Reborn veteran, lying flat since high school

1999 8 Month 28 Day.

Saturday.

It drizzled for half the night last night, and the morning breeze is cool and refreshing. As you turn into Tangjia Village from the main road, you can still smell the fragrance of the earth.

The small truck arrived at the entrance of the alley and encountered Tang Lucheng, the village chief, who was taking a stroll.

"Sixth Uncle".

Tang Lucheng's branch of the family is within the fifth degree of kinship, and in terms of age, he is the sixth oldest.

Tang Yisheng could call him Uncle Lu Cheng, but "Sixth Uncle" sounded more intimate than Uncle Lu Cheng.

As the saying goes, a close neighbor is worse than a distant relative, especially since Tang Lucheng is the village chief of Tangjia Village.

"Yisheng, is the yard all tidied up?"

"It's all done, so we've moved back in."

Tang Lucheng glanced at the furniture on the truck. This time it wasn't made of iron, but rather a truckload of wooden furniture.

"I'll have your aunt come over and lend a hand. Have you bought the rags and brooms?"

"They're all there, in the back of the truck bed."

"They even got two cars?"

"They're all small cars, they can't carry much. Besides, everything in the house needs to be replaced, and two cars might not even be enough to haul it all."

"Keep busy, I'll go back and call your aunt."

Village chief Tang Lucheng waved his hand and turned to walk back.

His house is next to the village committee compound, near the west end of the village, but not close to Tang Yisheng's house in the alley at the far east end of the village.

I strolled over here after breakfast, purely intending to see the newly built houses in the south of this alley.

Although it was a simple house built on a construction site, it was still the first two-story building in Tangjia Village.

Recently, Tang Lucheng, as the village chief, has been checking in twice a day.

There was no movement during the day yesterday, so he even went up to the second floor for a stroll.

The two-story iron-framed bed has windows at both the front and back, and each room is also equipped with a ceiling fan.

While having breakfast this morning, Tang Lucheng heard that dozens of people had moved in last night, so he decided to stroll over and take a look. He happened to run into his nephew, who had transferred back from the provincial capital.

Those who come back from big cities are different from the mischievous kids who grew up in the village.

Tang Lucheng squeezed his pockets, then thought of the Double Happiness cigarettes tucked in the bedside table in the inner room. One pack was unopened, and he had only smoked two packs of the other.

I'll go home and have my wife come over to help with some chores. I'll go over around noon, and I'll probably be able to have a warm meal there. I'll also check on what that kid has done to the inner room.

Two truckloads of "junk" were brought in the day before yesterday, some long sticks and some short sticks, and they were all taken inside the house. I don't know what they're going to do with them.

City dwellers live a more flamboyant life than people in the countryside.

Tang Lucheng took out the Double Happiness cigarette from his pocket, lit it with a cheap match, and puffed on the cigarette butt as he walked home.

Believe it or not, the ones we roll ourselves are the Red Double Happiness cigarettes without filters.

Tang Yisheng directed the small truck to park at the entrance of the middle courtyard.

Then he ran to the drying ground to the south and called over two uncles who were working.

The boss had given all the instructions beforehand: help the landlord move furniture, and he specifically said not to take advantage of the landlord just because he's young.

When the two workers heard someone calling them, they put down their work and got up, only to be given a pack of cigarettes by Tang Yisheng.

An unexpected delight.

Their attitude and spirit immediately changed.

The truck driver and the co-driver were brought in by the furniture store; besides helping to carry the furniture into the store, they were also responsible for installation.

A corner wardrobe, a bookshelf and desk set, and two bedside tables.

"Don't land, go straight into the inner room, go straight in."

"Hold on above, go in slowly, don't rush, don't rush, don't bump into the door frame."

"Be gentle, put it down gently, don't scratch the wooden floor..."

Without Tang Yisheng saying a word, both groups of workers took the initiative to start making arrangements.

Just four packs of Double Happiness cigarettes made things go much more smoothly.

Sun Lixiang was still a little sullen when her husbands urged her to leave the house.

The men care about their reputation, so they always interfere with work in this way.

It wasn't him who did it.

He can play the good guy by simply talking, but he ends up getting himself into trouble and suffering.

This happens every single time!

The pigs at home haven't been fed yet.

Sun Lixiang was unhappy, and she walked with a sluggish gait.

They walked slowly, chatting with people they met along the way, and of course, they also boasted about how they had taken the initiative to help tidy up Tang Yisheng's house.

After shuffling to the far east end of the alley, I found myself with two more companions.

One of them was also Tang Yisheng's aunt, Zhao Xiumin, who was his second aunt within three degrees of kinship. She married into the family from the next village and was the second oldest brother of the Tang family in this generation, second only to Tang Luquan.

The sixth brother's family all went over to lend a hand, how could she, the second aunt who was closest to the courtyard, just stand by and watch?

The other one was Tian Xiaocui, who was carrying a basket and heading to the vegetable garden at the edge of the village. By seniority, she was Tang Yisheng's cousin-in-law.

Her husband, Mei Baoguo, is Tang Yisheng's cousin. Tang Yisheng has to call Tian Xiaocui his mother-in-law and Tang Shujuan his great-aunt.

Mei Baoguo got drunk a while ago and crashed his motorcycle into the back of a parked truck. He is currently receiving treatment at the county hospital.

The old lady lost her husband in middle age and raised her son alone. She had just arranged her son's wedding at the beginning of the year, but she still has no peace and quiet. She and her daughter-in-law take turns staying at the hospital.

Tang Yisheng had been back for more than ten days and had been staying at the county hotel, so he had no idea about this matter.

Otherwise, given his temperament, he would definitely buy a box of milk and visit the hospital.

Sun Lixiang and Zhao Xiumin walked in front, while Tian Xiaocui followed behind. She had just married into Tangjia Village and wasn't very familiar with any of the families.

It was only after her cousin-in-law, Zhao Xiumin, quickly explained the relationship between the two families that they were forced to follow suit.

At the entrance of the alley, a truck was clumsily going in and out, adjusting its angle to turn in.

Actually, the alley entrance is quite wide, and a small truck once went in there.

Unfortunately, this vehicle was enormous, several times larger than the previous small truck.

Not only is it a large model, but it's also an extended version with a rear cargo bed.

The three of them had no choice but to stop and wait while watching.

"Those from the provincial capital are really something else. Look at this big sofa, it's even leather."

"I heard the fourth brother went to America, how could he be short of money?"

"Yeah, it'll probably cost a fortune, right?"

"Of course, just look at this truckload, plus the stuff we hauled a few days ago. It could easily cost a family with ten thousand yuan."

As Tang Yisheng's second aunt, she was naturally closer to him than the sixth brother's family. Although she might not necessarily get any benefits from it, she was still proud to participate in the rural chatter.

Tian Xiaocui couldn't get a word in edgewise, but seeing the large sofa and refrigerator in the truck bed, she was genuinely envious.

Her husband is in the hospital, and money is flowing out like water. She even borrowed two thousand yuan from her family a while ago, and she has been ridiculed by many people behind her back.

I'll ask my mother-in-law later if we can borrow some money from them.

The truck finally turned in.

Zhao Xiumin took the lead, Sun Lixiang followed closely behind, and Tian Xiaocui followed with her basket. She glanced at the two people in front of her, their shoulders swaying and their hands empty, and then looked at her own basket.

Two eggplants, a few cucumbers, and five or six persimmons that were just starting to ripen.

Even if you're the last one to arrive, you'll still leave a good impression.

A young man came out to greet them at the entrance of the courtyard.

He was holding two packs of cigarettes and offering them to the driver.

He was tall with fair skin. Although only his right profile could be seen, he made me dizzy at first glance.

It was as if that face had a magnetic pull, making it impossible for Tian Xiaocui to look away.

So handsome!