Chapter 68 Farewell again.
When Cheng's father and mother came home from get off work, they saw the table filled with fresh and hot meals, and they couldn't help but smile.
It’s great to have a son and daughter-in-law at home. I can have dinner as soon as I get home.
Cheng's mother praised: "You two are really good. You actually prepared the meal."
He Susu smiled and said, "Cheng Shi and I got home early. Thinking that you guys are tired at work, I prepared dinner for you guys to eat when you get home."
Father Cheng also said: "You two have worked hard."
He missed the warmth of home especially these past two days. The four of them were together and he and his wife were no longer alone as usual. So he worked very hard during the day just to be able to go home on time after get off work.
Cheng Shi brought out a bowl of white rice from the kitchen: "Let's all sit down and eat."
During the meal, Cheng's mother did not forget to ask: "How was your outing today?"
He Susu nodded: "Mom, we went to many places today. Shanghai is indeed a big city. We went to the pedestrian street and visited many shops and tried Western snacks. We also went to see the architecture and gardens of Yu Garden. The food in the newly opened Western restaurant is quite good, and the fried pork chops there are the best. After dinner, we went to the Bund..."
She shared many of her feelings with her parents-in-law.
Father Cheng nodded continuously, and Mother Cheng also laughed non-stop: "Just have fun strolling around. Fortunately, Cheng Shi knows how to plan the route, otherwise you would have wasted a lot of time just wandering around."
He Susu nodded: "Yes, today I just sat on the back of the bicycle and didn't have to worry about anything. We went wherever Cheng Shi drove the bicycle. We had a pretty good time."
Cheng Shi ate his meal in silence and listened with a smile.
After dinner, Cheng's father cleared the dishes and went to wash them, while Cheng's mother pulled her son and daughter-in-law aside to listen to them talk about their outing today.
When she learned that the remittance vouchers were used to buy sanitary napkins, she said, "I've heard people say that these sanitary napkins are comfortable and convenient to use, better than menstrual belts. Susu, you made the right choice by buying these."
Without even Cheng Shi saying anything, she took the initiative to say, "We women have to use these every month. Ten packs may seem like a lot, but they'll be used up in just a few months. I'll ask your father to keep an eye out for more overseas Chinese remittance coupons. Then I'll go to the Overseas Chinese Store to buy these sanitary napkins and send them directly to the army for you."
He Susu smiled and agreed without hesitation: "Okay, then I will thank my parents in advance."
Mother Cheng waved her hand and said nonchalantly, "It's a small matter, why thank me? I will help if I can. We are one family and we should keep our differences."
Father Cheng came out after washing the dishes. Before he could sit down, he heard a knock on the door and someone was calling out, "Brother and sister-in-law, are you home?"
"Oh, Meihua is here." Father Cheng recognized the voice and walked over to open the door.
He Susu clearly saw her mother-in-law pouting her lips in annoyance, and it was obvious that she didn't like this "Meihua" very much.
Cheng Shi sat aside and introduced quietly: "It's my aunt who came over. You don't have to pay attention to anything she says."
He Susu understood what he heard. It seemed that Cheng Shi didn't have a very good impression of this girl.
Soon, Cheng's father led people over. Cheng Meihua was tall and thin, wearing a blue work suit. Her short hair made her face look big and her eyes small. She spoke loudly, "Brother and sister-in-law, you didn't even tell me that Cheng Shi brought his wife back. I rushed over today after hearing the news. You are really mean."
Cheng's mother couldn't help but retort: "Whether I should tell you or not, you've already come here, haven't you?"
Cheng Shi called her "Auntie" lightly, but did not forget to introduce her solemnly: "This is my wife He Susu."
He Susu followed suit and called out, "Hello, aunt."
Cheng Meihua looked at He Susu for a few times, grinning and talking nonstop: "This is Cheng Shi's new wife. I was wondering why they got married in the army without any news. It turns out she is so charming. How can she compare to Jia Jia? Jia Jia works here and can take care of you, brother and sister-in-law. She is gentle, virtuous, family-oriented, and easy to bear. If you had agreed back then, you would have had so many grandchildren."
As soon as these words came out, Cheng Shi's face immediately turned cold.
He Susu's impression of this girl fell to the lowest point, and she decided that she was someone who was not worth dealing with.
Cheng's mother said to her directly: "Meihua, if you can't speak, then don't say anything. If you say all these words today, then go back and don't come here again."
Father Cheng was also unhappy when he saw his troublesome younger sister was nagging his daughter-in-law again. "Meihua, you are going too far. No matter how good Jiajia is, she is someone else's family. When you said you wanted to introduce her to Cheng, we all refused. Don't mention the old almanac again. And what you just said was too disrespectful to Susu. You have to apologize to her."
Cheng Meihua didn't expect that her brother and sister-in-law's faces would change drastically after she had just said a few words. She looked wronged: "Brother and sister-in-law, you are too much for saying this. Why are you chasing me away? I just told the truth. Your daughter-in-law is not from Shanghai. I don't know where she came from. Only Cheng Shi, who has never seen the world, was fascinated by her and treated her as a treasure. Why did you follow suit?"
Cheng Shi's aura was extremely cold: "Aunt, I call you Aunt because I respect you. Please don't be too harsh. Apologize to Su Su and then please leave our house. You are not welcome in my house."
Cheng Meihua is a person who is not popular at her husband's or her own family. She is not afraid of her elder brother and sister-in-law, but she is afraid of her nephew who is in the army and holds a gun. When he looks at her with his dark eyes, it's as if he is looking at a dead object, as if he could pull out a gun and shoot her at any time. She shudders with fear.
When people sober up, they know how to deal with the current situation. Cheng Meihua looked at her niece-in-law for the first time: "Susu, I just said something unpleasant, please forgive me."
He Susu looked at Cheng Meihua, who was always smiling but now was as cold as ice: "Aunt, this is the first time I call you, but I don't forgive your apology."
Cheng Meihua was furious: "How could you be like this, kid? I apologized and you're still making fun of me!"
Cheng's mother supported her daughter-in-law: "Susu is right. If you apologize, does she have to forgive you? Seeing how fierce you are, I know your apology just now was not sincere. You should go home quickly to avoid being an eyesore."
She did not have a good attitude towards the young girl. Relying on the fact that the old man was her only relative in Shanghai, she would come to her house every now and then, asking for this or that. Even if she could only succeed once in five times, she would insist on coming back year after year.
Father Cheng also said: "Since Susu and Cheng Shi don't like you, Meihua, you should go back first. If you do this again next time, you don't have to come to our house."
Knowing that her elder brother was really angry, Cheng Meihua gave up the idea of wailing and said directly: "I heard that you got some overseas remittance coupons back. Give them all to me. I want to go to the overseas Chinese store to buy something recently, but I'm worried that I can't get overseas remittance coupons."
Father Cheng smiled inexplicably and said, "There are no more remittance vouchers. I asked Cheng Shi to take Su Su out to play today and used them up."
Cheng Meihua was furious. She didn't expect that she was a step too late. She looked at her niece-in-law, whom she had never met but was very beautiful, with a fierce look, but was blocked by her eldest nephew the next second.
Cheng Shi: "Aunt, if you don't want your eyes, just donate them. Don't look at people carelessly. Please go back."
As he said this, he stood up and was about to see Cheng Meihua out.
Cheng's father and mother did not stop him and just sat in their chairs without moving.
"Hey, Cheng Shi, why are you like this? How can a nephew treat his aunt like this? Brother and sister-in-law, why don't you do anything about it..." Cheng Meihua yelled, but was forced out of the door by Cheng Shi. Her voice became smaller and smaller, and gradually disappeared with the sound of the door closing.
Cheng Shi walked back and apologized to Susu: "Susu, I'm sorry, don't take to heart what my aunt said to you just now, don't let yourself get upset because of her, it's not worth it."
Cheng's mother also took Susu's hand and said, "Yes, Cheng Shi's aunt is a scoundrel. You can't get anything out of a dog's mouth. That Jia Jia thing is hundreds of years old. She wanted to introduce her niece from her husband's family to Cheng Shi, but we rejected her as soon as she mentioned it to us. Nothing happened. Don't take it to heart."
Father Cheng also apologized: "Susu, I apologize to you on behalf of this sister. I'm sorry for letting her in and saying such bad things to you. I won't do that again in the future."
He Susu really looked down on Cheng Meihua, who had said so many bad things about her. But she also saw how Cheng Shi and her parents-in-law were trying to protect her, so she naturally didn't take it to heart.
She smiled and said, "What my aunt said is my aunt's business. I won't pay attention to her. Cheng Shi and my parents, you don't have to be so polite. I listened to what you said to defend me just now. Don't worry, I won't take it to heart. Don't get angry for others and ruin your health."
It just ruined the mood a bit. We were having a great time today, but who knew something like this would happen in the evening.
Cheng Shi was relieved to see that Su Su really didn't take it to heart. He felt that his aunt was too much. She came to his house and started talking nonsense and wanted to ask his father for overseas remittance coupons. He would have to talk to his parents and ask them not to ask for things from his aunt in the future.
Cheng's father and mother also breathed a sigh of relief. They felt guilty for letting their new daughter-in-law suffer a bad remark from her sister-in-law. They also thought that they would have to compensate their daughter-in-law when they got home.
After taking a shower, He Susu stayed in the room, sitting at the desk, holding a dry towel and wiping her wet hair. It was cold in winter, and if you didn't dry your wet hair with a towel, you would easily catch a cold.
Cheng Shi came in after taking a shower, holding some money in his hand: "Susu, here are two hundred yuan and some national grain coupons, meat coupons, cotton coupons, etc. These are all given to you by your parents, you keep them."
He Susu was puzzled: "Why did you suddenly give me money?"
Cheng Shi explained: "The conversation that my aunt had that night was quite unlucky. My parents felt guilty and wanted to compensate you."
He Susu nodded: "So that's how it is, then I'll accept it."
She looked at the money in her hand. She would have to write a lot of articles to earn back the two hundred yuan. She felt better because of the money, but it was impossible for her to forgive Cheng Shi's sister-in-law. Anyway, she didn't see her for a year, so there was no need to care.
When sleeping at night, even with a quilt covering her, He Susu would unconsciously curl up in Cheng Shi's arms, as if she could draw heat from him to warm herself, until she adjusted herself to a comfortable position and fell into a deep sleep again.
When she woke up the next morning, He Susu looked out the window and saw snow weighing down the branches. Snowflakes were still floating in the sky. She thought, no wonder it suddenly got cold last night. It turned out to be snowing.
She went out of the room to wash up, and when she came out again, Cheng Shi had already helped to reheat the breakfast and brought it out. As for Cheng's father and mother, they had breakfast early and went to work.
On the third day after He Susu came to her husband's house, she was able to indulge herself and sleep until she woke up naturally. She didn't have to worry about getting up early to leave a good impression on her parents-in-law. She slept very comfortably.
She sat down and drank a glass of water and sighed, "I just woke up and found that it was snowing. I don't know when it will stop. Will it delay our return tomorrow?"
They left their parents' home on the fourth day of the Lunar New Year, arrived in Shanghai on the fifth day, had a day of sightseeing yesterday, and today is the seventh day. They should take the train back to the army tomorrow, and it will be the ninth day when they arrive at the army. After a rest, they will have to resume normal training the next day.
This ten-day break is the longest vacation he can get.
The short time in Shanghai was inevitable. Cheng Shi had stayed with her at her parents' home for a longer time before, and the train ride was long, so the number of days was naturally shortened.
Cheng Shi glanced at the balcony and could still see snow falling all over the sky. It looked like the snow would not stop during the day.
He said: "The snow that fell last night should not delay our return. The railway tracks will be cleared of snow at fixed times, so it will not affect the operation. We can take the bus from home to the railway station, so it should not be affected either."
He Susu breathed a sigh of relief: "It's good that it doesn't affect you."
The return date has been set, and the reporting time after the holiday in the army cannot be delayed, even due to natural weather reasons such as snow.
She ate her breakfast peacefully; the white rice porridge paired with salted duck eggs tasted really good.
It was snowing outside, and He Susu and Cheng Shi didn't think about going out for a walk, so they just stayed at home.
Cheng Shi thought that he would leave again tomorrow and his parents would be the only ones left at home, so he simply took a broom to sweep the floor, then took a mop to clean the floor, then took a rag to wipe the living room and each room, and also took a long pole to clear the spider webs accumulated in the corners of the walls.
He checked the electrical circuit in his house and found no problems. He then went downstairs to buy a few light bulbs and replaced all the light bulbs that had been dim due to long use. When he turned on the lights, the house suddenly became much brighter.
He Susu watched Cheng Shi busying around, doing everything he could at home. She knew that he was worried about not being able to take care of his parents when he was not at home, so he wanted to do as much as possible while he was still there.
She admired this tough but kind-hearted man.
At noon, the couple cooked meat dishes, and Cheng's father and mother came home to eat. They chatted during the meal, and after the lunch break, they went back to work. In the afternoon, Cheng's mother came back earlier than yesterday, carrying a lot of bags.
Mother Cheng took out the things in the package and said, "I took a three-hour leave this afternoon and bought some things for you to take back. This is five-spice beans, which can be used as snacks and are quite fragrant. Here are two kilograms of pear paste candy, which are made of almonds and Sichuan fritillary. They are sweet and can relieve coughs. They are all specialties in Shanghai."
"Also, I went to the department store and bought two cans of milk powder. Susu, you can take them home and drink them regularly to supplement your nutrition. Oh, and here's a can of preserved radish with shrimp. You all know that preserved radish is made by drying and pickling white radish. The pickled ones of this brand are particularly fragrant. The shrimp are actually small shrimps. They taste delicious when mixed together. You can drink them with white porridge for breakfast."
"I just passed by a state-owned restaurant and saw that they were selling shengjianbao, so I bought a basket. You can eat them while they're hot. They're also unique to our area."
He Susu was very touched when she saw what her mother-in-law had bought: "Thank you, mother, for preparing so many things for us to take back."
Mother Cheng smiled and said, "Don't be polite. It's all my duty. I didn't know what to buy for you, so I went to the department store this afternoon and picked out some good things to buy. For example, the shrimp and preserved radish, spiced beans, and pear paste candy. If you like them when you come back, please write to me and tell me, and I'll buy more for you and send them to you."
He Susu smiled and responded: "Thank you, mother."
"You're welcome." Mother Cheng urged them, "Susu Chengshi, hurry up and try the pan-fried buns while they're still hot. They're still fresh and warm."
"Okay, mom, you try it too." He Susu first gave a steamed bun to her mother-in-law.
Because the pan-fried buns were all wrapped in oil paper, Cheng's mother took them directly and said, "Okay, I'll try one."
He Susu picked up a pan-fried bun and ate it.
This pan-fried bun is smaller than the ordinary meat bun. She took a bite and found that the bottom of the bun was fried golden and crispy with a floury aroma, while the top was soft. The meat filling inside was also different. In addition to being salty and delicious, it was also rich in juice.
She guessed that the steamed buns should be steamed first and then fried, and they tasted really good, so she couldn't help but take another one to eat.
Cheng Shi felt that he had not tasted the Shengjianbao for a long time while eating it. He was busy cleaning the house in the afternoon and was hungry, so he ate three Shengjianbao in a row before stopping.
Mother Cheng only ate one pan-fried bun and refused to eat any more. Seeing that her son and daughter-in-law loved it, she said, "You like these pan-fried buns. I'll buy more tomorrow and put them in lunch boxes for you to take with you on the road."
Cheng Shi had just seen Susu eating Shengjianbao, and she obviously liked it. Outside of Shanghai, you can't buy Shengjianbao outside, unless you make it yourself. He nodded: "Okay, then I'll trouble you, mom."
Mother Cheng smiled and said, "What's the trouble? It's just buying buns from a state-owned restaurant."
She looked around the living room and felt it was cleaner, so she simply asked, "Did you clean the house at home?"
He Susu nodded: "Cheng Shi cleaned the house. After he cleaned the house, he used a bamboo pole to clear the spider webs in the corners of the wall. He also bought some light bulbs and replaced all the lights in the house."
Cheng Shi explained: "I thought I would go back tomorrow, so I would see if there was anything I could do at home. My father is old, and it's not appropriate for him to climb up and down again."
When Cheng's mother heard this, she felt reluctant. Yes, she and her husband are old, and her son and daughter-in-law will go back to the army tomorrow. The family has finally been lively for a few days and then has to return to its former quietness.
But even though she was reluctant, she knew her son loved this career and wanted to defend his country, so she had no choice but to support him.
So, hiding her reluctance and the sourness in her nose, Cheng's mother smiled and praised: "You are great. You are good at having a sense of work. You even changed the light bulbs at home to save your father from trouble. When you return to the army, you must do more housework like you do now, and don't tire Susu out."
Cheng Shi nodded and agreed: "Don't worry, mother, I will take good care of Susu."
He Susu felt relieved when she heard what her mother-in-law said. She thought her mother-in-law was really nice.
When it was time for dinner, Cheng's father also gave Cheng Shihao a lot of explanations. He could not say anything about the military training mission and was not very clear about it. He only told Cheng Shi to take care of himself. Now that he had a family, he had responsibilities on his shoulders. His life was related to the happiness of his family, so he could not get into trouble. He also told him to take care of the family and his wife.
He said: "You have seen how I have been at home over the years. I work as much as I can. As the so-called pillar of the family, I have to shoulder the responsibility of the whole family."
Cheng Shi agreed one by one: "Dad, I know, don't worry."
After dinner and washing up in the evening, He Susu packed her luggage in the room, and Cheng Shi came in to help.
He took out all the clothes hanging in the closet, folded them and put them in the package. "The clothes we've put out tonight should be dry by tomorrow morning. I'll bring them in and fold them and put them in the package then."
He Susu agreed, sorted out the things her mother-in-law brought back in the afternoon, and barely stuffed them into a package: "This way it will be more convenient for us to carry two packages tomorrow."
Cheng Shi nodded in agreement.
After the couple finished packing, they went to the living room to sit with Cheng's father and mother, chatting and drinking tea. They went back to their room to sleep when it was getting late.
In the middle of the night, He Susu always felt as if she was getting colder. She couldn't help but move closer to Cheng a little bit. She fell into a deep sleep only after feeling the warmth.
When she woke up the next day and lifted the quilt, she almost froze to death. She quickly put on a sweater and a cotton jacket, and then put on cotton pants. Only then did she feel a little better.
She looked out the window. The branches were still covered with snow, but there were no more snowflakes floating in the sky. It must be because the snow stopped snowing at midnight and then started to melt, which is why it is so cold. Today should be the coldest day of the winter.
He Susu went to wash up, Cheng Shi brought the hot food from the kitchen and said, "It's very cold today. If you really can't help it, you can put on an extra sweater later. Don't get cold."
"I know, it took me a while to adjust after I got up." He Susu said, picking up the corn steamed bread and starting to eat breakfast. Because she was going on a long trip, she specially cooked dry breakfast in the morning so that it would be difficult to go to the toilet.
When He Susu finished eating, Cheng's mother came back with some shopping: "I bought about ten pan-fried buns and put them in two aluminum lunch boxes. It should be enough for you to have lunch. Also, I passed by the supply and marketing cooperative and bought two pairs of woolen gloves. It's cold today, so you can wear them to avoid getting frostbite."
She took two hours off in the morning just to help buy the shengjianbao and send her son and daughter-in-law off.
As for the old man, he was too busy at the factory and had important clients coming to discuss business, so he couldn't leave. After he had his breakfast in the morning, he gave his son some instructions and went to work.
He Susu looked at the woolen gloves and smiled, "Thank you, mother. You bought these gloves at the perfect time."
Mother Cheng sighed, "I didn't expect it to snow suddenly, and it happened to melt when you went out. If I hadn't worn gloves when I went out, I wouldn't have dared to go out."
Although you can hide your hands in the pockets of your cotton-padded jacket, it is not as warm as wearing a pair of woolen gloves.
He Susu and Cheng Shi packed up, changed their shoes and put on gloves, and went out with Cheng's mother seeing them off.
Mother Cheng walked them all the way to the bus stop, reminding them: "Susu Chengshi, be careful on the road, send us a telegram when you arrive, and keep in touch with us by letter."
He Susu agreed: "Don't worry, mother. We will send a telegram to you and father as soon as we arrive."
Cheng Shi said, "Mom, you and Dad should take care of yourselves. It's cold now, so go back to work."
"Got it. See you, Susu, Cheng Shi." Cheng's mother waved her hand and watched her son and daughter-in-law get on the bus. Only after she watched the bus drive away did she retract her reluctant gaze and walk back to the street.
Cheng Shi and He Susu took the bus to the train station, bought train tickets, and then went to the corresponding platform to wait for the train.
Fortunately, there is a train that goes directly from Shanghai to the army, and I bought two sleeper tickets, but it takes more than 20 hours to get there.
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