Five years of marriage, always separated [1970s]

It was almost eleven o'clock when they came out of Xiushui Market. Ye Fan sent Wei Jianshe to the store, then went to take a look at his own store, stayed at the sales office for a while, and then went home for lunch.

After dinner, Ye Fan went to the company.

After replying to several factories in the south and calling the processing workshop to inquire about the computer shipment status, Ye Fan went to the cafeteria.

Ye Fan came over suddenly, and the cafeteria staff were very nervous. The person in charge was not nervous at all, because the cafeteria was not kept clean for Ye Fan to see, but was kept like this every day.

The cafeteria is staffed entirely by women with long hair, so they all wear hats, and there isn’t a single hair on the ground.

The chopping board was messy, but not dirty. Ye Fan remembered that his children liked to eat the buns made by Han Dawei's wife, so he asked her to pack fifty of them in a food bag.

If you buy more, you have to pay. Han Dawei's wife was not polite this time.

There were many people on the road after get off work, so Ye Fan left half an hour earlier and went to the street to buy a bag of big steamed buns. Geng Benben ate two steamed buns and six buns. After dinner was ready, he drank a bowl of corn and pork ribs soup and ate two big steamed buns.

Geng Huihui was shocked by her brother's appetite and kept looking at his stomach - he didn't have a belly even though he ate so much. She also looked at him from the side to see if he had eaten too much and was eating too much.

Geng Benben was so angry: "Do you really need to do that?"

As soon as he finished speaking, he heard footsteps. Geng Benben looked outside and saw Geng Zhiye coming in. Ye Fan looked at the gray sky and said, "Didn't I tell you not to come back if it's too late? Have you eaten yet?"

Geng Zhiye nodded and went to wash his hands.

Ye Fan took out the steamed buns from the cupboard and told him to eat the steamed buns and eat the dumplings tomorrow morning because the dumplings were cold. The dumplings made in the cafeteria were stuffed with cooked lard, and when the dumplings were cold, the lard solidified and the filling became greasy.

When everyone else went to rest, Geng Zhiye changed his calm demeanor in front of his family and asked anxiously, "Where is the watch you bought for me?"

Ye Fan was speechless and wanted to complain, but in the end he just glanced at the bedside table.

The bedside table has three drawers. The top one is for coins, batteries, and other things. The second layer is for Ye Fan's jewelry that he is not using for the time being, including bracelets, pendants, rings, etc., all in small boxes. The third layer has only five small boxes. Geng Zhiye opened them and saw that they were watches. He took out all five boxes and placed them on the bed. He tried them one by one.

Ye Fan sat opposite him, with his chin resting on his knees, looking at the five watches on his wrists.

Geng Zhiye was about to take it down and put it back, but when he looked up and met Ye Fan's gaze, he felt embarrassed and angry: "What are you looking at? Go to bed!"

Ye Fan fell onto the bed, holding his calves: "The person in charge of this watch thought I was a big customer, and said that he would let me choose a new watch first."

Geng Zhiye was silent for a moment, then said, "Five pieces are enough for me to wear."

When Ye Fan saw that he didn't say "no" right away, he knew that he really liked it and wanted to buy more. "I want to buy two every year. This brand of expensive watch retains its value."

Geng Zhiye had only heard that gold, jade and antiques could maintain their value, so he couldn't help but ask, "Do watches also maintain their value?"

Ye Fan: "If you don't wear it often, it won't get damaged much. You may be able to sell it for the original price in a few years. Some styles may even increase in price. Although it can't be compared with gold and houses, it won't turn into a piece of scrap metal either."

"Since it maintains its value, buy a few more." Geng Zhiye said, and suddenly remembered that Ye Fan's company was a money-eating beast, "Buy more when you have extra money."

Ye Fan happily turned over and sat up, holding his face: "Why are you so cute?"

"What are you talking about?" Geng Zhiye took her hand away unceremoniously, "I can be a grandfather, and I'm still cute."

Ye Fan suppressed his laughter and nodded: "Not cute, not cute at all!"

Geng Zhiye couldn't help staring again: "Can you speak?"

"I'm just teasing you." Ye Fan lay down again, "I haven't taken a vacation this year. When will I take a vacation?"

Geng Zhiye: "Not recently. I'll go home when I have time, and don't come looking for me if I don't have time."

Ye Fan understood, there was a mission.

"I will go south to get the goods next month and sell the fourth quarter's goods before the snow starts."

Geng Zhiye put the watch away and asked: "Are you still working with the same company as before?"

Ye Fan nodded, "Some people have approached them, but it's easier to work with me. I don't have to worry about short weights or missing goods. The price they give is low, and they haven't thought about changing suppliers. The cooperation has been going on for a few years and is about to end. Should I give them some gifts? It was through them that a relative of Chang Guangrong bought a batch of low-priced grain."

"We can also import grain?" Geng Zhiye was shocked. Has the market been open to this extent?

Ye Fan shook his head: "It's not a person, his relative works for a state-owned enterprise."

"No wonder." Geng Zhiye said, "I was shocked."

Ye Fan: "I don't touch those who are strictly controlled."

"How much money are you prepared to give as a gift?"

Ye Fan said, "Just a token of my appreciation. We may never see each other again in the future, so there's no need to send valuables. Besides, who knows how many antiques they have robbed from our country in the past. If I didn't think it would make more friends and fewer enemies, I wouldn't bother to send them."

"So the company's management is all men?"

Ye Fan: "There are women too."

Geng Zhiye: "If you want to give something practical, then cheap things are not good enough. You don't plan to give antique jade, and you can't give luxury cars, watches, gold, calligraphy or paintings, so you can only give food?"

"Food is fine. They don't lack food, but processed snacks. So I'll prepare a few bags of the capital's specialties?"

Geng Zhiye said, "You can give it to female comrades. But you can't give wine to men. Our wine is not as spicy as others' and they will probably despise it. Just buy two packs of mid-range cigarettes."

“Good ones aren’t expensive.”

Geng Zhiye said: "Buying two packs is a small amount of money for you. If they like to smoke, they will often call you and ask you to send two packs."

Ye Fan: "Yes! Then I will find a few people to bring one each and give it to me on the train, so that the police won't suspect me of smuggling when I get on the train."

Geng Zhiye asked: "You're not going next year?"

"Let's go one or two more times." Ye Fan said.

Geng Zhiye: "It's better not to do it. The people there are tough and the society is turbulent. I couldn't help but worry when I heard you were going there."

"Don't worry. If we meet bandits, I will give them the money."

Geng Zhiye said: "I'm worried that they will not only rob money but also hurt people."

Ye Fan whispered in his ear: "Bring a dagger."

Geng Zhiye turned his head suddenly: "You, you are handing a knife to someone!"

"It's not that exaggerated. At most, I'll injure 500 enemies and lose 1,000 myself." Ye Fan said, "He can't expect me to bleed."

Geng Zhiye wanted to say something, but was silent for a moment and sighed. It wasn't like he just met her today, so it would be useless to say more. "Try to protect yourself."

"I will." Ye Fan hugged his waist, "Don't be so stubborn. It's fifty."

Geng Zhiye said unhappily, "Don't remind me how old I am."

Ye Fan couldn't help laughing.

Nothing happened that night. The next morning, Ye Fan saw his children not washing their faces or brushing their teeth, but playing badminton in the yard: "Dabao, Erbao, is it the weekend today?"

Dabao waved his racket to indicate yes.

Ye Fan: "Where are we going to play today?"

Dabao: "Ask Brother Benben. I risked my life to accompany the soldiers."

Erbao asked: "Mom, is my brother sensible?"

"It's okay." Ye Fan went to the bathroom.

Erbao said hurriedly: "Mom, wait a minute, Benben's salary is low——"

"Your brother is rich!" Ye Fan said and closed the door.

Geng Zhiye was convinced: "Geng Dabao, why don't you save all the money you earn?"

"Keep it to raise the baby." Dabao blurted out, and Ye Fan almost swallowed the toothpaste. Geng Zhiye was speechless. Erbao said: "Not only to raise it, but also to buy a house for the baby."

Dabao: "Then I'll buy two sets, one for my son and one for my daughter."

Geng Zhiye wanted to pretend that he didn't hear it, but the problem was that he did hear it: "Dabao, the state regulations stipulate that you can only have one child."

"Then keep one and rent out the other as pocket money for the baby."

Erbao couldn't help but say, "That's a good idea. Brother, buy me two sets too."

Geng Zhiye wanted to complain about his son being stingy, but he heard his son say happily: "Okay!" Geng Zhiye paused for a moment, it turned out that he was just being stingy with him and Ye Fan.

I can’t have this bear thing anymore! —

Geng Huihui put down her bowl and chopsticks and ran back to her room. Geng Zhiye was confused: "What's wrong with her?"

Ye Fan: "Put on makeup and change clothes."

Geng Zhiye asked: "Dating? Doesn't she not like that person very much?"

Ye Fan: "They said that if they break up, they won't contact each other anymore. If they reconcile, they will get along well. This is a good attitude. I feel that she always puts on makeup when she goes out, which makes Yan Weining feel that she is very serious. That's why Yan Weining couldn't believe her when she wanted to break up before, and he was anxious to find me."

"Don't you think so now?" Geng Zhiye asked.

Ye Fan: "I guess he thinks Huihui just likes to dress up, not for anyone. It's good this way, so he doesn't feel good about himself."

Geng Zhiye snorted and laughed: "There were too many people chasing after him before, so he didn't know his own weight."

Ye Fan glanced at his son and asked, "Do you think he knows?"

Dabao: "Mom, I saw it."

"I'm talking about you. I'm not afraid of you seeing it."

Dabao put down his bowl and chopsticks: "You wash the pots and dishes. I have to meet up with Guangming and help him look at his watch."

Ye Fan was embarrassed to ask his busy nephew and his nephew who was on vacation to wash the pots and dishes, so he turned to Erbao. Erbao shook his head: "I don't have time. Our debate club has to come up with two programs for the New Year's Eve party this year. One for the group and one for the individual. The individual program will be selected from all the people. I have to practice the flute."

Yu Wentao said, "I'll clean it up."

Geng Zhiye stood up and said, "I'm leaving now."

Ye Fan accompanied him to the door, and watched the car drive out of the alley before returning to the house: "Erbao, you practiced the flute right after dinner, aren't you afraid of blowing the food in?"

"Don't be afraid!" Erbao said this, but still helped grandma clean up the dishes.

Ye Fan asked: "Since you don't want to do it, let's hire a part-time worker."

Yu Wentao was not surprised to hear this: "I knew you wanted to hire a nanny again."

Ye Fan: "My mother's family has a nanny."

"I know, you picked it. Your dad gets subsidies for hiring a nanny, but who gives subsidies to our family?"

Ye Fan opened his mouth and wondered why this old lady was so stubborn.

"Why not hire someone if there's no subsidy?" Ye Fan asked, "If you feel uncomfortable with more people in the yard, there are a few guest rooms in the south. You can ask a nanny to live in the front yard. When Erbao goes to school and I go to the company, there will be someone to talk to you."

Yu Wentao squinted at her two grandsons and said, "There are several young men at home. You need to hire an old nanny."

Geng Sensen rolled his eyes: "My colleagues and classmates are so outstanding, but I have never thought about dating. How can I have time to date a babysitter?"

Yu Wentao: "You don't have time because you have to work or study. Won't you have time when you get home?"

"——This doesn't make sense to you." Geng Sen Sen winked at his cousin, let's go!

Ye Fan: "Sensen, I'll take that as your agreement. Erbao, what about you?"

"I'm embarrassed to use a babysitter."

Ye Fan said, "When you go to a restaurant to eat, are you embarrassed to have a waiter of your age carry the dishes?"

Erbao nodded.

"That's all." Ye Fan turned to her mother-in-law and said, "Shall I go to the agency to have a look?"

Yu Wentao: "There are so many documents in the study and so many valuables in the house. I don't feel comfortable inviting an outsider to my house."

Ye Fanxin said, it’s just that much stuff.

"Let her accompany you to buy groceries and cook. We'll do the cleaning ourselves. I'll lock my study from now on."

Yu Wentao: “That’s fine.”

Ye Fan drove to the job market and after looking around for a long time he selected eight female workers for Chang Guangrong, but he didn't find a nanny for his own family.

Watching Chang Guangrong driving the pickup truck to take the people away, Ye Fan didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

After the eight female workers entered the factory, they chatted with the old employees. One of the employees heard about this and introduced her cousin to Ye Fan. Her cousin was 18 years old. Her family was poor and she went to school late. She didn't pass the entrance exam to a technical secondary school and didn't have the money to go to high school. Her family let her drop out of school to work on the farm. At the same time, she planned to go to the south to work with her fellow villagers after the New Year - those who went to work in the south would not come back until the end of the year.

Nanny Xiao Wang’s hometown is less than 50 kilometers away from the capital, but she is indeed from the mountains and is even poorer than Yujia Village ten years ago.

Xiao Wang's best clothes were washed white. She was half a head shorter than Erbao, so Ye Fan did not give her Erbao's old clothes. Instead, he helped her choose two sets of clothes, saying they were work clothes, two sets for each season.

Xiao Wang first went to her cousin's factory. She wanted to work in the factory, but she didn't know how to use a sewing machine. The workers in the factory were piece-rate, and she could only earn 20 or 30 yuan a month. Ye Fan's nanny was paid 100 yuan a month, so her cousin asked her to work for Ye Fan until the end of the year. After she earned enough money to live a better life at home, she would go to the factory and learn slowly.

When nanny Xiao Wang heard that food and accommodation were provided and there would be 100 yuan left every month, she immediately thought it would be a good idea to be a nanny.

Because she knew that workers in the factory had to wear work clothes, nanny Xiao Wang believed Ye Fan's clothes when she received them.

Nanny Xiao Wang's first day at work was October 1st. Benben had returned to the army, Geng Zhiye was also in the army, but everyone else was at home. Ye Fan's family had to use a steel pot to cook porridge for breakfast. The little nanny was helping Yu Wentao in the kitchen when she heard a voice in the yard: "Grandma Yu, your house is so lively."

Yu Wentao said: "We are still short of two more."

Xiao Wang: "Aren't Erbao's uncle and aunt and second uncle and aunt coming back?"

Yu Wentao paused for a moment, thinking that it would not be a lively place if her uncle came back: "Her uncle is out of town, far away, and can't come back for the New Year. Her second uncle can't do anything, it doesn't matter whether he is here or not."

"Where is Erbao's second mother?"

Yu Wentao: “Not much to say.”

"Is it serious?"

Yu Wentao thought to herself, not as serious as the eldest, "Not bad. Easy to talk to." She just loves to talk nonsense, "Don't worry. It's Erbao's mom who pays you. Erbao's mom wants you to take care of me, so just listen to us and don't worry about them."

Xiao Wang asked: "Are you going out today?"

"Let's go to the vegetable market. They will definitely go to meet their classmates and friends. Maybe they will even bring back a bunch of kids."

Yu Wentao was right. As soon as she and the nanny left, Dabao's childhood friend came over. Chu Guangming brought his childhood friend and friends with him. Dabao used to play ball with his childhood friend and friends, and he had seen them in the past two years. After a few words of greeting, there was no longer any estrangement.

Dabao took the person to the study, and Geng Huihui was taken away again. Erbao then pulled his cousin to follow her brother.

Ye Fan said: "Erbao, your two brothers don't want to go."

"Then the four of us will play mahjong?"

Ye Fan's family has a set of mahjong, which Dabao bought last winter. Ye Fan said, "Wash your clothes and shoes first."

Erbao muttered, "I want to practice the flute!"

Ye Fan went up and grabbed her ears. Er Bao didn't dare to make excuses, and she accompanied her mother to clean her shoes and then went to wash her underwear. Ye Fan stared at the washing machine.

When the babysitter Xiao Wang came back and saw Ye Fan hanging clothes, she hurriedly said, "Auntie, I'll do it."

"Send the food inside first."

Nanny Xiao Wang came out to wash her hands, and Ye Fan hung up the clothes. Ye Fan said, "Talk to grandma about what to eat for lunch."

Yu Wentao smiled and said, "Xiao Wang, come here. She thinks you're in the way. Do you want to go out and play?"

Going out to play costs money.

Little Wang shook his head like a rattle: "There are too many people outside, it's not fun. Erbao, what do you want to play? I'll play with you."

Erbao said weakly, "I don't want to play anything. Mom, please hire someone to wash clothes and brush shoes."

Yu Wentao asked, "What are you doing?"

"I'm going to school. Grandma, after the new year I'm going to do an internship. The place where I'm doing the internship is very tough. Mom, please find someone else because of how hard I'm working."

Ye Fan: "You may have to live in the company during your internship. Even if I hire ten more people, you won't be able to enjoy this."

"Why? Is it far from home?" Erbao calculated where her workplace was and his eyes lit up. "Mom, can you buy me a house near the workplace? It's okay if you don't buy a house, but buy me a car."

(End of this chapter)