Year 1983: I was a carpenter in Northeast China

"Oh dear, it's my sister and brother-in-law."

Xu Juan and Xu Li had a very good relationship. After saying a few words, she ran out of the house.

Zhao Fengying, the mother-in-law, was always kind to her son-in-law. Since he had come, she naturally greeted him with a smile, wiped her hands on her apron, and followed him out.

Xu Bei was the only one who didn't rush out. Instead, he went to the washbasin stand to get water to wash his hands and looked out the kitchen window.

Seeing his brother-in-law Zhu Wenliang in his younger days evoked mixed feelings of sadness and regret.

Before being laid off, he was a very good and capable person, but he changed drastically after being laid off.

Perhaps a grain of sand in the era can become a mountain on an individual's head.

Once a person gets hooked on gambling, it's not easy to quit.

Those who are blinded by greed, in particular, have no sense of reason or integrity whatsoever.

He promised not to gamble, but then turned around and gambled away tens of thousands of dollars.

If my sister and her husband hadn't met through a matchmaking arrangement, and their relationship hadn't been so deep, they probably would have divorced long ago, and she wouldn't have been able to help pay off so many gambling debts.

However, this kind of thing is endless and has no end.

Anyway, things didn't get better until he was reborn.

yard.

The quilt covers, mattress covers, and pillowcases hanging on the wire clothesline looked like frozen solid iron plates, swaying gently in the cold wind.

Zhao Fengying, who had walked over there, greeted her son-in-law warmly, "You must be freezing! Hurry up and park the car and come inside."

Zhu Wenliang is about 1.7 meters tall, with thick eyebrows and big eyes, and he looks quite handsome.

He took the net bag hanging on the handlebars and laughed, "It's alright, Mom, you're dressed warmly. Besides, our woodworking factory isn't far away."

As Xu Li propped up her bicycle, she smiled and said, "What delicious food is being made at home? I could smell the aroma as soon as I entered the yard."

Xu Juan chimed in with a smile, "My brother bought meat, and he bought two jin (1 kg) of it."

Xu Li exclaimed, "Oh dear, this kid really went all out! Well, we're in for a treat!"

Zhao Fengying smiled brightly, "Yes, that's right. Everyone should eat and drink more today, especially Wenliang."

Zhu Wenliang quickly replied, "Okay, Mom, then I'll have to have a lot of drinks with my brother, you, and Dad later."

At this moment, Xu Bei, who had dried his hands, also pushed open the door.

"Sister, brother-in-law is here. Let's not talk in the yard, come inside and chat."

As soon as Xu Li saw her younger brother, she hurried over and asked, "Little brother, did you get my eight wooden stools back?"

Xu Bei laughed and said, "Of course I brought it back. I know you're impatient, you'll definitely come to pick it up after get off work tonight. Otherwise, you'd be asking for a scolding."

"You really know me well, kid." Xu Li patted Xu Bei's arm with a smile. "But you don't know, I ordered four more this afternoon. Actually, I was anxious to ask you because I wanted to say that if they hadn't been picked up yet, I would have picked up those four as well."

Xu Bei gave a thumbs up, "Sis, you're pretty amazing too, almost as good as Mom. But I only took two extra as spares, and my buddy took one, so I'll have to wait until tomorrow for the rest."

Xu Li smiled smugly, "Tomorrow it is, maybe someone else will want them. After we finish eating, your brother-in-law and I will take those nine first."

"Sure." As Xu Bei spoke, his gaze inadvertently swept over Zhu Wenliang, who was smiling at him. "It'll be easier to carry things if there's another person."

Afterwards, everyone filed into the house, chatting and laughing, waiting for the head of the family to return and start the meal.

Xu Dashan lived up to expectations and soon returned, covered in cold air.

He was quite happy to see his youngest daughter and her husband return, and his smile deepened the wrinkles on his face.

However, when she looked Xu Bei, her son, in the eye, she became somewhat evasive and awkward.

Xu Bei, of course, also noticed his old man's unease.

To be honest, though, the two of them had a heated argument yesterday, and he's not used to them suddenly becoming all smiles and acting like nothing happened.

It is often said that alcohol is a bridge for communication and a lubricant for emotions.

There is indeed some truth to that.

After two cups of hot liquor, the atmosphere between Xu Bei and his son Xu Dashan improved considerably.

In addition, the food tonight was really good, and it seemed that many things had to take a backseat in the face of indulging in eating and drinking.

After several rounds of drinks and five courses of food,

The food on the round table that was set aside had been mostly eaten up.

The two sisters, who don't drink alcohol, and Zhao Fengying, who drank a glass of baijiu, finished their meal, got off the table, and went to sit on the kang (a heated brick bed) to chat and listen to the radio.

Xu Bei, Xu Dashan, and Zhu Wenliang were still pressing down on the table.

Zhu Wenliang, his face flushed and neck red from drinking, flicked his cigarette ash into the empty sardine can, raised his glass, and said, "Brother, your brother-in-law has to toast you again."

Xu Bei frowned slightly and waved his hand, dispersing some of the lingering smoke. "Brother-in-law, that's enough. You all have to go to work tomorrow."

Although tomorrow is Sunday, the people working in the workshop will not have a holiday and will continue to maintain the normal operation of the factory's assembly line.

This is true not only for woodworking factories and timber processing plants, but also for other factories in the forest area.

The same is true for the forest farms in the mountains, where they are extremely busy during the peak logging season in winter.

Zhu Wenliang let out a burp. "Brother, your brother-in-law has a high alcohol tolerance, and I'm free at work tomorrow. The only reason I'm toasting you is because you've changed a lot lately. It's really impressive, and your sister and I are very happy for you."

Xu Bei smiled slightly, "Thank you for the compliment, brother-in-law. Here, let me toast you too."

Xu Dashan watched as his son and son-in-law at the table started drinking one cup after another, but he didn't pay any attention to them. Instead, he got off the table.

So, there were now two people pressing down on the table.

Later, it was Xu Li who brought up the fact that it was getting late and it was time to go home, and that's when the party ended...

The next day.

Xu Dashan finished his meal early and left home for work.

Xu Bei woke up naturally again.

I opened my eyes and looked at the watch next to my pillow; it was already past nine o'clock.

I drank quite a bit last night, but not too much.

Later, at exactly midnight, the timber was felled and the fourth tree was planted.

So, I got up a little late.

When he finished getting ready, put on his shoes, and went to the kitchen, he saw his mother and sister sewing the quilts they had taken from school the day before and washed on the kang (heated brick bed) in the east room.

The air was filled with a mixture of laundry detergent and the smell of sun-dried clothes.

He asked with some surprise, "They're all dry already? I remember you washed them yesterday afternoon while I was asleep, and then hung them outside to freeze solid."

Zhao Fengying's needle and thread moved swiftly. She looked up at her sleepy son and said, "Then how could you not work quickly when you brought the needle and thread inside and placed it in front of the stove and fire wall? Hurry up and brush your teeth and wash your face. The food is still warming in the pot."

Xu Juan tied the needle, which she had threaded with white cotton thread for her mother, to a corner of the thick cotton quilt for later use. She also said with a smile, "Brother, are you still half asleep or not fully awake? Do you want to have some more wine to clear your head?"

Xu Bei pointed at her through the air and laughed, "You little rascal, you've learned to tease people now."

However, he was quite pleased that his sister had changed so quickly.

After Xu Bei finished his belated breakfast, the mother and daughter finished sewing up the bedding.

The mother and her two children were discussing going to the public bathhouse after lunch when it was warmer outside, when more people arrived...