Chapter 27 Chapter 27 The First Gift
"This is the fourth pot."
Gu Qingzhou sat on a small stool with his tall body, diligently preparing water for Qingmei's bath.
He suspected that he had been deceived by her.
The bucket at his feet was still steaming. Gu Qingzhou stood up to scoop water. He filled the bucket and carried it to the shower room on the side of the main house.
The shower room had cold water but no hot water. Gu Qingzhou usually just turned on the faucet and showered, regardless of whether it was winter or summer.
He placed the bucket outside the first door of the shower room, which had a small door inside.
There was a faint sound of water splashing inside, followed by Qingmei's soft voice: "It will be done soon."
Gu Qingzhou took a few steps back and reached out to touch the side of his neck: "That's what you said during the second pot."
Qingmei said in a muffled voice, "Your blanched stuff still has mud on it?"
Well, I can’t afford to offend you.
Gu Qingzhou went in to continue boiling water and picked up a bundle of firewood.
The back of his neck, where he couldn't see it, was a little red.
I sat back on the small stool, not knowing if I had moved too fast and scared the little girl.
In fact, he didn't want this to happen.
He promised to help build the house last time and would occasionally call Qingmei.
None of the lesbians he had ever met in his life had ever given him this feeling.
The two of them are not friends, nor are they siblings. It seems like there is a layer of anxiety between them.
He could see that Qingmei had no intention of breaking the window paper, and thought it would last for a while.
He fished his wallet out of his pocket, and inside was a photo of Qingmei receiving a second-class collective merit. He didn't know when Zhao Wuhe had slipped it in there, but the first time he pulled it out, Mu Ran and the others saw it and rushed to pass it around.
If Zhao Wuhe hadn't slipped the photo in, it wouldn't have been circulated.
The photo will not be circulated and will not be seen by the Civil Affairs Bureau officials who happen to come into the office to look for him.
Localities and the military should be closely connected, and outstanding young people should not have the time or conditions to solve personal problems when they study hard.
The Civil Affairs Bureau official immediately recognized Qingmei in the photo. Pointing at the picture, he said, "Our city matchmaking convention is inviting outstanding young people like you to participate. Outstanding people from all walks of life will be attending. Can our army provide a few spots?"
Mu Ran glanced at Gu Qingzhou and asked, "Are you going to invite the ladies here for blind dates too?"
The official from the Civil Affairs Bureau said, "This is absolutely necessary. Our city leaders take her personal situation very seriously and hope to give her a loving family. This matchmaking event even gave us a military order."
Gu Qingzhou knocked on the table, and Mu Ran said in unison, "Come on, let's go to the office over there and talk. We have a meeting here soon."
"Oh, okay." The other party followed Mu Ran out, and did not forget to persuade Gu Qingzhou, saying: "There are many outstanding men in our army. Don't miss this opportunity."
After they left, Gu Qingzhou looked at Qingmei's photo for a long time.
Unlike the photo taken on Women's Day, this photo was taken at the entrance of the Donghe Village Brigade Office.
There are white clouds and high mountains in the background. Qingmei is standing under the warm sun, and her smiling face is as bright and beautiful as a flower.
Gu Qingzhou thought that he had resisted the blind date with Qingmei before because he thought she was a little liar.
Now she is not.
In the words of Ms. Zhao Wuhe, there is a long line of people who want to date such a good girl.
It turned out that the marriage was not worth anything in the first place, but now she had brought honor to herself, the village, and the county. If she hadn't kept a close eye on her, the little girl would have been taken away long ago.
Gu Qingzhou doesn't care about Qingmei's previous marriage, but to him, the promise is more important than Mount Tai.
Marriage is not a joke. You can't let Qingmei bear the consequences of a lifetime of mistakes in a moment of impulse. She has endured it once, and she must not endure it again.
At worst, he could stay in the army. But what about Qingmei? What would she do if she made the wrong choice in marriage again?
Gu Qingzhou has been thinking about this matter after completing his tasks these days.
I put the picture of my childhood sweetheart under my pillow and in my wallet, but I still felt uneasy.
He thought about it and finally realized that the problem was actually easy to solve.
Wouldn't it be enough for him to bring the little girl back to his nest, love her, and take good care of her for the rest of her life?
He admitted that he panicked when he learned that Qingmei was invited to participate in the blind date conference in the city. After getting a clear answer, he was eager to go home. After completing the task, he returned to Donghe Village without even changing into casual clothes to catch the person.
When he arrived at Donghe Village, he found Qingmei playing and rolling around in the mud pond with others, looking like a shining little sun, which immediately calmed his panicked heart.
Gu Qingzhou stuffed two pieces of firewood into the stove, poured water into the pot, and sighed.
This is the fifth pot.
Who blanches five pots of food at a time?
This is like rolling around in the mud.
Qingmei was dressed neatly, her hair wrapped in a towel. She stood at the door, damp all over, looking at Gu Qingzhou who was in a daze.
Are you crazy from boiling water?
She took a step away and kicked the small stool with her foot.
Gu Qingzhou turned around and saw Qingmei behind him.
He restrained himself from looking at her and said in a muffled voice, "Come inside and get on the kang to get warmer."
Don't catch a cold when it's getting dark outside and the weather is getting warmer and colder.
Qingmei went into the house obediently, her eyes constantly glancing at Gu Qingzhou.
Gu Qingzhou swallowed his Adam's apple, stood up suddenly and said, "I'm going to take a shower too. Wait for me for ten minutes."
Qingmei naturally agreed.
She climbed onto the kang and sat down, feeling that something was missing.
Where’s the blind date we agreed on?
She got down from the bed in her slippers, moved the kang table onto the kang, placed two small plates of peanuts and melon seeds on it, and poured two cups of cooked barley tea for herself and Gu Qingzhou.
Maybe it was Zhao Wuhe's arrangement. The little sisters and grandma haven't come back at this time, which is really stressful.
But think about it, the other person is Gu Qingzhou.
They had countless verbal battles, and now they knew everything they needed to know.
This blind date seemed like a natural thing for her.
Although Qingmei didn't know why he suddenly wanted to go on a blind date, she also had the same idea, so she agreed.
After taking a shower, Gu Qingzhou came into the house still damp, with water droplets on his short stubble.
Seeing that the kang table was already set up, he thought for a moment and went back to his room to get a pen and paper.
Gu Qingzhou sat opposite Qingmei and saw the little girl with a blushing face looking at him.
He coughed and said, "Shall we start a blind date?"
Qingmei nodded obediently: "Okay."
Gu Qingzhou had never been on a blind date before, so he asked first, "Name?"
"Ah?" Qingmei: "My name is Hao Qingmei. I'm used to everyone calling me Qingmei. I don't want to take my father's last name either."
Gu Qingzhou quickly wrote down the information in his notebook and then asked, "Gender? No need to mention that, just skip it. Age?"
Qingmei looked at me like I was stupid and said, "Nineteen, and in two months it will be twenty."
Gu Qingzhou asked again: "Who else is at home?"
Qingmei sat on the warm kang, unable to bear it any longer: "Are you going on a blind date or interrogating me?"
The two of them sat facing each other. Maybe the kang was too hot, and the two young men, who had just taken a shower and were still damp, had red faces and white steam coming out of their heads.
The scene was touching.
Gu Qingzhou put down his pen and said calmly, "I'm serious about blind dates."
Qingmei said, "I don't think you've ever been on a blind date."
Gu Qingzhou raised his eyebrows and said, "You have a lot of experience in blind dates?"
This was not a good idea. To avoid another unpleasant ending, Gu Qingzhou smiled and said, "Then I will learn more from you."
"......" Qingmei: "How about we both shut up for five minutes?"
"...Okay." Gu Qingzhou agreed.
The two first looked at each other face to face, looking at each other's red faces, and a moist and charming atmosphere came over them.
The two of them lowered their heads to peel melon seeds.
As they peeled the peeling, they all laughed out loud at the same time.
Qingmei said, "Formalism kills people."
Gu Qingzhou said: "How about we skip the formality?"
Qingmei chewed some melon seeds and said, "Which step should we jump to?"
Gu Qingzhou said: "Then let's jump to the stage where I ask you if you want to be with me, you say yes, and then we'll be together."
Qingmei laughed so hard that she hiccupped, then realized what was going on and covered her mouth with her hands and said, "Okay."
Gu Qingzhou was also amused. He put a handful of peeled melon seeds on the notebook and pushed it to Qingmei: "I'll bribe you first."
Qingmei took it sweetly: "The bribe was successful. Ask ahead."
Gu Qingzhou disagreed and pointed at the melon seeds and said, "Eat it. You won't be able to spit it out after you finish eating it. It will be safe to ask then."
Qingmei grabbed a handful of melon seeds and stuffed them into her mouth, chewing them like a hamster and saying, "Alright."
Gu Qingzhou stared at Qingmei with burning eyes, and Qingmei's little mouth, which had been mumbling while chewing melon seeds, gradually stopped.
Is there a backup plan for this thing?
Gu Qingzhou's expression at this moment was terrifyingly serious, as if he was swearing a lifelong oath. He stared into Qingmei's eyes and said, "Are you willing to date me? Let's get married, cherish each other, trust each other, and stay by each other's side forever."
Qingmei swallowed the melon seeds, watched him say it solemnly, then went downstairs and took out a pile of prepared materials from the drawer.
"These are my personal details, including my family relationships, personal history and plans for the future."
He stood by the kang, handed the document bag to Qingmei solemnly and said, "You can take a look first."
Qingmei opened the file bag, and the information inside was very detailed. Except for the mission that could not be stated explicitly, everything about him was included in it.
She looked down at the information she had prepared for a long time, not knowing how much effort she had put into preparing it. Suddenly, she asked, "Why are there no personal honors?"
Gu Qingzhou had won countless honors, both large and small, and Qingmei had seen his military medals. It was just that they hadn't appeared in this situation, which puzzled her.
Generally, when going on a blind date, everyone will rush to show the honor to the other person, right?
Gu Qingzhou raised his chin and pointed at the file bag and said, "The medal is just an honor given by the outside world. What's inside is the real me."
Qingmei stared at him intently, her breathing stagnant.
She felt the burning heat in his gaze and said slowly, "Do you really want to date me with the intention of getting married?"
Gu Qingzhou raised his eyebrows and said, "You don't want to take responsibility?"
What are you talking about!
Qingmei waved her hands quickly: "No——"
Gu Qingzhou smiled and said in a deep voice: "Then get along with me, keep each other in your heart and cherish every day."
"good."
Qingmei held the file bag and said, "Remember what I said today."
What Gu Qingzhou wanted was to get himself in front of Qingmei and let her understand his true feelings. Seeing her agree without hesitation, his tense heart finally relaxed.
He breathed a sigh of relief, only to discover that there was a thin layer of sweat on his palms.
He looked at Qingmei and said softly, "Then you must remember what we said today. Our premise is marriage."
Qingmei's face was full of smiles: "I know. Please rest assured, Captain Gu."
Qingmei's smile infected Gu Qingzhou, and Gu Qingzhou also smiled.
Qingmei was about to put Gu Qingzhou's file bag away, but as soon as she stood up, Gu Qingzhou's face suddenly changed.
He held Qingmei's forearm and saw a circle of blue finger marks on it. He looked at her fiercely and said, "Who did this?"
Qingmei looked away and said quickly, "Don't be angry. She accidentally caught it when she was saving Xiaoyan that day."
"Weren't you bullied?"
"no."
Qingmei honestly recounted what happened that day. Gu Qingzhou knew that he had misunderstood and quickly let go of her hand.
Qingmei covered her arm, which still had the warmth of Gu Qingzhou's palm. But he was too nervous to grasp it, and couldn't help but teasing: "What's wrong? It's hot from blanching."
Gu Qingzhou still felt the smooth skin on his palm. He clenched his palm and said helplessly, "I really can't do anything about your mouth."
Qingmei also wanted to keep silent at such a beautiful moment, so she patted the kang and asked Gu Qingzhou to sit opposite her.
Gu Qingzhou and Qingmei had an instant tacit understanding and immediately understood what she meant.
The two of them faced each other again across the kang table.
Qingmei suppressed her pounding heart and looked at the handsome Gu Qingzhou across from her. She couldn't help but think: I'm actually in love with the male protagonist. Such a good-looking man is mine.
Gu Qingzhou was also secretly looking at Qingmei. Her beautiful almond eyes scanned over him like a little monkey who had gotten something delicious but didn't know how to take a bite.
Gu Qingzhou suppressed the upturned corners of his lips, and the more he looked at the little girl, the more he liked her.
Isn’t it the same with green plums?
Her eyes swept from Gu Qingzhou's face to his sexy Adam's apple, from his sexy Adam's apple to his strong and sturdy arms, and then from top to bottom to his chest, abdominal muscles, and waist, all of which showed off his superior masculine figure to her.
They're all hers!
hey-hey.
The more you look at Qingmei's little face, the redder it becomes, and the more you look at her brain, the yellower it becomes.
Gu Qingzhou tensed his muscles, feeling that the little girl's gaze was a hooligan. But he had no evidence.
The atmosphere unconsciously became subtle and charming. Perhaps it was because the kang was too hot and the water droplets on my body had not dried yet.
Zhao Wuhe and her friends, who had not heard any sound outside the door for a long time, knocked on the door and entered the room. They found two young men with white steam coming out of their heads, sitting face to face.
The two glanced at each other, but were too embarrassed to look at each other.
Zhao Wuhe said angrily, "You two are screwed. You have such a good opportunity to be together, why don't you put your hands on her first?"
Qingmei lowered her head in shame.
Gu Qingzhou immediately said: "It's not at that stage yet."
Zhao Xiaoxing and Xiaoyan bumped shoulders. Wow, they started protecting each other right after they started dating.
Zhao Wuhe teased them, "So when will we get to that stage? Are you going to wait until I'm on crutches and can't walk anymore before you two come to my bedside hand in hand and tell me you plan to kiss me in ten years?"
"Not really." After saying this in unison, the two little chicks looked at each other, blushing and shaking their heads.
Zhao Wuhe was about to say something when Zhao Xiaoxing's loud voice came from outside the yard: "The sewing machine has been delivered."
Qingmei quickly slipped out to check the sewing machine.
The air outside was plentiful, and she took a deep breath.
In the blink of an eye, she became a person with a partner!
Qingmei reviewed the situation silently. She was inexperienced today and felt shy. She will be more careful next time.
Ms. Zhao Wuhe is right. Next time you have a chance to be alone, don’t worry about anything else and just take a bite.
When Zhao Xiaoxing and Xiaoyan saw Qingmei running out with a red face, they knew that she was a fool and had no idea what she was thinking.
It was natural for Qingmei and Gu Qingzhou to be together, and they were not surprised.
The saleswoman came over with two male comrades carrying a sewing machine. The Shanghai brand foot-operated sewing machine weighed almost 40 kilograms.
Hand-cranked ones can be lighter, but not as good as foot-operated ones.
She saw Qingmei standing in the yard to greet them and said happily, "I was going to send it tomorrow, but I was afraid you'd be anxious, so I sent it here."
Qingmei looked at the sewing machine happily. It was covered with a cloth cover, which when pulled off revealed an atmospheric dark red background painted with gold.
A brand new sewing machine was placed before her eyes, with traces of oil still visible on the joints. Qingmei patted it and said, "Thank you so much, big sister. Come over and have some tea and rest."
If the saleswoman hadn't been delivering a sewing machine to Qingmei, she wouldn't have had the chance to enter the Gu family's old house. She waved her hand and said, "No, let them help you carry it in. We have other families to deliver things to."
Gu Qingzhou came out of the house at this time and nodded to them as a greeting: "No need, I'll carry it."
He was wearing a camouflage vest. Without waiting for the saleswoman and the two male comrades to be polite to him, he used his arms to easily lift the sewing machine.
"Where should I put it?" Gu Qingzhou turned around and asked Qingmei.
The saleswoman saw this and her eyes widened slightly. Why not ask Zhao Wuhe, but Qingmei?
Qingmei pointed to a small room and said, "That's empty, let's go there first."
Gu Qingzhou picked up the sewing machine and went to the hut.
The saleswoman figured something out. Why did it seem like Qingmei was the one in charge of this family?
Zhao Wuhe also came out of the room and said to her, "Thank you for bringing me here tonight. Can you come in and rest for a while?"
The saleswoman said, "No, I'm in a hurry to go to someone else's house. We'll leave first."
After they left the house, one of the men carrying a sewing machine couldn't help but say, "If you didn't know, you'd think Comrade Qingmei was a family member."
The saleswoman was quick-witted and figured it out. She said, "You just came back from outside, so you don't know. The village has already accepted it."
She originally thought it was a rumor, but after watching it tonight, she realized it was completely true.
I remember last year when Zhao Wuhe went to Qingmei's house to give her a betrothal gift and then left, some people said that Zhao Wuhe regretted it and looked down on Qingmei's widow status. But when I saw her today, bah, she's a good person.
The small house was cleaned up by Zhao Wuhe and Qingmei as a temporary studio for Zhao Xiaoxing. There was a basket of scraps of cloth, a box of thread barrels, and various cheap fabrics that Zhao Xiaoxing had collected during this period.
Zhao Wuhe also gave her a lot of fabric, but Zhao Xiaoxing just didn't have the time. She decided to wait until she finished the tractor test and then slowly make it.
Now that Xiaoyan was more interested in the sewing machine, Qingmei simply turned it on and let them try it.
Gu Qingzhou watched them busying themselves, waited for a while and said to Qingmei, "I went to check out the new house, I haven't seen it yet since I came back."
Qingmei said softly: "Then come back early."
Hearing the instructions, Gu Qingzhou smiled and said, "Okay."
Zhao Xiaoxing knows how to use a sewing machine. She taught Xiaoyan while testing the machine.
In fact, it is not difficult to sew. You just need to understand the stitches and how to thread the needle, and coordinate your foot movements with the pedals.
Xiaoyan is really talented in this area, and it didn't take long for her to be able to sew straight lines by herself.
The two of them were studying needlework in the little room, while Qingmei and Zhao Wuhe went out, planning to go to their old sister's house to pick up their grandmother.
The grandmother spent all day sewing insoles at the other woman's house, and the two of them kept each other company.
After picking up grandma, Zhao Xiaoxing ran out and put her hands on Qingmei's shoulders and waist and said, "Xiaoyan heard that you were attending night school and planned to sew you a schoolbag. I said I wanted to go too, and she wanted to sew one for me too."
"What a novelty," said the grandmother happily. "The sewing machine has arrived? I'll go take a look."
Zhao Wuhe interrupted and said, "There's something newer. Do you want to hear it?"
Qingmei's face, which had just recovered, suddenly turned red again.
She pulled her grandmother to the hut, not giving Zhao Wuhe a chance to tease her.
Inside the room, one was sitting in front of the sewing machine, and the other was sitting next to it. Both of them were concentrating on sewing the backpack straps.
When Zhao Xiaoxing saw Qingmei coming back, she held the backpack in front of her and said, "Look how skillful Xiaoyan is. She embroidered a little plum on your backpack."
Then she took out her schoolbag and said, "She also embroidered an apricot pattern for me."
A dadaer is the buckle cover on a schoolbag.
Qingmei couldn't let go of the crafts, and her grandmother squinted her eyes and said, "This girl's craftsmanship is really great, almost as good as mine when I was young."
Qingmei walked over to the sewing machine and asked Xiaoyan, "Why don't you be Xiaoyan's companion?"
Xiaoyan whispered, "I don't have a schoolbag, and I don't need one."
Qingmei said, "Why can't you use it? Don't you know how to read?"
Xiaoyan said: "My brother is the only one in my family who studied until the second grade. No one else went to school. Schoolbags are useless."
Qingmei said, "You should also prepare a companion for yourself. Tomorrow I will enroll you in night school, and you can study culture with us."
Xiaoyan was so excited that she stuttered, "I'm not from Donghe Village. How can I learn culture from you?"
Qingmei said, "The last time Huaer came, she attended classes for two days. Captain Jin said that since there were still teachers teaching, one more student or one less wouldn't make a big difference. She was even happy that someone was willing to attend night school."
Xiaoyan stood up happily and said helplessly, "Then I will make a little swallow's companion for myself."
"That's right," Zhao Wuhe said with a smile. "How can young people be illiterate? Otherwise, they'd be worse off than me. It's always better to be able to read. Otherwise, you wouldn't even know the name of a dish when you go out and order it. City people call illiterate people blind. Don't you think that's quite right?"
Xiaoyan said hurriedly: "I don't want to be blind. I want to learn how to sew and learn culture. I want to follow in Sister Qingmei's footsteps. Sister Qingmei has given me a betrothal gift, I can't let her down——"
Gu Qingzhou just walked to the door and heard such explosive news, and blurted out: "What betrothal gift? Who are you giving the betrothal gift to?"
Qingmei laughed and said, "It's not what you think. Didn't I tell you about Xiaoyan's situation? I'm doing her a favor."
Xiaoyan explained awkwardly, "Yes, Sister Qingmei helped me pay the betrothal money to my family, so that I can no longer have any relationship with my family. From now on, I will be Sister's person in life and her ghost in death—"
Qingmei quickly covered her mouth and said, "Ancestor, you can't say such things." Then she turned to Gu Qingzhou and said, "Listen to my explanation."
Gu Qingzhou knew what was going on and just teased her: "Then you'd better explain it to me clearly."
Xiaoyan wanted to say something to help, but Zhao Xiaoxing quickly took over, covered her mouth and said, "Good boy, your mouth is not as good as mine."
Gu Qingzhou tricked Qingmei out of the hut naturally, and said with a smile in his eyes: "Little hooligan, tell me."
Qingmei noticed that he was laughing and knew he was teasing her. She pursed her lips and said, "You keep calling me a little rascal. Are you trying to imply something?"
Gu Qingzhou didn't talk nonsense this time. He pondered the look Qingmei gave him for a long time.
After figuring it out, he glanced into the room. Seeing that they hadn't come out, he patted his abdominal muscles and said boldly, "Here, this is all yours. From now on, you are not allowed to touch other people's things, no matter how greedy you are. Do you understand?"
"What are you greedy for?" Qingmei was both angry and embarrassed: "You really think I'm a gangster."
Gu Qingzhou didn't dare to say anything. His judgment was incredibly accurate.
Qingmei didn't know that he had seen through her stupidity. Thinking that he actually asked her to do that, she also asked him to do that: "Then you must not let anyone touch you in the future. Of course, you are not allowed to touch others either."
"Don't worry, they definitely won't." Gu Qingzhou heard a sound in the house and said with a smile: "Let's go, they are calling you."
"Okay." Qingmei turned and went into the house.
Gu Qingzhou watched her walk into the house, looked up at the dark and cloudy night, and said softly, "Why isn't there thunder?"
Is he thinking in the wrong direction?
*** ***
The brigade’s broadcast in the morning was very lively, warmly welcoming brothers and sisters from Zhuan Village to come and help build the road.
When the dam was being built, people from Donghe Village also went to help Brick Village. When Brick Village was busy producing bricks, Brother Fang and his people would also go to help.
The simple working people interact with each other with enthusiasm and kindness.
The villagers of Zhuan Village, mobilized by Hua'er's family, came to the road construction site, carrying their own tools. The sheer number of people shocked the people of Donghe Village.
Qingmei and her second cousin Huaer made an appointment to practice driving a tractor, and today both she and Zhao Xiaoxing had the opportunity to test drive it.
When they passed by the new house, they saw Gu Qingzhou standing on the wall directing everyone to put up the beams.
The new house would be completed in four or five days at most. Gu Qingzhou took advantage of the time he had left in the morning to fix the complicated parts. There was still some left, so he could take his time to rest and repair the remaining edges.
He was not there when the main beams of the house were put up, so he decided to finish everything before returning to the army.
Qingmei couldn't take her eyes off Gu Qingzhou as he worked. Zhao Xiaoxing whispered beside her, "It's different when you're in a relationship. You work so hard. Yeah, isn't this just like being at home?"
Qingmei pursed her lips and smiled, took off the aluminum kettle on her back, ran to the wall and handed it to Gu Qingzhou in front of everyone.
Gu Qingzhou bent down to take it and drank a few sips without saying a word. In the past, he would never accept any kindness from female comrades. But today, there is a lot more meaning in this.
Brother Fang watched it all from the roof, and made eyes with Brother Wang Yang, guessing that there would be another happy event in Donghe Village soon.
Qingmei stood below and watched for a while, then was dragged by Zhao Xiaoxing to the village entrance to find Huaer and her second cousin.
The team from Brick Village was very eye-catching. They were particularly helpful today. Even though they had to deliver bricks to others, they still sent a tractor to Donghe Village.
Hua'er had been eating well these past few days and had gained a little weight. Her round face looked particularly festive. She stood on the tractor and waved vigorously at Qingmei: "I'm here!"
The second cousin said to Hua'er, "Please sit back and let Comrade Qingmei take the lead."
Huaer said, "Okay."
Qingmei and Zhao Xiaoxing ran over quickly, and Huaer reached out to pull them into the car.
There were many people working at the village entrance, moving sand, and their eyes widened when they saw the tractor.
Being a tractor driver is a very honorable profession in the surrounding area. Wherever you go, you will be respected as a tractor driver.
Among the workers was the newlywed Huang Wenbi. His face didn't reflect the joyful look of a newlywed, but rather one of annoyance.
Which man can stand marrying a wife and not letting her touch him?
When he saw that Qingmei and Zhao Xiaoxing were actually invited to get on the tractor and had to drive it for a while alone, he felt terrible.
He had never even touched a tractor, but they had all driven one. How would they compare the votes two days later?
He hardened his heart and decided to swallow his pride. After work, he bought two packs of cigarettes and asked other tractor drivers. He would never let them become tractor drivers!
Not only did he watch them take turns learning to drive the tractor, but the other villagers in Donghe Village also saw it.
Qingmei was driving in the front, her little hands were very steady. When the tractor started, those who didn't see the driver would think it was driven by an experienced tractor driver.
The second cousin was also surprised and kept praising Qingmei: "You will definitely be able to become a tractor driver."
When it was Zhao Xiaoxing's turn to drive, she was a little nervous, but Qingmei gave her a simulated test drive and then took the lead in two leisurely laps, which gave her great encouragement.
Although she was nervous and her driving route was not very straight, she drove the tractor from the east end of the road to the north end and then stopped the tractor properly.
Zhao Xiaoxing wiped the sweat off her face and said, "It's actually not that difficult. I almost scared myself."
My second cousin said, "Driving a tractor requires both skill and mindset. Experienced drivers are experienced and have a good mindset. With time, you will be able to drive better like me."
Qingmei and Zhao Xiaoxing took turns driving two laps on the road. They met Xiaoyan and Zhao Wuhe who came with them, and pulled them into the car to experience their driving skills.
Several female comrades were enthusiastically studying driving techniques in the car. Captain Jin and Captain Wu from Zhuan Village saw them and could not help but sigh that the people of the two villages had a good relationship.
"Why don't we just become brother villages?" Captain Wu said, looking at the approaching tractor, moving aside and saying, "Look how close they are."
Captain Jin also thought it was a good idea. After thinking for a while, he said, "Don't call it Brother Village. It would be more appropriate to call it Sister Village."
Captain Wu nodded and said, "Yes, it should be called Sister Village!"
Qingmei and Zhao Xiaoxing practiced hard, and when they got out of the car, Huaer pulled them over to talk.
Seeing Xiaoyan living with Qingmei now, I feel both envious and emotional. I just hope that the little sister who has shared weal and woe with her is doing well.
"Wow, that guy over there is so handsome. He looks more like a cadre than a farmer." Hua'er huddled with them to eat biscuits, a new product from the biscuit factory she had brought with her. As she finished speaking, she noticed the other person getting closer and closer.
Huaer stretched her neck and saw the man handing Qingmei a water bottle. Qingmei took the bottle and naturally slung it over her shoulder. "Are you leaving?"
Gu Qingzhou said: "Yes, go back and write a report."
Huaer's eyes widened as she looked at Qingmei and then at Gu Qingzhou.
Qingmei stood up, walked to the other side of the road with Gu Qingzhou, and whispered, "What report do you want to make? Why haven't I heard you mention it?"
Gu Qingzhou said softly, "I want to discuss this with you about filing a relationship report."
In broad daylight, the two stood close to each other without trying to avoid each other. Anyone with a discerning eye could tell what was going on.
Someone whispered, "My goodness, the young widow really managed to take down Captain Gu."
Someone else said, "Don't say such harsh words. Comrade Qingmei is worthy of Comrade Gu Qingzhou."
Huang Wenbi was shoveling sand. He wiped the sweat off his face and heard someone talking. He looked up and saw two people standing under a sycamore tree with green buds on the opposite side of the road.
It's true, the handsome man and beautiful woman are a perfect match. They always smile when they talk, and you can tell that they have a good relationship without even listening to what they say.
Huang Wenbi shoveled sand with all his might, almost splashing it on someone else. He received several scoldings but said nothing.
Hua'er asked Zhao Xiaoxing gossipingly, "Are they dating?"
Zhao Xiaoxing said: "Yes, we just got together."
Hua'er was at the age of looking for a husband. Seeing Qingmei and Gu Qingzhou standing together, she couldn't help but say, "Xiaomei has good taste. The person she found is always good no matter where she lives."
Xiaoyan whispered, "It's an officer."
"Really?! Oh my god." Hua'er clapped her hands and said, "That's even better. Xiaomei deserves someone like this."
As Qingmei was talking to Gu Qingzhou, she felt the tips of her ears turn red. According to the older generation, this meant someone was talking about her.
She looked up at Gu Qingzhou, and her eyes were filled with him staring down at her.
She clenched her fists slightly at the sides of her pants. They had just started dating, but Gu Qingzhou was going back to the army, and she was a little reluctant to let him go.
Gu Qingzhou was also like this. He heard the little girl whisper, "Why ask for my opinion? Why don't you just hit me directly?"
Gu Qingzhou whispered, "Then you should think about it carefully. I want to file the love report and marriage report together."
"Huh?" Qingmei didn't expect him to move so quickly. She looked at him in surprise: "Why are you in such a hurry?"
Gu Qingzhou smiled and said, "I'm doing this for your own good."
Qingmei narrowed her eyes and said, "Tell the truth."
Gu Qingzhou said sternly: "If someone asks you to attend a blind date meeting, I won't allow you to go."
"A blind date meeting? No one invited me to go." Qingmei's puzzlement for the entire day was finally resolved. She laughed and said, "Where did you hear about this? Is that why you rushed back for a blind date?"
Gu Qingzhou said: "Well, I care about you too much."
Qingmei's heart skipped a beat at his honesty. She scratched the seam of her trousers and said helplessly, "If someone calls me, I won't go."
Gu Qingzhou said: "You have to tell them that you have a partner."
Qingmei pursed her lips and smiled: "Okay."
Gu Qingzhou struck while the iron was hot and asked, "What about the report I asked you about just now?"
Qingmei: "Then you fight."
Gu Qingzhou asked knowingly: "How many reports should I write?"
Qingmei said in embarrassment: "Two, two, two, two!"
"I promise to complete the task." Gu Qingzhou smiled briefly, reached out and quickly pinched Qingmei's tickling fingers: "Then can I hold your fingers?"
Last time I did a mission, I squeezed it and she called me a hooligan.
Qingmei clenched her fist and rubbed it, whispering, "Didn't you clench it?"
"Then next time I come to see you, can I hold your hand again?"
Qingmei hummed, "Just squeeze it for a bit."
"How about a ten-second one?"
Qingmei said irritably, "Whatever."
She wanted to hit him so badly that she could just grab him and ask him whatever she wanted.
As long as Gu Qingzhou is satisfied, that's fine.
After teasing the little girl, Gu Qingzhou accompanied Qingmei to her sisters.
Zhao Xiaoxing and Hua'er were bragging about the locust flower cakes Qingmei had made: "She only made about ten pieces, and I ate three."
Xiaoyan said enviously, "You are so lucky."
Huaer kept looking back: "Captain Gu is here with Xiaomei. My heart can't take it. They look like a perfect match together."
Qingmei came over and heard this, and said with a smile: "Don't praise me, why do I feel like you have something to ask of me?"
Hua'er laughed and said, "Xing'er always says your locust flower cakes are delicious, but I've never had them. When will I have the chance to try them?"
Zhao Xiaoxing said hurriedly, "There aren't many locust flowers blooming during the Spring Festival Gala this year. Last time Xiaomei made it, she didn't even get to eat it."
Qingmei glanced at the mountain behind, thought for a moment and said, "I like eating locust flower cakes too. Wait for half a month, when the locust flowers at the foot of the mountain bloom, I'll pick some and make more locust flower cakes for you to eat."
Zhao Xiaoxing didn't want to go deep into the mountains to pick sophora japonica flowers, so she quickly said, "Yes, Xiaomei didn't get to eat any last time, and she couldn't bear to eat them herself, so she shared them with us. They're too expensive in the market outside, so let's wait. It's too dangerous in the mountains. The last time I wanted to go dig bamboo shoots, I almost got lost."
Hua'er could only do this after hearing this.
Gu Qingzhou didn't say anything and stayed quietly beside Qingmei.
After a while, the second cousin came back with sand and called them to go up and practice driving.
Gu Qingzhou said to Qingmei, "You go ahead. I'll come over on Sunday when we have a day off."
Qingmei looked at him and said reluctantly, "Okay, call the brigade headquarters if you have anything. Be sure to pay attention to safety when you are on a mission."
Listening to her explanation, Gu Qingzhou smiled and said, "Then I'll leave."
Qingmei said reluctantly, "Okay."
After Gu Qingzhou left, Qingmei practiced driving seriously.
In the middle of the trip, she was called to the brigade headquarters to answer a phone call. Qingmei thought that no one would call her, but after she answered the phone, she was filled with question marks.
Zhong Anhua actually invited her to the wedding?
I remember that in my previous life, Zhong Anhua didn't let her attend the wedding. Why did he invite her? Was he asking her to see what a wedding to an officer was like? To see how happy she was marrying Platoon Leader Jia?
Qingmei sneered.
In the end, Zhong Anhua often wanted to compete with her. Even though she had already moved to the countryside, she still liked all kinds of stimulation and stepping on her.
Same as Qian Ying.
Qingmei hung up the phone and returned to the road at the village entrance.
After thinking about it, I decided to concentrate on practicing driving and wait until Gu Qingzhou comes back to discuss the wedding. After all, there are some issues with Zhong Anhua's partner.
She had driving experience, so she let Zhao Xiaoxing practice more and she cheered her on.
The sky was filled with patches of sunset glow, and the villagers of the two villages returned to their homes.
After saying goodbye to Huaer and second cousin, Qingmei and the others walked towards the Gu family's old house, chatting along the way.
On the way, they were chattering about tractors, with excitement still on their faces.
As soon as they stepped into the Gu family's old house, a light fragrance suddenly filled their noses, and everyone fell silent.
"Oh my god, this took so much effort."
"This was picked by... Captain Gu?"
"You have to go to the top of the mountain to pick this, right? You can't pick it outside."
Under the eaves, a basket full of white locust flowers is quietly waiting for Qingmei to come back.
The branches and leaves have a light fragrance.
The first batch of locust flowers, which can only be picked in the deep mountains, were piled up in front of them, one bunch after another with splashing stream water.
A breeze blew.
The sweet and pure breath, with a hint of sweetness, hit Qingmei's heart.
And in the sky dozens of miles away.
The dark clouds were as thick as fog, rolling in and pressing down like a wall.
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