Year 1983: I was a carpenter in Northeast China

Chapter 160 When words fail to reach a consensus, even half a sentence is too much.

Zhou Qingwan didn't agree immediately. "Let's wait and see. I'm worried my aunt and the others might be looking for me around here."

"Okay. Then let's wait and see. Let's continue guessing the riddles and see if we can guess them correctly and win the prize."

As Xu Juan spoke, she winked at her brother, signaling him to seize the opportunity and make a good impression.

Standing on Zhou Qingwan's other side, Zhao Fengying proudly praised, "Besides this diary, this kid also got a fountain pen just now. I never knew he was so good at riddles."

Faced with his younger sister's precociousness and his mother's self-praising manner, Xu Bei was both amused and exasperated. He half-jokingly and half-seriously laughed and said, "That's because you haven't had the opportunity yet, otherwise you would have seen it long ago."

Zhou Qingwan managed to squeeze to the front of the crowd and witnessed Xu Bei guessing the riddle. She glanced at him with a sparkle in her eyes, then lowered her gaze slightly and said, "Brother Xu is truly a man of hidden talents."

Xu Bei's ears were incredibly sharp; even in the noisy and chaotic environment, he heard Zhou Qingwan's evaluation, and his eyes and brows were filled with a smile.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, the group turned back to continue guessing the riddles.

The staff has just released another riddle, and many people are racking their brains to come up with the answer, while others are discussing it amongst themselves.

"This riddle is really convoluted, what's with this 'half of the Spring and Autumn Annals'? It's not that easy to guess!"

"Yeah, the person who set this question is too tricky. I've racked my brains but still can't figure it out."

"What character is this? If it's only half-finished, then it's just a matter of guessing the character and rearranging it."

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"It should be, but what character could that combination form?"

'

'

Just then, a young man wearing a woolen hat approached the staff member who had given the riddle and asked loudly, "Is it the character '炅'?"

As a result, the answer was incorrect.

Then someone asked, "Is that a fragrance?"

"No, not exactly."

Several men, women, and children around who hadn't guessed correctly shook their heads and sighed.

Xu Bei's brain was also working at lightning speed, breaking down and reassembling these words in his mind.

Just as he thought of the word "Qin," a clear voice pierced through the noise of the crowd.

"It's the character 'Qin'! Isn't it?"

The staff member in charge of awarding the prizes gave a thumbs-up with a smile, "That's right! The girl's mind works really fast."

Upon hearing this, the surroundings fell silent for a moment, followed by a burst of exclamations.

"Oh! So that's what happened!"

"The top half of the character 'Spring' plus the left half of the character 'Autumn' combined, when put together, forms the character 'Qin'!"

"This girl is so beautiful! My goodness, she looks like someone from a calendar."

"Who can disagree? She's beautiful and smart too. God really favors her. I wonder if she's found a husband yet—"

Xu Bei gazed at Zhou Qingwan, who had guessed the riddle correctly, a hint of admiration flashing in his eyes, before a bright smile returned to his lips.

Xu Juan also smiled happily and excitedly, "Sister Xiaowan is really amazing."

Zhao Fengying smiled kindly but remained silent.

The staff member turned around and picked up a brand-new plastic-covered diary from the long table, with a golden wheat ear pattern embossed on the cover.

"Little girl, here's your prize. It'll be great for writing in your diary or keeping track of your expenses!"

Zhou Qingwan thanked him as she took the diary, a hint of undisguised joy shining in her eyes.

She turned around and met Xu Bei's deep, smiling gaze.

The surrounding clamor and noise seemed to be quietly shut out at this moment.

Their eyes met, and neither of them looked away first.

The moonlight and the glow of the streetlights and lanterns fell perfectly on Zhou Qingwan's slightly curled eyelashes, illuminating the lingering cunning and shyness in her eyes.

Xu Bei's gaze was deep and focused, as if it had materialized as he gently brushed over her eyebrows and eyes, his affection undisguised.

Zhou Qingwan felt a sudden, burning heat rise to her ears, and her heart skipped a beat.

To hide her panic, she turned her head slightly, only to have her eyes widen instantly, and the heat on her face and ears vanished in an instant.

Because one of the relatives I had been searching for for half a day was standing in the crowd not far away, and I don't know how long he had been standing there.

Zhou Qingwan hurried over, "Auntie! Where are my uncle and uncle?"

As Zhou Qingwan's expression changed slightly and she called for help, Xu Bei, his mother, and his sister all looked over.

Xu Bei had only met Zhou Qingwan's aunt, An Yaping, once, at a department store in the city.

Zhao Fengying and Xu Juan had never seen it before, so they were filled with curiosity and curiosity.

An Yaping glanced at Xu Bei and the others, then adjusted her expression and said, "They went to look for you too. I didn't expect it to be here for the riddle and prize game. I should have known better than to split up and look for them."

Zhou Qingwan subconsciously clenched the diary in her hand. "Auntie, I'm sorry. Let's go find them now!"

"No need. They'll probably come back here soon if they can't find anyone, and we can meet up then." An Yaping's gaze focused on Xu Bei. "This young man looks somewhat familiar. Have you seen him before?"

Xu Bei noticed that Zhou Qingwan seemed very afraid of this elder, and that she seemed to change her personality in front of him, becoming very obedient. Feeling a little sorry for her, Xu Bei spoke first.

"Hello, Auntie, we met once at the department store."

An Yaping suddenly exclaimed, "Oh, I remember now. He's a friend of the older brother of one of our classmates in the cram school, right?"

Worried that her serious and rigid elders might continue questioning her about going to the movies together, Zhou Qingwan quickly pointed to Zhao Fengying and Xu Juan and introduced them, "Auntie, this is Brother Xu's mother and sister. My sister and I were once taking a bath at the staff bathhouse when I almost lost the jade pendant my mother left me. It was Auntie who helped me find it."

An Yaping only learned about this later, and also heard that the person had opened a clothing department store and become a self-employed individual.

My son bought jeans at that store, and my daughter and niece also bought quite a few things.

However, she only shops in state-owned department stores, where quality is guaranteed, and has never actually gone inside.

"I already heard from the children when they got back. I really have to thank you for helping me find the jade pendant."

Zhao Fengying could tell from An Yaping's attire and demeanor that the other party was scrutinizing and critical, and her initial enthusiasm for conversation cooled down a bit.

"Oh, you're welcome. I just happened to see it through the gap. It was nothing. Anyone would have done the same. It's so worrying to lose something important."

As the saying goes, "If you don't see eye to eye, even half a sentence is too much." After a few awkward conversations, Xu Bei decisively made arrangements to leave.

"Auntie, Xiao Zhou, you can wait here for your family. We'll head over to the river first."

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