At dusk as the sun was setting, Zhao Guihua was pedaling her bicycle hurriedly homeward.
It's worth noting that although the weather was still quite cold, spring had officially begun, and the days were getting longer. When Zhao Guihua was returning home, she caught the machinery factory just as it was letting out, with workers walking home in small groups.
From a distance, you could still hear the factory's loudspeaker playing "We Workers Have Power."
Li the Cook and his son-in-law Yang Lixin were among the crowd. They had been the center of attention lately, which wasn't surprising given all the recent events on their street. Everyone was naturally curious.
The workers from their street were quite popular at the factory.
The recent drama had been so full of twists and turns that everyone wished they could have witnessed it firsthand.
While Li the Cook and his son-in-law were chatting animatedly with others, a figure whizzed past them. Li the Cook, with his sharp eyes, immediately called out, "Zhao Guihua!"
Zhao Guihua's bicycle screeched to a halt as she turned around and said, "Oh, Li the Cook? What do you want?"
Li the Cook looked at her with slightly raised eyebrows and said, "Comrade Zhao, where have you been? You're in quite a state!"
Li the Cook's comment was justified - anyone would have remarked on her appearance. Zhao Guihua was covered in dirt, with even her hair full of burrs. She looked absolutely disheveled. He asked suspiciously, "Have you been fighting with someone?"
Zhao Guihua's eyes widened, "Do you even know how to make conversation? Why would I be fighting with anyone? Am I that kind of person?"
Li the Cook thought silently: Yes, you are!
Zhao Guihua snorted and said, "I'm not someone who sits around doing nothing. Look what I've got - I caught a rabbit!"
Zhao Guihua pulled up a rabbit by its ears from her basket and waved it in front of Li the Cook. His eyes lit up, "Wow!!!"
His eyes gleamed with excitement. As a cook, he ate better than most people and never went hungry, but in these times, even well-fed people would get excited at the sight of meat. Especially free meat.
He exclaimed in amazement, "You're something else, Old Zhao. That's quite a feat!"
Looking at Zhao Guihua's disheveled state now made sense - it was clearly from catching the rabbit. Thinking about it that way, it seemed worth it. What's a little dirt? It could be washed off at home.
After all, it was a whole rabbit.
He gave her a thumbs up, "Impressive! Where did you catch it?"
Zhao Guihua replied, "I was going fishing, and spotted it on the way. I spent the whole day trying to catch it, couldn't do anything else!"
Li the Cook smiled, thinking to himself: With your fishing skills, the day would have been wasted anyway, you wouldn't have caught anything. Getting this rabbit is actually quite a lucky surprise. However, he didn't dare say this out loud.
This woman was too fierce.
He smiled enviously and said, "Old Man Zhuang is in for a treat."
Zhao Guihua replied, "You can say that again!"
She then asked, "Hey, have you seen my Old Man Zhuang?"
Li the Cook shook his head, "No, he's probably still behind."
Their kitchen work was lighter in the afternoon. Once they finished cleaning up, they had little to do except prepare for the next morning. Compared to other workers who still had to pack up their tools after their shift, they had everything ready and were just waiting to leave.
Sometimes, if something came up, they could even slip away early.
Li the Cook was quite proud of his job.
He said, "Do you know how to cook rabbit? Why don't you give it to me, I'll cook for you both, and have a drink with Old Man Zhuang." He had to admit, he was craving some rabbit meat.
Zhao Guihua replied, "Don't even think about it, forget it, not happening!"
There was no way she would host a meal for no particular reason.
Li the Cook was just trying his luck anyway, so he sighed, "Such luck, hey."
After chatting briefly, Zhao Guihua didn't stay to walk with them but quickly got back on her bicycle and headed home. While the men could go home to ready-made meals, she still had to cook. It wasn't that Liang Meifen couldn't cook, but rather that Liang Meifen was the type of person who... would just wait around if you didn't tell her what to do.
She wouldn't dare make decisions on her own.
However, Zhao Guihua didn't think Liang Meifen was truly timid - being scared of small things meant nothing when you weren't afraid of the big things.
She quickly cycled home, where Hutou and Xiao Yanzi were playing hopscotch in the courtyard, laughing and giggling. Xiao Yanzi was shouting, "I'm better! I'm better than big brother!"
Hutou didn't mind, just smiled happily. Speaking of Hutou, he didn't take after either his father or mother - he was most like Old Man Zhuang. Good-natured and easy-going, agreeable about everything. Most boys his age wouldn't want to play with their sisters, but Hutou never complained, taking his sister everywhere, the two of them inseparable.
Hutou saw his grandmother return and happily ran over, "Grandma!"
Both siblings had been raised primarily by Zhao Guihua, and they were closer to her than to their own parents. Zhao Guihua ruffled Hutou's hair and said, "Look what we're having tonight."
Hutou: "Wow!!!"
A rabbit!
He exclaimed excitedly, "We're having rabbit meat?"
Zhao Guihua: "That's right."
"Wow!"
The two children were overjoyed. Hutou declared, "My grandma is the best!"
Hearing the cheering, Liang Meifen hurriedly came out, her face bright with joy - everyone wanted to eat something good in these times. She came forward, "Mom, are we having rabbit tonight? Should we cook it now?"
Zhao Guihua: "Let's do it. Everyone's appetite hasn't been great lately, we could use something good to boost our spirits."
Liang Meifen: "Alright! Should we cut it in half or into quarters?"
Zhao Guihua waved her hand dismissively, "Let's cook it all. Look at this rabbit, it's barely two jin. With all the people in our family, how would it be enough if we only cook a little? Clean it and cut it in half - make spicy stir-fried rabbit with one half, and stew the other half with potatoes."
Having decided the rabbit's fate, she went to the water tank to wash up. The rabbit had really given her a chase - it had taken quite an effort to catch it. If she wasn't such a persistent person, she would have given up long ago.
But people should have some persistence - otherwise, they wouldn't be eating rabbit meat now, would they?
She instructed Hutou, "Hutou, go get me some hot water from the thermos, I need to wash my hair."
Hutou: "Okay."
Liang Meifen was about to start preparing the rabbit when she saw her son going for the thermos and quickly said, "I'll do it!"
She muttered, "It doesn't matter if you get burned, but what if you break the thermos?"
Hutou: "..."
He felt there was something not quite right about his mother's priorities.
Although the weather was still quite cold, it didn't stop people from washing their hair in the courtyard. Not just Zhao Guihua, but everyone else did the same, unless it was freezing. People preferred washing in the courtyard to avoid getting water all over the house.
Due to the quadrangle courtyard layout, while it was windy outside, the courtyard was relatively sheltered. After washing her hair, Zhao Guihua wrapped it thoroughly in a towel, then took off her outer clothes and pants to change into others.
She never wore her padded jacket and pants as outer garments. After all, wearing them directly wasn't a good habit. Just a few days ago, someone had gotten manure on their clothes and couldn't clean it off. This showed the importance of thinking ahead.
After getting herself sorted out, Zhao Guihua said, "I'll cook later."
It wasn't that she didn't trust Liang Meifen, but the spicy stir-fried rabbit might be beyond her capabilities. Their family didn't usually cook very spicy dishes, so Liang Meifen might not handle it well. While Zhao Guihua would cook dinner, Liang Meifen, showing good initiative, went to wash the clothes Zhao Guihua had changed out of.
She never complained about or shirked from work.
Liang Meifen went straight to wash clothes in the courtyard when Aunt Su gently pushed open her door and came over. She came to fetch water - most families had a water vat, including Aunt Su's family. But they still often came out to get fresh water while cooking, making you wonder if their water vat was just for show.
Seeing Liang Meifen washing Zhao Guihua's clothes, Aunt Su spoke softly, "Elder Zhuang's wife, you're really hardworking, always busy taking care of the family. Those are your mother-in-law's clothes, aren't they? How lucky Zhao Guihua is to have such a diligent and sensible daughter-in-law. It really makes one envious."
Liang Meifen raised the corner of her mouth proudly and said, "It's only natural for a daughter-in-law to be filial to her mother-in-law. I'm just doing my duty."
Aunt Su replied, "See how down-to-earth you are! Being a good daughter-in-law is indeed one's duty, but not everyone can do it well. Without looking far, even in our courtyard, there are those who can't manage it. You're truly filial."
Liang Meifen felt warmth in her heart. Although her mother-in-law was a sharp-tongued old woman who never acknowledged her efforts, at least outsiders could see her goodness, couldn't they?
Speaking of which, Aunt Su was truly the kindest person in the courtyard. She asked, "Auntie, isn't your Xiu still at work? I saw Li the Cook and Little Yang have already returned."
Aunt Su replied, "Not yet, but she should be back soon."
She smiled weakly and said, "How can we compare ourselves to the cooks? Look, your family members aren't back either, right?"
Just then, Old Man Zhuang entered carrying a wooden board. Aunt Su asked curiously, "Brother Zhuang, what's that?"
Old Man Zhuang explained, "Oh, the old cesspool cleaner asked my third son to make him a board. My son finished it but went to pick up his wife, so I'm bringing it back for him."
Aunt Su remarked, "The young couple is so loving."
Hoping to stir up trouble between the two sisters-in-law, she added, "The third son's wife is so busy with work, she probably can't keep up with the housework, right?"
This was what she had been trying to get at with all her roundabout talk.
Of course, she wasn't stirring up trouble without purpose - she wasn't a fool like Mrs. Zhou Li who caused harm without gaining anything. Her attempts to create discord between the sisters-in-law would benefit her. She didn't really care about Liang Meifen, whom she considered a brainless fool who couldn't even save money. Such people were never part of her plans. Since there was no money to be gained from Liang Meifen, being nice to her would bring no benefits. Her real target was the wealthy Ming Mei.
She wanted to create discord between Liang Meifen and Ming Mei.
Then, she could console young Ming Mei... hah!
With only a difficult mother-in-law and a dim-witted sister-in-law around her, Ming Mei would surely become friends with their family. Once they became friends, Ming Mei would inevitably help them financially. Aunt Su never planned just for the immediate future; she always thought three steps ahead.
So this was just the beginning.
However, with Old Man Zhuang present, she couldn't say much more, only adding another small jab: "This family is lucky to have you."
Just as Liang Meifen was about to respond, Zhao Guihua suddenly threw open the kitchen window and shouted, "Will you die if you don't stir up trouble?"
She wasn't someone to be trifled with.
Zhao Guihua yelled, "Mind your own daughter-in-law and leave other families alone. Stop your little schemes. Liang Meifen, hurry up and wash - whose daughter-in-law are you anyway? You believe everything people say and feel pleased with yourself. How can you be so stupid?"
Hearing this, Liang Meifen quickly resumed washing, no longer engaging with Aunt Su.
She didn't dare speak anymore.
Aunt Su's expression changed several times before quickly returning to normal. She spoke softly, "Zhao Guihua, you misunderstand me. Do you have some misconception about me? If so, we should clear it up. You've been so cold to me lately..."
Seeing her act all wronged and pitiful, Zhao Guihua deeply understood why those old men had fallen for her tricks. However, as an old woman herself, she wasn't fooled by this act. She snorted and said, "Stop stirring up trouble, and no one will misunderstand you."
She then shouted, "Old Man Zhuang, hurry home! What are you looking at out there?"
Old Man Zhuang replied, "Ah, alright."
He came in carrying the wooden board, and Zhao Guihua glanced at it, asking, "What's written on it?"
Old Man Zhuang suddenly became awkward, his expression quite strange.
Zhao Guihua had just asked casually, but seeing his odd expression, she became curious and said, "What is it?"
Old Man Zhuang hesitated before raising the board, saying, "Look."
"No Swimming Here!"
Zhao Guihua raised an eyebrow in confusion: "What's wrong with that? 'No Swimming Here' - what's the problem?"
Why was he acting so strange about it?
She lowered her head to chop the rabbit, but before the cleaver came down, she suddenly realized something. This was meant to be posted at the outhouse, wasn't it? "No Swimming Here"???
Her mouth twitched as she said with exasperation, "Zhuang Zhixi is really something else."
That boy, always up to these tricks!
So slyly mischievous.
Old Man Zhuang nodded when he heard this, saying, "Don't you think this wording is inappropriate? I think it's not good. It'll be embarrassing when others see it. Especially the neighbors - what will Zhou Qun and Bai Fendou think when they see this? Won't it be awful?"
Old Man Zhuang put himself in others' shoes, thinking how he would feel seeing such a sign after having fallen in before - it would surely be devastating.
Zhao Guihua looked at it once, then twice, and quickly became composed: "It's fine, what does it have to do with us? Wasn't it Old Man Bao who approved this? Besides, their concerns aren't unreasonable."
Old Man Zhuang said, "Well, if you say so."
He was quite a person without principles.
Old Man Zhuang quickly put the matter out of his mind and remarked, "You're amazing, catching such an agile rabbit."
Zhao Guihua smiled proudly and said, "Of course! Don't you know who I am? I'm going again tomorrow. If there are rabbits, I'll catch rabbits; if not, I'll fish. I must keep bringing in good catches."
Old Man Zhuang: "..."
After a moment of silence, he nodded good-naturedly: "You'll definitely succeed."
They'd had the fishing rod for half a month now and hadn't caught a single fish.
But Old Man Zhuang didn't dare provoke his wife. Being a straightforward person, he said, "When we have days off soon, I'll go fishing with you."
He wasn't really skilled at fishing either, but he had some experience and considered himself slightly better than Zhao Guihua.
"Alright, now that the ice is starting to melt, we can't use our old method to catch fish anymore. We need to think of a new way. We can't rely on just fishing with rods - how many can we catch that way?"
Old Man Zhuang immediately became alert and asked, "You're not thinking of selling fish again, are you?"
Zhao Guihua replied, "No! The prices aren't good now, and it's risky. Do you think I'm stupid? I just want to catch more while we can and make salted fish. That'll last us a long time." Who wouldn't want more good food stored away?
Old Man Zhuang said, "That makes sense, but we don't have anywhere to dry the salted fish."
How could the neighbors not notice?
Fish has a strong smell.
Zhao Guihua understood this and nodded, saying, "Exactly!"
"Mom, we're home!" Ming Mei returned from work like a cheerful magpie. Zhao Guihua smiled and said, "Look at her - when she comes home, the whole courtyard knows it."
Old Man Zhuang remarked, "Young people!"
Youth brings such energy.
Ming Mei and Zhuang Zhixi entered hand in hand, and Ming Mei immediately called out, "Mom, let's go watch a movie tonight! They're showing one at the machinery factory."
"Movie! I want to watch the movie!"
Before Zhao Guihua could respond, Hutou rushed in, jumping up and down. Like all children, he loved such entertainment. He pleaded, "Grandma, let's go watch the movie, let's go watch the movie."
Zhao Guihua said, "Alright, we'll go after dinner."
"Then let's eat early! If we're late, it'll be too crowded and we won't get good seats." Liang Meifen was eager too. There wasn't much entertainment available, and movies were quite a treat. She felt particularly anxious - while working before, there had been some excitement, but after being idle at home for just over two months, she felt especially confined.
Her suggestion received unanimous agreement, and even Zhao Guihua's movements became quicker.
As always, when Zhao Guihua first reincarnated, she found everything crude and rough, but it took just a few days to adapt to life in the 1970s. In her previous life, she had grown tired of watching TV and even had a large projector at home.
Now, forget about TV - they didn't even have a radio.
These days, just hearing about a movie made Zhao Guihua's feet itch with excitement.
"Oh, Mom, when did we get a rabbit?" Ming Mei belatedly noticed the rabbit and exclaimed excitedly, "You caught it, didn't you? It must have been you, no one else could do it!"
Zhao Guihua was quite pleased. You see, this was what she liked about her young daughter-in-law - she had a discerning eye and immediately knew that such an impressive feat could only have been accomplished by certain people.
Ming Mei wasn't just flattering her. Although she hadn't been married into the family for long, she had already figured out everyone's capabilities. Her father-in-law, Old Man Zhuang, was so quiet he was practically invisible. As for her elder brother-in-law and his wife, well, that went without saying. Even Zhuang Zhixi wasn't the type who could catch rabbits.
The only expert here was obviously her mother-in-law!
"How should we cook it?" she asked.
"Two dishes," said Zhao Guihua. "One spicy stir-fry and one stew."
Ming Mei snapped her fingers. "Perfect!"
Among family members, there was nothing to hide, so Zhao Guihua chatted away about how she caught the rabbit. Ming Mei immediately perked up and said, "Mom, next time I'm on holiday, take me with you. I'm really good at this kind of thing."
Among the family members, she was the only one who had never gone rabbit hunting.
Zhao Guihua gave her a sidelong glance and said, "You think you can do it?"
Ming Mei proudly declared, "How could I not? I'm very capable!"
Zhuang Zhixi smiled and said, "That's right, my wife is amazing."
Zhao Guihua replied, "Alright, we'll go together in a few days."
Ming Mei broke into a bright smile, her whole face lighting up. Zhuang Zhixi stared at her, transfixed, until Ming Mei playfully pinched him and said, "What are you looking at?"
Zhuang Zhixi raised his eyebrows and made a funny face at her. Ming Mei burst out laughing and said, "Oh, you!"
Although Zhuang Zhixi was being clingy, Ming Mei's mind was actually on the movie. She nudged Zhuang Zhixi and asked, "What movie are they showing today?"
These days, there were only a few popular films in rotation.
Ming Mei: "..."
She said wistfully, "I hope it's 'Tunnel Warfare.'"
Although it wouldn't be her first time watching it, she still hoped for something different. She clasped her hands together and mumbled, "I hope it's something I haven't seen recently."
Zhuang Zhixi couldn't help but laugh.
While Ming Mei had her preferences, the others didn't really care. Everyone was quite eager. Zhao Guihua stir-fried the rabbit meat with chilies, filling the air with a spicy, fragrant aroma that made everyone's mouths water.
The smell of meat attracted the neighborhood children, who gathered outside the window. While the adults were too embarrassed to lurk, the children didn't know any better and stood there drooling, despite the strong spicy smell that couldn't mask the delicious meat aroma.
Zhao Guihua: "These little ones..."
She looked at the rabbit meat in the pot, knowing that if she gave some to each child, there wouldn't be enough to go around, so she firmly refused to share. After all, other families didn't share their meat with neighborhood children either. In this courtyard, only the Bai family father and son were known to be generous.
People really do have their good and bad points. While the Bai father and son were often looked down upon in many ways, they did have their merits - they were very kind to the children in the courtyard.
Of course, this kindness had its hierarchy - Su family's three children were at the top of the list, and other children couldn't compare.
But even if they couldn't compare, the father and son were still more generous with children than others.
Anyway, Zhao Guihua wasn't willing to share, and she continued her cooking despite the children's watchful eyes.
"Wewei, Junjun, come home for dinner!"
"Er Mao, time to eat!~"
Since there was a movie tonight, everyone was eating early. Soon, people started calling their children home.
The children gradually dispersed, including the three Su children. Aunt Su called out, "Come home for dinner!"
She had been caught stirring up trouble by Zhao Guihua today, and she knew the old woman wouldn't give her grandchildren any meat now. Who knew the old woman had such sharp ears?
The three boys ran home, saying, "Grandma, we want to eat rabbit meat."
Wang Xiangxiu, who was serving rice nearby, interjected: "Don't even think about it, we don't have any."
"Go ask Grandma Zhao's family for some."
Wang Xiangxiu slammed down the rice bowl and said, "Are you going to eat or not? If you're not eating, then don't. You think they'll give you some just because you ask? You're not little kids anymore, how can you be so inconsiderate? They're not just any family, they won't give us face. Especially after you were caught stealing - do you think they'll be nice to you? Come on, hurry up and eat. Don't you want to watch the movie later?"
"We do!"
Seeing that Wang Xiangxiu was genuinely angry, the three boys wisely lowered their heads and started eating.
Though children might be naive, they could tell when adults were truly upset versus just pretending.
Aunt Su whispered, "Xiu'er, why are you in such a bad mood today?"
Wang Xiangxiu seemed very upset.
Wang Xiangxiu glanced at the three children without saying anything, clearly not wanting them to know.
Aunt Su said, "Let's eat, let's eat."
She made up her mind to ask about it privately later.
While the Su family's mood was low, their neighbors were eating happily. Since they had started managing their own meals and paying for food separately, they had been eating better than before. Of course, this was largely thanks to Zhao Guihua's good management. However, by the standards of the 1930s, for eight people, it was just ordinary fare.
They wouldn't go hungry, but luxurious meals were out of the question.
This was all thanks to Zhao Guihua's capabilities.
Ming Mei: "Mmm, this is so delicious!"
Though the spiciness made her pant, she couldn't stop eating. Although both dishes were rabbit meat, she found the spicy stir-fry much more delicious than the potato stew. The intensity of the flavors was exhilarating. The children, however, couldn't handle the spice and preferred the potato stew.
A rabbit wasn't very big, and with their large family, they finished the entire rabbit in one dinner.
Ming Mei's lips were red from the spice as she patted her belly and said, "That was really delicious!"
The others nodded in agreement.
How could meat not be delicious?
Even the potatoes cooked with the meat were tasty.
The family didn't linger at home to reminisce further, instead quickly preparing to go out. Zhao Guihua reminded everyone.
"Lock all the doors and windows before we go to the movie." During the day, when they went out nearby, they usually didn't lock up. That was common practice back then. Although it wasn't exactly "leaving doors unlocked at night," it certainly wasn't as cautious as it would be decades later.
However, that's not to say there weren't any thieves - they had caught one just a few days ago.
They didn't think another thief would visit, but they still had to be wary of the courtyard's little thieves.
Everyone knew the Su family's children had sticky fingers. While they wouldn't dare steal money, their habit of stealing food was quite unpleasant. In these times, who didn't need every bit of food they had?
The family checked that all doors and windows were properly closed and locked.
Only then did they leave the courtyard together. Ming Mei asked, "Since everyone's going to the movie, should we lock the courtyard gate?"
Zhao Guihua replied, "No need, Granny Zhu in the back courtyard definitely won't go."
Ming Mei was surprised: "There are people who don't like watching movies?"
Zhuang Zhixi explained from beside her, "Granny Zhu has eye problems, she can't see clearly even if she goes. That's why she never attends."
Ming Mei nodded in understanding.
The family walked together to the factory area. Along the way, they met many people, and those who knew Zhuang Zhixi would inevitably greet him, then look at his young wife beside him, marveling at how lucky the rascal was.
All the children in their area had grown up together, and everyone knew what everyone else was really like.
What kind of person was Zhuang Zhixi?
He was fair-skinned and cute, sweet-talking, and good at studies - the typical good kid. So whenever something happened, nobody believed such a well-behaved boy could cause trouble.
Their neighborhood friends often took the blame for him.
After graduating from high school, everyone was impressed by how quickly he found work. Later, when the "Down to the Countryside" movement was in full swing, people remarked on how this guy with his fair face was actually quite clever and quick to act.
Now, he had found himself a pretty wife, how could others not feel envious and jealous?
"Young Zhuang, this is your wife, right? Sister-in-law, where do you work?"
Ming Mei glanced at Zhuang Zhixi, who introduced, "He's Little Yang from the neighboring compound. We grew up together."
Ming Mei nodded with a smile, "I'm Ming Mei. I work at the bus transit station."
Little Yang seized the opportunity: "The transit station? That's great! Say, sister-in-law, are there any single girls at your workplace? You see, I'm still single."
If you're looking for a partner, you shouldn't dawdle.
Ming Mei raised her eyebrows in surprise. Zhao Guihua, who had been quiet until now, spoke up: "If you want to find a wife, go to Auntie Wang. Why ask Ming Mei? How would she know anyone to introduce?"
Little Yang: "..."
The matches Auntie Wang made were generally mediocre.
But he couldn't say that out loud, so he just smiled and said, "I'm just casting a wide net, you know?"
"Even if you're casting a wide net, you can't ask my daughter-in-law to make introductions. There are other older single men in our compound, and if Ming Mei starts introducing you to people, they'll resent our family for being unfair," Zhao Guihua said with a half-joking, half-serious tone. These words weren't entirely in jest.
"Oh, no... but that guy in your compound... could he even find someone?" Little Yang thought Bai Fendou would probably end up pining after the widow forever.
Although Zhao Guihua hadn't mentioned any names, Little Yang knew exactly who she meant.
He started to say, "He's really..."
He was about to mock him when he saw Bai Fendou cycling over from a distance, and immediately stopped talking.
Though he thought Bai Fendou was really showing off, riding a bicycle for such a short distance. Was he trying to flaunt that he had a bike? How pretentious.
Bai Fendou was indeed quite pleased with himself. Recently, his reputation had suffered after falling into a manure pit, with people everywhere asking him, "Did it taste good?"
Damn these bastards, why wouldn't they just die? Real jerks.
So when this rare opportunity came up, he immediately brought out his bicycle to show off and let people see what he was capable of.
Though the distance wasn't far, having a bike made it faster.
Sure enough, his cycling attracted many envious glances, making Bai Fendou extremely proud. He let go of the handlebars, spread his arms wide in an arrogant display—SPLASH!
The bike hit a rock, crashed with a bang, and Bai Fendou's moment of glory lasted less than five seconds before meeting his Waterloo. It happened so quickly that no one had time to react.
Ming Mei: "Oh my goodness!"
Bai Fendou: "Damn it!"
He cursed, quickly got up, and rushed to check his bicycle.
Little Yang and the others burst into laughter.
Zhao Guihua: "..."
She thought that Bai Fendou's inability to find a partner might not just be because of the widow situation; he might be partly to blame himself.
She said, "Let's hurry up, don't you want to get good seats in the front?"
"Let's go, let's go."
The whole family entered the factory grounds together. It was Ming Mei's first time here, and she looked around curiously. Zhao Guihua was also looking around. Though it wasn't her first visit, her last time here was decades ago, and now it felt like ancient history.
When she had been reborn, this place no longer had any machinery factory; instead, it had become a shopping center with many residential buildings. There was no trace of the machinery factory left. Many people didn't even know about the machinery factory anymore.
Only the older folks like them would feel nostalgic when thinking about the machinery factory.
Now, the place was still bustling with activity and filled with voices.
The entire factory grounds had been set up with screens, and many long benches were arranged around them. Still, some people brought their own folding stools—if you were going to sit at the very back, you might as well find a spot on the side with your own stool.
They arrived neither early nor late. The front seats were taken, so they sat somewhere between the middle and back, which wasn't too bad. At least they weren't at the very back.
The family couldn't all sit together in one row, so Zhuang Zhixi and Ming Mei sat in the row behind. Ming Mei looked around curiously and said, "Your factory is so big!"
Their transit station wasn't nearly this large, nor did it have this many people. Compared to the machinery factory, their numbers were pitiful.
Zhuang Zhixi smiled, "This is nothing. We're a factory of ten thousand workers. Right now, you're only seeing a few hundred people—most haven't come to watch."
Ming Mei: "Are there really people who don't like watching movies?"
She couldn't understand it at all—watching movies was such a wonderful thing.
Ming Mei wished she had brought some sunflower seeds to snack on while watching.
Zhuang Zhixi: "The factory shows movies once or twice almost every month, but they usually show the same ones. So some people who've seen them many times don't come anymore. We don't have anything else to do, but some people have lots of housework and would rather get things done at home. How could they waste time watching the same things repeatedly?"
Ming Mei let out a soft "oh" and said, "Well, I love watching them anyway."
Zhuang Zhixi smiled and said, "I know. We'll come every time then. I'll bring you to watch."
Ming Mei said coyly, "That would be lovely."
He reached out and held Ming Mei's small hand. Just then, a woman walked over, curiously looking at Ming Mei, and smiled, "Little Zhuang, is this your wife?"
Zhuang Zhixi: "Yes, isn't my wife beautiful?"
Hearing this, the woman's smile almost faltered, but she nodded slightly and walked away, squeezing into the crowd.
Soon after, another woman came over to say hello.
"There seem to be quite a few women at your factory?" Ming Mei suddenly spoke up.
Zhuang Zhixi was startled, then smiled and said, "Not really."
He explained, "This is a machinery factory, so naturally there aren't many women. The women you see now are mostly family members, not factory workers. Take Wang Xiangxiu for example. In their workshop of dozens of people, there are only three women. That's why she can get away with slacking off sometimes."
Ming Mei gave him a knowing look and asked, "What about your medical office?"
Zhuang Zhixi earnestly explained, "Well, our medical office is different from other departments—we have more women than men. But all the sisters in our medical office are married."
He knew exactly what this little jealous pot was thinking.
He quickly explained, "Besides the women in the medical office, I'm not familiar with any other female colleagues, and I don't interact with them. But you know, being as handsome as I am, it's inevitable that people might like me, but my heart belongs only to you."
Ming Mei: "Hmph."
Despite her serious expression, her upturned lips revealed that she wasn't upset at all.
Zhuang Zhixi laughed and moved closer to her, saying, "My dear wife, now that I have you, my precious pearl, how could I possibly get involved with anyone else, right?"
Ming Mei: "I suppose you have a point."
Ming Mei said softly, "I should come to your factory more often, so everyone knows you have a wife. That'll prevent you from causing any trouble. Let me tell you, if you mess around outside, don't blame me for being harsh with you."
Zhuang Zhixi raised his hand: "My dear, I swear I'm not that kind of person. Besides, you know me, right? I may be smooth-talking, but my character is impeccable. Look how pure my eyes are."
Ming Mei: "...Oh, please."
Her lips curled up again, and Zhuang Zhixi gently caressed Ming Mei's small hand. Ming Mei felt ticklish and couldn't help laughing, saying, "Alright, I believe you."
The two of them had their heads close together, whispering, when Hutou turned around curiously and asked, "Uncle, Auntie, what are you talking about?"
Zhuang Zhixi: "We're trying to guess what movie they're showing."
Zhuang Zhixi had become quite good at making up stories, and Hutou believed him, immediately saying loudly, "I know, I know! Today they're showing 'Little Soldier Zhang Ga.'"
Ming Mei: "Oh!"
But "Little Soldier Zhang Ga" was also good to watch. Ming Mei happily said, "That's wonderful then."
Hutou nodded in agreement—children naturally preferred watching "Little Soldier Zhang Ga."
He said, "Little Soldier Zhang Ga is really amazing."
Ming Mei chuckled softly in agreement: "Yes, it's very interesting."
As they were talking, darkness had fallen, and the movie was about to begin. Ming Mei watched the bustle and said, "Oh, look, people are moving forward!"
Zhuang Zhixi: "They're going to sit in the front rows. See those two front rows? They're reserved for the leaders, and usually no one sits there. But the leaders don't come every time, so when the movie starts and there are no leaders, some sharp-eyed people will rush forward. Those are the best seats, and it's quite an achievement to get them."
Ming Mei let out a long "oh," noting that her workplace didn't have nearly as many people or movie screenings like this. She found it quite fascinating and thought it looked really interesting.
She asked, "Should we go to the front then?"
Zhuang Zhixi looked at his wife's sparkling eyes and shook his head, "Let's not. We're too late now. We won't be able to get seats up there, and if we try, we might lose these spots too."
Ming Mei responded, "Oh, you're right."
She stretched her neck to look around and asked, "So there are no leaders here today?"
Zhuang Zhixi nodded, "No leaders came today."
In such cold weather, there was no real need for the leaders to come. Even for movie screenings, the leaders often had their "special treatment" - the projectionist could arrange private screenings for them. So on cold days, the leaders wouldn't show up.
He held Ming Mei's hand and said, "Are you cold? Let me warm your hands."
Ming Mei replied sweetly, "Okay~"
They were already holding hands, but now they became even more openly affectionate. Zhuang Zhixi brought his wife's hand to his mouth and breathed on it, saying, "This should make it less cold."
Ming Mei laughed softly, a sweet sound, and made a gentle "mm-hmm."
She reached out to touch Zhuang Zhixi's face and said, "Your face is so cold too. Would you like my scarf?"
Zhuang Zhixi replied, "No need, I'm a man with plenty of body heat. I'm not cold."
Bai Fendou, who had slipped and fallen, arrived a bit late, though not too late. He ended up sitting right behind the young couple, with a clear view of their interaction.
Though they spoke quietly, their affectionate behavior was obvious - so sweet it was almost syrupy. Watching the loving couple, he gazed up at the sky dejectedly, feeling bitter inside. They were both men, and he considered himself better, so why couldn't he find a wife?
How come others could get married, but not him?
Why?
How bitter it was!
