Ming Bei walked in with a petite girl, the girl was full of happiness and a little shy, and said hello to Zhen Zhen and then entered the room: "Milk, I'm pregnant."

"Really? This is great. Your mother would be very happy if she knew." Mrs. Li happily closed her mouth and reached out to greet Wang Xinwen: "Wenwen sits on the kang and takes a break."

Mingbei quickly came over to help Wang Xinwen sit on the kang, and helped her take off her shoes. Wang Xinwen's face was full of happiness, and she pulled Mingbei's hand up: "You also come up and sit." Mingbei responded. , sat behind Wang Xinwen, and held her waist carefully, for fear that she would be tired.

Wang Xinwen is two grades younger than Mingbei. She is an educated youth who was later assigned to the 12th youth point, and is also a child of the hydrolysis factory.

At that time, Mingbei had been in the youth point for three years, and the work points earned every year ranked first in the twelve youth points. Some practical gadgets and methods he had researched by himself also saved the educated youth a lot of effort when working, so waiting After the hydrolysis factory sent another batch of educated youth to the youth station, the factory appointed Mingbei as the captain to lead the new batch of educated youth to work.

Wang Xinwen's ancestral home is Suzhou. When the hydrolysis plant was built, his father recruited workers and brought his family from the south of the Yangtze River to the bitter cold land. Wang Xinwen is a typical Jiangnan person, with picturesque eyes and soft words, which makes people care for her at first sight.

The first time Mingbei saw Wang Xinwen was that the girl couldn't do heavy work, so she directly arranged for her to cook in the kitchen. Who is this girl? Although she looks like delicate china, she has an unwillingness to admit defeat in her bones. She found Mingbei and looked up at him, her delicate face full of dissatisfaction: "Why did you assign me to the stove to cook, do you think I can't do the job?"

Listening to the soft and glutinous voice, Li Mingbei suddenly said, "Comrade Wang Xinwen, it's really hard to go up the mountain to plant trees and open up wasteland, and some elders can't stand it, let alone you... "Mingbei thought about the words for a long time, and finally came up with a sentence: "...not to mention a girl as young as you."

Wang Xinwen's face suddenly flushed with anger. In the eyes of northerners, her height and body are indeed a little petite. From childhood to adulthood, from classmates to teachers, she likes to say that she is small, just because of this she is particularly unconvinced. What's wrong with being short? , She can still study well if she is short, and she can still work if she is short. She has to do the best in everything she does, so as not to let others look down on her.

Wang Xinwen turned her head to look, moved four bricks together, stepped on it, looked at Li Mingbei and said word by word, "You are sexist, I ask to work with other comrades."

Mingbei saw that the brick she stepped on was swaying, for fear that she would fall, he nodded quickly and said, "Ok, go up the mountain with me immediately, come down quickly, it's not a joke if you sprain your foot."

Wang Xinwen lightly jumped off the brick and smiled proudly towards Mingbei. Mingbei breathed a sigh of relief and wiped the sweat that frightened his head. There was only one thought in his heart: This little aunt is too difficult to serve.

After that, Wang Xinwen, like everyone else, carried red pine seedlings up the mountain to plant trees in spring, and together they opened up wasteland. Because Mingbei was really worried that she would not be able to do this kind of work, she paid special attention to her, for fear that she would be injured. It's not a good time to explain.

Fortunately, Wang Xinwen is not a foolish person. When others carry four or five saplings, she carries one; when others plow three acres of land, she plows one acre of land. Although she does less work, she is extraordinarily serious. The ground, the soil in it is always the finest. Mingbei is the captain. Sometimes when she finishes her work, she will help her out. After going back and forth, the two have more contact, and Wang Xinwen falls in love with Li Mingbei.

Unlike Mingbei's long-term secret love before, this gentle-looking southern girl has a more straightforward personality than the northern girl. She found Mingbei directly, reached out and grabbed his collar and dragged him down: "Li Mingbei, I like you, and I want to date you." Mingbei swore that if he had drank water at that time, he would have sprayed the girl's face.

Wang Xinwen looked at Mingbei's shocked expression and smiled sweetly: "If you agree, we'll get along and see, if you don't agree, I'll chase until you agree."

Ming Bei was a little overwhelmed when he looked at the girl who had just reached his shoulders. He hadn't thought of liking the word for a long time since he got married in late autumn. Like it? He looked down at the girl in front of him, and he seemed to pay attention to her unconsciously. Every day, he was always the last one to go down the mountain, because he was afraid that this silly girl would not finish her work and fall down the mountain. At night, Mingbei couldn't help but think of the bits and pieces of working with her during the day, and then laughed silly.

Scratching his head, Ming Bei looked at Wang Xinwen a little overwhelmed: "I'm a little stupid, stunned, and not likable..."

"Who said that?" Wang Xinwen puffed up her cheeks and looked at Ming Bei with focused and serious eyes: "I think you are very good, and I like your sincerity and sincerity."

Mingbei smirked a few times, looking at Wang Xinwen who didn't know what to say, Wang Xinwen smiled and rolled her eyes, and her face that could never be tanned was a little red: "Then you will be my object?"

Mingbei felt numb when he heard this. With a silly smile on his face, he nodded vigorously at Wang Xinwen: "Okay, I will be your partner in the future."

Originally, according to the arrangement in the factory, Mingbei brought a new educated youth back to the factory for one year, but in order to accompany Wang Xinwen, he became the captain of the youth point for three years, and the two returned to work together. At that time, Mingbei was already twenty-four, and he was already an older youth at that time, but Mingbei brought Wang Xinwen home to see it. Mrs. Li and Wang Sufen liked such a beautiful little girl. It was Ming Bei, and he was even more satisfied.

When their work was settled, the two families sat down and talked about marriage. Mingbei's house was built long ago. Right next to Mingnan's house, it was also a three-bedroom brick house with a front yard and a back yard. They are all very large, and it is not a problem to grow rice or cabbage. Because the home is far away from the hydrolysis plant, the two or eight bars at home were given to Mingnan and his wife to ride to and from get off work, and Mrs. Li also bought one for Mingbei.

Ming Bei got married late, and Ming Nan had all his sons running around at this age, so Wang Sufen was in a hurry, wishing they could get pregnant in the second month of their marriage, but Mrs. Li suppressed her: " Just two or three months of marriage is the time of firewood and fire, it is not good to be pregnant early, let it be, let it be."

Wang Sufen always listened to Mrs. Li's words, so she could only pretend like nothing was happening, and didn't even mention it. Until last month, Wang Xinwen was yawning and crying all day, and Wang Sufen thought that her daughter-in-law was probably pregnant. In order not to be happy for nothing, Wang Sufen waited patiently for a month. Seeing that Wang Xinwen's reaction became more and more like pregnancy, she finally couldn't help reminding her to go to the hospital for a check. Only then did Wang Xinwen realize herself. My period is more than a month late.

The three were talking on the kang. Wang Sufen came in from outside. Hearing Wang Xinwen's voice, he hurriedly asked, "How's the investigation going?"

"The doctor said I'm pregnant." Wang Xinwen clutched her still unbulging belly, unable to hide the joy on her face.

"This is a big happy event." Wang Sufen laughed loudly: "What do you want to eat? Mom will make it for you? Can you eat fish? Will it make you sick?"

Wang Xinwen shook her head: "I don't feel sick, I feel like I want to eat everything."

"Everything you want to eat, don't cook for a while, and come back to eat at night. Wenwen, don't be polite, tell Mom, Mom will cook it for you, you have one in your stomach, but I can't be wronged anymore." Wang Sufen rolled up her sleeves and glanced at Mingbei: "I know you are sitting stupidly, so hurry up and pour a glass of water for your daughter-in-law."

Mingbei hurriedly got off the kang to pour water, and Mrs. Li called out to Wang Sufen: "Did you go to see Zhen Zhen and go to that room to do the quizzes again? Why doesn't this child read enough?"

Mingbei handed the water tank to Wang Xinwen and looked at Zhen Zhenzhile who was brought over by Wang Sufen: "There is no college entrance examination now, what are you doing all the time, how good it is to go out and play so hard."

Zhen Zhen sat on the kang and asked Ming Bei and Wang Xinwen: "Fourth brother, fourth sister-in-law, do you want to go to university?"

Wang Xinwen held the tank and thought for a while: "Actually, I still really want to go to college. I always feel that if this goes on, I will see my head all my life, and I will have no passion at all."

Mingbei leaned on the cabinet and smiled: "I don't have anything to think about. Anyway, I can't go to university."

"What if I could take the test?" Zhen Zhen stared at his expression tightly.

"If I can go to university..." Mingbei thought for a while, and his eyes fell on Wang Xinwen, with a warm smile on his face: "It depends on your sister-in-law, anyway, I will go wherever she goes."

After hearing this, Zhen Zhen turned her head and went back to the house. After a while, she brought a few books and said, "Then you can read more books while you have nothing to do, maybe the college entrance examination will resume at some point."

"I can't." Mingbei scratched his head: "It's been ten years since the college entrance examination."

"It's not like you don't know what happened in the past ten years. Now the country is in need of talents. Maybe we can catch up with this good time." Zhen Zhen looked at Ming Bei very seriously: "Opportunities will always stay. For those who are prepared, we have reviewed in advance, and if we can take the exam, we will catch up with this wave of opportunities."

"What if I don't take the test?" Mingbei asked subconsciously.

"If you don't take the exam, it's just a waste of review." Zhen Zhen glanced at him: "It won't hurt to read more books, maybe you will become smarter."

Everyone in the room laughed, and Mingbei tugged at Zhen Zhen's braid: "You little girl, if you don't say a word to your brother, you will feel uncomfortable, right?"

Zhen Zhen smiled and snatched her braid, then turned to look at him: "Then do you want to learn?"

Mingbei squeezed Zhen Zhen away and got close to Wang Xinwen: "Daughter-in-law, do you think we should study?"

"Learn, why don't you learn?" Wang Xinwen nodded decisively: "Just like what our sister said, in case it's a good time."

"Then what about our child?" Mingbei touched Wang Xinwen's unpredictable belly and was a little worried. It looked like he could go to college tomorrow if he was born today.

"Don't worry, if we really get admitted to the university with our children, then our children will be college students since they were young." Wang Xinwen said happily, and took the exercise set given by Zhen Zhen and flipped through them one by one. Kai: "Zhen Zhen, this is a question you copied by yourself? It's really hard work."

Zhen Zhen smiled: "I also copied a set for the third brother and the others. I wonder if they have this idea?"

Ming Nan and Meng Xiaoxi now have two sons. The eldest son, Shaobing, goes out with his parents every day to go to the kindergarten at the hydrolysis plant.

Just as he was talking, Ming Nan came to pick up the dumplings and went home, Zhen Zhen handed over the set of books and repeated what he said to Ming Bei.

Mingnan pondered for a moment, then shook his head with a little regret: "I'm almost thirty now, and there are children and wives at home. If I go to school, who will take care of them." His eyes were drawn from the exercise book. He moved away, but there was no expression on his face: "We are doing fine now, there must be someone to take care of Mom and Nanny, and we will serve them at home. If there is a day when you can take the college entrance examination, as long as we are at home, you will be able to pass the test. No worries."

Seeing Ming Nan hurriedly leaving with his son, Zhen Zhen's eyelids were a little sore, but fortunately, the road to success is not limited to the college entrance examination. In the future, brothers and sisters will pull each other, and no one will pass badly.

In the twelfth lunar month, Li Mingdong and Osmanthus came back from Anbei with meat buns, bean buns, and sugar buns. It was not rare enough for Mrs. Li to hold the little granddaughter's sugar buns. Li Muwen's family, Li Mulin's family, Mingxi and Xie Yanan brought With my son Lantern Festival also arrived home. In all these years, it was the first time that the old Li family had gathered together like this, and Mrs. Li was happy to sleep every morning.

Li Muwen's family has been transferred to the imperial capital. Li Muwen is the chief of staff in the imperial capital military region. He lives in a separate two-story building in the military region's compound. Li Muwen's two sons and daughters-in-law are also in the army.

Li Muwen's favorite among the children of his three younger brothers is Zhen Zhen, one is because she is the only girl in this generation, and Mrs. Li loves her the most, and the other is because Zhen Zhen is the one he has seen all these years. the smartest child.

Li Muwen's wife, Xue Wenhua, has heard Li Muwen mention this niece for so many years, saying that she is smart and cute, Xue Wenhua looked at Zhen Zhen carefully, she could only know if she was smart or not, but she looked like a very spiritual girl.

Xue Wenhua took out a light blue wool coat from the suitcase and handed it to Zhen Zhen: "I went to the Wenhua Road mall in the imperial capital a while ago and fell in love with this wool coat at first sight, thinking that you are the only girl at home, so I bought it and gave it to me. is you."

Zhen Zhen quickly thanked, Xue Wenhua stood up and helped Zhen Zhen to put it on: "I don't know if you are fat, thin, tall or short, and I don't know if it is suitable for you to buy."

Zhen Zhen is tall, tall and fair, and looks like a clothes rack when she goes to that station, even if she wears a large handmade cotton padded jacket made by herself, not to mention such a stylish wool coat. Zhen Zhen buttoned up and turned around in front of the family, and Mrs. Li immediately boasted, "Our family Zhen Zhen is so pretty, how foreign-style it is to wear this dress."

Zhen Zhen smiled and took the braid behind her: "It's the aunt who has good eyesight and the clothes she chose are beautiful, I just borrowed the clothes."

Xue Wenhua looked at Zhen Zhen with a smile, with a bit of liking on her face: "If you like it, I will take you to buy some more clothes when you have time to play in the imperial capital."

Speaking of the imperial capital, Mrs. Li remembered what Zhen Zhen said about the college entrance examination, she hurriedly took something out of the box and hid it in her arms, and then made an excuse to drag her eldest son into the yard and asked quietly. This matter: "Is it true that the resumption of the college entrance examination is true? Zhen Zhen said to prepare early, and also asked Ming Bei and the others to review with them. You have been in contact with many people in the imperial capital. Do you think this is true? If it doesn't work, I won't let her suffer that tired, Zhen Zhen's eyes are so beautiful, if she wears glasses like Ming Dong when she reads books every day, she will be blinded by those big eyes."

Li Muwen pondered for a moment, then said: "Someone has mentioned this, but it is still under debate, and the result is hard to say. Zhen Zhen is very sensitive and has a lot of heart, you just let her learn it, but there is no news this year. It can also be put on the agenda next year, this recommendation to go to college has never been a long-term solution, and it will be abolished sooner or later.”

When old lady Li heard Li Muwen say this, she immediately came to a conclusion. She looked around, and secretly took out a large yellow croaker from her arms and handed it to Li Muwen: "Zhen Zhen said that she wants to buy a courtyard house in the imperial capital. I'll see if you can help."

Li Muwen looked at the big yellow croaker that Mrs. Li took out and his eyelids jumped: "Mother, how many big yellow croakers do you have?"

"One is not enough?" Mrs. Li tucked her hand into her sleeve again, and took out another: "Are two enough?"

"Enough is enough." Li Muwen hurriedly shoved one back for her, looked around vigilantly, and took Mrs. Li a few steps towards the base of the wall: "Although it is not as tight as before, but at first glance It’s quite eye-catching to come out with a big yellow croaker.” Li Muwen stuffed the big yellow croaker into his clothes to make sure it wouldn’t fall off before he whispered, “If you are short of money, tell me, don’t go to change the big yellow croaker without permission. , it's not good if people get caught."

"I know, it's not up to you. Mother knows that you are the best in our family. If there is something you can't do, you can get rid of it as soon as possible." Mrs. Li said and stuffed back the gold bricks that Li Muwen returned. : "Mu Wen, if you have a way, you can help replace this big yellow croaker together. If there is danger or difficulty, just say it, don't be embarrassed."

Li Muwen smiled slightly: "Mother, if your son can't even do this, he doesn't need to live in the second-story building of the Imperial Capital Military Region, and just build a house next to our house."

Then Mrs. Li breathed a sigh of relief: "That's good, that mother will tell you straight, this big yellow croaker was dug by Zhen Zhen from the mountains, after you change the money, buy a better one according to what she said. The courtyard house, Zhen Zhen said don’t worry about the money you pick up and buy it, I guess you won’t be able to buy it if you want to buy it in the future.”

Li Muwen looked at Mrs. Li in surprise: "Zhen Zhen is also very lucky, our Red Pine Mountain is not small, how did she find the gold?"

Mrs. Li thought for a while: "It was said to be digging ginseng. Don't look at your brothers who have been up the mountain since they were young, but no one knows this Red Pine Mountain as well as Zhen Zhen. The ginseng and Ganoderma lucidum sent to you over the years are all It was Zhen Zhen who went up the mountain to dig it, don't eat other people's children's things for nothing, you can sincerely help our family Zhen Zhen if you have anything in the future."

"I know." Li Muwen said, "It's just that I don't have this ginseng and Ganoderma lucidum, why don't I take care of her? We have four brothers, and we gave birth to a girl like her, and everyone has to take her as a treasure."

Madam Li liked to hear this, and nodded quickly: "It's best if you can think so, you just need to be honest with Zhen Zhen, this child is not the kind of person with white eyes."

"That designated person, there is no such person in our family." Li Muwen thought of what Zhen Zhen said about resuming the college entrance examination, and couldn't help but praised Zhen Zhen with Mrs. Li: "Don't think that my big niece was born in our small place. , but this brain is alive enough, I don't think it's any worse than the children in the Imperial Capital Military Region."

"That's not great." Mrs. Li nodded vigorously: "It's not me and you, there are very few who can compare to our Zhen Zhen, Mingxi once went up the mountain with a hunting gun to hunt. , Zhen Zhen won him with the slingshot, but I'm too embarrassed to call it a sharpshooter." Mrs. Li couldn't help laughing when she remembered this: "Now that we have handed over our hunting/guns, Mingxi is even more so. Don't even dare to compete."

Li Muwen rubbed his hands and pushed the old lady Li into the house: "If you can really resume the college entrance examination, you can ask Zhen Zhen to take the examination in the imperial capital. Mingxi and I are both there, and we can take care of her."

"I guess she thinks the same way, otherwise she won't be able to buy a house in the imperial capital." Mrs. Li saw the door and added in a low voice, "If there is money left to buy a house, don't send it back, wait for Zhen. When Zhen goes, just give it to her directly."

Li Muwen was very attentive to the matter explained by Mrs. Li, and when he returned to the imperial capital, he handed it over to his cronies. I have also looked at a few places. There are a few near the Lama Temple, but they used to be converted into large courtyards. Although they are now taken back, they are somewhat damaged and have to rest for a while to live.

Li Muwen frowned slightly. He felt that the person like his niece who wanted to buy a courtyard was not just for living, but Mrs. Li emphasized that she should buy the best one.

"Where else?" Li Muwen asked.

"There are many well-preserved courtyard houses behind Houyang. Several of them have been bought by Commander Li, Major General Zhang, and General Li. There are still seven or eight smaller ones, and there is another one with an area of ​​good size. The one with more than 3,000 square meters is the most exquisite, but it has a lot of money, and it is still left there and no one cares.

Li Muwen's eyes fell on the suitcase full of money brought by his cronies: "Is the money enough?"

The cronies immediately replied: "Enough, but you can think about it, Chief of Staff, it's too expensive."

Li Muwen took a deep breath and stood up from the chair: "I'll go and see what the yard is like first."

The cronies immediately breathed a sigh of relief. He really didn't dare to take this responsibility. After all, the money exchanged for thirty-two taels of gold was not a small amount. The chief of staff didn't even look at it.

The two came to Houyang in a small car and stopped at the entrance of a courtyard house. This was once the residence of a county king in the Qing Dynasty. There were four entrances to the courtyard in total.

The two guards went up and pushed open the door, bypassed the shadow wall, and walked past the hanging flower gate. Li Muwen walked into the second courtyard, which is the main room of the county palace. After pushing open the faded door, Li Muwen went in and turned around. The bogu frame and the carved bed are still there, but the area is covered with thick ash, and no one has lived there for a long time.

Roughly turning the house around, except for the carved beams and painted buildings that have been baptized over the years, the overall structure of the house is very well preserved.

Li Muwen pondered, if this doesn't match, then he really can't find a better courtyard than this. He blew the dust off his gloves and took out a piece of paper from his pocket: "You go do it here.Go through the formalities, the owner writes this name."

The cronies took the paper and looked at the three big characters on the top, and couldn't help but read: "Li Mingzhen!"