Chapter 6 Before the Wedding

Song Zhaodi: "Auntie, this Comrade Zhong is my cousin's stepson. My cousin came here a few days ago to talk to me. He's a college student, I think he's good, and I plan to marry him. Don't make excuses for me in the future. Wang Degui."

"College student." The woman was envious and looked at Zhong Jianguo, "But why do I think he's a little old, he's not as good as Wang Degui as you are."

Zhong Jianguo frowned, wondering how to explain it.

Song Zhaodi: "I'm not saying that he is a college student now. He has graduated for several years and is now an officer. He trains in the army every day and is exposed to the wind, the sun and the rain. He looks older than us."

"Officer?" The woman was surprised, but didn't want to admit that Song Zhaodi was lucky, "How old is an officer?" It must be a small platoon leader.

Song Zhaodi: "Head of the regiment."

"Auntie, do you know what kind of official the regiment commander is?" Sister Song saw that the other party couldn't believe it, and was extremely satisfied. "The regimental commander is the division commander, and the division commander is the commander."

The woman exclaimed: "My mother, I just said that Zhao Di is a lucky person, and she is indeed a lucky person. Zhao Di, do I have to call you an official wife in the future?

"Zhaodi, in the future when my aunt's dog grows up, I will ask him to serve as a soldier under the commander Zhong." Before Song Zhaodi could speak, he said to Zhong Jianguo, "Captain Zhong, give my dog ​​a little boy. Captain Dangdang."

Zhong Jianguo was speechless, where did they follow each other, "Auntie—"

"Auntie, your dog Dan is too thin and short." Song Zhaodi said, "You can't even carry a connecting rod gun in the army, so how can you be a company commander? In my opinion, a dog egg can be the squad leader of the cooking squad."

The woman wondered: "Cooking class? Isn't that the cook? No, no."

"Your Goudan is too thin, I think he can only use a spatula." Song Zhaodi said, "Goudan is cooking? You tell Goudan to cook well and go to the army to cook for my target in the future. "

The woman looked back and saw that her son was having a face-to-face meeting, she snorted at Song Zhaodi, "I want to be beautiful!" She disappeared with a swoosh.

Zhong Jianguo was about to ask what happened to her. I heard from the other side of the wall, "You are not allowed to cook in the future. Stay away from the stove. Go and call your father to come and start the fire."

"What's going on?" Zhong Jianguo lowered his voice and pointed to the wall.

Sister Song pointed to the kitchen.

After the three entered, Miss Song whispered: "That woman is a famous lazy person in our village, waiting for her child to cook it for her every day. The dog egg is a boy, not a girl, and turns around the stove every day. What is it.

"My mother told her once that she thought my mother was meddling with her own business. Also, the teenage children are growing up and eat more dog eggs, and she thinks that she eats too much dog eggs."

"No wonder her face is getting round." Zhong Jianguo understood, "All the good things from their family went into that woman's belly."

Sister Song: "Yes."

"Did you just want to say that recruiting troops is not your responsibility?" Song Zhaodi asked Zhong Jianguo, "She will think we are stingy if we talk like this, she won't listen to reason with her, and will confuse others to come to you. Let everyone come to you. Guys know you're stingy."

Zhong Jianguo thought about it carefully, and had to admit that although Song Zhaodi seemed to be heartless, she was not stupid: "I have been taught."

"My family's Zhaodi is smart." Father Song saw that there was no firewood under the pot, so he stood up and patted the dust on his body, "Go wash your hands and have dinner later. Comrade Zhong, eat one piece?"

When I returned to town yesterday, Zhong Jianguo was about to faint from hunger. Today I dare not be more polite: "Thank you, uncle. Uncle, if you call me Jianguo or Xiao Zhong, don't call me Comrade Zhong again. It sounds weird."

Mother Song put the green vegetables in the pot: "Then don't call Comrade Song, call me Zhao Di like me. Zhao Di, go and call your elder brother-in-law back for dinner."

"I'll call." Zhong Jianguo volunteered.

Mother Song: "You don't know the way. Zhao Di, go quickly."

Song Zhaodi walked out of the kitchen and pouted, calling her eldest brother-in-law to eat, which was always her nephew's job. Let her go today? There must be something to tell Zhong Jianguo.

Zhong Jianguo also found out, don't think that today is his second visit to the Song family. Ge Yin Song's mother's acting skills are not very good, "Auntie, do you have something to tell me?"

Mother Song nodded: "I'll discuss with Zhao Di's father. I'll give you a cloth ticket and give you another hundred yuan. You can take Zhao Di to the county to buy some more clothes today."

Zhong Jianguo's stepmother was inconvenient, and her mother-in-law was also a troublemaker. When she saw Song's mother talking very loudly yesterday, she thought that except his own mother, other mothers were unreasonable.

Song mother's voice fell, and she took out a stack of ten yuan and a stack of cloth tickets from her pocket. Zhong Jianguo realized that Song mother was not polite to him, and was immediately stunned.

Sister Song patted him: "My mother is talking to you."

"Auntie, this money is for you to buy a banquet. I can't take it." Zhong Jianguo said, "There is no direct boat to Wengzhou Island. When I go back, if I don't transfer from Shencheng, I have to transfer from Hangcheng. Shencheng and Hangcheng are more prosperous than our side, and I plan to go there and buy clothes for Zhao Di. "

Mother Song was happy in her heart, and she said with joy: "Do you still have money?"

"Also." Zhong Jianguo said, "You keep the money." After a while, "Can you give me the cloth ticket? It will be cold in a few days. My three children's clothes were too small last year. When Di is shopping for clothes, buy some cloth by the way. Then what, Zhao Di can make clothes?"

Mother Song: "Don't worry about this, there are no rural girls who can't cook, make clothes, and store the soles of shoes."

"Mother, I heard that Comrade Zhong is here."

Liu Yang's voice came in from outside, and Zhong Jianguo went out: "Just call me Jianguo. Hey, such a long fish, this is—"

"Bring the fish." Liu Yang put down the basket full of green grass, "Yesterday, the person who went fishing at sea came back, and the captain said that the family will be divided into two fish. Mother, I think that our family will have to do business in a few days, and I will be with you when we divide the fish. The big guy said that our family wants to use fish and exchange rice with them."

Mother Song nodded to show that she knew: "Put it in a pot first, and then marinate the fish after eating."

"Auntie, do you want to buy pork?" Zhong Jianguo asked.

Mother Song pointed at the pigsty: "The day after tomorrow, kill that pig, and then go find someone else to exchange some vegetables."

Zhong Jianguo hadn't been a farmer for a day, and he knew what pigs meant to the farmer. Looking at the big fat pigs who didn't feel anything and was sleeping soundly, Zhong Jianguo, who misunderstood Song's mother, was very complicated, but he didn't know anything. Without saying anything, she turned around and went back to the kitchen to help Song Zhaodi serve the dishes.

Today is Friday, and Song Zhaodi has a class. After dinner, she goes to school to ask for leave, and then takes Zhong Jianguo's car to go out. However, he was stopped at the entrance of the village.

Song Zhaodi jumped out of the car: "Village Chief, what's the matter?"

"Is he your partner?" The village chief pointed to Zhong Jianguo, who was holding a bicycle.

Song Zhaodi: "That's right. He's not an outsider either, my aunt's stepson."

"I also heard that he is a soldier." The village chief asked.

Zhong Jianguo was surprised and turned to Song Zhaodi. How did he know?

"Did my aunt next door tell you?" Song Zhaodi rolled her eyes and said, "The village chief, do you want to ask me when I will get married?"

The village chief waved his hand: "I don't care when you get married, I just want to ask if you are still in our village when you are married."

"I have to follow the army." Song Zhaodi said, and immediately understood what he meant, "The village chief is worried that after I leave, there will be no teachers in the school? The college students and high school students who were assigned to our village in the town are all in the educated youth point. You can find them. ."

The village chief waved his hand: "They are going to the countryside to exercise, not to enjoy happiness."

"The village chief thinks being a teacher is a blessing? Teaching children is much more tiring than working. I would rather help my mother with work than teach the children in our village." Song Zhaodi said, "Besides, they come from big cities. Come here, you have more knowledge than me, and you are more suitable to be a teacher than me. Don't stop me, go find them."

The village chief raised his eyebrows: "Listen to what you mean, you are getting married?"

"Yes. I don't want to get married so soon." Song Zhaodi pointed at Zhong Jianguo, "He is in the East China Sea Fleet, the village chief knows about the East China Sea Fleet? It's the East China Sea Fleet that fought with Lao Jiang the year before. Lao Jiang is restless, He has to go back in a few days. I have to reassure him."

There is a college student in the Song family, and some people in the village are envious and others are jealous. However, regardless of whether the villagers envied or envied Song Zhaodi, when they mentioned her to other villagers, she always looked proud.

Because of the chaos in the world, Song Zhaodi failed to graduate, but she was indeed a college student. She taught in the village, and the villagers in the surrounding villages sent their children to school here. Because of this incident, the village heads of several surrounding villages were very polite when they saw the head of Xiaosong Village.

The village chief was most afraid of Song Zhaodi marrying out. When he heard that Song Zhaodi had a partner, he pulled his shoes and went to school. Seeing that Song Zhaodi hadn't gone to class yet, she ran to Song's house again.

Halfway through the road block to Song Zhaodi, the village chief squinted and looked at Zhong Jianguo, a pain in the flesh, as if watching his own succulent cabbage being arched by a pig.

Before Song Zhaodi spoke, the village chief also hoped to persuade Song Zhaodi, soldier, East China Sea Fleet, etc., the village chief as a party member could not say anything to stop him: "Really?"

"Uncle the village chief, he is still the head of the regiment." Song Zhaodi said, "There are more than 2,000 soldiers under his command. I don't dare to talk about such a big panic."

The village chief blinked: "Head of the regiment? Oh my God, this is amazing. Hello, hello, Captain Zhong." He quickly stretched out his hands.

"Hello, Village Chief Song." Half an hour ago, Zhong Jianguo saw Song Zhaodi take care of the inconvenient neighbors, and now he has seen the village chief's attitude change dramatically. He used to think that the diplomats of the Warring States Period persuaded the princes of various countries with one mouth. The very exaggerated Zhong Jianguo believes at this moment that some people's mouths are so powerful, "Cun Chief Song, do you agree with Comrade Zhao Di and me?"

The village chief nodded again and again: "Agree, you must agree. I will ask the school to open a letter of introduction and a certificate for Zhao Di. By the way, when will you get married?"

"No. 9." Song Zhaodi said, "No. 9 works at my house, and then I go to his house after finishing the work in my house. The days are too busy and his house is too far away, so my cousin won't come that day. The village chief , I have to invite you to preside over the marriage tomorrow."

The village chief narrowed his eyes with a smile: "Okay. Are you going to town?"

"No." Zhong Jianguo said, "I only got off the car the night before yesterday, and I didn't buy anything. Today, I will take Zhao Di to the county to buy some clothes."

The village chief pinched his fingers and couldn't help but click his tongue: "Your marriage is urgent enough."

"No way, the troops will be given seven days off." Zhong Jianguo said with a wry smile.

The village chief also said casually, and he also knew that it was not easy for a serving officer to spare seven days: "Go quickly."

"Then let's go." Song Zhaodi said with a smile, "The village chief will go to my house to eat pork-killing vegetables tomorrow, and my family will kill the pigs tomorrow."

The village chief waved his hand: "I see."

After nine o'clock, Song Zhaodi and Zhong Jianguo went to the county, the car stopped, and Song Zhaodi couldn't help rubbing her butt: "It hurts too much."

Zhong Jianguo set up the bicycle, and when he turned around, he saw her jumping on the spot. He couldn't help laughing and said, "Put two clothes on when I go back. It's also that I forgot that the road here is not good."

"Wengzhou Island is a good road?" Song Zhaodi had nothing to say.

Zhong Jianguo: "There is a stone road over there, which is slightly flatter than this side. Let's go in." Pointing to the department store in front.

"Doesn't the car need to be locked?" Song Zhaodi asked subconsciously.

Zhong Jianguo: "It's okay, no one dares to steal a bicycle. Your mother told me to buy you a few more clothes. Can we buy four sets first?"

Song Zhaodi followed him in and saw the clothes hanging behind the counter. She thought to herself, I don't want any of them: "Just buy a set and wear it that day. I can make it myself, you can buy more cloth and I'll make it myself."

Afraid of her being polite, Zhong Jianguo stared at Song Zhaodi and asked, "Just buy one, are you sure?"

"Yes!" Song Zhaodi looked around, guessing which clothes would be better to change the size. After looking for a while, she saw that a set of emerald green trousers and gowns with a little embroidery was easy to modify, "Just that one."

Shencheng is a big city second only to the imperial capital of China. Zhong Jianguo has been in Shencheng for many years and has seen more fashionable clothes. He doesn't know what to say about Song Zhaodi's taste so as not to hurt her self-esteem: "I think the big one next to her. Red is nice."

"I want that one." Song Zhaodi turned to him, "Will you buy it for me?"

The salesperson at the counter saw that the distance between the two was 60 to 70 centimeters, and they were discussing new clothes. He immediately guessed that the two were about to get married, and couldn't help reminding: "Lesbian, this one is cheap, and the red one next to it is good."

Red is well, the color of the flag. Song Zhaodi also wanted to wear red when she married for the first time in her past and present life. However, when Liu Ling studied clothing design in his previous life, he had checked the changes in clothing after the founding of China. From the end of the 1960s to the end of the 1970s, there were only three colors of clothing in China, gray, blue and green, and military uniforms were especially popular.

During this period, although a vigorous revolution was being carried out across the country, because it only started last year, it has not yet risen to the top of clothing. But the person Song Zhaodi wants to marry is a soldier, and Zhong Jianguo is her backer. Song Zhaodi didn't dare to leave a story to others, so she said confidently: "I just like cheap ones."

The salesperson was speechless.

Seeing this, Zhong Jianguo was speechless and wanted to laugh again: "Okay, that's all you need. Go back and ask your mother, explain it to your aunt." Then he took out the cloth ticket.

"My mother listens to me." Song Zhaodi took the clothes and pointed to the cloth booth next to her: "Get them all out and buy cloth."

Zhong Jianguo immediately took out all the cloth tickets, and there was a burst of exclamations all around.

Song Zhaodi looked over and found that the salesperson who sold the cloth stared wide-eyed, puzzled: "What happened?"

"Comrade, can you give me two of your cloth tickets?" A woman in her 40s appeared next to her, "I'll exchange the gas ticket with you."

Zhong Jianguo said with a smile: "I'm sorry, sister-in-law, there are several children in our family, and several elderly people, all waiting to add winter clothes. These cloth tickets are also exchanged by people from the village and the factory. Our home is far from here. In remote areas, I make clothes once a year."

"Is that so?" The woman was immediately embarrassed. Out of the corner of her eyes, she caught a patch on Song Zhaodi's arm, and said embarrassingly, "Forget it."

Zhong Jianguo looked apologetic: "I'm sorry." After giving the money, he went out with the cloth and put the cloth on the back seat of the car, "Zhao Di, sit on the cloth?"

Song Zhaodi wanted to nod her head very much, however, when others saw her and muttered that she had ruined things, she would also be scolded by her mother when she got home, "The cloth will be sitting wrinkled, and I will go out of town to grab two straws and put them on it, so I won't panic. ." Zhong Jianguo bought a lot of cloth, and the salesperson found a hemp rope to tie it up. Song Zhaodi picked up the cloth as she spoke, "Let's go back."

Zhong Jianguo looked at her, and saw that she was really reluctant to sit on the cloth, and saw that she had put that extra-cheap clothes in the cloth and held it in her arms like a baby. "Actually, you can actually marry someone with better conditions than me."

"Better than you?" Song Zhaodi got into the car, holding the cloth in one hand and grabbing Zhong Jianguo's clothes in the other, "I'm also older than you."

Zhong Jianguo twitched the corners of his mouth: "I mean no children."

"I really like children." Song Zhaodi said.

Zhong Jianguo raised his brows, surprised in his heart, but did not show his face: "You told the village chief that you would rather help your mother work than go to school."

"That's right." Song Zhaodi said, "I'm a Chinese teacher for the first, second and third grades. There are seventy to eighty children in a class. If it were you, would you be willing?"

Zhong Jianguo thought for a moment: "It's scary enough. I see that your village is not very big, how come there are so many children?"

"Children from the four surrounding villages all go to our village to go to school." Song Zhaodi said, "The village elder said that the previous teacher was a junior high school graduate and could not teach children well. I am very knowledgeable, so they will be relieved if I give my children to me. It’s not that I can only take three classes a day, and the village chief has to ask me to teach fourth- and fifth-grade students.”

Zhong Jianguo didn't understand: "There are only three classes a day?"

"Two classes in the morning and one class in the afternoon. Go back to work at home during the rest of the time." Song Zhaodi said, "I also have to work at home."

Zhong Jianguo didn't know much about the village, so he didn't know what to talk to her when he came here, after all, they only met yesterday. After thinking for a while, Zhong Jianguo said, "When we leave, remember to bring your graduation certificate. There is also an elementary school on Wengzhou Island. If you go to the elementary school as a teacher, you will be paid 30 to 50 yuan a month."

"So much?" I went to the county today. From Liu Ling, who lived a hundred years ago, I felt how cheap things were at this time. A pound of pork was only a dime. "Why are the wages there so high?"

Zhong Jianguo: "The wages over there are low. The primary school I told you is a school for the children of cadres, and the government attaches great importance to the descendants of the military. This year, a middle school is also established. If the above advocates that the educated youth go to the countryside, we will go to the normal school. Teacher please."

Seeing that Zhong Jianguo could not see, Song Zhaodi winked at his back: "It's quite a coincidence. Zhong Jianguo, will you return to Binhai in the next two days?"

"I have to go back and tell my big brother." Zhong Jianguo said, "However, I have something else to tell you, we must leave on the ninth. You pack your things in the morning on the ninth, and leave after lunch. Go to Binhai and take the evening train."

Now is not a hundred years later, no one dares to bully Yangyang Huaxia. Lao Jiang said he would call him when he called, but Song Zhaodi dared not make a joke about it: "I know, it won't delay your business."

When she got home, Mother Song saw the clothes Song Zhaodi bought, and her face became extremely ugly.

Song Zhaodi shrugged secretly, walked up to Mother Song, and whispered in her ear, "I bought all the money from Zhong Jianguo. It's for you and my father, as well as for my two nephews."

Mother Song's heart warmed, and she pretended to be angry and said, "I have no shortage of clothes."

"You don't lack, then I'll give it to the eldest sister and the eldest brother-in-law." Song Zhaodi pointed to the two people who were learning to ride a bicycle at the door.

Mother Song raised her hand and hugged the cloth into the room, and said as she walked, "They are also in short supply."

Zhong Jianguo was teaching Liu Yang how to ride a bicycle, Song Zhaodi was not afraid that Zhong Jianguo would find out her true face, and said with a smile: "Mother, you pick four pieces, and find me a piece of coarse cloth to wrap the rest, and keep them as clothes for his three children. ."

"You don't buy clothes yourself, but use Zhong Jianguo's money to buy cloth for me. Zhong Jianguo is not angry?" Song mother worried.

Song Zhaodi: "He is very satisfied with me now. I will give you all these cloths, and he doesn't dare to say anything. At most, he will be sulking for a while."

"Occasionally he can't say anything, you often buy things for us, and Zhong Jianguo will be unhappy if he has no temper." Song's mother was afraid that Song Zhaodi was ignorant, "your father said last night that Zhong Jianguo is capable, and everyone who is capable will not be happy. You have a temper. If you buy something for me in the future, be sure to ask it clearly, he really doesn't care, you buy it again."

Song Zhaodi: "I know. Mother, I plan to use these two days to make clothes and a pair of shoes for his three children. It's okay to make the clothes bigger, the shoes are just right, you can go back and find some shoes for me. Sample?"

"Oh, it's hard to be a stepmother." Mother Song sighed, "Zhao Di, if you want to regret it now, we still have time, and there will be no regret medicine on the 9th."

Song Zhaodi: "I don't regret it. Those three children are not well raised, so I will give birth to a few myself." After a while, "Mother, don't worry, I am marrying Zhong Jianguo, not his son. The children are ignorant, I will I will ask Zhong Jianguo to clean them up."

"Okay." Mother Song picked out the four worst pieces of cloth, and pushed the rest to Song Zhaodi, "Put these away."

Song Zhaodi knew the fabric best, and when she looked at the fabric in Song's mother's hand, she couldn't help but sigh, she felt pity for the hearts of parents all over the world. However, she pretended not to notice that when she made clothes for Zhong Jianguo's three sons, she also made clothes for Song's mother, Song's father and two nephews.

On the morning of the 7th, Zhong Jianguo drove back to Binhai City.

Seeing him, Sister-in-law Zhong asked, "Not bad?"

Zhong Jianguo smiled before saying a word: "It's not bad. He graduated from high school, is diligent and sensible, and looks good."

"So good?" Sister-in-law Zhong was surprised. "The sun came out to the west, or was her head kicked by a donkey?"

Zhong Jianguo: "The stepmother looked down on the Song family. The Song family told her that Song Zhaodi graduated from high school, and she probably thought they were bragging. When Song Zhaodi's eldest brother-in-law heard my stepmother, he waved his hands in annoyance. The Song family didn't like the stepmother, so don't worry about my sister-in-law. Song Zhaodi is just like her."

"It's great!" Sister-in-law Zhong's heart that has been hanging for a few days can be regarded as a reality. "You go back on the ninth, and she will go back with you?"

Zhong Jianguo: "The Song family is very reasonable and agrees with Song Zhaodi to come with me." Then he talked about the wedding, "Song Zhaodi's parents didn't say it clearly, but I can feel it. The Song family does not want the villagers to know that I have three children, nine Don't go there on that day."

"Definitely." Sister-in-law Zhong said, "It's an innocent girl who graduated from high school. If you marry someone with children, the villagers will definitely think that the Song family looks ugly."

Zhong Jianguo: "When Song Zhaodi comes over, you will know that it is not difficult for people to find someone with similar conditions to me."

"Then why do you want to marry you?" Sister-in-law Zhong frowned, "Did you inquire clearly?"

Zhong Jianguo couldn't say that Song Zhaodi had an object before, so he said, "Song Zhaodi's conditions are hard to find in rural areas, and if you pick it up, it's even harder to find when you're older. Well, I caught up with me." He turned his head and saw his eldest son erected The ears listened, "Son, are you relieved now?"

"Isn't the stepmother bad?" the child asked.

Zhong Jianguo was in good spirits on happy occasions, and reached out to hold his eldest son on his lap: "It's not bad, he can also make clothes and shoes. When I came, I was cutting cloth to make cotton coats for you."

"Really?" The child didn't believe it. "Mom can't make clothes and shoes, she can? Dad, it's a puppy to lie."

Zhong Jianguo's eyes darkened: "She is different from your mother. She can cook and is a teacher."

"My mother is also a teacher." The child said.

Zhong Jianguo nodded: "It's the same as your mother. If you see her tomorrow, you have to call her mother."

"Why don't I shout?" The child asked, tilting his head, "Will you hit me? My sister said that if there is a stepmother, there is a stepfather, just like a grandfather. Dad, will you become a stepfather?"