Chapter 44, After the New Year
By the time they were having their New Year's Eve dinner, Xie Qingshan had already appeased his wife.
When Xu Lina came out, she still looked a little uncomfortable, but everyone tacitly avoided mentioning what happened in the afternoon. Once everyone was seated around the dinner table, Xu Lina's expression had relaxed, and she even smiled.
When they argued that afternoon, Li Xingfang overheard it in the kitchen and wasn't too happy, but she knew her daughter-in-law was proud and didn't bother with them. After all, Xie Qingshan was the one who wanted to marry her, so whether it was good or bad, he would have to accept it. Therefore, Li Xingfang didn't mention Xu Lina's feelings this time, but only asked, "Is Yuanhong still feeling unwell?"
Xie Yuanhong nestled in Xu Lina's arms, looking rather listless because of his stuffy nose. He didn't say a word when he heard Li Xingfang's words and even leaned his head closer to his mother's chest.
Xu Lina said with a smile, "I don't have a fever anymore, but my nose is a little stuffy and I don't feel very strong."
Li Xingfang nodded and said, "That's good. If you feel unwell, you should still take him to the clinic."
Xu Lina thought that the two barefoot doctors in the brigade couldn't possibly diagnose anything, so she decided to go back to the county hospital as soon as possible. Although she had already discussed it with Xie Qingshan and planned to return to the county early the next day, she didn't say it out loud because it was New Year's Eve dinner time, and just smiled.
After inquiring about her grandson's condition, Li Xingfang looked at Xie Wei and Lin Qingqing and said, "Last year during the Spring Festival, I was thinking that it would be great if Wei Zi could come back, so that our whole family could be together. This year, Wei Zi did indeed come back, and he brought Qingqing back with him. Your aunt also came back. Our family hasn't had so many people in many years."
At this point, Li Xingfang sighed, "It's just that Shanshan isn't here, otherwise our whole family would really be together."
"There's nothing we can do if Shanshan can't come back. Young people should prioritize their work," Xie Yumei said with a smile. "Besides, if we can't all get together this year, we'll definitely be able to when Wei Zi gets married next year." She then asked Xie Wei if his wedding date had been set.
Xie Wei said, "The plan is for July. I've looked at a few dates, but the specific date will have to wait until my marriage leave is approved."
“Okay, send me a telegram in advance so I can have Lao Hu ask for leave and come back to help you with Wei Zi’s wedding,” Xie Yumei said to Li Xingfang with a smile.
They ate and talked, and their New Year's Eve dinner lasted for more than an hour, until it was completely dark outside.
After dinner, Li Xingfang set up a table and invited everyone to play mahjong. However, mahjong is only for four people, so after discussion, Xie Yumei, Xie Baoshan, Xu Lina, and Lin Qingqing took their seats.
Actually, Lin Qingqing really didn't want to play. Her understanding of mahjong was limited to recognizing the tiles; she had no idea how to win. But Li Xingfang suggested that Xie Wei help her look at the tiles, and since it was family playing, they were only betting one cent, so she wouldn't lose much. Besides, Xie Wei had said that if she lost, it would be on him.
Since they all said so, Lin Qingqing agreed and sat down to start shuffling the cards. But as soon as she started, she noticed that the other three were skilled and experienced players. Feeling a little uneasy, she turned to Xie Wei and whispered, "Do you know how to play?"
Xie Wei said tactfully, "It's alright."
Everyone at the table laughed at his answer. Xie Baoshan said, "You're just passable. We can't even call ourselves good at playing mahjong."
Lin Qingqing was confused, so Li Xingfang explained, "Wei Zi is famously good at playing mahjong in our brigade. Nobody wanted to play with him when he was just a teenager."
Lin Qingqing felt relieved, arranged her cards, and rubbed her hands together, saying, "Looks like I'm going to win money tonight."
Xie Yumei tapped the table with her finger, feigning displeasure, and said, "You two should be more mindful of yourselves. I am your elder."
"Then... shall we win together?" Lin Qingqing asked.
Xie Baoshan coughed and said, "I am the eldest brother."
Xu Lina chimed in, "I am the second sister-in-law."
Li Xingfang couldn't stand it anymore and said, "Qingqing, don't mind them. There's no such thing as seniority when playing cards."
"Yes!" Lin Qingqing responded crisply, and the fight began!
...
Although Li Xingfang said it was all based on skill, Xie Wei still held back a bit during the fight, not winning by a large margin. However, whether it was due to temper or something else, Xie Yumei also won quite a few games, while Xie Baoshan and Xu Lina took turns losing.
So after playing cards for an hour, Xu Lina suggested changing seats.
Lin Qingqing was also tired of playing, and seeing Li Xingfang sitting next to her watching with great interest, she really wanted to join in, so she said, "It's getting late, I have to go back."
"Leaving so early?" Xie Yumei was playing with great enthusiasm after winning money, and she felt a little reluctant to see her leave.
"The dormitory for educated youth is locked, and it's not appropriate for me to go back too late," Lin Qingqing said with difficulty, then asked Li Xingfang, "Auntie, could you make the call for me for a while?"
Li Xingfang thought it was indeed inconvenient for Lin Qingqing to stay at the educated youth settlement, and it was almost nine o'clock now, so she nodded and said, "Okay, I'll call for you. Wei Zi, you take Qingqing back first."
Although Xie Yumei had a good impression of Lin Qingqing, she and Xie Wei were not yet married, and it wouldn't be appropriate for others to see her staying overnight at home. So she smiled and said goodbye, telling her to take care on her journey.
Lin Qingqing smiled and waved, then walked out with Xie Wei. Li Xingfang saw them to the outside and took out her pocket...
He took out a red envelope and stuffed it into Lin Qingqing's hand, saying, "This is your New Year's money. Wei Zi and the others all have it, so I can't refuse it."
Lin Qingqing swallowed the words she was about to say, smiled, and said, "Thank you, Auntie." She then walked out with Xie Wei.
Because most of the educated youth had returned home, the settlement was quieter than usual, with only one light on in the male educated youth dormitory at the front. Lin Qingqing and Xie Wei walked into the educated youth compound, and the door to the dormitory with the light on was opened from the inside. Educated Youth He came out and asked with a smile, "Comrade Lin, you're back? We're all staying up late in Educated Youth Zhang's dormitory for New Year's Eve. Are you coming?"
"No, I want to go to bed early tonight," Lin Qingqing said.
He Zhiqing was a little disappointed upon hearing this, but simply said, "Then we'll play by ourselves."
Lin Qingqing hummed in agreement and walked with Xie Wei towards their dormitory at the back. Since there was no one else in the dormitory, Xie Wei didn't wait outside but followed her inside.
This was Xie Wei's second visit to Lin Qingqing's dormitory, but the last time he was in a hurry and didn't get a good look at what was inside. Standing in the dormitory now, Xie Wei looked left and right and quickly recognized Lin Qingqing's bed.
The quilt on her bed was still the one she got from the Lin family. Because it was used by Old Madam Lin, the quilt cover had large peony flowers on it, which Xie Wei remembered very well.
Aside from that, there was nothing else particularly special in the room. After all, everything had been put away in cabinets or drawers, and the only things visible from the outside were the buckets, basins, and the mirror and books on the desk. Since he didn't know whose things were on the desk, Xie Wei didn't touch them.
While Xie Wei was observing Lin Qingqing's dormitory, she also found the red envelope that Li Xingfang had given her when they got engaged in the closet, and took out the bicycle ticket from it and handed it to Xie Wei.
Xie Wei took the bicycle ticket, his lips slightly pursed.
Seeing this, Lin Qingqing turned around, hugged him, and asked, "When will you teach me to ride a bicycle?"
"Tomorrow?" Xie Wei asked in a low voice as he turned to her.
Lin Qingqing just wanted to change the subject and cheer him up. She didn't care which day she would learn to drive, so she nodded in agreement and tried to step away from his embrace.
She didn't back away immediately because Xie Wei hugged her.
Lin Qingqing smiled and looked up, wanting to ask him why he was hugging her, but before she could finish speaking, she felt her lips touch his chin, which was cold from the wind, and she was slightly taken aback.
Xie Wei was also stunned. He swallowed hard and slowly looked down at Lin Qingqing: "I... want to kiss you."
Lin Qingqing's cheeks flushed red, and she lowered her head and said, "Then let go of me first."
Xie Wei released Lin Qingqing, but she didn't lift her face for him to kiss her. Instead, she turned her back to him and said, "Time is not..."
"It's early, you should go back."
"I haven't kissed you yet," Xie Wei said.
Lin Qingqing was extremely embarrassed: "I didn't agree to let you kiss me." Actually, if Xie Wei had kissed her directly, she might not have refused, but asking the question... even if she had the thickest skin, she was too embarrassed to answer that she was looking forward to it.
Xie Wei frowned slightly, feeling somewhat disappointed: "Then I'll leave?"
"You should leave now." Lin Qingqing turned her head, her face turned to Xie Wei, her lips slightly pursed.
Xie Wei had already retreated to the doorway and was about to turn away, but when he saw Lin Qingqing's face flushed red, whether from cold or shyness, an impulse compelled him to abandon his attempt to turn around. He strode up to her, reached out, lifted her chin, and lowered his head to kiss her.
Lin Qingqing's eyes widened. Xie Wei felt a little embarrassed by her gaze and said, pressing his lips to hers, "Close your eyes."
Hearing his voice, Lin Qingqing came back to her senses and slowly closed her eyes.
She looked a little silly for being so obedient. Xie Wei chuckled softly and then lowered his head to kiss her lips.
The kiss lasted for quite a while, making Lin Qingqing feel a little breathless.
When she pushed Xie Wei away, her entire face turned red, even the corners of her eyes were slightly red. The warm yellow light shone directly on her, reflecting in her pupils, making her look somewhat innocent.
Xie Wei was getting restless again.
But she blocked his approach with her arm and whispered, "You really should go back."
Xie Wei sighed inwardly, thinking that if he had met her sooner, they might be married by now... Xie Wei suppressed his thoughts, released the girl in his arms, coughed, and said, "Then I'll be going now, see you tomorrow."
"See you tomorrow."
Lin Qingqing watched Xie Wei walk out, his figure appearing outside the window before quickly disappearing into the night. She leaned back on the bed, slowly covering her mouth, her recently recovered fair complexion gradually turning red.
...
Xie Wei returned to the Xie family home with light steps. The card game was still going on. Seeing him return, Li Xingfang asked, "Wei Zi, are you going to play cards?"
Before Xie Wei could answer, Xie Baoshan said half-jokingly, "Mom, I finally won some money, so please don't let Wei Zi come."
"Wei Zi, don't worry about him. If you want to play, I'll give you my spot," Xie Yumei said. After Lin Qingqing and Lin Qingqing left, she started losing money, hoping to share in Xie Wei's good fortune.
"I'm not playing." Xie Wei wasn't interested in mahjong. He glanced at Xie Qingshan sitting next to Xu Lina and said, "Second Brother, I need to talk to you. Come over here for a moment."
Xie Qingshan was a little puzzled upon hearing this, but he still went outside with Xie Wei.
Walk.
After leaving the main room, Xie Wei closed the door behind him and walked all the way to the outside of the courtyard before taking out the bicycle ticket from his pocket and handing it to Xie Qingshan.
The moon was bright tonight, and light was shining from every window. Xie Qingshan could barely make out the heading on the ticket, and his expression immediately changed. He refused to accept it, saying, "Wei Zi, don't misunderstand. Your second sister-in-law didn't mean it that way."
"I didn't mean anything by it," Xie Wei said calmly. "Qingqing and I have discussed it. We still have six months until our wedding, and it's uncertain whether we'll need a bicycle after we get to the army. So Qingqing said she wanted me to return the ticket to you. If we decide to buy a bicycle by then, I'll think of something else. Since your wife wants to buy a bicycle, you can take this ticket back."
Xie Qingshan blushed with embarrassment: "Actually, your sister-in-law didn't mean anything by what she said today. It's not that she didn't want you to use the tickets, she's just... she's angry with me and just making trouble for no reason. I've already told her that once the tickets are given to you, they're yours. We really didn't mean to ask you for the tickets."
"Second brother, of course I know you sincerely gave me the ticket, but you know what your sister-in-law is thinking, and I know it too." There were some things Xie Wei didn't want to say so clearly, but thinking about what happened in the afternoon, he knew he definitely wouldn't take the ticket.
Xie Wei's tone was calm, but his words were like knives to Xie Qingshan. He said awkwardly, "Your sister-in-law is a bit willful, but she's not actually that petty. She's just angry at me, not targeting you..."
“If I didn’t know about this, I wouldn’t care,” Xie Wei interrupted Xie Qingshan, “but now that I know, I can’t accept this ticket. You two had a fight today and made up, but what about next time? If I use this ticket to buy a bicycle, and you two ever have a fight and bring up this ticket again, will I still ride the bicycle?”
Xie Wei stuffed the ticket into Xie Qingshan's hand: "I already told Qingqing that I would return the ticket to you, and I can't possibly take it back to her. There's no use for this ticket if I keep it here, so I might as well give it back to you and have a good talk with your sister-in-law to resolve this issue."
Xie Qingshan felt increasingly guilty as he listened, but he had no words to refute Xie Wei, so he could only ask, "Then what about your marriage?"
"Qingqing said she doesn't care about having a bicycle, but even though she said that, I think since I promised to give it to her, I can't go back on my word." Xie Wei's expression softened considerably when he mentioned Lin Qingqing. "However, the engagement was too rushed, so I didn't prepare anything. There are still six months until the wedding, and I don't believe I can't get a bicycle ticket. Anyway, you don't need to worry too much about this."
Xie Qingshan felt ashamed and bitter.
He smiled and said, "Comrade Lin is a good girl."
"Okay, I know," Xie Wei replied, patting Xie Qingshan on the shoulder. "I'm going back now."
Xie Qingshan hummed in agreement: "I'll stay outside for a while."
...
Xie Qingshan stood outside in the wind for half an hour, and when he came back inside, the card game had already ended.
He didn't want to go back, so he sat in the main room for a while longer. But after a while, Li Xingfang came out of the room and asked in surprise when she saw him sitting at the mahjong table, "Why are you sitting here? Aren't you going to sleep tonight?"
"I went back inside," Xie Qingshan replied.
Li Xingfang stood by the door watching him for a long time, then sighed and said, "This is how married life is; it's full of arguments and quarrels. Your father and I didn't have a peaceful first few years after we got married, but we got along well later, didn't we?"
Xie Qingshan blushed as he listened to Li Xingfang's words. He was already thirty years old, and his mother still had to worry about his marital relationship. He said somewhat awkwardly, "Lina and I have made up, so don't worry."
"Okay, I'm not worried," Li Xingfang nodded and waved her hand, saying, "Don't just sit here, go back and rest early. Oh, by the way, what did Wei Zi want to talk to you about earlier?"
Mentioning Xie Wei, Xie Qingshan couldn't help but smile wryly, stood up and said, "It's nothing, don't worry about it. I'm going back to sleep, you should go to sleep early too." After saying that, Xie Qingshan walked towards the backyard.
Before entering the room, Xie Qingshan glanced into Xie Wei's room. The lights were already off, and he wondered if Xie Wei was already asleep. He looked away, thought for a moment, and then pushed open his own door. Xu Lina had changed into her pajamas and was sitting at her desk, applying skincare products in front of the mirror.
Seeing him push open the door and stand there motionless, with the cold wind whistling in, Xu Lina said irritably, "If you want to come in, come in; if you want to leave, leave. Don't stand in the doorway, it's freezing!"
Xie Qingshan realized what was happening, quickly closed the door and went inside. He walked to the bedside to check on his son: "Is Yuanhong asleep?"
Xu Lina rolled her eyes: "I fell asleep a long time ago, waiting for you to come back." Then she remembered something, propped her left elbow on the desk, and turned to ask, "Did you tell your mother about us going back tomorrow?"
"Not yet, I'll talk to her tomorrow." Xie Qingshan had wanted to say it earlier, but faced with Li Xingfang's concern, he couldn't bring himself to say it.
Xu Lina couldn't stand his dawdling, so she turned around and said while wiping things, "I don't care when you say it, I'm going back tomorrow morning anyway. Your mother said that Yuan Hong is seriously ill and asked me to take him to your brigade's clinic. I'm afraid of those barefoot doctors, even the medicine they prescribe for Yuan Hong, let alone letting them treat him."
Xie Qingshan wanted to say that their brigade's barefoot doctor wasn't that bad. People in the brigade went there to see a doctor when they were sick. If all else failed, they could go to the commune, where the commune clinic had proper doctors.
But he also knew his wife's temperament; to put it bluntly, she looked down on the countryside, so she was unwilling to come back to stay for more than a few days throughout the year.
Xie Qingshan felt a little tired and just lay on the bed, giving a soft "hmm".
Xu Lina didn't notice anything wrong with Xie Qingshan. After wiping things down, she returned to bed and saw him about to fall asleep. She patted him awake and said, "Why are you sleeping already? Go wash up, okay?"
Xie Qingshan was exhausted and too lazy to take a shower. He muttered, "It's so cold, is it okay not to shower?"
"No, you have to go take a shower now, or you're not allowed to go to bed." Xu Lina was very clean and insisted on kicking Xie Qingshan out. Xie Qingshan had no choice but to take a shower and come back.
When Xie Qingshan got back, he lay down on the bed to go to sleep, but Xu Lina was wide awake. She woke him up and said with a smile, "Hey, have you seen Wei Zi's girlfriend?"
"How could I not have seen it?" Xie Qingshan thought her question was nonsense. Not to mention that they had eaten two meals together today, Lin Qingqing was the main character when they got engaged. Wouldn't it be strange if he didn't see it?
Xu Lina didn't care about his tone and smiled, "I introduced Ai Hong to him before, but he wouldn't agree. I thought he was looking for that kind of person, but now it seems... he's not that great."
"When it comes to marriage and living together, shouldn't it be about liking each other?" Xie Qingshan said with his eyes closed. "Besides, what's wrong with Comrade Lin? I don't think he's any worse than your colleague."
Xu Lina was displeased. "Ai Hong is a vocational school graduate with a government job and an urban household registration. Lin Qingqing is just an illiterate rural girl. What makes her compare to Ai Hong?"
“What’s wrong with the countryside? I’m from the countryside too,” Xie Qingshan said, opening his eyes.
"Was my point about rural people? The point was illiteracy, don't you understand? I heard that Lin Qingqing has never been to school. Apart from her face, how is she better than Ai Hong?" Xu Lina snorted at this point. "I thought your third brother was different, but it turns out he's just a pretty face."
Xie Qingshan frowned and said, "Don't say that. Comrade Lin didn't go to school because she didn't have the opportunity. Now that she has the opportunity, she has never stopped learning. Our brigade organized two women's federation meetings before, and she wrote all the articles. You can't look down on poor farmers who don't have money or the opportunity to go to school just because your colleague is well-off and has gone to school. Comrade Xu Lina, let me tell you, your thinking is very wrong."
As Xie Qingshan spoke, he recalled Xie Wei's expression when he mentioned Lin Qingqing.
He added, "Wei Zi really likes Comrade Lin. You can say that to my face, but be careful in front of them."
Xu Lina wanted to have a private talk with her husband, but after being lectured like this, her expression turned sour: "Yes, yes, your third brother is the most important. Not only can we not offend him, but we also have to flatter his girlfriend, right?"
"What you're saying..." Xie Qingshan frowned. "When did I say that? We're just family, isn't it better to get along peacefully?"
His words only fueled Xu Lina's anger: "Family? I consider Xie Qingshan's family as family, but have they ever considered me family? When we got married, you were troubled by a few hundred yuan worth of gifts, and your mother even advised you to break up with me..."
Seeing Xie Qingshan's surprised look, Xu Lina sneered, "You think I don't know these things? Let me tell you, Xie Qingshan, I know everything. I not only know that your mother advised you to break up with me, but I also know that she resents me. So after we got married, she was polite to me, but actually she just couldn't be bothered with me. If it weren't for you, I would have made a scene with her long ago."
Hearing her words, Xie Qingshan fell silent.
Xu Lina continued, "Yes, my family asked for a lot of things back then, but what were my parents thinking? Wasn't it because they hoped that we wouldn't have to work so hard after we got married? I brought back every single dowry your family gave me. And what happened? Your mother blames me, you feel guilty, but I'm the one who ends up pleasing neither side."
“If it were just that, I wouldn’t say anything, but look at Xie Wei’s wedding, what was your mother’s attitude? Her mouth was practically stretched to her ears,” Xu Lina said, feeling more and more aggrieved. “This afternoon you said I shouldn’t have brought up the bicycle, but why did I? Do you really think I care about that old car? I feel sorry for you! When Xie Wei got married, you went out of your way to give him the bicycle ticket, did he even thank you?”
"Lina," Xie Qingshan said, frowning, "why are you bringing this up again?"
“Look, look, you get upset again when your brothers are mentioned. You’re still protecting them.” Xu Lina’s eyes reddened. “I just don’t understand. You’re not exactly a heartfelt friend to Xie Wei, but you’ve been a very good brother. So why do you always seem inferior to him? You don’t owe him anything! And this time, if it weren’t for your bicycle ticket, he wouldn’t have been able to get engaged so easily.”
Xie Qingshan growled, "Can you please stop mentioning the bicycle ticket?!"
This was the first time he had ever yelled at Xu Lina. She was stunned by his outburst, and the next second she asked in an even louder voice, "Why can't I mention it? The bicycle ticket isn't yours..."
"For him? Did Xie Wei not accept it?"
"He simply confiscated it!"
After Xie Qingshan finished shouting, both of them were stunned.
He covered his face with his hands, wiped it, walked to the floor, picked up the trousers on the wooden wardrobe next to him, took out a bicycle ticket from inside and threw it to Xu Lina: "Wei Zi just returned this to me."
Xu Lina recalled how Xie Wei had called Xie Qingshan out as soon as he returned, and her face turned pale and then red. Clutching the ticket, she asked, "What did he mean?"
"What could it mean? They don't want us to argue over this ticket, so they're giving it back to me," Xie Qingshan said with a wry smile.
At the time, he thought Xie Wei had gone too far, believing that he had already communicated with Xu Lina and that they would no longer argue over the ticket. But... Xie Wei was right.
“You’re right that I’m inferior to him,” Xie Qingshan said dejectedly as he sat on the edge of the bed with his back to Xu Lina. “When we got married, you thought I was only worried about tickets, but you didn’t know that I was worried about more than just tickets, I was also worried about money.”
Xu Lina was stunned: "You didn't say that either!"
"Did you give me a chance to speak?" Xie Qingshan retorted. "When I first heard that so much money was needed, I wanted to ask you for it, but every time you only heard a few words and told me that your family didn't ask for much, that your parents were doing it for our own good, and that if I didn't give it, it meant I wasn't sincere enough."
"But didn't you take out the money back then?"
"Yes, I did take out the money, but do you know what kind of money it was? It was the money my brother sent back from the battlefield." Xie Qingshan wiped his face and said, "It wasn't my mother who advised me to break up with you, it was my own idea to let it go. I, Xie Qingshan, am not capable enough to be worthy of you. But my mother felt sorry for me, so she took out the money that she usually couldn't bear to use. She told me at the time that when Wei Zi came back, this money should be returned to him."
Xu Lina murmured, "I don't know, and you never mentioned it to me."
“Three years ago, I told you that I borrowed some money when we got married, but you made a fuss with me then, saying that I lied to you.” Xie Qingshan’s voice was tired. “Later, I took the money to pay Wei Zi back, but he said that the money was for his mother and asked me to give it to her. But my mother knew that you were making a fuss with me then, so she didn’t take the money.”
Xu Lina recalled the incident: "When you brought the money back later, I thought you were joking with me. Why didn't you tell me?"
"If I told you, would you stop arguing with me?" Xie Qingshan asked, looking up. Seeing his wife's silence, he sighed and said, "Forget it, those are all things of the past."
"Then this ticket." Xu Lina waved it.
The bicycle ticket in my hand.
"Keep it." Xie Qingshan lowered his eyes. He knew Xie Wei's temper; if he said he didn't want it, he definitely wouldn't.
Xu Lina pursed her lips, not putting the ticket in her pocket, but placing it on the stool beside the bed. She turned over and lay down with her back to Xie Qingshan. After a while, she heard rustling sounds behind her, and the room fell silent again.
Xu Lina closed her eyes, recalling the events of the day, her mind racing with thoughts.
After an unknown amount of time, she sat up, nudged Xie Qingshan, who was lying on her son's other side, and woke him up, saying, "Give all the money you took from your mother back then to your mother."
Xie Qingshan was half asleep when she woke him up, his brows furrowing. Hearing this, he immediately became wide awake: "You...are you serious?"
"What's the truth about repaying money?" Xu Lina asked irritably, not wanting to look at Xie Qingshan, she turned over and lay down with her back to him, saying, "I married you because I really wanted to live a good life with you. What happened back then... I was immature, but you also had problems. You had many opportunities to explain things to me these past few years, but you didn't say anything."
"Yes, I'll be angry when I hear it, but how long can I stay angry? In the end, I'll forgive you anyway. But you don't say anything? I've been holding this in for years, causing trouble at home, and in your eyes, I've become a petty person."
"Moreover, rather than seeing you feel guilty for the rest of your life because of a few hundred yuan, I would rather pay back the money so that I can hold my head high in front of your mother and your brothers in the future."
At this point, Xu Lina paused and said, "Let's not buy the bicycle then, it'll save money. You should give the bicycle voucher to Wei Zi, we definitely won't need it anytime soon anyway, and he won't accept it, so it'll just be a waste if the voucher expires..."
The person behind her hugged her, and Xu Lina's voice stopped abruptly.
...
After breakfast, Xie Wei planned to go find Lin Qingqing, but Xie Qingshan stopped him before he left and asked him to talk in the backyard.
As they entered the backyard, Xu Lina also came out of the house and followed them into Xie Wei's room. After Xie Wei sat down, he saw the couple standing at the door and frowned slightly: "Is there something you need?"
"It's like this..."
Xie Qingshan hesitated slightly before speaking, but Xu Lina interrupted him before he could finish: "He told me last night about you returning the bicycle ticket to Qingshan."
Everything is difficult at the beginning. I had many hesitations before, but once I actually spoke up, I didn't have so many reservations: "I was too willful before, and I didn't understand many things. I thought he valued his family more, so I always found reasons to argue with him. But last night we talked everything out. The money we spent on our wedding, since it was your filial piety..."
"We'll find a way to pay Mother back the money. As for the bicycle ticket, you should keep it; it's a small token of his appreciation as an older brother. Don't worry, I promise I won't argue with him about this again."
Xie Wei initially remained calm, but upon hearing Xu Lina mention the money, he looked at Xie Qingshan in surprise. Xie Qingshan awkwardly explained, "Yesterday, in a moment of impulse, I told Lina everything."
“You shouldn’t have kept it from me!” Xu Lina said, then pulled Xie Wei to judge, “Of course I would misunderstand if he didn’t say anything, and I would inevitably sulk and throw a tantrum. But he didn’t say anything, and then he thought I was petty. Don’t you think that’s unreasonable?”
Xie Wei had previously advised Xie Qingshan not to keep everything bottled up inside, but it hadn't worked. Hearing Xu Lina's words, he nodded in agreement: "Second brother really shouldn't have kept everything from you."
"Look!" Xu Lina smiled triumphantly at Xie Qingshan.
Seeing her smile, Xie Qingshan smiled too, and said apologetically, "It was my fault, I will definitely correct it in the future."
“Wei Zi, you saw it too. Your second brother and I really had a serious talk,” Xu Lina said, handing the ticket to Xie Wei. “You should take this ticket back. Otherwise, I’ll feel ashamed whenever I think about it. Don’t worry, we definitely won’t argue about this ticket in the future. Even if we do argue, it’ll be because he’s hiding something from me.”
Xie Qingshan smiled wryly and said, "I'll tell you everything from now on, I definitely won't hide anything from you."
Yesterday, Xie Wei forced the bicycle ticket onto Xie Qingshan, but this time he only hesitated for a moment before finally accepting the ticket and saying, "Consider it a loan from me. I'll return one to you when I have another ticket."
"No need, it's not like we're brothers, why would we need to lend each other money?" Xu Lina immediately refused.
Xie Wei simply said, "Even close brothers should keep clear accounts. If you don't agree, I don't want this ticket."
He hadn't originally intended to take Xie Qingshan's votes for nothing, but he knew Xie Qingshan felt guilty towards him, and saying it directly would be like stabbing him in the heart, so he hadn't said it. Now that things were out in the open, Xie Wei didn't think too much about it and spoke his mind.
Seeing his insistence, Xie Qingshan and Xu Lina had no choice but to agree.
...
"So, your second brother and sister-in-law have made up?"
Lin Qingqing sat on the bicycle, letting Xie Wei hold the seat as they rode for a while. After stopping, she turned around and asked.
"They've made up now. They said that even if they argue again, it won't be about this ticket." Xie Wei paused here, holding the bicycle with one hand and reaching into his pocket with the other to pull out the bicycle ticket.
He handed it to Lin Qingqing, saying, "I was thinking of getting you a ticket after I got back to the army, but since they all said that, I couldn't refuse. So I thought I'd get the ticket back to my second brother after I get back to the army. This ticket is for you, is that alright?"
Xie Wei felt embarrassed by all this back and forth over a bicycle ticket: "If you don't want it, then let's stick to the original plan. I'll get the ticket when I get back to the army and send it to you..."
"Why not?" Lin Qingqing retorted, taking the bicycle ticket from Xie Wei's hand.
Xie Wei looked up at Lin Qingqing, who said in a relaxed tone, "Since they gave you the tickets again, I'll keep them. Anyway, if they ever blame us for their arguments, I'll have something to say back to them."
If it were up to Lin Qingqing's own temper, she wouldn't want the ticket. How could someone just give it away like that? But she felt that since Xie Wei had accepted the ticket, he must still value their brotherhood. Even if she didn't want it, he wouldn't return it. He'd be caught in a dilemma, and he'd definitely need to find a way to get two more bicycle tickets.
Rather than doing that, she might as well just accept it. If Xie Qingshan and his wife don't mention the tickets again, the matter will naturally be over. If they bring it up again, she won't care how much brotherly affection Xie Wei has for her.
"Qingqing." Xie Wei held Lin Qingqing's hand, called her name softly, his gaze exceptionally ardent.
Lin Qingqing felt embarrassed by his gaze, so she pulled her hand away from his and placed it on the bicycle handlebars, reminding him, "Weren't you going to teach me how to ride a bicycle?"
Xie Wei snapped out of his daze, quickly responded, and helped her pedal the bicycle.
Because she had a foundation, Lin Qingqing learned to ride a bicycle very smoothly. In less than two hours, she became quite adept at it.
The only problem was that the 28-inch bicycle was too tall, and she felt a little scared when going downhill. So for the next few days, she practiced under Xie Wei's supervision.
...
By the time Lin Qingqing can ride her bicycle uphill and downhill without any psychological barriers, Xie Wei's vacation will be coming to an end.
On the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, Xie Wei kept his promise and took Lin Qingqing to see a movie in the city. Since it was the first movie she had seen since transmigrating to this world, she was initially very excited. However, the plot was too simple for her, and she became somewhat drowsy towards the end.
But the trip to Shicheng wasn't entirely fruitless. For example, I visited a department store from that era and bought a gift I wanted to give to Xie Wei.
On the sixth day of the Lunar New Year, Xie Wei was packing his luggage at home.
On the seventh day of the Lunar New Year, Xie Wei carried his luggage
When he left home, Lin Qingqing saw him off at the commune to catch the bus.
In Lin Qingqing's view, this was only a short separation, so she didn't expect to cry. During the process of seeing Xie Wei off, her emotions remained stable. While waiting for the car, she chatted and laughed with Xie Wei, and when she saw Xie Wei carrying his luggage onto the car, she smiled and waved, telling him to be careful on the way.
But as the bus pulled away, watching the green bus carrying Xie Wei drive further and further away, Lin Qingqing's eyes suddenly welled up with tears.
Author's Note: Double update combined, no update tonight.
The next chapter will be about their wedding!
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