Chapter 23

“Secretary Liu, I was originally planning to return to the army in three days. Our wedding will probably be held in the army later. I was thinking of inviting everyone in the brigade to have a meal tomorrow.”

“Now the plan has changed, I have to leave in a hurry, so I can only postpone it. But I’m leaving 200 yuan with you, it’s for buying meat. I’ll hold a banquet when I come back.”

Sheng Tunan took out 200 yuan and 300 kilograms of meat coupons. Secretary Liu refused to take them, “I trust your character, you don’t need to pay in advance.”

“No, you have to take it. I want you to announce it on the loudspeaker, it’s good for everyone to have something to look forward to.” Sheng Tunan insisted.

Secretary Liu was a little puzzled. Sheng Tunan wasn’t a high-profile person. He hadn’t held any banquets after several major merits. After becoming a battalion commander, he only donated money to renovate Chang Hong Elementary School, and he didn’t hold any banquets.

It was natural to hold a banquet for a wedding, but asking for a public announcement was really not like Sheng Tunan’s character.

Secretary Liu didn’t understand, but Zhan Xinyue did. She looked at Sheng Tunan with a grateful expression.

Her eyes were exceptionally beautiful, big and bright, now they were filled with mist, making them even more lively, as if they could speak.

Secretary Liu, worthy of being a secretary, saw this scene and suddenly understood. He smiled, “I understand. You want everyone to be indebted to you, remember your kindness. You’ll be away from the brigade for a month, everyone will help take care of Comrade Zhan.”

After all, they didn’t know that Zhan Xinyue had kung fu. They thought she was an orphan who had just learned about her origins and was helpless.

“Don’t worry, everyone in our brigade is good, except for a few who have poor ideological consciousness. Some women are a little gossipy, but they are not bad at heart. I’ll go announce it on the loudspeaker. It’s rare for everyone to eat meat, they’ll have more energy to work when they hear it.”

Secretary Liu took the money and coupons from Sheng Tunan with a smile. He calculated a little, pork was 68 cents a kilogram, 200 yuan could buy almost 300 kilograms of pork. There were only a little over 200 members in Chang Hong Production Brigade, so each person would get more than a kilogram of meat. It was even better than the New Year.

“Comrades of Chang Hong Brigade, there’s good news for everyone.”

Secretary Liu was worried that everyone wouldn’t hear him, so he said it three times in a row. When everyone heard that there was good news, they stopped their work and listened attentively.

“Commander Sheng and Comrade Zhan are going to get married. I’d like to represent all the members of Chang Hong Brigade in wishing the two of you a happy marriage. May you share your joys and sorrows, and create a happy future with your hard-working hands.”

“Commander Sheng has something to do in the army, he’s going back to the army today, and he’ll be back in a month. He’s invited everyone to a banquet. He’s already entrusted me to buy meat, he gave me 200 yuan and 300 kilograms of meat coupons. Everyone can eat to their heart’s content then.”

As soon as the announcement was finished, the villagers working in the fields were all excited. The children were even jumping three feet high, clapping their hands and laughing, “We’re going to eat meat, we’re going to eat meat, Uncle Sheng bought us meat.”

The adults were more reserved, but they also smiled. In this era, pork was not only expensive, but you also needed meat coupons. In the countryside, besides the New Year when they slaughtered the pigs raised by the brigade and distributed some meat, who would be willing to buy it?

It was already May, and the New Year’s meat had long been eaten. Everyone hadn’t eaten meat for months. Now they had free meat to eat, and they could eat as much as they wanted, who wouldn’t be happy?

“Commander Sheng is such a good person! Zhan Xinyue is so lucky, she’s jumped out of the fire pit of the Zhan family, her life will be good from now on.”

“Wishing them a happy marriage and a lifetime of happiness together.”

“Yes, Commander Sheng is generous. Generous people will be rewarded with great fortune.”

The villagers already had a good impression of Sheng Tunan and Zhan Xinyue, and now they were sincerely blessing them.

Zhan Hongyan, who had been driven out to work by Zhan Ai Guo, was so jealous that she almost vomited blood.

In her previous life, when she married Sheng Tunan, she didn’t even give everyone a single piece of wedding candy, let alone 200 kilograms of pork. Moreover, Sheng Tunan returned to the army after getting his marriage certificate, and everyone didn’t dare to gossip about the military officer. Every time they saw Zhan Hongyan, they would say something sarcastic.

They would say, “Even if an old bachelor gets married, he’ll give the brigade members an egg. You married a high-ranking official, why didn’t you give anything? Maybe Commander Sheng doesn’t like you?”

The more Zhan Hongyan thought about it, the angrier she got. She just wanted to outshine Zhan Xinyue. Seeing Li Jian standing under a tree, taking a break from the heat, she pulled a smile that she thought was charming and walked towards him, suggesting, “Brother Li, why don’t we also invite everyone to a banquet?”

Li Jian looked at Zhan Hongyan as if she were a fool, “What kind of conditions does Commander Sheng have, and what kind of conditions do I have? I heard that he gets dozens of yuan a month just in salary, and he has all kinds of coupons. He also gets subsidies and bonuses for achievements during festivals. I’m just a rural man who faces the loess and turns his back on the sky. I have two children and a sister to support. Where would I get the money?”

After Li Jian went home, he had a strong feeling of unease, feeling that not marrying Zhan Xinyue would be the biggest loss of his life.

Li Jian, who was already dissatisfied with Zhan Hongyan, continued, “You were originally going to marry Commander Sheng. Now, it’s not too late to change your mind before you get your marriage certificate. Why don’t you marry the high-ranking official, and I’ll marry Xinyue.”