Chapter 34 Chapter 34 The Engagement Is Done
Qingmei stayed in the hospital for three days.
After she talked it out with Gu Qingzhou on the first night, she felt incredibly relieved. After that, she vomited in the middle of the night.
The next day, his face looked much more haggard, and he didn't vomit at night.
Gu Qingzhou was worried about his little partner's health, so he went back to the army in the afternoon and asked for three days' leave, and returned to the hospital to continue taking care of him.
Early in the morning of the third day, Qingmei woke up refreshed. The doctor checked her blood and told her that she could be discharged from the hospital after resting for half a day.
Qingmei looked at the plump, white doctor in a white coat, and smiled strangely. It turned out that the big white pigeon could curse behind his back.
"Everything has been packed." Zhao Xiaoxing ran around.
Qingmei was hospitalized for three days and she lost three pounds. I was so happy to know that Qingmei was going to be discharged.
At home, Xiaoyan was stewing lotus root and pork bone soup, which she had been simmering in the casserole for the entire morning.
After Qingmei got home, she went to see her grandmother first.
Afraid that grandma would worry, everyone said Qingmei had gone to the county to do some work and didn't tell the truth to the old lady.
"Are you done?" Grandma fanned the stove with a palm-leaf fan. "Want some soup?"
Qingmei nodded and said, "I'll drink it after I take a bath."
Gu Qingzhou accompanied her all the way into the house, and was later sent out to boil water.
After taking a bath and drinking a bowl of hot soup, Qingmei felt that she was finally alive again.
Xiaoyan, unable to squeeze onto the bus to care for Qingmei, felt aggrieved for several days. Knowing she was coming back, she meticulously prepared a soup, melting the meat off the bones until it was completely absorbed. The broth was rich and nutritious. Paired with the sweet, tender lotus root, Qingmei drank two bowls in one sitting.
Qingmei blew on the bowl and said to Xiaoyan, "Give your sister Xing'er some more to drink, she's lost weight."
Xiaoyan pouted and was still angry with Zhao Xiaoxing. If Zhao Xiaoxing hadn't given Qingmei poisonous mushrooms, Qingmei wouldn't have suffered like this.
Zhao Xiaoxing understood what he meant and slid down from the kang. "No need to serve me some soup. There's still some soup base left in the casserole. I can just take a sip."
Xiaoyan wasn't a heartless person after all. She snatched Zhao Xiaoxing's bowl and said fiercely, "Sit back and wait!"
"Yeah!" Zhao Xiaoxing took off her slippers and sat back down at the table on the kang.
Qingmei was very happy: "It really is true that there is always something to conquer."
"I just respect her," Zhao Xiaoxing whispered, "With her small body, I can handle three of them by myself."
Qingmei said, "Speak louder."
Zhao Xiaoxing made a gesture of sewing her mouth and said nothing more.
Gu Qingzhou, a man, couldn't bear to eat among the women, and the kang table couldn't accommodate them. He took his bowl and ate in the yard while basking in the sun, occasionally looking at the sky.
After dinner, Zhao Wuhe took them to talk to grandma, mainly talking about the engagement between the two families.
Grandma is the elder, so it is reasonable and moral to report to her.
"I've been looking forward to this day, too."
Grandma stretched out her hand, and Qingmei handed over her small hand. Grandma slapped her small hand away and stretched out her hand again. Gu Qingzhou sensibly handed over his big hand, and Grandma grabbed his big hand and patted it.
Qingmei: "..."
"From now on, my precious granddaughter will be handed over to you."
Grandma's eyesight was presbyopic, and she could only see Gu Qingzhou's face clearly when she was closer. She patted Gu Qingzhou's hand and said, "I have only one wish in this life, and that is that my precious granddaughter can live a happy life and no longer suffer."
Gu Qingzhou squatted down, put his big hand on his grandmother's hand and conveyed his inner belief: "Grandma, I will definitely make her happy, and I will never let her down or let her suffer any grievances."
Grandma smiled and said, "I believe you. You are a good boy. Much better than my useless son. I only recognize Xiaomei as my relative. We have been dependent on each other for too long. You should let her rely on you more."
Gu Qingzhou thought of all the experiences Qingmei had told him about, and said calmly, "I will. I will be her strongest shield."
Grandma smiled with satisfaction. One of her front teeth had fallen out and hadn't been replaced yet. Her smile was festive and contained a hint of childlike innocence. Like a child, she said, "Great, great. Get married soon. I want to have a great-granddaughter."
Zhao Wuhe jokingly said, "Why don't you want a big fat grandson?"
Grandma rolled her eyes and said, "No, I have an older grandson."
Now everyone was curious. Qingmei squatted beside Gu Qingzhou and asked her grandmother, "When did you have a grandson? How come I didn't know?"
"Who else could it be?" Grandma said, "Your father is the eldest grandson!"
Qingmei covered her mouth and laughed.
Gu Qingzhou didn't have a good impression of Comrade Hao Fan, and he curled the corners of his lips when he heard this.
Zhao Wuhe was not so particular. As they were of the same generation, she knew how dirty he was and laughed heartily.
Since grandma has no objection, we will start preparing for the engagement.
While Gu Qingzhou was discussing with Zhao Wuhe, Qingmei was admiring the set of Huanghuali furniture in the house.
"It's so beautiful, so stylish."
Qingmei touched the dressing table with both hands, then touched the wardrobe and said to herself, "Comrade Qingmei, how can you be so extravagant?"
Zhao Xiaoxing and Xiaoyan did not understand the later generations' love for Huanghuali, nor did they know its high price.
The two of them laughed secretly and said, "Look how happy she is. It's just a piece of wood."
"You don't understand. You will know how precious this is in the future."
Qingmei ignored their urging and went through all the furniture in the house. As expected, it was furniture sold in Beijing and Shanghai, with elegant and exquisite workmanship and many unique details.
When she saw the whole huanghuali wood bed in Zhao Xiaoxing's room, she took Zhao Xiaoxing's hand and said, "You swear to me that you must take good care of this bed."
Zhao Xiaoxing said: "Oh, it's just a bed——"
Qingmei hushed and pointed at the sewing machine in her room. "I don't want the money for the sewing machine. Consider it protection money. You have to protect your bed as you protect the sewing machine. Can you do that?"
Zhao Xiaoxing was shocked: "Don't worry, from now on this bed is more important than my life!"
Qingmei nodded with satisfaction and turned back to admire her large Huanghuali wardrobe.
Seeing her happy, Gu Qingzhou was also very happy. After discussing the engagement day with Zhao Wuhe, he prepared to talk to Qingmei.
He noticed that although the little girl was happy, she kept running outside and ordered Xiaogang to go to the village entrance again and again. She stayed in the yard, tiptoeing and looking out, her eyes full of anticipation.
Xiaogang was sweating profusely as he ran, followed by a group of children who all said, "No!" when they entered the yard.
Qingmei dragged a small stool and sat under the apple tree. Her eyes, full of expectation, dimmed. She grabbed a handful of broad beans from her pocket and gave them to Xiaogang and the others: "Let's explore again."
"Yes! Guys, follow me!" Xiaogang and the others grabbed the broad beans and ran towards the village entrance again.
On the way, they met Mrs. Fang who was coming back to drink water. She stopped Xiaogang and asked, "Where are you guys going next?"
Xiao Gang said, "Let's go wait for the postman!"
Mrs. Fang passed by Qingmei's house and saw Qingmei in the yard. She asked, "Did you ask them to wait for the postman? Are they waiting for a package or a letter?"
Qingmei sighed deeply and said nervously, "Wait for the letter."
It’s about time.
Gu Qingzhou stood beside her and asked, "Waiting for a letter? Who sent you the letter?"
Qingmei was embarrassed to admit that she was a fan, so she hesitated and didn't say anything.
Gu Qingzhou, on the other hand, became interested and simply found two small stools, one placed three steps away and the other behind Qingmei.
Turning around, his own son Gu Qingzhou called out, "Mom, come out for a moment."
Zhao Wuhe looked at the gloomy sky outside and thought it was time to put away the clothes. After she walked out, Gu Qingzhou said, "Sit outside and bask in the sun."
Zhao Wuhe was just about to say that it was going to thunder and rain in this awful weather, so why bother basking in the sun? But then she looked again and saw the dark clouds disperse and the sun shining brightly.
Just as she was about to sit next to Qingmei, Gu Qingzhou pointed to a small bench at the foot of the wall a few steps away and said, "That's yours."
Zhao Wuhe: "Okay, okay, you two can sit together."
Gu Qingzhou sat behind Qingmei as he wished, and waited for the postman with her outside.
About ten minutes later, the little jar guarding the village entrance came back shouting, "Here they come, here they come!"
Qingmei stood up and walked quickly to the door.
A few minutes later, the postman on his bicycle arrived at the door and called out, "Green plum? Green plum!"
Qingmei said speechlessly: "I'm right in front of you."
The postman gave her the letter sheepishly and said, "I'm sorry, I was so tired that I was in a trance."
Qingmei was anxious to read the letter from her idol, so she grabbed a handful of broad beans and stuffed them into his hands, then turned around and ran to the small stool to open the letter.
If she hadn't opened it, there would still be hope. After she opened it, the little note she had written to someone was torn into pieces and fell to the ground...
Green plum is about to break...
Why would her idol treat her like this? It would be fine if he just didn't want to be pen pals, but why did he do this!
A gust of wind blew, and the debris on the ground was blown everywhere.
Gu Qingzhou picked up a few pieces, put them together, and guessed the meaning, "You want to be pen pals with actor Chen?"
What a joke.
Qingmei said heartbrokenly, "I was rejected by her."
Gu Qingzhou knew what had happened to Chen Lili recently. He wondered where he was performing in the mountains. The culprit behind all this was his girlfriend.
He looked at the sad Qingmei with a speechless look, not knowing how to comfort her.
Qingmei stuck her butt out and picked up the scraps of paper on the ground bit by bit. Her idol had such a bad temper.
Is it because the thank-you letter was not sincere enough?
Qingmei sighed softly, clutching the scraps of paper, and leaned against Gu Qingzhou, the man that actor Chen longed for but could not get, feeling a sense of pleasure. After a while, she hummed, "Pa pa."
Gu Qingzhou laughed and said, "Okay, pat it."
The big hand gently patted Qingmei's back, and the powerful warmth made Qingmei feel better.
Suddenly, there was a thunder in the sky.
The two of them looked towards the wall together. Ms. Zhao Wuhe felt that they were being too affectionate, so she quietly hid in the house.
Qingmei and Gu Qingzhou had to get up and go in.
Zhao Wuhe saw Qingmei's unhappy face and asked, "Tell me, how can I make my future daughter-in-law happy?"
Qingmei looked at Gu Qingzhou, and thinking of the big squid that she had been gnawing on for a long time but couldn't eat, she said, "I want to eat squid, the kind sprinkled with cumin."
Zhao Wuhe asked, "Where can I buy it?"
Zhao Xiaoxing came out of the house, holding the skirt she had sewn for Qingmei. She measured it against Qingmei's waist and said, "They're sold at the market, right where the fish are sold. There's still time to ride your bike there."
Qingmei also wanted to go for a walk. She had been lying in bed for three days and had no place to vent her energy.
Gu Qingzhou said: "Bicycle? How about we go together...I'll carry it?"
Zhao Wuhe heard this and asked Qingmei in surprise, "Are you going to hide your secret?"
Qingmei nodded honestly: "I won't hide it anymore."
Zhao Xiaoxing said, "What riddle are you talking about? If you all want to go, just borrow a tricycle from the sister-in-law next door. Brother Fang has been hauling goods for the village lately, so his family borrowed a tricycle. I don't think he used it today, so it's still in the yard."
Gu Qingzhou said, "Then I'll go borrow it." He turned to Zhao Wuhe and said, "Mom, you go too."
Zhao Wuhe said angrily, "Whenever a couple is dating, they always bring their mom along wherever they go! You'll be criticized if you do that!"
"I want you to go too." Qingmei was afraid that Zhao Wuhe would run away. If Zhao Wuhe ran away, they would not be able to go to the market.
Qingmei took Zhao Wuhe's arm and walked out, holding her little arm tightly. Zhao Wuhe wanted to pull away but couldn't.
Zhao Xiaoxing stood on tiptoe behind him and called, "Bring me some four-hole buttons. Choose the one you like and I'll sew it onto the collar of your skirt."
Qingmei waved her hand: "I know."
Gu Qingzhou borrowed a tricycle, and Qingmei and Zhao Wuhe sat in the back and went to the market.
There were fewer people at the market in the afternoon and not many stalls, but fortunately there were still squids for sale.
The three of them rushed back to buy it, and then went to buy buttons.
When he got home, Gu Qingzhou took charge of the cooking himself and sprinkled generous amounts of cumin on it.
I finally got the green plum in my mouth as I wished, feeling satisfied and no longer doing anything else.
The next day.
Qingmei got up early in the morning and saw Zhao Xiaoxing shoveling rice crusts from the iron wok.
Seeing Qingmei coming out with disheveled hair, Zhao Xiaoxing said, "There's some rice crust left for you over there, still warm. Dip it in some sugar and eat it. I'll make breakfast later, and we'll go down to the fields and take it to them."
Qingmei was poisoned and hospitalized, and Captain Jin approved her a week of sick leave with a wave of his hand.
As spring plowing was drawing to a close, the tractor couldn't stop. Fortunately, Gu Qingzhou also knew how to drive the tractor and took Qingmei's place, so production wouldn't be delayed.
Qingmei had no appetite to eat rice crusts early in the morning. Her grandmother liked to boil water with rice crusts, but she didn't like it very much.
Thinking about the last time I picked toon, I didn’t have time to cook it for Gu Qingzhou in a hurry, and it had rotted in the basket when I came back.
She thought for a moment and said to Zhao Xiaoxing, "I'll make some sugar cakes, and you cook some corn porridge in a small pot. I'll take the sugar cakes and corn porridge with them to Captain Gu later."
Zhao Xiaoxing teased her, "Hey, the guy who's about to get engaged is called Captain Gu?"
Qingmei said, "What's that called?"
Zhao Xiaoxing said, "At least you should call me Brother Gu, right?"
Qingmei felt cheesy for no reason: "What brother or not? I don't like calling you brother."
Zhao Xiaoxing saw her holding the basin to scoop flour and knew that Qingmei was shy.
Most people wouldn't put too much sugar in their sugar cakes, as white sugar was a strategic commodity and scarce in those days. Some people would add brown sugar, but it was also expensive and only added a little sweetness.
Qingmei, thinking that men don't like foods with brown sugar, took the trouble to make white sugar pancakes for Gu Qingzhou. She made brown sugar pancakes for the others. This alone earned her another laugh from Zhao Xiaoxing.
Qingmei shoveled the sugar cakes into the small basket and heard Zhao Xiaoxing say beside her, "This year's educated youth who went to the countryside have been transferred from the higher-ups. I heard there are five of them, three boys and two girls, including a junior high school student."
Qingmei smiled and said, "Are you jealous?"
Zhao Xiaoxing hummed, "Junior high school students are already so proud. If they become college students, will they walk sideways?"
Qingmei asked, "Who is proud?"
Zhao Xiaoxing said, "Sister-in-law Wang Yang said the junior high school student was a female educated youth. When she saw her get off the bus, she wanted to help with the luggage, but she wasn't allowed to touch it. She also said her hands were dirty and she couldn't afford to pay for any damages. She was furious and told me about it when she got home."
Qingmei paused as she shoveled the sugar pancakes, then said expressionlessly, "Then you should stay away from her. If you can't afford to offend us, why not hide from us? We'll be leaving after a few years of training anyway, so we don't have to be so shameless as to try to get close to her."
Zhao Xiaoxing said, "Aren't they all the educated youth trying to get close to us? The food they order isn't very good, and they always eat "Yi Ku Si Tian" (remembering the bitter past and thinking of the sweet past) all the time. They're not very good at eating, so they hope the villagers will invite them to their homes for dinner."
Qingmei smiled and said, "It's all right for you to know. The old educated youth used to help out in our village a lot, so I don't mind cooking for them."
Zhao Xiaoxing continued, "If the new educated youth have good character, I can even provide them with two meals of improved food from my own rations. If they have bad character, then forget it, and go as far as you can."
Qingmei smiled and said, "That's the truth."
They made breakfast and called Xiaoyan and grandma out to eat. Qingmei went to the field to find Gu Qingzhou, wanting to eat with him.
Fortunately, Zhao Wuhe was also helping in the fields, otherwise it would have been terrible if the weather had not been good.
Qingmei came to the collective field and stood on the ridge to see Gu Qingzhou driving the tractor back and forth.
Because he was working, he was wearing an old short-sleeved shirt and gray pants, but this could not hide his handsome figure and strong chest muscles.
Qingmei waved at him, and Gu Qingzhou turned around on his tractor and shouted from a distance, "Wait for me ten minutes, I'll be right there."
Qingmei then came to the big banyan tree where they often ate, took out the plastic sheet from the basket and spread it on the ground, intending to eat with Gu Qingzhou.
The corn porridge was served in a clay pot, and Qingmei was pouring it into a bowl when two unfamiliar female comrades came towards him.
Qingmei looked up and knew that it must be the newly arrived educated youth.
I just arrived and am strolling around Donghe Village leisurely, not knowing that life will be hard in the future.
This kind of hardship was not given by Donghe Village, but was the ideological learning and working life that the educated youth had to go through when they went to the countryside for training, as well as the longing for their families when they were away from home.
"Hey, look at that farmer walking over there. He's so tall, taller than many gay men in the city."
The leading female educated youth was named Wang Liya. She had a small, palm-sized face, almond-shaped eyes, and two braided pigtails with green silk flowers tied at the ends. She wore a workman's uniform, Liberation Army shoes, and a Liberation Army bag slung across her body. Her every ounce of her gave away the image of a comrade from the city.
The female educated youth next to her was called Wu Ban. She was very short and had dark skin. She was probably only about 1.5 meters tall. She didn't have long hair, but short hair that exposed her ears.
She and Wang Liya were both from the next county, so they didn't feel too depressed coming here. It wasn't far from home, so they talked easily. "How does it compare to your working-class fiancé?"
Wang Liya grabbed the end of her braid and said delicately, "How can that be compared? My husband is no more caring than a peasant."
Wu Ban, a good-natured man, was used to flattering others. He said, "Indeed, several of our classmates were able to get a 365 yuan gift. After all, the working class is powerful and generous."
Wang Liya shyly looked towards Gu Qingzhou, who was walking very fast with his long legs. The closer he got, the more Wang Liya felt that God was unfair.
Such a handsome and powerful man is actually a tractor driver in the countryside. If he put on a worker's uniform, I don't know how many girls would want to marry him.
Anyway, you are lucky.
Look at these peasants working hard in the fields. They probably won’t earn 300 yuan in their entire lives.
Gu Qingzhou walked over, and Wang Liya leaned to the side of the road and couldn't help but breathe lighter.
She glanced at Gu Qingzhou as he walked past her without even glancing at her.
She pouted and said, "How can this person be so blind?" Wherever she went in this outfit, people would look at her twice.
Wu Ban saw this and whispered, "I heard there's a famously beautiful widow in their village. Do you think he went after the woman under the tree?"
Wang Liya looked over and saw two men of the opposite sex who looked very compatible with each other eating and chatting under a big banyan tree. There was also a middle-aged woman talking to them not far away.
She couldn't help but say, "The world is really going downhill."
Wu Ban regretted bringing this up and pulled Wang Liya aside, saying, "Forget it. We're not widows, how can we say anything about them? I heard that life is hard for widows, so we should forgive them when we can."
Wang Liya didn't want to cause trouble since she had just arrived. She moved her eyes away from Gu Qingzhou's thick chest and glanced at his Adam's apple. She couldn't help but blush.
Wang Liya had good eyesight and vaguely saw a light red mark on his Adam's apple.
As an unmarried girl, she blushed immediately.
Before she could look away, the other person's eyes suddenly looked over at her, which frightened her so much that she stumbled back and almost fell.
Qingmei looked at Wang Liya who was leaving in a hurry and asked in confusion, "Why are you leaving so quickly? Weren't those two people just now very leisurely?"
Gu Qingzhou bit into the white sugar cake specially made for him and drank a mouthful of corn porridge. He seemed not to notice the look Wang Liyan was giving him. He smiled and said, "I didn't get to eat the locust flower cake last time, but the white sugar cake is not bad. It tastes better than I thought."
Qingmei didn't mind his changing the subject; the person in front of her was the most important. She gave him another piece of sugar cake and called to Zhao Wuhe, who was weeding nearby, saying, "Auntie, come over and have some porridge."
Zhao Wuhe took off her straw hat and fanned herself. Seeing two young people dating, she really didn't want to get close to them. But these two people seemed to have a problem. They kept looking for her at every turn. It was so annoying, so annoying!
She walked over helplessly and sat aside, not noticing that the two young men over there looked at the queen and breathed a sigh of relief.
After Qingmei finished delivering the meal, she went home and discussed with Zhao Xiaoxing how to make new clothes while teaching Xiaoyan how to do her homework.
In the afternoon, Zhao Xiaoxing remembered that her math teacher was going to test her on the multiplication table, so she sat on the doorstep with a sad face and tried to recite it.
Qingmei and Xiaoyan were sitting on the kang, laughing and making fun of her, looking like they were asking for a beating.
Zhao Xiaoxing couldn't stand it anymore, so she covered her ears, rolled her eyes, and recited loudly.
There was joy in the blue brick courtyard, but it was different at the educated youth site.
The newly arrived educated youth gathered together and spent a long time talking about the strange things they had seen and heard in Donghe Village.
The city kids, who had never touched the countryside, were mostly curious and well-intentioned. Some had already become friendly with their fellow villagers, helping them with chores, and presumably would soon be able to enjoy their meals.
Wang Liya was sitting in the classroom at this moment, supporting her chin and looking out the window.
The little sparrow flew to the eaves with muddy straw in its beak, ready to build a new nest.
Wang Liya watched it coming and going, and her mind flew to the gay man she met by chance.
She looked at him with pure admiration, thinking it was a shame for him to stay in the countryside. Judging by his physique, he was stronger than many workers. Her fiancé was thin, had a large belly, and a bad temper. It would have been fine if he had a more handsome face, but his face was covered in pockmarks.
She sighed deeply, feeling that fate had played a trick on her. After all, she would still be a city dweller, and she couldn't help but feel a sense of superiority and pity for the man.
Even if her father is the only one in her family who has a job, and he is a street sweeper, he still has a city hukou and a job.
Wang Liya's fiancé is her childhood sweetheart. He obeys her in everything and spends almost all of his salary on her. When they occasionally quarrel, he is the one who coaxes them. He is very proud of supporting her well.
It's fine in the city, where city people are everywhere. But once you move to the countryside, you naturally use your city hukou as a sign of superiority.
The team leader on the stage was still telling them about the work they needed to do in Donghe Village. In addition to what they just said, they also had to participate in night school teaching, explaining the quotations of great men, ideological propaganda work, and help with the work during the busy farming season.
Wang Liya listened with a frown.
Finally, it was time for a break. Wu Ban handed Wang Liya the steamed bread from the cafeteria and said, "Eat it. If you don't eat it now, it will be gone."
They also had steamed buns for lunch, but Wang Liya said her throat was sore and she couldn't swallow it, so she refused to eat it.
She was naturally hungry in the evening, but she really didn't want to eat steamed buns, as if eating them would make her no different from a peasant.
Wu Ban said worriedly, "What if you don't eat? Tomorrow we start eating the three-day "Recalling the Bitterness and Thinking of the Sweetness" rice. I heard it's made with bran flour. These sweet potato flour steamed buns are really good."
Wang Liya also found the three days of remembering the bitter past unbearable. She thought for a moment, then suddenly stood up and said, "I know what to do!"
Wu Ban followed her back to the big bunk bed and watched her open her luggage bag and take out two old clothes she wore at home. She had originally planned to wear them when she went to work in the countryside. Anyway, she had worn them for several years and the cotton cloth had become thin due to washing.
"What are you doing with the clothes? You can't run away. If you get caught, your life is over."
"I'm not running. Please fold the other clothes."
"OK."
Wu Ban kindly helped her fold the other scattered clothes and found a set of Dacron brocade in Wang Liya's luggage: "Wow, Dacron feels so smooth."
Wang Liya grabbed the skirt and said lovingly, "Don't touch it. This is my brother's engagement gift to me."
Wu Ban was not angry. If he was not allowed to touch her, then he wouldn't touch her. It was no big deal.
Wang Liya packed up her things, patted the old clothes she had found, and said, "My brother said that the most important thing after going to the countryside is to build good relationships with the people. Country people don't have any good things, and their clothes are patched up over the years."
Wu Ban immediately understood what she meant and said, "Are you going to give your old clothes to your fellow villagers? Will they accept them?"
Wang Liya's clothes are obviously those worn by young girls. The fabric is no longer usable and will probably be torn if you rub it too hard.
Wu Ban didn't quite agree, but Wang Liya insisted, "Although the food at the fellow villager's house isn't very oily, it's still better than eating coarse flour steamed buns. And since they've given us some nice clothes and it's mealtime, why don't they keep them for us?"
Wu Ban hesitated and said, "Who are you going to give it to? You can't just pick up someone on the street, right?"
Wang Liya had already thought about it: "A widow, I didn't look carefully today, but I know from thinking about it, what good life can a rural widow have? Giving her some old clothes that she doesn't want will make her so happy."
Wu Ban glanced at Wang Liya, not knowing how to persuade her.
Doesn’t this have some class consciousness?
She secretly watched Wang Liya, and finally felt that Wang Liya's thoughts were not correct. When Wang Liya was not paying attention, she sneaked out. She would not go with Wang Liya.
Wang Liya held the old clothes, spread them out and admired them for a while, but turned around and didn't see Wu Ban.
It was already dark outside. She heard that the countryside was in chaos, so she looked around but couldn't find anyone.
"If you don't go, I'll go by myself!" Wang Liya angrily gnawed on the steamed bun.
This was followed by three days of ideological training and a meal to recall the past and cherish the present.
Not only the female educated youth couldn't stand it, many male educated youth couldn't stand it either. One by one, they climbed up the trees and tried to rob the bird's nest.
I don’t know what kind of experiences the birds in Donghe Village have gone through. Not only do they build their nests on the tips of birch trees, but they also specially choose thin branches to build them.
Not to mention people climbing up there, even if a gust of wind blew past, the bird's nest would be shaky but would not fall down. It is obvious that it is the result of extensive training.
Wang Liya looked at the sparrows flying back and forth outside the window and was in no mood to think about anything else.
After the ideological class, she grabbed Wu Ban and insisted that she accompany her to the young widow's house to show her support.
Wu Ban kept refusing, but was forced to agree under Wang Liya's gaze.
Wu Ban advised, "Why don't we give that female comrade a few cents for food? We can't just take her food for free."
Wang Liya asked the old educated youth where Qingmei was, and walked away quickly, saying without looking back: "Give a few cents? Why are you so generous? I can't even give her my clothes. If you want to give it to you, I won't give it to you."
Wu Ban's family conditions were not as good as Wang Liya's. There were six sisters in her family, and she only brought ten yuan with her.
"If you don't want to give it to me, then don't give it to me."
When they were halfway there, they met a group of children, including a fat boy who looked older. Wang Liya went over and asked, "Is there a widow nearby? Where does she live?"
Xiaogang, who was running around like crazy, holding a large emerald green frog in his hand, said, "What does widow mean?"
Wang Liya understood from his eyes and turned to Wu Ban and said, "How annoying! He's actually a fool."
Xiao Gang was so angry that he said, "You are the stupid one. You two can't even find other people's homes. You are so stupid!" Then he threw the big frog at Wang Liya, and then ran away with the other friends.
Wang Liya was so frightened that she jumped up and down: "What the hell did that thing throw at me? Will it bite me?"
Wu Ban said helplessly: "Miss, that's a frog, how could it bite people?"
Wang Liya said angrily, "The people here are really tough."
"Comrade educated youth, what can I do for you?"
Chen Qiaoxiang, who had just finished collecting firewood and was walking home, came over. She looked at Wang Liya's clothes and guessed that she was a girl from a wealthy family. She tried to get closer and said, "How can I help you?"
Wang Liya shook her clothes as if she had seen a savior and said, "Comrade, I heard there's a widow here who wants to come over and offer some warmth. I'd like to know where she is."
Chen Qiaoxiang saw the old clothes in her hands. Although they were old, they were also the style of a young girl and much better than her mother-in-law's old clothes.
Seeing that she didn't say anything, Wang Liya asked again: "Do you know?"
Chen Qiaoxiang came to her senses and pointed to a blue brick courtyard around the corner and said, "I live in that."
Wang Liya thanked her and asked Chen Qiaoxiang's name before leaving.
"There are still good people after all." Wang Liya said to Wu Ban.
Wu Ban saw the way Chen Qiaoxiang was staring at the old clothes and frowned, saying, "Don't trust anyone you don't know the truth about."
Wang Liya said: "I have a good eye."
When they reached the blue brick courtyard, the two stopped.
Wu Ban swallowed and said, "You still say you trust others, but look at this big yard. The fruit trees outside alone are worth a lot of money, right? Life is so hard for them, how can they live here?"
Wang Liya was also a little hesitant and was thinking about whether to ask when she saw an old man walking out of the yard.
"Auntie, please tell me..."
Before Wang Liya could even utter the word "widow", she saw Qingmei coming out of the house with a bowl of rice in her hand and said, "It's time to eat, why are you still wandering around?"
She held the bowl in one hand and supported the old man into the house with the other.
Wang Liya thought for a moment and said, "She should be helping to take care of the elderly here, right? I see that the elderly woman is dressed simply, but she is wearing fine cotton cloth without any patches."
Wang Liya surveyed the vast courtyard, which was meticulously organized. Jars of soy sauce and a large sauce jar sat in the corner, along with several private plots. Beans and cucumbers had already sprouted, and the green onions were half a foot long.
There were various fruit trees planted around the yard. Wang Liya, who was ignorant of grains, couldn't tell what they were. She just felt that the lush greenery took a lot of effort.
Dried sweet potatoes and chili peppers were drying on the winnowing basket in front of the door, and cured chicken and duck were hanging under the eaves.
This family is obviously wealthy. Who knows, maybe the mother of a city official is living here in retirement.
After a while, Qingmei came out of the house, put the bowl in her hand on the windowsill, walked over and asked, "Comrade Zhiqing, what's going on?"
It turned out that the old educated youth were used to going door to door to spread Chairman Mao’s thoughts, and Qingmei thought they were the same.
Wang Liya looked over Qingmei at the bowl on the windowsill and discovered that what she was eating was actually commercial grain with a piece of bitten hand-held meat on it!
Wang Liya smacked her lips greedily and heard Wu Ban say to someone, "My classmate wants to send you something."
Wu Ban regretted what he said. He didn't look carefully the last time he saw her. Now he saw that the clothes on this widow comrade were all newly made and made of fine cotton cloth without any patches.
She looked at Wang Liya, bewildered, but Wang Liya didn't notice. She looked away from the meat bowl and said with a forced smile, "I'm Wang Liya, she's Wu Ban. We're newly arrived educated youth, and we came to visit you."
Qingmei felt puzzled and asked, "I know I'm pretty, but what else can you do after seeing me?"
Wang Liya paused and said shamelessly, "Did I disturb your meal?"
Normally, the more down-to-earth folks would invite them in for dinner at this time. At least that's what she heard. However, when Qingmei heard what Zhao Xiaoxing said, she smiled faintly and said, "You're interrupting my meal."
Qingmei is not stupid. When she saw Wang Liya looking at her bowl of rice, she understood that she wanted to eat for free.
If Zhao Xiaoxing hadn't mentioned to her that there was a female educated youth who made green silk flowers and looked down on others, she would have really invited them in.
Qingmei sneered inwardly, wanting to see how they would speak. They looked down on their fellow villagers, yet at the same time demanded food from them. How could they be so shameless?
Wang Liya held the clothes in her arms. She felt superior to others and wondered where Qingmei got the courage to treat the educated youth who came to the countryside like that.
Wu Ban secretly tugged at the corner of her clothes.
Wang Liya ignored him and thought to herself, this guy must be a jerk who won't give up until he sees the rabbit. So she held the old clothes in front of Qingmei and said, "I heard you're having a hard time, so this is for you. Don't be disgusted, it's my old clothes, but they don't have any patches."
Qingmei's lips twitched, feeling that it was a waste of meal time to talk to a fool.
She said with a wry smile, "You'd better keep such nice clothes for yourself. I really despise them. If I open my big closet, I won't find any clothes this tattered. They even smell like sweat when used as rags."
Wang Liya: “…”
Wu Ban: “…”
Zhao Xiaoxing shouted from the kitchen, "The chicken and mushroom stew is ready. Come and eat it before it gets cold!"
Qingmei turned around and said, "I'm coming." Then she asked them, "Is there anything else?"
Seeing Wang Liya's extremely embarrassed face, Wu Ban quickly pulled Wang Liya and said, "It's okay, we'll leave now."
Qingmei said, "Wait, I'll give you something to eat."
Wu Ban's eyes lit up. She glanced at Wang Liya and thought, it's embarrassing, but it's better than being hungry and unable to sleep all night.
Qingmei walked into the house, picked up two roasted potatoes from the stove with a fire poker, wrapped them in straw paper, and took them outside. Without saying anything, she stuffed them into Wang Liya's hands and said, "The landlord doesn't have any extra food. Take the potatoes and go."
Is this how you deal with beggars?
Wang Liya realized that Qingmei was humiliating her. She stood in the yard and trembled all over as she watched Qingmei enter the house.
Wu Ban pulled her out, fearing that she would act impulsively.
Wang Liya walked out of the blue brick courtyard, her face purple with anger: "How dare she, a widow, humiliate me!"
Wu Ban advised her, "Don't be too angry. People in the village are like this. They don't really have any bad intentions. It's probably because it's so rare for them to have good food at home that they don't want others to come and share it."
Wang Liya stuffed the baked potato in her hand into Wu Ban's hand and said angrily, "What does she think I am? Am I begging at her doorstep?"
Wu Ban looked at the old clothes Wang Liya was holding and wondered who would humiliate whom first. The old woman had just come out for a while, but Wu Ban could see that she had some facial features similar to that of the comrade. Maybe this was actually his home.
A blue brick courtyard like this couldn't be built without a certain amount of wealth. You can't just imagine how hard life is for someone who has lost their spouse.
Maybe she is a capable lesbian who doesn't have to rely on men to live a good life.
Wu Ban looked back frequently as he walked on the road, thinking that he should come over and apologize.
When they reached the corner where they had asked for directions, Chen Qiaoxiang was still there.
She had already heard Wang Liya's voice and knew that Qingmei did not invite them to dinner.
Naturally, she would not invite them to dinner. Huang Wenbi ate all the good food in the house, leaving only her and her mother-in-law to eat, without a single bite left.
"You scared me!" Wang Liya changed her polite attitude and said unhappily, "What are you doing?"
Seeing someone younger than her lose their temper like this, Chen Qiaoxiang felt a little irritated. However, she had learned to suppress her temper, as no one would accept her temper anymore.
She said politely, "I wanted to invite you to my house for dinner, but unfortunately my family is too poor and we can barely afford to eat."
Wang Liya grabbed the potato from Wu Ban's hand and gave it to Chen Qiaoxiang. Chen Qiaoxiang wanted to please her, so she not only accepted it but also said a series of thanks.
Wang Liya finally felt better. This was how it should be. What was that widow's attitude just now? It was really hateful.
"I see you've been waiting for me." Wang Liya deliberately said, "You look at how hard your life is, yet you're so cunning that you know how to curry favor with me."
Chen Qiaoxiang was stunned for a moment, wondering why this educated youth was different from the old ones. His words and actions were full of insults.
Chen Qiaoxiang lowered her head and saw her calloused hands, feeling sad.
"I don't mean anything else. I'm leaving now. Goodbye."
"etc."
At this moment, Wang Liya put the old clothes into Chen Qiaoxiang's arms and said with a sneer, "Why did you run away after just a few words? Are you thinking about these two clothes? Look at you, you are not that old, but what are you wearing? Here, I give them to you."
Chen Qiaoxiang grabbed her clothes and didn't speak for a long time.
Wang Liya was still waiting for her to thank her, with her hands folded in front of her chest and a mocking look on her face.
Chen Qiaoxiang remembers that when her life was good, she would never ask for other people's old clothes. She would even hide them in the corner as treasures.
The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. Seeing the sarcasm on Wang Liya's face, she hardened her heart and stuffed the old clothes back into her hands, saying, "We don't need rags at home. You can keep them for yourself."
And you said her clothes were rags?
Wang Liya was completely taken aback. She was breathless and leaned against the wall, clutching her chest and saying, "Are you crazy?"
After Chen Qiaoxiang finished speaking, she felt refreshed both physically and mentally. It had been a long time since she had spoken with her head held high in front of others.
She sneered and said, "Little girl, you're still young. When I was your age, I never looked anyone in the eye. Things change over time. I hope you can maintain that arrogance."
Wang Liya stomped her feet in anger and watched Chen Qiaoxiang walk past her.
Wu Ban pulled her and wanted to persuade her, but after thinking about it, he shut up.
Roll call was being taken at the educated youth point, and Wang Liya and Wu Ban did not return for a long time.
The team leader was thinking about coming back to talk to them when he saw Wang Liya coming back angrily.
The team leader called out to her, "Where have you been? You weren't even here for roll call. You're acting on your own!"
The team leader lived in the Donghe Youth League Center for six years, shed countless sweat on this land, and received several groups of Youth League members. What kind of things had he not seen?
As soon as Wang Liya arrived at the educated youth site, he knew that she was a high-minded but useless person.
He pointed at Wang Liya and said, "Why, you're still not convinced?"
Wu Ban walked in and heard Wang Liya being criticized. He hurriedly said, "Team Leader, it wasn't that she left without permission. Comrade Wang Liya wanted to bring warmth to those in need."
The team leader, a man in his thirties, had married a girl from Donghe Village and became their revolutionary partner. He knew every household in the village like the back of his hand, even knowing a lot of gossip.
"We have to report ahead of time if we're sending warmth." The team leader's tone improved a little, and he turned to Wang Liya and said, "Who did you go to see?"
Wang Liya pursed her lips and said she didn't want to talk about it.
Wu Ban sighed helplessly and said on behalf of Wang Liya: "She is a widow."
The team leader's brows jumped, feeling something was wrong.
"Which widow?" There were three widows in the village. Two of them lived in seclusion, while the other one did the opposite and became famous in the surrounding area.
Wu Ban whispered, "Call her Qingmei."
After saying this, the team leader's face turned visibly ugly.
He reached out and snatched Wang Liya's old clothes, opened them, and looked at them. After reading them, he angrily threw them on the ground and pointed at them, saying, "You sent this rag to Comrade Qingmei's doorstep? Are you slapping her in the face or the face of my educated youth team leader?"
Wang Liya said, "What's wrong with that? Aren't these clothes suitable for working? Besides, she's a widow, so why should she be so picky?"
The team leader said angrily, "I finally get it. Your words and actions are full of disrespect for others. I saw you bring the clothes over here, and you must have been scolded and sent back. Why did you provoke her for no reason?"
Seeing Wang Liya's reluctance, the team leader said to her, "She brought back the cement road at the entrance of our village and the tractors for plowing the fields. She even won many medals! Didn't you say you made a point of researching Donghe Village before going to the countryside? Now I know you were lying. If you knew more about Donghe Village, you wouldn't have done such a stupid thing!"
The team leader's voice was so loud that the educated youth who were eating the "Recalling the Bitterness and Thinking of the Sweetness" meal in the room came out to watch. Among them were many old educated youth. When they heard that Wang Liya gave Qingmei her old clothes, they were all furious.
Comrade Qingmei not only won honor for Donghe Village but also for Dawang County. She often took care of the educated youth and always made extra food for them when cooking the big pot.
She was so nice. She knew she was a widow, so she went to her doorstep with her old clothes to bully her!
"Copy the quotations of great men fifty times to correct your thoughts."
The team leader said angrily, "You are not allowed to leave the educated youth site until you finish copying. After that, I will take you to apologize to Comrade Qingmei. If you don't do it, return to the city as soon as possible! I can't support a big Buddha like you here."
After the team leader finished speaking, he slammed the door and left without waiting for Wang Liya to express her opinion.
Wang Liya's face was covered with bruises from the scolding.
That would have been fine, but she also heard the other educated youths mocking her. They whispered in front of her, their eyes full of disdain.
Wang Liya, who had been frustrated all day, yelled in frustration, "What's it got to do with you? Just do what you need to do!"
Wu Ban pulled her aside and told her to stop arguing. She said she had just arrived and had offended everyone, and her life would be difficult in the future.
"I'll help you copy it." Wu Ban said kindly, "It's okay, don't be angry. Anger is a disease that is difficult to cure."
Wang Liya sneered and said, "You wish I would be laughed at, but I didn't see you stop me."
Wu Ban said in shock, "Didn't I stop you? You insisted on going, and I couldn't do anything about it."
Wang Liya said, "I don't need you to copy for me. Go and build good relationships with the other educated youth and try to get back to the butcher's house as soon as possible."
Wu Ban had a boyfriend who was a butcher, but he later broke up with her and got together with someone else. This was her secret and she didn't want anyone to know that she was dumped.
Wang Liya was her classmate and knew about this, so she casually told her secret.
Wu Ban had already taken out a pencil, but he was so angry that he couldn't speak. He threw the pencil on the ground and left.
*** ***
In the blink of an eye, it was May.
After eating rice dumplings on May Day, the engagement day that Qingmei had been looking forward to arrived.
On May 20th, Qingmei got up early, washed and dressed, and then sat on the kang with her grandmother waiting for Gu Qingzhou's arrival.
Mrs. Fang and Mrs. Wang Yang were also in the room.
The wall clock struck eight, and Zhao Xiaoxing quickly rushed into the yard and shouted, "It's an auspicious time, let's set off the firecrackers!"
Xiaogang and Xiaoyan each guarded a string of firecrackers and immediately struck a match to light the firecrackers.
The sound of firecrackers crackled and there was a noisy sound of gongs and drums outside the yard.
Exactly at 8:08, three turns and a ding were made before being carried into the blue brick courtyard.
The watch, sewing machine, and radio were placed on a table in the corner for those who came to congratulate them to see. The same principle was applied to the bicycle placed next to the table.
Behind him, Xiao Jin was carrying a shoulder pole, sweating profusely as he walked. The basket in front was filled with candy, cakes, cigarettes, and alcohol. The basket in the back was filled with fabric and clothing. Everything was of a better standard than what was customary for an engagement.
Behind them, two soldiers carrying half a pig unloaded the pork into a large basin against the wall. Other families gave pig legs for engagements, but Captain Gu directly gave a whole commercial pig.
The villagers who were watching the fun in and outside the yard kept marveling at his generosity.
Bao Mi followed behind, carrying a thick stack of sheets, quilt covers, and other daily necessities. Originally, they wanted to use Dacron, but Qingmei refused, saying it wasn't breathable and insisted on fine cotton. Gu Qingzhou naturally agreed.
Not long after, Gu Qingzhou, dressed in military uniform, walked in amidst the crowd.
He stood in the yard with a smile on his face, feeling quite good. He was surrounded by children, led by Xiao Gang. They were not there to ask for candy, but to help Gu Qingzhou distribute candy to the villagers who came to watch the ceremony.
Zhao Wuhe stood by, her eyes wide with laughter.
Qingmei walked to the door, bowed slightly to her, and then looked at Gu Qingzhou.
Gu Qingzhou stood as straight and solemn as a pine tree, his eyes bright and determined as he looked at Qingmei. The national emblem on his hat and the shoulder rank on his shoulders sparkled in the sunlight.
Qingmei's heart felt like it was about to jump out of her chest just by glancing over.
This man is so handsome.
As the elder, Zhao Wuhe walked up to grandma first and took out a thick bundle of great unity wrapped in red cloth from his pocket.
She handed it to Grandma respectfully and said in a loud voice, "Gu Qingzhou, the youngest son of the Gu family, wishes to marry Comrade Qingmei. Today, we are offering the betrothal gifts according to the rules and voluntarily donating a betrothal gift of 888 yuan! I also ask all the villagers to be witnesses!"
There was a sudden thunderclap, leaving everyone stunned.
Eight hundred and eighty-eight yuan?!
For many villagers, this is an astronomical figure.
This also includes Qingmei. She secretly glanced at Gu Qingzhou and asked, why did he give so much?
Gu Qingzhou walked forward, scratched the bridge of his little girl's nose, his eyes filled with stars: "Are you willing to get engaged to me?"
Qingmei blushed, and Gu Qingzhou saw love in her eyes.
"I do."
"Wow, congratulations!"
"Congratulations, Captain Gu, and congratulations, Qingmei!"
"I wish you a happy marriage soon!"
Another burst of firecrackers rang out, and people around applauded and congratulated!
Soon, the Donghe Village Yangko Team arrived.
Everyone has a good relationship with Qingmei and knows that she is getting engaged today, so they agreed to come and support her.
The yangko team was singing and dancing in front of the courtyard, and the blue brick courtyard was extremely lively at this moment.
The team leader who brought Wang Liya to apologize didn't expect to catch up with such a happy day. After thinking about it, he said to Wang Liya: "Forget it, you can come and apologize another day."
After he finished speaking, he didn't hear Wang Liya speak. He turned around and saw her dull expression: "888 betrothal gifts?"
The team leader realized these days that Wang Liya needed further ideological education. He believed that this was also the significance of going to the countryside and was willing to teach her and change her.
"Yes, Comrade Qingmei deserves such precious treatment."
The squad leader whispered, "Look at how you view others. You should tear your urban and road household registration off your head as soon as possible. Stop thinking about things one way or the other and treating a comrade one-sidedly."
Wang Liya watched Qingmei's engagement ceremony, which was even more lively than her own. The courtyard was filled with countless gifts, candy and cigarettes were distributed free of charge, and the people carrying the shoulder poles were all wearing green military uniforms.
Compared to the work uniform she used to wear with pride, it was nothing at this moment.
But all the villagers were used to it, as if this was how childhood sweethearts were supposed to be engaged.
Wang Liya had thought her partner's 365 yuan betrothal gift was a staggering sum, but it turned out to be nothing in the eyes of others. The widows she despised remarried and received much more than she did.
She was deeply shocked, and her gaze gradually shifted to the heroic officer in the yard. At that time, she thought he was just a peasant.
Noticing her gaze, the squad leader introduced her, "That's the renowned Captain Gu of Unit 014. He and Comrade Qingmei have a deep bond, and now they're becoming a family, a wish shared by all the people of Donghe Village."
She was a naive educated youth who thought she was the most powerful and noble, but she didn't know that she was just a joke in the eyes of people who were really capable.
Donghe Village is truly a place of hidden dragons and crouching tigers.
No wonder the other villagers didn't want to pay attention to her. She was really wrong.
Wang Liya felt deeply her own fault and lowered her head in shame: "I know I was wrong."
The team leader wanted to go over to congratulate Qingmei and Gu Qingzhou, but Wang Liya was too embarrassed to go forward, so she took two steps back and turned to leave.
The blue brick courtyard was bustling with activity, and everyone seemed to be urging the two engaged couple to hold hands and kiss each other.
The old man who was recording the gift list reported the betrothal gifts sent by the Gu family to the villagers who were watching the ceremony in a loud voice.
Wang Liya no longer felt anything and she fled in panic.
In a corner where she wasn't noticing, Chen Qiaoxiang's gums were bleeding from biting them.
She remembered that day she was waiting for Zhao Wuhe's betrothal gift, and while waiting, Zhao Wuhe went to Qingmei's house.
In the end, she lost Gu Qingzhou forever.
Every time she thought of that day, she found it unbelievable. He had clearly said that he would propose to her, so how could he be sent to a widow's house?
Just now, when she saw Qingmei and Gu Qingzhou looking at each other, Chen Qiaoxiang finally knew the answer.
Gu Qingzhou never even glanced at her from beginning to end.
Chen Qiaoxiang followed Wang Liya's steps and left the vicinity of the blue brick courtyard in a trance.
Her fate changed completely. From then on, she had only one man, Huang Wenbi.
"I'm going to throw it away, scatter!"
Xiaogang had the privilege to take down the firecrackers under his control, light them one by one while standing on the wall and throw them down.
He was eating White Rabbit milk candy in his mouth and playing with firecrackers in his hands, and he was very happy.
I played for most of the day and had a great time.
The betrothal ceremony, which had lasted all morning, finally came to an end. The others discussed this rare betrothal ceremony, which was so rare in the area, and headed home with their pockets full of cigarettes and candy.
Mrs. Fang asked Xiaogang to come down, and several families who were on good terms with each other gathered at four tables to have dinner at Qingmei's house.
Xiao Gang said to Mrs. Fang innocently, "Can Qingmei only get engaged once? It would be great if she got engaged every day!"
Mrs. Fang quickly covered his mouth. It was not easy to raise her silly brother to this age, and she couldn’t let him be torn to pieces alive.
Everyone saw clearly today that Qingmei was the woman Captain Gu cherished as the apple of his eye. The engagement ceremony alone was more elaborate than many weddings in the surrounding area. By the time the actual wedding day arrived, who knew how lively it would be.
They sat in the house waiting for the food to be served. Captain Jin, who was invited to dinner outside, smiled and gave Qingmei a bag of white sugar, which weighed at least half a pound.
Captain Jin said jokingly with a smile, "Congratulations! You've finally decided to marry into the Gu family. My older sister doesn't have to worry every day about you being snatched away by another family."
Zhao Wuhe had indeed fulfilled one of his thoughts. He put his arm around Qingmei's shoulders and said, "Yes, I was thinking that even if I couldn't marry her, I would still love her as my own daughter. But when she marries into my family, I will also love her as my own daughter."
Gu Qingzhou's ears were almost callused from listening to so much.
Comrades in the army who got married early all said that the relationship between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law is difficult, and the men caught in the middle have an even harder time.
But he didn't feel it was difficult at the moment. Ms. Zhao Wuhe was with Qingmei, and she was mistaken for Qingmei's biological mother more than once. Instead, he was like a son-in-law.
Furthermore, his comrade felt that the difficulty in mother-in-law and daughter-in-law relationships was that the man was not strong enough in the middle, only enjoying the efforts of his mother and wife and not knowing how to mediate.
Gu Qingzhou thought that if it were him, he would definitely do better than him.
This time, the meal was not cooked by my own family. Instead, I asked a chef from the People's Hotel to cook it. He delivered it to me in a lunch box and kept it warm in the pot. It is still hot now.
Braised Lion's Head, Beef Stewed with Potatoes, Shredded Pork with Beijing Sauce, Ants Climbing a Tree, Braised Pork with Preserved Vegetables, and Braised Spare Ribs.
There were six meat dishes on the four tables, all of which were large enough to fit everyone.
Everyone was enjoying the meal together when Secretary Wang arrived a little late.
After congratulating Qingmei, she said to her, "You have a double blessing today."
Qingmei wondered: "What else is there to be happy about?"
Secretary Wang said, "Your family in the city called you and asked you to attend your sister's wedding ceremony tomorrow."
Qingmei and Gu Qingzhou: "..."
"Thank you for telling me." Qingmei pulled Secretary Wang to sit down. She didn't want to mention that family on their wedding day, and she didn't want to go at all. But judging by their intentions, she had no choice but to go. What was wrong?
Gu Qingzhou glanced at her and the wine glass in his hand was filled again.
Captain Jin stood up to celebrate and everyone raised their glasses.
Qingmei took a sip. She couldn't tell the difference between good and bad wines, and she didn't like drinking them. On the contrary, Captain Jin, Zhao Wuhe, Brother Fang, and Brother Wang Yang, who knew how to drink, all praised the wine.
Qingmei was wearing a light blue spring-autumn shirt with an apricot short-sleeved shirt underneath. Her pants were a plain navy blue, but the waist was cinched to a slender waist, and the workmanship was exquisite and delicate, standing up to scrutiny. The entire outfit was made by Zhao Xiaoxing and Xiaoyan, who worked through the night sewing it needle and thread.
Qingmei originally planned to wear a skirt, but it was still a bit chilly these days. Gu Qingzhou didn't let her show off and insisted that she wear a coat and trousers.
Although she was wearing ordinary clothes, her hair was braided into a fishbone braid and coiled behind her head, which had a classical beauty like flowing clouds, adding a lot of graceful and elegant temperament to Qingmei.
Xiaoyan also suggested that she wear peony silk flowers on the sides of her ears, as people who are getting married or engaged would wear flowers in their hair. Qingmei refused to do so and would never agree.
Xiaoyan had no choice but to change the peony silk flower into a smaller corsage and pin it on her coat.
After dinner, Captain Jin and the others were about to leave, leaving the engaged couple some space to be alone together.
Zhao Wuhe was a good drinker and dragged Captain Jin to the Gu family compound to continue drinking. Captain Jin, who rarely got drunk, called Secretary Wang, Zhao Xiaoxing and others who knew how to drink.
Qingmei and Gu Qingzhou held Zhao Wuhe on the left and right to prevent her from leaving. Zhao Wuhe, emboldened by the alcohol, shook her arms, grabbed Captain Jin and ran away.
As she left the blue brick courtyard, dark clouds began to gather in the sky.
Qingmei and Gu Qingzhou stood in the yard with a gloomy face, and they estimated that lightning and thunder would come soon.
I don’t know if I’ll be lucky this time and will be fine if I hide in the house.
Gu Qingzhou has been thinking about this for the past few days. He doesn't want to be alone with his girlfriend while she's being affectionate with him. This is not right.
You have to find a way to avoid being struck by lightning when getting close.
He suddenly said to Qingmei in a serious tone: "I don't love you."
Qingmei uttered an "ah," then looked up and said, "What did you say?"
Just now, amid the young people's excitement, I said that I would love you forever.
Gu Qingzhou glanced at the sky and said, "I'm serious, I don't love you."
As soon as he finished speaking, Gu Qingzhou saw Qingmei stubbornly running towards the shovel at the foot of the wall!
Gu Qingzhou laughed and hurriedly pulled Qingmei. Qingmei struggled and said, "You are such a heartless thing. You go back on your word just after getting engaged?" After that, she took the opportunity to bite Gu Qingzhou's arm. Hmm... there was no cumin taste.
Gu Qingzhou pointed to the sky.
Qingmei slowed down her struggle and looked up.
The sky, which was covered with dark clouds just now, suddenly let in a ray of sunshine.
Qingmei suddenly realized that it was a trick.
Seeing that her target shifted from the shovel to the sky, Gu Qingzhou breathed a sigh of relief and let her go.
Qingmei thought for a moment and said, "Then I don't love you either." She looked like a little vengeful girl, not knowing how cute she was.
Gu Qingzhou moved his Adam's apple and smiled, "I don't like you either."
Qingmei looked up at the sky, which had brightened considerably. She quickly said, "I don't like you either."
Gu Qingzhou pressed down his upturned lips and said, "Really?"
Qingmei nodded guiltily: "Really."
After that, the blue brick courtyard was filled with sunshine.
Qingmei was really convinced.
Gu Qingzhou stepped forward and said, "How do you prove that you don't love me or like me?"
Qingmei put her hands on her hips and said, "We'll prove it however you say."
Gu Qingzhou couldn't help laughing and said, "Then let's kiss and see if you are moved. If you are moved, then you are lying."
Qingmei was speechless: "...You are trying to trick me again?!"
Gu Qingzhou pointed to the sky and said like a gentleman, "I am testing you seriously."
Qingmei gritted her teeth and said, "Kiss me, who's afraid of who—well—"
Gu Qingzhou could no longer hold back and put his arms around Qingmei's waist and dragged her into his arms. Before Qingmei could protest, Gu Qingzhou kissed her on the lips. In an instant, feeling the warmth of their lips touching, Qingmei completely surrendered.
The kiss of her lover was filled with predatory and unwillingness, racing against time to roam in his mouth. Qingmei felt like her soul was being sucked away, and her small hands gripped his shoulders tighter and tighter.
I don’t know how long it took, but thunder exploded in my ears again, and it seemed that the way of heaven could not wait for the answer.
Qingmei was slowly released, and a big hand reached out to wipe the wetness from the corner of her lips.
Gu Qingzhou felt an itch in his Adam's apple as he looked at the little object whose eyes were about to water.
He could barely wait until his wedding day. A thick passion swirled in his heart, his eyes burned, and the sweet warmth of his little lover lingered in his mouth.
"How do you feel?" Gu Qingzhou reached out and rubbed the little object's ears, which had been disturbed by the thunder. And the Heavenly Dao seemed to be waiting for this answer.
Qingmei wiped her mouth, as if she was still unsatisfied: "Not really, I don't feel anything at all."
"Although I don't feel anything either," Gu Qingzhou said, "but I don't believe you don't feel anything."
Qingmei saw the sky was sometimes cloudy and sometimes clear, and felt like a fool who had been fooled.
Sometimes he felt stupid, sometimes he felt that this was the way it should be. His entire consciousness was in turmoil, toyed with by the two of them, leaving him bewildered.
"Don't believe it?" Qingmei sneered and said, "Then try again?"
Gu Qingzhou smiled and said, "Just give it a try."
This time, Qingmei took the initiative to walk over, put her arms around Gu Qingzhou's neck, stood on tiptoe and gave him a light kiss on the lips.
The tender kiss did not have any depth, but it made Gu Qingzhou palpitate more than the deep kiss just now.
He couldn't help but pinch her slender waist, rubbing it with his thumb. It was as if he was always restraining himself, but was about to explode.
After the kiss, Qingmei took a step back and asked knowingly, "How does it feel?"
Gu Qingzhou's chest was beating violently. He looked at the woman he loved deeply in his life and said in a low voice, "Not very good."
Seeing that he couldn't hold back any longer, Qingmei wiped her mouth and said, "If it's not that good, forget it!" Turning around, the scumbag girl who had flirted with the man ran into the house.
If she didn't run away, she felt that the wedding would have to take place today.
Gu Qingzhou denied it, but she saw it clearly!
Gu Qingzhou walked behind, glanced at the clear sky, and said in a low voice: "Okay, save it, and I will calculate the principal and interest for you until the day of your wedding."
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