Chapter 11

The journey is long and arduous indeed.

Dongsheng's dependence on and love for Xu Wen was a little beyond his imagination.

But if Xu Wen had a better choice, he would definitely not allow Dongsheng to call him randomly or get close to him like that.

I'm afraid Dongsheng will be even more injured by then.

He originally wanted to ask Xu Wen to distance himself from Dong Sheng, but he felt that this was unfair to both Xu Wen and Dong Sheng.

Dongsheng is not the kind of person who randomly recognizes new mothers. Xu Wen is the first one, and he really likes Xu Wen.

It was she who advised Xu Wen to be nice to Dongsheng.

He couldn't deprive Dongsheng of their right to be close just because he thought it was good for him.

Finally, Lu Yuanzheng half-seriously said, "I just want to shamelessly ask you to seriously consider my proposal again."

That's the best of both worlds.

Usually Xu Wen would get up at three or four o'clock, and come home from herding sheep around eight o'clock. He would wash his clothes and eat something. The room was not too hot and stuffy, so it was just the right time for him to take a nap.

After returning from playing with Dongsheng an hour later than usual, Xu Wen simply went to bed.

When Xu Wen woke up again, it was already noon. Sang Xiaoqing had prepared lunch and was just waiting for her parents and Xu Wen to come back for dinner.

Xu Wen took this opportunity to go to the river to wash the clothes he had changed in the morning.

When she returned home, not only Xu Qiushi, Zhu Meizhen and Xu Wen were sitting at the table, but her sister Xu Wang was also there.

"Sister? How come you have time to come back?" Xu Wen was particularly happy to see Xu Wang.

It is said that the eldest sister is like a mother, and this is absolutely true in the Xu family.

Xu Wang is a little older than Xu Wen, and nearly ten years older than Xu Wen.

Xu Wen was almost raised by Xu Wang, and the sisters have always had a good relationship.

If Xu Wang had not married already, the fact that Xu Wen had changed his wife would have been hard to conceal.

Xu Wang stood up from his chair, opened his arms and hugged Xu Wen: "Of course you wanted us to ask, come and see you."

She pulled Xu Wen to look left and right, and said with emotion: "Wen Wen has grown into such a big girl! She has grown into a very beautiful girl! Come, let's see if this dress can match our Wen Wen?"

Xu Wang took out a white top with a slightly fitted waist and a plaid knee-length skirt from the bamboo basket he brought and handed them to Xu Wen: "Go try them on."

"Thank you, sister." Xu Wen ran into the room with clothes.

Zhu Meizhen frowned: "This dress looks expensive! Your family is not well off, why would you spend such a lot of money?"

Xu Wang's husband's family was also from Weizhuang Commune, not far from Taoyuan Brigade. His father-in-law was the leader of their production team, and his husband was a carpenter. Their family lived a better life than Xu's, but they were still just an ordinary family.

"You're old enough to find a husband, you can't keep wearing my old clothes."

Sang Xiaoqing said nothing, but her eyes were full of envy.

She also has an older sister, but her own sister doesn't have an easy life either, and she wouldn't rush over in the middle of the day to give her new clothes.

Xu Wang noticed Sang Xiaoqing's expression and said hurriedly, "Xiaoqing, you are pregnant now, so I didn't dare buy you clothes for fear that they would not fit. But I have brought the cloth coupons and money for clothes." She took out the cloth coupons and ten yuan from her pocket and handed them to Sang Xiaoqing, "You can make clothes now or after you give birth. It's up to you."

A pregnant woman's waistline changes significantly, and she was afraid that the clothes she bought would not fit her properly and would make Sang Xiaoqing unhappy, which would turn a good thing into a bad one.

Sang Xiaoqing refused again and again: "Big sister, I have clothes to wear. Besides, I am getting fatter and fatter now. I can't wear the clothes for a few days. It's a waste!"

Xu Wang stuffed the money and cloth coupons into her hands again, "Then wait until the baby is born before buying clothes. Xu Wen and Xu Wen are brothers and sisters. Xu Wen may not have what Wen Wen has, but you must have it."

Zhu Meizhen was happier than if she had gotten the clothes herself: "Your sister gave it to you, just keep it!"

Xu Wen also said, "That's right! You should collect it for me."

Sang Xiaoqing accepted it and said, "Thank you, big sister."

Xu Wen had already changed his clothes and came out. He walked around the empty space next to the square table and asked, "Does it look good?"

"Our Wenwen looks good in anything she wears." Xu Wang praised and pulled Xu Wen to sit next to him.

Other members of the Xu family also praised Xu Wen for his good looks.

I'm not trying to coax her, it's really beautiful.

Xu Wen has outstanding facial features and very fair skin. Although the white short-sleeved shirt and plaid skirt are both simple styles, Xu Wang picked the right size. In addition, Xu Wen usually picks up Xu Wang's or other relatives' old clothes, so it is rare to find such a fitting piece of clothing.

It makes her legs longer, her waist thinner and her figure taller.

There aren't many educated people in the Xu family, and they couldn't think of any adjectives to describe how beautiful it was, so they just said those two sentences.

"It looks beautiful! Like a fairy." Grandma praised.

"It's prettier than Erya's rag doll!" Xu Qi raised his thumb.

The Erya he was talking about was the little girl next door who was about his age. Erya had just received an old rag doll from a relative in the city. The doll had a snow-white face, big eyes and long eyelashes, but the eyes were blue.

When it came to Xu Qiushi and Zhu Meizhen, there were only two words left: "Beautiful!"

Xu Wen touched his chin and sighed, "Wenwen has really grown up!" The little girl who chased after him back then has now reached marriageable age in the blink of an eye.

Being brothers from the same mother, Xu Wen and Xu Wang are both good-looking.

But I don’t know why I can’t compare with Xu Wenyuan.

Xu Wen looked particularly comfortable, like a young lady from a scholarly family.

Anyway, they are different from those who work in the fields all year round.

Even though they were both going to the city, they were considered country bumpkins, but Xu Wen was not. She looked better than the city girls even in her patched clothes. Most importantly, she was not stage-frightened at all and was graceful and elegant wherever she went.

They don’t understand that there is a word called temperament.

Xu Wang's husband's family was also in Weizhuang Commune, so Xu Wen naturally knew what people were talking about. After a brief reminiscence, Xu Wang went straight to the point: "Wen Wen, what's going on between you and Comrade Lu? And Comrade Wen. On my way here today, someone asked me about you."

Zhu Meizhen knew about Lu Yuanzheng's affairs and wondered, "Why are you still talking about Comrade Xiao Wen? Didn't they stop communicating after that day?"

Grandma said, "Comrade Xiao Wen came to ask about this this morning."

"Ah? What do I want to see you for?"

Xu Wen first briefly explained to Xu Wang the series of misunderstandings between her and Lu Yuanzheng, and also mentioned that Wen Yiming had invited her to go to school together.

"I think Comrade Xiao Wen is a good person! He even invited Wenwen to study at this time. I think he has taken a liking to our Wenwen." Zhu Meizhen was very happy.

Xu Qiushi frowned, "That comrade Wen is indeed handsome, speaks elegantly, and is quite well-educated. His family conditions are also excellent, and if he really wants to be nice to Wenwen, it's not impossible for him to get along with Wenwen. But now he just said that he wants Wenwen to go to school together, and didn't say anything else. Maybe he really just wants Wenwen to help with his homework? Don't be so happy and don't go out and talk nonsense. It's good if the two children get married, otherwise it will give Wenwen a lot of gossip."

Xu Wen also expressed a similar opinion: "I also think that Wen Yiming is a bit cunning. I'm afraid that even if the two of us were to go together, we wouldn't be as cunning as him."

Sang Xiaoqing retorted: "That may not be the case. Maybe Comrade Wen simply likes Wenwen! His family is so well-off, there is no need for him to cling to Wenwen, right? Wenwen is a good student, but he can't go to college now. Can Wen Yiming curry favor with Wenwen just because of his grades? He is handsome and has good family conditions. I think he and Wenwen are a good match."

Xu Qie didn't understand and was busy eating. The meat that the elder sister brought was so delicious!

Grandma waved her hands and said, "Children and grandchildren have their own blessings! If the boy from the Wen family is really thoughtful, he will come to your house and let you ask clearly. You all should hurry up and eat! Don't you all have to go to work in the afternoon?"

The lunch break is limited, only two hours in total in the summer. After a short nap, it's time to go back to work.

After Xu Wang finished her meal, she put down her chopsticks and pushed her bike to leave. She had to go home to take care of her children.

Xu Wen came out to see her off, "Big sister, don't buy me clothes all the time in the future. My brother-in-law will have a problem with me if I keep giving to him."

Xu Wang always brought a lot of food and drinks home. If he gave her one portion, he would also give Sang Xiaoqing one portion.

But Xu Wang was not the head of the family, so it was not easy for him to save some tickets and money.

Xu Wang sighed softly, "We are all sisters, I will not hide it from you. Your brother-in-law has no objection, but my parents-in-law have said a lot to me. So what can I do? Our family is in a difficult situation now. I can't eat my fill and see you go hungry, right?"

Xu Wen was silent for a while, then hugged Xu Wang and said, "Sister, bear with me for a few more years, and I will make sure our family can live a good life."

After dinner, Zhu Meizhen counted out ten yuan and handed it to Xu Wen: "Five yuan is for your tuition and miscellaneous fees. The other five yuan is for your living expenses for one month. Keep it for yourself."

Xu Wen calculated and took out three yuan to return to Zhu Meizhen: "Mom, I still have three yuan in scholarships."

"I've included your scholarship. I've heard from other high school students in the commune that their monthly food expenses are around eight yuan no matter how frugal they are. Can you keep five yuan?!"

Xu Wen still refused to accept it. "I'll bring some more salted vegetables and cooked noodles to make two more meals. We'll be hungry on Saturday morning, so we'll go on Sunday night after we're full. It's enough to save some money. We don't have much money at home now, and my sister-in-law is pregnant, so we need to buy some fruits. Mom, use these three yuan and ask my brother to buy some more grapes for my sister-in-law. I heard that eating more grapes will make the baby's eyes look big and round."

There is only this much money in the house. If one is spent, the other will definitely be left.

If she was told that she was buying it for Xu Qie, Zhu Meizhen could still refuse, but if she was told that she was buying it for Sang Xiaoqing, she couldn't bring herself to ask and had to agree.

Sang Xiaoqing said hurriedly: "I can eat anything. I can't let Wenwen go hungry."

"Sister-in-law, please don't be polite. People won't die if they go hungry for two meals, but pregnancy only happens a few times in a lifetime. Besides, if I eat less, it's worth it if my nephew or niece can get big black eyes."

Xu Wen quickly finished washing the dishes and began to prepare the cooked noodles he was going to take with him.

White flour is too luxurious, so the noodles we have at home are basically mixed-grain noodles, which are either wheat flour mixed with cornmeal or bean flour.

Mostly cornmeal because corn is cheap.

Xu Wen mixed the flour and cornmeal together, stirred them evenly, and put them in a pot to steam.

She was sweating profusely while burning the fire and calculating how she would get by in a month with five dollars.

As Zhu Meizhen said, eight dollars is considered frugal living, but five dollars is a survival challenge.

In the school cafeteria, a steamed bun costs five cents, rice costs 1.4 ounces, and a serving of vegetables costs five cents.

Before, Xu Wen had a steamed bun in the morning, and half a portion of rice with a side dish at noon and in the evening, which cost him 25 cents a day.

The cafeteria also provides meat dishes every Thursday, and a serving of meat costs 40 cents.

By this calculation, eight dollars is tight, after all, eight dollars cannot all be spent on food.

I also have to buy stationery and daily necessities.

Which girl doesn’t have to buy some menstrual supplies once a month?

Xu Wen thought about reducing the vegetables and meat.

You must not reduce the intake of steamed buns and rice. The situation in the 1970s was very different from that of 40 or 50 years later. There were very few fat people.

Going to high school is not just about sitting in the classroom and attending classes. You also have to do various chores. You won’t have the energy to do so just by eating vegetables.

Change to instant noodles in the morning, half a portion of rice at noon, and a portion of vegetables in the evening, which costs only ten cents a day.

Add in Saturdays and Sundays and you can save another 80 cents.

I spend more than two yuan a month on food, stationery, toiletries, and bus commuting. Should that be enough, right?

Even if it's not enough, you have to endure it.

Xu Wen let out a long sigh.

It’s only been two years since the reform and opening up!

When the noodles are steamed, set them aside to cool for a while.

Xu Wen took advantage of this opportunity to pick up a pickled radish from the pickled vegetable tank, cut it into strips, and put it in a clean glass bottle.

I also packed some spare clothes for the next week.

After packing the clothes, I took a rolling pin to break up the dough, and then used a sieve to filter the flour.

Add the fine flour and roll out the remaining grains again until all the flour becomes fine.

After thinking about it, Xu Wen opened the sugar jar, which was almost empty, and filled it with two small spoonfuls of sugar. Otherwise, the dry noodles would be difficult to swallow.

As soon as she finished packing, Xu Qiushi, Zhu Meizhen and Xu Wen got up and prepared to go to work.

Before leaving, Xu Wen also told her: "Ask, don't be too honest. Wen Yiming is not as good as Lu Yuanzheng! Those who can see have four eyes, and those who can't see have who knows how many eyes!"

Xu Wen agreed with a smile.

Xu Wen walked a few steps carrying the hoe and then turned back and said seriously: "Ask, although I have no ability, I have not yet reached the point where I have to sell my sister to support my parents, wife and children. If you don't like it, we won't marry anyone and will just stay at home."

Xu Wen's eyes felt a little sore, he rubbed his nose and hummed, "Thank you, brother."

Xu Wen sighed lightly, rubbed Xu Wen's head, and left.

When you are full and warm, you will think about sex.

Xu Wen, who had once had no worries about food and clothing, finally understood why ordinary people rarely talk about love these days.

How can you have the energy to talk about love when you can't even eat enough?

Getting married is just a partnership.

When school started, she took away half of the family's property, and when Xu Qie started school again, she took another part. The family was left with only a few dollars to live on.

Sang Xiaoqing is pregnant again now, and Xu Wen feels embarrassed to let his family raise her for another year.

But as for the matter of getting married, even if she is willing, someone has to dare to marry her.

I dare to go on the long journey, but my family will definitely not agree.

As for Wen Yiming, Xu Wen was a little confused about what he was thinking.

He said he was interested in her, but he hadn't sent any messages for so many days. He said he wasn't interested in her, but he dared to come to her despite all the gossip.

Just as she was thinking, she heard someone calling her: "Xu Wen, are you home?"