Chapter 16
“Oh!” Lu Yuanzheng nodded his head, then looked at Xu Man in dismay
Xu Wen turned around and ran towards the tent, not intending to give him time to react
Lu Yuanzheng stood in a daze
Joy rose from the bottom of his heart, occupying his chest a little, curving his brows and lips
Thinking of something, the corners of his lips flattened a little bit, and his eyes surged with restraint and patience and finally returned to calm, like the sea after a storm
He lowered his eyes and looked at the winter life in his arms, turned around and took a step towards his tent
His back was still straight, and his steps were firm
At dawn, the students once again heard the clear whistle
One by one, the brain is not yet awake, the body has already sat up
It had only been four days and they had already been trained to memorize the sound of the whistle
Xu Wen rubbed his eyes and got up, his whole body aching, especially his legs
Yesterday’s activities and labor were both a bit too much for her body to handle
Not only her, but the other female students weren’t much better
The corners of their eyes were tearful, and they didn’t know whether it was from yawning or pain
After everyone grimaced and gathered, Lu Yuanzheng announced the morning exercise, which was to run around the new school site
After everyone finished running, stood for a while in military posture and announced the start of the meal
The students who had watches looked at their watches, it was only six o’clock
“Today you study heavy task, you do not need to cook your own food, still provided by the school cafeteria Now dismissed, go back to wash up and then eat”
The students were obviously relieved
Lu Yuanzheng raised his eyebrows, “Friendly reminder, better eat more, today may still not be easy for all of you”
His gaze landed emphatically on Xu Man’s face
Xu Man lowered her head to avoid his gaze, more worried than shy
Her original budget for living expenses was 10 cents a day, with her own noodles in the morning and a portion of rice with pickles for lunch
The current situation is bound to exceed the budget
Xu Wen did not expect a collection in the middle of the night, come out and do not go back Cooked noodles she did not bring, pickles also did not bring
A day meal which meal can not not eat, do not eat will not have the strength to work or training
She didn’t want to faint again like yesterday
These days, the Lin Daiyu persona was not popular
After returning to her tent and washing up, Xu Man didn’t figure out how to arrange it so that she could spend a dime to have enough food for every meal of the day
She touched the few thin bills in her pocket and was torn between going to dinner or not
When Shao Yueyue saw Xu Man sitting on the bed and fretting, she put down the basin and came over to sit next to her, “Ask, did you not bring enough meal tickets? I have it here, you use it first”
Xu Man shook her head, “Thanks! But I don’t need it yet, I’ll borrow it from you when I need it”
Borrowing was easy, what would she take to pay it back?
Shao Yueyue wanted to say something else, but Li Yun shook her head at her
She was a little bit older than them all, and could understand Xu Man’s difficulties, as well as Xu Man’s thoughts
Shao Yue Yue bit her lip and just wanted to continue to persuade, when she heard Dongsheng’s childish voice ringing outside the tent, “Sisters, can I come in?”
“Come in!”
Everyone laughed at him for being such a gentleman at such a young age
The little gentleman Dongsheng walked up to Xu Man and made a gentlemanly salute in a decent manner, “Comrade Ask, may I invite you to join us for breakfast?”
Everyone was amused by him and laughed
Xu Man also laughed and asked him, “Does your father agree if you eat with me?”
“Dad went out on vacation and asked me to follow you”
“Really? Where did he go? And will your dad be back in the morning?” Shao Yue was a bit excited, it’s good that the big devil took a leave of absence
“Dad didn’t say” Dongsheng shook his head, “Dad only said that you guys can’t be idle without him”
Shao Yue: “”
Big devils invite hatred, and little kids aren’t cute
Lu Yuanzheng was away, so of course Xu Man had to eat with Dongsheng
Not only eat but also eat well, Xu Man thought to himself, this time he really needs to ask Sister Li Yun to borrow a meal ticket
Young master Dongsheng was particularly bold, ordering buns, doughnuts, pies, soybean milk and millet porridge in one breath
Xu Man: “”
Bankruptcy Reservation
The first time she ate with Dongsheng, she couldn’t feel Dongsheng’s meal size, and Xu Wen couldn’t afford not to buy it
Her hand only reached into her pocket, Dongsheng has already touched out a handful of meal tickets printed with the words of the first middle school on tiptoe and handed it out
Auntie in charge of collecting money in the cafeteria: “”
Xu asked, “”
She took the rice tickets, drew out just the right amount and handed it to the auntie, putting the rest away
These meal tickets looked like they had to be ten dollars at the very least
She couldn’t account for it if Dongsheng lost it
Dongsheng ordered so much but didn’t eat much himself, just a bun and a bowl of millet porridge, pushing the rest to Xu Man
“Dongsheng can’t waste food! You can’t eat it, don’t order so much next time”
Dongsheng nodded, “I’ll remember”
Xu Man didn’t want to take advantage of Dongsheng or Lu Yuanzheng, right now the food she touched couldn’t be returned, she could only eat it
What Dongsheng ordered was really quite a lot, she could barely finish it
After breakfast, the first thing was labor
While the sun was still not poisonous and the day was not too hot, various instructors and teachers led everyone to clean up the new school site
The female students were responsible for clearing the weeds
The male students were in charge of leveling, that is, shoveling up the soil from the high places of the land and pushing it into the potholes to pad them up
Just like yesterday morning, the teenagers, freshly woken up, were full of vigor and energy
Shouting, singing, chatting and joking, very lively
In the heated atmosphere, Xu Man felt especially energized
Xu Man also had to work, so he let Dongsheng play with him
Dongsheng asked for a sickle and said he would help her, Xu thought he wanted to have fun, but did not expect him to cut the draft really quite like that
Xu Man was touched and emotional
She was touched by Dongsheng’s love for her
I was touched by the fact that a child of more than a year old can do farm work
Other students have seen have praised Dongsheng, but not too strange
In the production team, many children not older than Dongsheng began to earn labor points
They couldn’t do any heavy work, but at most they could collect firewood and dung, and they didn’t get many work credits
The poor man’s child is an early starter
Xu Wen pursed his lips, took the sickle from Dongsheng’s hand, looked down and spread his hand, only a few cuts, the tender palm has been worn to a red piece At once some heartache, to Dongsheng palm lightly blow a few times, to his head rubbed, “Dongsheng, thank you for helping me! But children should do what children should do You go and play on the side!”
Dongsheng’s eyes abruptly reddened, looking at Li Yun and Shao Yue not far away, in the end he didn’t dare to cry out, attaching himself to Xu Man’s ear and saying with a sobbing tone, “Ma Ma, you’re so good to me”
At nine o’clock, everyone rested for a while and started classes
Teachers who had classes that day rode their bicycles over early and waited
Each class found their own piece of space, spread out in small groups under trees or other places where they could get some shade
The students sat or squatted with their textbooks on their knees or on the ground with some grass, listening to the teacher
The more difficult it was to study, the more enthusiastic the students were to learn
The class president of Xu asked the class, only the first year of high school began to study college calculus, know a lot
He knows a lot He can play, play and sing, and he even knows a little bit about pulse-taking
He has a high reputation among his classmates, and his teachers also value him highly
In the eyes of his classmates, the class president was a genius It was strange that the class president was so powerful, but he always failed Xu Man’s exams
In Xu Man’s opinion, the current curriculum was quite simple
Any simpler and she had to hide her clumsiness
So much so, that her classmates had come to believe that even the most powerful geniuses would be greedy and unable to chew on more than they could chew
How else could she fail Xu Wen, who was clearly not as powerful as the class president?
When Xu Man was in class, Dongsheng stayed quietly to the side, not making any noise
Xu Man took advantage of the teacher’s inattention to ask him in a low voice, “Will you be bored? Want to go play?”
Gao Jiankai was afraid of Dongsheng disturbing his studies before class and had to take Dongsheng away, but he refused and insisted on following Xu Man, promising again that he would not disturb Xu Man
Dongsheng shook his head, also following her example and lowered his voice: “With Ma Ma, not boring”
Xu Man stroked the top of his head and heard him add, “It’s more comfortable than following dad to study”
When dad is in a meeting or studying, he has to sit upright with him, and that’s boring
Xu Wen lost his smile and was a bit curious, where did Lu Yuanzheng go?
Lu Yuanzheng didn’t come back for lunch, or Xu Man brought Dongsheng to eat with him
The cafeteria drove the oxcart to pull a few large pots, unloaded the cattle to one side to eat grass, on the oxcart began to sell rice
Everyone has been working for half a day and has long been hungry, consciously in front of the oxcart lined up a long queue
This day fell on Thursday, which was a meat day The cafeteria had an extra dish of softly braised pork than on weekdays
Forty cents a serving
It was a lot cheaper than the outside cafeteria, and the flavor was a lot inferior
Xu Man used to buy meat at most once a month for a meal Today, Dongsheng ordered two portions in one go He also ordered a serving of vegetables and rice
Xu Man hesitated or took out the rice ticket
Meat is a rare thing, a braised pork is actually not a few pieces of meat, in case Dongsheng really can eat it all?
Vegetables replenish vitamins, rice tops up hunger, can’t not buy
Rice Xu asked to use their own ticket, half of which was given to Dongsheng, half of which was served in his lunch box
The combination of four people found a shady place to sit down
Four people means Xu Wen, Dongsheng, Li Yun and Shao Yue
Liu Rulan hated Lu Yuanzheng, and along with that, she also disliked Dongsheng, and was not willing to join them
Besides, she was not well-liked among the female students and would have preferred to play with the male students
She just doesn’t think it’s her own fault, and feels that the female students are jealous of her so they don’t like to play with her
Without Liu Rulan, the foursome was happier, sitting around and pushing their aluminum lunchboxes into the middle open space to share together
Dongsheng followed suit and pushed Lu Yuanzheng’s lunchbox to the center as well
But they were adults who couldn’t be bothered to eat Dongsheng’s food
Xu Wen brought his lunchbox back to him, “Your arms aren’t that long, so you can’t reach it Just eat by yourself”
Dongsheng ate a few bites, then pushed his lunchbox to Xu Man, “Ask sister, you help me eat, I can’t eat anymore”
Xu Wen looked at the meat, vegetables, and rice still left in most of the lunchbox and frowned
“Dongsheng, I already told you in the morning that you can’t waste it” Xu Wen frowned, his tone a bit stern, “Let’s not mention how difficult it is for Uncle Farmer to grow food, your father’s allowance was also traded with his life! It’s not right for you to waste his hard-earned money like this!”
Ever since she saw the true intentions of the Road Expedition’s vacation, there had been some indescribable emotions in her heart
Seeing Dongsheng waste it again and again, she couldn’t help but get a little angry
Being angry at Dongsheng, she was also angry at Lu Yuanzheng
He doesn’t look like a spoiled child, how could he raise Dongsheng to spend money so lavishly?
The first time Dongsheng met Xu Wenzhang, he was angry with him
This is the first time Dongsheng has seen Xu Wen angry, a little anxious, “Ma Ma, don’t be angry! I didn’t do it on purpose Dad said you were starving because you didn’t have enough to eat, and I wanted you to eat more”
Dad also said that he wouldn’t want to give Xu Man a meal ticket directly, so he came up with this solution
Xu Man froze
Shao Yue and Li Yun also froze
Shao Yue almost choked, swallowed her rice with difficulty, and asked Li Yun, “What did Dongsheng ask to ask?”
Li Yun pondered, “See ask angry scared, a nervous call wrong, right?”
Shao Yue thought about it, it’s very possible
They all rarely saw Xu Man angry
Besides, it could only be explained this way
Xu Man is only 19 years old and can’t have such a big child with Instructor Lu
Xu Man couldn’t care less about what Shao Yue and Li Yun thought, she put down her chopsticks and hugged Dongsheng, apologizing to him, “I’m sorry, I was wrong about you”
Dongsheng hugged her back, not daring to call Ma Ma anymore, and whispered, “Then don’t don’t want me”
Xu Wen’s heart soured and nodded, letting go of him and saying squarely, “Dongsheng, no matter what, you can’t do this next time Because you ordered so much I’ll be unable to finish it or waste it”
Dongsheng obediently nods and admits his mistake, “I’m sorry, I won’t next time”
After a short lunch break after eating, there were two classes first, and only at four o’clock in the afternoon when the sun was not so poisonous did they start to gather for work
The afternoon was still spent clearing weeds and leveling the land
It was evening when the expedition returned
Dinner is still self-catering, with the class as a unit to hunt for wild game and pick wild vegetables and fruits
And it’s even tougher than yesterday, not allowing the canteen to provide any support
That means no pots, no spices, not even matches
The students are wailing again, but it’s useless to wail
Hundreds of students like primitive people, a few people grouped together, drilling wood for fire
Of course, there were a few lucky classes that didn’t have to work so hard because they had matches
For example, in Hsu Man’s class, after lighting the fire last night, a student slipped the matches into his pocket, so he had matches to use today
Some students refused and clamored that the class with matches was cheating
To which Lu Yuanzheng replied, “If you can pull out matches now, you can use them just the same”
Class without matches:””
“Chance is reserved for the prepared No matter where they got the matches, they happen to have them now when they need to use them And you guys don’t It’s the same with marching and fighting; if the enemy has a gun and you don’t, can you say that the enemy cheated to get them to put their guns down and fight you?”
There are no fools who can go to high school, and everyone could only agree when they thought about it as if it made sense
Hundreds of students, there are always faster reaction, although they do not have fire but can draw fire
One learns one, one draws one, finally all the fire lit up
There was no pot to roast the meat, but it was a struggle to boil water
Fortunately, the basins we brought are all enameled pots, no problem to boil water on the shelf
The problem of eating and drinking water was barely solved
Although we did a lot of work today, we would have labored during the week, and we had four classes in between to rest, so we were not as tired as yesterday
Eating dinner was a lot more active than yesterday
Seeing that they weren’t particularly tired, Lu Yuanzheng simply gathered all the students
Several hundred people sat on the ground, roasted meat, sang songs and played games
In the midst of laughter, they all forgot about the hard work of training
Lu Yuanzheng also went up to sing two military songs under the coaxing of the crowd
He sang the words, voice thick and powerful, very infectious, listening to the male students have applauded, hate to immediately abandon the pen to the military
Some of the classmates also coaxed Xu Man to sing, but they were all rejected by Xu Man
She was afraid of opening her mouth to the Internet God song
By the end of the day, everyone had begun to spontaneously go up and perform their talents, including singers, dancers, and martial arts performers
Xu Man watched with great interest, when suddenly her shoulder was tapped
Xu Man turned around, but it was Wen Yiming
She was surprised: “How did you find me?” There were hundreds of people in the dark!
Wen Yiming pointed outside the crowd, “May I have a word?”
Xu Man hesitated, but still nodded, got up and followed Wen Yiming to the open space a little farther away from everyone
Wen Yiming spoke first, “Are you alright?”
“Hm?” Xu Wen was puzzled, “You’re not the one who came looking for me?” What’s wrong with me?
“I mean are you physically alright? I heard that you fainted yesterday”
“Thanks for the concern, I’m fine” Xu Wen was a bit puzzled, she fainted in plain sight, the whole school knew about it, so why did Wen Yiming only know about it a day later?
“Sorry, I’m late” Xu Yiming seemed a little guilty
This was a bit hard for Xu Wen to answer, too much intimacy, yet she didn’t bluntly express something
She simply changed the topic, “I don’t think I’ve seen you in the past two days?”
Although the whole school hundreds of students, but every day together labor training, know have seen, do not know also mixed a familiar face
But she had not seen Wen Yiming once
Wen Yiming hesitated and nodded, “I took a long sick leave I don’t want to participate in this time-wasting activity”
Xu Wen subconsciously looked to the left and right, Wen Yiming looked like the kind of child from someone else’s family, with a gentlemanly appearance and gentle mannerisms, how could he still open his mouth in such a treacherous manner?
This kind of speech in a few decades later no problem, put now will be educated
“Labor is the most glorious” is the slogan that everyone hangs on the lips, to his mouth has become a waste of time, was heard that he did not want to work to call in sick, at the very least, it must be a warning or withdrawal from school
“You how you ” Xu asked for a moment unexpectedly did not know how to spit
Wen Yiming looked like he didn’t realize what he had said was wrong, pulling a wad of money out of his pocket and handing it to Xu Man, “Take it”
Xu Man lowered his head to the moonlight and took a closer look, they were all ten-dollar dahui, didn’t take it, and asked him, “What’s the meaning of this?”
“The body is the capital of the revolution I heard that you were starving yesterday, these money you take to eat” Wen Yiming’s tone was particularly natural, as if what was given to Xu Man was a pen
Xu Man was stunned and shook his head, “Thank you for your kindness, but I can’t accept it”
“Why?” Wen Yiming frowned in puzzlement
Xu Man lost his smile, “I should be the one to ask you why, right? Why did you suddenly give me so much money?”
“Just don’t want you to go hungry again”
“Thank you for your good intentions, but I can’t take this money, I can’t accept it without merit”
“You lent me notes to see that you also helped me, when I return your favor?”
Xu Man still shook his head, “I can still return the notes after reading them The money is gone when it’s spent, I don’t have the money to pay you back”
“No need for you to return it, count it as my gift to you”
Xu Man saw that Wen Yiming really liked this unclear ambiguity, and simply made it clear: “Wen Yiming, what is our relationship now? I don’t think I have a reason to want your money I thought the night of the blind date we default no longer contact As a matter of fact after that day you did not let the matchmaker pass the word again It s fine to be a classmate, but now that you are like this I will be troubled”
Wen Yiming was silent for a while and spoke, “I admit that I like you, but I also think that we are still students Anyway, if determining a relationship now is the only way to make you feel at ease, then we are objects, so can you take the money?”
Xu asked, “???”
I’m not forcing you to be my boyfriend
Xu Man took a deep breath and could only put it a little more bluntly, “I’m sorry, I don’t want to be an object with you, and I don’t want your money either Since you’re on sick leave, don’t keep running here, it’s not good for you to be seen I’ll go back first, you should be safe on the road”
After saying this, he did not give Wen Yiming any room to refuse and turned around to leave
Wen Yiming pulled Xu Man’s arm, “No, you ”
“Let go of her!” Lu Yuanzheng stopped in a low voice, quickly running closer from a distance, slapping Wen Yiming’s hand away and shielding Xu Man behind him
Lu Yuanzheng’s movements were too fast, the first word was still a few meters away, the second word was finished and the person had already arrived in front of him, and the movements were all in one go, before Xu Man and Wen Yiming could react, they were separated
At the same time, Lu Yuanzheng also saw Wen Yiming’s face clearly
Lu Yuanzheng: “”
Lowering his eyes, he questioned Xu Man
Xu Wen: “”
Inexplicably, there was a kind of weakness of being caught cheating
Wen Yiming frowned, “Why are you here?”
“It’s my turn to ask you, right?” Lu Yuanzheng raised an eyebrow, “You don’t seem to be on the list of teachers and students participating in the training at First Middle School”
Xu Wen first explained to Lu Yuanzheng, “Student Wen called in sick” He also said to Wen Yiming, “Instructor Lu is now responsible for taking us to learn the army”
Wen Yiming hadn’t finished taking a breath when he heard Xu Man softly add, “It’s also my date”
Wen Yiming almost lost his breath, “You ” pointed at Lu Yuanzheng and then at Xu Man, “He doesn’t deserve you Xu Man, you’ll regret getting married so early!”
“That’s my business” Xu Man didn’t like Wen Yiming’s aggressive “I’m doing this for your own good” style, “Anyway, thank you for making this trip! Please don’t come back to me in the future”
Wen Yiming still wanted to say something, and smiled at Lu Yuanzheng, only to give up, leaving a sentence, “Xu Man, believe me, do not get married so quickly, you will really regret it!” Turn around and leave
Wen Yiming only after, Xu Wen has not waited to breathe a sigh of relief, see Lu Yuanzheng single pinch waist, in the top of her head knocked a chestnut
Xu Wen let out an ouch, covered her head, glaring at him, beating Dongsheng beat habit? Why do you like hitting people so much
“Xu Man”
“In”
“It was you yourself who promised to marry me last night, wasn’t it?”
“As if?” Xu Man lowered his head, and there were a few moments of shame
“Only one day and you’re backing out?”
“?” Xu Man looked up at him full of doubt: “No!”
“No, just what’s wrong with that kid?”
Xu Man: “”
It’s a long story, and the key doesn’t know how to say it
Xu Wen blinked, “If I say it’s a misunderstanding, do you believe me?”
Lu Yuanzheng looked at her without saying anything
Xu Man didn’t hide either, her gaze frankly locked with his
Lu Yuanzheng averted his gaze first, not knowing whether he believed it or not, and only said in a faint voice, “Go back!”
Xu Man didn’t know how to explain, inexplicably a little aggravated: “I’m not the one who’s in the morning and evening”
Lu Yuanzheng hmmmed, “I know”
The two of them walked back side by side, Xu Man took out the meal ticket given by Dongsheng and returned it to him, “Dongsheng is so small, you gave him so many meal tickets, what if he drops them?”
Lu Yuanzheng didn’t take it, “It’s not for him, it’s for you”
Xu Man shook his head, “Then I can’t take it either”
Even if they were a couple, it didn’t make sense that they had to ask for the man’s money
What kind of day was it today? One giving her a meal ticket and one giving her money
“I thought I was qualified to spend money on you now” Lu Yuanzheng raised his eyebrows
Xu Wen opened her mouth, not waiting to speak was stopped by Lu Yuanzheng waving his hand, “Xu Wen, I’m a rather rude person and I speak straight I feel that from the moment you agreed we are already husband and wife, raising you is an obligation a husband should fulfill Besides, I’m leaving tomorrow, and I should be too busy to take care of you If you faint from hunger again, I might not be able to make it in time”
Xu Wen instantly couldn’t care less about returning his meal ticket, and gave an ah of surprise, “You’re leaving tomorrow? Without us?”
“Originally, you guys weren’t supposed to bring me either, I was just entrusted to come along for the ride Now that I have business to do, I don’t have time to make a scene” Lu Yuanzheng gave her a look of deep meaning, “I have to go back and prepare properly, hire a matchmaker to propose marriage and also prepare for the marriage”
“So urgent?!”
“I told you, I still have a month left in my vacation, no, not even a month now I have to find someone to beat up the furniture, notify my friends and family, and prepare the banquet Time is tight Besides, your family hasn’t even nodded yet Mustn’t I go back and properly prepare the bride price for them to nod their heads as soon as possible?”
Xu asked, “”
She shook her head, “My family doesn’t value the bride price”
Lu Yuanzheng nodded and feigned relief, “Then I’m much more relieved! Looking at character then I’m not afraid”
Xu Wen snorted out a laugh
Lu Yuanzheng pulled out a brand new ladies’ watch from his pocket and handed it to Xu Man, “Try it, does it fit?”
It was a very pretty ladies’ watch, a popular style nowadays Considered a rarity, you need industrial coupons to buy a watch, and tickets are harder to get than money
“Why did you send me this?” Xu asked, raising an eyebrow
“I inquired with my comrades last night, and they said that now the bride price has to turn a ring and forty-eight legs Only the watch you can wear now, so today I went to the city and bought a piece back I’ll have all the other big things ready before the wedding”
The spinning refers to the bicycle, the sewing machine, and the watch, and the one ring means the radio
Forty-eight legs meant the double bed, large closet, five-drawer cupboard, low cupboard, square table, chairs, and other furniture adding up to a total of forty-eight legs
Xu Man took the watch and put it on his hand, the more he looked at it, the more he liked it
These days, having a watch is also extremely luxurious
She took it off after admiring it and handed it to Lu Yuanzheng
Lu Yuanzheng didn’t take it, his eyes inquired
“It’s not appropriate to wear this for labor recently In addition, see you also do not look like so formal people, bride price is almost on the line, do not need to be so broke!”
“Since it’s a bride price you’d better keep it for yourself, you can’t wear it for work you can put it in your pocket” Lu Yuanzheng didn’t take the watch and teased her, “You know how to save money for me before you get married? Don’t worry, although there is not much money, but also not to the point of aggrieved daughter-in-law”
Xu asked, “”
“Then you send it! It’s only good if you dump your family’s money”
She brought the watch back into her hand Striding forward
This person, so ungrateful
Lu Yuanzheng didn’t chase after her, stared at her back and laughed out softly
It’s true that he doesn’t have much money, but he’s not so poor that he can’t afford to marry a daughter-in-law
Before Dongsheng, he was quite a rich boy, subsidizing other soldiers with difficult families with all kinds of allowances and tickets
After adopting Dongsheng, in addition to supporting him, money are saved Even if you are forced to give Dongsheng to someone else’s family to raise one day, you still have to save up enough money for Dongsheng’s living expenses
Now take out to marry Xu Man just right
As for Dongsheng, handed over to Xu asked him to rest assured that the future allowance can support the two of them, and then there is a pension
Xu asked to return to Dongsheng side to sit down, still heartbeat like thunder
She patted her hot cheeks and hooked her lips
Dongsheng climbed onto Xu Man’s lap and asked her, “Ma Ma, where did you go?”
“Went to the restroom” Xu Wen lied without changing her face Picking Dongsheng up to let him sit more comfortably
Dongsheng didn’t think much of it, and gave an oh-so-quiet sound, handing Xu Man the water bottle hanging around his neck, “Ma Ma, drink”
Xu Man wasn’t very thirsty, but with Dongsheng’s good intentions, she still took it and unscrewed the lid of the jug to sip a little
“Huh?” Xu Man’s eyes showed surprise, and she lowered her head to take another sip, smacking her lips
It was indeed the flavor of orange soda
This kind of soda was actually particularly cheap, it was orange powder mixed with water
There are bottled and bulk
Bulk Xu asked Xu cut to buy a few times, five cents an enamel cylinder
Glass bottled to be a little more expensive, the flavor is also much better, 10 cents a bottle
Dongsheng this pot, the taste does not taste like bulk, this has to be a few bottles can fill a pot?
It’s too much of a loser!
“Where did it come from?”
“Dad gave it to me, saying that it’s hard for you to take care of me, so I’ll give it to you to drink”
Xu Man shook his head, “Keep it for yourself!”
Dongsheng patted the small water bottle on his waist tab, “I have one too Dad specially bought it back for both of us from the city, one for each of us”
Xu Wen was stunned and turned her head, Lu Yuanzheng was standing outside the crowd talking to Gao Jiankai
She didn’t know if she had noticed her line of sight, but she suddenly looked over as well
The two of them locked eyes
Lu Yuanzheng blinked at her
Xu Wen first retracted her gaze, was this man coaxing her as a child as well?
Although but
heart is also as sweet as soaking in orange water
On Friday morning, Lu Yuanzheng led the morning exercise before leaving
Although female students like Liu Rulan genuinely disliked Lu Yuanzheng, most of the students, especially the male students, especially admired Lu Yuanzheng
These days they could see that Lu Yuanzheng was really capable
Last night, Lu Yuanzheng talked about some of the things he experienced on the battlefield, and he even gained the admiration of a bunch of male students
Even Shao Yue, who saw Lu Yuanzheng like a mouse sees a cat, couldn’t let go of Lu Yuanzheng
Xu Wen couldn’t help but be a little curious: “Don’t you read about the big devil every day and hurry up and leave? Why do you still have red eyes when Instructor Lu really left?”
“I’m afraid Instructor Lu is really too powerful! He can do anything!”
Xu asked: “”
There was also Dongsheng who was reluctant to part
Dongsheng didn’t want to part with Xu Man at all, crying and refusing to leave
Lu Yuanzheng whispered in his ear, and Dongsheng huffed and asked, “Really?”
“I’ve lied to you?”
Dongsheng thought for a moment, and indeed did not, breaking into tears, “Alright then!”
But when he really separated from Xu Man, he couldn’t help but cry again, following one step back behind Lu Yuanzheng
The classmates consciously followed Lu Yuanzheng and sent it out a long way, shouting for Lu Yuanzheng to return it
Lu Yuanzheng raised his hand and waved it, only leaving everyone with a dashing back
“Preferring color over friends!” Gao Jiankai said indignantly, but with a smile on his face
It was such a great thing for a comrade to go home to propose marriage, of course he had to let it go
Lu Yuanzheng left, and Gao Jiankai took his place
In fact, as Lu Yuanzheng said, Gao Jiankai was originally responsible for this job
There is still more than one day left before the vacation, and it is not worthwhile to deploy a new comrade to lead the team, so he took the top himself
Gao Jiankai’s character is more outgoing than Lu Yuanzheng’s, and the students are not so afraid of him
But fear is not important, there is still a whole day left on Friday, the process is similar to yesterday
Morning exercises in the morning, morning and afternoon are cool work, hot class
One of the days it rained a little, so we learned to organize our housekeeping as a class
And so to Saturday
Saturday morning was again an assembly before dawn
This time it was to go back to school
Saturday was usually only a half day of school, and they could go home in the morning after school
They had worked hard all week and finished a little early
The students were in a hurry to get home so they could earn their afternoon labor credits
Xu Man was also anxious to go home
Lu Yuanzheng had said he would ask a matchmaker to come to her house on Saturday to propose marriage
I don’t know if he’ll be at her house by now
Zhu Meizhen knew that Xu Man had always been frugal, and in order to save money on Saturday mornings, he had even stopped buying food from the cafeteria since Friday night
That was why the Xu family’s Saturday lunches were always slightly more substantial than on weekdays
“Grandma, dad, mom, second brother, sister-in-law, Xiao Che, I’m back!” Xu Wen habitually started shouting as soon as he reached the door
Usually at this time, Xu Che would have run out to welcome her with gusto
Xu Man didn’t know if he missed her, but he would definitely miss the hard candies she brought
Every time she would take out two cents to buy a few pieces of candy for Xu Che and bring them back
This time, there was no sign of Xu Che
Bewildered, Xu Man lifted the curtain and was stunned
The food on the table was a bit more plentiful than before, but there were also more people than usual
Grandma, Xu Qiushi, Zhu Meizhen, Xu Wen, Sang Xiaoqing, and Xu Che were all seated around the table, and even Xu Wang and his brother-in-law, Xie Dechun, were there
Each one was dressed up and sitting upright, obviously waiting for someone
But Zhu Meizhen even asked Xu Man when she saw him, “Ask, why did you come back?”
Xu Man: “？？？？”
“It’s Saturday!” She blinked, a little puzzled, “You guys weren’t waiting for me?”
Obviously not indeed, waiting for her wasn’t as bad as the whole family changing into pressed clothes
It was even more unlikely that they would make a table of dishes and a cage of white-flour steamed buns
What kind of person is this emptying out of the family’s foundation gesture to entertain?
Could it be Lu Yuanzheng?
Zhu Meizhen slapped her head: “I was in a hurry and forgot about this You quickly go wash your hands to eat”
Xu asked, “”
Aggrieved, she bristled, “Mom, I’ve only been in school for a week, and you’ve all forgotten about me? Am I still your ask baby?”
Xu Che doggedly took over Xu Man’s baggage, “Sister, I’ll help you”
That being said, Xu Che’s gaze never left the baggage
“The candy isn’t in the bag” Xu Wen saw right through this cheap younger brother’s little thoughts, and fished out a few pieces of candy from his pocket, giving Xu Che a piece, giving his little nephew a piece, and putting the remaining two pieces back into his pocket
Xu Che protested: “Sis, usually two pieces of candy”
“Usually you even go out to welcome me!”
Xu Che was at a disadvantage, carrying Xu Man’s baggage towards the inner room, mumbling, “You don’t eat candy”
Xu Man didn’t eat candy, but Dongsheng liked it
She bought four pieces of candy, thinking that Xu Che and Dongsheng would have two pieces each, but she didn’t realize that her sister had brought her little nephew with her, so naturally, Xu Che would have to be the one to suffer
Xu Wen washed her hands, a table full of people hard to give her another bench space
Sweeping her eyes over the relatives, Xu Wen sat down and asked strangely, “What day is it today? So grand?”
Even if Lu Yuanzheng had come to his door to say goodbye, it would be impossible to directly set out the specifications of a son-in-law’s banquet, not to mention, it was a toss-up whether or not the family could agree, so how could they possibly set out such a sumptuous banquet to entertain him
Xu Wen rolled his eyes in dismay, “It’s not all because of you”
“Huh?” Xu Wen blinked innocently, “What’s it got to do with me?”
I just got out of school, okay?
Xu Wang pulled Xu Man’s arm, smilingly saying, “We’re all big girls who can ask for a husband’s family, so it’s really fast!”
Sang Xiaoqing nodded, “Big sister is right Let’s ask pretty and study well, find a husband’s family conditions are also good”
Grandma narrowed her eyes and smiled, “I told you that children and grandchildren are blessed by their children and grandchildren The first time I saw that kid, I thought he was a good match for Xu”
Xu asked: “Is it really to entertain Lu Yuanzheng?
Was it really to entertain Lu Yuanzheng?
After just one day of not seeing him, what did Lu Yuanzheng use to get the whole family to praise their marriage so highly?
Xu Qiushi nodded and said to Zhu Meizhen, “Mother of the child, go and see if anyone has arrived”
Zhu Meizhen, who had been looking out with her neck stretched out, stood up in response, “What a rush! We said we would come before lunch, but why hasn’t anyone arrived yet?”
As soon as the words fell, a sharp female voice rang out from outside the house, “Ask father, ask mother, are you at home?”
“Coming!” Zhu Meizhen eyes lit up, quickly walked to the door to lift the anti-mosquito fly curtains, saw froze: “Director Li, how did you come?”
Director Li is the women’s director of the Taoyuan Production Brigade, forty years old
“I ah today as a magpie is here to give you the good news!” Director Li pointed to a woman beside her, “This is Director Wu of the Women’s Federation of our commune”
“Good day, Director Wu” Zhu Meizhen wiped her hands on her body before shaking hands with Director Wu, “Come in first, it’s hot outside”
Xu Wen didn’t hold back a smile when he saw Lu Yuanzheng, who was carrying gifts in his two hands
So the Xu family was really waiting for him? He really has a way of making the Xu family treat him so well in a day
The Xu family was originally a small house with many people There were barely ten people, young and old, who could sit down When Lu Yuanzheng came in, it was even more crowded, especially because Lu Yuanzheng was tall, and the whole room seemed a bit cramped
The Xu family all stood up, Xu Che Xu asked Xu Wang to give out his stool to Director Li
Director Li gestured to Director Wu to sit, Director Wu shook his head: “Really sorry, rushed to rush a meal to bother I’ll be brief and try to take up as little of your time as possible I’m here to be a matchmaker”
Director Wu pointed to Lu Yuanzheng, “This comrade is called Lu Yuanzheng, from the Lu family brigade next door, and he is a particularly outstanding comrade”
The Xu family collectively silenced their voices, you looked at me and I looked at you, dumbfounded
Director Wu saw this and wondered, “What? Asked to find an in-law?”
Zhu Meizhen opened her mouth before she could make a sound, and then she heard Liu Xiu’e’s loud voice: “Ask Mother, we’re here”
Liu Xiu’e didn’t wait to be invited, she lifted the curtain and came in herself, and froze when she saw Director Li, “Yell, Director Li is also here?” Sweeping her eyes over the crowd, “So many people? Isn’t it too grand?”
Behind her followed into the individual
Wen Yiming and a pair of middle-aged men and women