let them ride their bicycles to Su's house, and she and Cheng Shi took a bullock cart to the county town. She wanted Cheng Shi to try the feeling of riding a bullock cart as she did before.
Uncle Dashan was driving his ox cart at the village entrance waiting for passengers as usual. At this time, all the New Year's goods had been prepared, and there were very few people entering the county town.
He saw He Susu and the other person coming over and greeted them with a smile: "He girl, long time no see."
He smiled and nodded to Cheng Shi.
He Susu smiled and said, "Uncle Dashan, long time no see. This is my first time going to the county town since I came here, and I wanted to take your ox cart over there."
Uncle Dashan said readily: "If you like me, I will definitely send you to the county town safely."
He Susu paid the money, and got in the car with Cheng Shi and found a comfortable corner seat to sit down.
She asked with a smile: "How does it feel? Have you never ridden in a bullock cart before?"
"No." Cheng Shi smiled and nodded. He used to ride a bicycle or take the bus in Shanghai. When he came to the army, he could take a car, but he had never taken a bullock cart.
He was also happy to accompany Susu to ride on the ox cart today.
He Susu: "Wait for Uncle Dashan to drive the ox cart, and you will be able to experience the feeling of riding in an ox cart. Before my family bought a bicycle, I always rode an ox cart to the county town. This ox cart is an important means of transportation for people in our production team when they want to go to the county town, but some people are reluctant to spend money and walk to the county town."
Cheng Shi expressed his understanding, but there are families with poor conditions everywhere, and compared with the money, the effort and time spent walking to the county town is a negligible expense.
Uncle Dashan waited for a while, but when he saw that the time had come and no one came to take the bus, he simply drove the ox cart away.
He Susu and Cheng Shi were the only people sitting on the oxcart. She couldn't help but smile and said, "It seems like you're lucky today. You can enjoy a quiet time riding an oxcart for the first time."
Cheng Shi thought of the aunts he met in the village yesterday. If he had met them on the ox cart, he would have asked them all the way without stopping. Now he really had some peace and quiet, so he smiled too.
The experience of riding a ox cart is really not good. The road from Qinghe Production Team to the county seat is bumpy. When passing through some mud pits, the wheels of the ox cart sank in and out, and shook back and forth.
Cheng Shi felt a little uncomfortable at first, but later he adjusted his sitting position, paid more attention to the road conditions and sat firmly in advance, and he felt much better.
Seeing this, He Susu smiled and said, "It seems that you have adapted quite quickly. When I first rode the bullock cart, I felt like my whole body was about to fall apart, but it got better later."
The couple chatted and laughed until the ox cart stopped near the county supply and marketing cooperative and got off.
He Susu smiled and said, "Come on, I'll take you to the cinema. My first job was as a ticket collector in a cinema. I thought I could watch any movie I wanted, but I never watched one after I started working. Let's go watch one this time."
Cheng Shi agreed with a smile. Anyway, he always spent his rest time with Susu.
When they arrived at the cinema, He Susu led Cheng Shi to line up.
When it was their turn, Sister Chen looked up and saw the newcomer in surprise: "Susu, why are you here? Long time no see?"
He Susu smiled and greeted, "Sister Chen, long time no see. I followed my sister-in-law to the army in May and just came back a few days ago. I thought I'd come over to say hello to you and watch a movie."
"It's rare that you're thinking of me. I feel so happy." Sister Chen said with a smile, and then looked at the handsome man standing next to He Susu. When she looked back at He Susu, she had a teasing smile on her face, "Susu, who is this?"
He Susu said generously: "This is my husband Cheng Shi. We got married in the army in September, so I didn't get to tell you, Sister Chen, the good news."
After hearing this, Sister Chen said happily: "Congratulations, I didn't expect you to get married so soon, Susu, you two are such a perfect match. What movie do you want to watch? I'll treat you today!"
"I'm already very happy to receive your blessing, Sister Chen. How can I ask you to treat me? This is against the rules." He Susu selected a movie, paid the bill promptly, and finally persuaded Sister Chen to accept the bill.
Seeing that there were still customers queuing up behind her, she smiled and said, "Sister Chen, you go ahead and do your work. Let's go in and watch a movie. We can talk later when we have time."
Sister Chen smiled and agreed, handing her the written paper ticket.
He Susu took it and put it away, then took Cheng Shi's hand and walked into the cinema, introducing to him what kind of work she did in the cinema.
As he was talking, he couldn't help but mention the time when he worked the night shift and his eldest and second brothers took turns to pick him up after get off work. He also talked about the time when it was harvest time and there was a heavy rain and he wore a raincoat and rode a bicycle to work.
Cheng Shi listened carefully, wanting to know more about what Susu was like at work.
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