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Wang Qian couldn’t see Ma Fenqing’s expression from her hiding spot, but she didn’t hear her speak. However, she felt extreme disdain for Wang Zhenguo. He was already thinking about profiting before even securing a job. She wondered if his greedy belly could handle it, and if it would burst from the two ounces of oil.
After watching the two walk away, she slowly emerged and observed them heading towards the supply and marketing cooperative.
As she watched Wang Zhenguo walk with his head held high, Wang Qian couldn’t help but wonder if Ma Bentang would be burdened by such a son-in-law if he were to secure a lucrative job in the future.
In the afternoon, the two elderly men who had gone to the competition returned amidst the cheers of a group of young people, carrying red flowers. Yu Yonglian, who had gone with the team, wore a happy smile that had never been seen before. Finally, he had a reason to be proud after being suppressed by the commune for so many years. The Hongqi Commune had achieved first place in the county-wide competition, and the director of the Revolutionary Committee had promised rewards for the militia members if they achieved a good result.
Each member of the winning team received a blanket, and Wu Changyong conveniently held the two blankets under his arm.
In the morning, the director of the Revolutionary Committee had received a call from Yu Yonglian with the good news. By the time they returned, Yu Wanying had already prepared the rewards: a thermos for each person and a set of red silk blankets. The main contributors, Wu Changyong and Zuo Zhanshan, were each rewarded with ten yuan, in addition to their regular wages.
Chapter 180: 181. Triumph
Winning first place in the competition was a great honor. The director of the Revolutionary Committee probably expected to be nominated for commendation at the next meeting. This was a significant achievement, and officials understood what it represented.
As Yu Wanying saw the two men off, he held their hands and expressed his gratitude. “Lao Wu, Lao Zuo, thanks to both of you. If it weren’t for you, my future work would have been much more difficult. If there’s another major competition in the future, I hope you two will lend a hand.”
Wu Changyong waved his hand confidently. “Lao Yu, no need to be so polite. If there’s anything in the future, just let us know. Who knows, we might even take first place in the city. But shooting a gun feels really great. If there’s another opportunity like this, give us a heads-up. We, the old brothers, need to have some fun too.”
The two elderly men, carrying their prizes, headed home with joy that far surpassed what they had experienced in the army. They seemed to have regained their confidence in adversity and were eager to share their happiness with their families.
Meanwhile, Wang Qian walked back at a leisurely pace. From a distance, she saw two people carrying many items and wondered which family was celebrating and had bought so many things.
As the two men walked in, she realized they were the two elderly men, their faces beaming with joy. She hurried over and looked at them curiously. “Grandpa Zuo, Grandpa Wu, where did you get all these things? Even if you won a prize, it wouldn’t be this much, would it?”
Wu Changyong had a big smile on his face, and Wang Qian couldn’t help but feel that the two men seemed to have regained their youth. “Grandpa Wu, don’t tell me you won first place. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have so many things.”
Wang Qian could tell that the two elderly men had a big surprise in store. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be so cheerful, as they were usually not the type to smile so much.
Wu Changyong, holding the thermos, looked pleased and said, “Girl, don’t underestimate us. When the two of us old soldiers compete, no one else can take first place. It would be a disservice to all those years we spent in the army. Look, these are all prizes, some from the county and some from the commune. How about that? Your grandpa is amazing, right?”
Seeing the elderly Wu looking like a mischievous child, Wang Qian felt genuinely happy for them. “Grandpa Wu, Grandpa Zuo, congratulations! Getting first place is definitely worth celebrating. Come on, let me help you carry the blankets. Let’s go home and celebrate, and make Grandma Zuo happy too.”
Wang Qian took the bright red blankets and felt the smooth fabric, which seemed to contain some cotton. She placed the blankets in the basket she had brought and the three of them headed home, carrying a pile of gifts.
Meanwhile, Hao Lianchun was feeding the chickens in the yard. When he saw them returning with their arms full, he quickly stepped forward to help and took one of the blankets. Smiling, he asked, “Lao Wu, did you get first place?”
In front of his old comrade, Wu Changyong became even more boastful. “Of course! Just look at me and Lao Zuo. We’ve been through a lot. Dealing with those young rookies was a piece of cake. By the way, take these blankets and quilts to my nephew’s room. We don’t need them. We can use them when Wang Zhenhe’s family needs them.”
Hao Lianchun had the same idea. They had enough bedding for everyone, but Wang Zhenhe’s family still needed a few more quilts. “Alright, you can take the thermos to the bedroom to use. Lan’er’s room has one already. You old men like to drink hot water, and these two should be enough for you for a day.”
The old lady entered the house and put away the items in the cupboard. She noticed that Wang Qian was still holding some toilet paper and felt a warm glow in her heart. This child was considerate, thinking of her mother. “Qianqian, did you go to sell scrap again today?”
Wang Qian nodded with a smile. “Grandma Zuo, let’s make something delicious tonight to celebrate the two grandpas’ achievement. They got first place today, which is quite remarkable. I’m going to go fishing and give them a material reward.”
With her fishing rod in hand, she went outside. At the reservoir, she first collected some water to water the plants in the space, then put the fish that had swum in into a water tank. After pretending to fish for a while, she took a fish out from the space and leisurely walked back. When she reached the crossroads, she saw Zhang Lan and Wang Zhenhe returning from work, carrying their tools.
“Mom, walk slower. Wait for me.”
Wang Zhenhe turned around and saw his daughter running towards them with a fish and a fishing rod. He quickly handed the tools to his wife and took the items from his daughter’s hands.
“Qianqian, why did you go fishing today?”
Wang Zhenhe took the fish, which weighed about two pounds, and asked casually.
Wang Qian, with a smile on her face, replied, “Dad, Grandpa Zuo and Grandpa Wu won first place in the competition. I went fishing to celebrate for them. They won quite a few prizes. You’ll see when you get home.”
Wang Zhenhe’s large hand held his daughter’s small hand as they slowly made their way back home. His steps were naturally larger, but to accommodate his daughter’s smaller ones, he had to walk slowly.
Back at home, Hao Lianchun took out the prizes that the elderly men had won and showed them to his wife. “Lan’er, your uncles said to keep these for your family. They took the two thermoses next door for drinking water tonight. This is their wages for the past few months. They said you should use it to buy some food for the family or add something to the house. After all, they are part of this family and will benefit from it sooner or later.”
Zhang Lan looked at the stack of money in the old lady’s hand and felt she couldn’t accept it. This was hard-earned money from the two elderly men. How could she take their hard-earned money? It felt like exploitation.
“Sister-in-law, we really can’t accept this money. Listen to me. Since the old men don’t have any pocket money, consider this as their allowance. They can use it to buy cigarettes and alcohol, and we won’t have to worry about it. Besides, if they buy it, no one will feel uncomfortable using it. But if I buy it, everyone will feel awkward.”
Hao Lianchun understood her point, but he had also been entrusted by his old partner and Lao Wu to do this. So, he took the money next door to discuss how to handle the situation with Lao Wu and his own old partner.
After understanding Zhang Lan’s thoughts, Lao Wu pondered for a moment. “Niece-in-law, I think you should keep half of it, and we’ll take the other half to buy some cigarettes and alcohol. If we keep the money, we won’t be able to save it. When we’ve used up our share, can you buy it for us?”
Hao Lianchun thought this was a good idea. “Lan’er, you should accept it. Your uncles also feel uncomfortable about it. You can buy it for them later.”
Since the elderly insisted, Zhang Lan had to accept the other half of the money, but she made it clear that they could ask her for it when they needed it.
Seeing the prizes brought back by the elderly men, Zhang Lan really liked them. She had never had such good bedding before. She couldn’t afford such a nice blanket in the past, even if her daughter had earned some money. She was reluctant to spend it on such expensive items.
“Sister-in-law, I won’t be polite about these prizes. I’ll keep them for the children’s weddings in the future.”
Wang Qian couldn’t help but smile wryly. The future items would be much better than these, and by the time they were used, these items would be almost antiques.
“Mom, please don’t keep them for us. You and Dad should use what you need. Please don’t keep them for the future. Let’s enjoy them now. I’ll decide when to use this blanket. As for the blankets for my siblings’ future weddings, don’t worry about it. When I earn money, I’ll buy them something better.”
Wang Qian touched the blanket. It felt a bit like felt, quite thick and solid. It looked nice now, but in the future, it might be hard to find someone who would want it.
Seeing her daughter’s earnestness, Zhang Lan could only shake her head helplessly. “Alright, I’ll listen to you. I’ll use this blanket for you in the summer. I won’t keep it.”