Chapter 23

Finally, considering all the troubles that might arise, Hu Xiu decided to sell the house.

It’s because my daughter-in-law said that if we really come back to settle down in the future, we can build a new house.

The Huo family is the only family in the village that has a brick and tile house, except for the old secretary's family.

Every detail is meticulous, even the floor is paved with bricks, so the price is naturally not low, a full five hundred yuan.

This is just the cost of the building materials; all the big furniture is included in the cost.

Many families were interested in the idea, but only a few in the village could afford 500 yuan.

Hu Xiu would rather sell the house to her two uncles, even if it were cheaper and the money could be paid over several years.

But after several days of deliberation, the two companies still did not dare to take on such a huge debt.

So, to her surprise, the house ended up in the hands of a male educated youth.

He is from Beijing and is said to be buying a house for the purpose of getting married.

Now the two parties have signed the contract under the supervision of witnesses, but they can stay until the day of departure.

Of course, selling the house doesn’t mean everything will be easy.

As the departure draws near, I become more and more busy.

Hu Xiu spent the whole day leading her two sisters-in-law to do the final cleanup.

The pots, bowls, pans, and other items that could be taken away were packed up and taken away, and those that could not be taken away and were not large pieces of furniture were all given to Chen Guilan and Zhang Meihua.

Tingting is more responsible for taking care of the children, or accompanying her parents, brothers and sisters-in-law who come to visit her every few days.

Time passed by in such a busy manner and slowly entered March.

That afternoon, just after seeing her parents off, guests came to her house.

The young soldier in a half-worn military uniform was named Wang Hai, and he was a soldier under Minister Hu.

I came here to give train tickets to Tingting and the others.

Upon learning that the other party had ridden a bicycle for more than fifty kilometers from the county town, Ruiting, who was still not accustomed to modern means of transportation, hurriedly greeted the person into the house to keep warm and made him a cup of tea.

Wang Hai was only 19 years old, with dark skin and a simple and honest look. He felt a little embarrassed. After taking a few gulps, he quickly took out two train tickets from his pocket and handed them over: "Sister-in-law, the train is at 5:10 pm tomorrow. Headmaster Huo said that the mission is heavy and he really can't spare the time to come back, so he asked Minister Hu to arrange someone to take you to the train. When you get off at Tianjing Station, someone will pick you up... By the way, Minister Hu also said that he will pick you up at 10 am tomorrow. Is that okay?"

"No problem. Thank you, Comrade Xiao Wang." Li Ting agreed immediately. He was not surprised that Huo Xiao could not come back. After all, he had mentioned this possibility when he left.

On the contrary, Hu Xiu, thinking of the seven or eight large bags piled in the small room, felt embarrassed but reluctant: "Then... the luggage must be further streamlined."

After hearing what her mother-in-law said, Lu Ting twitched her lips and thought that it was better that Huo Xiao didn't come back, after all, his mother simply treated him like an animal.

Moreover, she really felt that it was necessary to simplify things, such as the two large iron pots that had been repaired several times, and the urinal that had been cleaned and the paint had peeled off...

Thinking of this, Li Ting pinched his brows again. Just as he was about to say a few words of advice, he saw Comrade Wang Hai smiling with big white teeth and said enthusiastically: "Don't worry about the luggage, auntie. We soldiers have plenty of strength and will arrange it for you!"

Hu Xiu's eyes lit up, but then he felt embarrassed: "Isn't this too difficult? There are so many things."

Wang Hai smiled even more sincerely, patting his chest repeatedly: "It's okay, it's okay, it's normal to have a lot of things when you go on a long journey."

Ruting stood up with a stifled laugh: "How about I take you to have a look first?"

Wang Hai didn't understand why, but he stood up anyway.

Then, when he saw the luggage packed tightly together in the small room, the young man, who had not yet experienced the harshness of society, gradually froze his smile...

Because I was leaving the next day.

After seeing Wang Hai off, Hu Xiu prepared to inform her sisters-in-law to prepare a wedding dinner in the evening.

After putting on the thick quilt and opening the door, she turned to look at her daughter-in-law and said, "I'll ask your third aunt's Dahai to go to the Happiness Brigade and bring a message to my in-laws, okay?"

Li Ting smiled and replied: "Thank you, Mom, you are still thoughtful."

Hu Xiu smiled and scolded her daughter-in-law, then said, "The in-laws just went back not long ago. How about asking Dahai to tell them to come back tomorrow morning?"

Ruting thought the same thing: "Okay, I'll tell my parents that we don't need to come too early."

"Oh, I understand."

At the evening dinner, Hu Xiu also invited the old secretary.

However, the old man was old, and after eating and drinking, he suggested going back.

With so many women in the room, it was not convenient for the second and third uncles of the Huo family to stay for long at night, so they simply sent the old man away.

Chen Guilan and Zhang Meihua stayed behind to help clean up the leftovers and prepare dry food for the train.

It was freezing cold, and I didn't plan to prepare any fresh food, so I just made the small steamed buns that I brought for Huo Xiao last time.

While Zhang Meihua was busy kneading dough, Chen Guilan moved a stool and sat beside her, eating melon seeds and muttering to her sister-in-law that she was going to the big city to enjoy life.

After being extremely envious, he talked about Wang Xiuqin, the eldest daughter of Wang Liujin's family: "Why is she so lucky? She just did a small favor for an official and was given a job in the county. Why don't I have such good luck? Why didn't I get such a chance? Maybe I can become an official, too. That would be really impressive."

After he finished speaking, he still felt unconvinced and muttered, "God is blind. I am such a kind-hearted person."

Hu Xiu didn't like her expression, so he frowned: "Why are you always staring at other people's houses? If you want to live a good life, work hard for it yourself!"

Chen Guilan curled her lips. Now the harvest was all shared by the collective. Why should she work hard? Besides, "After working hard all day in the fields, a centimeter is only worth three cents."

Hu Xiu rolled her eyes at her and said, "When I was young, I wanted to teach you how to deliver babies to make money, but you didn't take it seriously, did you?"

Hearing this, Chen Guilan felt guilty, but she didn't want to admit that she was afraid of hardship, so she rolled her eyes and changed the subject: "By the way, sister-in-law, Danier will come to see you again the day after tomorrow."

Huo Nini is 18 years old this year, at the prime of her life, with good looks and good character, so it is normal that people frequently introduce her to men.

But the mother was not in tune, and as the eldest aunt, Hu Xiu, who was cutting scallions, couldn't help but say a few more words: "What was it like this time?"

Chen Guilan smiled so hard that her teeth were showing: "He is from the town. Don't worry, I have made detailed inquiries this time. He is tall and his family is rich. They have three big tiled houses. He has eight older sisters who are all filial to him. He is the only boy. When the two old people pass away, won't all the good things belong to my eldest daughter?"

Hu Xiu...

In the east room on the other side.

Under the dim kerosene lamp, Ruiting was packing her clothes.

She planned to wash her hair and take a shower later, and also wash the little ones as well, after all, they still had to stay in the car for a few days.

While Danier was sewing shoe soles and taking care of the twins, she also mentioned the matter of dating.

The last blind date experience was really bad, and now she has to go on another blind date in just one month. The girl is very unsure and wants to hear her eldest cousin's wife's opinion.

However, Ruting did not rush to speak. Instead, she glanced at Huo Furong who was lost in thought and asked, "Furong, do you think the man's conditions are good?"

Huo Furong frowned subconsciously: "With only one son, his family must have very strong habits and most likely a bad personality."

A girl who is only 17 years old and has never been out of town is already considered sensitive. Ruting looked at Danier again: "What do you think?"

Danier hesitated: "I don't know either, but...but if there are too many brothers, it will be difficult for the sisters-in-law to get along with each other."

The harmony between her mother, her aunt and her third aunt is rare in the whole village. The main reason for this is that her aunt can control people.

But Danier knew herself well. Her temper was not much tougher than that dough ball. She really didn't want to live that kind of life...arguing over a scallion or a clove of garlic.

Ruting understood the girl's fear, after all, she was only 18 years old: "Everyone looks at things from different perspectives. I only express my own point of view. If it were me, I would not even look at the girl under such conditions."

Danier stopped what she was doing and looked over: "Why?"

Although Furong didn't say anything, there was a lot of confusion on her face.

Tingting only said one thing: "There are eight older sisters in that family, and the last one is a son. This alone is enough to prove that they favor boys over girls."

Danier was at a loss: "But...but if I don't have a son, I will be laughed at."

This is an inherent mindset formed by the general environment. Ruting was not surprised or entangled. Instead, she asked: "What if you get married with that person and continue to have concubines? Do you really plan to have eight or ten children?"

Danier naturally didn't want to, but: "...It shouldn't be that unlucky, right? My mother gave birth to three sons."

The corner of her mouth twitched, and she couldn't help but say something popular: "Whether the baby is a boy or a girl depends on the man."

Huo Furong and Danier both widened their eyes: "How could this be?" Aren't babies born from women's bellies?

Ruting briefly explained chromosomes to the two of them, and then, seeing their three perspectives shattered, he added, "Even if you are lucky enough to have a boy, have you ever thought that since ancient times, the eldest sister-in-law is considered half a mother-in-law? The man has eight sisters, and so many mothers-in-law are not as easy to get along with as sisters-in-law."

Dani'er realized it belatedly and her face turned pale and blue. After a while, she stammered, "Then...what should I do? My mother looks very satisfied."

Huo Furong was angry: "When I get married, I might as well find someone whose parents are both dead and who has a son, and become her stepmother."

Hearing this, Ruting raised her hand and slapped the little girl: "What are you talking about? How can being a stepmother be that easy?"

Huo Furong touched the spot where she was hit and muttered, "Isn't this easier? No more bullying from my parents-in-law, no more worrying about not being able to give birth to a son, how great is that."

What a bullshit! Seeing that Danier was actually a little moved, Ruting was speechless: "Don't think too much. Don't think about stepmother or anything like that unless it's absolutely necessary."

Huo Furong: "Isn't it good for the cousin's wife to be like this now?"

Tingting thought that this was not a marriage she chose. Besides, she had a good mother-in-law and sensible children. Otherwise, no matter how good Huo Xiao was, she would have divorced if the environment did not allow it.

But it's better not to say such thoughts out loud to scare the little girl. In the end, Ruting just said, "Anyway, don't think about stepmothers. As for blind dates, just go and see them. They've already been arranged. Besides, what if they are the one with a small chance of being a good one?"

Danier looked gloomy: "What if it's not good?"

Li Ting didn't take it seriously: "If it's not good, then don't choose it, and look for the next one."

Danier sighed: "I'm just afraid that my mother will be satisfied... It's so troublesome to grow up, why do I want to get married?"

Hearing this, the 17-year-old Huo Furong also became a little dispirited.

Seeing this, Ruting touched the heads of the two men one by one.

Then, as if he remembered something, he turned around and took out two big reunion tickets from the drawer and gave one to each of the two girls.

The two of them refused at the same time, and were full of confusion: "Why are you giving us money?" It was only ten yuan. They only had a few dimes on them, which they had saved for a long time.

Ignoring their refusal, Ruting pressed the money into their hands and said, "This is for your emergency."

Huo Furong: "What do you mean?"

Tingting: "My sister-in-law doesn't have a job now, so she can't help much, but if the family is not satisfied with the person they meet, you can use the money to call your aunt, or buy stamps to write a letter. Your second and third uncles are willing to listen to her. If that doesn't work, there's still your eldest cousin."

Hearing this, Danier's eyes instantly turned red, and she felt that the ten yuan in her palm was so hot.

Huo Furong also felt sad...

Seeing this, Ruting hesitated for a while, but finally told the two of them the suggestion he had been thinking about for several days: "Have you ever thought about going back to school?"

As far as she knew, the two girls both went to junior high school, and most of their tuition was provided by Huo Xiao and her mother-in-law.

Having been a teacher for several years, Tingting had some occupational problems and hoped that the two girls, who were only seventeen or eighteen years old, could go back to school.

Both of them were a little confused. After all, it had been more than a year since they graduated from junior high school.

Huo Furong: "What's the point of going to high school? You can't go to college, and you can't find a job as well as those with connections."

Although Danier didn't say anything, her expression showed the same thing.

Tingting raised an eyebrow: "How come there is no backer? Isn't your eldest cousin one? As long as you have a high school diploma and can get into the factory with your ability, generally no one will snatch your job away."

Seeing the two girls' happy faces, Ruting said, "Another thing, every year the old secretary of the Workers, Peasants and Soldiers University has recommendation quotas. You are still young, so try for a few more years and you will eventually get a turn. Or you can sign up when the army is recruited."

Huo Furong was obviously very tempted, but she still said, "It's very difficult for female soldiers to get in."

Ruiting fed him some chicken soup and said, "I am just giving you a suggestion. I just want to tell you that opportunities are for those who are prepared. As long as you are good enough, you will have more choices, including work and marriage."

These words may not be very profound, but no one has ever said them to Honey and Ho Furong.

In their world, when women reach the age of seventeen or eighteen, they should get married and have children.

And according to the family's and her own conditions, her life after marriage is generally no different from that of her mother.

Giving birth, farming, washing clothes, cooking...

Dull, tedious, noisy, and repetitive until death.

But now someone tells them that they can have different choices in life.

These cognitions were very shocking to both Honey and Ho Furong.

But, after being silent for a long time, the two of them...still couldn't help but feel their hearts moving.

The next morning.

It was still dawn when Mr. Shengli and his wife Li Taohong arrived.

Not only did people come, they also carried half a bag of pickled rabbit and fish.

Seeing that their eyes were red, Ruting felt a little sad.

She was afraid that if she started crying, the old couple would cry too, so she held it in.

It was not until I got into Minister Hu's car and it drove farther and farther away and I could no longer see my parents supporting each other that I couldn't help crying.

Sitting on her lap, Miaomiao, who had been very quiet, did not understand the sadness of separation, but she still stretched out her little hands to help wipe her tears, coaxing her: "Mommy, don't cry! Don't cry!"

Hu Xiu, who was holding Guo Guo at the side, also cried bitterly, but she patted her daughter-in-law to comfort her: "Next year, ask Xiao to come back with you to visit your in-laws."

Ruting just overlapped the scene just now with the scenes in her previous life when her parents sent her on long journeys. She laughed when she heard the words, "How can he have time?"

Seeing her daughter-in-law smile, Hu Xiu felt relieved and said, "It's okay. If he doesn't have time, Mom will accompany you."

Tingting: "Then I will remember it."

"Remember, remember, Mom keeps her word."

"......"

As time was tight yesterday, her two brothers didn’t know that Ruiting was leaving.

So after arriving in the county, she first went to the furniture factory to say goodbye to her eldest brother Ruming, then hurried to the county high school to say hello to her youngest brother Ruhong, and finally went to the county supply and marketing cooperative to meet her second brother.

Because his sister had to join the army, Wei Wei had not traveled far away on business trips recently.

Time was tight, and when they met, Ting Ting got straight to the point: "Second brother, you should go home more often when you have time. My parents cried just now, especially my dad. He hid and cried on my wedding day. I'm a little worried. Can you help me comfort him?"

Lu Wei agreed immediately. He had originally planned to do so, but when he noticed that his sister's eyes were red, he raised his hand and tapped her forehead, saying with a smile, "You've been crying too!"

Ruting slapped his hand away and said unhappily, "What's wrong with me crying? It would be embarrassing if you cried later."

Lu Wei laughed: "How could I cry? What are you thinking about?" But in his heart he was thinking that if there was another purchasing mission to Shanghai or Tianjing, he would have to try harder, at least to see with his own eyes whether the dead girl was doing well.

Not knowing what her second brother was thinking, she curled her lips and asked, "How's the eldest sister doing?"

Hearing this, Ting Wei's eyes darkened, but he still smiled: "Ting Ting has grown up and knows how to care about big sister...Okay, okay, I won't tease you anymore. Where did you learn this habit of kicking people...I haven't found out clearly yet, but don't worry, big sister won't suffer."

Yes, the second brother is very smart, so Ruting changed the subject and talked about other things.

The arrival of Ruting caused quite a stir at the supply and marketing cooperative store.

Wei is good-looking and capable, and many people think that he will take over after the old manager retires. Naturally, he has attracted a lot of attention from colleagues.

At this moment, seeing a strange beauty coming to see him, Lu Wei was very intimate with her, looking around and was extremely curious.

Just after sending his sister away, the popular Wei was surrounded by several brothers, who started to ask about the relationship between the two.

Not only them, but even some young female sales clerks who usually cared about Lai Weiting but were quite reserved, pricked up their ears at this moment.

Wei knew what those animals surrounding him meant, and he said angrily, "Get lost, she's my sister, but she's married."

"What? You have such a beautiful sister but you didn't introduce her to your brothers? Instead, you let an outsider get her? You have no conscience, Wei!"

"Luo Wei, how many sisters do you have?"

"Brother, you are my real brother. I don't mind if you are a little younger. I can wait."

"You bunch of beasts, are you talking like a human? Brother-in-law, look at me..."

Luo Wei got angry when he heard this, and his smile turned cold: "My sister is gone, do you think I can do it?"

Everyone laughed and ran away...

The supply and marketing cooperative was in a farce that was like a joke, but she was completely unaware of it.

The four of them, the mother-in-law and the daughter-in-law, rushed all the way in a military jeep and finally arrived at the train station before three o'clock in the afternoon.

There were still nearly two and a half hours before the departure time. The wind was biting cold outside, and there was no proper waiting room, so a few people simply stayed in the bus and waited.

Fortunately, in the icy and snowy weather, the train, which was habitually late, actually arrived at the station a few minutes early this time.

Minister Hu attached great importance to Huo Xiao, so what he promised was naturally reliable.

This time, not only a driver and Wang Hai were arranged, but also a young soldier named Han Cheng was sent to follow the car.

Han Cheng is a very lively person. After the train arrived at the station, he went straight to the conductor and said that he had too much luggage and needed to put it separately in the cargo compartment. Of course, he could add money or tickets immediately. He also stuffed two packs of cigarettes into the conductor's pocket without leaving any trace, and asked the conductor with a smile to take care of him on the train.

After all, there are old people and young people, and the only young one is a powerless lesbian.

At that time, the status of soldiers was very high. When the train conductor heard that it was a military family member, he nodded immediately. He also unexpectedly got two packs of good cigarettes, which naturally made him feel nothing wrong and he kept saying that the military and civilians are one family.

So, not only did he not charge any extra fees, he also personally led the team to arrange the seven or eight large packages, and instructed the flight attendant in charge of the berths to take care of them before leaving with a smile.

The enthusiastic attitude made Hu Xiu, who was unaware of the inside story, call him a good comrade.

1. The...

Ruting was amused by her mother-in-law's naivety.

However, she did not explain anything. Instead, she took a medium-sized bag from her hand and got out of the car to see Wang Hai and the other three off.

In the bundle were several kinds of snacks that the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law had packed last night to thank Wang Hai, Han Cheng and the driver for their help.

Although Huo Xiao would certainly give the favor to Minister Hu, it was also a fact that the little soldier had been running around for her and her mother-in-law all day, so how could he let him go back empty-handed?

Giving money or tickets as a gift is not a good idea, but giving a few pounds of food and snacks is okay.

Sure enough, the three of them hesitated for a while before happily accepting it.

The Tianjing Military District has a special geographical location, bordering several countries across the sea.

It is considered the southeastern gateway of the motherland, so its armed forces are extremely strong.

Huo Xiao was parachuted in to become the commander of a tank division at a young age, which blocked the way for many people. Naturally, some people were dissatisfied, so the past month was not easy for him.

Now that I have finally convinced most people, I still cannot spare a week to go home and pick them up in person.

But it's still okay to take time out occasionally to take care of the housing you've been assigned.

It was the same that day. When Huo Xiao received a call from Lao Hu, informing him that his mother, wife and children had already boarded the train to Tianjing, he couldn't help but feel elated.

So when the time came, he rarely worked overtime, went to the cafeteria to have a meal, and then led the attendant straight to the family compound.

His partner, Political Commissar Xing, was walking home with his hands behind his back. Seeing him in such a hurry, he called out, "Old Huo, what are you doing in such a hurry?"

Huo Xiao said without even turning his head: "My family is coming soon, I have to hurry and tidy up the house."

As he spoke, the tall and long-legged man quickly disappeared from Political Commissar Xing's sight.

He was busy. He had only owned the house four days ago. He had cleaned the interior but had not yet had time to clear away the weeds and dead branches in the yard.

Oh, by the way, my mother and daughter-in-law are both very clean, maybe he should get some lime powder and paint the whole wall...

Xing Guoqiang stood there and smacked his lips: "Hey, I never thought that Old Huo, who looks so cold, is actually a homebody."

Even so, as a partner for the next few years, Xing Guoqiang still gave his wife a few words of advice when he got home and picked up his bowl: "...I think Old Huo should love his wife very much. When she comes back, please take good care of her."

Tang Wenlan grew up in the city and was a little unhappy when she heard this: "Of course I will take care of you, but I heard that Captain Huo's wife is from the same mountainous area as him. What topics can we have in common?"

She almost said that she couldn't talk to the country people.

Political Commissar Xing frowned. He had always known that his wife had no bad intentions. She just didn't like those military wives from the countryside, and she usually hung out with those from the city.

But Huo Xiao's wife was not someone else. He and Huo Xiao were tied together for the next few years. Wouldn't it be embarrassing if the two wives didn't get along?

Thinking of this, Political Commissar Xing's face turned bad. He put down his bowl and chopsticks with a "bang". "I'm not forcing you to be open with him. It's not forced whether we can be friends, but at least you have to do a good job on the surface. Another thing is that Captain Huo also came from the mountains. He is a 29-year-old regiment commander and has more ability than you, man. Don't let me hear about the countryman and the city guy next time."

Xing Guoqiang is considered young and promising as he has climbed to this position at the age of 34. He usually has a smiling face, like a Maitreya Buddha.

But when you get down to it, it's still quite intimidating.

At least Tang Wenlan, who had seemed a little disapproving at first, immediately straightened up a lot.

But she was a generous person, and after just a few minutes, she became curious again: "Hey, Old Xing, have you heard Captain Huo mention his home?"

Xing Guoqiang quickly ate a few mouthfuls of rice, thinking that he would help Lao Huo with some work later. Since he couldn't rely on his wife, he had to take the initiative. Hearing this, he replied vaguely, "A widowed mother, a wife, and a pair of twins."

Tang Wenlan: "No more?"

Xing Guoqiang: "Anything else you want to ask?"

Tang Wenlan rolled her eyes at her husband in disdain: "Captain Huo is so good-looking, didn't you ask if his wife is pretty?"

God knows how many young girls and wives were attracted by Captain Huo in those first few days after he arrived.

If he hadn't stated several times that he was married, maybe some older girls would have pulled their hair over him. It would have been so lively!

Xing Guoqiang didn't know what his wife was thinking, so he just said, "Only you women care about these things."

Tang Wenlan retorted: "If I cared about appearance, would I like you?"

Xing Guoqiang has a big round face...