Chen Xingling said generously: "Ma Xue, everyone can take one, and the remaining one is yours. Come, take it."
Ma Dali smiled embarrassedly and pinched his hands helplessly.
"...That's what your brother gave you. Keep it for yourself..."
Chen Xingling laughed heartily: "Hahaha! I grew up in a fishing village, and I've long been tired of eating fish. I still have a big basket over there, and I guess we'll have to eat fish for every meal these two days. It's a pity to waste too much food, and it's shameful to waste! Everyone help and eat one fish each, I can't thank you enough! We're all just learning, don't be so polite."
"That's right!" Jia Shuanghua said with a red face, "Everyone has some...you should take one too. If you're the only one who doesn't take any, it would make us feel embarrassed."
Everyone had been eating lunch together for several days, and everyone knew that Ma Dali ate a piece of corn cob every day, but out of consideration for his dignity and face, everyone pretended not to know.
Chongqing is a coastal city with both rivers and seas, but fishing is not something that everyone knows. The nearest beach is more than an hour's walk from the city, and even if you can see the sea, you can only sigh at the sea without a fishing boat or fishing gear.
In the city, there are fish and shrimp for sale in the food stores every day, but you have to pay for the food. Although it is cheap, people in the city can't eat fish and shrimp every other day.
How can a scholar like Ma Dali, who is so poor that he can only eat a small piece of corn and can't even afford rice, afford fish rice!
The other students echoed one after another: "Take it, Chen Xue has good intentions!"
"She has two big baskets! She sent us to school with great intention, so don't be shy! Look! We have accepted them all!"
"Ma Xue, just accept it!"
Ma Dali smiled awkwardly and rubbed his hands on his body.
"It seems that if I don't take it, I will offend everyone. It's better to obey than to be respectful, so I won't be polite... Thank you, Chen Xuexue."
Chen Xingling stuffed the entire bamboo basket into his hand and said, "I'll give you the fish, but you have to clean the basket before you return it to me!"
“Okay.” Ma Dali thanked and took it.
Chen Xingling sat down and started eating.
Ma Dali opened the bamboo leaves and was almost stunned with confusion, then turned to be grateful to Chen Xingling for having seen it.
Chen Xingling pretended he knew nothing and continued eating.
After a while, Ma Dali quietly left the classroom from the back door with the bamboo basket. Everyone was eating and chatting, so no one noticed.
Jia Shuanghua ate quickly and her lunch box was empty in a blink of an eye.
"You eat first. The lunch box smells fishy. I have to go to the cafeteria to ask the aunt for some charcoal ash to wash it."
Chen Xingling nodded and continued eating.
Several minutes later, Jia Shuanghua came back with a strange look on her face.
"Lingling, let me tell you something in secret."
Seeing her eyes slightly red, Chen Xingling couldn't help but ask, "What's wrong? Auntie won't give it to you? It's not that serious, right?"
"No." Jia Shuanghua patted the lunch box and whispered, "It's in there. Guess what I saw behind the cafeteria? Didn't I tell you before that Ma Dali has three brothers and sisters? One of his brothers is still in the countryside, and the youngest brother and sister are in junior high school. The fish you gave him...he couldn't bear to eat it alone, so he took his brothers and sisters to hide under a tree and eat it."
Chen Xingling was not surprised at all and praised: "He is a kind and righteous big brother."
"Yeah." Jia Shuanghua choked up and whispered, "If it weren't for... I don't have enough to eat myself, I would also like to give him some food, even if it's just a little bit."
Chen Xingling knew that she was kind and innocent, so he coaxed her, "Don't cry, people will think you've been bullied. As the ancients said, if you're poor, you should take care of yourself, and if you're rich, you should help the world. When you have the ability to help him, you will definitely be willing to give. Wait, there will always be a chance."
Jia Shuanghua quickly wiped away her tears and nodded obediently.
…
After school in the afternoon, Chen Xingling hurriedly put away his homework and ran to the north of the city.
I heard from Gu Qi that the commendation meeting will start at 3 pm. There are quite a lot of leaders coming, so the speeches are expected to take a long time and will probably not end until after get off work.
Chen Xingling planned to rush over to attend the commendation meeting, hoping to see the glorious moment when Gu Qi went on stage to receive the award, and enjoy the honorable moment of kissing her husband!
Unexpectedly, as soon as she arrived at the shipyard gate, she saw workers in blue work clothes walking back and forth inside. She thought the meeting must have been over, and she was suddenly very disappointed!
Oh! I feel so sad!
The square in front of the administrative building had long been empty. Only a few tables covered with red cloths were left on the stage. A few people were coming to clear away cups and move chairs.
She looked around and found that Gu Qijunyi was not there, so she turned and walked towards the first floor overlooking the river.
"Girl! Girl!" a familiar voice called out.
Chen Xingling stopped and looked around in the direction of the voice—it was Ma Damei!
Shuanghua said that "Ma" is a common surname in the west of the city, and many people in the west of the city have the surname "Ma". I guess Sister Ma, who I haven't seen for a few days, is also from the west of the city.
"Big sister, are you busy?" Chen Xingling came forward and asked with a smile: "Do you need help?"
Ma Damei held a white porcelain cup in her hand and shook her head: "No, no, I'm just packing a few cups for the leaders to drink. Sister, are you here to see Engineer Gu? Oh my! Why are you so late? It's been a while since we finished!"
Chen Xingling said in an embarrassed voice: "It's too late..."
The classes have just started, and even though she knows most of the courses, she still has to attend the classes she is supposed to attend and can't just ask for leave without permission.
Being yourself is one thing, taking it seriously is another.
Ma Damei quickly changed the subject and said excitedly, "Oh my! You don't know! God, your engineer Gu is so handsome! Wearing that suit and leather shoes, tall and thin, he is even more handsome than the big stars in the movies! Even the leaders from above were almost stunned and praised our factory for its talents! Your Gu Qi really makes you proud! Really!"
Chen Xingling laughed and said happily, "I'm proud of him."
Before dawn on the second day of the first lunar month, he braved the freezing weather to save people and boats. If anything went wrong, it would be a disaster. But he did not back down at all. He immediately agreed to the mission and struggled on the sea for more than half a month before finally returning safely.
He is so brave and selfless, and as his wife, she feels proud and honored!
"Shouldn't you be proud?" Ma Damei teased with a smile: "Such an excellent husband, he should be proud for at least several lifetimes! By the way, sister, I have never forgotten the things you wanted, and I have been keeping an eye on them for you. I was still keeping an eye on them yesterday, but who knew that your family would not need them today. Well, it saves tickets and money. A bicycle costs at least one hundred and sixty yuan, which is a lot of money!"
Chen Xingling was slightly stunned and asked, "Ticket? Bicycle ticket? No more?"
"No!" Ma Damei explained with a smile: "The leaders rewarded your engineer Gu with a brand new bicycle - Phoenix brand! I heard that the factory director helped to pick it up. It was placed there earlier, with a big red flower tied in front of the bicycle, and the photographer even specially asked your husband to take a photo with the bicycle. I happened to be next to it and saw it clearly!"
Huh?? A bicycle!
Chen Xingling was surprised and happy. He said goodbye in a hurry and ran home.
"Sister!" Ma Damei called her and pointed to the administrative building behind her and explained: "Engineer Gu and the factory director have moved into the office, and they probably haven't left yet!"
Chen Xingling quickly changed direction and said with a smile: "Then I'll go find him!"
Unexpectedly, as soon as she ran up the stairs, she saw her husband being surrounded and talked by several women.
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