Year 1983: I was a carpenter in Northeast China

"Mom, I didn't know you were trying to find me a partner. There's something I haven't had a chance to tell you yet."

Xu Bei directly said the excuse he had just thought of, "Actually, I have someone I like, but I haven't started pursuing her yet."

"Really? I've never heard you mention this before?" Zhao Fengying asked skeptically. "You're not just trying to fool me, are you?"

"Of course it's true, why would I lie to you? But it's not even close to happening yet, so I can't just announce it to everyone."

Xu Bei paused for a moment, then said, "We can't let Aunt Liu make a wasted trip in this cold weather. Let's cook some nice dishes for her at noon."

"You brat, do you even need to tell me?" Zhao Fengying continued to press in a low voice, "What does that girl do for a living? How old is she? What's her family's financial situation like? Is she pretty?"

Xu Bei said confidently in a low voice, "Of course she's beautiful, and she's also cultured, well-mannered, virtuous, and capable. Mom, you have to trust your son's judgment. But I won't tell you the specifics yet; I'll tell you when I have more information."

As for when it will happen, that depends on when he encounters it.

"Alright then. I'll be waiting."

Zhao Fengying suppressed her smile, pondered for a moment how to say it appropriately, and then returned to the east room.

Of course, she couldn't tell the truth, so she could only express her child's meaning in a rather tactful way.

Sister Liu understood what Zhao Fengying meant, and politely declined the invitation to stay for dinner, leaving with the more than one pound of sugar that Zhao Fengying insisted on giving her.

After seeing the person off and returning to his room, Xu Bei was subjected to questioning from both his mother and sister.

However, since he had already made up a lie, he naturally had a plan to cover it up, fooling the mother and daughter quite a bit. He also promised to keep it a secret for the time being and not tell Xu Dashan and Xu Li.

Around 11 o'clock, Xu Dashan came home from get off work.

As expected, Zhao Fengying and Xu Juan kept their promise and didn't even mention that someone wanted to introduce them to potential partners.

Xu Bei was very satisfied with this; otherwise, based on his understanding of his father, he would have had to spend a lot of time explaining things to him.

After lunch, the three packed their bath towels, scrubbers, and soap, took the bath tickets issued by their workplace, and headed straight to the staff bathhouse in the forest area.

As for Xu Dashan, he will be working the night shift starting next Monday, so he will have plenty of time during the day. He plans to go alone afterward and spend more time soaking in the pool.

Although winter temperatures in the Lesser Khingan Mountains often drop to below -30 degrees Celsius, they can be warmer as long as the sun is out.

The midday sun, in particular, is like a golden waterfall, cascading onto the white snow, so bright that one has to squint to see it.

The crisp, fresh air, traveling from the nasal cavity to the lungs, feels cool but not uncomfortable; instead, it invigorates the spirit.

The mother and her two children carried cloth bags and walked towards the bathroom, chatting and laughing all the way.

Xu Juan found a slippery spot and started sliding down it. "Is the bathhouse crowded at this hour?"

Xu Bei laughed and said, "It's hard to say, but we still have to wash them, no matter how much or how little."

Zhao Fengying interjected, "Of course, you have to wash up even if you have to wait in line, and you have to scrub yourself thoroughly once you're inside."

The staff bathhouse of Beishan Forestry Bureau is a single-story building made of red bricks.

The roof was gabled and covered with a layer of snow, and the tall chimney was still emitting white smoke.

Inside the double-door entrance, a thick cotton curtain hangs to block the cold wind.

Because of the cold, some places were covered with a layer of frost.

As soon as Xu Bei entered, he was greeted by a mixture of dampness, the smell of soap, and the smell of smoke.

There is a wooden ticket window near the entrance.

He, his mother, and his sister went to the ticket window, handed over the shower tickets issued by their workplace, received the keys to their locker rooms, and then parted ways.

However, Xu Bei did not rush to the men's bathroom, but went to the hairdressing area inside the bathhouse first, which is the barber shop.

The barbershop room wasn't very big, and the walls were covered with slogans about serving the people.

Perhaps due to the time of day, only one male barber was shaving a man with a white cloth around his neck.

The sharp razor made a swishing sound as it scraped against the soapy cheek.

Xu Bei greeted them and then sat down on a wooden bench nearby to wait.

Seeing the piles of hair on the ground, I couldn't help but sigh. People these days have so much hair! I don't know if it's because of staying up late or because of the shampoo, but in any case, many people will be troubled by hair problems in the future.

The barber finished shaving the customer's face. "Alright, next one."

"Coming." Xu Bei immediately got up, walked over and sat down in a chair.

The barber skillfully wrapped the cloth around his neck.

"Young man, how would you like it cut?"

Xu Bei looked at himself in the mirror.

His previous hairstyle was a buzz cut, but because his hair was quite stiff, it stood up after it grew longer.

"Make it shorter, quicker."

"Okay."

The barber responded and then picked up the clippers to start working.

After it was finished, Xu Bei was quite satisfied.

He used a sponge to roughly clean the stubble on his neck and face, then paid two cents and left.

These days, men's haircuts and shaves aren't expensive; the real expense is perming.

Because the medicine and the technology are scarce, sometimes you need to queue up and make an appointment, and the cost is usually more than one dollar and fifty cents.

Afterwards, Xu Bei went to the men's bathroom.

At the entrances to both the men's and women's bathrooms, there was a white cloth curtain with words printed on it.

Once inside, there's a changing room.

In the middle was a long wooden bench, and around it was a circle of wooden cabinets with many small padlocks hanging on them.

Xu Bei found the cabinet according to the number on the wooden tag he received, opened it, and quickly locked the cabinet door.

Then, carrying the key, towel, and soap, I entered the steamy, misty bathhouse.

The interior layout is also very simple, with a soaking tub and a shower area.

The pool is steaming hot now, and quite a few people are already soaking in it.

Xu Bei found an empty spot by the pool and, without minding that the water was a bit dirty, stepped right in.

In the dead of winter, soaking in a scalding hot pool is truly a pleasure, making you feel like your bones are melting.

After soaking for a while, Xu Bei went to the showerhead and scrubbed himself thoroughly. When he came out, he felt like he had lost two pounds.

Seeing that his mother and sister had not yet come out, he found a place to sit down and wait for them.

However, the two didn't keep him waiting for too long.

They soon emerged from the women's bath one after the other.

Zhao Fengying's face was flushed after washing, making her look much younger.

Xu Juan was young and beautiful, and needless to say, her skin looked so supple it seemed like you could squeeze water out of it.

"Son, how long have you been showering?"

"I just came out a little while ago."

"Brother, your haircut looks great, it makes you look more energetic."

"Mainly because your brother looks handsome."

"Brother, you're not modest at all."

The three of them put on their hats, scarves, and gloves inside before filing out one after another.

Although the cold air outside suddenly rushed in, making you feel like you'd stepped from a sauna into a refrigerator, your insides felt warm and comfortable...