Chapter 40 He used his knees to separate her legs
"I'm coming." The door opened and a long-faced woman wearing a blue cotton coat came out.
Jiang Xueqian called out shyly, "Auntie."
Lu Feng glanced at her with a slightly critical look and said, "Come in quickly."
Jiang Xueqin lifted her skirt and walked into the house, and Jiang Xueyi followed her in.
She took a look at the house. It was quite spacious and looked new. Compared with other houses in the area, it was unique.
After entering the house, Lu Feng poured a glass of water for them.
She glanced at Jiang Xueyi and said, "This is your sister—"
Before he could finish his words, Jiang Xueqian answered, "Yes, this is my sister. Her husband is my brother-in-law, and he's the deputy brigade commander in the army."
A gleam of light flashed in Lu Feng's eyes. "I heard from our Weidong that Deputy Brigade Commander He is young and promising."
Jiang Xueyi raised her eyebrows. This was different from what Jiang Xueqin said.
So they are using her as a pretext to gain something big?
She chuckled: "We are not from the same mother, so our relationship is not that close."
Lu Feng frowned.
Jiang Xueqian clutched the hem of her skirt tightly, secretly hating Jiang Xueyi for ruining her plan.
I was afraid that if Lu Feng continued asking, who knows what would happen next.
Jiang Xueqian quickly said, "Auntie, let's get down to business. My sister is here too. Shouldn't our two families discuss the betrothal gift?"
Lu Feng: "Oh, yes, tell me, how much do you want as a betrothal gift?"
Jiang Xueqian glanced at Jiang Xueyi with a smug look in her eyes.
She cleared her throat. "Auntie, you see, both our families are well-off. My brother-in-law is the deputy brigade commander, and Weidong is the head of the logistics department. We're a perfect match."
"I don't ask for much. I must have three turns and one ring, not to mention seventy-two legs. We are not a small family, so you must give a generous gift. Just give me eight hundred and eighty-eight yuan as a good start. I want five sets of clothes, one for each of the four seasons. I want five because four doesn't sound good. I want pillows and bedding made of pure cotton, and they have to be bright red. These are the only ones I can think of for now. I'll add more later."
Jiang Xueqin said a long list as if she was reading out the names of dishes.
Not only was Lu Feng stunned, Jiang Xueyi was also stunned. This was a huge exaggeration.
Is the lion opening its mouth wide?
Jiang Xueqin doesn't think so. Her boyfriend Liu Weidong's salary is not low, 60 yuan a month. The three turns and one ring, betrothal gifts and other things she wants, when converted, are less than 2,000 yuan.
Liu Weidong can earn 720 yuan a year. It is quite a good deal to spend three years' salary to marry a wife.
Once she gets married, she will be able to have children and carry on the family line.
Lu Feng opened his mouth in surprise: "Do your family know that you want so many things?"
Jiang Xueyi coughed and said, "I didn't know it just now, but now I know."
She said bluntly: "I am just a guest. I won't participate in your conversation. Just treat me as a distant relative."
Lu Feng frowned. A big part of the reason why she chose Jiang Xueqin was because of He Chengze's position as deputy brigade commander. Now that he said she could only treat him as a distant relative, how could that be acceptable?
Seeing that Lu Feng's expression was not right, Jiang Xueqian quickly reached out to pull Jiang Xueyi, forcing a smile and saying, "Sister, what are you talking about?"
Jiang Xueyi shook her hand off with a cold expression.
Jiang Xue Qian hadn't expected Jiang Xue Yi to say anything good. She had only asked Jiang Xue Yi to come here to elevate herself and give herself a status.
She looked at Lu Feng awkwardly, "Auntie, Weidong and I have a very good relationship."
Remembering that Lu Feng and Kong Hongfang were not that far apart in age, her eyes lit up and she continued to use the same rhetoric she had used against Kong Hongfang: "By the way, the fortune teller said that I will definitely give birth to a son in the future."
Lu Feng frowned and said, "This... Even if it's the life of giving birth to a son, you can't ask for so much. Go ask around, even if it's the teacher's daughter, she wouldn't dare ask for so much in betrothal money."
She cut straight to the chase: "I definitely don't have three turns and one ring, and I don't have seventy-two legs either. Thirty-two legs is fine. As for the bride price, twenty is enough. Don't ask for five sets of clothes, just one will do. The quilt can be made of pure cotton, but not bright red."
Jiang Xue Qian was dumbfounded. She didn't expect Lu Feng to bargain so hard. She originally asked Jiang Xue Yi to come here to show her face, but she didn't expect to show her butt.
She gritted her teeth secretly: "Aunt Lu, please think about it carefully. If this is the case, I will not marry Weidong."
"If you don't want to marry, then don't marry. Weidong doesn't only have--" Lu Feng quickly covered her mouth and almost let the cat out of the bag.
She coughed twice and said, "Anyway, my family can't agree to this condition. In my opinion, considering your relationship with Weidong, you should give it some more thought."
Since the talks failed, I had no choice but to leave the Liu family.
As soon as Jiang Xueqian came out, she stamped her feet and said with a sullen face, "It's all your fault, it's all your fault. Who told you to cut off ties with me? If it weren't for you, Aunt Lu would have agreed to my conditions long ago."
After saying that, he left Jiang Xueyi and went away.
Jiang Xueyi raised her eyebrows and was too lazy to pay attention to her.
February 6th, New Year’s Eve.
Early in the morning, Jiang Xueyi was awakened by the sound of firecrackers.
She rubbed against He Chengze's arms out of habit. He Chengze hugged her and rested his chin on her hair: "Why, did you get scared?"
"Not really." Jiang Xueyi said, "I'm more worried about scaring the little one."
He Chengze smiled and said, "The little one is asleep, it's not that easy to wake him up."
Jiang Xueyi stood up and looked at the crib next to her. The little boy was sleeping like a pig, with his soft little hands next to his ears. He was sleeping soundly, as if the sound of firecrackers was just the background noise.
The first thing to do after getting up is to post Spring Festival couplets.
The red paper and ink had been bought long ago, and He Chengze picked up his pen and wrote a couplet in a flourish.
Jiang Xueyi looked at the exquisite calligraphy and raised her eyebrows: "I didn't know you had this skill."
He Chengze kissed her on the cheek: "There are so many things you don't know."
After writing another blessing character, Jiang Xueyi said, "I know this. It has to be pasted upside down."
He Chengze pasted an upside-down blessing character on the door: "Yes, this is the arrival of good fortune."
Another one was posted on the little bun's crib: "Wishing our little bun a new year filled with blessings."
The little bun was lying on his stomach, dancing with joy.
Jiang Xueyi was happy.
He Chengze said: "What are you laughing at?"
Jiang Xueyi: "Look at him like that, wrapped in the quilt, doesn't he look like a giant buzzing caterpillar?"
"You really are a mother." He Chengze said with a smile, "That's how you describe our son."
Jiang Xueyi: "Tell the truth."
While the two were talking, the little bun turned over again.
He Chengze was stunned: "Will he turn over?"
Jiang Xueyi: "No way, she's still so young."
The two of them stopped pasting the couplets and kept staring at the little bun until the little bun turned it over again.
Jiang Xueyi was amused: "He really can turn over now."
She gently supported the little boy's waist and helped him turn over. This is called turning over training.
He Chengze watched from the side, supporting his chin with one hand: "I heard from Lao Zhao that Xiao Rui didn't learn to roll over until he was four or five months old. Isn't it a bit early for the little bun?" He added, "In my opinion, he is a good candidate for military boxing."
Jiang Xueyi gently kicked his calf: "Go away with your military boxing."
He Chengze dodged flexibly: "I'm going to get the pork."
Today, people are slaughtering New Year pigs everywhere. The army is slaughtering New Year pigs, and the commune is also slaughtering New Year pigs. Each person can get one pound of pork based on the number of people they lead.
By the time He Chengze came back with the pork, it was almost time for dinner.
The pork is specially selected for its fat, and there is still a lot of lard left after refining it.
Jiang Xueyi brought out a bowl of oil residue, sprinkled a little salt on it and gave it to He Chengze: "Try it."
He Chengze picked up a piece and fed it to Jiang Xueyi first. After she finished eating it, he ate it himself: "Not bad, delicious."
He laughed and said, "When I was little, I used to crave this flavor every time Chinese New Year came."
The little boy lay in the crib, staring at his parents without blinking.
He Chengze was happy and said, "Do you want to eat too?"
He took a piece and teased the little bun: "Do you want to eat it, little bun?"
Jiang Xueyi really wanted to beat him up. The little boy hadn't even grown any teeth yet, so why was he eating oil residue?
It seems that even the most mature man has a childish side.
He Chengze: "Oh, yes, you haven't grown any teeth yet."
He continued to tease the little bun with the oil residue: "Then smell it first."
Little Baozi: “Ah~ah~”
My mouth is watering.
After receiving a charming glance from Jiang Xueyi, He Chengze quickly took out a handkerchief to wipe the saliva off the little boy and put a bib on him.
The semicircular bib tied around the little bun's short neck looks very funny.
For the New Year’s Eve dinner in the evening, Jiang Xueyi prepared a sumptuous meal of four dishes and one soup.
Braised pork, steamed fish, steamed egg with minced meat, four-happiness meatballs, plus a pot of seaweed egg drop soup.
He Chengze raised his eyebrows: "Your skills have improved."
"That's right." Jiang Xueyi looked up and said with a little pride, "This dish has a story."
He Chengze: "I'd like to hear the details."
Jiang Xueyi pointed at the braised pork and said, "This one symbolizes prosperity." She then pointed at the steamed fish and said, "This one symbolizes abundance every year."
Steamed egg with minced meat and four-happiness meatballs represent prosperity and reunion respectively.
He Chengze smiled and said, "What a good word."
"Yeah." Jiang Xueyi smiled, "I hope our family will prosper."
She meant that she hoped things would get better.
But when He Chengze heard it, it had a different meaning.
That is, Jiang Xueyi wants to live a good life with him and be together forever.
This is simply the most beautiful love talk.
He was so excited that he wanted to hug her tightly.
Just as he was about to start, Jiang Xueyi slid into the kitchen and said, "There's more to come."
As he spoke, he brought out a pot of bacon and rice from the kitchen.
The red sausage, orange carrots, yellow potatoes and green chopped green onions are dotted on the fragrant rice, which is very appetizing.
Jiang Xueyi's eyes sparkled as she handed him the spoon: "Try this rice first."
There is an explanation for this.
He Chengze dug with a spoon and suddenly hit something hard.
When he dug it out, he found it was actually a water chestnut.
"Pa pa." Jiang Xueyi clapped her hands and said with a smile, "Congratulations, you dug up 'ingot'. I hope the coming year will be smooth and prosperous."
Under the light, she was smiling, and even the smile on the corner of her mouth was so gentle.
He Chengze thought that he would remember this scene until the moment he died.
The sound of fireworks and firecrackers rang out outside the window.
The night sky is full of fireworks, lighting up half of the night sky.
He raised the corner of his mouth: "Happy New Year."
She looked at him with a smile on her face: "Happy New Year."
He Chengze had a rare day off from the first to the fifth day of the Lunar New Year.
He stayed at home with Jiang Xueyi and Xiao Baozi, and whenever they had free time, they would think about making something delicious.
On the sixth day of the Lunar New Year, Jiang Xueyi touched her belly and felt that she had grown a little belly.
Some people say that you gain three pounds during every festive season, and it’s true!
Jiang Xueyi looked at He Chengze with a sad face and asked him: "Have I gained weight?"
He Chengze glanced at her: "How could that be?"
Jiang Xueyi held his hand and touched her waist: "If you don't believe me, feel it. I must have gained weight. I have put on more flesh on my waist."
He Chengze touched her smooth waist, not satisfied with taking advantage, and touched her upper body again: "You are fat where you should be fat, and thin where you should be thin, which is good. Don't lose weight."
Damn! I was teased!
Jiang Xueyi was determined to get back at him. She touched He Chengze's abdominal muscles and raised her eyebrows: "You are fat where you should be fat, and thin where you should be thin. I am very satisfied."
The places she touched felt like they were on fire. He Chengze looked at her deeply and picked her up by the waist.
After it was over, Jiang Xueyi bit her pillow with tears in her eyes. If she had known, she would not have teased him.
In the end, she was the one who suffered!
A man who is satisfied in some way is still easy to talk to.
He Chengze propped himself up on the pillow with one hand: "The fair starts tomorrow, do you want to go for a walk?"
"I do!" Jiang Xueyi nodded frantically.
Staying at home, she either eats or drinks. Not to mention gaining three pounds, she is afraid that she will gain thirty pounds after the Chinese New Year.
It’s better to go to the market and walk around more~ maybe you can lose weight~
She muttered, "I need to control my mouth and move my legs!"
He Chengze only heard the last three words: "What, move your legs?"
"Okay, I'll help you." He used his knees to separate her legs, and bit her earlobe with his hot lips and teeth, rubbing it. "I'm the most considerate person."
That night, Jiang Xueyi felt He Chengze's "consideration" firsthand.
When she woke up the next morning, her legs were shaking.
He Chengze also felt that he was too indulgent and had tortured others severely.
This time he was truly considerate and asked, "How about we go another day?"
"No." Jiang Xueyi said stubbornly, "As agreed, I must go."
Keep your mouth shut and move your legs!
This time I really want to move my legs!!
Jiang Xueyi is already very familiar with going to the market.
The two of them took the little bun in the car and were happy all the way there.
Only when she arrived at the place did Jiang Xueyi realize that she was wrong.
This whole talk about controlling your mouth and moving your legs is all fake.
The market is full of food, including fragrant egg cakes, hot scallion pancakes, sweet and soft glutinous rice twists, and spicy and sour jelly... It is simply a food paradise.
It was the first time for the little boy to see so many people. He opened his big round eyes wide, feeling extremely curious.
The weather was still a bit cold, so He Chengze helped the little boy put on his crooked hat.
He said, "Let's take a walk and have a look around."
Jiang Xueyi tried hard to look away from the food and said, "Okay."
He Chengze weighed the little bun and let him lie in his arms in a more comfortable position. He smiled and said, "When the little bun grows up a little bit, you can ride on my neck."
Jiang Xueyi imagined it and wanted to tell him that at that month, the little one would be very active, and in addition to riding on his neck, he might also pull his hair.
He Chengze: "Is there anything you want to buy?"
Jiang Xueyi thought about it, her eyes lit up: "I want to buy a walker for the little one."
She gestured, "It's one of those little carts with four little wheels and a backrest, used for learning to walk."
The little boy has a strong learning ability and can even roll over now. I'm afraid he will start learning to walk in less than two months.
There is a walker that can help him walk.
He Chengze understood what she was talking about and pulled her towards the grocery area.
When Jiang Xueyi came to the market with Liu Lu before, they mainly visited the vegetable and grain areas. This was her first time in the grocery area.
I thought I would see the pots, pans, and other items sold in the supply and marketing cooperatives, but I didn't expect to see a large area of handmade products.
Basically, they are all woven, including bamboo mats, bamboo baskets, bamboo beds, bamboo coffee tables... Jiang Xueyi also saw a stall selling straw hats that also sold hand-woven grasshoppers.
She couldn't take her eyes off this little gadget.
Seeing this, He Chengze took out his money and bought one.
Jiang Xueyi held it in her arms, her eyes curved with a smile: "When I buy a baby walker, I'll tie this bamboo grasshopper to it. The little one will run in front, and the grasshopper will jump around in the back."
The next step is to buy a walker.
The two of them took the little Baozi around for several times, and finally saw a fellow villager selling a walker at a stall selling bamboo chairs and bamboo beds.
It is called a walker, but it is actually just a bamboo chair with four wheels underneath and a tray in the front for putting things or holding hands. It is very simple.
But Jiang Xueyi doesn't care no matter how simple it is. After her skillful modification, the walker will definitely look brand new, allowing the little one to sit comfortably.
She half-knelt, looked up at He Chengze, her eyes full of anticipation, and two big words written on her face: Buy it!
He Chengze was amused. The stall owner could tell at a glance that she wanted this thing, so he would just ask for a higher price.
Sure enough, when the stall owner saw Jiang Xueyi's expression, he said, "This will cost twenty yuan."
Jiang Xueyi's eyes suddenly widened: "It's so expensive, why don't you go and rob it."
The mountains are full of bamboos. The villagers who are skilled in bamboo weaving go to the mountains to cut some bamboos and weave them. It only takes some effort and costs no money at all. It is simply a business with no capital investment. Yet he dared to ask for twenty yuan.
She pulled He Chengze up, turned around and left, but she glanced at the walker out of the corner of her eye, obviously still wanting to buy it.
He Chengze grabbed her, patted her hands, and gestured for her to calm down.
He looked at the stall owner, his tone calm and collected: "My fellow countryman, you should be more honest."
He lifted up the underbody support: "The tenons aren't tight enough. If you shake it, it'll fall apart."
The stall owner paused holding the bamboo knife, and bamboo chips fell onto his faded blue apron.
"And more." He Chengze's fingertips brushed the edge of the walker, gently scraping the burrs with his fingertips. "This must be made from last year's old bamboo. It's even crisper than a biscuit."
The stall owner's face flushed red: "You are talking nonsense, you...you..."
He glanced at He Chengze, whose temperament and attire did not seem like that of a countryman. "What do you, a city person, know? This is Hsinchu this year. I just went up the mountain to cut it down two days ago."
"Really?" He Chengze raised his eyebrows. "Then you can get rid of your Hsinchu. If it weren't for the broken metal, I would have bought it from you at the original price."
The stall owner turned his head and said with a stiff neck, "I have strong hands. Besides, why should I listen to you?"
He glanced at the two of them and shouted, "Are you really serious about buying this? If not, don't get in my way."
He Chengze: "We definitely want to buy it, but you don't seem to be sincere in your offer." He added, "Go ask around and see if anyone is selling a baby walker for twenty yuan. Is yours inlaid with gold or made of silver?"
The bamboo sword turned half a circle in his palm, and the stall owner finally snorted, "Five yuan less, no lower."
He Chengze smiled: "With this quality, three pieces are too much for me."
After saying that, he took Jiang Xueyi and turned away.
"Wait!" The stall owner grabbed the bamboo strips and chased after him. "Four yuan. Just consider it a gift to a friend. Next time you want to buy something, come back to me."
He Chengze turned around and squinted his eyes: "I'll give you five dollars, but you have to make a new one for me."
The stall owner gritted his teeth and said, "Okay."
It's his bad luck that he met someone who knows what he's doing.
He Chengze said earnestly, "My fellow villager, next time you make a baby walker, you have to use Hsinchu. The quality of your baby walker is really not very good. What if the child sits on it and it falls apart? His safety is more important than anything else."
The stall owner sighed. Actually, this walker was once used by his child. When he came to set up the stall, he thought it would be a waste, so he packed it up and brought it with him.
Who would have thought that He Chengze had such sharp eyes.
He Chengze didn't waste any more words: "Next time I come to the market, I'll pick it up. We'll exchange money and goods. Remember, it has to be in Hsinchu, otherwise I won't pay." He added, "This shouldn't be your first time setting up a stall. In business, reputation is the most important thing. Without it, who would dare to come to buy things from you in the future?"
The stall owner was so confused after being scolded that he responded weakly.
Done.
He Chengze said: "Let's go."
When he turned around, he saw Jiang Xueyi looking at him with admiration.
Her eyes were curved like two crescent moons. When the smile spread across the corners of her eyes, even the tips of her eyebrows were tinged with sweetness, as if hiding a bunch of freshly peeled grapes, the sparkling sweetness flowing down her eyelashes.
He Chengze's heart was pounding: "What's wrong?"
"No." Jiang Xueyi stood on tiptoe, leaned close to his ear, and exhaled warm air from her mouth, "I just think you are particularly handsome and manly today."
"Not stingy?" He Chengze raised his eyebrows.
There aren't many men like him who bargain till death, right?
In fact, he felt a little regretful after bargaining. He had only seen old ladies standing in front of stalls bargaining with people. For a grown man like him, doing this... it was still a bit embarrassing.
The people watching nearby looked at him with somewhat strange eyes.
Jiang Xueyi said angrily, "How can you be stingy? You know how to live well."
With just a few words, he got the stall owner to reduce the price from 20 yuan to 4 yuan. He added another yuan and directly replaced it with a newly made bamboo walker. And looking at the stall owner's behavior, he certainly wouldn't dare to cheat, so the quality of the newly made walker must be good.
If she had come to buy it, she would have foolishly spent a large sum of money to buy the stall owner's low-quality baby walker home.
How can we not worship it?
It turns out that a man who can bargain is not stingy, but lives his life smartly and prudently. He is more attractive than when he wore his new military uniform.
Being able to live with such a person, every penny is filled with a sense of solid sweetness.
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