Chapter 21

Huo Xiao set out at one o'clock in the afternoon.

There is not enough time to prepare the big meal, but there is plenty of time to make dumplings.

It just so happens that northerners also like to eat dumplings, and they pay attention to this delicacy when welcoming or seeing off guests.

So when Huo Xiao went to pack his luggage, Li Ting divided the work with her mother-in-law.

As for the little guy who was in tears just now, he is now happily riding his favorite pony. He is really heartless.

Miaomiao, on the other hand, is very stable. Given a piece of paper and a pen, she can draw for a long time.

Ruting thought that she should be able to buy colored crayons in Tianjin. Since the little girl likes it, she could cultivate her talent in this area...

"...Time flies by so fast, in the blink of an eye."

Tingting felt that she had no control over the dumpling wrappers and rolling pins. The rolled dough was always crooked and rarely round, so she chose to make dumplings. Suddenly she heard her mother-in-law sighing, so she looked up at her. She thought she was reluctant to leave Huo Xiao: "Didn't you agree to join the army? If I go back and keep watching you every day, you might get annoyed again."

Hu Xiu smiled from ear to ear for the filial piety of her son and daughter-in-law: "It's not that, I just feel that time is not forgiving. In the blink of an eye, my youngest brother has seen his grandchildren, but he still doesn't know that I... ahem..."

"Are you bitten? Are you okay?"

Hu Xiu, who almost let the cat out of the bag, turned her head and coughed, then waved her hand to signal her daughter-in-law not to pour tea: "It's nothing... ahem... I just want to eat dumplings."

Hearing this, Li Ting joked: "Then you should eat more."

"You should eat more, but when it comes to dumplings, pork and leek are still the best."

"I like it, too. When we get to Tianjing, we can plant spring chives and grow more crops... I don't know how to plant these things, luckily mom is willing to go with me."

After hearing this, Hu Xiu, who had never even left the county town in her life and was both yearning for and hesitant about the new environment, immediately smiled like a flower: "Grow it, mom will grow you whatever you want to eat."

Ruting curled her lips: "That won't do."

"Why is it not working again?"

"You are already the best mother-in-law in the world, so shouldn't we keep a low profile? When the time comes, I can work with you and gain some good reputation, right?"

"Haha...you're such a mouth, just coax me."

"I'm not kidding. My mother said this morning that you are one of the few sensible people in the world and asked me to be a good filial son."

"Oh my god, this is terrible..."

In the east room, Huo Xiao was tidying up while listening to his mother and wife chatting and laughing.

A smile gradually appeared in his eyes because of the playfulness in the other person's words.

But this smile quickly turned into ice.

Huo Xiao strode to the rear window, quickly reached out to pick up the knife, then pushed the window open, lowering his eyes to examine the strange woman squatting on the ground.

Since the last time she put on makeup, Wang Xiuqin was severely scolded by her parents.

Later, he was convinced that she was dressed up for Chen Yingjun, the accountant of Shanghe Brigade, and stared at her closely.

In her previous life, Wang Xiuqin was determined to marry Chen Yingjun, but she suffered all her life.

How could I possibly jump into this pit of fire when I know it is a pit of fire?

The man she wants to marry is Huo Xiao, and she wants to be an official’s wife and enjoy life!

But she couldn't say this clearly. After all, she didn't know what was going on with that bad woman, Ruting. She had been waiting for him for so long and had sent him threatening letters, but he just wouldn't leave.

These days, Wang Xiuqin has been thinking about other solutions.

But no matter what I did, I felt there were flaws, so I thought about it again.

But unexpectedly, the plan could not keep up with the changes.

Wang Xiuqin could no longer sit still after learning from her parents' casual chat that Huo Xiao would be returning to the army today.

He gave his younger brother two cents and asked him to lead his parents away. He then took the opportunity to run away and went straight to the Huo family.

When you are a soldier, you'll be away for several years. Who knows when you'll be back next time?

She is already 20 years old. If she doesn't get married, she will become an old maid. She can't wait.

But...that bad woman, Ruiting, doesn't want to leave. Do we have to ask her to go and have an affair with me?

She doesn't dare!

But, she was unwilling to give up her wealthy life just like that.

In fact, she had been holding back on this reluctance for quite some time.

It all started when Ruting returned to the village and blocked her rich future.

Even now, resentment has gradually grown.

I blame her for being able to live a good life honestly.

I hate why she doesn't run far like she did in her previous life.

On the way to the Huo family, Wang Xiuqin even gradually developed evil thoughts because of these resentments.

She wanted to tell Huo Xiao directly that Lu Ting was a bad woman and she had run away in her previous life and never came back.

As for her, success or failure no longer mattered to her. As long as that bad woman, Ting Ting, could not live a good life, she would not feel at a loss and she would feel relieved.

However, the enthusiasm was soon extinguished by the biting cold.

When she arrived near the Huo family, she couldn't take the last step.

She doesn't dare!

She is afraid of death!

She had finally lived another life and could start over, but what if she was mistaken for a monster?

The more I think about it, the more scared I become, and the more scared I become, the more hesitant I become.

But...I just can't bear to give up like this.

So, in a dilemma, he just squatted and moved under the rear window where he had put the letter last time, and he was caught red-handed.

In fact, except when she was a child, Wang Xiuqin had never seen Huo Xiao.

But in my previous life, when I went back to my parents' home to beg for money, I heard that the other party had become a high-ranking official.

But no one told her that the look of a high-ranking official could be so scary!

It was as if it could strip away all her little thoughts and shame.

Wang Xiuqin had never left the town in her life, and the highest official she had ever met was the village committee secretary. How could she stand this?

I suddenly felt guilty and scared, and tried to escape as fast as I could, completely forgetting my purpose.

Seeing this, Huo Xiao didn't allow it at all and simply climbed out the window to chase after him.

In just a few steps, he pinned the man down in the snow.

Half of Wang Xiuqin's face was pressed firmly into the snow. Before she could come to her senses, she instinctively opened her throat to scream.

"Shut up!" Huo Xiao shouted in a deep voice.

Wang Xiuqin shut up subconsciously, and then realized her situation and started to struggle again: "I'm not a bad person, you let me go, I...I'm the eldest daughter of Wang Liujin's family in the village, you...you can't arrest me, what? I can't even pass by your house..."

Huo Xiao was too lazy to argue with her, but he didn't let go. Instead, he closed the window first, then dragged her a little further away, and then he said with certainty: "It was you who put the letter there last time!"

Wang Xiuqin, who was thrown to the ground and still making empty threats, felt as if her neck was strangled. Her face was filled with fear. She had never expected that Huo Ting had the courage to tell Huo Xiao about the letter.

"It's no use denying it. I can confirm it by looking at the handwriting. If you don't tell me, I'll arrest you and send you to labor camp!"

Wang Xiuqin was so scared that her usual quarreling and swearing skills were completely unavailable. She also didn't understand that the military had no right to arrest people directly and that Huo Xiao was just deceiving her. After hesitating for a long time, she vaguely expressed her desire to drive Lu Ting away and become Huo Xiao's wife.

Of course, she is regretting it now.

If she had known that Huo Xiaosheng was so vicious, like an evil spirit, how could she have dared to have any thoughts about him?

Huo Xiao looked at Wang Xiuqin, whose face was covered with tears and snot, like a mad woman, and twitched his lips. He asked again, "The letter said that you knew that Tingting was not going to the army?"

She certainly couldn't admit that she had lived a new life. Wang Xiuqin told herself in her heart: "It's just... just to scare her."

She had good intentions, but she had no idea that Huo Xiao could see something was wrong at first glance.

Sure enough, after several threats and intimidation, the ignorant Wang Xiuqin was soon frightened to the point of paralysis on the ground, and began to confess.

At the end, he covered his face and cried, saying that his life was miserable and that he had no intention of harming others. He also said that it would be better not to start over.

Huo Xiao, on the other hand, was so frightened that cold sweat broke out on his back.

It was really that what came out of Wang Xiuqin's mouth was too unbelievable.

Is there anyone in this world who can live his life again?

At first, he certainly didn't believe it.

But as Wang Xiuqin revealed the time of the great leader's death, the dragon and phoenix twins were not his biological children, and the "□□" storm in the next ten years...

One after another, they came down, leaving him no choice but to believe it.

After a long while, Huo Xiaosha finally suppressed the shock in his heart and asked in a hoarse voice: "You said... According to your memory in your previous life, Tingting never came back after she left last time?"

Wang Xiuqin looked as if she had been drained of energy, and had a desperate look on her face: "...Yes."

After receiving a positive answer, Huo Xiao tightened his hands hanging at his sides again, and the corners of his mouth became straighter and straighter.

If Huo Xiao had not met Ting Ting in person and had not been in close contact with her, he might have assumed the worst of her.

But now he is sure that Tingting is not that kind of person.

Her respect for her mother and her love for the twins could not be faked, and Huo Xiao believed that he had some ability to distinguish this.

So, in my previous life...did something happen?

Thinking of this, Huo Xiao felt a wave of discomfort in his heart again.

Then I felt very lucky, at least, at least Tingting is fine now.

As for Wang Xiuqin... we definitely can't let her go easily. After all, the events she knows are too important.

It seems like he is someone who can't keep a secret. If someone finds out something fishy about him, they can easily trick him into submission with a little rhetoric.

Before leaving, he had to hand the person over to Lao Hu.

The organization will not harm her, but she will have to live under surveillance for at least the next ten years.

And she revealed that some things, if done properly...

By the way... before handing the person over for interrogation, the false accusation against Tingting must be cleared.

Thinking of this, Huo Xiao lowered his eyes again: "Have you ever thought that if what you said about your previous life is true, then Tingting might have... met with an accident, so she can't come back."

Wang Xiuqin, who had never thought about it this way and had always heard it from others, suddenly stopped crying and looked up at the person in a daze.

After a while, Wang Xiuqin, who seemed to understand what Huo Xiao meant, thought that she had fallen into this situation entirely because of her husband, and laughed happily again, muttering: "That's good... It's good, she died earlier than me... It's better to die earlier than me..."

Huo Xiao frowned instantly, bent down, picked up the man again, sent him to the brigade headquarters first, and asked the old secretary to keep an eye on him.

There is one person missing in the village, and there must be an explanation.

Therefore, this matter could not be kept secret from the old secretary, and he had to step in to appease the family.

And he had to go to the commune again and borrow the phone to notify Lao Hu to come and pick him up.

Wait for Huo Xiao to come back from the town.

The time is already half past twelve.

That means he only has half an hour left.

Both Li Ting and Hu Xiu thought that he was going to take care of work matters, so no one asked any questions and they just started eating.

The dumplings were filled with cabbage and pork, and there were two bowls of pickled vegetables on the table, all sent by my third aunt Zhang Meihua.

Huo Xiao ate very quickly, but he would glance at his wife from time to time.

After a few times, Hu Xiu considered whether she should go to the kitchen with her bowl to eat.

Ruiting was also a little overwhelmed. With red ears, she picked up the chopsticks and quickly picked up a few pieces of meat for the man. She couldn't help but said angrily, "Eat more."

Seeing that his wife was annoyed, Huo Xiao calmed down a bit.

But soon, as if remembering something, he looked at the person and asked, "Have you ever thought about going to Workers, Peasants and Soldiers University?"

"Ah?" Li Ting was confused by her husband's sudden question: "Why do you ask this suddenly?"

Because considering my wife's previous hard work in studying, she must be very disappointed that she was not able to get a college diploma.

By the way, when universities suspended classes two years ago, many politically sensitive people knew that this was only temporary. After all, the development of a country cannot be separated from talents.

But Huo Xiao just learned from Wang Xiuqin that the university did not recover until nine years later, in the first half of 1977.

So he thought that maybe he could help Tingting get a place in the Workers, Peasants and Soldiers University.

“I don’t want to go.”

Unexpectedly! Huo Xiao did not expect his wife to be so resolute: "Are you not sorry for not having a college diploma?"

Tingting said in a very literary way: "It's a pity, but life is full of twists and turns. Besides, I want to be a teacher. Is my current academic qualification enough?"

In fact, she felt that in the next ten years, there would be no place safer than the army, and she also felt that the diplomas from the Workers, Peasants and Soldiers University were somewhat watered down.

Huo Xiao was unaware of his wife's concerns and dislike. After he was sure that she really didn't want to go to Workers, Peasants and Soldiers University, he was actually happy.

Although what I said just now sounded selfless, how could I not want a wife and children and a warm bed in my heart?

So he smiled and said, "Your education is enough for you to be a high school teacher."

Tingting was surprised: "There is a high school in the army?"

Huo Xiao: "The new unit only has junior high school students."

"Then I'll go and try to recruit a junior high school teacher."

"It's good." It's better than working as a high school teacher in the city and only seeing him once a week.

Hu Xiu who was sitting opposite started to look disgusted after hearing what happened next... She thought her son was staring at his daughter-in-law because he couldn't bear to let her go, so this is it?

The entrance of Xiangyang Brigade Village.

Minister Hu drove over alone to pick up Wang Xiuqin without bringing anyone else.

After picking up the person, I saw that it was almost time, so I waited for a while by the main road at the entrance of the village.

Sure enough, in the white sky, a familiar figure was soon seen.

He glanced coldly at Wang Xiuqin, who was sitting in the back seat with her hands and feet tied, her mouth sealed, and her head down. After making sure that she would not cause any trouble, he got out of the car to help Huo Xiao tie the bicycle to the roof.

Neither of them was in a hurry to speak.

After fixing the bike, Minister Hu took a puff of the cigarette in his mouth, exhaled a string of thick smoke, and then asked vaguely: "Would you like one?"

Huo Xiao seldom smokes, and he has no so-called addiction to cigarettes, but thinking of the series of troubles that would follow for Wang Xiuqin, and the image of his mother and wife sending him messages, he finally said, "One."

Minister Hu took out a cigarette box from his pocket and threw it over.

Huo Xiao pulled out a cigarette, turned his head to avoid the wind, half-held the match to light the cigarette, took a deep breath, and then he felt that the complicated emotions in his heart were relieved a little.

Seeing this, Minister Hu asked with a smile: "I see that you are reluctant to leave your wife in this situation, right?"

Huo Xiao leaned against the car, squinting in the direction of home, and did not deny: "I can't bear to leave."

Minister Hu was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter: "Hey! It's only been a few days... and you have come to this! You are too weak! I didn't even know who you were before? You ignored everyone who introduced you to someone."

Huo Xiao let him tease him, looked at the village from a distance, then turned around and got on the co-pilot's seat: "Let's go."

At most one month, and in one month he would take them to Tianjin for a reunion.

Minister Hu: "Okay, I'll take you to the train station later, and we can use the time we save to discuss this matter with my brother. What should we do? Hey, what do you call this?"

"...become."

Every time Huo Xiao left, Hu Xiu would feel uncomfortable for several days.

This time, I feel much more stable because I know we will be reunited in a month or so.

Of course, it can also be said that there is no time to be sad.

Huo Xiao had only set out for about twenty minutes when Chen Guilan came running over in a rage, dragging Danier with her.

It was also at this time that Li Ting found out that Chen Guilan was reluctant to give up her blind date and had secretly taken her daughter to see him in the morning.

As for why he is so angry and even swearing, it is because not only did the blind date fail, but the five dollars he had in his pocket was also stolen by the blind date partner.

Because it was so bizarre, after being shocked, Ting couldn't help but ask: "How did Second Aunt know that it was the blind date who stole the money? What if it was lost?"

Hu Xiu hugged the red-eyed Da Ni and said angrily to her sister-in-law, "Didn't that kid say it was inappropriate? Why did you go? Look how you are wronging the child."

"It must be him. We met under the big locust tree in the town. There was no one else around. Danier said she didn't want to be with her boyfriend, so he bumped into me, and then the money was gone." Chen Guilan didn't care about anything else for the moment. All she had in mind was the 5 yuan. Now she just wanted to ask her nephew to make the decision.

In her opinion, her eldest nephew looked powerful and capable, and he was also a military officer. Even if he was the son of the workshop director, she would not dare to do anything and would make him return the money. Chen Guilan had never suffered such a big loss in her life.

That's 5 bucks!

No, you have to pay additional compensation!

At least two cans of oranges!

Yellow peach is also OK...

After hearing her request, Hu Xiujian almost wanted to hit her, and said angrily: "The boy has already returned to the army."

"What? Why so fast?" Chen Guilan felt as if something had struck her from the blue sky and she felt terrible.

Hu Xiu was rarely angry, and slammed the table: "What? Can I lie to you?"

Seeing her sister-in-law getting angry, Chen Guilan shrank her neck. She realized belatedly that she was a little scared, but she couldn't help but explain: "I'm not a prostitute. This is all for the good of Da Nier. If she can marry in the city and not work in the fields, won't she enjoy a life of luxury? It doesn't matter if a man is short. It's the same when the lights are turned off..."

"What are you talking about? Danier is still a girl!" Hu Xiu really wanted to take action.

Miaomiao was sitting on Ruting's lap. She subconsciously covered the boy's ears, thinking that she and Miaomiao were also girls.

The eldest nephew returned to the army, and she did not dare to go to the people in the city to argue. Chen Guilan felt upset and distressed that she could not get the 5 yuan back. She held her head and kept muttering: "It must be that little winter melon who stole it. I touched my pocket a few minutes ago, and it was gone after I saw him. Who else could it be? That was 5 yuan, which could buy several pounds of pork..."

Seeing her like this, Hu Xiu felt angry and distressed. Just when she was about to say that she would compensate her with the 5 yuan, she saw her daughter-in-law shaking her head at her.

Seeing this, although Hu Xiu didn't understand the reason, he still suppressed the words that were about to come out of his mouth and turned to ask Danier what was going on.

Hearing this, Danier's eyes became red again. She was really hurt by her mother today.

The girl who used to blush when talking to others, now became eloquent because of anger: "My mother didn't tell me the specific situation of the man, only that he was from the city, was paid by the government, and was a junior high school student. But when we met, the man... the man looked at least half a head shorter than me, and I was unhappy. My mother advised me that it was okay as long as he was a good person, and insisted that I talk to him alone. But before I could say a few words, he asked me if I had ever been with someone before, whether I had... had ever been with a man in the woods, and said that to be a daughter-in-law in their family, not only must I be frugal and manage the household, but I must also be clean. He also complained that I was too thin, too short, and had a small butt, and was afraid that I would not be able to give birth to a son, so he would give me a maximum of 8 yuan as a betrothal gift..."

I even wanted to touch her hand, but she dodged it. However, she couldn't say it out loud because she was afraid that if it got out, others would misunderstand her as a playboy.

But when she thought about it now, the little girl was still shaking with anger.

"What the hell? Who said you are too skinny to give birth to a son? I am five or six centimeters shorter than you, but I still gave birth to three sons? And they are all tall?" Chen Guilan, who was just thinking about pretending to be pitiful to her sister-in-law in the hope that she would give her some good things, suddenly jumped up again, put her hands on her hips and cursed angrily.

Ruting was speechless. Did the second aunt only grasp this one key point? Danier was also very embarrassed.

The mother was unreliable, and the reliable mother-in-law was so angry at the second aunt that she was speechless. Ru Ting could only come out to comfort her, "Don't be angry, Da Ni'er. Let's just think of it as stepping on dog shit. I'll find someone to beat him up later, okay?"

Hearing this, Hu Xiu felt a little relieved when she thought of her son beating up the town commune's reactionary who wanted to touch her daughter-in-law two days ago. "Yes, your eldest cousin's wife is right. It's not worth getting angry over such a person. We'll find someone to beat him up later."

Chen Guilan came up and said, "The money..."

Hu Xiu had already figured out why her daughter-in-law didn't allow her to make up for the loss, so she frowned and scolded her, "There's no money! The 5 yuan is just a lesson."

Chen Guilan was unwilling to do so and quickly said, "I have learned my lesson. Look, sister-in-law, I have blisters on my lips after such a short while."

Hu Xiu is a good-tempered person and is willing to give appropriate subsidies to her two brothers-in-law's families. After all, she has received a lot of care from both families during the years she has been a widow and raising children. However, this does not mean that she has no bottom line.

Especially after hearing Danier's crying, she hardened her heart and asked, "Now you know that good people and bad people should not be divided according to city people and country people?"

Of course Chen Guilan knew it, but some things are deeply rooted and cannot be changed overnight, so even if she didn't talk back this time, there was still some disapproval on her face.

Apparently, after this lesson, she still thinks everything in the city is good.

Seeing this, Hu Xiu lost his patience instantly and pointed outside the door: "Get lost, I get angry when I see you, go back quickly."

Tingting added: "Daniel, stay at home for a few days. It's a good opportunity to teach sister-in-law how to make the thousand-layer cake."

Danier was just trapped in the village, she had never seen the world and was a little naive, but she was not stupid. She naturally understood that her eldest cousin's wife was afraid that she would be punished by her mother when she returned.

So, even though I felt a little embarrassed, I still shyly agreed.

night.

Hu Xiu is accustomed to sleeping with the twins.

So Danier slept with Luting.

The little girl lay in the quilt, looking at her eldest sister-in-law who was sitting at the dressing table and fixing her waist-length hair. She thought that her sister-in-law was so pretty and gentle, and she hoped that she could become as good as her when she grew up.

Li Ting could naturally feel the girl's straightforward gaze. She put down her comb, gathered all her long hair behind her body, and then got up and got on the kang.

After lying down outside, he asked, "I keep calling you Dani, but I don't even know your name."

"My full name is Huo Nini." Danier's face turned red. When they were lying shoulder to shoulder, she realized that her eldest cousin's wife was full of fragrance, which seemed to be the smell of cold cream, but also seemed not to be.

Although she was clean and had no lice on her head or body, she had never used lotion, so she moved further into the bed, feeling a little embarrassed.

Ruiting sincerely praised: "This name is nice."

Da Ni was at a loss. Does "Ni" sound good? Plus, the surname sounds like "mud". Besides, all girls are called "Ni". Thinking this way, she asked the question. Before she finished, she enviously said, "The third uncle's daughter's name is Furong, which is better. It was given by my aunt."

"Nini is also good, meaning cute and smart." It's not that Furong doesn't sound good, it's just that Huo Nini is more special in this era.

Thinking of this, Li Ting couldn't help but feel fortunate that her original body and her elder sister Li Ting were named after herbs by the barefoot doctor in the village.

He is much more particular than the three brothers Lu Ming, Lu Wei and Lu Hong.

Danier never knew that her name actually represented cuteness and cleverness. She felt soft-hearted and thought that although her eldest cousin's wife was beautiful and knowledgeable, she was very approachable.

So I couldn't help but ask my little girl what she was thinking: "Sister-in-law, do you think getting married is a good idea?"

Ruting came back to his senses and turned his head to look at the little girl: "Were you scared by the blind date today?"

Danier lowered her eyes and murmured uncomfortably, "A little bit."

It seems that he is the same as himself. In his previous life, when he was in college, he tried to date someone, and he was a school hunk.

He looked like a decent guy. The first date was at noon. He asked her out for lunch and after dinner he said he would go home to get something.

She was only 19 years old at the time, and was protected by her parents and brother so she didn't understand anything. She didn't understand the hidden meaning at all and was so stupid.

Unexpectedly, when they arrived at the destination, the person started to make a move. Scared, she burst into tears, slapped the person in the face, and then ran out of the door.

Because she was so scared, during her four years in college, no matter which male classmate pursued her, she thought he was trash.

When I got older, I was busy preparing for the postgraduate entrance exam. When I finally became a teacher, I thought I was liberated.

But she doesn't want a new person to cause too much trouble. Even if she is mature and knows that men are divided into good and bad, she still doesn't have time to find a partner.

Of course, the main reason is that people in later generations were much more tolerant than they are now, and whether to get married or not was entirely up to fate.

In addition, my brother, who is five years older than me, is still unmarried, so most of my parents' attention is focused on him.

But...that is also the future.

In today's society, if a girl doesn't get married, she will be drowned by spit.

Although she thought she was stronger than Danier, she did not dare to try it lightly, let alone such a soft-tempered girl.

Forget about advising people not to get married.

Thinking of this, Lu Ting, who also had no relationship experience, said honestly: "I don't know whether it is good to get married or not. After all, I have only met your cousin for a few days. But we are getting along pretty well. Your cousin is responsible, has a good temper, cares about the family, has a stable income, and your mother-in-law is also a good mother-in-law, which is very important. In addition, your cousin is also good-looking..."

Eh? The more she talked, the more she felt like she had gotten a great bargain. What was going on?

After all, if Huo Xiao were to live in later generations, he would definitely be considered a male god, right?

Obviously, the eldest cousin's wife didn't say anything embarrassing, but the 17-year-old girl blushed for no reason. After a long while, she hummed like a mosquito: "...The eldest cousin's wife must like the eldest cousin very much."

葶...What's going on with all of you people with the surname Huo, from childhood to adulthood?