Five years of marriage, always separated [1970s]

Ye Fan and Hui Hui took the last bus back home, and Yu Wentao had already prepared dinner. When they came in, Yu Wentao asked her grandchildren to wash their hands.

Ye Fan looked around and asked, "Did Xiaoqin go back?"

Yu Wentao came out of the kitchen carrying steamed buns: "Left early!"

Ye Fan: "What do you think of her relationship with Lai Fu?"

"I—" Yu Wentao pondered over what to say, "I don't know if I'm overthinking it, but I feel like they have a pretty good relationship and they're just pretending in front of us."

Geng Huihui came out with chopsticks in hand: "Who is it? My aunt? Why are you pretending?"

"We all said Lai Fu was good, but she thought he was just average." Yu Wentao raised her chin towards Ye Fan, "Your aunt said directly that she was not worthy of Lai Fu, so she didn't dare to find fault with him anymore. She wanted to get along well with Lai Fu but was afraid that we would see her and laugh at her, so she pretended to be indifferent to him as before."

Geng Huihui was speechless.

Dabao just shook his head: "My aunt is really twisted."

Ye Fan frowned: "We all hope for her well, why are we making fun of her? We didn't laugh at her when she broke up with Liu Ning before. Who did she learn this bad habit from?"

Yu Wentao: "Before, she had nothing to do except attending classes, eating, and sleeping. You didn't even know she had this problem."

Geng Huihui fully agreed: "Aunt, my aunt can be open and honest, and she won't be so sneaky when talking to Liu Ning."

Dabao: "Mom, we've been hiding this for half a year. If grandma hadn't caught us, I don't know how long we would have kept it a secret."

Erbao gave her mother half of the steamed bun: "Let's ignore her and eat."

Ye Fan didn't want to care about it. While eating, he told his mother-in-law that his aunt in Dongcheng was free and willing to help Yu Hongwei find a partner.

Yu Wentao was quite worried: "The people your aunt knows are not ordinary."

Ye Fan: "My uncle's colleagues are not ordinary. Her colleagues are ordinary people."

"How is your uncle?"

Ye Fan wanted to laugh when he heard this: "Every time Geng Zhiye went to visit his uncle, he said that this was his last year. No one bothered his uncle, and it's been almost ten years and he's still the same. If this continues, maybe my uncle, my aunt, and my younger aunt won't live longer than him."

Geng Huihui said: "He walked us out with a cane, staggering and shaking so much that I was worried he would fall. My uncle's grandmother said he was like that, his hands were cramping."

Ye Fan: "That's called Parkinson's."

"Same idea." Geng Huihui said, "Grandma, remind Yu Hongwei not to date randomly recently. If the girl goes to school to inquire about him, she will be accused of being dishonest. "

Yu Wentao: "His father said that Hongwei had just arrived at the new school and was busy asking colleagues for advice on how to substitute for him, so he had no time to find a partner. Besides, most of the teachers who can substitute for teachers in the city are from the city, and they look down on those from the countryside."

Uncle Yu has a store in the city. Geng Huihui thought of this and said, "Is Uncle Yu considered half a city dweller now?"

Yu Wentao: "People in the city have pensions like me, and your uncle goes out to sell vegetables every day. With this difference, people still think we are not a good match."

Geng Huihui comforted her: "There are also people who don't care about their background."

Yu Wentao nodded: "Yes, there are. There are not many girls like this. Hongwei may not be able to meet one."

Geng Huihui thought about her classmates. Some of them didn't care, but half of them were like her aunt. It wasn't that they really didn't care, but they were just "feeling satisfied for the moment".

Geng Huihui couldn't help but say, "It's so difficult."

Ye Fan: "You can find one yourself next year or the year after next, or ask your parents to introduce one to you. In a few years, when you are older, the advantage of age will become a disadvantage."

"Can I not look for it?"

Ye Fan nodded: "Like Chen Xiaohui, being greeted by relatives and friends every year, it's fine if you can bear it, but if you can't bear it, find someone sooner."

Geng Huihui wanted to say that she didn't have many relatives, but suddenly she thought of her future colleagues and leaders. All leaders are the same. Grandma's leader helped Grandma introduce a date, so her leader would definitely introduce one for her. If she didn't meet with the leader, he would definitely think that she didn't give him face, or that she was a weird person and had a bad impression of her.

If you have to meet, it's only every now and then. It's better to find a partner and end it all once and for all.

Geng Huihui thought that it was worthwhile to find a partner. If they were not suitable, they could just break up. There was no law that required marriage after dating.

Geng Huihui: "I haven't had a date yet, so there's nothing wrong with giving it a try."

Ye Fan nodded: "It's okay to try. It's okay to try a few more times. The clothes I picked for you won't always fit you."

Geng Huihui smiled with relief when she heard that: "Yes. I'm only 22. I try one a year, and I'll be 25 after three attempts. 25 is not old."

Ye Fan: "We are relieved if you think this way."

Geng Huihui: "Don't worry, I have my aunt as a warning."

Ye Fan picked up a piece of cabbage leaf with chopsticks for Erbao.

Erbao muttered, "I'm not picky about food."

Ye Fan: "You should eat it."

Erbao didn't want to have a mouth full of the taste of cabbage, so she didn't dare to be stubborn and ate the cabbage obediently and winked at her brother. Dabao had no choice but to give her a few pieces of eggs and a lot of shredded pork.

After dinner, Geng Huihui and her cousins ​​went to sleep in the back. Dabao originally asked Geng Sensen to live with him, but Geng Sensen thought Dabao went to bed too early, at nine o'clock, so he decided to squeeze in with his brother on his parents' bed.

The next morning, Yu Wentao got up early as usual, cleaned up the house, went out to chat with people, then returned to the house to cook porridge in the rice cooker and heat up some buns.

Dabao and Erbao both woke up, and Yu Wentao gave them money to buy breakfast.

Erbao asked for fried dough sticks, fried dough rings and tea eggs, while Dabao asked for spicy soup and tofu pudding. Han Dawei asked him if he wanted to drink soy milk. Dabao hesitated for a moment, went home to find his father's teacup, and drank a bowl of soy milk. After dinner, Dabao went to school to find his childhood friend, stuffed soy milk into his mouth and went to class.

The boy from the island thought it was malted milk and thought he didn't like malted milk now. But when he opened it and saw salty soy milk, he was surprised and delighted - there was actually salty soy milk in the north.

There is no salty soy milk in the north, at least not in the university cafeteria. Dabao made this salty soy milk after asking his mother. He also put some fried dough sticks in the soy milk. The boy on the island couldn't help but drink it up after breakfast. After class, he asked Dabao where he bought it.

Dabao: "Gengji production, no semicolon."

"No wonder." The classmate reluctantly returned the cup to him, "Why do you live on campus when your home is so close to school?"

Dabao raised his eyebrows: "Go home and bring you salty soy milk every morning? My family can't make salty soy milk every day. If you want to drink it, go find the cafeteria auntie."

"The cafeteria aunt is paying attention to me?"

The old men and women in the cafeteria were too busy to pay attention to him. Dabao said, "Just give it a try."

The next morning, the two went to the cafeteria together. Since they went early, there were not many people in the cafeteria. Dabao asked for soy sauce, vinegar and pickles, but they didn't bother him. Dabao bought two more fried dough sticks, tore them into small pieces and threw them into the soy milk: "Try it."

His childhood friend took a sip and said, "Not even close. But it's OK."

When they were almost done eating, Dabao's classmate showed up and was surprised to see what was in their bowls: "What is this? I didn't see it."

Dabao: “Homemade salty soy milk.”

The students got goosebumps instantly, as if they were seeing durian, coriander, stinky tofu and houttuynia cordata at the same time, and saw a cut century egg.

Dabao was happy: "Have you ever tried spicy soup and tofu pudding mixed together?"

"Does the cafeteria have this?"

The cafeteria has spicy soup and soy milk, but no tofu pudding.

Dabao's childhood friend asked: "Have you ever drunk it?"

"Want to drink?"

My classmates want to drink it, and my childhood friends want to try it.

Seeing them both nod, Dabao said, "Then I'll get up at 6:30 tomorrow and leave at 7:00. I'll take you to eat what I think is the most delicious breakfast."

At seven o'clock the next morning, the morning dew had not yet dissipated and the sun was shyly reluctant to come out. Three college students ran out of the school gate, carefully crossed the road, and continued running.

At 7:20, the three of them arrived at the breakfast stall.

Han Dawei was shocked: "Dabao? Are you skipping class?"

"You haven't started class yet, so why are you skipping class? Do you have any sugar?"

Han Dawei only had one kind of porridge, and he prepared a box of sugar for fear that some customers might not like it. If the customers thought it was too bland, he would add a little. Since they were all regular customers, they were embarrassed to add too much, so by adding sugar, Han Dawei's porridge would not lose money.

Han Dawei gave him the candy. Dabao took the tofu pudding and added a little sugar to it.

The classmate frowned: "What does it taste like if you add sugar to tofu brain?"

Dabao gave him the two dumplings and said, "I was wondering what it tastes like." Then Dabao took out some steamed buns, fried dough sticks and tea eggs and asked Han Dawei to settle the bill.

My classmates and childhood friends stood up at the same time to pay.

Dabao: "The first meal is on me. We'll pay for our own meals next time."

Han Dawei took Dabao's money and said, "You are Dabao's classmates, right? Let Dabao treat you this meal, just consider it as the hospitality of the host."

Dabao pointed to the alley and said, "My home is over there. Let's eat quickly. When my sister comes out to school and sees us, she'll tell my mom that I didn't study hard and was running away."

Han Dawei: "I also want to ask, how did you get out?"

"The school is not a closed school. You can go wherever you want during the day except when someone checks on you at night." Dabao warned him, "Don't tell my mom. Otherwise, no one will come to eat at your place in the future."

Han Dawei thought, it's useless for you to say that. But seeing that Dabao went to school obediently after dinner, he didn't tell Ye Fan specifically.

Although there are entertainment venues such as discos and cinemas these days, they are all in the city and students dare not go there, so Dabao’s classmates go to bed when they are tired of reading at night.

I woke up naturally and wanted to take a nap but couldn't. I don't know who suggested going out for breakfast.

Someone complained about the cold, so several roommates dragged him together and went to Dabao's alley to have breakfast. Dabao was there for several times in a row, and the childhood friend asked Dabao: "Why don't you go home for breakfast tomorrow?"

Dabao pointed at Han Dawei who brought them the buns and said, "Guess why he didn't ask me to go home to eat?"

Han Dawei: "Because your family buys it every morning."

Dabao patted his childhood friend on the shoulder and said, "Accountant Ye, who you think is hardworking and manages the household, is so lazy. If I go home, I will have to buy it and bring it to her."

On the way back, a classmate counted the money and said, "We can't eat out anymore. Lao Han's food is delicious. I always want to eat more. This month's expenses are going to be high."

Dabao looks at his childhood friend: What about you?

Six years ago, the fishermen on the island had some money. The university did not charge tuition, and saving 100 yuan a year for six years could support a college student. The childhood friend nodded to indicate that he had money.

Dabao: "Want to make some money? Go out on Sunday."

The classmate who loves to eat asked, "Be a tutor?"

Dabao said disdainfully: "I'll spend a month with my sister in bird language during the summer vacation. I don't want to be a tutor. My mother is in the wholesale business. Can we get the tapes from her and sell them at the park gate?"

Classmate: "Setting up a stall?"

As soon as Dabao heard the tone, he knew that he was disgusted: "Other people who set up stalls are speculating, we call it work-study." The childhood friend laughed, but Dabao was still the Dabao he knew before, with one crooked logic after another.

Classmate: "Will the school find out?"

Dabao was also afraid of being called to the teacher's office: "We only go out once or twice a month, so it's not a coincidence that we'll be bumped into by the teacher."

The four of them looked at each other and decided - do it!

On Saturday afternoon, Dabao collected everyone's living expenses for the next month and wrote them down one by one in a notebook. When he got home, he asked his mother to wholesale tapes, and he wanted the most popular ones.

Ye Fan opened the warehouse and asked him to pick and choose: "If you were not my biological son——"

"If he weren't your biological son, you wouldn't be so picky." Dabao said, "Mom, I'm not just doing this to make money. My classmates are a bit like Brother Leilei, they don't care about worldly things. I take them out to experience the ups and downs of life, so that they can cherish campus life more."

Ye Fan mocked: "You are so good."

Dabao: "I have always been very loyal, which is similar to you. Have you forgotten?"

Ye Fan didn't want to waste time talking to him: "Have you chosen yet?"

Dabao did the math: "Not even close."

"Aren't you going to have lunch? How are we going to get there?"

Dabao suddenly realized what was going on and quickly came out with the snakeskin bag. If he continued to carry things, he would have no money for food or bus fare.

The next morning, Dabao was eating breakfast at Han Dawei's stall with a snakeskin bag in his hand while waiting for his classmates to come. Dabao's childhood friend came up to him and asked, "You don't cook on weekends?"

Dabao: "Plain porridge, vegetarian buns and boiled eggs."

His childhood friend sympathized with him: "Wasn't Accountant Ye very good at cooking before? My mother always said that she never found it troublesome. She would make seafood noodles and egg pancakes early in the morning. How come she doesn't cook anymore now that you are older?"

Dabao said, "We are older now, and eating well or badly doesn't affect our growth, so we won't do it anymore." Pointing at the snakeskin bag, "I asked someone last night, and we went straight to Wangfujing."

The five of them arrived at the corner of the commercial street. Dabao took out the sign inside and put it in front of his childhood friend, and he went to the opposite side. Seeing this, three of Dabao's classmates wanted to kick him.

Dabao pointed at his clothes and shoes and whispered, "No one believed me when I said I was working to earn money for my studies."

Several classmates envied Dabao for his stylish clothes and nice shoes. Once, a classmate's clothes were not dry, so Dabao lent his down jacket to the classmate, and they felt ashamed of their pettiness.

Now that they are used to it, several classmates waved their hands in disgust and told him to get away.

My childhood friend picked up the sign helplessly but wanted to laugh: "This is the first time I realized that I can use this thing like this."

The four of them looked like students at first glance, which was something they couldn't pretend to be, so those who had money to buy tapes stopped and paid for them readily when they saw that they were genuine products.

Dabao was staring at the suspicious people on the other side. Unexpectedly, he actually spotted one. Dabao went over and patted him on the shoulder: "Brother, what are you looking at? Do you want the tape or the money from selling the tape?"

The social youth glared at him: "Get away!"

Dabao: "Do you know who my father is?"

"I'm not afraid of your father, even the king of heaven!"

Dabao nodded: "The county magistrate is not as good as the current one, of course you are not afraid. My father is the director of the police station, not far from here, how about going over to have a chat?"

The young man didn't believe it, but he subconsciously looked at Dabao. The casual pants Dabao was wearing were a famous brand. Even if they were imitations, they were only available in the south and were not cheap. Dabao's temperament was very much like the son of a high-ranking official with confidence. The young man didn't dare to gamble, and left after saying something harsh. It seemed that he didn't want to argue with Dabao, but in fact he was afraid.

A classmate noticed what Dabao was doing and heard what he said vaguely, and thought that Geng Dabao was wasting his talent by going to Aviation University.

Many people probably heard what Dabao said, and no one made trouble until the tapes were almost sold out in the afternoon. Finally, there were a few left, and a few people asked Dabao what to do with them. Dabao asked the individual business owners nearby if they wanted tapes. He first said that it was popular in Hong Kong, and then said that playing tapes could attract business.

The small shop owners who owned radios knew what was popular recently, so they looked at Dabao's tapes and picked a few. When they were ready to go back, all the tapes were sold out.

Dabao relied on their large numbers and the fact that one or two or three or four young men did not dare to step forward to rob, so he counted the money as he walked, divided the capital, and then divided the profits equally.

Everyone can get half a month's living expenses. Dabao's childhood friend was excited: "When will you go again?"

Dabao: "I won't sell tapes next time. It's almost the New Year, I'll ask mom if she has any foreign goods, we can make some money on the New Year. But this is a secret."

Four people zipped their mouths.

If Dabao hadn't mentioned it, Ye Fan wouldn't have thought that the trend of worshipping foreign things has been rising in recent years, and everyone is very concerned about foreign things. Ye Fan sent a telegram to each of the bosses he knew well, reminding them to pay attention to foreign festivals.

In mid-December of the Gregorian calendar, Ye Fan, Chang Guangrong, Zhang Xiaoming, Wei Jianshe and two salesmen - Geng Zhiye's former guard and Yu Wentao's nephew - went south.

They first went to Pengcheng, and then split into two groups, with Chang Guangrong taking two people to Yangcheng and Ye Fan taking two people to Gangcheng. A few days later, the two groups met in Hangzhou with the goods.

When they arrived in Hangzhou, two of them stayed behind, Ye Fan and Wei Jianshe went to the Small Commodity City, and Chang Guangrong took Yu Wentao's nephew to Ningbo.

More than ten days later, the six returned to the capital.

On the second day after arriving in the capital, all the people who followed Ye Fangan went to her to get the goods.

Dabao was so angry when he got home on Saturday because all the items were left over. Ye Fan said, "You can give us a discount, or buy two get one free."

"Give them all to me!" Dabao said hurriedly.

Ye Fan: "Do you have that much money? No credit."

"I'm your son!"

Ye Fan: "Even my own son needs to be accounted for."

Dabao admires his mother.

Not long after, his father drove back, and Dabao served tea and massaged his back. Geng Zhiye grabbed his son's arm and said, "If you have something to say, just say it."

"Dad, give me a hundred dollars." Dabao hugged his father's neck and acted coquettishly.

Geng Zhiye was very disgusted: "Do you still think you are a big treasure?"

"Dad, no matter how old I am, I am still your baby." The big baby said as he reached into his pocket.

Geng Zhiye: "Give your mother this month's salary a long time ago. Besides, where's your money?"

"It's in the piggy bank. It only goes in but never out. If I want to use it, I have to smash the piggy bank."

Geng Zhiye couldn't believe it: "...I said you are a Pixiu, do you really think you are a Pixiu?"

Geng Sensen heard the last two sentences as soon as he entered the room: "Why do you need money? I didn't spend much of my pocket money this month and last month."

Dabao immediately let go of his father and hugged his brother: "You are my real brother!" Then he searched his pockets.

Geng Sensen was speechless: "Why should I bring so much money to school? It's in the drawer in your room."

Dabao ran back to the bedroom, got the money and went to find his mother.

The next day, Dabao took his cousin to meet up with his classmates, and then explained to them that the goods were expensive, so his cousin sponsored 80 yuan and they split the profit equally.

Several classmates only had 40 or 50 yuan each, so they naturally didn't mind splitting it with Geng Sensen. Then the six of them split into two groups, one going to Wangfujing and the other to Dashanlan.

At four o'clock in the afternoon, there were still 30% left, and Dabao asked everyone to go back because there was still some stock at home, and even if they managed to sell them all today, they would have to come out later.

On New Year's Day, Dabao and his classmates went out for half a day, and everyone returned to school at noon to divide the money.

Dabao distributed the money and announced, "This is the end of our business for this year."

A small question: "Is business good at the end of the year?"

Dabao: "My mom said, we are students. This little money is nothing now. My mom's company's basic salary is 200 yuan, and there is a year-end bonus during the Chinese New Year. If we put the cart before the horse, we will suffer a great loss."

His classmates and childhood friends exclaimed: "So many?"

Dabao nodded: "My mother said that state-owned units don't have so much, but the treatment is good. There are gifts during festivals, and pensions after retirement. We have strong professional abilities, and we can be allocated housing after three to five years in the unit. These are benefits that outsiders can't see."

These words refreshed several people's perception of the future, and they immediately stopped caring about such a small profit.

Dabao took his and his brother's share and went home. When they got home, the meal was ready, and Erbao took the dishes to the main room. Geng Leilei, Geng Zhiqin and Sun Laifu were all there, and since one small table couldn't accommodate them, they put two tables together.

Sun Laifu asked: "Isn't the third brother coming back?"

Ye Fan shook her head: "Since I married him, I have never come back for the holidays. Fortunately, he is honest, otherwise we would have divorced long ago."

Dabao: "Mom, please stop talking about divorce all the time. My dad is old and still afraid that you will dump him. He has heard this too many times."

Ye Fan said: "If you love your father so much, why doesn't he give you money?"

"Isn't it because I gave you all my salary?" Dabao suddenly remembered something, "Laifu, don't learn from my dad. Just give my aunt 20 yuan a month for household expenses. Otherwise, you will be bullied everywhere. If I want to buy your parents a new piece of clothing during the New Year, I will have to humble myself."

Ye Fan heard that Dabao took the opportunity to order Geng Zhiqin, and was worried that Geng Zhiqin would be so angry that he would put down his chopsticks, which would make Yu Wentao feel uncomfortable, so she deliberately asked: "What did your father want to buy that I didn't buy?"

Dabao: "My dad has to ask you for money no matter what he buys, right?"

Ye Fan said: "When did your father come back every time? Did I not ask him if he had money?"

"My dad has money, so I don't need to ask you."

Ye Fan: "I'm too lazy to talk nonsense with you!"

Dabao snorted, "Just say that if you have nothing to say. I don't bother to talk nonsense with you!"

Erbao didn't know that her mother and her brother were in cahoots, so she gave her brother a chicken wing and said, "If you don't eat it, I'll eat it all." The implication was that if he continued talking, he would not have anything delicious to eat and would get beaten.

Dabao glanced at his mother: "This matter is not over yet!"

"You still want to go to heaven?" Ye Fan glared at him, "If you don't eat, get out!"

Dabao snorted, "I won't go out! This house is not yours alone. If you hadn't married my dad, could you afford such a big house?"

Ye Fan: "Geng Dabao, if I don't ask your father to beat you up when he comes back, my last name is not Ye!"

Dabao shut up and seemed scared, but after Geng Zhiqin and Sun Laifu left, he clung to his mother and asked, "Am I cooperating well?"

"Your mother is smart."

Dabao hugged his mother and said, "Of course. I doubt my aunt even heard me point at her."

Ye Fan: "You've explained it so clearly, if she doesn't listen to a word you say, then you can't keep her as your aunt."

The weather was cold, and Geng Huihui and the others didn't want to go out so they stayed in the main room. After hearing what she said, they suddenly realized what was going on. Geng Huihui couldn't help but ask, "Dabao, do you suspect that Uncle Laifu's salary is in the hands of my aunt?"

Dabao: "It's not doubt. It's certain. But I didn't think of it before. When I saw Lai Fu and talked about my father's salary, I suddenly thought of it. Alas, I am also worried about this aunt."

(End of this chapter)