Go back to the prosperous days and become a layman

Chapter 746 Chapter 745 Who Says That Grass Is Loving

It has been nearly a year since the couple last came here.

The last time I came here, I took the bus. Since it was not Qingming Festival, the cemetery was very quiet.

Today was very different from usual. The gate of the cemetery was open and there were many cars parked in the square.

After the car stopped, the driver got out and opened the door for Ye Zhijuan, while Xiao Wang and Tang Zhitong got out by themselves.

After getting off the car, Tang Zhitong glanced at the parked cars. There were sedans and jeeps of different brands and models, most of which were classic cars.

Xiao Wang held the sycamore flowers in one hand and the basket brought by Director Ye in the other. Tang Zhitong came back to his senses, stretched out his hand to Xiao Wang, and said, "I'll go get a bucket of water and borrow a pot of hot water to make tea."

"Okay, then I'll go over with our mom first." Xiao Wang handed the basketball basket to her husband, turned around and took Ye Zhijuan's arm.

This time was different from the last time. When Tang Zhitong went to borrow a bucket, the staff kindly asked him to register and said he needed to pledge his ID to get the bucket: "There are many family members here today, and we have limited staff. We really can't remember them all. Please bear with me."

"It's okay, I understand." Tang Zhitong cooperated with the cemetery staff's request. He put down the basket, took out his student ID and handed it over.

Of all my documents, my student ID is probably the least conspicuous.

The formalities were completed quickly. The staff handed Tang Zhitong a bucket and told him to exchange the certificate for the bucket when he returned it.

"Comrade, I brought some tea with me and would like to use our hot water to make it. Where can I get it?" Tang Zhitong saw that there was no thermos or anything here, so he picked up the bucket and basket and asked.

"Turn left when you go out, walk twenty meters and turn left again, you will see the water room, there are people on duty there." Those lying here have all made contributions to the country, and those who can come to sweep the graves today must be relatives, so the staff are very polite.

"Okay, thank you." Tang Zhitong thanked the man and arrived at the water room two or three minutes later.

Not only was there someone on duty in the water room, but there were also several rows of thermoses on the floor. Tang Zhitong estimated that there were more than thirty of them.

This period of time is the peak time for tomb sweeping, and many people come to borrow boiled water. Tang Zhitong noticed that most of them were wearing white gloves.

The person on duty was like a loud speaker playing in a loop, constantly repeating the rules here: "Comrades, the water in the boiler is not boiled yet, but there is boiling water in the thermos. Please use it as needed. Since there are only a limited number of thermoses, for your convenience, no thermoses will be lent out..."

Some people not only use boiling water to make tea, but also pour the boiling water into a bucket filled with cold water to make the water warm.

Tang Zhitong was as calm as an ancient Buddha. He poured most of the boiling water into the teapot, picked up the basket and the empty bucket and walked back.

There is a faucet next to Wang’s father’s tombstone, so it is more convenient to get water from there.

As for the water temperature, Tang Zhitong felt that there was no need to waste boiling water at the current temperature.

There are too many people around, so I won’t use any cheats this time.

After Tang Zhitong got the water, he walked towards the tombstone. From a distance, he saw Director Ye chatting with someone, a skinny middle-aged woman. Behind the woman stood a bronze-skinned young man, who looked like he had been exposed to the sun all year round.

When Xiao Wang saw her husband, she quickly walked over and took the basket from Tang Zhitong.

"Did you meet an acquaintance here?" Tang Zhitong asked softly.

"Those buried here are all at the county level or above. There are so many people here today, so it's inevitable that you'll run into someone you know." Student Xiao Wang explained softly.

"That's true." Tang Zhitong nodded. His circle was so small and today was Qingming Festival, so it was not surprising to run into a few acquaintances.

"Is this Wenwen's lover? He's really handsome and a perfect match for Wenwen." The middle-aged woman who was greeting Ye Zhijuan asked when she saw Xiao Wang welcoming Tang Zhitong over.

"Anzi, this is your Aunt Xie." Ye Zhijuan had her back to Tang Zhitong. When she heard her friend ask this, she realized that Tang Zhitong had already returned from fetching water.

"Hello, Aunt Xie." Tang Zhitong walked forward, put down the bucket, put his hands in front of him, and greeted respectfully, while nodding to the young man behind Aunt Xie.

"Okay, okay. What a polite and good kid. Where do you work?" Old Xie asked with a smile without any hesitation.

"At the post office." Tang Zhitong had just arrived and was unsure of her intentions. In addition, classmate Xiao Wang had just said "someone I know" instead of "an acquaintance", so he just smiled.

"Yes, it's a good unit. This is my son Ding Jianhui, who works in the Power Supply Bureau. You young people have a common language, so get closer to each other in the future." Old Xie was not shy, he turned sideways and introduced his son to Tang Zhitong.

"Hello, Tang Zhitong." In front of Ye Zhijuan, Tang Zhitong still gave the most basic face and took the initiative to extend his hand to Ding Jianhui.

"Hello." Ding Jianhui didn't expect his mother to do this. He was at a loss for a moment. He quickly put down the bucket in his hand and stretched out his hand to Tang Zhitong.

"Anzi, did you bring paper? Leave a contact address for Jianhui." Ye Zhijuan added.

"I have it. I have it with me." Old Xie immediately responded and took out a small notebook from his pocket.

Seeing this, Tang Zhitong pulled out a pen from the upper left pocket of his shirt, wrote down the address and phone number of the escort office on the notebook Aunt Xie handed over, and handed it back.

"The handwriting is really beautiful. This is Jianhui's address. Xiao Tang, keep it." Old Xie took the notebook, glanced at Tang Zhitong's handwriting, tore off a page from it and handed it to Tang Zhitong.

"Okay!" Tang Zhitong took it with both hands, looked at it carefully, then folded it and put it close to his body.

"Director Ye, we won't keep you any longer." Old Xie closed the notebook contentedly and said goodbye to Ye Zhijuan.

Ding Jianhui had never expected his mother to do this today. It was as if she had planned this for a long time. After walking a distance, he said, "Mom, what are you doing? You are so eager."

"You know shit!" Old Xie glared at his son, looking completely different from the cheerful guy he had just been.

"Your father passed away early, and many relationships are no longer reliable. I am setting you up today and letting you young people build relationships on your own. Isn't it for you? For this family?"

"People, we all met in obscurity, and the wind started from the green weeds. If we ask for help when we encounter problems, who will care about us?"

"Well...then he and I are not insignificant. He wears clothes with four pockets and doesn't have many calluses on his hands. You can tell at a glance that he is an office cadre. Mom, please don't be like this in the future. I can do it on my own." Ding Jianhui was a little sad. He was sad that he still made his mother worry at such a big age, and he was sad that his mother gave up her face for him.

"Have you found out that Xiao Tang is a cadre? I asked around before pulling you here. He's already a deputy section chief at such a young age. As the saying goes, it takes three to make a good man. You have to get along well with him. It's better to not be of use than to not be able to find him when you need him. Do you remember?" Old Xie warned solemnly.

"I know, Mom." Ding Jianhui was very sad and wiped away his tears with his sleeves...

After saying goodbye to Ding Jianhui and his mother, Ye Zhijuan said nothing more.

Walking to her husband's tombstone, Ye Zhijuan took out the towel she had prepared and put it into the bucket. She took it out and wrung it half dry, then wiped it carefully. While wiping, she whispered:
"Old Wang, we are here to see you."

"Everything is fine at home. Jingmin is a little naughty, but his grades are good. Jingying was admitted to the No. 49 Experimental Middle School last year. Wenwen and Anzi are both doing well at work."

"Supply is very tight across the country this year, but my family has been able to get by with the help of eucalyptus, and the children are not lacking."

"My hometown...my mother, I have been sending money all the time."

"I heard from the comrades over there that the local supply situation is very tight."

"My mother has written to me several times this year, and each time she has written to me, she has asked for money."

"I wrote back and asked my mother to come over, but she didn't come. She just kept asking for money."

"I'm a mother too. I know my mom is worried about the kids and is worried that I won't send money back after I come here."

"I now send 55 yuan there every month, which is a lot more than when you were there. Fortunately, I got a salary increase, otherwise I really couldn't afford it."

"Fifty-five is equivalent to a worker's two-month salary. This money is enough to cover our mother's expenses."

"If you leave, I will take care of our mother in her old age, but I can't support my family back home."

"If my mother writes to me again and asks me to send more money, I won't raise the price any more. After all, I have children to take care of at home. In the coming years... I have to prepare for the worst and think more about the children."

"If you want to blame someone, blame me."

Ye Zhijuan kept on talking in a disorganized manner, but to Tang Zhitong it sounded as if she was just talking about whatever came to her mind.

Listening to Ye Zhijuan saying that the year was not good and preparing for the worst, Tang Zhitong glanced around vigilantly, fearing that someone would eavesdrop.

Fortunately, there was no one around, only the wind blowing through the treetops, making a rustling sound. I don’t know whether this was the deceased’s comfort or approval for the living.

In Tang Zhitong's opinion, Ye Zhijuan did nothing wrong. Fifty-five yuan a month is more than enough for ordinary people to support a family of seven or eight, but in Sichuan and Chongqing...

Maybe the old lady of the Wang family knows it in her heart, but judging from the enthusiasm of Sichuan and Chongqing in transferring grain out, I'm afraid she is also making plans for her children and grandchildren?
After Ye Zhijuan wiped the tombstone, Xiao Wang placed paulownia flowers on it, then poured tea, and Tang Zhitong poured good wine.

The young couple stood on both sides behind Ye Zhijuan and bowed three times together, and the tomb sweeping ceremony was over.

"Wenwen, go wash some towels and return the bucket. I want to talk to Anzi." Ye Zhijuan had no intention of leaving immediately.

"Okay." After receiving the order, Xiao Wang picked up the bucket and wanted to leave.

"Hey, Wenwen, I pressed my student ID over there. Don't forget to get it back when you return the bucket." Tang Zhitong reminded.

"Okay, don't worry." Student Wang smiled, carried the bucket out of the cemetery, and poured the water in the bucket under the green pines beside the road.

After Xiao Wang left, Ye Zhijuan sat directly in front of Wang's father's tombstone and pointed at the ground: "Anzi, sit down and talk."

"Okay." Tang Zhitong didn't waste any words and sat down diagonally opposite Ye Zhijuan. At present, the cemetery land was not in short supply and the distance between tombstones was still quite large, so the two of them didn't feel crowded when sitting down.

After Tang Zhitong sat down, Ye Zhijuan began to talk:
"That Aunt Xie is the widow of my former colleague Lao Ding. Lao Ding passed away early. When Lao Ding passed away, Jianhui was still in junior high school."

"Jianhui is not very good at studying. Old Xie had to ask a lot of people for help in school and graduation assignment, and he used up all the favors that Old Ding had."

"Over the years, Old Xie has raised four children on his own. It's not easy."

Ye Zhijuan sighed and continued:

"Jianhui initially worked at the Shijingshan Power Plant. Two years ago, the power supply bureau was established in the city, and the Shijingshan Power Plant was assigned to the bureau. Jianhui was then transferred to the city."

"Although Lao Xie still has a job, his health has not been very good. I was shocked when we met this time. He has lost so much weight that he looks unrecognizable."

"It never rains but it pours. I heard from others that she doesn't have much time left... Alas!"

"From now on, whether it's your Aunt Xie or Jianhui, if they need your help, please help them if you can."

As a widow herself, Ye Zhijuan still admires the widow of her former colleague very much. It was also thanks to her that she had coordinated Ding Jianhui's work in the old city. If he went to other places, once she was gone, the younger ones would be left without a father or a mother, and their brother would also be away. How would they survive?
As for the "chance encounter" today, Ye Zhijuan didn't take it to heart. As a mother, she could understand it very well.

"Okay, I'll remember it, Mom." Tang Zhitong nodded and kept it in mind.

"For the past six months, Jingying and Jingmin have always complained about what their brother-in-law said. Now your words are more effective than Wenwen's."

"Speaking of which, Mom has to thank you. If it weren't for your inventions over the past year, I wouldn't be sitting in this position now."

Ye Zhijuan recalled the past year and said with a smile.

"Mom, what are you saying? We are a family and this is what I should do." Tang Zhitong touched his head. He felt a little embarrassed by Director Ye's praise and felt that he was being praised too highly.

"We should be honest. We are a family and we should talk." Ye Zhijuan added cheerfully, "Wenwen has been spoiled by us since she was a child. She has a bad temper. If she does something wrong, don't argue with her in person. After all, you have to live together. Too much arguing will affect your relationship. Tell me in private and I will teach her a lesson."

"Mom, you're too kind. Wenwen did a great job. Mom is very satisfied.

My mother said that at least half of the credit for my rise from a deliveryman to my current position goes to Wenwen.

My mother also said that Wenwen brought me good luck and asked me to treat Wenwen well. If I treated Wenwen badly, she would be the first one to not forgive me. "

Talking about this, Tang Zhitong also opened up. How could he not be satisfied with a wife like Xiao Wang?
"That's good, that's good. Take out the teacups in the basket, let's drink the tea and go back." Ye Zhijuan was very happy after hearing this. Although the idea of ​​"bringing good luck" to others is a feudal superstition, considering the background of her mother-in-law, she was able to say such words, which was a great recognition of her daughter and could not be criticized.

I haven't had tea for a while. At first glance, it tastes pretty good.

Tang Zhitong left a cup for Xiao Wang, asking her to drink it when she came back. Ye Zhijuan stood up and prepared to go back.

Tang Zhitong poured the tea and wine in front of Wang's father's tomb on the ground, then he and Xiao Wang cleaned up and followed.

(End of this chapter)