Chapter 9
Huang Li is now a female postman at the post office. She travels through the streets and alleys every day, diligently delivering letters and newspapers.
Compared to being a middle school teacher, being a postman is a physical job, but she can freely use the bicycles of the post office, can read the latest and most complete newspapers from all over the country, and most importantly, is free from the hidden dangers of being a teacher.
That evening, after delivering the letter to Guangming Sub-district Office, Huang Li was stopped by Ye Manzhi.
"Sister-in-law, do you go home directly after get off work?"
"What's up?"
"I want to go to Shidao Street to eat some beautiful bean paste. You have a bicycle, right? Can you give me a ride? Let's go out to dinner tonight, it's my treat!"
Huang Li didn't really want to go.
Because of the plot, she has always been wary of her sister-in-law. The two have lived under the same roof for a year, but they are not close to each other.
Ye Manzhi continued, "Director Mu gave me a bottle of her homemade hawthorn wine. How about we have a couple of drinks together?"
Huang Li looked hesitant.
She's been so stressed out lately that she can't sleep, so going out for a few drinks might be a good idea.
Once she and Ye Mantang are officially divorced, she won't have to worry about any extreme sister-in-law.
With a plan in mind, she turned around and asked, "I still have to deliver a few letters to the grain station. When can you get off work?"
"You can leave now! I'll accompany you to deliver the letter!"
The mail bag on the back seat still contained a dozen or so letters that had not been successfully delivered. Ye Manzhi excitedly sat on the bicycle frame, holding the hawthorn wine.
"Sister-in-law, this is my first time riding a bicycle, please ride it carefully! It's okay if I fall, but don't drop our hawthorn wine!"
Huang Li was speechless: "Put the bottle of wine in the mail bag behind my car, hold on to the handlebars with both hands, don't fall off!"
"Wow, the wind is so strong in the car! Sister-in-law, I feel like I'm flying, ah~~~~"
"Keep your voice down, passersby are looking at us!"
Shidao Street is the most prosperous commercial street in Zhengyang District. Shops, hotels, restaurants, and drug stores are scattered throughout the street, and food stalls and vendors with carts and carrying loads are lined up from the beginning to the end of the street.
There used to be quite a few itinerant doctors who practiced medicine, sold drugs, and told fortunes, but they disappeared after the socialist transformation a few months ago.
Ye Manzhi took the person to a small restaurant on the street.
It used to be called "Fu Lu Shou Restaurant", but now it has been renamed "Fu Lu Shou Hotel, a joint venture between the public and private sectors".
When the two entered the door, they unexpectedly ran into Zhou Mu, whom they hadn't seen for a long time. He was sitting near the counter with a short-haired girl.
Ye Manzhi and he have been ignoring each other since they broke off the engagement.
Even if they met on the street, one would face east and the other would face west, and they would walk on each side of the road.
At this moment, she just treated the other person as air and ordered food from the waiter without looking away.
A beautiful dish of red bean paste, a dish of braised pork slices. I originally wanted to go all out and order the braised kidney slices, but the waiter pointed to the slogan that had just been posted on the wall: "For the sake of socialist construction, saving food is everyone's responsibility."
Ye Manzhi hadn't received his salary yet and was reluctant to spend too much, so he just went along with it and added a pot of sorghum wine.
Huang Li didn't like her sister-in-law, but she also didn't want to see her embarrassed by running into her ex-boyfriend. After taking a seat by the window, she took the initiative to bring up the topic and asked, "Do you come here often?"
"I didn't come here often, but when I was a kid, my dad would occasionally bring me out to satisfy my cravings." Ye Manzhi, not forgetting the purpose of today's meal, recalled with a smile, "My favorite dish back then was dried shrimp and tofu, and I'd always pick out the dried shrimp. My eldest sister and third brother also liked dried shrimp. My eldest sister never gave up her favorites, but my third brother would always give me the dried shrimp and only eat the tofu himself."
Her five siblings came from two different families.
The eldest sister was eloquent and competitive. In the reconstituted family with many children during those turbulent years, she was able to get almost everything she wanted.
My second sister was introverted and taciturn, but gentle and hardworking. She was so hardworking that when she got married, her stepmother took the initiative to give her a sewing machine as a dowry. At that time, only one family in the whole street had a private sewing machine.
As for the three brothers, one is a romantic, one is a playboy, and the other is a money-grubber.
"Sister-in-law, my third brother has always done more than he said, and he's always been very open-hearted with the people he cares about. Aside from the differences between you two regarding staying in the Soviet Union, there doesn't seem to be any conflict. Wouldn't it be a pity to leave you like this?"
Huang Li touched his wine glass and said with a dull expression, "Your brother's stay in the Soviet Union is the biggest conflict between us."
On the day she traveled through time, she married Ye Mantang, whom she had known for less than two months through a blind date. It could be said that they fell in love after getting married.
She was reluctant to let go of her love-brained husband, but she couldn't jump into the pit knowing there was a big pit ahead.
It is indeed a pity to let Ye Mantang give up the opportunity to study in the Soviet Union, but the farm life in the book is more to fulfill the heroine's writing career. The harsh environment, complex human nature, and fertile land provide the heroine with a constant source of inspiration and material.
After leaving the farm, dozens of his works were published.
At that time, Ye Mantang was about to retire, and the skills he learned twenty years ago had long been updated.
Going to the Stalin Automobile Factory was just an internship, not university. Instead of that, it would be better for him to stay at the factory and gain steady experience while looking for other avenues for further study. With Ye Mantang's talent, there might be another path forward.
However, Huang Li tried to persuade her, argued with her, and even threatened her with divorce, but it was all in vain.
Then we can only get divorced for real.
"What are your plans after you divorce my brother?" Ye Manyi asked.
"Let's take it one step at a time. I might apply for a dormitory from my company first."
The clinking of glasses made a crisp sound, and Ye Manzhi's eyes turned red from the spiciness of the sorghum liquor. She sighed, "If I had known you'd get divorced over this, I wouldn't have encouraged Third Brother to sign up. I failed the physical exam, and I was so obsessed with getting Third Brother through the selection process that I even went up to the roof with him in the freezing weather to memorize the exam questions! I even caught a cold!"
Huang Li: “…”
She just knew it!
Ye Mantang dared to disobey in public, this troublemaker must have contributed to it!
"Forget it, your brother's visa is almost approved, what's the point of talking about this?"
"Hey..." Ye Manzhi picked up the wine glass again, her eyes red as she said, "Sister-in-law, my brother promised you but then went back on his word. He's a traitor. My family doesn't understand your choice, and sometimes their words aren't very pleasant to the ear. I'm toasting you with this glass on their behalf, to apologize!"
Almost everyone disagreed with Huang Li's decision to divorce, including her parents' family, her in-laws, and outsiders. Some even said that she couldn't live without men and wished she could tie them to her waist.
Huang Li felt uncomfortable and his nose felt sore. He tilted his head back and drank the wine in the glass.
This meal was a bit like a farewell dinner. The aunt and sister-in-law became more and more interested in talking, and they toasted each other. A bottle of hawthorn wine and two pots of sorghum wine were soon empty.
Ye Manzhi's face flushed red as she spoke with a thick tongue: "Sister-in-law, we were both hurt by Liu Su. You divorced my brother, and I broke off my engagement with that bastard Zhou Mu. I'm telling you, sister-in-law, hiccup——"
Seeing that she was drunk, Huang Li quickly held down her hand that was reaching for the wine jug.
Ye Manzhi dodged and said drunkenly, "That bastard Zhou Mu didn't want to stay in Suzhou with me, but instead of saying it directly, he actually dared to help outsiders harm me! Have you ever seen such a bastard?"
"No, no, keep your voice down." Huang Li glanced at Zhou Mu's table, met his eyes, and then turned away as if nothing had happened.
"I'm not afraid of what others may hear! I'm a man of integrity. I'll call off the engagement if I want. I don't want the job their family offered me as compensation. But I absolutely cannot give up my brother's place in the Soviet Union! Even though Zhou Mu's father used some connections to get my brother selected, he was chosen based on his own merit!"
Huang Li suddenly stopped moving, his previously distracted eyes gradually clearing up. He stared intently at his drunken sister-in-law and asked, "Didn't your brother get in based on his own merit? Why does he need the Zhou family's backdoor?"
"Burp—" Ye Manzhi burped again, as if thinking about her question, and asked back half a beat slowly, "Do you know how many years of work experience are required to study in the Soviet Union?"
"Three years?"
"Yes, three years." Ye Manzhi smiled foolishly while holding the wine jug. "My brother has been working for the factory for three years, but in his first year, he was an apprentice! He's only been officially employed for two years, but during the exam, he outperformed those with seven or eight years of experience! Isn't my brother amazing?"
The information revealed in her words made Huang Li's chest pound.
Different factories have different ways of calculating seniority.
Some will count the apprenticeship time as working years, while others must count from the day of becoming a formal worker.
The selection notice for studying in the Soviet Union issued by Factory No. 656 did not provide any specific explanation regarding length of service.
Given Ye Mantang's situation, it is actually uncertain whether he can stay in Suzhou.
If there are factory leaders speaking for him, he will naturally be selected into the big list based on his business ability.
However, now that the Ye and Zhou families have broken off their engagement, Ye Mantang has lost his biggest backer. If someone makes a fuss about his seniority, he may not be able to keep his place in the Soviet Union!
There are too many people and too little work. Young workers who are looking forward to studying abroad can line up from the workshop to the factory gate!
Huang Li wanted to ask for more details, but Ye Manzhi had already slumped over the table, as drunk as if he had been anesthetized.
Ye Manzhi was always skeptical about what her third sister-in-law said: "Going abroad will make you unhappy." This was completely beyond her current understanding.
If she were to destroy Third Brother's future with her own hands, she would not be able to get over it. She could only get herself drunk and give the choice to Third Brother's other half, letting her decide the future of their couple.
…
Huang Li looked at his sister-in-law who was drunk, then looked at the empty wine jug. He picked up his chopsticks and ate the food expressionlessly, wondering in his mind about Ye Mantang's seniority.
I thought alone for more than an hour, and saw the sky change from orange to dark gray. If I didn't go home, I would have to travel at night.
After calling Ye Manzhi several times without any response, Huang Li borrowed two hemp ropes from the waiter and prepared to tie the drunkard to the frame of a bicycle and take him home.
Zhou Mu, who had been paying attention to them, caught up and said, "Third sister-in-law, can I take you back?"
"No need, you two have broken up, so just be well and don't get involved anymore."
"I don't mean anything else, I just want to help you. After all, her being so drunk has something to do with me."
If Ye Manzhi hadn't seen him having dinner with other girls, she wouldn't have been so upset that she would have to drink to drown her sorrows.
Huang Li didn't want to get entangled with him on the road, so he simply said, "Then hand me the rope."
"There are few street lights along this stretch of road, so it's unsafe to ride a bike." Zhou Mu suggested, "Let her sit on the back seat, and we'll push the bike back."
"That's fine, you push the cart and I'll support her from behind."
The two of them worked together to transfer Ye Manzhi to the back seat of the bicycle. When they were about to set off, a jeep that had just sped past them slowly backed up and stopped by the side of the road.
Someone leaned out of the rear window, saw their situation, and asked in a deep voice, "What's wrong? Do you need help?"
Huang Li didn't recognize the other person and was still in a state of shock. Zhou Mu beside him was already shouting, "Yes, yes, yes! Uncle Wu, are you going back to the factory?"
Wu Zhengrong nodded. He had just returned from the provincial military region and had to go to the factory for a meeting in the evening.
His eyes fixed on the limp, rosy Ye Manzhi, and he raised his eyebrows slightly, "How much did you drink?"
A two-liang wine jug was empty after drinking two liang.
Huang Li was embarrassed to tell others that they had drunk 60-proof sorghum wine. The man was wearing a military uniform and looked so impressive. His surname was Wu and he was from Factory 656. She had already guessed his identity.
Then he said vaguely: "I just drank a little hawthorn wine."
"She can't hold her liquor very well, then." Wu Zhengrong stepped down from the back seat, raised his chin with a smile, and said, "Lady, bear with me for a bit. Help her get in the car first."
Huang Li had been delivering newspapers for several months, and his strength had improved, but it was limited. He half-dragged, half-carried, and finally managed to squeeze the man into the back seat of the car.
When she followed Zhou Mu into the car and slumped in the seat to catch her breath, she suddenly remembered the bicycle in front of the restaurant and couldn't help but exclaimed "Oh!"
Zhou Mu asked, "What's wrong, sister-in-law?"
"I have to deliver newspapers on my bike tomorrow morning, so I have to ride it back!"
A bicycle is rarer than a Mercedes-Benz or BMW. She can be absent from work, but if the bicycle fails to arrive at work on time, the director will be furious.
Thinking of the director's sullen face, Huang Li said helplessly, "You guys can go back by bus. I have to ride my bike."
"You are the only female comrade here, so it would be best if you could stay and look after her."
Wu Zhengrong frowned slightly. Why was his sister-in-law Ye Manyi so reckless?
“…”
Huang Li was stunned when he heard this, and then realized that it was indeed inappropriate to leave his drunk sister-in-law alone with three adult men.
"What about my bike?"
It was obvious that a 28-inch truck could not fit in the jeep.
Seeing this, the driver Xiao Qin in the cab turned around and wanted to take the initiative to help out and ride the bicycle back.
But his team leader didn't even look at him. He turned and asked Zhou Mu in the back seat: "Do you know the address of these two women?"
"I know. He's from our factory's staff quarters."
"Well," Wu Zhengrong didn't ask him if he could ride a bike, as if riding a bike was a natural skill that everyone was born with. He said as a matter of course, "It's easier for women to take care of each other. Xiao Zhou, please help them ride the bikes back."
"Ah?" Zhou Mu was dumbfounded.
He wanted to say that he didn't know how to ride a bike, but given the current situation, there seemed to be no one more suitable than him.
Among the three male comrades present, Xiao Qin was responsible for driving. Uncle Wu kindly stopped the car to help out of Xiao Qin's kindness. He couldn't let Uncle Wu ride back.
"Okay, then I'll trouble Uncle Wu for these two friends of mine."
"Well, be careful when riding your bike. After you deliver the bike, go home early."
Zhou Mu took the car keys and prepared to push his bike and walk home.
After getting off the car, he chatted with Wu Zhengrong for a while, calling him "Uncle Wu" all the time, which made Huang Li want to laugh.
If Ye Manzhi was awake and saw this scene, I wonder what he would feel.
Ye Manzhi was of course in a complicated mood.
She had woken up as early as when her third sister-in-law helped her out of the restaurant, and wanted to sit on the bicycle to calm down.
Who knew that before she could sit down, Zhou Mu, a Cheng Yaojin, suddenly appeared, and then she happened to meet the kind-hearted Wu Zhengrong.
She thought it would be better to continue pretending to be drunk.
Besides, it had only been a short time since her nosebleed incident, and she really didn't want to meet Captain Wu.
So, sitting in the bumpy car, Ye Manzhi closed his eyes tightly and pretended to be asleep all the way to his doorstep.
Old Ye's family lived on the third floor. Huang Li knew he couldn't carry the drunkard, so he had to go upstairs alone and call Ye Lao San or Ye Lao Si to come down and carry their drunken sister.
The driver, Xiao Qin, had been holding it in all the way, so he took the opportunity to get out of the car and pee.
In the dim jeep, only Ye Manzhi and Wu Zhengrong were left.
After Wu Zhengrong responded to the salute from the soldier on duty, he sat back in the passenger seat silently, and his slender fingers tapped on the car window from time to time, making a strange rhythmic thudding sound.
Ye Manzhi had been leaning in the car all the way, and half of her body was numb. Hearing the noise he made, she felt restless and irritable.
She was silently thinking about how to secretly and effectively relieve the numbness in her hands and feet, when Wu Zhengrong's smiling voice suddenly rang out in the carriage: "If your legs feel numb, try sleeping in a different position."
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