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◎ 1st update + 2nd update + 3rd update ◎
After last night’s incident where a child nearly drowned in the river. Today, every household in the courtyard gave their children some additional instructions before they went out. As for Wei Guobiao, his family kept him at home to rest for two days.
Biaozi’s mother, Dong Xiufen, went to her son’s school to ask for leave. Although the child had no serious health problems, he was still very scared. After falling asleep last night, he dreamed that he was drowning in the river and struggling with his hands and feet. When he was awakened by Dong Xiufen, his forehead was covered with sweat.
“Xiufen, take Biaozi to get some medicine to calm the child down.” After breakfast, Old Wei asked his eldest daughter-in-law to look after the child while he prepared to go out.
“Yes, Father. I’ll wash the dishes and go.”
“Why are you washing the dishes? Let your second sister-in-law do it. You just focus on looking after Biaozi,” he said, turning to Li Yujiao, who was still drinking corn porridge. “Second daughter-in-law, when you finish eating, wash the dishes. Your eldest sister-in-law has to go out.”
“Okay, sister-in-law, you should take Biaozi to see the doctor as soon as possible.”
“Old Wei, what do you think we should give to Old Xu’s family?” Aunt Li was still in shock as she almost lost her grandson. After the family discussed it, they decided that they had to give them some gifts.
Old Wei put his hands behind his back and thought for a moment, “Let’s give them five eggs and use a pound of sugar ticket to buy some sweets. On Sunday, we’ll invite the Xu family over for a meal. They saved Biaozi’s life; the gift must be significant.”
“Okay, I’ll go out right away.” Aunt Li took the keys to open the cabinet in her room, found two half-pound sugar tickets, and grabbed a one-yuan bill. Then she prepared to go to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy sugar.
The eldest son and the second son of the Wei family were both out, leaving only the second son’s wife and the youngest daughter of the Wei family eating at the table.
Li Yujiao finished the last bite of pickles and said with a smile, “The Xu family saved Biaozi; maybe it’s fate. We might as well make them as Biaozi’s godparents.”
Wei Hailin also helped to clear the dishes into the sink. After wiping her mouth, she prepared to leave for school. “Second sister-in-law, that’s a good idea. Let’s talk to my eldest brother when he comes back in the evening. I’m leaving first.”
“Go ahead, go ahead.”
Old Wei walked out with his hands behind his back and headed to the Xu family. Yesterday’s incident was a big deal, and even the director of the neighborhood office came to visit. The two comrades who saved the boy deserved proper recognition.
“Xiao Xu, how are you feeling after going into the river yesterday? I hope you didn’t catch a cold.”
Xu Shengjie had just finished breakfast and was at the entrance when he met Wei Jinrong.
“Uncle Wei, I’m fine. I’m used to training in the river. How’s Biaozi?”
“That kid is tough so there’s no major issue, but he’s really scared. I ask his mother to get some medicine and boil it to calm him down.”
“That’s good. Biaozi is young, so he must be frightened. Not to mention a child, even an adult can’t stand it.”
“All thanks to you and your wife,” Wei Jinrong said, his voice was a bit emotional. The doctor said that if you hadn’t arrived sooner, we might not have been able to save him. The Wei family will always be grateful to you! On Sunday night, don’t worry about dinner; come and eat at our place.”
Xu Shengjie smiled. He didn’t take this as a big favor. “Uncle Wei, you are being polite. Anyone in that situation would have done the same. But we do need to remind Biaozi to be more careful in the future.”
“That’s right, his father wanted to beat him last night, but since he was still frightened, he held back.” Wei Jinrong sighed, grateful for his grandson’s luck. He was fortunate to have encountered the neighbors, especially Xiao Xu’s new wife. She seemed delicate and weak but was strong enough to help expel the water from Biaozi’s lungs. According to other children, she patted Biaozi so hard on the back that he vomited out the water.
“By the way, what brought you to the river yesterday?”
Xu Shengjie blinked, thinking back to Liang Baozhen’s words from last night, and carefully chose his words. “We decided to go for a walk after dinner and happened to pass by. Baozhen had just arrived in the city and wanted to look around. Then we saw Biaozi fall into the river, so we rushed to help.”
“Then Biaozi truly is lucky to have met his two benefactors! It’s settled, Sunday night, you must come! Your Auntie Li has been lining up to buy meat these past few days.”
Xu Shengjie couldn’t refuse and had to agree.
The two parted ways at Crescent Alley, one heading left to the State Cotton Factory, the other right to the neighborhood committee.
***
Two days later.
The State Cotton Factory recently received several large orders from garment factories, requiring high-quality twill and khaki cotton fabrics. Therefore, the workers in the workshop worked overtime without rest.
Xu Shengjie had just adjusted the cotton spinning machine and was about to go to the canteen to eat. With money for food and a meal ticket in his hand, he happened to run into the factory office director, Xue Lijun.
“Director Xue.”
“Xiao Xu.” Xue Lijun had just gone to Director Chen’s office. When he saw Xu Shengjie, he suddenly remembered what he said about the job quota and felt a little embarrassed for a moment.
“Xiao Xu, you… did you encounter any problems after you were discharged from the military this time?”
He couldn’t explain anything directly, so he could only hint a few words. Logically speaking, Xu Shengjie had just returned from military service, so how could he have offended the factory director’s son?
Xu Shengjie was confused by the question, “Director Xue, is there a problem with our family’s job quota?”
“As for this matter, whether there is a problem or not is not up to me to decide.” Xue Lijun was indeed in a dilemma. On one side was the son of an old friend, and on the other was the son of the factory director. Either he couldn’t bear to offend anyone, or he had to risk offending someone himself.
Xu Shengjie was quick-witted and sensed there was more to Xue Lijun’s words. He stepped to the corner to speak privately, “Are you saying someone finds this difficult to handle?”
Xue Lijun patted Xu Shengjie on the shoulder, feeling a little reluctant. “Think about it yourself; have you offended the Chen family? Don’t say it was me who said that. Go now!”
Chen family? Xu Shengjie watched Xue Lijun leave and finally understood what was going on.
Zhou Yun was immediately furious after hearing what her grandson, who had just returned from work, said. “What does that mean? That Chen guy wants to block our family, right?”
She had heard about the shameless things Chen Siming had done, but she didn’t expect that he would not stop until now and was trying to make trouble for her family.
“Grandma, please don’t be angry.” Liang Baozhen didn’t expect Chen Siming to be so troublesome. He really came to stir up some trouble. “Did Director Xue really say that?”
“Almost, it’s said explicitly.” Xu Shengjie understood that Xue Lijun only mentioned it because he had some friendship with his father. Otherwise, if they got blocked, his family might never figure out what was happening.
“Chen Yong wasn’t like this back then. How could he have such a shameless son?” Zhou Yun joined the factory earlier than the current factory director Chen Yong, and they had met before. Now the old lady was scolding him without holding back, “I remember his eldest son was quite smart, and his younger son was fine when he was young. How did he grow up to be like this?”
“Grandma, you still know his eldest son?” When Liang Baozhen heard her grandmother mention the male protagonist of the book, she couldn’t help but want to ask a few questions. It is always right to know more information.
“Yes, I know him. His eldest son almost went to the countryside as an educated youth. Later, he was arranged to work in a factory instead. Within a couple of years, he was recommended by the Workers, Peasants, and Soldiers University and went to study at a university. He came back after finishing his studies and turned out to be a quite promising future.”
“Grandma, you stay in the courtyard every day but you still know a lot of news!” Liang Baozhen moved closer to Zhou Yun, wanting to gather more information. Since the details in the book were not always so complete.
After being praised by her granddaughter-in-law, Zhou Yun felt a surge of pride. At her age, still being seen as impressive made her truly satisfied. “What’s the big deal! Although I am old, I have good ears and eyes. I know a lot about our courtyard and other courtyards too!”
“Normally Xiaojie doesn’t like to hear these things, and Xiaowei and Xiaoya are still young, so I can only talk to other old ladies. If you’re free, I’ll tell you.”
“That’s great!”
Xu Shengjie listened to his grandmother and his wife talking back and forth but couldn’t get a word in. He cleared his throat and interrupted them, “I’ll think of a solution tomorrow.”
Zhou Yun shook her head and had an idea in mind. “Why not ask Deputy Director Wu? His wife is now the director of women’s affairs. She and I had some friendship when we were young. Besides, when Mingyuan and Huacui left, the factory originally wasn’t going to keep any job quota for our family. It was Director Wu who helped us out. He has a good heart, and maybe he can help us now.”
“Okay, take Baozhen and give it a try. I’ll ask Director Xue about the situation.”
Deputy Director of the State Cotton Factory? Liang Baozhen had some impression of this person. Deputy Director Wu Bingnian was a man of integrity and played a significant role in the book. Many years later, he was forced to step down because of a disagreement with Director Chen Yong. Wu Bingnian was a family man and treated his wife well, which was why her grandmother wanted to approach his wife. However, his wife had health issues, particularly with her stomach, and didn’t have a good appetite. Thinking of this, Liang Baozhen came up with an idea.
…
“Baozhen! Baozhen!” Jin Hong, a neighbor who lived in the east wing, suddenly called out from outside, “Someone from your village is here, and he’s at the entrance of the couryard.”
Liang Baozhen snapped out of her thoughts and hurriedly went outside, “I’ll go out for a bit.”
“Baozhen, call him in to have a bowl of water.” Zhou Yun shouted from behind.
At the entrance of the courtyard, the village accountant He Nian was carrying a bag. When he saw Liang Baozhen coming out, he greeted her.
“Comrade Liang Baozhen, your mother asked me to bring you something.”
“Comrade He Nian, thank you!” Liang Baozhen had heard from Song Chunhua during her last visit that the village was going to buy things in the city soon and she would ask someone to bring a letter to her when that time came.
“Come in and have a drink of water. It’s too hot today.”
“No, no, we are in a hurry to go back. If we delay, we’ll miss the last bus.” He Nian handed a letter and a bag to Liang Baozhen, “Please keep this safe and take a look.”
He seldom had the opportunity to go to the city and usually came only to do work for the brigade. He hadn’t seen Liang Baozhen from the village for a month and hadn’t expected that she had changed a lot and was now dressed like a city dweller.
“Thank you. Please wait for a moment. I also have a letter and some things for my parents. Please take them back.”
“Sure, just hand them over.”
Liang Baozhen had prepared everything in advance and even wrote a letter. The things were from Zhou Yun. Her grandmother though that her in-laws often gave her fresh vegetables, so she couldn’t be stingy. This time, she let Baozhen take three feet of cloth back.
Just as Liang Baozhen was about to leave with the letter and cloth, Xu Shengya called out to her.
“Sister-in-law, are you sending things home?”
“Yes, someone from our village is waiting at the gate.”
“Then wait a moment, I have something too!” Xu Shengya ran into the house after she finished speaking and soon came back with a piece of purple candy wrapper in her hand. “This candy wrapper is for your sister.”
Liang Baozhen didn’t expect Xiaoya to send something to Baoling, whom she had never met before. She happily accepted it, “Thank you, Xiaoya. I thank you on behalf of Baoling. She will definitely like it!”
Liang Baozhen ran to the courtyard gate and handed everything over to the accountant. She specifically reminded him, “Comrade He Nian, I’m sorry to bother you. These dates have been washed. You can eat them on the way. By the way, please tell my sister Baoling about the candy wrapper. It was given to her by her brother-in-law’s sister.”
“Okay, I’ll remember that.”
He Nian went back to the village with another male comrade from the team. On the way home, they happened to pass by Liang family’s house and decided to hand the items first.
“Aunt Chunhua, I have brought all the things. Comrade Liang Baozhen also asked me to bring you a letter and a piece of cloth.”
Song Chunhua was sweeping the yard. She put the broom against the wall, took the things, and thanked him repeatedly, “Xiao He, thank you for your help. Wait for me to pick two tomatoes for you.”
“No, no, Comrade Liang Baozhen has given us a few dates, we can’t take them anymore; it’s just a small favor. Oh, there’s a candy wrapper inside, Comrade Baozhen said it was given to Baoling by her brother-in-law’s sister. Now that we’ve brought the letters and the things, we’re leaving first!”
Just as Song Chunhua walked to her private plot to pick tomatoes, He Nian had already left, so she had to give up.
“Mother, did my sister ask someone to bring something back?” Liang Baoling was making a fire in the kitchen. When she heard the noise and came out, she only saw something in Song Chunhua’s hand.
“Yes, the in-laws are really considerate, they even sent us a piece of cloth!” Song Chunhua, who couldn’t read, handed the letter to Liang Baoling for her to read.
“Mother, my sister said everything is fine at my brother-in-law’s house and told us not to worry. She also said that we can go to the city to have a look if we have a chance.” Liang Baoling scanned the letter and quickly summarized it to her mother, “Mother, when are we going to the city? Can we live in the city for a while?”
“Go to the city? Do you think you can just go in and play around in the city?” Song Chunhua was relieved when her daughter said everything was fine, but it was not appropriate for her family to go into the city to take a look. “Your brother-in-law’s family is nice, that’s a good thing, but if we go there with our family, it will cause trouble to them. When we leave, your sister’s in-laws might get dissatisfied with her. Don’t worry, I’ll take you to the market when I have time. We can visit your sister’s in-laws’ house, but we won’t be able to stay long. ”
“Oh.” Liang Baoling’s enthusiasm was completely dampened. She folded the letter and was about to put it back into the envelope when she noticed something bright inside. She turned the envelope upside down, and a candy wrapper fell out.
“Wow, what a beautiful candy wrapper! Did Sister give it to me?” Liang Baoling had never seen such a pretty wax paper before, even the texture felt different from the ones she had saved up. It seemed that it made sense that candies in the city were more expensive.
“Oh, that candy wrapper.” Song Chunhua thought about what Accountant He had just said, “Your sister asked your brother He to tell you that it was given to you by your brother-in-law’s sister. What’s going on? When did you get to know your brother-in-law’s sister?”
Brother-in-law’s sister? Liang Baoling remembered! On the day her sister came back to visit, she mentioned to her that her brother-in-law had a sister who was about her age, a very pretty girl, and she even hoped that she would have a chance to meet her. Unexpectedly, even though they hadn’t met yet, the girl had already sent such a valuable gift.
Liang Baoling carefully held the candy wrapper in her hand, skipped back to her room, and took out her wooden box. She placed the wrapper inside and started picking through her things, wondering what she could send back to her brother-in-law’s sister.
“Liang Baoling! What are you sneaking around for in the room?” Liang Baojun just came back from outside and looked at the letter written by Baozhen with the rest of the family. When he walked into the house, he saw his younger sister rummaging through something.
“Second brother, what are you doing? You scared me!” Liang Baoling turned around and glared at Liang Baojun, then continued to think. She was doomed. She had nothing good that could compare to that beautiful candy wrapper!
“Look at your little face all scrunched up like that.” Liang Baojun crossed his legs, sat on the bed, yawned, and decided to help his little sister with her problem. “Come on, tell me, what’s troubling a little elementary school student like you? Second Brother will help you out.”
“Really?” Liang Baoling usually loved to bicker with her second brother, but she also knew he was quite capable. So, she immediately leaned closer. “My brother-in-law’s sister gave me a really, really beautiful candy wrapper. I want to send her something in return, but I have nothing to give.”
“Tsk, isn’t that simple?” Liang Baojun rolled his eyes and leaned close to speak in his little sister’s ear.
“Will that really work?” ‘
“Don’t worry, city dwellers will definitely like it!”
***
Zhou Yun was preparing to take Liang Baozhen to visit the deputy director of the State Cotton Factory to try her luck with his wife, but it was hard to say whether the friendship they had established many years ago would be of any use. At least she had to show her gratitude before asking for help from someone at their home.
Originally, Zhou Yun had planned to go to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy a pound of peach cakes but was stopped by her granddaughter-in-law. Liang Baozhen remembered that Wu Bingnian was a person who didn’t like to accept gifts, and since his wife had stomach problems, she decided to make something herself to bring over.
She went to the supply and marketing cooperative and bought half a pound of chestnuts and hawthorn berries. She boiled the chestnuts, took out the meat, and mashed it with a rolling pin. Then she mixed in some crushed hawthorn, added a bit of flour, shaped the mixture into flowers, and steamed them for twenty minutes.
Hawthorn chestnut cake, this was a recipe she learned from Xu Shengjie in her dreams. It was something easy on the stomach, and it could also stimulate the appetite.
The freshly steamed hawthorn chestnut cakes were soft and delicate, with a light beige color, decorated with red dots, and exudes a faint fragrance. Xu Shengjie, watching from the side, was a bit surprised— was his wife’s cooking skill really this impressive?
This looks no worse than any pastry shop in the city.
“Try it.” Liang Baozhen picked up half a piece and fed it to Xu Shengjie. She deliberately made more so that everyone in the family could have a piece.
Having not been fed like this since he was five, Xu Shengjie instinctively wanted to step back—after all, he was a grown man now. However, seeing Liang Baozhen’s expectant eyes, he still opened his mouth and took a bite. The hawthorn chestnut cake was soft and glutinous, sweet but not greasy and with a hint of sweet and sour mixed in.
“It tastes good.”
“I knew you wouldn’t give a proper compliment.” Liang Baozhen wasn’t too satisfied with Xu Shengjie’s short reply. She called out to Xiaowei and Xiaoya, who were playing outside, “Xiaowei, Xiaoya, come back and eat something.”
Each of them took a piece, and it was so delicious that they nearly jumped with delight.
“Sister-in-law, this is so delicious! How can it taste this good?”
“Sister-in-law, you’re amazing! This is even better than what they sell outside!”
Liang Baozhen was very satisfied after hearing the two children praising her. She glanced sideways at Xu Shengjie, gave him a look and signaled him to learn from the two younger ones.
Xu Shengjie scratched his head, thinking that these two were too noisy.
“Okay, next time I’ll get more chestnuts and hawthorns for you. It was hard to buy even this much this time.” Liang Baozhen put away the portion for Wu Bingnian’s wife and asked Xiaowei to call their grandmother next door to come and try some.
Zhou Yun, who had lived a long life and tasted a lot of dishes, couldn’t stop praising Liang Baozhen’s cooking. “The most important thing is the thought behind it”
After finishing the housework, that afternoon, Liang Baozhen packed the hawthorn chestnut cake into an olive-green bag and went with her grandmother to the home of Wu Bingnian, the deputy director of the cotton factory.
The Wu family lived in the family quarters for cadres at the First Cotton Factory. The conditions were much better than those in the crowded compound and tube-shaped building, and the area was much more spacious. The family of three lived in a house of nearly 50 square meters.
Four days ago, Xu Xuelian went back to her mother’s home and only returned yesterday afternoon. Zhou Yun specifically asked about it before bringing someone along.
The weather was hot, and coupled with days of travel, Xu Xuelian’s appetite was even worse. She couldn’t eat much of her lunch, so she just drank some tea slowly. The old desktop fan in the room also squeaked while spinning and blew a gentle breeze that made her even more drowsy.
“Sister Xuelian, are you home?” Zhou Yun called out from the door. The Wu family’s door was open, but the beaded curtain blocked the view, and it seemed that there’s only one figure inside.
Hearing the voice, Xu Xuelian walked out and saw an elderly white-haired woman and a young girl standing at the door. The elderly lady seemed familiar, and there was a shadow of her youth between her eyebrows. “Sister Yun?”
“It’s rare that you still recognize me.”
“How could I not recognize you!” Xu Xuelian looked at Zhou Yun, whom she had not seen for a long time, and remembered that she had taken good care of her when she first entered the factory. Back then, Zhou Yun was a decisive and efficient person in the factory, quick in her work and unlike some of the more experienced workers who liked to put on airs. She was sincere and open-hearted even to newcomers. “Come in, come in!”
“We came here unexpectedly. I hope we didn’t disturb you?”
“No, no, I was just at home with nothing to do. And this is?” She led the two people into the house and sat them down and poured them two glasses of water. Xu Xuelian looked at the young and beautiful girl next to Zhou Yun and was certain that she didn’t know her.
“This is my granddaughter-in-law, Xiaojie’s wife.” Zhou Yun spoke to Liang Baozhen, “Baozhen, call her Aunt Xu.”
“Hello, Aunt Xu.”
“Oh, Xiaojie is married now? That’s wonderful news!” Xu Xuelian looked at the girl a few times and felt that she was really beautiful, especially her clear and bright eyes, which immediately made a good impression on her.
“Aunt Xu, I made some snacks at home and brought a box for you. Grandma mentioned you a few days ago, saying that she worked with you, and it was very lively back then.”
Xu Xuelian usually didn’t accept gifts, mainly because of her position. As the director of the Women’s Affairs and with her husband being the deputy factory director, many people sought to use her connections to get jobs at the state-owned factory. Jobs in such factories were highly sought after. Wu Bingnian was upright and never entertained such requests, so she had to be cautious as well.
However, Liang Baozhen repeatedly emphasized that she had made the cake herself. In addition, her appetite had not been very good recently, so the fragrance of the hawthorn chestnut cake aroused her appetite.
Taking a small bite, the taste lingered on her lips, sweet but not greasy, with a soft and sticky texture that made her want to eat more.
The three of them ate and talked affectionately. Because Zhou Yun’s second son and his wife’s family had suddenly passed away that year, Xu Xuelian was also filled with emotion. They reminisced about the past, recalling many old memories from their youth.
Liang Baozhen mostly listened, maintaining a refined demeanor. Although she didn’t know much about the past, her grandmother was there to fill in the gaps. As they talked, they forgot about her presence and just reminisced about their youth.
“We really did get sidetracked,” Zhou Yun said, finally getting to the point after chatting enough. “Xuelian, we’re here today to ask for your help. Look at Baozhen—she’s a high school graduate. Now that she’s come to the city, we’re hoping to find her a job. But it’s really tough right now. The neighborhood office says they don’t have any positions available. Do you think you could help us find something at the factory, even if it’s just a temporary position? We’re not picky.”
Zhou Yun didn’t even start by directly asking Xu Xuelian to help her family get the job quota, but instead she requested help in finding a temporary position.
When Xu Xuelian heard that Liang Baozhen was a high school graduate, she immediately regarded her more highly. She liked motivated kids with an education.
But then she wondered, how did they end up coming to her for help with a job?
“That’s not right. I remember that your family reserved a job quota back then. Now that Xiaojie is back from the military and transition to a civilian job, that quota should still be available. Baozhen could just take over directly, couldn’t she?”
“Aunt Xu, we did think of that. But when Shengjie asked at the factory, they said it might not be possible to get it back.”
“Why not? Who’s occupying the position now? Just get Xue Lijun at the factory office to handle the paperwork, and it should be fine.” The State Cotton Factory has a large number of employees, with more than 5,000 people in one factory alone. It is common for children to take over the positions of their parents, or for female employees to ask others to take over for a few months when they have children. Sometimes a job quota can be transferred several times. Xu Xuelian didn’t have any recollection of who might have taken over the job quota left by the second son of the Xu family.
“It’s Ding Xiaoxia from the spinning workshop. There’s no issue on her end, but when my grandson approached Director Xue, it seemed there was a problem with the paperwork. The higher-ups didn’t approve of it,” Zhou Yun explained, leaving things unsaid, which made people speculate more.
How could Xu Xuelian not understand? If such a simple task could not be done, it meant that someone from above had given the order; otherwise, Zhou Yun would not have come to her for help.
She had worked in the factory for many years and was the director of women’s affairs, she had seen countless disputes over job slots. It wasn’t uncommon for even blood relatives to fight over a position, with many cases ending up in the factory office. She took another look at Liang Baozhen. She was good-looking and well-educated. It would definitely not be a bad thing if she could get into the factory.
Besides, it’s only justifiable that they get it back.
But who would get in the way? The Xu family are all honest people. The leaders above Xue Lijun are just a few people. Her husband certainly wouldn’t do that. Could it be? “Did you offend Director Chen’s family?”
Zhou Yun saw that Xu Xuelian had guessed a lot, so she didn’t hide anything and told her all about Chen Siming’s bad deeds. “Our Baozhen has a kind heart and didn’t intend to hold any grudges; she just wanted to live a good life. Who would have thought they’d still put obstacles in her way?”
“He did such a thing and still won’t let your family off?” Xu Xuelian had heard about the scandal of Director Chen’s second son a while ago. It almost became big news in the factory, but no one dared to discuss it in front of the Chen family. But even if the superiors had repeatedly ordered not to mention it, how could they stop the gossip?
Xu Xuelian looked down on people who were involved in such scandals, especially those who, despite being about to get married, had affairs with other women. She had seen a lot of bad things since she became the director of women’s affairs, especially with some men who had poor character and would even take out their anger on their wives. Director Chen was a decent person; how could he have such a son! Even if Chen Siming was the director’s son, he shouldn’t be so reckless. However, Xu Xuelian only dared to think this privately; she wouldn’t say it in front of Zhou Yun and the others to avoid giving them anything to use against her.
“Sister Yun, Baozhen, don’t worry, I will help you find out about this matter.” Recently, Director Chen had been under inspection, and since Chen Siming was in the wrong, it was very unlikely that Chen Yong would get involved. It was probably Chen Siming causing trouble behind the scenes.
“Thank you, Aunt Xu.”
“Then I’ll trouble you with it.” Zhou Yun knew that Xu Xuelian was a principled person who couldn’t tolerate these kinds of things; otherwise, she wouldn’t have stayed in her position as women’s director for so long.
After chatting for a while, Liang Baozhen took the initiative to leave, and together with her grandmother, she politely said goodbye to Xu Xuelian.
After seeing the two off, Xu Xuelian sat at the table and ate the hawthorn chestnut cake with a good appetite. She thought that the Xu family, who came to ask for favors, knew the rules and spoke politely. The food they sent was also to her liking. Before she knew it, she had only three pieces left.
When Deputy Director Wu returned home, he saw his wife eating non-stop. Putting down the food he brought back from the state-owned restaurant, Wu Bingnian took a look at the flower-like cakes on the table, “Did you buy them from the supply and marketing cooperative? They look pretty good.”
“Try them; they taste even better. They’re better than what the supply and marketing cooperative sells. It’s made by Sister Yun’s granddaughter-in-law, and her craftsmanship is really good.”
“Sister Yun?”
“Zhou Yun, Sister Yun! Do you remember? She was the standout in the cotton-spinning factory before.”
Wu Bingnian had a vague impression after hearing this, but he had seen many people come to his house with gifts to ask for favors, so he just glanced at her casually and said, “Are you accepting it this time? Be careful that someone will come to your house to make trouble again and ask you to help with the job changes.”
Xu Xuelian gave him a reproachful look. “The Xu family’s daughter-in-law seems different, she is very gentle and polite and speaks well. Even when she gave me a gift, she made it herself, saying that she heard that I have a poor appetite recently, and it seems that she was thoughtful.”
Last time, a relative of a factory worker came to her to ask for a favor and gave her a pound of peach cakes bought from the supply and marketing cooperative. Xu Xuelian refused to accept them, but the man insisted that they were a good gift. As they pushed and pulled, the peach cakes broke into pieces all over the floor, leaving her doorstep covered with crumbs. It was a really ugly scene.
Besides, the pastry tasted really good, sweet but not greasy. She had a rare appetite and asked Wu Bingnian to have a taste as well.
Seeing her husband praise them repeatedly, she couldn’t help but ask, “Old Wu, do you remember the incident with Xu Mingyuan and Wu Huacui? At that time, the factory only had Sister Yun, and the three children left. You managed to secure a job quota for the Xu family. Do you recall that?”
Wu Bingnian suddenly turned to look at Xu Xuelian. It was as if the image of Xu Mingyuan and Wu Huacui drowning in the river appeared before him. After a long pause, he finally spoke, “I remember.”
***
In the next few days, Zhou Yun waited for news from Xu Xuelian. She knew Xu Xuelian when she was young. She was kind-hearted, straightforward, and quick-witted. She was indeed suitable to be the director of the Women’s Affairs, and having her help was reassuring.
Today was the day the Wei family had invited the Xu family for a meal. Sunday was a rest day, and Xu Shengjie was also supposed to be off. However, a worker in the factory had an emergency at home, so he temporarily switched shifts with him. Xu Shengjie worked the night shift on Saturday and could not get off work and go home until Sunday noon.
Liang Baozhen has been in the city for a month and knows the area around Crescent Alley. Today, she went out alone to visit a bookstore.
A few days before her wedding, she packed her books into her dowry box and asked her second brother, Liang Baojun, to carry it into the city.
According to the plot in the book, the college entrance examination will be resumed at the end of next year. She graduated from high school last year and her foundation is still there. If she reads some books in advance, she may be able to get into a good school.
However, there were few textbooks when she was studying in the town, and she thought there must be more in the bookstores in the city, so she spent three cents to take the bus to the street where the bookstores were.
It took more than twenty minutes on the bus to finally arrive at the destination.
Although it’s called Bookstore Street, there are actually only two or three bookstores scattered around. It’s almost noon now, so there aren’t many people.
Liang Baozhen visited three bookstores but couldn’t find any additional high school study materials. The reason was simple: the college entrance examination had been cancelled for many years, and there were very few people who needed to buy such materials, so the bookstores naturally didn’t have them in stock.
“Comrade, if you want to find books, go to the Cultural Flea Market in the east of the city. There are a lot of things there,” a middle-aged man with a cigarette holder gave her advice.
“Okay, thank you.” Liang Baozhen found out the time and place and prepared to find another time to go and have a look.
On the way back, Liang Baozhen was not in a hurry to go back to the family courtyard. She first took a walk around the State Cotton Factory and waited for Xu Shengjie to get off work.
At this time, private business was not allowed in China. All food and daily necessities sold on the street were state-owned, and those who could work in state-owned stores had a stable job.
Many salespeople in these stores had a poor attitude.
However, there was one exception. There was a popsicle vendor at the entrance of the State Cotton Factory. In summer, the sun was too strong, and workers were prone to heat stroke due to the high temperature. The factory canteen would make mung bean soup to help with the heat and also arrange for the municipal factory to supply some popsicle.
During the hottest time of summer, the popsicle workshop in the food factory is very busy and is very popular with everyone.
Thinking about the coolness of the popsicles, Liang Baozhen specially followed the crowd to the side entrance of the factory to buy one.
“Red fruit popsicles, Iraqi date popsicles, four cents each, cream popsicles, five cents each…”
In front of the popsicle box, a worker in food factory work clothes was shouting out prices. There were many people around her. When the weather got hot, there was nothing more refreshing than eating a popsicle.
However, this worker only sold to those wearing work clothes from the State Cotton Factory and would not sell to people outside. For outsiders like Liang Baozhen, who was wearing a beautiful shirt, it was useless. She could only watch as other workers bought a popsicle, took a bite, and exhaled a puff of cool air.
“Sister-in-law!” Hong Saner had just finished his night shift and was about to buy a popsicle to cool down, but he saw Liang Baozhen in the crowd. “Are you waiting for Old Xu?”
“Oh, hello, Comrade Hong. Yes, I’m waiting for him, and I’m planning to buy some popsicles to take back as well.” Liang Baozhen glanced behind Hong Saner but did not see Xu Shengjie.
“He’s in the back. Our workshop director is talking to him.” Seeing that Liang Baozhen hadn’t bought any popsicles yet, Hong Saner knew what was going on and beckoned her forward. “Sister-in-law, what kind of popsicle do you want?”
“Two red fruits and three Iraqi dates.” She brought fifty cents with her today and looked at the price but couldn’t bear to buy the fifteen-cent double-stick ice popsicle.
Hong Saner also bought the red fruit ones. He tore open the wrapper and finished one in three bites. He felt refreshed all over. When Liang Baozhen wanted to give him the money, he refused generously. “No need. I usually take advantage of Old Xu. How can I take your money now? Hey, hey, hey, someone is here. Old Xu, your wife is here!”
Xu Shengjie had just finished his night shift and was stopped by the workshop director on his way out and was questioned for a while, which delayed him. When he heard Hong Saner’s noise and looked over, he saw his wife eating a popsicle.
Liang Baozhen was wearing a plaid shirt and had two braided pigtails draped over her shoulders. Perhaps because of the heat, her fair face was flushed, and the strands of hair on her forehead were wet with sweat. She was concentrating on eating the popsicle in her hand. When she saw him, she waved the four popsicles in her left hand and smiled at him sweetly.
She ate the red fruit popsicle as if it were the most delicious thing in the world, and Xu Shengjie couldn’t help but involuntarily move his throat.
Is this popsicle usually this delicious?
Of course it is! Liang Baozhen thought that there was nothing better than a popsicle in summer!
The red fruit popsicle is made of hawthorn. When you take a bite, you feel the coldness and sweetness in your mouth. These days, there is a lack of sweet things. This popsicle is really a lifesaver. Liang Baozhen was busy talking. She looked at Xu Shengjie, “You’re done with work. Which flavor do you want?”
Four popsicles were handed over. Xu Shengjie picked the same red fruit popsicle as Liang Baozhen, and they went home together.
It took them more than ten minutes to walk home, and Liang Baozhen was worried that the ice popsicle might melt and turn into ice water by the time they got back, which would be a shame.
“If only we could get home right after buying the popsicle”
As she was talking, a few workers were riding by on their bicycles. The wind blew on the corners of their grey work clothes which made them look particularly impressive.
Liang Baozhen looked at them enviously and continued walking.
“Shall we buy a bicycle too?” Xu Shengjie thought about it and felt that having a bicycle at home would indeed be much more convenient.
In the past, a bicycle wasn’t necessary. His grandmother seldom went out, his younger sibling attended a school nearby, and he was used to walking everywhere.
Of course, one of the main reasons as well was that there were no tickets available; even if you had the money, you couldn’t buy one.
Now that Liang Baozhen has come to their home, things will only get more and more lively in the future. It would be great to have a bicycle too.
“Really? But does our family have a bicycle ticket?” She had heard from Xu Shengwei that he really wanted a bicycle, but unfortunately, they couldn’t buy one.
“We don’t have a bicycle ticket, but if we had fifteen industrial coupons, we could buy one. I’ve saved up eight, so I’ll think of a way to get the rest.”
“That’s great! Let Xiaowei and Xiaoya learn by then, so it will be more convenient for them to go out.” Speaking of learning to ride a bicycle, Liang Baozhen thought of swimming again and mentioned again, “I think they can also learn to swim. It will only be beneficial if they learn it.”
Worried that Xu Shengjie would think she was meddling too much, Liang Baozhen licked her popsicle and added, “Of course, you’re their older brother, so it’s up to you.”
Xu Shengjie saw Liang Baozhen glancing at him with a hint of grievance and couldn’t help but smile. “You’re their sister-in-law; so can also decide for them.”
***
After returning home, Liang Baozhen brought two pieces of good news to Xiaowei and Xiaoya. The first was a popsicle for each of them, and the second was that Xu Shengjie agreed to let them learn swimming.
“Can we really learn to swim?”
“That’s great!”
The two were so excited that they almost jumped up. They were all kids; how could they not like to play? They were envious of other children playing in the water, but they remembered what their eldest brother said and did not go into the river.
“Don’t be too happy too soon. We are learning how to swim. You can only go if I or your sister-in-law watches over you. You are not allowed to go into the river on your own.” Xu Shengjie said in a serious tone and made arrangements with his younger brother and sister in advance.
As the eldest brother, he had to be stricter with them.
“I know, brother, we will definitely listen to you!”
Zhou Yun looked at the two excited little kids surrounding his sister-in-law and felt that his eldest grandson had changed a lot. He even agreed to let Xiaowei and Xiaoya learn swimming. Baozhen was really amazing.
“The popsicles are delicious!”
“So sweet and icy!”
Xiaowei and Xiaoya went out with their popsicles to find their friends in the courtyard. Liang Baozhen peeled off the paper of the last popsicle and handed it to Zhou Yun. “Grandma, try it; it’s sweet.”
“I won’t eat it.” Zhou Yun waved it away, pushing the ice pop back. “You keep it.”
“We had already eaten ours on the way back. This one is just for you.”
“Then you and Xiaojie can have another one.” Zhou Yun knew that popsicles were expensive and didn’t want to eat them all by herself. “You guys are hot after going out. Grandma has bad teeth, and it’s uncomfortable to eat cold ones. Xiaowei and Xiaoya are young and can’t eat too much.”
Liang Baozhen couldn’t refuse, so she had to take the popsicle back. The red fruit popsicle she had eaten before was sour and sweet, but the Iraqi date popsicle was purely sweet.
Taking a bite and letting it melt in her mouth, she felt her lips and teeth coated with honey-like sweetness.
Beside her, Xu Shengjie saw Liang Baozhen eating the popsicle like a little squirrel. She licked the popsicle, took small bites, and was satisfied by the icy sweetness. She smiled unconsciously, and her eyes were curved like crescent moons. She was startled when she saw Xu Shengjie watching her.
Liang Baozhen thought Xu Shengjie wanted to eat a popsicle, so she fed it to him directly. “Try it, this one is super sweet.”
Xu Shengjie looked at the half-eaten popsicle and took a bite. The coolness rushed into his mouth. Seeing his wife’s expectant gaze, he swallowed, “It’s really sweet.”
The author has something to say:
Liang Baozhen: This popsicle is so delicious, so sweet.
Xu Shengjie: The popsicle is sweet, but it seems like the person is even sweeter.
Author: Xu Shengjie, with your thick eyebrows and big eyes, you can still say such cheesy lines?
***
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