Year 1983: I was a carpenter in Northeast China

Chapter 162 Moving

After the three of them returned home, they heated up the stove, washed up, and went to their respective rooms to rest.

However, with the bright moonlight, the glow of red lanterns and ice lanterns, and the occasional sound of firecrackers outside, it was impossible to fall asleep immediately.

Xu Bei lay back in bed and began studying the game system.

Since unlocking the new automated production line that can produce folding tables, more and more plots of land have been opened up in the space.

Even with multiple sales channels, we are now able to keep up with demand.

However, unlocking the next, more complex production line requires one million reputation points, an extra zero compared to before, making it no easy feat.

However, as long as this risk-free business continues, the conditions will eventually be met, so Xu Bei wasn't in too much of a hurry.

Although they all went to bed late at night, they all got up early the next morning.

They were enjoying their last breakfast in this rented home: fried dough rolls with shredded potatoes and pork knuckle. Xu Li and Zhu Wenliang had also come over.

Xu Bei noticed that his sister's complexion wasn't good, and she looked like she hadn't slept well. He guessed a lot about it. He was speechless about the traditional custom of hiding from the lamp, but at the same time, he felt helpless because as her younger brother, he couldn't interfere with it.

After all, it was the 1980s, and although social customs had gradually opened up after the reform and opening up, in the hearts of many elders, these old rules and traditions still had a binding force.

Even if young people think it's nonsense, they usually still obediently follow some rules in order to avoid their elders having any complaints or causing family conflicts.

Zhao Fengying, as a mother, also felt very sorry for him.

However, since it involves the daughter's in-laws and her own father, they are afraid that they might not follow the same procedures as others, and if something goes wrong or disaster occurs, they might be blamed.

After all, it's better to believe it exists than not to believe it doesn't.

After asking a few words of concern, she immediately urged, "Hurry up and take off your shoes and get on the kang (heated brick bed). Have some more to eat. We made plenty of fried dough cakes, and even brought out the portions that were specially made for you."

"Mom, even if you didn't say anything, I still had to eat. I wasn't used to staying at someone else's house and the food was different, so I just forced myself to drink some porridge and eat some pickled vegetables."

As Xu Li spoke with a frown, she sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) and took off her shoes.

Zhu Wenliang, who was very perceptive, helped from the side, and also had a distressed and apologetic expression on his face. "Yes, especially since Xiaoli is pregnant and doesn't have a good appetite. Fortunately, the fifteenth day of the first lunar month is finally over, and she can eat whatever she wants from now on."

"Mom, brother, did you go to the street to see the lights and do ice skating last night?"

"I went." Zhao Fengying beamed as she mentioned it. "Let me tell you—not only did I see the lanterns and ice skating, but I also ran into Miss Zhou and her aunt."

Upon hearing this, Xu Li's voice immediately rose several octaves with excitement, "How did we run into each other again? Brother, you two are so destined for each other, even God is eager to bring you two together."

Xu Bei swallowed the pork knuckle and fried dough in his mouth, wiped the oil off his hands, and said with a smile, "It can only be said that those destined to meet will find each other even from a thousand miles away, while those not destined will not meet even face to face."

Zhu Wenliang is also very concerned about his brother-in-law's marriage prospects. "I hope I can meet my future sister-in-law in person someday. So far, I've only seen her photos."

Xu Li glanced at her husband and said, "There will be plenty of opportunities in the future."

Then, frustrated, he slapped his thigh and said, "I ran into you at the movies on the first day of the lunar month but missed it, and now I'm not here again on the fifteenth! It's so annoying! Did you guys go ice skating together after you met?"

Zhao Fengying replied with some regret, "No. We just guessed riddles together for a while, and then her aunt, who had gotten separated from her, came looking for us."

"Yeah, otherwise, if no elders had come, maybe Sister Xiaowan would have gone to the river with us," Xu Juan added, embellishing the story. "Anyway, my brother is really good at riddles; he won a pen and a diary. Later, Sister Xiaowan guessed it correctly too—"

After saying that, she proudly showed Xu Li and her husband some newly tucked diaries containing one or two yuan and fifty cents each.

While his sister was showing off and his mother was repeating what she had learned, Xu Bei finished his meal, got off the table, and went back to his room to clean up.

As the saying goes, even a ruined home can be worth a fortune.

Although they've only lived in this rented house for a short time, they have quite a lot of things to take with them when they move to the city.

Therefore, Xu Bei specially arranged for a Jiefang truck used for transporting materials to come and help with the move in advance.

As a result, before the car that was supposed to arrive had even arrived, Dahei showed up uninvited, radiating a chill.

Xu Bei was quite touched and warmed by his friend's gesture, but he said, "You're really something, taking time off to come all this way. We don't have much stuff, our family is enough."

Dahei rubbed his wind-reddened face and chuckled, "We know there's not much stuff, but it's not exactly close to the city from the Forestry Bureau, so we need someone to come and help us get acquainted. Guodong's work unit is really hard to get time off for, otherwise he would have come too."

Zhao Fengying and the others felt very touched and greeted each other with smiles, chatting for a few minutes.

Then, everyone continued moving the things they wanted to move into the yard.

When they had almost finished moving everything, the sound of Jiefang trucks could be heard outside.

Xu Bei and the others immediately walked quickly towards the gate.

A blue Jiefang truck was parked near the entrance.

The driver, wearing a thick coat and a woolen hat, got out of the car without turning off the engine.

A thick plume of black smoke billowed from the exhaust pipe, and the engine emitted a deep, powerful roar.

Xu Bei offered a cigarette to the driver surnamed Li and chatted for a few words before starting to move the goods to the back of the train.

Because the commotion was quite loud, many men, women, and children from nearby neighborhoods who were not at work or school came out to see what was going on.

Amidst the curious onlookers and inquiries of the crowd, Xu Bei and his group moved all the packed bedding, luggage, clothes, boxes, tables, chairs, benches, pickled vegetables, jars, pots, pans, and other household items to the back carriage.

As driver Li forcefully closed the rear panel of the truck bed and re-fastened the latch, Xu Bei and Zhao Fengying also got into the front driver's cab.

As for Xu Juan and Xu Li, along with the uninvited Da Hei, they will ride their bikes to the Forestry Bureau's train station, and then take the forest railway mini-train to the city to meet up at their home.

Amidst the waving and farewells of several people, the Jiefang truck, loaded with the entire family's belongings, slowly drove away from the area.

Zhao Fengying was holding a bag in her arms, which contained the family's most expensive appliance, a radio, as well as their household registration book, grain ration book, and money coupons. She couldn't help but look back.

"Son, I don't know why, but I still feel quite attached to this place. Moving away will leave me feeling strange."

Sitting next to the driver, Xu Bei knew exactly why, but there was no need to say anything more in front of outsiders.

He put his arm around his mother's shoulder reassuringly, "It's normal to develop feelings for each other. You can come and visit anytime you want."