Chapter 5
"Big Head Brother" is none other than Gu Chunmei's fiancée - Xu Xiangqian.
In fact, Gu Chunmei and Big Head Brother grew up together as childhood sweethearts.
The Xu family lives in Guihua Hutong, which is across the street from the big compound, although it is only separated from the big compound by one street.
The style of the big compound is quite different from that of Guihua Hutong, which is separated by one street.
The residents of the big compound are complicated. It is common for a family of eighty or ninety people to live in two narrow houses. Moreover, the big compound has no kitchen or bathroom. Families with better conditions build a small shed as a kitchen. Those with poor conditions build a stove in the courtyard corridor and put coal briquettes and a coal stove to cook.
At dinner time, the big courtyard is filled with smoke and fine black coal ash flies everywhere.
Comrade Zhang Cuilan has a deep understanding of this. When cooking in spring, willow catkins and coal ash fly around your nose, which is not a pleasant feeling.
Guihua Hutong where the Xu family lives is different.
Guihua Hutong is the staff compound of the county public security bureau. Each family lives in a small courtyard. It is quiet and spacious, and a kitchen and bathroom are indispensable.
Xu Xiangqian's family used to live in a large compound. Xu's mother was a female worker in the county cotton mill. Xu's father joined the army and was away. Xu Xiangqian was not in good health when he was a child. Xu's mother was careless and raised her son with a big head and a small body. Xu Xiangqian was also the oldest of the children of the same age in the large compound. His friends called him "Big Head Brother" all the time. When Xu Xiangqian was eight years old, Xu's father retired from the army and returned home.
Xu's father retired and returned to his hometown and joined the county public security bureau. Later, the Xu family of three moved to Guihua Hutong.
After Xu Xiangqian graduated from the police school, he followed in his father's footsteps and worked in the public security bureau.
These days, the public security bureau is a good job. People are within the system and are cadres in the eyes of ordinary people.
Besides, Xu's father was the captain of the Public Security Bureau. Xu Xiangqian had a good family background, a mild temper, and a handsome appearance. He was definitely a hot commodity. When he reached the age of marriage, matchmakers came to the Xu family to introduce good girls.
Xu's mother was so happy that she couldn't stop smiling. She secretly asked her son, "Son, there are so many good girls, which
one do you like?" Xu Xiangqian answered neatly, "I don't like any of them."
Xu's mother was shocked. After repeated inquiries, she found out that the brat had long set his sights on Chunmei from the Mancang family.
Gu Chunmei also grew up under the care of Xu's parents. The girl was pretty, capable, cheerful and not shy. She graduated from junior high school and had a good job. She worked in a supply and marketing cooperative, earning 20 yuan a month, and had a leisurely life.
The old Gu family didn't have any troublesome relatives, so Xu's mother slapped her thigh and asked a matchmaker to go to the old Gu family to propose marriage the next day.
It just so happened that Gu Chunmei also liked Big Head Brother.
Just like that, the pair of lovers finally got married.
Xu Xiangqian was wearing a 55-style police uniform. He was more than 1.8 meters tall. His white shirt was cinched into his blue trousers. There was a unique heroic spirit of a people's policeman between his eyebrows. He was riding a brightly painted Type 38 truck. It seemed that he was out patrolling the streets.
Xu Xiangqian had a tall waist and long legs. He took a few steps and pushed his bicycle over.
Gu Chunmei was carrying an empty meat bag. When she saw her boyfriend coming, she wondered, "Big Head, why are you here?" Are
you greedy for meat too?
Xu Xiangqian hadn't seen his fiancée for several days. When he saw Gu Chunmei, his whole body was filled with unspeakable joy. His dark eyes were filled with indescribable tenderness and he said honestly, "I missed you and came to see you on the way."
Oh, these were sweet words. Lin Yao, who was eating melons on the side, felt that her teeth were about to fall out.
Gu Chunmei's face flushed, and she subconsciously glared at Big Head Brother. She didn't forget to pinch Xu Xiangqian's waist, - I told you not to talk nonsense.
Now, the smile in Big Head Brother's eyes completely spread.
The light bulb Lin Yao quickly found an excuse to slip away.
If she didn't slip away, she was afraid that Sister Chunmei would be ruthless and "domestic violence" Big Head Brother on the spot.
Gu Chunmei had to go to work at the Chengxi Supply and Marketing Cooperative in the afternoon. She gave Lin Yao some detailed instructions before reluctantly getting on the bike and leaving with Big Head Brother.
*
At noon, the sun was blazing in the sky, and the whole Yunshui County suddenly became hot.
There were only a few sparse pedestrians on the streets that used to be bustling. The salespeople in the shops were either knitting sweaters behind the counter or dozing off with their chins propped up.
On the long street paved with bluestone slabs, several old farmers from the countryside squatted in the corner selling fruits and vegetables they carried. Even in the countryside these days, there were no fashionable dishes, just home-cooked dishes such as carrots, potatoes, and eggplants. There was also an old lady selling her own hand-woven bamboo baskets. She carried a purely hand-woven Hangzhou basket. At the door of the state-owned hotel, clouds of white steam from the simmering pot rose, mixed with the aroma of white flour steamed buns...
Lin Yao walked a few steps leisurely. The ground outside was burning hot. On the way, she passed a supply and marketing cooperative with a five-pointed star engraved on the roof of the main entrance. The lady selling sour plum juice and cold drinks at the door waved to her enthusiastically.
"It's so hot outside, girl, have a bottle of orange soda, 1.5 cents a bottle, plum juice is icy and sweet, if it's not sweet, don't charge."
Lin Yao curled her eyes and decided to go on a summer date with plum juice and orange soda. Cold
drink stalls these days are very vintage. The old lady pushes a wheeled cart with a wooden box with ice cubes on the bottom, covered with a small quilt. Once the quilt is opened, the cool air that comes out makes people feel refreshed.
A bottle of orange soda, 1.5 cents, plum juice is 1 cent a cup.
Lin Yao hesitated and asked for a cup of plum juice that the old lady made herself.
It's true that the aunt's cooking skills are quite authentic. The sour plum juice in the white porcelain cup has a faint sweet-scented osmanthus fragrance. A sip of it is dry, sour, sweet, and cool.
Lin Yao has a small stomach. After drinking a cup of sour plum soup, the summer heat is swept away, and she no longer has room for soda.
But it doesn't matter. She asked for five bottles of orange soda, took them home and chilled them in well water. The whole family drank it just as cool.
It's just that the orange juice jingled in the shoulder bag. It's not convenient to walk.
Lin Yao has a sweet mouth. She grabbed two fruit candies from her pocket and stuffed them into the aunt's mouth to sweeten her mouth. After talking for a while, she naturally left the orange soda at the cold drink stand.
She went to the nearby supply and marketing cooperative to do some shopping.
The area of this commune supply and marketing cooperative on the old street was not large, only about 20 to 30 square meters, which was much smaller than the supply and marketing cooperative where Gu Chunmei worked.
However, although it was small, it had everything.
No matter how small it is, it is still a supply and marketing cooperative. It has everything from oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, pots and pans, vanishing cream, toothpaste and toothbrushes, needles and thread, buttons, candies and snacks, as well as large and rare items such as hot water kettles and enamel washbasins.
In the hot summer, the most popular thing in the supply and marketing cooperative is all kinds of cloth.
Lin Yao has been holding cloth coupons in her hand and has not used them. Aunt Cuilan gave her a few more coupons. It is enough for everyone in the Gu family to buy a set of clothes.
Sister Chunmei doesn't need her to worry about it, because Big Brother is there.
Since the couple got engaged, Xu Xiangqian has been running to Gu's house whenever he has time. Today he brings a box of snacks and a bottle of soy sauce, and tomorrow he brings a basket of fresh vegetables grown by himself. Anyway, he never comes empty-handed.
This thoughtful and good son-in-law made the neighbors in the big compound envious.
Lin Yao picked out two pieces of durable and cool cloth, and weighed half a pound of dates. Dates are a specialty of Yunshui County, and are somewhat similar to candied fruits in later generations. They taste sweet and sour.
Dongzi was still clamoring for food, but Aunt Cuilan retorted.
Lin Yao's house was short of a foot basin, so she bought an enamel basin with orchid prints.
The salesperson at the supply and marketing cooperative was absent-minded at first, but now that he saw Lin Yao bought a lot, the smile on his face became much more sincere. He quickly wrapped the cloth, and tied five or six one-inch long dates into a small triangular package, and packed several packages.
Lin Yao left the supply and marketing cooperative with all these bags and got some soda from her mother. She found a quiet corner, put everything in the space, and returned to the compound leisurely.
She walked around the street for most of the day. When she returned, a corner of the sky in the west was dyed red by the setting sun, and large patches of pink and gorgeous clouds enveloped the streets and alleys of Dayunshui County.
Lin Yao hadn't been out for a long time. She looked around and slowly turned into the alley along the path.
When she came out again, her hands were full of bags and bags.
Lin Yao is not the original owner. When the original owner's parents were still alive, she was also loved and raised at home. Later, when her parents passed away, she lived in the home of Lin Daguo and all the housework at home was hers.
Lin Yao was a little spoiled child, holding an enamel basin in her left hand, a cloth date bag in her right hand, and five bottles of soda in her military green bag. She was panting like a puppy after walking for a while.
Fortunately, she met Gu Shidong who was coming back from the street halfway.
The brat let himself go as soon as the summer vacation came, and he would not go home until dark.
At this moment, Gu Shidong saw Lin Yao's backpack bulging with stuff, grinning happily, and ran over, "Sister-in-law, you've made a fortune, how did you buy so many good things?"
Gu Shidong's sharp eyes saw the half pound of dates in Lin Yao's hand at a glance, and his mouth widened, "And dates, sister-in-law, how did you know I was eating dates!"
Lin Yao teased him deliberately, "Who said I bought it for you, I bought it for Sister Chunmei, Aunt Cuilan, Uncle Mancang and others."
Gu Shidong was very shrewd, and knew that it was his sister-in-law who was teasing him. In the
old Gu family, except for him who loves to eat these dates, everyone else has their own favorite, so who else did they buy it for if not for him?
He raised his head and chuckled, then rushed over to offer his courtesy, "Sister-in-law, let me help you get your things."
Lin Yao was waiting for this.
So, the eleven-year-old Gu Shidong acted as a little laborer, holding an enamel basin in his left arm and a military green satchel on his right arm. The short man of 1.3 meters was squeezed by the things on his body, leaving only his head and two legs. Although he was short, his two legs were very fast, and he could run a long way in just a few steps.
Lin Yao was set off by the child like a slowly walking turtle. When the big and small arrived at the big courtyard,
there was smoke and fire in the big courtyard, and it was time to cook lunch.
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