As the only big man on the scene, Ma Dali took the initiative to take on the most difficult part of the barbecue, including adding charcoal, adding fire, threading bamboo skewers, etc.
Gu Xuan glanced at him secretly and buried his head in quietly roasting the cabbage.
Ma Dali squinted his eyes while working, and asked: "Sister Gu Xuan, are you in Class 1 of Department 2?"
"......Yeah." Gu Xuan nodded.
Ma Dali smiled and explained, "My younger brother Ma Erli is joining your class today. He is also in Class 1 of Department 1. You will be classmates in the future. He is one semester behind you, so remember to take care of him."
Gu Xuan usually didn't like to chat with others. When he heard about such a "difficult task", he was instantly embarrassed and didn't know how to react.
Chen Xingling smiled secretly and said quickly, "Classmates should take care of each other. There are not many students in the science class, and the science student is tall and thin, so he is easy to recognize."
Jia Shuanghua, who was standing by, asked curiously, "Da Li, does your brother look like you?"
"A bit like him." Ma Dali answered as he brushed rapeseed oil on his face. "The eyebrows and eyes are very similar, but my facial features are not as good-looking as my brother's. He is a little taller than me, but not as strong as me."
Jia Shuanghua teased with a smile: "I remember when I first met you, you were as thin as a monkey. Over the past half year, you have become stronger day by day, and now you look tall and strong with a broad back and strong waist!"
Ma Dali laughed: "If you eat enough and work hard, you will naturally become strong. Why don't you join our Baotou team? If you work for a few months, you will become strong - dark and strong!"
"Please spare me." Jia Shuanghua shook her head and said in disgust: "It's too ugly to be black!"
Ma Dali joked, "We're still a long way from graduation! Are you worried about being too ugly to get married? Why are you in such a hurry?"
"Go to hell!" Jia Shuanghua cursed with a smile.
Seeing them joking and laughing happily, Gu Xuan's eyes moved slightly, his brows could not hide the bitterness, and he buried his head in silence.
Little Tiger finished chewing the skewers of meat and gulped down several big gulps of water.
"Aunt Xuan, are you starting school today?"
Gu Xuan suddenly realized what was going on and answered, "Yes."
Xiao Huzi asked again: "Will the class start tomorrow? I have to go to class tomorrow too!"
Gu Xuan nodded: "We will register and receive our books this morning, and then go home. We will officially start classes tomorrow."
"Oh oh." Little Tiger grumbled aggrievedly: "Starting tomorrow, I have to get up early again. How annoying! I don't know why the school can't start and end later? It's so comfortable to sleep in the morning, I don't want to get up at all. Why can't we get out of school so early in the afternoon? We can have classes at nine in the morning and get out of school at five in the afternoon! I can have dinner after playing at home for a while, and I don't have to worry about being too hungry."
Gu Xuan pursed his lips and smiled softly.
Little Tiger continued to mutter: "Or maybe we can change it up and shorten the lunch break so that school ends at 4pm. Many children will yawn during class in the morning. Teachers will also yawn, which proves that teachers will get sleepy if they get up too early. The principal also has to go to school early, and he will get sleepy too. Why doesn't he let everyone go to school at 9 o'clock?"
Gu Xuan shook his head: "I don't know either. Why don't you go ask the principal."
"Okay." Xiao Huzi nodded seriously: "I will go to the principal to make suggestions tomorrow. The principal said at the last meeting that everyone can make suggestions freely. As long as it is good for the school and beneficial to the improvement of teaching quality, everyone is warmly welcome to take the initiative to propose it."
After she finished speaking, the little guy found that his aunt was staring at him with a strange look on her face.
"Aunt Xuan, why are you looking at me like that?"
Gu Xuan said in an embarrassed voice: "Huzi, you are really getting more and more aggressive with your words..."
"No!" Little Tiger answered with a smile: "I just repeat what the principal said. Dad said that learning how to speak is also a kind of learning. As long as you can use other people's words to represent your own, they are your own words."
Gu Xuan was secretly envious.
My nephew is only four years old, but he is much better than me in speaking and dealing with people. I have to say that my elder brother and his wife have taught the little guy very well!
It would be great if one day she could talk as freely as her nephew in front of others, or be as confident and generous as her sister-in-law.
Soon, all three women were full.
Although Xiaohuzi arrived a little late, his little stomach couldn't eat too much, so he was full soon.
Ma Dali had a big appetite and continued to eat while sitting next to the charcoal stove.
"Lingling, where did you find the wire mesh above? It's perfect for grilling food."
Chen Xingling couldn't say that he got the barbecue net from the supermarket, so he answered perfunctorily: "I found it by accident, it's good as long as it works. Go ahead and eat, you're welcome."
"When did I ever say anything polite to you?" Ma Dali gestured to the side: "There are still a lot of skewers! By the way, it's almost evening, why haven't Gu Yi and Xiao Xing come yet?"
"I don't know." Chen Xingling replied: "Probably something happened."
Zhao Xiaoxing has been in a bad mood these past two days, and it seems that Gu Yi hasn't managed to coax her yet, because the two of them still have little interaction.
Since they can go out together today, it is obvious that they have reconciled.
Jia Shuanghua asked curiously, "Is your uncle still an apprentice? Is his salary thirty?"
"He is a regular employee." Chen Xingling answered, "The factory director heard that he could connect wires independently and had a high school education, so he gave him face and made him a regular employee. The salary of an employee in a shipyard is about 40, and the salary of an apprentice is about 25. After being promoted, he should be around 42 or 43."
"Plus some allowances and tickets." Jia Shuanghua envied: "It's good enough. To be honest, the treatment at the shipyard is one of the best in Yucheng."
Chen Xingling smiled bitterly: "But he still lives a tight life. It's not easy to support a family!"
Jia Shuanghua chatted with them for a while longer, and when she saw that it was beginning to darken, she rode her bicycle away.
Ma Dali was waiting to help pack up, so he was not in a hurry to leave.
"Lingling, the charcoal fire is a little dim. Why don't I roast the remaining ones and keep them warm on the stove for a while - do you think it's okay?"
Chen Xingling answered yes, secretly worried about Gu Yi and his wife.
"We were supposed to meet in the afternoon...how come you haven't come yet so late?"
Little Tiger was playing by the wall, raising his eyebrows and smiling.
"Uncle and the others are here! I heard his voice!"
Everyone fell silent at the same time.
As expected, Gu Yi's loud voice gradually became audible, but it was obvious that he was not speaking calmly, but rather arguing.
——You heard it earlier, the conductor said it himself! A ticket costs thirty-two dollars, and if it's a hard seat, it's at least twenty-eight. Tickets for the two of us are at least fifty dollars! Two trips here is one hundred and twelve dollars. Not to mention that we have to take a tractor or a bullock cart to go into the mountains, the train ticket alone is enough! Why don't you understand?
——I don’t understand! I just asked you if you would go with me? Why are you saying so much?! You are clearly making excuses for yourself!
——What excuses are there! You don’t have money to go out? You know how expensive it is to take a train! When you eloped with me and came here, how much was a standing ticket? Have you forgotten? It takes at least two days and one night to take a train, so you have to buy a hard seat. The key is that you don’t have money! Not enough money!
Ma Dali, who was barbecuing, raised his eyebrows, feeling a little embarrassed, and could only pretend not to hear.
Chen Xingling looked up in confusion and unconsciously looked towards the gate.
Little Huzi was closest to the gate and opened it quickly.
"Uncle! Aunt!"
Gu Yi, who was shouting loudly, was startled and immediately stopped talking, forcing a kind smile.
"Huzi, you're here!"
Little Tiger jumped and ran down.
Gu Yi picked him up familiarly and threw him into the air.
"Wow! You've gained a lot of weight!"
Little Tiger chuckled.
Gu Yi saw that his nephew was in a very good mood and was smiling again.
However, Zhao Xiaoxing behind him had red eyes, disheveled hair, and a look of dejection, helplessness and sadness.
Chen Xingling frowned and hurried forward to meet him.
"Xiao Xing, you...what's wrong with you?"
When Zhao Xiaoxing was asked this question, her eyes were instantly filled with tears. She threw herself into Chen Xingling's arms and burst into tears.
Xiao Huzi was frightened and looked at Zhao Xiaoxing blankly.
The others were also startled and looked over.
Gu Yi felt a little embarrassed and turned around and quickly closed the door.
"She...there's nothing between us...we didn't have a fight! She was crying because her father broke his leg and she was worried and upset."
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