Five years of marriage, always separated [1970s]

If it was just a guess that Dabao looked strange just now, at this moment Geng Zhiye was sure that his son was hiding something. Geng Zhiye opened the back door and threw his son in, then he sat in and said, "Let's talk about what you are thinking about now."

Is Dad a devil? Dabao fell weakly on his seat: "I don't know what Dad said."

"When did you become so sensible?" Geng Zhiye stared at his son. "When Erbao asked to keep a low profile, you didn't ask. That's not like you."

Dabao opened his eyes wide and looked innocent: "It's OK if I look like you."

"No matter how poor you are, I will treat your mother?"

Dabao wanted to cry but had no tears: "Dad, I really didn't expect this."

"Why don't you confess first and let Dad help you judge?"

Dabao squinted his eyes at his father and asked, "Am I stupid?"

"Then I'll call your mother over." Geng Zhiye said.

Dabao hesitated for a moment and said, "Mom doesn't know anything. It's useless for her to come over."

"When a goose flies, it leaves traces." Geng Zhiye reminded, "If you have done it, there will be no traces. Dabao, can you stand up to your mother's analysis?"

One of the people who knew about it was his mother's old classmate. Dabao didn't dare to bet: "Can you promise not to beat me when you find out?"

Geng Zhiye: "If you touch the bottom line of the law——"

“No, no…” Dabao shook his head like a rattle.

Geng Zhiye didn't understand: "Then what are you afraid of?"

"I'm afraid of being punished by you to kneel. How old am I? If my classmates knew that I was kneeling in the yard, I would—"

Geng Zhiye interrupted: "If you keep talking nonsense, I will really call you mom."

"Tell me, tell me!" Dabao said happily, but he still wanted to struggle, "But the walls outside have ears."

Geng Zhiye turned sideways to face his son: "You look in front of me, and I'll keep an eye on your back and sides."

"But it's a long story."

Geng Zhiye: "I haven't cooked at home yet, don't worry, just talk slowly."

Dabao wants to ask if Dad has switched to a civilian job. Otherwise, there is no way to explain why you are so patient.

Family affairs are not state affairs, so there is no need to rush. Geng Zhiye rested his arm on the front seat, relaxed and spent the rest of the time with his son.

Dabao wasted a few minutes with him, but he was not as calm as he was. For Dabao, every minute was torture. He simply confessed: "This matter started from the day when Chu Guangming's grandfather passed away."

Geng Zhiye was surprised by this. He said calmly, "Go on."

Dabao first said that on the night of the old man's burial, Chu Guangming's father was beaten by his aunt. When Chu's father returned home, his wife felt distressed and asked his brother-in-law to arrest him. Aunt Chu's mother-in-law had no power, no influence, and no connections. The only person she could find was Chu Guangming. But Chu Guangming was not at home. Han Dawei knew about this and was worried that he was suffering in there, so he asked Ye Fan for help.

Geng Zhiye understood what she meant by this: "So you came up with such a mean trick for that old lady?"

"The main reason is that my mother is not at home. I don't want her to disturb grandma, so - no, I don't know where the army headquarters is, and I don't know what Guangming's stepmother's father is called." Dabao felt relieved when he thought of this, "I didn't ask her to stop the car and kneel down to cry out for justice, nor did I ask her to say that people are dying."

Geng Zhiye: "If not you, who else could it be?"

Dabao touched his nose and said, "I'm worried that the old lady might be stopped by someone and threatened to give me away, and then implicate you, so I asked her to find Guangming's biological mother before she left."

Geng Zhiye raised his hand.

Dabao covered his face and said, "Dad, I was wrong! Don't hit me!"

Geng Zhiye couldn't bear to beat his son, and he couldn't call for killing because he wanted to save face. Geng Zhiye grabbed his ears and said, "Aren't you afraid that the old lady will betray you to Guangming's biological mother?"

Dabao subconsciously wanted to say: I'm not afraid! But he was afraid that his father would scold him if he told the truth. "I have analyzed it carefully. Guangming's aunt beat his father because she thought the child support his father gave was too little. If the couple raised Guangming together, his aunt would definitely not think it was too little, and she would not fight with his father. If the old lady thinks so, even if Guangming's mother helps her, she will blame Guangming's mother in her heart. As an outsider helping the old lady, the old lady will not give me up if she has a trace of conscience. What's more, I asked her to swear a poisonous oath."

Geng Zhiye let go: "You have a clever little brain."

At this time, Dabao didn't dare to say anything: "Dad, I didn't expect the old lady's kneeling would be so powerful."

"It's not that it's powerful. It's just a coincidence. It's like a comet hitting the earth. It can't be covered up. Otherwise, people won't be able to get out, and you will harm Aunt Guangming's mother-in-law." Geng Zhiye was not joking, "Don't be so smart in the future!"

Dabao was frightened by this incident: "I don't dare to do it again, I really don't dare to do it again."

Geng Zhiye saw that he was really scared but still worried: "Keep this to yourself!"

Dabao: “You won’t tell mom?”

"Isn't your mother worried enough every day?" Geng Zhiye glared at him, "Stop worrying."

Dabao said, "I haven't bothered my mother much since I went to college. My mother is worried about my aunt's marriage recently. You should scold my aunt."

"Do you think I will let her go?" Geng Zhiye opened the car door. "I will go to discuss the engagement on May Day. If she dares to cause trouble for your mother, I will deal with you too!"

Dabao couldn't help but exclaimed: "Why?"

Geng Zhiye: "I was in a bad mood that day! Do you have any objection?"

Dabao had an opinion, but he didn't dare to raise it. He kept it to himself: "Are you planning to take a vacation?"

"I just arrived at the division headquarters and haven't figured out where the toilet is and why I'm on leave. I'll be there at noon. The officers in the army also need to eat, so I won't delay anything if I go out." Geng Zhiye said angrily, "Behave yourself."

Dabao nodded repeatedly: "I am well behaved and I will not cause any trouble even if it comes to me."

Geng Zhiye opened the car door and got out.

Dabao was sweating all over, and when he relaxed, he collapsed completely in the back seat, and kept thanking that it was his father and not his mother, otherwise he would have been dizzy from his mother's nagging.

Geng Zhiye looked back at his son and cursed inwardly, "You little bastard!"

Considering that May Day was only a few days away, Geng Zhiye had to greet his comrades in advance. So the next day, when he arrived at the army, he told the political commissar that his sister was getting engaged on May Day and that his father was no longer around, so he wanted to be there. The political commissar could understand that marriage was a big deal. At 11:00 noon on May Day, the political commissar reminded Geng Zhiye to leave, and advised him not to worry, and that it would be okay to come back at two or three o'clock, and that he would take care of anything that happened in the army.

Geng Zhiye went home to pick up Ye Fan, Yu Wentao and Geng Zhiqin.

In addition to the old couple and Sun Laifu, the only other member of the Sun family is Chang Guangrong.

Chang Guangrong took care of his father-in-law's family, and Geng Zhiqin didn't dare to object to Ye Fan's side, so the dinner was very harmonious.

Maybe Ye Fan and Yu Wentao were easy to talk to, and the Sun family was happy, with cigarettes, alcohol, candy, and 1,000 yuan. Sun's father felt embarrassed for marrying above his station, and promised to buy Geng Zhiqin a gold ring, gold bracelet, and gold necklace before the marriage.

Ye Fan asked who would buy the furniture and household appliances. Chang Guangrong replied that the furniture would be decided by the woman, while the household appliances would be decided by the man.

After returning home, Ye Fan gave Geng Zhiqin one thousand yuan for her to decorate the house.

Today, all schools are closed, and Geng Leilei, who is busy with work, is back. Household appliances are more expensive than furniture. Geng Leilei heard from his aunt that the man gave money and bought three golds, and he couldn't help but say, "Aunt, Uncle Lai Fu is not bad."

Geng Zhiqin didn't want to admit that her vision was not as good as her mother and sister-in-law's, so she said reluctantly: "It's just like that."

Geng Huihui couldn't bear to hear this: "Aunt, don't force it!"

"Don't talk!" Geng Zhiqin said hurriedly.

Geng Huihui had a lot to talk about with Ye Fan and her grandmother, so much so that they both knew that Geng Huihui was using her junior sister to trouble her aunt. Yu Wentao also felt that her daughter needed to be punished, so she deliberately said, "Why are you so loud? Are you trying to show off your loud voice? Huihui is also thinking about you, don't be ungrateful!"

Geng Zhiqin opened her mouth to explain, but she didn't know where to start. She might even be suspected of not forgetting Liu Ning. "It was just like that."

Geng Huihui: "Really? I don't believe it!"

"My girlfriend is not your girlfriend, who cares whether you believe it or not." Geng Zhiqin said as he went to her mother's bedroom, "I'll put the money away first."

Geng Huihui taunted her from behind: "You're so ungrateful. If Lai Fu wasn't so poor, she wouldn't have gotten it. If she didn't have a rich brother-in-law like Uncle Guangrong, he wouldn't have bought her electrical appliances. Dream on!"

Geng Leilei agrees: "A few home appliances cost half a house. Even families with working parents can't afford to buy all the appliances at once."

Yu Wentao sighed, "You two should stop talking. If she wants to get married, marry her off quickly to save trouble. If you keep her around, you'll end up making enemies!"

Ye Fan: "Will you still take care of the baby after it's born?"

Yu Wentao: "I take care of her during the day, and let her take care of her by herself at night. When I get tired, I'll ask her to hire a nanny. By the way, have you found the nanny you're looking for?"

"I have to ask you." Ye Fan said.

Yu Wentao shook her head: "Those people are too obsessed with face to live in misery, and think being a nanny is like being a mother."

Before, when Huihui accompanied her grandmother to Yujia Village, Yu Wentao went to her sister-in-law to ask if there were any female comrades in their forties who were good at work and could cook in the village.

Yujia Village is a large village, and most women in the countryside can cook and are hardworking. Aunt Yu said that this matter is not urgent and she can just ask anyone.

After lunch, Aunt Yu first looked for relatives within the fifth degree of mourning, but each one was more disgusted than the other. One even said, "Your niece went to the city to sell clothes, but you asked my daughter-in-law to work as a nanny for others. Do you look down on our family?"

But this made Aunt Yu very angry.

Since the close relatives were so ungrateful, Aunt Yu didn't want to look for anyone else, so she asked Yu Wentao to find one herself.

Ye Fan: "No one regrets it?"

Yu Wentao: "I'll ask my brother tomorrow."

The next day, Yu's uncle drove into town to sell vegetables. Yu Wentao stopped her brother at the intersection and asked if anyone regretted being a nanny again.

Uncle Yu was annoyed: "Don't mention it. You said you asked for Fanfan's company, but I don't know who spread the rumor that she came to your house to be a nanny and a servant girl."

Yu Wentao cursed: "Who is so mean? I came back to the village just to keep the wealth within the family."

"We know what's the use." Uncle Yu asked, "Do you think your eldest niece can do it?"

Yu Wentao: "Isn't she going to open a store?"

"The money is not enough." Uncle Yu said, "I can't lend her much."
Yu Wentao thought of Zhang Xiaoming's sister's shop. "There is a shop on the street that is cheaper. I heard from Fanfan. Xiaozhi is going to sell cassettes on that street."

Uncle Yu had been to the street where Ye Fan sold clothes. He initially thought that it would be difficult to do business with several clothing vendors on the same street, so he asked his daughter in a veiled way whether she could earn enough to cover her salary. His daughter said that if Zhang Xiaoming and Wei Jianshe did not open a shop on that street, there would be others. Besides, if there were more people selling clothes, the street would be more popular. Although it seemed that the money was earned by others, it was actually more than if he worked alone.

So Uncle Yu didn't mind being on the same street as Zhang Xiaozhi, so he asked his sister to ask Xiaoming's sister someday if she had any objections. If she had no objections, he would bring his niece over to see her.

Yu Wentao: "Are there any hardworking relatives among us?"

"There is one who has dirty hands and feet." Uncle Yu said, "Our aunt's old girl."

Yu Wentao's smile disappeared, "Go sell vegetables."

Uncle Yu knew that his sister would get angry as soon as he mentioned her.

Not everyone in the Yu family is kind and honest.

Yu Wentao has many brothers and sisters, and her two elder sisters are long gone. The second sister was a good girl, but unfortunately she was unlucky and died early without leaving any children. The eldest sister has a son and a daughter. Yu Wentao's eldest sister's children are about the same age as Geng Zhiye. They are eighteen or nineteen years old and Geng's father has not retired yet. The eldest sister asked Geng's father to arrange jobs for his children. Geng's father asked them to join the army and start as conscripts. Yu Wentao's eldest sister disagreed. But the two of them had not attended school for five years combined, and forcing them to join would only cause trouble for the Geng family. Geng's father ignored her, and Yu's eldest sister said that they should join the army first. In the first two years after the children arrived in the army, the eldest sister and brother-in-law came to visit every year. Later, Geng's father retired and did not transfer her children back to the capital, so the eldest sister treated them as if they had no relatives.

Her eldest brother-in-law didn't come when Geng's father passed away.

Yu Wentao also had a younger sister who gave birth to two sons and also wanted to join the army. During the Cultural Revolution, the college entrance examination was suspended, and there were few job opportunities in the city. Those who did not want to go to the countryside all joined the army. It was difficult for Geng's father to arrange for them, so her younger sister broke up with Yu Wentao.

The two sons were also imprisoned later. It was the children of Yu Wentao, the eldest sister, who were imprisoned. As a result, out of her six brothers and sisters, only one brother and one younger brother are in contact now.

Uncle Yu said more than once that his sister was troublesome because she learned bad things from her husband's family. He didn't think about his daughter when he bought the car, but he was subconsciously worried that his daughter would listen to the nonsense of her husband's family and quarrel with him.

Yu Wentao also has an aunt. Before Yu Wentao got married, her aunt often went back to her parents' home to help her nephews and nieces. After Yu Wentao got a formal job, her aunt wanted to introduce her to the son of a township official. Yu Wentao was going to marry Geng's father, and her aunt was very angry.

After getting married, Yu Wentao went to her aunt's house and brought a lot of things to prove that she had made the right decision and asked her aunt to rest assured. Unfortunately, she heard her aunt scolding her for being heartless. Her aunt's little girl said that she had actually been in love with Geng's father. She just didn't say that she was fickle and undisciplined.

Yu Wentao dared to mock Chen Xiaohui in front of Tao Chunlan, so why would she be afraid of her cousin? Yu Wentao got angry and started quarreling with her aunt's family.

When she got home, the money in Yu Wentao's pocket was gone. When Yu Wentao went back to her parents' home again and met her aunt, she asked about it. Her aunt said that Yu Wentao had slandered her daughter as a thief, and the two families quarreled again.

When Yu Wentao married Geng's father, everyone said that her family was poor and she wanted Geng's family to live a better life. The colleagues who didn't get along with Yu Wentao also said the same thing. But in the mouths of her own family, she became Pan Jinlian.

Yu Wentao still feels sick whenever she thinks about this incident.

Han Dawei saw that she looked unhappy, and after hesitating for a while, he stepped forward and called her, "Aunt Yu, what nanny did you say?"

Yu Wentao: "The employees of Fanfan's company are all great people. I heard Fanfan say that she doesn't have time to cook, so she wants to hire someone to make lunch and dinner for them."

"Just making lunch and dinner?"

Yu Wentao: "Clean up the kitchen."

"Any more?"

Yu Wentao thought: "They buy their own food. I heard from Dabao's mother that if they want to buy food, they don't have to cook, just buy it for them."

"How is the salary calculated?"

Yu Wentao: "Forty yuan a month."

Han Dawei hurriedly said, "Wait a moment." He ran to his wife and muttered something, then ran back, "Can you see my wife?"

Ten years younger than what Ye Fan requested. Yu Wentao: "I'll ask Dabao's mother."

Ye Fan required employees over 40 because she was worried that those in their 30s would have to take care of the children and wouldn't be able to cook properly. She was also worried that those in their early 20s would have emotional disputes with their partners and burn down her company.

Han Dawei has nothing to do at noon and in the evening, so he might go to help his wife cook and prepare a few more dishes for them. Ye Fan told her mother-in-law that it was okay and she could rest on Sunday. It just so happened that Han Dawei and his wife were going back to their parents' home on Sunday, so this was a good idea for his family, so it was decided.

On Monday, May 5, Han Dawei's wife went to work. Han Dawei's wife could not speak Mandarin, so Han Dawei accompanied her. The couple were good cooks, and when they went back in the evening, the people who had been eating pig food for more than a year were afraid that the couple would quit, so they first said that they would be paid one month's salary even if it was less than a month, and then they wanted to praise the couple as international chefs.

After finishing the company's business, Ye Fan headed south.

Yu Wentao accompanied Geng Zhiqin to buy a house. Geng Zhiqin chose the fourth floor of a six-story building. There are fewer people buying houses now, and buildings are not as rare as courtyard houses. The mother and daughter looked for a place in three days.

He said it was 18,000, but after negotiating the price I got it at 17,000.

After buying the house, Geng Zhiqin went to find Chen Xiaohui. Chen Xiaohui had studied at school for many years and finally could distinguish between Qingming style and late Qing furniture. Chen Xiaohui accompanied her to choose furniture and ornaments.

Geng Huihui took the opportunity to pick some and put them in her and her brother's room. After hearing about this, Geng Sensen and Geng Leilei gave Geng Huihui their saved pocket money and asked her to help them decorate their house.

Dabao knew that his cousin's family still owed his grandmother money, so he gave half of his new clothes and shoes to his cousin, thinking that it wouldn't matter if he had two less pieces to wear and it would save his aunt from buying more. He said that Boss Ye was rich and who knows if he wouldn't use them now, he would give them to someone else in the future.

Geng Sensen asked: "Who gets the benefit?"

"She's giving away money to her employees. She doesn't even bother hiring a nanny for her own home." Dabao muttered, "It must be so hard for grandma to cook every day."

Geng Sensen: "My aunt wants to invite grandma but she doesn't agree."

"Grandma is a working class person and is embarrassed to ask for help, not because she doesn't want to use it." Dabao changed the subject, "Are the shoes too small?"

Geng Sensen: "It's a little bit big. It's just right with the insole."

"Then you wear it." Dabao said, "My mother is going south this time to Guangzhou first and then Hangzhou. She will definitely buy a lot of things for me and Erbao when she gets to Guangzhou."

Geng Sensen realized it later: "Actually, you hope that your aunt will buy you new clothes every time, right?"

Dabao looked innocent.

Geng Sensen thought he had guessed correctly: "If you want to wear the most fashionable clothes, you can ask Auntie to buy fewer pieces at a time, and then buy more pieces more often."

"It's no use saying it. Your aunt will say that they all look good, and it's better to buy them all than to pick and choose for a long time." Dabao was afraid that he would not believe it, "Your aunt's time is money."

Geng Sensen thought about Erbao's clothes. When they were too small, he would give them to his relatives' children. He still had a full closet: "We still have money."

Dabao nodded, "Yes. If we don't help my mother spend money, she will buy other things. She always feels that she is losing money if she doesn't spend the money she earns." After that, he stuffed the clothes he had been looking for back into the closet. Seeing last year's clothes, Dabao took them out and compared them. The sleeves and trouser legs were short, "Brother Sen Sen, have I grown taller again?"

Geng Sensen nodded: "It reaches my uncle's ears. It won't be taller or shorter in the future."

"If I don't grow taller, I'll be sorry for the milk powder, chicken, fish, meat and eggs my mom bought me." Dabao took out the clothes from last year and the year before last. The clothes from the year before last were even shorter. "I'm growing so fast."

All the clothes from earlier years were brought back to the village by Uncle Yu, who came to visit Yu Wentao and give them to his nephews and grandchildren. Dabao only had clothes from the past few years in his closet, and when he took them all out, they piled up like a small mountain on the bed.

Dabao sighed: "How much does it cost?"

Geng Sensen was about to ask, but laughed when he heard this: "Although my aunt doesn't go to Guangzhou often, she buys several sets of clothes every time. Two sets of sportswear, two sets of suit pants and jackets, and two sets of other things. If you count them as buying once a season, there are dozens of sets a year."

Dabao thought of his classmates: "I can't give it to my classmates? My classmates will be very unhappy. Let me ask - Aunt Li's family is rich, and her grandson has a lot of clothes. I'll go to the west to ask."

When he arrived at the door of his neighbor to the west, he saw a little kid as tall as his chest. Dabao didn't have clothes that were that short, so he went back home.

Erbao came out of her room: "Brother, who are you looking for? Grandma is at my aunt's house. Sister Huihui is also here."

Dabao's eyes lit up: "Where is Chu Guangming?"

"Business is good in the store on weekends, so I'm in the store."

Dabao: "Ask Chu Guangming to come over next Saturday."

Erbao followed him in: "What are you and Brother Sen Sen doing?"

Geng Sensen: "Dabao's clothes are too short, but many of them look like new. It would be a shame to throw them away, so we're thinking about who to give them to."

The little kid next door likes to play with Dabao, so he quietly follows in and says, "Give it to me!"

Dabao picked out a sportswear: "Can you wear it?"

"I can wear it when I grow up." The little kid held on to it tightly and refused to let go.

Dabao thought to himself that you would have forgotten about it by the time you grow up: "Then pick two sets."

The little kid had a good eye and pointed at the jacket. Geng Sensen said, "I think I can wear it."

Dabao asked him to try.

Geng Sensen's arms are not as long as Dabao's, so the jacket is still a little big for him, just right for autumn. The little kid said pitifully, "It's mine."

Dabao picked out a denim jacket he had bought two years ago: "Here you go."

"You need to give me another one."

Dabao picked out two more sets for him and checked them carefully to see if there were any broken threads or worn out before giving them to him. Xiaodouding happily took them home and showed them off. Xiaodouding's grandparents thought they were new clothes and hurriedly pulled him over: "Dabao, Dabao——"

Dabao came out: "What's the matter?"

"Did you give him the clothes?"

Dabao nodded.

"Leave it to yourself."

Dabao picked a random piece to put on. The sleeves were short and the armpits were tight. Xiaodouding's grandparents were relieved: "Hurry up and thank your brother."

"Thank you, Brother Dabao." Little Douding asked, "Grandpa, I didn't lie to you, did I?"

His grandfather was embarrassed and didn't respond: "Dabao is growing fast, your mother can't keep up with the speed of buying clothes."

Dabao smiled and said, "Yes. So my mother will have to spend money again when she goes to the south this time."

When the two old people heard this, they realized that he had clothes to wear and took their grandson home.

Dabao picked out the best ones and asked his cousin to pick them. Geng Sensen's legs were not as long as Dabao's. Dabao's sportswear from last fall was a bit short, so it fit him perfectly.

Dabao folded the small one he was wearing and said, "Give it to Chu Guangming." Then he asked, "Is Chu Guangming okay with it?"

Erbao: "He doesn't even dislike his grandfather's clothes."

Dabao shook his head: "It's different. I don't dislike dad's old clothes, but I dislike other people's new clothes."

Geng Sensen: "It's easy. I'll tell him in front of him that I'm wearing Dabao's clothes and shoes. If Dabao asks him again, he will definitely not think you pity him."

Ye Fan also bought men's clothing, but it was adult clothing. Considering that his kids looked too mature in adult clothing, he bought a batch of casual clothing this time.

On Saturday evening, Chu Guangming came to Ye Fan's house. Ye Fan asked him if he needed any clothes, and she gave them to him at wholesale price.

Dabao and Geng Sensen looked at each other, and Dabao said, "Mom, my clothes were too short last year, and they fit Guangming perfectly."

Ye Fan: "Last year's clothes don't fit him at all."

"The clothes from two years ago are still here." Dabao said again.

Geng Sensen took the opportunity to say, “You were not at home a few days ago, so I helped Dabao sort out his wardrobe. The clothes from the year before last should be fine.”

Ye Fan was worried that Chu Guangming's self-esteem couldn't handle it, but if the two kids said so, she would be misunderstood if she said no again: "Guangming, try it first? Wait a minute, Dabao, are your clothes from the summer of the year before last still there?"

"Grandma took apart the summer clothes and made them into shoes. I was talking about pants and coats." Dabao dragged his mother into the house without waiting for her to speak.

Dabao gave him the clothes while complaining that he was too short: "You need to eat more. Otherwise, you will end up like my brother, two and a half years older than me but still wearing my clothes from last year."

Chu Guangming was both angry and amused: "Your father is half a head taller than my biological father. I inherited his characteristics."

Geng Sensen: "Yes, Dabao, my uncle and aunt are taller than my parents. You should despise your uncle and aunt."

Dabao didn't dare to disdain his uncle. His uncle was now very powerful. He even carried a gun when he went to the countryside for inspection. He didn't know how chaotic that place was that his uncle could write a letter to warn him not to go there this summer vacation.

(End of this chapter)