Director Ma nodded, "Okay, Chu Jie, right? I'll remember that."
"I was on night shift last night and I'm not working today. I guess they'll just schedule it for today and won't let me work today. How about tomorrow? I'll go find him tomorrow!"
Chu Tian smiled and said, "Well, don't worry, you can arrange it when you are free."
Chu Tian felt it was worth it if a two or three pound piece of sheep tail oil could get Chu Jie a more comfortable job. Moreover, judging from Chu Jie's personality and approach to things, Chu Tian thought that if there was any chance, he would definitely seize the opportunity to become a regular employee.
It's not that Chu Tian is stingy and doesn't want to help him get a formal job right away. It's that Chu Tian understands the principle of repaying a favor with a favor. Let alone his cousins, he won't help even his brothers completely. He can only help a little depending on the situation, but not all of them.
The matter was settled, and Chu Tian was about to say goodbye. Director Ma thought for a moment and held Chu Tian back, "Brother, what's your name?"
Chu Tian didn't want to hide it from him, "Chu Tian, Chu Jie is my cousin."
Director Ma nodded and said, "Brother Chu Tian, next time you come to the coal mine, you can come to my office to find me. You can register at the gate and I will let you in."
Chu Tian curled the corners of his lips, "Okay."
On this side, Chu Jun’s second wife Yu Zhen came to Chu Tian’s house with a small basket and a happy face.
"Grandma, your granddaughter-in-law is here to see you."
Old Mrs. Chu was sitting in the yard picking beans. When she heard the sound, she looked up and saw Yu Zhen walking towards her with a smile on her face and raised her chin.
"Well, come and sit down."
Yu Zhen smiled and sat on the chair opposite Old Lady Chu. She casually placed the basket she was carrying at Old Lady Chu's feet. "Grandma, these are plums and crabapples grown in the yard. I picked out some good ones for you and Xinxin to eat."
Old Mrs. Chu smiled and nodded. "Xinxin happened to be complaining these past few days about why the plum trees and crabapple trees in our yard haven't borne fruit."
Yu Zhen picked up the beans that Old Lady Chu was about to pick and began to help pick them. Upon hearing this, she smiled and said, "The fruit trees in my yard have only been planted for two years. If you want them to bear fruit, you have to wait until next year..."
After a pause, he asked again, "By the way, where are Xiujuan and the others? Why aren't they here?"
Mrs. Chu smiled and explained, "I went to the regiment with your cousins' wives. Xinxin and several other children at home will be going to elementary school this fall, so they went together to buy pencils and notebooks for the children."
Yu Zhen nodded in understanding, "I see."
Old Mrs. Chu raised her head and glanced at her. "Do you have something to do with Xiujuan?"
Yu Zhen smiled embarrassedly, "No, I just want to tell grandma that my granddaughter-in-law is pregnant..."
Mrs. Chu dropped the beans she was holding in surprise and grabbed her hands, "Really?"
Yu Zhen smiled shyly, "Well, my period has been delayed for about ten days this month, and I've been very sleepy these past few days."
Old Mrs. Chu was so happy, "Oh, yes, it must be true, that's great, you give Chu Jun a son, no, a girl is also fine..."
"By the way, does Chu Jun know?"
Yu Zhen nodded, "I just told him this morning."
Mrs. Chu nodded, took her hand and said, "You have also been pregnant before, so you should understand that the first three months are very important. You must pay attention to it. Do the easy farm work first, or you can give up..."
Hearing this, Yu Zhen remembered what Chu Jun had said to her in the morning, and her face flushed. "I know. Jun also told me this morning not to go out for the time being and to stay at home to take good care of the baby."
After a pause, he continued, "It's just that I'm in good health. Besides feeling a little sleepy, I don't feel anything else. So, I plan to go find the captain and see if I can get the job of herding cattle."
"Well, herding cattle is fine. It's not tiring."
Mrs. Chu nodded, thought for a moment, and then said, "If the team leader won't give you the job of herding cattle, then grandma will give you the job of feeding pigs."
Yu Zhen smiled and waved her hands, "No need, if there is no work for herding cattle, there are other easy jobs..."
Mrs. Chu's voice left no room for doubt. "Don't worry about it. When the time comes, grandma will accompany you to find the captain..."
At this time, in the supply and marketing cooperative of the regiment, Xinxin pointed at a pair of yellow hairbands on the counter, her eyes full of love.
"Mom, Xinxin likes this, can you buy one for me?"
Yao Xiujuan had just bought a notebook and pencils. When she heard this, she leaned over to take a look and frowned slightly. "Xinxin, you already have a hair flower and a headband, why do you want more?"
Xinxin pouted, "But, Xinxin's headband and hair flower are both red, and this one is yellow..."
“·····”
Yao Xiujuan sighed helplessly, looked at the salesperson and said, "Comrade, please give me a pair."
Chu Min's wife Zhang Ping had also finished shopping. She came over with Si Ya and looked at the hairband in Xin Xin's hand. She praised, "It's really beautiful. It will definitely look good on Xin Xin's skin."
Then he looked down at Si Ya and said, "Si Ya, do you want it?"
Si Ya blinked, "Mom, can I have it too?"
Zhang Ping caressed Si Ya's head lovingly and said, "Of course, now that you're going to school, I have to dress you up a little bit."
Although one cent could buy several boxes of matches in that era, it was not unaffordable, so the Chu family sisters-in-law who came with them, those who had daughters at home, also bought a pair for their daughters.
Xinxin looked at the pair of bright red headbands in Si Ya's hand, walked over to her, took her hand, and called out sweetly, "Sister Si Ya, Xinxin's family has red ones too. Let's both wear them to school, and people will think we're sisters."
Si Ya blinked and said doubtfully, "But, we are sisters!"
Xinxin shook her head, "No, we don't have the same parents, we're just cousins!"
Si Ya frowned, "But, cousins are still sisters..."
Xinxin once again emphasized, "Cousins are sisters, but not biological sisters..."
"But···"
“No buts…”
Yao Xiujuan put away the change, listened to what Xinxin said, and walked forward to hold her hand.
"Okay, stop worrying, it's time for us to go..."
When Chu Tian returned home from the coal mine, he saw Old Mrs. Chu sitting at the door of the main hall, sewing something with a piece of solid-colored fine cotton cloth. He parked his bicycle and took out a bag from the basket.
"Grandma, what are you doing?"
Mrs. Chu looked up and saw that it was Chu Tian. She opened the small clothes she had almost finished sewing and showed them to Chu Tian, "My dear grandson, what do you think?"
Chu Tian took a quick look and saw that it was the clothes that a confinement baby would wear. He nodded and praised, "Grandma's craftsmanship is good."
After a pause, he continued, "But didn't Xiujuan say that there was no need to make new clothes for the baby in her belly? She said that she could just wear ordinary old clothes during the confinement period?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
