Chapter 36
While ordering food at the riverside restaurant, Ye Manzhi carefully counted the banknotes in Wu Zhengrong's hand.
It was a thick stack of colorful bills, and the total was only three dollars and sixty cents.
There were about ten classmates and their families attending the party today. We ordered one dish per person, and together with the staple food, it cost exactly twelve dollars.
Ye Manzhi looked at the river and sighed, "You won a bit of a loss in this card game. You even had to pay a lot of money."
Fortunately, we don’t need grain coupons or meat coupons to eat at the state-owned restaurant, otherwise we would have lost a lot today.
Wu Zhengrong said unconcernedly, "Either I win or Old Chen wins. I was thinking of asking him to go back and talk to me, but I can't ask him to pay and do the work."
Ye Manzhi asked, "I asked my sister-in-law for help this time. I think you owe me a favor, right?"
Wu Zhengrong disdained to take credit for such a trivial matter and said in a casual tone, "Just think of it as doing it for the elementary school students."
"Then I'll accept your kindness on behalf of the elementary school students." Ye Manzhi smiled with her eyes curved. "Want to play cards later? Or how about I treat you to a boat ride? When I was in school, I often went boating with my classmates on the riverbank. We rowed really well!"
After the dinner, everyone was free to do what they wanted. He Wanglan called on the female comrades to go swimming in the river.
Ye Manzhi didn't bring a swimsuit, so she sat in the yard with Wu Zhengrong to enjoy the scenery.
This log house has a great location and a wide view, and you can enjoy the river view from home.
The riverbank not far from them was full of citizens swimming, and further away, many small sampans were floating on the river.
She also wanted to go boating.
Wu Zhengrong imagined himself sitting in the boat like a big shot, letting the girl row without a care in the world. He politely declined, "You just drank a lot of wine. I'm afraid you'll get seasick if you go rowing now."
"All right."
Ye Manzhi did drink quite a bit. Jin Ping said that the wine she brewed was not very successful and it did not have much alcoholic strength, so it could be used as a beverage.
She drank several cups without realizing it. She didn't feel anything at the time, but felt a little dizzy after the meal.
Seeing the disappointment clearly written in her eyes, Wu Zhengrong paused for a moment and suggested again, "If you want to take a boat, you can take a steamer."
"Doesn't the ship go to other cities?"
"There's also a short-distance ferry that stops at three districts and counties in the city. We can take the ferry back later, get off at Dongyuan Wharf, and then take a car back to the factory."
Wu Zhengrong originally planned to say goodbye to Ye Manzhi in advance, otherwise he would not have ended the game so early after winning only three or four dollars.
The others were all serious couples and it didn't matter how late they played, but Ye Manzhi was an unmarried girl and had to go home on time at night.
Ye Manzhi had always thought that those large ships were bound for other cities. When she heard that they could dock at Dongyuan Wharf, she nodded hurriedly and said, "Then let's take the ship!"
The nearest ferry would depart in half an hour. Wu Zhengrong said hello to the few people who were still playing cards and took her on board.
The short ferry fare is five cents more expensive than the bus fare, and there are not many passengers on weekend evenings.
Ye Manzhi walked out of the cabin, chose a seat on the deck with the widest view, and sat in the first row to enjoy the evening breeze.
"The ferry tickets are so expensive, does anyone usually take the ferry?"
"There are monthly tickets for sale at the pier. If you go back and forth every day, it's more cost-effective to take the boat than the bus."
The two of them walked side by side, enjoying the early autumn breeze from the river and chatting aimlessly. The atmosphere was comfortable and relaxed.
Wu Zhengrong felt that the evening breeze on the river had grown colder. Just as he was about to ask her if she wanted to go into the cabin, he suddenly felt a sinking sensation on his legs.
He looked down and met the eyes of a little girl who was only as tall as his knees.
The child hugged his legs and called out "Uncle", then a string of saliva flowed from the corner of his mouth, passed through his chin, and dripped onto his pants.
Wu Zhengrong: “…”
Ye Manzhi laughed unkindly, "Baby, where are your parents?"
The little girl opened her big black eyes, pointed back casually, and then grabbed Wu Zhengrong's hand in a familiar manner.
Wu Zhengrong's hands froze in mid-air, without any further movement for a long time, as if he didn't know whether to hold on or to let go.
He guessed that the child might have taken a fancy to his seat. They were sitting in the first row of the deck, which was the only seat with a direct view of the river and was considered the best viewing spot on the entire ship.
Wu Zhengrong has never even held his own nephews and nieces. He doesn't know how to hold a child, nor does he want to hold other people's children.
He stood up, lifted the little girl up, and put her on the chair, while asking Ye Manzhi for help: "Let's find her parents first..."
It was rare to see him at a loss. Ye Manzhi thought, even if you are as wise as the sea, what good can you do? Aren't you still at a loss when facing a cub?
She held her chin and smiled for a while. When she looked back, she saw a young woman walking out of the cabin and looking around.
She quickly waved to the other person, indicating that her child was over there.
The child's mother ran over and apologized to the two of them repeatedly.
Wu Zhengrong said with a grim expression, "The wind and waves are strong today. If you let such a young child come to the deck alone, if he gets thrown overboard, it will be too late to regret it..."
The child's mother apologized again in a low voice and tried to take her daughter away, but the little girl grabbed the edge of the seat and refused to leave.
Ye Manzhi left the seat for the mother and daughter and took Wu Zhengrong to the back of the deck.
She leaned against the side of the boat and teased, "Even the kids know you're pretty and they come to you specifically for hugs."
"She obviously had her eyes on the seat at the bow."
"My seat is right next to her, why didn't she look for me?" Ye Manzhi said with a smile, "She must have thought this uncle was the most handsome!"
Today he served Dongpo pork on a gold and jade plate. The little girl had quite good taste.
Wu Zhengrong's eyes flickered slightly, and he looked at her intently, then suddenly asked, "Did you drink too much today?"
"Probably not." Ye Manzhi smiled.
She was only slightly tipsy. Any more would seem abrupt, and any less would seem less bold.
Wu Zhengrong stared at her with a serious look, his eyes full of unclear meaning, "Ye Manzhi, I'm not wearing a military uniform today."
"Um."
Ye Manzhi looked up at him.
Behind him was the afterglow of the setting sun, the river was full of golden fragments, the evening breeze blew his hair on his forehead, and against the backdrop of the setting sun, his eyebrows were clear and his eyes were bright, and he looked radiant.
Her heartbeat quickened slightly, and after a long while, she said in a voice that only the evening breeze and they could hear, "You have beautiful eyes."
A smile filled the man's eyes, and he spoke in a low, slow voice, "There's no one else on deck, and you can't see this side from the cabin."
"Um."
Ye Manzhi's cheeks flushed, her heartbeat kept rising, and the air seemed to suddenly become thinner.
She twisted her fingers and hesitated for a long time. Finally, when the whistle sounded on the other side, she met his gaze and said, "Actually, your lips..."
Before the sound of her voice had faded, Wu Zhengrong suddenly kissed her lips.
One hand protected her leaning back, and the other hand stroked her waist along her exquisite curves.
Ye Manzhi's eyelids were burning. She felt that today was a trap from beginning to end. From the moment they met, the other party had been deliberately seducing her.
All the time, subtly, repeatedly, and intensively.
She is only eighteen years old. It is understandable and forgivable that she is attracted to such a man, right?
The other person's breath was warm and clean, and the kiss was eager and gentle.
She was kissed until she was breathless, her hands tightly clinging to his chest, her shirt tangled in her fists.
Occasionally, the sound of conversation could be heard in the cabin. Ye Manzhi was so nervous that her breathing was slightly panting. She pressed her lips against his and mumbled, "Someone is there."
“They can’t see.”
Wu Zhengrong moved away from her swollen lips and patted her waist soothingly. Seeing the tears in her eyes, he couldn't help but lower his head and kiss her again, then reached out and held her in his arms.
…
The short ferry journey didn't take long. When Ye Manzhi walked down the gangway dizzy, she met the little girl who was hugging her thighs again.
The child lay on his mother's shoulder, waved back at Wu Zhengrong and called "Uncle".
Wu Zhengrong's attitude completely changed, becoming as warm and gentle as a spring breeze. Not only did he agree, he even waved goodbye.
Ye Manzhi tilted her head and smiled, then followed him out of the dock.
Dongyuan Wharf is the largest passenger transport center nearby. In addition to buses, there are also many rickshaws waiting in line for passengers.
Rickshaws were seen as a product of the exploiting class. Wu Zhengrong politely declined several rickshaw pullers who approached her to solicit passengers and prepared to go to the bus station.
However, Ye Manzhi suddenly grabbed him and stopped in front of a tricycle.
"Qiao'er, why are you here?"
Xue Qiaoer was wearing a coarse cloth jacket, a hat, and a towel around her neck. If you didn't look carefully, you could easily be mistaken for a thin man.
She jumped off the tricycle and said with a smile, "Comrade Xiaoye, I've switched to the rickshaw team! I installed a canopy on my rickshaw, so now I can pick up passengers on it!"
"That's a good idea! Transporting people is much easier than transporting heavy goods! The profit should be quite good, right?" Ye Manzhi asked quickly, "Is the money you earn now enough for you and your mother to spend?"
The court has already granted divorce to Xue Qiaoer and Zheng Dong. A while ago, Xue Qiaoer moved out of the Zheng family with her four children.
However, she had to make money during the day, and there was no one to take care of her four children, so she had to send them to Zheng Dong to look after. When she parked her car at night, she would take the children back to her rented house.
Xue Qiao'er looked much better than before. Although she looked darker, her eyes were bright as she spoke. "It's barely enough for us to eat and drink. If we want to send our children to school, we need to earn more. Cadre Xiaoye, do you want to go back to Guangming Street? Take my car and go back."
Ye Manzhi knew that Wu Zhengrong would never ride in her car. It might be okay for others, but given his status, it was indeed inappropriate for him to ride in a rickshaw.
She smiled and said, "I still need to go around a bit. You can go ahead and do your work. If you have any problems at home that you can't solve, come to the neighborhood office and find us."
Xue Qiaoer nodded repeatedly.
After the two walked away, Wu Zhengrong frowned and asked, "Are you close to her?"
"It's okay," Ye Manzhi thought he minded Xue Qiao'er's background, and explained softly, "She's a miserable person, but actually she's not a bad person."
Wu Zhengrong didn't know Xue Qiao'er personally, but because she seemed genuinely concerned, he offered a warning: "Everywhere is developing public transportation. Shanghai has already taken the lead in allowing rickshaws into museums. Binjiang will likely ban rickshaws soon, too. If you get a chance, mention it to her. Rickshaw pullers probably won't be around for long."
"ah?"
Ye Manzhi had just been sighing in her heart that Xue Qiaoer had finally gotten her happy ending after all the hardship she had endured when she heard this "bad news".
Carrying people is more suitable for Xue Qiaoer than pulling heavy objects.
Why can't I do this job for long?
So can she return to the transport team now?
She was lost in thought the entire way, and just as she was about to enter the military industrial complex, Wu Zhengrong stopped her and asked, "We should finally have an official relationship, right? When can I visit you?"
Of course Ye Manzhi couldn't just kiss her and let it go.
But she hadn't figured out how to tell her family yet. She raised her chin proudly and said, "Why are you in such a hurry to come over? You want to date me, right? Let's talk first and we'll talk later."
Wu Zhengrong smiled: "Okay, then I'll wait for the leader's notification."
Now that their status was settled, he was no longer in a hurry.
He had to consider Ye Manzhi's reputation in the family compound, so he only sent her to the door and then stopped.
Although he cannot come to his house, as long as nothing unexpected happens, Ye Shouxin will be his future Taishan.
So, when he met Foreman Ye at the factory gate the next day, he took the initiative to call him "Uncle Ye".
Ye Shouxin casually said "hmm" and walked away with his face raised to the sky.
Old Chen, who worked in the same workshop, saw this and asked curiously, "Old Ye, what's wrong with you? The military representative is talking to you, but you ignore him?"
Ye Shouxin snorted again: "You know shit!"
He knew that there was something strange about the bottle of Moutai he gave as a gift. Fortunately, he did not listen to his daughter's instigation and invite Wu Zhengrong to drink!
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