Han Cheng only had a few considerations in choosing his bride. Number One, she must accept his sons. She must be presentable. She must not have any major flaws in her character and know how to take care of his two sons.
Han Cheng felt that if Liu Shuixian became his sons' stepmother and was the one to take care of them, she wouldn't be that much better than his sons' biological mom. On the other hand, Su Xiaoxiao's clean and gentle temperament is most suitable for taking care of children. Besides, she is also beautiful. In fact, he feels that he found a treasure.
The next obstacle he had to face was Su Xiaoxiao's parents…
The two people went to the market to buy a lot of candy and cookies as a gift for Su Xiaoxiao's family.
On the way back to Sujia Village, the two walked two meters away from each other and didn't talk much.
When they met the villagers on the way, the villagers would tease the two. "Hey, Xiaoxiao, was the blind date successful?"
Su Xiaoxiao just walked past them without feeling embarrassed. Why would she feel embarrassed when she had already bought a bunch of white rabbit milk candies using Han Cheng's money in the market?
Su Xiaoxiao took out candy from her pocket and ate it as she watched the scenery.
'How comfortable is this?'
Su Xiaoxiao took a glance at Han Cheng's side.
She knows that Han Cheng is a tall man. But after comparing the two shadows on the ground, one big and one small, she found out that Han Cheng may be taller than she thought.
"Han Cheng, how tall are you?" Su Xiaoxiao asked on a whim.
Han Cheng stopped suddenly and turned around.
Su Xiaoxiao, who couldn't stop her feet on time, crashed into Han Cheng.
She touched the tip of her nose and walked to his side.
"1.85 meters."
Su Xiaoxiao, who had never reached 1.6 meters even in her two lives, admitted that he was much taller than her and she was indeed jealous of Han Cheng's height.
"No wonder he looked as tall as a poplar tree.'
Han Cheng's eyes lowered and he saw Su Xiaoxiao, who was pouting. He guessed that she should be no more than 1.6 meters, so he didn't ask her about her height. He turned and walked on.
When the two unfamiliar couples arrived at the Su family's house, the adults had not yet finished their work, only the six-year-old nephew, Xiaobao, who came back early with a bag of earthworms in his hand, was at home.
When Xiao Bao saw his Auntie, he shouted "Auntie!" loudly as he ran to his Auntie Xiaoxiao
Han Cheng looked at the yard.
The yard of the Su family was very wide. Although it was a mud-brick house, the whole place was neatly arranged. The ground was also clean. There was no chicken excrement or vegetable leaves lying on the ground. It could be seen that the hostess of the family was diligent.
Su Xiaoxiao asked Han Cheng to sit down, and Xiao Bao rushed in like a small cannon.
The little guy also said loudly, "How are you, Auntie? Is this my uncle? Everyone is saying that my aunt is going to be a stepmother to others. Is it true?"
There is no privacy and no entertainment in the village.
Any big events can become a topic for the villagers to talk about after meals, and after a while, everyone will know everything.
Six-year-old children couldn't understand everything that the adults were discussing last night. So, today, when they went to school, Xiao Bao's classmates surrounded him and asked him a lot of questions.
What can a little kid know?
Han Cheng glanced casually at the little boy, who was not much older than his eldest son and was enlightened. The little guy is tanned but sturdy. His eyes were beaming….
When he thought about his son again, he was so depressed that he didn't want to speak.
Su Xiaoxiao squatted down and pinched the little boy's face: "The duty of a child is to study hard and grow up well. Don't be nosy. Hurry up and feed your little hen. Whether or not we can pick an egg tomorrow, all depends on your hard work. "
Xiao Bao glanced at Han Cheng with his head tilted.
He was probably shocked by Han Cheng's military uniform. Xiao Bao opened his eyes wide and looked at him from up and down, then turned around and muttered, "Hmm, this uncle is quite stylish."
Then he gave his schoolbag to Su Xiaoxiao and took the earthworms he had dug on the road to feed his little hen.
Su Xiaoxiao shouted from behind: "After you're done feeding your chickens, come back and eat steamed meat buns."
The little guy's eyes sparkled. He wanted to run back to his aunt's side, but when Xiao Bao looked at the earthworms in his hands, he was entangled. He didn't know what to choose, feed his chickens, or feed his tummy.
Seeing Han Cheng staring at Xiaobao, Su Xiaoxiao explained, "My second brother's son, Xiaobao, is six years old and has just started going to school. Is your son about his age?"
Su Xiaoxiao wanted to ask more about Han Cheng's son, but unfortunately, before she could get to know more about Han Cheng, her parents, her second brother, and her sister-in-law came back together, as if they had already planned to go back at the same time.
Her whole family stared at Han Cheng when they came in.
Zhang Chunying, Su Xiaoxiao's second sister-in-law, gasped, "Is this, my brother-in-law? Isn't he too handsome?"
Li Yufeng pulled Zhang Chunying's arm and said, "Not even one stroke drawn from the ten strokes! [1] What nonsense are you talking about? Go ahead and cook. "
Zhang Chunying pouted and said, "Today is Xiaoxiao's turn to cook."
Su Xiaoxiao walked over and said, "Father, mother, second brother, and sister-in-law, let me introduce you to Han Cheng."
Then she began to introduce Han Cheng to all of the members of her family.
Han Cheng said hello politely.
After feeding the little hen, the little steel cannon rushed in: "Auntie, where are the meat buns?
Su Xiaoxiao took out a lunch box from the things brought by Han Cheng and handed it to Xiao Bao. "You can eat one, and the rest will be given to grandma and the others. "
The little guy nodded, took a meat bun, and put it aside.
After carefully counting the buns, he began to count the number of people inside the room. After counting, his eyes lit up again, and he began to distribute the buns: "One for Xiaobao, one for Grandpa, another one for Grandma, half for my father, half for my mother, half for my uncle, and a half for my aunt!"
Xiao Bao immediately allocated a total of five big steamed buns.
Su Xiaoxiao rubbed his head and said with a smile, "Auntie and Comrade Han have eaten, one for each of you."
Li Yufeng was still waiting to talk to Han Cheng about the marriage. So, she asked her son to take the troublesome grandson out to play.
Xiao Bao held a big meat bun in his hand, bit into it himself, and fed his father a bite.
Han Cheng thought that the Su family really could teach children well. They are smart and aren't greedy about food. Su Xiaoxiao said that she raised her two nephews at home. Maybe her parents taught her well, and the children she taught were not bad as well.
Han Cheng began to look forward to this marriage, wondering whether his sons could be taught by Su Xiaoxiao like this.
Li Yufeng intended to let her daughter show off her cooking skills, so she said to Su Xiaoxiao, "Xiaoxiao, go ahead and start cooking, and Chunying will help you."
Su Xiaoxiao took the pork bought by Han Cheng and went out of the room.
Zhang Chunying quickly grabbed a big meat bun, and regardless of Li Yufeng's glares, her son's distribution was right, and her sister-in-law also said that each person can have one. She was satisfied and took a bite before going out with Su Xiaoxiao.
The Su family's elders and Han Cheng were left in the living room.
Han Cheng is handsome, dignified, and upright. Even with his military uniform, he didn't look overbearing, or humble. His body posture is upright, sitting like a sturdy tree.
Su Weimin felt really anxious. He thought that the young man was really too handsome. He was tall, but he was also more handsome than the educated youths from the city. It's no wonder why the matchmaker Xu came back early in the morning to report that her daughter had fallen in love with him, and she also emphasized how good Han Cheng was.
Su Weimin cleared his throat and said: "Comrade Han, matchmaker Xu told us about your situation. Frankly, we don't have any personal opinions about you and respect your military comrades. But as parents, even if we are a little poor, we are not willing to let our daughter be a stepmother to others. Although our family is poor, we didn't let Xiaoxiao do any heavy work. We thought your conditions were good, so we agreed to let Xiaoxiao meet you."
Han Cheng nodded: "Don't worry, uncle. I understand what you mean. My salary is not bad. Comrade Su said she will follow me under the condition that I ensure that she will be well-fed and clothed. I will not let her do heavy work. The only thing I would ask of her was to take care of my two sons. My eldest son can be sent to school after the New Year, and the youngest son will be almost two years old. It does take a little more effort."
The Su family made Han Cheng feel comfortable. From the moment he entered the courtyard, he felt at ease. It wasn't so necessary before. But seeing Su Xiaoxiao getting along with the children, Han Cheng felt that he could never find a more suitable person than Su Xiaoxiao.
In addition, Han Cheng knew that her family was not like those troublesome families. Marriage was a matter of two families. The main branch of Yang Meiniang's family is very good, but the side branches of the Yang family were making a mess all over the place and creating cumbersome and unnecessary dramas.
Seeing Su Xiaoxiao's character, Han Cheng inferred that her family atmosphere was good, which is exactly what he expected.
Apart from having two children, Su's parents are satisfied with Han Cheng.
But honestly, if Han Cheng hadn't had two children with him, he would not have gone to the countryside to look for a blind date. In this world, how could things go as expected? Su's parents understood this reality.
After passing Father Su and Mother Su's tests, the marriage was basically finalized.
Han Cheng was even more impressed with Su Xiaoxiao after the braised pork with thick oil and the red sauce were served.
Han Cheng thought: This is more delicious than all the braised pork I have eaten in the state-owned restaurants.
She has read books, looks good, and is patient with children. The important part was that she has better cooking skills than the chef of the state-owned hotel.
Han Cheng really thought he had found a treasure and an outstanding stepmother for his two children. If such a good girl is willing to marry him, he should treat her really well.
The Su family didn't fight for the delicious braised pork when it was served. Everyone just grabbed the food placed in front of them, which had an equal amount as the other plates.
In fact, it was obvious that they were greedy for meat. But even Xiao Bao was given a piece by the adults, and he just ate one piece. It seemed that they knew that adults wouldn't cheat him and that no one would take his share.
'It was really delicious.'
In fact, Li Yufeng was heartbroken. She let her prodigal daughter cook a meal of more than two kilograms of meat. If Han Cheng hadn't stayed for dinner, she would have marinated the meat and eaten it for several meals.
But thinking that the meat was brought here by Han Cheng, and he should be treated well, made her feel a little better.
After dinner, Han Cheng proposed taking Su Xiaoxiao to the Civil Affairs Bureau to get a certificate in the afternoon, which shocked Su's parents.
Su Weimin couldn't agree at all: " No, Comrade Han, you only met our family's Xiaoxiao in the morning, and are you too anxious to go to the office in the afternoon? You should at least go home and discuss it with your parents. Should your parents come to propose marriage first?"
'No one in the world got married like this, right? This young man is good, but he is too careless.'
Han Cheng did not hide from them, and told them the truth: "Uncle and Auntie, to be honest, I am an orphan of a martyr, and there are no elders in my family. My parents entrusted me to their teacher's family after they died for the country. My teacher treated me with great kindness. My teacher has two biological sons, and his wife didn't want to see me. In short, I didn't live in their house for long. I left after I got into military school. My teacher died, and I lost contact with them. Soon after the death of my children's mother, I received a task to go to the battlefield with the army, and I was forced to send my children to my teacher's wife and entrust them to her.
At present, my two children are still at her place, and I found out that she didn't treat my children well. That's why I wanted to take back my children quickly. The military hospital is very busy, and I have many tasks on hand. The earlier I go back, the better. This is why I am so anxious."
Matchmaker Xu told them that the man was in a hurry, but the Su parents didn't expect him to be this anxious.
Su Weimin frowned so hard that he could kill the flies: "You are too anxious. We are not ready for anything at all."
"Then why don't you let Xiaoxiao go with him to take care of the children for a few months, and the marriage will be completed after the New Year, if you don't get used to being in the military camp, you can go back, right?" Su Zhenhua suggested.
Han Cheng's eyebrows jumped. 'Do they plan to retreat from the marriage?'
Li Yufeng slapped her son and stared at him: "What are you thinking? Do you plan to let your sister go with other man without a name? What would the people think of your sister? Do you still care about your sister? Is there such an unreliable brother?"
'Don't even mention several months. Even if it's just for a few days, it can't be done!'
Su Xiaoxiao, who has not participated in their talks, said: "Father and mother, Comrade Han will ask matchmaker Xu to propose marriage tomorrow."
They are planning to get married anyway. This is the first time she has seen such an attractive person in her two lives. She doesn't want to go on a blind date again.
Han Cheng is really a good person. He bought a big meat bun for her to take home, and he even gave her braised pork just now. She will certainly be treated well in the future.
Han Cheng, who went on a blind date with a registered permanent residence, took out 600 yuan from his bag and stuffed it into Li Yufeng's hand: "This is a gift. Can you, my parents-in-law, handle the wedding? Aunt Xu has gone through all the procedures that should be taken, and I will not treat Xiaoxiao badly. "
Li Yufeng looked at the six bundles of unity banknotes in her hands and was stunned. In recent years, the gift money of 88 yuan can be considered an expensive dowry. What about 600 yuan? Does that mean Comrade Han was very satisfied with her daughter?
As the saying goes, no comparison means no harm.
The Su family's quality is excellent, even in the city. Han Cheng showed his utmost sincerity. He really didn't want to miss Su Xiaoxiao. He doesn't want to marry a woman like Liu Shuixian and make her his son's stepmother.
Chapter 7
After Han Cheng took out his household registration book, Su Xiaoxiao's parents realized how well prepared he was for this blind date.
The six bundles of Great Unity Banknotes in Li Yufeng's hands are just like six hot potatoes.
Su Weimin put the money back to Han Cheng and said with a straight face, "What are you doing? We are marrying our daughter out, not selling her. If you were to give this money to us, then how are you going to live your life? We don't give that much money for dowry in this village. The dowry we can offer is not much. You can take Xiaoxiao to the market to buy what she needs. A sincere heart is the only thing we ask for."
Han Cheng looks like someone who was too generous. Their marriage has not been settled yet, but even though his daughter and Han Cheng met for the first time, he bought her meat, milk, toffee, and meat buns…
Average people wouldn't prepare such a generous gift.
It didn't even end there; he even took out the money in his pocket and gave him a large amount of dowry. This made Su Weimin both happy and worried.
Han Cheng is a big spender with no work points and his daughter doesn't even work outside to earn work points. She even dared to cook more than two kilograms of meat at once.
Su Weimin didn't know how their (HC and SX) lives would become if this went on.
Han Cheng pushed the money back to Su Weimin: "Uncle, it's not easy for you to raise Comrade Su. We have to bother you to handle our wedding. How many people do we need to hire? You don't have to save. All the expenses for the wedding can be taken from it."
Han Cheng said and walked out.
Su Xiaoxiao took her household registration book, and when Han Cheng walked a little further, she whispered: "Father, Mother, when he gave it to you, he never thought of taking it back. You should accept it. It only means he values me. I won't be able to show my filial piety to you in the future, since I don't know when I will return to this village. Don't be too frugal. Eat better when you should eat better. Remember that the body is the capital of revolution, especially Xiaobao, who is growing up. He needs more nutrition. The money you have now may be valuable, but it won't be valuable in the future if it costs your health. You'll be healthy if you eat well. Only then will you have the strength to work and earn more money. So you have to listen to me, alright?"
Su Xiaoxiao has never been married in her two lives. She does not know how much money she needs or what process to follow. But she knows that 600 yuan is a large sum of money at present, which means Han Cheng values her. The original owner died without having the opportunity to be filial to her two elders. She only thought of leaving the countryside.
In the future, she will try to be good to Han Cheng and his children. This amount of money can be regarded as her filial piety to the original owner.
Father Su and Mother Su's eyes turned red as they stared at their daughter's back.
Li Yufeng, in particular, covered her mouth and cried.
"Head of the family, our daughter is way too sensible. I raised a lovely daughter. We only have one girl. I don't want her to get married so far. huhu…"
Father Su patted his wife on the shoulder and said, "Well, children and grandchildren have their blessings. We can't keep her forever. It's all my fault. She has been poked in the back for so long. The wedding should be organized decently. We must make her wedding beautiful. Han Cheng is really…"
Father Su shook his head, but he was relieved.
…
Su Xiaoxiao took Han Cheng to the secretary of the brigade to open a letter of introduction.
Han Cheng was lost in his thoughts for a moment and completely forgot about his marriage certificate. He had to make a marriage report first, and the object had to pass the political review.
When he arrived at the county seat, he immediately called the troops and repeatedly assured them that the three generations of poor peasants in Su Xiaoxiao's family would have absolutely no problem with the political review and asked the army to especially approve him to give evidence before the political review.
The political commissar almost dropped his jaw. Many female comrades in the military art troupe liked Han Cheng, and many female comrades in the military hospital liked him. The organization planned to solve his problems after the New Year. 'Didn't he go out to visit his relatives? Why did he suddenly want to bring a wife back for no reason?'
Han Cheng is an outstanding figure for the younger generation. He is charitable in thought and deed.
He is the key training object of the army. His glorious deeds are promoted amongst them, and he is a very important person. The head of the capital also pays close attention to him. How can he be allowed to get a marriage certificate without passing the political review? Even if he agreed, the old dean would still disagree. Han Cheng will make a big wave in the future. His resume must be clean and innocent, and there should be no room for stains.
The political commissar has never seen Han Cheng be this unreasonable. He was so angry that he directly pushed this matter to the old dean over him and hung up his phone.
The organization disagreed.
Han Cheng did not know how to explain it to Su Xiaoxiao. The Su family didn't understand the process of military marriage, and they had made it clear to him that they would not let Su Xiaoxiao go with him without a label.
The normal political review process is as short as two months, and as long as six months. His sons were still in dire straits, so he had to take them away immediately. He can't wait for the New Year to come.
After all, Su Xiaoxiao is not a person of this era. She didn't take the concept of chastity seriously. She knows that military marriage and divorce are not easy.
She thought that the 1970s were not that strict or that Han Cheng had privileges.
But she did not expect Han Cheng would forget about the process. Seeing Han Cheng's helplessness as he tried to speak again, she wanted to laugh a little and not embarrass him.
"We can do an exchange of cups tomorrow. I will go to the army with you and get the certificate after the political review. It doesn't matter. "
Han Cheng looked at Su Xiaoxiao in surprise. He didn't expect Su Xiaoxiao to be so reasonable and willing to go with him.
But Han Cheng still had concerns: "But your parents…"
Su Xiaoxiao shook her head and said, "It's OK. If they ask me, I will tell them the truth. If they don't ask about it, then it doesn't matter. Getting the certificate sooner or later doesn't matter. "
Su Xiaoxiao shook her head and said, "If you are not good to me, or if I can't adapt to the life of a military wife, I can just go back."
Su Xiaoxiao is joking. At this age, when there is no letter of introduction, she can't move at all. If she doesn't follow Han Cheng, she will have to go back to Sujia Village and be drowned by the villagers' gossip.
Han Cheng frowned. His handsome face was unhappy, and even his Adam's apple tightened in dissatisfaction. "Don't say that again. You can't go back after following me."
Su Xiaoxiao burst into laughter and said. "I'm joking with you. Why are you so serious? Let's go. Let's buy the things we need for marriage first, or it will be too late tomorrow."
After leaving the post office, they went to the state-run shopping mall.
At this time, the wedding supplies, such as the red wedding dress, the red cotton quilt, the large washbasin, the large cabinet, etc., all come in especially together, and you need to provide a marriage certificate to purchase them.
Han Cheng has done enough marriage preparation. His bag is just like Doraemon's pocket.
It was endless. He must have brought all the money and points with him, to pay for her.
'I have to say that the men of this era are really sincere.
"You gave all your money to my parents. Do you still have any money left?" Su Xiaoxiao asked.
"I have more. The betrothal gift for your parents is from the bonus for my last meritorious service. My salary is kept in my passbook. Except for the monthly fixed expenses for the children, I haven't touched much. I still have more than one hundred yuan in cash on hand. If it's not enough, I still have money in my passbook. There are all kinds of food stamps, cloth stamps, and tickets. You can buy whatever you want."
Han Cheng then handed Su Xiaoxiao his passbook directly, saying, "You will take care of all this later. You can keep the money for our children's schooling and use it for whatever you want. Comrade Su, let me remind you again that once you leave with me, you can't go back. I will do my best to treat you well and be loyal to you, just as I was loyal to this country. I promise to not let you down. "
Strictly speaking, in her previous life, she was not an unmarried person because no one wanted to marry her. She just couldn't meet a suitable lover. There was no such word as "make amends" in the post-90s dictionary. Besides, she didn't lack anything except love. If this couldn't be given to her 100%, then marriage was worthless to her. That's why she was still single until nearly 30.
Su Xiaoxiao admitted that at this moment, she was moved by Han Cheng.
A man who only knew her for less than a day gave her everything he could, without reservation.
"Comrade Han Cheng, I, Comrade Su Xiaoxiao, hope that you will always remember what you said today. I will do what I can to be good to you and the children. "
People have always said that marriage is like Pandora's box, you will never know what's inside until you open it.
Su Xiaoxiao has decided to be brave once in her life and try her best to make her married life flow the way she wanted.
"Comrade Su Xiaoxiao, I promise you with my military uniform that I will do what I say."
With the marriage certificate issued by the production team, many things can be bought. Han Cheng has several zeros in his passbook, but she doesn't know how much the child needs to go to school, and she still has to go to college in the future. Therefore, the principle of "save as much as you can" should still be applied.
Her mother also has a red dress that she has kept for several years. She can wear this red dress once when she gets married.
She wanted to wear that dress on her wedding day. With that, there's no need to buy new clothes.
Han Cheng will probably wear his military uniform, so, she doesn't need to buy him new clothes.
Bringing extra items would be inconvenient; they could simply buy them when they arrive at the military camp.
They don't have many cloth tickets; they could only afford two pieces of clothing for adults and a few pieces of clothing for children.
Xiaobao didn't even have any new clothes, he would either wear the clothes from his elders or Dabao's old clothes, so she wanted to buy one for Xiaobao.
After she explained to Han Cheng that Li Yufeng had prepared her red clothes for her wedding, she asked Han Cheng, "Can I use these cloth tickets to buy Xiao Bao new clothes? He has grown up and yet he has not worn any new clothes. "
Han Cheng thought that Su Xiaoxioa was very kind to his nephew.
When Han Cheng thought of the shabby clothes his sons were wearing, his eyes darkened. He was silent for a moment and nodded after a while. "What I gave to you is yours. You can do whatever you want."
When they arrived at the place where they sell children's clothes, Su Xiaoxiao asked him again, "Let's just buy three."
Han Cheng was stunned.
Su Xiaoxiao added. "My elder brother and sister-in-law are workers. They have cloth tickets, so Dabao can wear new clothes. For now, we won't buy one for him. We'll just buy one for Xiaobao. These cloth tickets can purchase at least three children's clothes. One for each of your two sons and Xiaobao is just right. Consider it as a gift from me for meeting him for the first time. What do you think?"
One of the requirements Han Cheng said to Matchmaker Xu in finding his new wife was that she needed to be literate. He graduated from military school and knew his requirements, including being able to read and write, were reasonable.
He doesn't want the gap in communication between himself and his wife to be too far, and he is also afraid of finding a shrew to take back to the military camp and live a messy life.
Han Cheng looked at Su Xiaoxiao deeply. The more he got to know her, the more he felt that she was indeed a good match.
When he came back after his mission, he found out that the good clothes he had sent to his sons were taken by his adoptive mother.
The good clothes were worn by his adoptive mother's grandson, while the old and tattered clothes were worn by his sons.
He was planning to buy new clothes for his sons but didn't know how to say it to Su Xiaoxiao. But he could tell Su Xiaoxiao about this, she had already taken care of it on her own.
"Thank you, Comrade Su."
Han Cheng's eyes are deep. When he stares at a person seriously, it gives people the illusion of deep affection.
This is probably the legendary affectionate eyes?
Su Xiaoxiao already knew that what was hidden in those deep black eyes wasn't some romantic feelings towards her, but she could not help blushing.
She was embarrassed, and she turned away and pretended to look at the clothes. "I bought it with your cloth tickets and your money. What are you thanking me for?"
Han Cheng lowered his voice and said, "Thank you anyway."
…
"There's nothing else I urgently need. Buying more will only burden our trip."
The two went to the market after leaving the state-run shopping mall. They bought a lot of candies for the wedding, melon seeds, and other foods needed for the wedding with their marriage certificates. They knew that Su Xiaoxiao's family would also do their own preparation, so they didn't buy more than what was needed.
After they bought everything, Han Cheng sent the food back to the Su family's house.
He didn't plan to stay at the Su family's for dinner, instead, he went straight back to the country.
Xiao Bao jumped three times when he got the new clothes his auntie bought for him.
It's common knowledge among the people in the village that all the children of his age don't necessarily have to own new clothes to wear. The new clothes his auntie bought will surely make all the students in his school envy him for the whole year.
"Auntie, you are the best aunt in the world!"
Li Yufeng was angry and distressed at the heartless girl.
She stretched out her hand and flicked Su Xiaoxiao's forehead with her fingers. "How can someone who is going to get married buy clothes for her nephew instead of buying herself new clothes for the wedding? Have you ever thought that maybe Han Cheng would have an opinion of you for doing this?"
Su Zhenhua became a little embarrassed: "Mother's right, Xiaoxiao. This boy is still young, and there are more clothes we can pass down for him. If you continue to give good things to your parents after getting married, then Han Cheng might have opinions on you."
If Zhang Chunying did this, he would be the first to disagree.
Su Xiaoxiao looked at Xiao Bao, who was dancing with radiant eyebrows, and felt that the clothes were worth it.
She reached out and patted Xiao Bao's head. 'Such a lovely child would be more precious if he was born in the 21st century.'
"Second brother, can't you see how happy Xiao Bao is? He's worth it."
Zhang Chunying felt at ease. 'Her sister-in-law is good. Whenever she had something good in her hands, she wouldn't forget to share it with Xiaobao. It's a pity that she has to marry someone who lives far away from their village. '
Li Yufeng glared at her, "What will you wear tomorrow?"
For a moment, Su Xiaoxiao didn't know what to say. "Mother, don't you remember the red dress you hid for me to wear? It would be a waste if I bought one more. If I didn't wear that dress, then wouldn't it seem like we bought it for nothing?"
'Didn't she ask me to wear that red dress just this morning?'
Li Yufeng slapped her forehead and almost forgot about it. She was worried about not knowing when her daughter would marry and wear the red dress, but she didn't expect that, in the blink of an eye, this would come in handy.
"Look at my memory. If you hadn't mentioned it, I would have forgotten that we still have that dress. The weather today is nice, I'll take it out and put it under the sun, so you can wear it tomorrow. "
Su Xiaoxiao's scalp tingled when she remembered the smell of mothballs: "Mom, give it to me. I'll wash it before I wear it."
Li Yufeng disagreed: "After washing the dress, the patterns on the dress won't look good anymore."
Su Xiaoxiao: "I'm just going to dip it under the water to wash off the smell of mothballs."
She couldn't bear to reprimand her, so she just let her daughter do what she wanted. "You only know how to be overly conscious about cleanliness. I don't know what to do with you."
Since the day they saved her from drowning, she has always been extremely fond of cleanliness. Even Xiao Bao has been trained by her to wash his hands at every turn, and besides his hands, he had to wash his face clean, which made Xiaobao especially handsome.
Chapter 8 Part 2
There are a lot of things to prepare for a temporary wedding, but at this time, even if they have money, they don't dare waste it.
If someone reported them for being too rich for a farmer, you'll be powerless and wouldn't be able to do anything even if they jumped into the Yellow River.
As the leader of the production team, Su Weimin was able to invite some strong guys in the production team, and his son to bring back all of the things he bought for the wedding in one afternoon.
The wine hall is also ready for use. It is a simple mud-brick bungalow. A shed is built in front of it, a few earth stoves are built, a few big pots are put up, and even a kitchen. There are more than a dozen old wooden tables, each of which has four benches. The pots and pans were also completed.
The place for their wedding used to be a large canteen many years ago. All of the events were held in this place.
The meat, fish, vegetarian dishes, sweet cakes, and melon seeds bought by Han Cheng and Su Xiaoxiao can already be considered an extravagant feast in this era.
The man bought meat for his wife at their wedding banquet. Just by doing this, it can be considered a grand wedding.
After the preparations for the wedding were completed, Su Weimin sent someone overnight to inform his relatives to come to the banquet tomorrow.
Su Xiaoxiao was to marry far away, and there was nothing they could prepare for her dowry.
Li Yufeng took out the gold bracelet and safe buckle passed on to her by her grandmother and then took three hundred yuan from the bride price given to her by Han Cheng to secretly give it to Su Xiaoxiao as her dowry.
Su Xiaoxiao didn't expect that her mother, who was from a peasant family, still had a thick gold bracelet.
However, Su Xiaoxiao didn't plan to take it, "Mother, I like this safety clasp very much. I will wear it. Keep the money and gold bracelet to yourself. I can't use it."
The safety buckle is a high-grade emerald. It was especially luminous and transparent. The first time she saw the emerald safety buckle, she liked it very much.
Li Yufeng was speechless before this ignorant girl. "Is this something for you to use? It's for you to pass down to your children and grandchildren. This is something that your grandmother passed down to me. Even if we encountered difficulties, I never pawned it. What are you thinking? I will also give you this money. Whenever you go, having money is a must."
Su Xiaoxiao pushed it back to her mother, "So you should take good care of it for me. It's no different from putting it here. Han Cheng's camp is too far from here, it will surely be a long journey. What if I lose it on the road? You should take good care of it for me.
As for the money, I should be filial to you and my father. You should let Han Cheng know that your daughter deserves this dowry. It would hurt me if you spent more dowry just for my marriage. It seems that I don't deserve it if you give it back to me. "
Li Yufeng was so angry that she raised her hand and beat her. "You silly child, why are you speaking nonsense? This is your dowry from your mother. If Han Cheng finds out that you didn't marry him empty-handed, he will think highly of you. When I married your father with a gold bracelet, your grandmother treated me better than your other aunts, understand?"
Su Xiaoxiao stretched out her hand to rest on her forehead, and simply showed Li Yufeng the passbook that Han Cheng gave her.
"Mother, look, Han Cheng has given this to me. Those he gave you are just bonuses for completing a mission, so you can take them without feeling uneasy."
Li Yufeng, who had studied in primary school and was also literate, was also surprised to see the figures on the passbook. She swallowed her saliva and said: "Han Cheng is so rich? He gave you such an important thing?"
Su Xiaoxiao nodded, "No, he said that every affair in the family would be under my control, and he agreed to buy clothes for Xiao Bao. Mother, I won't misjudge anyone, I didn't marry Han Cheng because of his handsome face. He is really good. As you can see, as long as I treat him and the children well in the future, he will not treat me unfairly."
Li Yufeng has nothing to say. She touched her daughter's head. She sighed with emotion: "It is said that fools are blessed. I didn't believe it before. Just like what they say, suffering can also be a blessing in disguise. You have been kind since you were little, I'm always worried that you will be bullied by your mother-in-law after you get married. It seems that God still has eyes. Han Cheng has no parents and has a bad relationship with his adoptive mother. You don't need to be guarded against your parents-in-law. Just make your family better. Don't be too extravagant. Raising a child is hard, and there will always be somewhere to spend as the children grow up. "
Su Xiaoxiao leaned her head on Li Yufeng's shoulder and said, "Mom, I know."
God didn't forsake her. It's good to have a kind mother who kept reminding her what she should and shouldn't do.
The next morning, Han Cheng, dressed in a military uniform, pinned a big red flower, and sat in a military jeep to greet his bride.
The driver was not him but a man of the same age as him, who also wore a military uniform.
Driving a big car with four wheels to take the bride, this was the first time anything like this had occurred in Sujia Village.
The car has just entered the village and has been widely spread by the community members.
Su Weimin originally planned to use the three-wheeled tractors of the production team to send Su Xiaoxiao to the county station, but Han Cheng unexpectedly came with four wheels.
He bought meat and drove a big car. Not to mention Sujia Village, they can't find anyone who would do this for a wedding in the entire county.
Han Cheng's father-in-law, Su Weimin, was given so much face.
"Captain Su, is the person with the big red flower your son-in-law? The soldiers are different. They are very energetic and handsome, aren't they?"
Su Weimin's face was flushed with joy, but his mouth was modest and he said, "What's the difference? He also has two eyes and one nose, just like everyone else. It's just that he's better than the average man. "
"That person is out of their league. How can they be the same?"
"Yes, yes, your son-in-law is really rich."
Liu Shuixian ate melon seeds, spat out the skin of melon seeds, and said strangely: "He's certainly different. His wife died, and he still has two children left with him."
The member who had just talked and laughed suddenly got stuck, and the temperature at the scene dropped several degrees.
Liu Shuixian continued to say as if she didn't notice the atmosphere: "There is no certificate, no label, and she has no right to follow the man. Can we be the same as people like Su Xiaoxiao?"
Chapter 9
On such a happy occasion, there are always some people who are unaware of what should be said and what shouldn't be said.
Liu Shuixian can't bear to see Su Xiaoxiao living well.
She is a martyr's family member. Previously, she had been keeping a vigil for her late husband. She thought she was similar to those women who practiced widow chastity in ancient times. [1]
As for Su Xiaoxiao, she is good at being lazy and ambitious. To marry an educated youth, she jumped over the river and lost her reputation.
They both graduated from high school. She was also born with good looks and stature. Which aspect of her was lost to Su Xiaoxiao?
Han Cheng is not only a soldier but also a platoon leader. Seeing that his face was higher than the top, he even went and asked another superior man to drive a car to meet his bride. People who don't know about him will think he is an official.
She was angry with Han Cheng; she couldn't accept that he looked at Su Xiaoxiao but didn't even look at herself.
Liu Shuixian spat out a mouthful of melon seed skin and snorted.
She is not happy. No one should think about having a good time today.
Su Weimin's old face was as black as the bottom of his pot.
"Liu Shuixian, what do you mean? Why are you making trouble on the happy day of my daughter's marriage? Go away! My family doesn't welcome you!"
The members echoed:
"Didn't you also know that Comrade Hans also had two children with him, and yet you still rushed to have a blind date with him? It's also amazing of you to come here to spout nonsense after being rejected. "
"Yes, it's just that he likes Xiaoxiao, ad not you. You can't just say that about them. In our country, we have always set up a drink to celebrate the bright future, and there are a lot of people who didn't even have their certificates. Isn't that interesting?"
"The couple went to the Civil Affairs Bureau yesterday afternoon to get the certificate. Why do you want to cause trouble here?"
Liu Shuixian threw the melon seeds on the table. She stood up and pointed her finger at the people who helped Su Xiaoxiao and said. "Who cares? Are my words wrong? You all have long hair and short knowledge! Do you think everyone has never married a soldier like you? Even if you are a small shrimp soldier, you need to apply for marriage. Only after the approval of the organization can you have the certificate of your marriage. If they did have it yesterday, I will kneel and kowtow to them three times to apologize!" [2]
The guy with a crew cut who is in charge of driving is named Zhao Xianfeng. He is a classmate of Han Cheng at the Military Academy. He is a regiment leader and has a harsher temperament than Han Cheng. He didn't want to have a common view with these wild shrews, but Han Cheng finally begged him to accompany him to take his newly married wife. It can be seen how important his new wife is to him, so Zhao Xianfeng immediately went over:
"Director Han came back for a few days vacation after making great contributions. It was not easy to meet Comrade Su, who was such a good match for him. Yesterday, he called the organization and reported his marriage. The written application also went through the process. It can be proved by returning to the army. It's just a small problem of time sequence. How come it became a huge problem when it went out of your mouth? Director Han also specifically asked the organization to send me to help Director Han pick up the bride. You can see how much the organization and our Director Han attach great importance to Comrade Su. Since you have been a family member of a soldier, do you know what the crime of slandering soldiers and their family members is and what punishment will be imposed on you for slandering soldiers and their families?"
All of Zhao Xianfeng's words were half true and half false, which made all the people stunned.
Han Cheng wants to give him a thumbs up. 'This guy is the best liar.'
The car belongs to the old man of Zhao Xianfeng's family. He indeed borrowed it to help pick up his bride, but it's not owned by their organization.
The members looked at each other's faces and changed their focus. Aren't they soldiers? How did he become a director? Sounds like a high-ranking official?
Matchmaker Xu said that Han Cheng was a soldier. Seeing that he was younger than his late husband. Liu Shuixian thought he was a soldier. Unexpectedly, he was a director. But is there a director in the army? It must be a lie.
The melon-eating member asked again:
"Soldier Comrade, is he a director or a platoon leader?"
Liu Shuixian's late husband used to be a platoon leader. He is already the highest-ranked officer they have ever seen in the army.
Zhao Xianfeng was not a man who could not forgive others. In his eyes, most of the members were still simple and ignorant, and there was no need to make a big deal about it. He said, "It's different. Director Han is a military doctor. We are both soldiers, serving the people. There is no difference."
The members nodded:
"Oh, is that so? Well, you are right, you are all good comrades anyway. "
"Right, right, right…"
Originally, Liu Shuixian only liked Han Cheng. Now, with this identity, she hates Su Xiaoxiao even more.
If she hadn't intervened and Han Cheng was not so anxious to find a wife, the title of director's wife would most likely land in her hands.
(T/N: perhaps in your dreams.)
Now, the wood has become a boat, it is too late to say anything. She doesn't want to be embarrassed by them any further. She glared at the Su family. Her nose flared up, and she turned around and left the place filled with unhappiness.
…
Su Weimin was still full of anger. His daughter went to get their certificate of marriage yesterday afternoon, but he didn't know how to tell them what happened. He almost made a joke, but hearing the officer nearby talk, he felt relieved.
Matchmaker Xu said that Han Cheng was a soldier. Her daughter analyzed that he was at least an officer at the battalion commander level, but he didn't expect that Han Cheng would be a military doctor.
His daughter married a director and he drove four wheels to meet her. How can he still care about Liu Shuixian's opinion?
Su Weimin came forward to greet the guest with a smile: "Come here, please come here. Don't bother with that type of person on a happy day. We should have a good time. The auspicious time is coming, Xiaoxiao has been waiting inside for a long time. "
It is the custom of Sujia Village that the woman places the wine, and newlyweds do not usually have a banquet at the woman's house.
Li Yufeng was worried that her daughter would be hungry on the road. She baked a lot of pancakes and boiled a lot of eggs. Even Xiao Bao's old hen, who he had been feeding for nearly two years, was killed for Su Xiaoxiao to take on the road.
Of course, Xiao Bao agreed to kill the old hen. Su Xiaoxiao often instills the concept of "democracy" in her family. She should ask for the child's consent before touching anything.
The chicken was for his aunt, so Xiao Bao naturally agreed.
He said that it was his dowry for Su Xiaoxiao, which made adults laugh and cry.
Su Xiaoxiao wore the red wedding dress that her mother has hidden for several years and is forced to tie a few redhead ropes when combing her hair. She also has a clean face and did not wear makeup.
Only the festive red color set her face like a peach that was looming on her cheeks. She also ran out to join in the fun. Her face did not have any pink ink, her facial features were exquisite, and her skin was white. She looked very beautiful, very gentle, and comfortable to look at, making everyone feel like she was a spring breeze.
How to put it into words?
It's like a little fairy lost in this world.
Zhao Xianfeng slapped his good friend and said that he had found a treasure. No wonder he was eager to marry her back.
Originally, he thought that how could someone like Han Cheng find a wife from the countryside? It's not that he looks down on rural girls, but the girls in the city are lining up for him to choose from.
After meeting Su Xiaoxiao, he realized how narrow his ideas were.
Marry a virtuous wife. Which man does not want to marry a wife who looks as delicate and beautiful as Su Xiaoxiao?
During the wedding ceremony, Xiao Bao and Li Yufeng cried the most. The grandmother and grandson pair cried together.
Xiao Bao, in particular, cried until he was out of breath.
Don't think children don't understand anything. They are like mirrors. They know everything. In the entire Su family, the person who loves him the most is not his parents or his grandparents. It has always been his Auntie Xiaoxiao.
Now that his favorite aunt is getting married far away, He doesn't know how long it will take for her to come back.
How can he not be sad?
Su Xiaoxiao waved her hand and cried.
She doesn't know whether it's her own emotion or the emotion of the original owner.
Su Xiaoxiao had never felt such affection towards her in her previous life.
She felt that these were her closest family members.
She especially likes Li Yufeng. Her mother should be like her.
She indeed wants to leave the countryside, but if she can, she still wants to live with these lovely family members.
'Just wait a few years
Su Xiaoxiao thought that after the reform and opening up, she would find ways to let her family live with her, at least not so far away from her.
She believes she can do it.
Now, she is going to a new place to start her new life.
'Father, Mother, eldest brother, eldest sister-in-law, second brother, second sister-in-law, Dabao and Xiaobao, goodbye.'
'This separation will eventually lead to a greater reunion, and we will see each other soon.'
On their return trip, Han Cheng, this time, did not take the co-pilot seat but sat in the back row with Su Xiaoxiao.
Seeing Su Xiaoxiao crying, he took out his handkerchief to wipe her tears.
His deceased wife was a comrade who was arranged by the organization to be his partner.
She is a military doctor with a strong personality and is stronger than most men.
Han Cheng has never seen her cry from when he first met her until she left the world. She has a strong working ability. Their relationship is more like a comrade-in-arms.
They are outstanding in their respective jobs, but their family and marriage lives are a mess.
Coming into contact with a delicate and charming female comrade is a first for Han Cheng.
He didn't have any idea of how to comfort her, but tried anyway:
"Don't cry. I will bring the children back with you, and let them meet your family. Or after we settle down, you can ask your mother and Xiaobao to come and live with us for a while. "
Su Xiaoxiao shook her head and said, "I'm fine. You don't need to worry about me. I'll be fine later."
Han Cheng didn't say anything more, but took something out of his pocket and put it on Su Xiaoxiao's wrist.
Su Xiaoxiao lifted her eyes and looked up. She was surprised and bent her eyes: "Watch? Where did you get this watch?"
Watches are not cheap at this time. By its name, "Four Big Things ", you have to have money and tickets to buy them. Besides, this is an imported watch, which means, it is more expensive than the ones you can buy here because it requires an exchange for a foreign bill. [1]
"This is also part of the dowry." Han Cheng said briefly.
He was relieved to see Su Xiaoxiao stop crying and thought buying the watch was worth it.
Zhao Xianfeng, who was driving the vehicle, glanced at the rearview mirror and said: "Sister-in-law, the ticket for exchanging it for a foreign bill was mine. He bought the watch with my help, so I should take my credit. "
Han Cheng had previously introduced Zhao Xianfeng to Su Xiaoxiao.
Su Xiaoxiao smiled at Zhao Xianfeng and said, "Thank you, Comrade Zhao."
Zhao Xianfeng smiled, "You're welcome."
"Aren't we going to the station?" Su Xiaoxiao noticed that they had already passed the station and the car still hadn't stopped yet.
Han Cheng said, "We will go to the city to pick up the children and drive directly back to the army camp."
Su Xiaoxiao didn't ask Zhao Xianfeng where he came from and assumed that he was from the county seat.
After thinking about it, the expressway was not developed at this time, and many places were not opened. It takes four or five hours to drive from Sujia Village to the city on the national highway. Wouldn't it take a long time to drive across provinces?
Su Xiaoxiao: "How long will it take? Isn't it good to take the train?"
Han Cheng shook his head. "There are too many people on the train. It's inconvenient to take two children with us. It takes about ten hours to arrive there."
Su Xiaoxiao: "Then, does Comrade Zhao still have to drive the car back?"
Zhao Xianfeng smiled: "Sister-in-law, I'm in the same army camp as Han Cheng. This guy asked me to drive for ten hours to pick up the two of you. Aren't I a good man?"
Han Cheng gave him a warning glance in the rearview mirror: "You talk too much, drive your car well."
Su Xiaoxiao didn't know what to say: "Comrade Zhao, you've worked hard. It's unnecessary to do these troublesome things. I don't care about these formalities and faces. "
Zhao Xianfeng shook his head: "No trouble, no trouble. It's not easy for this guy to beg me once. I can't help but make him owe me a favor."
Su Xiaoxiao noticed that Zhao Xianfeng's eyes were bloodshot. It was due to fatigue from driving for a long time.
"Isn't it hard to drive for so long?"
The first thing Su Xiaoxiao did when she became an adult was pass her driving school test and get her driver's license. It can be said that she has more driving experience than they do. However, the original owner, Su Xiaoxiao, didn't know how to drive.
Su Xiaoxiao originally wanted to drive the vehicle for them for a while, but after thinking and remembering that driving is said to be one of the professions with the highest income with a small number of employees and is considered to be a rare type of job, she didn't insist on helping them anymore.
In addition, there is no GPS navigation at this time, so she doesn't even know how to get to their destination.
Zhao Xianfeng was struggling: "It's alright, I will let Han Cheng drive us when we get out of the county."
The county is not big. Before going on the national highway, Han Cheng asked Zhao Xianfeng to stop his car.
Han Cheng asked Su Xiaoxiao to sit in the front with him and make room for Zhao Xianfeng.
There are not many cars these days. They are the only ones running along the national highway.
Han Cheng was not in a hurry and drove the car steadily.
Zhao Xianfeng slept soundly in the back seat.
Han Cheng and Su Xiaoxiao didn't talk much to avoid hindering his rest.
They were silent all the way.
Four hours later, the car stopped steadily in front of the family compound of the municipal military region.
Su Xiaoxiao walked to the back of the car, divided the things her mother prepared, and made plans to let Han Cheng take them.
Han Cheng shook his head and said, "No, I will go up to pick up the children myself and come down soon."
Su Xiaoxiao's blinked: Does that mean, she didn't have to greet the elders?
After Han Cheng left, the now energetic Zhao Xianfeng, who was sleeping in the back seat, said, "Did Han Cheng not tell you about his life experience?"
Su Xiaoxiao said, "He said a little, but he was not very detailed."
Zhao Xianfeng said: "From the day Han Cheng's father died on the battlefield, he decided to be a military doctor. He was ready to go to the battlefield to save people at any time. You don't need to care about his so-called teacher's wife. When his teacher took Han Cheng home, his teacher's wife didn't care much about Han Cheng. She only did it for the face and didn't do anything like raise Han Cheng. If it weren't for the sake of his dead teacher, Han Cheng wouldn't have sent his children here.
Han Cheng gave her most of his monthly salary, but that woman doesn't know how to raise the children at all.
When Han Cheng went on vacation, he didn't tell anyone that he would bring his children back to the army, nor did he mention marrying a wife. On his vacation, he came back with his wife, whom he married from the countryside, and the children, whom he hurriedly picked up to take away, I don't think it will turn out good for him."
Su Xiaoxiao was not aware of the cause and effect, nor did she know what to say.
Zhao Xianfeng thought of something, and hurriedly added: "Sorry, sister-in-law, I didn't say that you were bad, it's just…"
Su Xiaoxiao shook her head and said, "It's okay, I understand."
Zhao Xianfeng was worried, "Sister-in-law, I am not saying that female comrades in the countryside are bad, but there are too many female comrades in the army who like Han Cheng…"
Su Xiaoxiao looked at him with her head tilted.
Zhao Xianfeng hurriedly shut his mouth.
Shit, I've made so many mistakes.
Su Xiaoxiao smiled: "Comrade Zhao, you don't need to explain, I don't mind."
While they were talking, Han Cheng was already walking down the stairs, carrying a child in his left hand and a little boy walking a little unnaturally in his right hand.
An aunt in her early fifties came after him, dragging two children in her hands.
"Hey, Han Cheng, stop! You can't leave without making your words clear!"
Han Cheng walked forward without stopping.
Su Xiaoxiao's eyes moved to the child in Han Cheng's hands.
She was stunned at this sight.
References
The Four Big Things is a term originally applied to the four symbols of material success in China from the 1950s until the 1970s and is now used to refer to any visible marker of newfound affluence. The original list was: A sewing machine; A bicycle; a wristwatch, generally from the Shanghai Watch Company; a radio receiver, usually Red Star or Red Lantern brand.
