Chapter 281 Extra: Husband and Wife Together 2

The next day, Lin Shu did not wake up before the wake-up call, but she put homemade earplugs in her ears when she went to sleep. After Lu Shaotang got up, she rolled up the quilt on herself and buried herself in the quilt and fell into a deep sleep.

When Lu Shaotang, Panpan and Tiantian came back with breakfast after morning exercise, they saw her sleeping with her head covered.

Lu Shaotang curled his lips and went forward to dig her out, not afraid of suffocating her.

Lin Shu muttered, "Is it six o'clock?"

Lu Shaotang: "It's seven forty."

Her upper and lower eyelashes reluctantly parted, moved, and closed again.

Lu Shaotang whispered in her ear: "Didn't you say you were going to visit someone?"

Lin Shu wanted to invite a few art lovers to visit the art exhibition, so she asked Lu Shaotang to wake her up early. As a result, she didn't get up before the wake-up call, and now she is still clinging to the bed.

He kissed her for a while, and she opened her eyes dissatisfied and glanced at him. Her eyes were not murderous, but to Lu Shaotang, it was not fierce, but flirting .

Lu Shaotang: "I bought you some scented sesame balls, but Panpan ate them all in a while."

Panpan especially likes to eat sesame balls in the cafeteria.

Lin Shu immediately opened her eyes and bit Lu Shaotang's chin angrily.

They had made three rules when they moved in. The privacy here was not as good as in Courtyard No. 8 due to the constant coming and going of people, so he should be restrained at night.

He promised!

But he broke his promise last night.

She just drank two extra glasses of wine and didn't seduce him on purpose, but he kept doing it.

She took a look in the small mirror on the bedside table and found that there were some marks of varying depths on her body.

Her skin was too delicate and easily left marks. Although it didn't hurt or itch, some parts were too ambiguous.

Lu Shaotang helped her get clothes and picked out a high-necked wool sweater.

In a few days, when the weather gets hot, she won't be able to wear a sweater.

Lin Shu glared at him again.

Lu Shaotang rubbed her head and whispered in her ear: "I'll be more careful next time."

It was just that she was too attractive and he couldn't resist. When she was aroused, her delicate neck with a light powder was so beautiful that it was so tempting.

When they sat at the dining table, Lin Shu was neat and tidy. She was no longer his seductive wife, but a gentle and generous mother.

She chatted with the two children for a while, asking about school, whether any classmates had annoyed them, whether any teachers were weird, how difficult the courses were, etc.

Panpan and Tiantian said that no one bullied them and everything was fine. As for the courses? That was too easy. It

was child's play for them.

Lin Shu smiled and said, "We don't cause trouble, but we're not afraid of it either. We'll hit back at anyone who dares to start a fight. We can't let ourselves be wronged, understand?"

Tiantian smiled, "Mom, I know, our classmates respect us."

That was called retreating three steps.

She and Panpan didn't think it was a problem at all.

They like to have many friends, but it doesn't matter if they don't have many friends. They have fun playing by themselves.

From childhood to adulthood, they have never rushed to curry favor with others to play. Others always took the initiative to come over to play with them. After a while, they have more and more friends.

They also understand that the older you get, the harder it is to make friends.

When you are three or five years old, you are your friend if you sit over and drool and laugh. When you are

eight or nine years old, you have to look at what clothes you wear, what toys you play with, and what snacks you have.

When you are a teenager, you have to see what your parents do for a living or what position they hold.

Some children like to talk about their grandparents, parents, or relatives who are officials in the family, as if that would make them more important. They are different.

They never mention what their parents do for a living outside. They only say that their father is tall and handsome, their mother is gentle and a good cook, their grandfather can treat illnesses, and their grandmother hits people with pain...

They are grown up, they can solve their own problems, and they don't want their parents or godfather to worry about them.

Seeing that the two children are confident, Lin Shu doesn't interfere too much.

A very important part of a child's growth is to learn to handle interpersonal relationships on their own.

Adults can guide them, but they can't take care of everything, otherwise they will never be independent.

Of course, in fact, many adults are not as good as their own children in handling things, especially those who are too utilitarian, and teach their children more distorted things.

Lin Shu thinks Panpan and Tiantian are very healthy and smart, and do not need their own guidance. She only needs to ensure that no one will do bad things to retaliate against the children.

If the children show depression and fear in their emotions, it means that they have been wronged. At this moment, they are full of confidence, which shows that everything is under control, and there is no need for parents to intervene.

After breakfast, Lu Shaotang and Chen Yanming went to work, Lin Shu sent Tiantian and Panpan to school, and visited Tian Suzhen and Yao Jufang by the way.

Tian Suzhen is in charge of women's work in the military region, and promotes eugenics and family planning. Yao Jufang is from the military region radio station.

Among the female comrades in the military area, military doctors and nurses are the busiest, often working night shifts or even around the clock. The work of other women is not so bad. Some are busy for a while and relatively free at other times, and some have nothing to do from morning to night. The main purpose is to arrange work for the military family members.

It is much easier to do women's work in the military compound than in town residents and rural farmers.

Most of the soldiers and their families have a high level of awareness. Even if some of them come from the countryside and don't understand, their husbands will explain it, and the neighbors will help guide them.

Besides, they all live in the compound, so they will see each other if they look up or down. Naturally, no one will run away to have more children just because they have a daughter instead of a son.

There is even less blatant preference for boys over girls. After all, here children can study for free, the army basically provides them with meals, and the army also provides them with clothes. There is no work at home that requires exploiting girls, so the overall atmosphere is naturally more harmonious.

Tian Suzhen is quite free. When she has nothing to do, she likes to visit people or stay at Yao Jufang's radio station, and let Yao Jufang play nice music for her.

Seeing Lin Shu coming over, the two were very happy and greeted her warmly, "Xiao Lin, you must come often, don't stay at home alone."

Lin Shu smiled and said, "I'm sorry to make you laugh, sisters-in-law. I'm not used to the climate and the daily routine here. Now that I've adapted, I'll go out more often to play with you sisters-in-law."

Yao Jufang brought some melon seeds to her to crack.

Tian Suzhen tried to grab them but was stopped by Yao Jufang.

Yao Jufang: "Old Tian, ​​you should eat less. Your tongue tip is bruised and your mouth corners are ulcerated. It's not enough to delay eating."

Tian Suzhen is famous for her love of cracking melon seeds.

Lin Shu found it funny and tried to hold it back but couldn't.

Tian Suzhen: "Oh, if you want to laugh, just laugh. I feel comfortable when a beauty laughs. She doesn't look angry at all."

Yao Jufang looked at Lin Shu's half-smile, which was really pleasing to the eye. She urged: "Xiao Lin, how about we take a photo?"

There is a camera in the Propaganda Department. She thought it would be convenient to use it. She took it and took a photo of the three of them. She would hang it at home or in the office. She felt particularly happy just looking at it.

Lin Shu did not refuse. She really took a photo with the two of them, and then they ate melon seeds and chatted together.

Lin Shu: "The melon seeds here are fried directly, which makes people very hot. Eating them will cause ulcers. Don't blame Sister Suzhen."

She used to call her sister-in-law, but now she calls her sister because they have a good relationship. It's more intimate.

Tian Suzhen was really happy, "Yes, it's not my fault that I got ulcers, it's all because of the lazy people in the supply and marketing cooperative. They didn't fry the melon seeds well."

Lin Shu taught them to add various seasonings to the melon seeds, cook them, and then dry them before frying them. That's how they are flavorful and don't

make you get angry. The same can be done with peanuts, which are crispy, sweet, fragrant, not greasy, and don't make you get angry. Tian Suzhen was very greedy.

Lin Shu: "I'll fry ten pounds later and we'll share them."

Yao Jufang immediately said: "Then I'll go find Sister Fan and ask her to leave some raw melon seeds for us."

Sister Fan's name is Fan Meili, the wife of the director of the political department, and the director of the supply and marketing cooperative in the compound.

Fan Meili didn't come on the day Lin Shu invited her to dinner because her mother was sick and went to the city to visit her.

She met twice later, but she didn't sit down and have a good chat.

Tian Suzhen said, "Old Fan is like you. He also likes to grow some flowers and plants, and he also likes to hang paintings at home."

Lin Shu said, "That's perfect. Sister Jufang, please ask Sister Fan if she is willing to go to the exhibition."

She told them about the exhibition at the art museum.

Tian Suzhen: "Xiao Lin, why don't you invite us?"

Lin Shu smiled and said, "You two sisters are so familiar with each other, why do we need to invite you specially? Let's go and take a look when we enter the city. I'm just afraid that you will find it boring." Yao Jufang is okay

, but Tian Suzhen is a fan of short videos, mother-in-law and daughter-in-law ethics dramas, and bloody collections as later generations say. She is not interested in simply appreciating paintings. What's so good about paintings?

But if Lin Shu invites her, then she will go, because Yao Jufang will definitely go.

Lin Shu is only 28 years old, and they are both around 40 years old, but they feel very comfortable interacting with Lin Shu. It doesn't make them feel old, but they feel younger and cuter when they follow Lin Shu.

There are a few women here that they don't like to interact with. They are just four or five years younger than them, six or seven years younger, but they always remind them of the fact that they are old, which is really annoying.

Of course, there are a few older women who don't like to interact either, because they like to take advantage of their age and say that they are not good enough.

There is no such problem when interacting with Lin Shu.

They think Lin Shu is really amazing. She can get along well with older people and younger people. She is really likable.

Yao Jufang called Fan Meili directly.

It was an internal telephone in the military region, so she just had to call the switchboard and transfer. It was very convenient.

Fan Meili agreed, saying that she was going home and would bring them ten pounds of melon seeds and twenty pounds of peanuts.

Yao Juying prepared the money and tickets, waiting for Fan Meili to come and give them to her.

Fan Meili was a few years older than them, but she had a good temperament and a scholarly air between her brows. Seeing Lin Shu here, she smiled and greeted, "Xiao Lin, if you need anything, just call me and I'll have someone send it to your home."

Lu Shaotang was young and in a high position, and their husbands respected her, so they would naturally respect Lin Shu as well.

Lin Shu thanked her and talked about roasted melon seeds.

There were not many snacks in that era, and roasted melon seeds were a common hobby for adults and children, and Fan Meili was no exception.

After chatting for a while, Yao Jufang said, "Sister Fan, Xiaolin said that there is an art exhibition at the Capital Museum of Fine Arts and invited us to go. Do you have time these two days?"

Fan Meili smiled and said, "Oh, I heard about it. I was just thinking about how to get there."

In fact, the people in the military compound and the people in the city government are two different circles. Even the people engaged in literature and art are two different systems and circles.

There are art troupes and military writers and painters in the military. They serve the military, and their creative themes are all related to the army. They don't have much contact with the Federation of Literary and Art Circles, the Writers Association, and the Artists Association, and even don't have much communication.

The art museum holds art exhibitions, and the works are mostly about national economy and people's livelihood, and most of them have nothing to do with the army, so most of the people in the army will not patronize them.

A compound is a small society, with schools, canteens, clinics, cinemas, bathhouses, supply and marketing cooperatives, etc., which can meet the needs of life even if you don't go out, so many family members basically don't go out after they come.

Not to mention going to any art exhibition.

But since Lin Shu invited them, they were interested and wanted to see what it was like.

On the day when the art exhibition officially opened, Lin Shu, Tian Suzhen, Yao Jufang, Fan Meili and five or six other young men and women who had holidays went to the art museum together.

Lu Shaotang and Chen Yanming were busy today and left early in the morning, so Lin Shu and the others took the car arranged by the logistics department to go into the city.

They planned to see the art exhibition, then have lunch outside, and go shopping in the afternoon.

Except for Lin Shu, the other young people were still not used to it. They thought it was very novel to go out to see art exhibitions and go shopping. After all, the military compound had all the necessary facilities. Apart from work, they rarely needed to go out to buy anything, let alone go shopping.

They thought it was novel, and so did Director Wen and the Chairman of the Chinese Artists Association, because they rarely interacted with people from the military in this way before.

They belonged to the Federation of Literary and Art Circles and had many contacts with government agencies. Although the military also had its own literary and artistic groups, these two groups rarely created or performed together.

It was really novel to see an art exhibition together now.

Several young soldiers came in military uniforms.

In this era, young people who joined the army had to be selected regardless of their height, appearance, body size, and physical fitness. Therefore, they were all tall and handsome, and they wore the same uniforms and moved in a surprisingly coordinated manner, which made them particularly attractive and well-liked.

People who visited the art exhibition couldn't help but look at them.

Someone praised quietly: "These soldiers have great military appearance and posture."

"They are also very polite. They always let us go first when they meet."

"Of course, I met soldiers when I bought tickets. There is a rule that soldiers have priority, but they never have priority as long as they are not in a hurry."

"Oh, I wonder if they have a partner."

People's gossiping nature will always end up focusing on whether the person they admire has a partner. They really want to introduce him or her to a good partner.

Several soldiers were very sharp-eyed and sharp-eared. When they heard people's well-intentioned discussions, their ears turned red. Subconsciously, they had to remind themselves to pay attention to military appearance and discipline, and they must not embarrass the troops.

Lin Shu let them look at what they were interested in, and she took Tian Suzhen and the other two to chat with Director Wen and others.

Wei Ling, Xue Hanshan and a few others were responsible for being the guides, giving explanations to visitors who needed them.

Ye Xu followed Lin Shu and helped her entertain Fan Meili and a few others.

He was quite quiet throughout the whole process. If they needed him to help explain, he would help explain. If they didn't need him to, he would just stand by and accompany them quietly.

Tian Suzhen doesn't appreciate paintings. She only has simple and intuitive feelings of beauty, like, and dislike.

Yao Juying can appreciate a little bit of depth and grasp the emotions of the paintings through the background, but it's very superficial. Most of the time, it's the same as Tian Suzhen. This painting is beautiful, I like it, and that one makes me uncomfortable and I don't like it.

Fan Meili is much more professional than them. She can experience what is being expressed through the paintings without introducing the background.

She looked very carefully and seriously, and she didn't need anyone to explain to her, nor did she want to be disturbed. She just wanted to look quietly.

Lin Shu had similar preferences, but she had to entertain Tian Suzhen and Yao Juying to prevent them from being bored.

Ye Xu's eyes swept across the few marks on the edge of Lin Shu's sweater.

She probably knew, so she wore a turtleneck sweater, but she didn't know that there were also marks on the back of her neck. No matter how light the marks were on her snow-white skin, they were still very obvious.

In order to attend the art exhibition today, she had specially combed her hair into a bun, with her hair tied up, revealing her smooth and white neck, with curves as graceful as a swan.

When Lin Shu saw her elder sister's two paintings, she couldn't help but stop and observe them carefully.

The eldest sister is really gifted in fine brushwork. She has devoted herself to her creations in the past few years. With the stimulation of royalties and the exchange of experience with many professional painters, her painting skills and expressiveness have improved by leaps and bounds.

Her paintings now have really made a qualitative leap compared to those a few years ago.

Ye Xu stood with his hands behind his back, admiring for a while, and praised sincerely: "Your sisters are both talented and beautiful people. None of them have received professional education, but they can all shine in their own fields."

Lin Shu smiled, "I should be humble, but since you are exaggerating, I will accept it on behalf of my sisters."

Ye Xu lowered his eyes to look at her, and then quickly looked away, "To be honest, I am not exaggerating."

At this time, Fan Meili's exclamation came from the opposite exhibition wall.

Lin Shu heard: "What's wrong?"

She went around to take a look, and Ye Xu paused, but still followed.

Fan Meili looked at the painting in front of her, and was first amazed, and then curious, "This is a picture of Xiangshan autumn scenery, why is it called the sea?"

The mountains and forests were dyed with colors, the sun was just right, and the colors of varying depths, bright, pure, and dark were harmoniously intertwined. In this rich autumn color, a woman with simple clothes and a calm and beautiful face stood under the fiery maple leaves. She held a maple leaf in her right hand, with a heart-shaped hole on it. She raised her head slightly, her watery eyes stared at the heart, and a faint smile appeared on her lips.

The whole painting harmoniously integrates passion and peace, richness and simplicity.

Fan Meili looked at the woman in the painting carefully, and then looked at the time of the signature below, which was Autumn 1975, Xiangshan.

She couldn't figure out why it was called Ocean.

But she was surprised very soon, "Isn't this... Xiaolin?"

Recognizing Lin Shu, she suddenly felt moved, and felt that the smile on the corner of Lin Shu's lips in the painting was stained with two points of sadness.

Tian Suzhen and Yao Jufang also came over, and they also saw the ocean, and they exclaimed, "So beautiful!"

"This is indeed Xiaolin, I recognized it at a glance."

Tian Suzhen suddenly said, "Xiaolin is so beautiful! The rich autumn colors are not half as beautiful as you."

Yao Jufang looked at her in surprise, and she didn't expect Tian Suzhen to say such a sophisticated thing?

Tian Suzhen smiled and said, "I just said it out loud because I felt that way. It's not that I'm cultured."

Lin Shu also recognized that Ye Xu had said at Chen Yanming's wedding that he had painted several paintings with everyone as models, and also gave them small paintings as gifts.

Her small painting is now hanging in the bedroom.

But she didn't see this one during the previous exhibition. Why is it suddenly hung out today?

She turned to look at Ye Xu.

Ye Xu explained, "The frame wasn't ready before."

He didn't want to exhibit it before, but after thinking about it for a few days, he had someone carry it over this morning.

Lin Shu didn't think much about it. The painting was a bit big, and it must have taken a lot of effort to paint.

However, it was indeed well painted. She felt that the person in the painting didn't look like herself. Maybe it was because of the brush strokes. The light was just right at the time, and it was coated with a layer of golden light. That was a natural filter.

Yao Juying: "Hai, are you talking about the ocean of autumn? That makes sense."

Fan Meili sighed and whispered: "Although she was smiling, she was full of sorrow, layer upon layer, turning the surroundings into an ocean of sorrow."

Tian Suzhen glanced at her strangely, "I say, Old Fan, what are you talking about? She smiles so beautifully, how can she be sad?"

This is weird for educated people, no, it's the artists who talk nonsense.

Lin Shu was shocked when she heard this. Was she so sad at that time?

I don't think so.

At that time, she hadn't heard from Lu Shaotang for a long time, and she was prepared that he might... not come back. She felt that she accepted that reality very calmly.

She felt that her life was not affected. She was still drawing picture books, designing furniture and clothes, and making snacks for the children...

Was she so sad before? Do

others see her like this?

She felt like she didn't know herself.

However, she was very happy now and not sad at all, so the past was the past, and she didn't mind at all.

Fan Meili's eyes turned red as she watched, and she wiped away her tears.

Tian Suzhen pulled Yao Juying away quickly, feeling that she couldn't understand Fan Meili. Her emotions were too rich and too sentimental.

Ye Xu was shocked that Fan Meili understood his painting.

He raised his head slightly and looked at the painting that he had spent a lot of effort to complete.

The person in the painting was Lin Shu, but she was not the Lin Shu in front of him. When he

met her in Xiangshan, she looked calm on the surface, but she was actually sad, like a deep still water, with a vast ocean in her heart.

Amid the flying yellow leaves, she was far away from the bustling crowd, alone in a corner, and became one with the surrounding sky, maple trees, fallen leaves, and autumn wind.

He was looking for materials with his sketchbook at the time, and when he saw the picture, he was instantly shocked.

He couldn't help but stand there and measure it with his eyes and brush, and depict it devoutly, reading her sadness at that moment in the strokes, and being infected by her, he felt that the autumn all over the mountains, the beauty of the forests, and the laughter of others were just to share a silent sorrow.

The bustle all over the mountains was just her foil, and all the beautiful scenery was not as good as the trace of sorrow between her brows.

At that moment, he understood her emotions, as if he had walked into her heart, and it was as if she was too vulnerable at that moment, opening her heart to let others peek into the scene.

He was so shocked that the picture was imprinted in his mind for a long time. Even though there was only a quick sketch at the time, he could still clearly describe the picture after a long time.

He kept the picture in his heart for half a year, and found that it was not obliterated by reality, but became clearer. There was also a strong impulse that hit him, making him want to hide something.

In the end, he couldn't help it and started to create after being drunk.

Because of Fan Meili's tears and because the painting was indeed too good, many people came to appreciate it.

Although the painting was of Lin Shu, Lin Shu did not feel ashamed.

There are many real models in the paintings exhibited this time, not just hers, nothing special.

What’s special is that the phyllotaxy is so well drawn, very attractive.

After the exhibition, they went to a state-owned hotel outside for lunch at noon.

In the afternoon, Lin Shu originally wanted to go shopping and chat with a few people, but who knew that Fan Meili and a few young people didn’t see enough and wanted to go and see more.

Tian Suzhen suddenly felt that she couldn’t go out for a walk, and she had to continue to go to the exhibition and be influenced by art, so that people wouldn’t say "that time a few people from the military region came to see the exhibition, and a woman yawned while watching, and people were interested that she went shopping". No, absolutely not, they couldn’t bring shame to their compound! They

couldn’t let people say that she was gossiping!

The quality of this exhibition was indeed very high. There were some paintings about sports and some about the cooperation between the military and the people.

One of them showed a ten-mile long street to see off the Prime Minister, which made people cry. There

were also several paintings showing the scenes of earthquake relief. Soldiers who were exhausted and fainted were lying in the ruins to take a nap. Soldiers who were knocked down by the beams in the aftershocks tried to protect the children in their arms...

There were also paintings showing the close relationship between the military and the people. A group of old ladies with bound feet refused to rest and boiled hot soup, porridge and rice for everyone. The children also helped. Everyone contributed to the disaster relief. Everyone was united and overcame the difficulties together.

For several days, more and more citizens came to visit the art museum, including workers, citizens, students, soldiers and even nearby farmers...

It had a great impact.

One day, Ye Xu was strolling in the museum and unexpectedly saw Lu Shaotang.

He was standing in front of the sea and observing.

Ye Xu stopped and did not go forward to disturb him.

Lu Shaotang looked at the painting in front of him. Although Lin Shu said that the person in the painting did not look like her, he was attracted at first sight. After all, the painting was of her, exactly the same.

Moreover, the author had extraordinary observation skills and was able to capture her most delicate emotional fluctuations and paint her emotions hidden in her daily life.

Maybe she herself was not even aware of it.

He knew that she would be uncomfortable and sad during the time he was missing, but no matter how he knew, it was all imagination and verbal narration, and he could not have an intuitive feeling from her.

Now, he saw it.

The shock of this moment was incomparable, bringing him a real and deep impact.

He seemed to have traveled through time and space to see Lin Shu of that year. She was standing in the bustling Xiangshan, surrounded by a surging crowd, but she was immersed in loneliness, waiting for the return of the person she longed for.

He felt that his wife was full of melancholy and depression during the years when he had no news. In

the rich autumn colors, she was dressed in plain clothes, with a faint smile on her face, but tears in her eyes.

She stood in the sun, but seemed to melt into the rich autumn colors and go away with the sun, rain, dew and breeze.

He understood her, full of guilt and heartache.

He thanked the painter for recording his wife's feelings at that moment, allowing him to directly see her unknown other side and let him face her worries and sadness when he was away.

At the same time, he also understood the author's love for his wife.

Others only saw her indifferent smile, but only those who love her would cross that barrier and empathize with her at that moment, and understand the ocean of sorrow in her heart.

Lu Shaotang looked at his wife in the painting with pity, as if he had an emotional exchange with Lin Shu at that moment, thinking what she thought, feeling what she felt, and her emotions surged in his chest.

He turned his head and glanced at Ye Xu behind him, and said lightly: "Thank you."

Ye Xu clenched his fingers in his trouser pockets and chuckled: "It's just artistic creation. For us, inspiration is not easy to get."

Although you can paint anytime and anywhere, and you can paint as long as you pick up a pen, it is not easy to paint in a way that resonates with your soul.

How many times in a lifetime can you do this?

Lu Shaotang: "I heard that all the paintings in the exhibition hall will be sold, including this one?"

Ye Xu's eyes showed reluctance. He didn't want to sell it. Being able to put it on display was already the limit.

Lu Shaotang understood, and said: "When you become famous in a few years, the value of this painting will be very high, and it will naturally be sold for more money, but I can't wait for that day. Now that I see her now, I will definitely not let her wander around. I want to take her home."

Ye Xu was full of resistance, but couldn't speak.

Lu Shaotang: "You can name a price, I will accept any amount. Please consider it. I will take her away after the exhibition."

Ye Xu: "Director Lu, we will go to Xiangshan in two days to collect wind and spring. If you are free, why not go together."

Lu Shaotang: "Sorry, I'm busy with work and may not have time to go hiking. We'll see how it goes then."

He nodded to Ye Xu and turned to leave.

Ye Xu watched him leave, turned around and looked at the painting, his eyes full of reluctance.