After dinner, the family sat together in the house, giving Ruan Zhigao and Liu Xinghua advice on what gifts to buy when they went to Qian Chuan's house to propose marriage. Ruan Cuizhi happened to have lived in the town and knew more about the customs there.
In fact, it was just to bring some decent food to match the atmosphere of a wedding, buy more sweet things, such as rock sugar and white sugar egg cake, apple and orange fruit candy, and of course the rest was the indispensable gift.
In addition to the gift, other things could not be prepared in the mountains, so they had to go to the town to prepare them. It was convenient to say that they could go to the town to prepare everything, turn around and go to Qian's house to present the gifts, and then the engagement was considered done.
Although Ruan Changsheng and Qian Chuan were in love, they had to follow all the proper etiquette when it came to engagement and marriage, and they could not neglect it at all. So the day before going to the town, Liu Xinghua found a matchmaker.
This matchmaker was very worry-free. She didn't have to run errands and talk in the middle, and she didn't have to go back and forth to say good things for the other party. She just picked up a ready-made marriage and was so happy that her mouth was about to smile crookedly.
Because Ruan Zhigao and Liu Xinghua were not young anymore, especially Liu Xinghua's legs and feet were not good, so it was not as good as the young people who could go back and forth, so Ruan Changsheng found a childhood friend who was good at it, went to the tailor shop to carry the sedan chair over, and planned to carry the sedan chair to the town.
On the morning of the day when they were preparing to leave, Ruan Zhigao and Liu Xinghua couldn't sleep and got up early. The two of them were talking in the room about which clothes would be appropriate and good-looking. Their son's marriage proposal was a big deal and they couldn't lose face.
Especially since the girl's family was from the town, they had to look more respectable.
Hearing their talk, Ruan Cuizhi, Ruan Xi and Ruan Jie went in with a smile. Ruan Cuizhi helped Ruan Zhigao and Liu Xinghua find suitable clothes to wear, and combed Liu Xinghua's hair with a comb, combing her hair neatly behind her head.
Liu Xinghua was satisfied and said, "It's just that the road is far, and I'm afraid it will be chaotic before we get to the town."
Ruan Cuizhi smiled and said, "Then I'll go with you?"
Liu Xinghua followed up with, "It's not impossible, let's take this opportunity to go and have some fun. How long have you been in the mountains? Forget about us old people, you young people should go out more often to see and have fun."
Ruan Cuizhi looked at Ruan Xi and Ruan Jie and whispered, "Do you want to go?"
Ruan Xi looked at Ruan Jie, and Ruan Jie didn't hesitate this time, and quickly responded, "I'll go!"
Ruan Jie, who was so afraid of walking on mountain roads, didn't hesitate to go, so Ruan Xi naturally nodded and agreed.
So after the family finished breakfast, they all packed up and prepared to go to the town together.
But if the whole family left, there would be no one left at home, which was also a problem. After all, people in the countryside raised chickens and dogs, which needed to be taken care of.
Ruan Changgui and Sun Xiaohui could not be relied on, and Liu Xinghua did not want to trouble them because of their bad relationship, so she went to find Grandma Zhao and asked her with a smile: "Help me feed the chickens for a few days, and all the eggs these days will be yours."
The pigs had been fattened and handed over, so there was no need to trouble them anymore.
As there were eggs to be won, Mrs. Zhao was naturally very willing to do it. Moreover, she knew that Liu Xinghua was going to the town to propose marriage to Ruan Changsheng, so she smiled and said, "Your Xiao Wuzi is really good. He found a wife by himself without you having to worry about anything. And he found such a good one."
Liu Xinghua smiled and said, "My Xiao Wuzi is only capable of this."
Mrs. Zhao said, "Is this a small skill? This is a big skill!"
There are so many men in the village, but I have never heard of anyone finding a wife by himself. They were all found by matchmakers and brought together.
Liu Xinghua just smiled at what she said, and felt very comfortable.
She had to hurry to the town and didn't have much time to waste, so she didn't talk to Grandma Zhao anymore and just said, "I have to hurry. Please help me look after the chickens. I'll treat you to wedding candy when I come back!"
Grandma Zhao smiled and said, "No problem, just go."
When Liu Xinghua went to find Grandma Zhao, Ruan Xi and Ruan Jie took the opportunity to run to the hanging building.
When they went there, the Ling family had just finished breakfast.
Ruan Xi greeted Ling Zhiyuan and Zhou Xueyun, smiled at Ling Yao and asked Zhou Xueyun, "Auntie, our family is going to the town to buy New Year's goods today, and we are all going with you. Do you want to go with us? It will be more lively if we walk together." When Ling
Yao heard this, he decisively picked up his schoolbag and put it on.
Zhou Xueyun had indeed been thinking about when to go to the town these days, whether to go by herself or let Ling Zhiyuan go. Now that Ruan Xi had come, and seeing Ling Yao's attitude, she no longer hesitated, and smiled and said, "Then let's go together, I'll just pack up."
Zhou Xueyun packed up simply, leaving Ling Zhiyuan at home to look after the house, and she and Ling Yao followed Ruan Xi and Ruan Jie to leave.
The four of them walked to Ruan's house, and Liu Xinghua just happened to come back, and the matchmaker who had been invited yesterday also arrived.
After everyone gathered, a group of people went together, talking and laughing, and went to the town to meet up.
Ruan Changsheng and his childhood friend carried Liu Xinghua on a sedan chair, and Ruan Zhigao and the matchmaker followed beside them, which made Liu Xinghua feel embarrassed. Zhou Xueyun and Ruan Cuizhi followed behind, each carrying a large cloth bag on their shoulders, followed by Ruan Xi, Ruan Jie and Ling Yao.
After walking for a while, Ruan Jie suddenly said, "I want to make a wish. I hope that I can catch a movie showing in the town this time."
Ruan Xi put her hand on her shoulder and said with a smile, "Then my wish is that your wish will come true."
Ling Yao continued, "Then my wish is that Xixi's wish will come true."
After that, the three of them laughed happily together. Zhou Xueyun and Ruan Cuizhi heard the laughter and looked back at them from the front.
Zhou Xueyun also smiled, turned around and said to Ruan Cuizhi: "My Yaoyao is so happy only when he is with Xixi."
Ruan Cuizhi suddenly felt emotional for some reason, "When I was a child, I was really happy. Although I lived a poor life, I didn't have any worries or troubles. I could be happy for several days when I was with good friends or ate a piece of candy. Sometimes I would even wake up from laughing in my dreams. It would be great if the three of them could always be so happy together."
But people have to grow up, and they all have to move forward to their own lives.
Zhou Xueyun glanced at Ruan Cuizhi, raised his hand and put it on her shoulder, "Just be happy when you can be happy."
Ruan Cuizhi smiled, "I'm really disappointing."
Since it was disappointing, she naturally stopped talking about it and changed the topic to talk about something happy.
Because of Ruan Zhigao and Liu Xinghua, it took Ruan Xi and his friends a little longer to get to the town than usual. They arrived in the early morning, which was the day that Ruan Changsheng and Qian Chuan had agreed to go to the Qian family to propose marriage.
The group of people used the well to wash up. Ruan Cuizhi took out the comb she had prepared in her bag and helped Liu Xinghua to tidy up her hair again so that she could go to Qian's house in a decent manner.
Of course, Ruan Cuizhi, Ruan Xi and Ruan Jie did not go to Qian's house. After Ruan Changsheng bought the gifts and took Ruan Zhigao, Liu Xinghua, the matchmaker and his childhood friend to Qian's house, they stayed in the market with Zhou Xueyun and Ling Yao to buy things.
The five people went shopping in the store to buy cloth. Ruan Cuizhi pulled up the cloth and put it on Ruan Xi and Ruan Jie to compare. She would buy them the pattern that looked better on them.
The five people stayed in the state-owned store for a long time and bought a lot of things.
Ruan Cuizhi saw a can of malted milk in the store. This was something that was rarely seen in the town. She was so rare and expensive that she asked the salesperson out of curiosity, "Excuse me, how much is that malted milk?" The
salesperson was very busy recently, so his attitude was naturally worse than usual. He glanced and said, "One pound of sugar ticket plus four yuan."
Hearing this price, Ruan Jie's eyes widened immediately - what is so expensive? Can you become an immortal if you eat it?
Ruan Cuizhi looked at the can of malted milk and hesitated whether to buy it. Of course, she wanted to buy it not because she wanted to eat it herself, but because she wanted everyone in her family to try it, especially Ruan Zhigao and Liu Xinghua, who had never eaten this kind of thing in their lives, but they did think it was too expensive.
A pound of pork only costs 70 or 80 cents, but this thing costs four pieces!
She asked Ruan Xi: "Just this one can, do you want it?"
Ruan Xi opened her mouth but hadn't said anything yet, when she suddenly heard a voice from behind: "Cuizhi?"
She turned around and saw an old lady standing in front of her. The old lady was holding a little boy of five or six years old in her hands. Next to the little boy was a little girl about ten years old, both of them were a little dirty.
Ruan Xi knew the little boy and the little girl. The little girl was Ruan Cuizhi's second daughter Erni, and the little boy was her youngest son Xiaohu. Ruan Xi didn't know the old lady, but she could tell that she should be the grandmother of Erni and Xiaohu.
After hearing the voice, Ruan Cuizhi also looked at the mother Liu who called her.
Seeing Liu's mother's face, and then Erni and Xiaohuzi, the smile on Ruan Cuizhi's face froze, frozen at the corner of her mouth, and then the originally relaxed and cheerful expression on her face gradually disappeared, and slowly became gray.
She froze in place, without calling Liu's mother, nor Erni and Xiaohuzi.
Liu's mother walked in front of her, looked at her with tears in her eyes, and called out again: "Cuizhi."
It sounded like calling a soul, and it seemed that if she called a few more times, Ruan Cuizhi would go back with her.
Ruan Xi didn't look at Liu's mother and Erni and Xiaohuzi any more. She pointed at the counter with her finger and said to the salesperson: "We want this bottle of maltose. Please bring it to us."
The salesperson came over and took the maltose and threw it directly on the counter.
Ruan Xi raised his hand and grabbed Ruan Cuizhi's arm, shaking her twice: "Third Aunt, pay."
Ruan Cuizhi came to her senses and hurriedly took out her wallet from her bag.
After taking it out, she found a pound of sugar tickets and four yuan from it and handed them directly to the salesperson.
Ruan Xi picked up the malted milk and asked her: "What else do you want to buy?"
Ruan Cuizhi felt a little uncomfortable and answered randomly: "Let's take a look... let's take a look..."
She was just about to leave when she heard Liu's mother say in a pitiful tone: "Cuizhi, are you really not coming back? You haven't seen the children for such a long time, don't you miss them?"
Ruan Cuizhi stopped and asked without turning back: "Do they miss me?"
Liu's mother pulled Erni and Xiaohuzi with her hands, but the two children did not cooperate with her. Not only did he not cooperate, but Xiao Huzi also shouted, "You don't want us anymore, you don't care about us anymore, you are a bad mother!"
Ruan Cuizhi lowered her eyebrows and did not respond to Xiao Huzi's words. She only said to Liu's mother, "If Liu Xiong thinks it through and agrees to divorce one day, let the postman on the mountain give me a letter, and I will go with him to the Revolutionary Committee to handle the formalities."
After saying that, without giving Liu's mother a chance to speak, she took Ruan Xi away.
Zhou Xueyun, Ling Yao and Ruan Jie did not speak from beginning to end. Seeing Ruan Cuizhi and Ruan Xi leave, they hurriedly followed them.
Mother Liu was very upset to see Ruan Cuizhi leave like this. She turned to Erni and Xiaohuzi and said, "You said that and stabbed her in the heart. How can she come back? If you don't say something nice, she might never come back in this lifetime."
It was so hard to meet them here, but who knew that these two children were more stupid than each other.
Seeing their own mother, they didn't even cry to her.
As a result, Xiaohuzi looked up at Mother Liu, "Grandma, didn't you and Dad say all this?"
Mother Liu: "..."
Forget it, since it's like this, it doesn't matter if they don't come back.
Mother Liu took Erni and Xiaohuzi for a walk outside, and went back to make lunch when it was almost noon.
After Liu Xiong and his father came back and sat down to eat, she suddenly said, "I saw your wife in the state-owned store today."
Liu Xiong was stunned when he heard this, and looked at his mother and asked, "Ruan Cuizhi?"
His mother poked the rice in the bowl, "How many wives do you have?"
Liu Xiong snorted, "What's wrong? Can't you stay in your mother's house anymore and are you ready to come back?"
His mother looked at him, "Ready to come back? I'm afraid she will never be able to stay in her life. " She doesn’t want to come back. She said she will wait for you to agree to the divorce. She will ask the postman to deliver a letter and she will come down the mountain to handle the formalities with you. She has changed a lot. I almost didn’t recognize her.
Liu Xiong said disdainfully, “What can she change into?”
Before Liu’s mother could say anything, Erni said, “She has become younger and prettier. She wears beautiful clothes. She has also become very rich. She bought a can of malt extract for her niece in the store. Last year, she The one who came before."
Liu Xiong turned to look at Erni, frowning: "Your mother? Ruan Cuizhi?"
Erni nodded, "It's her."
Liu Xiong looked at Liu's mother again, "Really?"
Liu's mother hummed, "She looks a lot younger, and she dresses like a fairy, which is particularly ugly. The money should not be her own, it must be that her two elders asked her to come down to buy New Year's goods. She has been at her mother's house for more than a year, and it seems that she has not lived a good life. It won't work. I bought a can of maltose for four yuan. I'm afraid I wo
n't be able to make it next year." Liu Xiong sighed softly and said after a long while, "Let her continue. I wonder how long she can stay at her parents' home."
This time, she saw Ruan Cuizhi in person, saw how cruel she was to the children, saw that she was no longer as simple and capable of living as before, and was not as pleasing in her flashy appearance. Liu's mother didn't like it in her heart and felt that there was no need to wait for her to come back.
Besides, it was not a good idea for them to drag it on like this. The children must have a mother.
Ruan Cuizhi is in this state now. I don't know where her mind is. How can she be a daughter-in-law and a mother of four children? The Liu family doesn't want her anymore.
Who wants a woman who can't live a down-to-earth life?
She chose Ruan Cuizhi as her daughter-in-law and liked her because she saw that she was down-to-earth, virtuous and knew how to live. After marriage, she was indeed like this. Now that this advantage is gone, she doesn't want Ruan Cuizhi as her daughter-in-law anymore.
So she took a deep breath, looked at Liu Xiong and said, "Why don't you just divorce her, so I can find a matchmaker to find you another one. If you keep dragging it on for years, it will be even harder for you to find one as you get older. Besides, if you don't divorce, aren't you leaving her a way out? If she can't stay in her parents' home anymore, she can come back. Is it that easy? I say don't drag it on any longer, just get a clean divorce and live your own lives. She has the reputation of being a troublemaker who is not a faithful wife, and everyone knows that she is restless. It will be harder than climbing to the sky for her to find a good family for her second marriage. All four children don't recognize her. She can't rely on her parents and brothers for her whole life. There will be a day when she regrets, but there is no need for us to wait. "
After hearing this, Liu's father also said: "I also think that we should not waste time with her anymore, it is not worth it. She is restless and noisy, making people laugh at her. She even doesn't want children. She has been gone for a year and a half. Why should we waste time with such a person? At her age, it is her business if she doesn't want to live a good life. We can't accompany her. We still have to live a good life."
Liu Xiong looked at Liu's mother and then at Liu's father, lowered his eyebrows and poked the rice in the bowl, thinking that he had a job, a house and a bicycle, and it would not be difficult to find another partner. There is really no need to waste time with Ruan Cuizhi.
What good can be gained by wasting time like this?
Even if Ruan Cuizhi remarried, she could only marry a second-married man from the mountains, and there was no way that her conditions would be better than his.
She really couldn't rely on her parents and brothers for her whole life, so it would be too late to regret.
He waited until she had done enough and regretted it before letting her come back?
If she wanted a man, she had a man, and if she wanted a child, she had a child?
Was he a fool?
After thinking it through, he said, "Then let's wait until after the Chinese New Year."
Ruan Zhigao and Liu Xinghua took Ruan Changsheng to the Qian family to propose marriage and exchange gifts. They chatted in a friendly manner for the whole morning, and all the gifts that should be exchanged were exchanged, and all the things that should be discussed were discussed, and even the date of the wedding was set.
They chatted until noon and did not stay at the Qian family for lunch. They went out to the state-owned canteen to meet Ruan Cuizhi and the others.
It was impossible to save money on a matter like a son's marriage, so the lunch was naturally treated by the Ruan family.
Zhou Xueyun, who did not help at all, felt embarrassed and just stuffed the money and grain coupons into Ruan Cuizhi's hands.
When they sat down to eat, Ruan Cuizhi asked Ruan Changsheng: "How is it? Is it going well?"
It was all agreed in advance, how could it not go smoothly.
Ruan Changsheng smiled and said: "We will get married in May next year."
Ruan Cuizhi laughed when she heard this, "Then my parents can rest assured."
Ruan Zhigao just nodded, "Don't leave in a hurry, I will go to the post office this afternoon and write a letter to your eldest brother directly."
Liu Xinghua said: "Even if he sends it
, he may not be able to find time to come back." Ruan Zhigao said: "It's our business whether he says it or not, and it's his business whether he can come back or not."
Ruan Xi was eating noodles next to her, and it seemed like she was listening to something that had nothing to do with her. She didn't react for a while. The eldest brother that Ruan Zhigao was talking about was "her" biological father, Ruan Changfu.
Because Ruan Changsheng's wedding was the main event today, and it was a festive occasion, Ruan Cuizhi and Ruan Xi did not mention the encounter with Liu's mother and Erni Xiaohuzi in the state-owned store in the morning, and they just pretended that nothing had happened. Why would they
bring it up? It would only spoil the fun.
A group of people were eating noodles and talking in the cafeteria. The atmosphere was very festive. Suddenly, a staff member in the cafeteria said, "Hey, there's a movie showing on the playground of Tianfeng Middle School tonight. Do you want to go and watch it?" No
matter how noisy it was, Ruan Jie caught the words immediately.
She turned her head and looked at the two staff members who were talking.
Another staff member said, "What's showing tonight?"
"I really don't know, but it's the same old movies over and over again. What's new?"
Hearing this, Ruan Jie swallowed the noodles in her mouth, grabbed Ruan Xi's arm and shook it vigorously twice. She was extremely excited but lowered her voice and said, "Sister, did you hear just now? My wish came true. There's really a movie showing today!"
Ruan Xi certainly heard it. When Ruan Jie stopped shaking her, she looked at Ruan Zhigao and said, "Grandpa, did you hear it? There's a movie showing here in the commune today. Your granddaughter wants to stay tonight to watch a movie."
Many people in the village didn't see the movie. After the movie, Ruan Zhigao looked at Ruan Xi, then at Ruan Jie, and after a moment said: "Then we won't go back tonight, let's stay together to watch a movie, and stay in the guesthouse tonight."
Ruan Jie stamped her feet happily: "Great!"
Ruan Xi smiled and looked at her and said: "You must go early to get a seat, it's best to sit in the first row. Otherwise, if you go late, you can't see anything standing at the back, just like me and Ling Yao did last time."
Ruan Jie nodded vigorously, "Then go early!"
In the afternoon, Ruan Xi and Ruan Changsheng and the others still split up.
Ruan Changsheng followed Ruan Zhigao to the post office first, wrote a letter on the spot, bought stamps and envelopes, and mailed the letter. Then the two went to the guesthouse again, and with Ruan Zhigao's identity as the brigade secretary, they paid for a place to stay.
Ruan Xi and Liu Xinghua went to the market to buy things. They bought all the New Year's goods and put them in the arranged bungalow. Then they rushed to the playground of Tianfeng Middle School without stopping.
When they arrived, the movie screen had just been hung up. Ruan Xi and her friends went directly to the most suitable place in front of the screen and sat down. They sat on the grass and occupied the best position and did not move again.
It would take a while for the sun to set, so they sat here to rest.
Ruan Xi sat in the middle, Ling Yao, Zhou Xueyun and Ruan Cuizhi sat on his left, Ruan Jie, Liu Xinghua and the matchmaker who came with them sat on his right. As for Ruan Zhigao, Ruan Changsheng and his childhood friend, they did not care much.
They were all tall, so it was no problem for them to stand at the back and watch.
While waiting, Ruan Xi chatted with Ling Yao and Ruan Jie, and played some small games when they had nothing to do. When they were having fun, they laughed out loud, which made Zhou Xueyun and Ruan Cuizhi happy.
It was not easy to wait until it got dark, and the projectionist turned on the projector, and a beam of light hit the screen.
When the movie officially started, everyone on the playground tacitly fell silent, and then only the music and voices of the characters in the movie, as well as the sound of the film reel turning on the projector, could be heard.
Ruan Xi felt tired from sitting so she propped her
face up with her palms. She propped her face up to watch the movie for a while, then subconsciously turned her head to the right to look at Ruan Jie, only to see Ruan Jie staring at the movie screen without blinking, with the faint light from the movie screen reflected on her small face.
She turned her head to the left again to look at Ling Yao, and her eyes met with Ling Yao's.
They were both stunned for a moment, and then laughed together in tacit understanding, without making any sound, with the same arc of their eyes and mouth corners.
Ruan Xi propped her face up to look at the movie screen again, thinking silently in her heart - I wonder if my life is also like an old movie with snowflakes, and this scene under the screen today, I will often recall it in the long years to come.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
