Five years of marriage, always separated [1970s]

Geng Huihui came back when Ye Fan and Yu Wentao were preparing to wash vegetables and cook.

Yu Wentao was surprised to hear Huihui and Erbao talking, and asked Ye Fan uncertainly, "Are you back?"

Ye Fan's kitchen was spacious, so the refrigerator was placed in the kitchen. She took out the meat she bought in the morning and threw it on the chopping board: "I'll go take a look." When she got to the kitchen door, she didn't see Yan Weining. "Huihui, didn't Xiao Yan come back with you?"

"He? He said it was too late and went home." Geng Huihui asked casually, "Aunt, have you cooked?"

Ye Fan: "I'm preparing it. What do you want to eat?"

"That's great!" Geng Huihui walked over in two or three steps.

Ye Fan waited until she came up to him and realized that she was holding a bag of food, which was just blocked by her bag: "Did you buy this?"

Geng Huihui nodded: "Don't cook, just heat up some steamed buns and cook some porridge."

Ye Fan took it first. There were two packages in the plastic bag. The top one was cold vegetables and the bottom one was braised meat. It looked familiar. "Did you buy it from Han Dawei?"

Geng Huihui sighed: "Auntie has such a sharp eye!"

"Okay." Ye Fan took it and signaled her with his eyes to take a rest.

Geng Huihui probably thought that dinner would be easy to prepare with the dishes and did not need her help, so she turned around and went to the main room without hesitation, and did not notice that her aunt winked at Erbao.

Erbao complained in his heart, "My younger sister-in-law is dating, and you ask Sister Huihui to be a spy. Sister Huihui is dating, and you put me in the middle. Let's see who you find to help you spy on the enemy when I start dating!"

In order to prevent his sister from being deceived, Erbao followed Geng Huihui reluctantly.

Yu Wentao took two plates and Ye Fan poured out the food. Both vegetarian and meat dishes were full, so she was surprised and happy: "After playing outside for a whole day, you actually remembered to buy some food."

Ye Fan was also surprised, because Geng Huihui seldom bought cooked food. It was not because she was stingy, but because Ye Fan often went out, and it was more convenient after having a car, so he often brought back some food.

Yu Wentao goes to the vegetable market every morning, so there is no shortage of vegetables at home, and the younger generations don’t need to worry about it. Over time, unless they eat something delicious outside, they will pack one or two portions for their family to try.

Ye Fan: "Come back before dark. Yan Weining is quite good at calculating time."

Yu Wentao looked outside. The sun had already set. It would be dark in half an hour. It was not too late for Huihui to say that he came back late. To be honest, it was too early. They had gone out in the morning and came back at this time. If they wanted to do something, they might have done it many times.

Yu Wentao said: "Is it because he is also half a businessman?" The implication is that businessmen are very calculating.

Ye Fan almost said out of place, I am also a businessman.

Fortunately she held back.

Think carefully about Yan Weining's situation. He can do whatever he wants in the company when the elders of the Yan family are not powerful enough. If he doesn't have some ability, he won't be able to get ahead. "Did he talk about his job?"

"Once. I asked him if he was busy and he said he was fine."

Ye Fan asked again: "What was your expression when you said this? Were you irritated or did you enjoy your work?"

"Looks like I like it."

Ye Fan couldn't help but think of Chang Guangrong's nephew, who graduated from the same university as Yan Weining. When he graduated, college students were rare, and his family background was average, so his colleagues at work also praised him. Yet, he ended up being a loner with a gloomy look on his face.

Yan Weining could say this, which proved that he was doing well in the company. It also proved that Ye Fan was right, that Yan was a scheming and resourceful person.

Ye Fan still holds the same view that scheming is not terrible. She and her mother-in-law also make many analyses and inquiries for Huihui's future, as if they have a lot of ulterior motives.

I’m afraid that he will use this to plot against Huihui.

Ye Fan said: "Didn't you ask Yan Weining to remember it? Then take another look."

Yu Wentao reminded again: "Don't ask her why she came back so late later." After a pause, "I have figured it out. No matter how obedient she is at other times, once she has a partner, no matter what you say, she will think you have ulterior motives."

Ye Fan also doesn't want Huihui to become the second Geng Zhiqin.

As the old saying goes, nieces resemble their aunts.

Although there is no scientific basis, Ye Fan does not want to gamble: "Don't ask."

Not asking does not mean turning a blind eye.

Yu Wentao cooked the porridge, and Ye Fan made shredded pork with green peppers.

When the food was ready, Ye Fan shouted outside, "It's time to eat." Then he heard Er Bao say, "Sister, pull the table and I'll serve the food."

The weather was hot, so the family stopped using the kitchen and moved to the main room. Upon hearing this, Ye Fan put the dishes on the chopping board and prepared to get the bowls and chopsticks.

Erbao came in and left without taking the food: "Mom, I found out that Sister Huihui was at the zoo in the morning. She went to eat after coming out of the zoo, and then went to the cafe. She stayed in the cafe for more than an hour and then went to watch a play. After watching the play, they walked around, and then she came back by car."

Ye Fan: "Nothing was delayed that day. Did she come back by herself?"

Erbao nodded: "I think she and Xiaoyan took the same bus. Xiaoyan got off first. She might have been afraid that you and grandma would scold her for not coming home all day, so she went north to buy some food at Uncle Dawei's store to please you two."

Ye Fan: "She walked back from Han Dawei's store?"

"It's possible. If the bus doesn't come on time, I'll be home by the time the bus comes."

Ye Fan calculated the time: "That means Huihui might get on the bus at around 5:00 and arrive at Han Dawei's store at around 6:00? That's not too late."

Erbao picked up the dish and said, "Is there nothing for me to do now?"

Ye Fan shook his head slightly. Erbao took the dishes out and Ye Fan brought the bowls and chopsticks to the main room. Seeing this, Dabao followed Ye Fan back to serve the dishes.

When making shredded pork with green pepper, Ye Fan suddenly thought of the large family, so she added another serving of scrambled eggs with tomatoes. Dabao smelled the strong tomato flavor: "Mom, why do I feel that this dish tastes better in summer than in winter?" Ye Fan: "Tomatoes in summer are often exposed to wind, rain and sun, while tomatoes in winter are like a person who stays indoors all year round, eats when full and sleeps when awake, and eats when awake, and never exercises."

"No wonder tomatoes are delicious in summer." Dabao took the two dishes and left.

Ye Fan was holding the rice cooker and Yu Wentao was holding the steamed buns.

Yu Wentao didn't like to eat steamed buns at night, but she quite liked to eat braised dishes and cold dishes. She enjoyed her meals and didn't mind that Geng Huihui didn't come home all day.

After the meal, Geng Huihui rushed to clean up the dishes. She was obviously afraid that her aunt and grandmother would settle the bill after the meal.

Seeing this, Ye Fan shook his head and smiled, and told Dabao and Erbao to go wash up.

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone knew that Ye Fan wanted to rest early, and Geng Huihui in the kitchen breathed a sigh of relief.

Ye Fan was not actually sleepy. After the younger generations went to the back, she went to the study and drew the curtains to prevent Erbao from suddenly jumping out of the window to chat with her, and then calculated the net profit of this trip.

The next morning, Ye Fan put the money away and went to the company until noon. He went to the cafeteria to check out the food and saw that the employees were very satisfied. The two helpers hired by Han Dawei's wife were also very happy and obviously liked the working atmosphere here. Ye Fan felt relieved and went home directly.

Last year, Ye Fan promised her employees that she would set up a canteen this year, and she put this matter into practice before New Year's Eve.

During the Chinese New Year, Ye Fan's friends and Yu Wentao's relatives came to pay New Year's greetings, and Ye Fan told them that he wanted to find two or three security guards, two cleaners and a receptionist.

When Uncle Yu heard about this, he said he couldn't help.

Ye Fan suddenly remembered that her two uncles from Yujia Village had helped her find a cook, and they were almost isolated by their relatives. Yu Xiaojiu probably thought that those people would think of security guards as watchdogs when they heard about security guards, and squeezed him again.

Ye Fan: "The world has changed now. Uncle, you ask first. There is no age requirement for cleaning ladies, but around 40 years old is best. Too young will not last long, and will not be as efficient as people who are used to doing housework. Security guards should not be over 40 years old. For the front desk, I hope I can read a few words, and my appearance and height are good."

The villagers knew that the two brothers of the Yu family went to visit Yu Wentao every year to pay New Year's greetings. When they saw them coming back, they greeted them, "Are you going to the city?"

Uncle Yu's son drove the car back, and the two brothers got out to give the villagers some cigarettes, chatting while smoking. People habitually said, "Boss Ye must have made money again last year."

Yu Xiaojiu replied, "How can she make any money? Her company is a bottomless pit." He thought so in his heart, so he couldn't help sighing. Suddenly he thought of what Ye Fan had told him, and said, "They need to hire more people. They need security, cleaning, and entertaining customers."

In the past two years, many state-owned factories have had mediocre performance and do not need temporary workers. Rural people have no skills, there are more people selling vegetables in the city, and business is not good. Many people who failed to get into school or have no money to go to school are just sitting around at home doing nothing.

The villagers heard from Yu Xiaojiu, Yu Yinxing and others that there were many factories in the south, so they planned to send their children to the south. However, they were afraid of being bullied, so they were hesitant.

As soon as Uncle Yu said this, several villagers immediately asked Ye Fan about his requirements. When they learned that they had to pay for food, but that accommodation was provided, and that the staff dormitory was for two people per room, they immediately called their young people over to show Uncle Yu.

Uncle Yu was out and about every day, and he didn't recognize the younger generation, so he naturally didn't dare to agree easily, so he said, "It's too late today, come to my house tomorrow morning."

In the evening, he asked his wife, his eldest sister-in-law, and his niece's wife what their characters were like. They thought they were good, but Yu Yinxing's nephew said that so-and-so was good and so-and-so was not good, and he listened to what so-and-so said.

As the saying goes, don’t air your dirty laundry in public. Elders want to save face and won’t say bad things about their own children, because once it gets out, it will be hard for them to find a partner. Children have fewer concerns and don’t think too much. They talk about everything in private, and they know the nature of the villagers better than adults.

Yu Xiaojiu would rather believe it than not. After Yu Xiaojiu's careful selection, these employees are all good.

Back to the topic, in the afternoon, Ye Fan went to the clothing store to give Yu Yinxing two packages of things. Yu Yinxing saw the "nesting dolls" on the wrapping paper and asked curiously, "Aren't these things in short supply in the north?"

Ye Fan shook his head: "There is no shortage of honey. This honey is natural honey. This one is curved, like a small banana. It's not a cake but bread. It looks hard, but it doesn't taste hard."

"Then save it for Dabao and Erbao." When Yu Yinxing first started working with Ye Fan, the two babies were not very big, so after so many years, Yu Yinxing still subconsciously thought of them as young.

Ye Fan: "We have honey at home. The icing on the outside of this bread is too sweet. They don't like it. Your aunt can't eat too much. This thing is made of flour. The north is vast and sparsely populated, so there is no shortage of flour. It's very cheap there, so don't worry. If there wasn't no market for this thing in the capital, and we haven't done food business, I would have planned to get a batch to sell here."

“You can sell honey.”

Ye Fan shook her head, "It's not easy to sell. In the past, there was a shortage of sugar, so everyone wanted honey. Now the rich can buy other things, but the poor, it looks shabby to bring two small bottles of honey to visit relatives, it's better to buy a big bag of cheap goods with the same money." Suddenly, it occurred to her that the honey over there was not easy to sell, but there must be someone who wanted the grain, but she didn't know if they would sell it over there, and whether she was qualified to import it. Chang Guangrong's brother-in-law was more clear about this, "Put it away, I'll go to the garment factory to take a look."

Yu Yinxing saw her off to the door and watched Ye Fan's car drive away before going into the house. She opened the cake and tasted a piece, which tasted good, so she wrapped it up and left it for the child to eat.

Looking at the honey, Yu Yinxing wanted to give it to her mother, but she also felt that her mother would definitely not lack it - her father had helped Ye Fan find a few reliable employees, and Ye Fan could think of her. Given Ye Fan's personality, there was no reason for him not to leave a bottle or two for her parents.

Yu Ginkgo plans to give it to her parents-in-law.

When she got home in the evening, she told her husband about it. He opened the bottle and made a cup for each of the four people in the family. Yu Yinxing felt like she didn't know him anymore: "You're just missing this drink?"

"They don't know what's good, and they think you don't want to eat it so you think of them." Yu Yinxing's husband took a bite and said, "It tastes like honey. This bottle of honey can buy several kilograms of pig's head meat. You might as well buy a few kilograms of pig's head meat."

Yu Ginkgo: "Your mother knows what's good."

"Yes. So I show it off to everyone. Believe it or not, this bottle of honey will be drunk up by relatives and neighbors within three days after I take it back."

Yu Yinxing thought of her mother-in-law's bad habits. When she first came to the city, she felt sorry for the elderly and children at home, so she bought a lot of delicious food and clothes. No matter who came, her mother-in-law would invite them to taste the delicious food. When they were eating, she would take out the clothes and deliberately say, "I don't know what material this is made of. I don't know it either."

Neighbors gathered around to touch and look at her, and praised her daughter-in-law for being filial. She was beautiful, and Yu Ginkgo was speechless.

"Your mother has never lived a hard life." Yu Ginkgo had no choice but to pick up the honey and drink it herself.

Yu Yinxing's husband snorted and laughed. How could rural people not have experienced hard times? His mother just didn't know how to make money quietly. Fortunately, he didn't take the old woman in. Otherwise, within three months, relatives and neighbors would be able to guess how much he made a month and then ask him to borrow money.

At the same time, Dabao was also drinking honey. He was not busy recently and could go home every evening. The meal was not ready at home yet. He did not want to eat the black bread his mother brought back, so he could only drink something to fill his stomach.

Dabao squatted by the kitchen door holding an enamel pot. He didn't look like an elite at all. Seeing his son like this, Ye Fan couldn't help but complain: "Look at how sloppy you are. Fortunately, the merchants don't know how you behave in private."

Dabao: "I know, but I don't care. I just need to look cool when I'm shooting commercials."

(End of this chapter)