Writer 1978: I Need to Give the Literary World a Lesson

Chapter 331 Sister-in-law is Pregnant, Zhu Lin Makes an Effort

Apart from the addition of a dark, coal-slag-covered road, the Maiji Brigade in winter is not much different from previous years.

Dead wormwood trees stretched from the country roadside all the way to the mountain ridges on both sides of the production brigade, while scattered locust trees stood on the ridges facing the northwest wind.

Some previously unclaimed areas have been cleared, and the plots of land, varying in size, resemble cracked tortoise shells.

The courtyards of each household have not changed much from before, but the rammed earth walls have developed increasingly larger cracks year after year.

As the Liu family walked, they greeted the people in the brigade, and their usually sallow faces now had a rosy glow.

“This year we planted cotton, and although we didn’t plant much, we still managed to earn enough for everyone to have a good New Year. Yimin, thank goodness we listened to you!” Li Dashan told Liu Yimin.

Liu Yimin hurriedly said, "Uncle Dashan, don't forget Lan Yong's contribution!"

"Hahaha, this rascal has matured a lot after spending a few years in the army and in Yanjing!" Li Dashan now speaks of Li Lanyong with a face full of pride.

Zhu Lin held Yang Xiuyun's hand and called her "Mom" affectionately.

Upon arriving home, Zhu Lin presented Liu Fuqing and Yang Xiuyun with the gifts he had brought from Yanjing.

"Where are your elder brother and sister-in-law?" Zhu Lin asked with concern.

“Your older brother has become the deputy head of the safety department of the mining bureau. Now that it’s the New Year, he has to take the lead and lead everyone to work. Your sister-in-law is with your older brother!” Yang Xiuyun said with a smile.

Liu Yimin asked, "When did this happen?"

"I just took office, it happened a while ago!" Liu Fuqing said, wearing the hat Zhu Lin had just bought for him and holding a pipe.

“Now that you’ve become an official, you’ll be very busy, brother!” Zhu Lin said.

"Who says otherwise? Everyone wants to enjoy the New Year. If you, as a cadre, don't take the lead, who will respect you? Your older brother even wants to study more; otherwise, how can he be a good cadre!"

After Yang Xiuyun finished speaking, she seemed to remember something and quickly slapped her thigh: "You've been so busy talking, hurry up and eat! The food is ready and it's still warming up in the pot!"

In the evening, none of the villagers who usually came to watch TV came over, and the family ate a quiet meal together.

Zhu Lin kept piling food onto the elderly couple's plates, trying to ingratiate himself. Liu Yimin leaned close to Zhu Lin and whispered, "You should eat by yourself!"

Zhu Lin ignored him and continued chatting with Yang Xiuyun about filming on the front lines.

"I never imagined filming could be dangerous. Linlin, you and Yimin need to be careful when you go out in the future. Your older brother and sister-in-law are with us, so we're not worried. We're just worried about you two. If anything happens to you, your father and I won't be able to help much!" Yang Xiuyun earnestly instructed.

Zhu Lin said, "Mom and Dad, don't worry. We'll bring you to stay in Yanjing again when the farming season is over, or we can just stay in Yanjing all the time!"

"You two just need to take good care of yourselves in Yanjing. Don't worry about your mother and me. We see you on TV all the time, that's enough for us," Liu Fuqing interjected.

After finishing their meal, Liu Yimin and Zhu Lin went to wash the pots and pans. The water on the stove in the kitchen was kept warm by firewood, so it wasn't cold while washing the pots and pans.

Liu Yimin said with a smile, "Zhu Lin, are you trying to compete with me for my affections?"

"Teacher Liu, you did the same thing when you were at my house!" Zhu Lin scoffed.

After washing the pot, Yang Xiuyun chatted with the two elders for a while. Both of them looked sleepy, so Yang Xiuyun said, "You've had a long day, go to sleep. You don't need to stay with us."

"Dad, Mom, let's go rest!"

Yang Xiuyun opened the door for the two of them and pointed to two red thermos flasks at the foot of the bed, saying, "If you want to wash your feet, those two thermos flasks at the foot of the bed are full of hot water. Hurry up and rest, you don't need to get up early tomorrow!"

"Okay, Mom, you and Dad should go to bed early too!"

The room was decorated festively, with a vermilion washstand paired with a washbasin depicting mandarin ducks playing in the water, and a white towel embroidered with peonies draped over it.

Red flyers were paired with thick red quilts, and two red Chinese knots hung by the window.

"Anyone who didn't know better would think it's a wedding today!" Liu Yimin said with a smile.

The two got married in Yanjing, but Yang Xiuyun and Liu Fuqing also carefully decorated their house.

After washing up, Zhu Lin quickly ran to bed, her neck hunched and teeth chattering from the cold. Liu Yimin turned off the light, and as soon as he got into bed, Zhu Lin hugged him tightly.

The two first tucked the blankets tightly with their arms and feet to keep out the draft. Even with new cotton, it would take a while for the blankets to warm up.

Liu Yimin hugged Zhu Lin and chuckled, "Belly to belly, better than an electric blanket!"

"This new cotton smells so good!" Zhu Lin said, then yawned and went to sleep, placing his hand on Liu Yimin's stomach to keep warm.

When I woke up the next day, the yard was filled with the aroma of meat. Today is the 27th of the lunar year, and every household is preparing for the New Year.

Thanks to the money earned from selling cotton, every household has been able to eat more meat this year.

As soon as Liu Yimin opened his eyes, Zhu Lin woke up. After greedily enjoying the warmth of the bed for a while, she got dressed and got out of bed.

"Mom and Dad, is there anything I can do?" Zhu Lin asked, rolling up her sleeves as she washed her face and went into the kitchen.

"We're cooking meat and killing chicken today. Your dad can handle that," Yang Xiuyun said, starting to cook the dishes. She thought the two of them could sleep a little longer, but they got up so early.

Liu Fuqing said, "Yimin, Linlin, if you two want to go to the market, you can take the tractor later. This tractor is used by the collective for a whole day for a small team to go to the market during the Spring Festival."

The tractor is now the property of the brigade. After the road was repaired, it is not usually used. After all, it is collective property, and it is a problem who uses it and who doesn't.

Liu Yimin looked at Zhu Lin and asked her if she was going. Judging from Zhu Lin's expression, he knew she wanted to go.

"Alright, let's go to the market in a bit!"

After the meal, Li Lanyong ran over to call them, and the two of them got on the tractor and chatted with everyone.

“I read in the newspaper last month that another policy has been introduced. The government is going to adjust the unified purchase policy, mainly reducing the variety of cotton that will be purchased. That means we'll have more land to grow cotton this year!” Li Lanyong moved closer to Liu Yimin and chatted with him.

In the past two years, the national policy of unified purchase and sale of grain has been changing year by year. The main reason is that there have been bumper harvests in the past two years, and after completing the national purchase task, farmers still have a large amount of surplus grain.

Previously, the types of agricultural products purchased under the unified purchase system included staple grains such as wheat and corn, as well as agricultural by-products. If only staple grains such as wheat and corn were purchased under the unified purchase system, the remaining land could be used for other purposes.

"With the bumper harvests these past two years, the unified purchase policy will become more and more lenient. Then everyone will be able to exchange their produce for money!" Liu Yimin said. Li Lanyong was happy, but also helpless, saying, "Policies from higher authorities are policies from higher authorities; who knows when they'll reach us!"

Local governments purchase grain from farmers and then sell it in cities. Because the price of grain purchased through the central government is low, this buying and selling creates a price scissors effect.

Previously, there was a food shortage, but now there's a bumper harvest and there's no longer a food shortage. Farmers have so much grain they can't sell themselves; they have to give it to the state. The state spends so much money buying grain, which has become a burden on the country.

The group chatted as they arrived at the market, where all the houses that used to line the road in Shiling Commune had been turned into temporary shops.

The cries of vendors rose and fell from both sides, and the villagers who came to the market squeezed into the crowd to start buying.

Besides selling couplets and firecrackers, there were also all sorts of food vendors, and the aroma of meat filled the entire street.

Liu Yimin and Zhu Lin didn't buy anything; they were just there to join in the fun. Zhu Lin wanted to experience a rural market, thinking that maybe he could use this setting in his future directing career.

Liu Yimin's elder brother and sister-in-law did not return from the mining bureau until the 29th day of the Lunar New Year. As soon as they returned, they rushed to Yang Xiuyun and Liu Fuqing to share the good news.

"Father, Mother, Pingping is pregnant! She's pregnant!" Liu Yiguo announced the news loudly to his family in the courtyard.

Standing beside him, Gu Ping, the eldest sister-in-law, looked at Liu Yiguo in the yard with a blush and a smile. Liu Fuqing and Yang Xiuyun were so excited that they couldn't speak for a long time after hearing this.

After confirming it was true several times, the elderly couple stood in the yard and laughed loudly: "Oh dear, these past two years have really worried us!"

With both of their children married, having children has become a major concern for the couple.

The eldest son has been married for two years and there's still no sign of a child. Yang Xiuyun is even considering indulging in some feudal superstitions at home.

"Congratulations, brother and sister-in-law!" Zhu Lin said with a smile, and walked over to help Gu Ping and asked how long it had been.

"I wasn't feeling well a couple of days ago, so I went to the mine's clinic for a checkup. The doctor said I might be pregnant, and when I went to the county hospital, it turned out to be true!" Sister-in-law Gu Ping smiled and touched her belly.

This year, Liu Fuqing and Yang Xiuyun had a very happy and triumphant New Year. Zhu Lin would often go to Gu Ping's side to look at her and see if there was anything different about her pregnancy, and also ask her for advice.

A happy family!
"Linlin, I think you and Yimin will be together soon!" Sister-in-law Gu Ping said with a smile, holding Zhu Lin's hand.

Zhu Lin blushed and quickly changed the subject, starting to talk about the different ways to knit sweaters.

"Brother, how does it feel to become a cadre in the mining bureau?" Liu Yimin asked.

"What do you mean? It's the same as before. Adding the word 'deputy' to an official title means you can't even fart! But I'm content. I just need to do my job well," Liu Yiguo said honestly.

"Boss, the safety department of the mining bureau has a lot of responsibility. If something happens in the mine, it's a big deal. Even though I'm just a deputy, I have to fulfill my responsibilities! I still feel scared when I think about the coal mine accident back then!"

Liu Fuqing, who was gathering firewood nearby, hurriedly gave instructions.

"I understand, Dad. Don't worry! I won't bring shame to you or Yimin!" Liu Yiguo assured him.

On New Year's Eve, the Liu family gathered in the kitchen to work. Under the dim light, they seemed to have endless things to talk about.

Outside, the cold wind howled, but inside, laughter and conversation filled the air. Steam rose from the pot on the stove, and Liu Yimin's red sweater looked especially festive.

"The meat's all fried, Linlin, it's your turn now!"

"Let everyone see the fish I made!"

Everyone took turns preparing their specialty dishes, filling the square table to the brim. Once the fish was cooked, the New Year's Eve dinner was complete.

"Mom and Dad, older brother and sister-in-law, try the fish I made!" Zhu Lin said happily.

"Not bad!"

Yang Xiuyun took a bite and immediately praised it. Northerners are not good at eating fish, so everyone ate it with extra care.

After dinner, everyone squeezed into the room to watch TV. This was the first Spring Festival Gala, and even Liu Yimin watched it very attentively.

Ma Ji and Jiang Kun's crosstalk made everyone laugh. Although there were many programs, there were only a few main performers.

Jiang Kun, Ma Ji, and Li Guyi practically carried the entire show.

"This program is interesting, much more interesting than the New Year's Eve party organized by the mining bureau itself," said Gu Ping, the eldest sister-in-law, while knitting a sweater.

His eyes were glued to the TV, but his hands moved with lightning speed.

“Can our mining bureau compare to a TV station? A few young guys in our mine are carrying around radios and singing some nonsense. I listened for ages and still couldn’t understand a word they were singing,” Liu Yiguo said.

After the Spring Festival Gala ended, the family was clearly still not satisfied and chatted excitedly about the program.

Starting this year, the Spring Festival Gala will become a part of the memories of generations of Chinese people. Even if people start to roll their eyes at the Gala later, they will still watch a few episodes.

The Liu family's joy lasted only until the first day of the Lunar New Year. After that, the smiles in the family were gradually replaced by the reluctance to part.

After the first day of the Lunar New Year, Liu Yiguo will go to work at the mining bureau. In three or four days, Liu Yimin and Zhu Lin will return to Yanjing.

On the third day of the Lunar New Year, as usual, Old Zhang, the director of the cultural center, came to Maiji Brigade. When Old Zhang heard that Liu Yimin was going to Yanjing on the fourth day, he smiled and said that he had come early, otherwise he would not have been able to see him.

"Comrade Zhang, even if you hadn't come, I would have visited you at the cultural center before I left!" Liu Yimin said with a smile.

Hearing Liu Yimin's words, Old Zhang was very happy and pulled Liu Yimin aside to talk about the current cultural development in Ru County: "Our county is preparing to build the Ru Porcelain Museum. You have to come back for the ribbon-cutting ceremony after it is completed! Our county will finally have a museum, and the cultural relics in the cultural center will have a good place to go!"

The Ru Porcelain Museum is the result of Lao Zhang's tireless efforts; without him, it might have been built many years later.

The cultural center has a lot of cultural relics. If Old Zhang wanted to make a fortune, he could secretly hide some cultural relics and no one would find out. Take copper coins, for example. There was a big vat of them on Old Zhang's table. He could grab a handful and stuff them into his pocket and no one would know!
"Comrade Zhang, it seems the State Administration of Cultural Heritage will be recognizing you as an advanced worker! You're really silly, secretly taking some home, you'll be rich in the future," Liu Yimin said with a smile.

“How could I do that! My little thing is nothing compared to yours; you’re already abroad protecting cultural relics! But to be honest, cultural relic protection is getting more and more difficult these days, and I can only do my bit.”

While Lao Zhang lacked writing skills, he devoted himself wholeheartedly to the preservation of cultural relics. He later received a certificate from the State Administration of Cultural Heritage for "thirty years of service in cultural heritage work," as well as the title of Advanced Worker from the Henan Provincial Bureau of Cultural Relics.

"When you got married, I didn't dare drink too much. Cao Yu, Xia Yan, Zhang Guangnian, aren't they all big shots? I never thought I'd see them all. When I came back and told everyone, nobody believed me."

Later, you sent me the photos from that time, and I showed them to everyone. Only then did they believe it!

(End of this chapter)