That year the flowers bloomed 1981

Chapter 1295 Calling you grandpa is no problem
Today, after He Dazhuang arrived at the wedding venue, he became particularly affectionate with two classmates, one was Li Ye, and the other was Zhen Rongrong.

At the time, Li Ye didn't think anything was wrong. He and He Dazhuang used to clash, so he assumed He Dazhuang was deliberately trying to resolve their differences, hoping to make a friend and open up more options in the future.

Zhen Rongrong, He Dazhuang, Li Ye, and other members and prospective members were all core members of the class committee, so it's not wrong for them to be closer.

But now, as He Dazhuang was pouring out his heart about his divorce and asking everyone to help him find a partner, Li Ye suddenly realized that the guy's eyes were always fixed on the class monitor, Zhen Rongrong.

Li Ye immediately observed He Dazhuang's eyes and micro-expressions carefully, and then a surge of anger rose in his heart.

[A toad trying to eat swan meat, only to end up eating its own kind?]

Li Ye truly hadn't expected that He Dazhuang would develop feelings for Zhen Rongrong. No wonder he kept insisting earlier that "when looking for a partner, you should find someone you know well, someone whose background is familiar and who is your equal!" It turns out that he came to Beijing today not only to attend Chen Xiaoling's wedding, but also to find a second spring in his life!

However, in the 1980s and 90s, divorce was not as commonplace as it would be decades later. Anyone who got divorced had to endure the strange looks from those around them. Even if He Dazhuang was thick-skinned, he was too embarrassed to directly confess to Zhen Rongrong.

So at this moment, he's subtly guiding his classmates at the banquet, probably hoping they'll speak up for him.

But regardless of whether anyone understood his tone or not, no one brought up Zhen Rongrong. After all, Zhen Rongrong was the recognized class beauty. If they were to pair her up with He Dazhuang, wouldn't that be an insult to her?
However, seeing He Dazhuang repeating the same old thing over and over again, everyone was having a hard time pretending to be stupid.

Li Ye asked coldly, "He Dazhuang, after you divorced your wife, who got custody of the child?"

He Dazhuang shook his head and said, "We didn't have children. At the time, I felt that children would be a burden. Now that I think about it, I'm really glad we didn't have children, otherwise..."

Sun Xianjin glanced at Li Ye and immediately followed up on the topic, asking, "How can a child be a burden? If you had kept the child back then, maybe you wouldn't have divorced, right?"

"You guys just don't see the light; raising children is a huge money sink."

He Dazhuang said with a wry smile, "Take me for example! My parents worked so hard to raise me, but after graduation, they assigned me to Qinghai Province. I can't even go home once a year and see my parents."

"Dazhuang, you're wrong. Whether it's a loss or not depends on your parents' perspective. You reached this level at thirty; do they think it's a loss? Impossible."

"Exactly, my child is always making a fuss, leaving my wife and me with aches and pains, but we don't feel like we're losing out at all."

"You feel you're getting a good deal now because you think they'll take care of you in your old age. But look at me? The idea of ​​raising children to provide for you in old age is a joke."

"."

It has to be said that men born in the 1960s have a very strong obsession with having offspring. Nine out of ten men at the banquet supported having children, with He Dazhuang being the only exception.

So when Li Ye brought up the issue of children, everyone quickly joined in the conversation, chatting away and conveniently avoiding He Dazhuang's request to "find a partner."

As expected, He Dazhuang was still the same He Dazhuang who loved to argue with people. He single-handedly debated with a group of scholars, listing all the disadvantages of having children, and the argument was quite heated.

Li Ye, who had stirred up the trouble, was now unable to get a word in edgewise.

Actually, the question of having children depends on your position. Throughout history, there have always been two groups of people who are willing to have children.

The first wave naturally consisted of the powerful and wealthy, who desperately wanted to have children, hoping to have nine sons to expand their family and consolidate their power, wealth, and clan.

The second wave consists of the poorest and lowest classes. It's incredibly difficult for ordinary people to climb the social ladder through hard work and perseverance; only exceptional individuals can lead their families to achieve such a remarkable turnaround.

So, having more children means adding more water when cooking, barely enough to feed each child one bowl, hoping for a mutation through sheer numbers. If a highly intelligent genius emerges, then all the hardship will be over.

Even if someone becomes a contractor, wouldn't the whole family be able to advance further?

Those who are unwilling to have children fall somewhere in between.

They have their own careers or some savings, so they won't be troubled by retirement issues. Having children would lower their quality of life, so after careful consideration, they choose to forgo having offspring and enjoy life.

He Dazhuang was good at scheming back in school, so when he started arguing with everyone, he became more and more reasonable, and his voice grew louder and louder, eventually attracting the attention of Chen Xiaoling and Zhen Rongrong. Zhen Rongrong, still with the temper of her former class monitor, scolded in a low voice, "How long has it been since you all last saw each other? And you start arguing as soon as you meet? And so loudly? There are so many guests today, can't you be a little more considerate?"

Li Ye immediately raised his hand and said, "We were discussing whether raising children is a huge loss, and He Dazhuang insists that raising children is a money-losing business. I've raised two, so of course I'm not convinced!"

"."

"You're just showing off that you have two kids!"

Zhen Rongrong retorted to Li Ye in an annoyed tone, then said with a displeased expression, "Today is Xiaoling's wedding day, what are you discussing, why are you talking about being childless?"

"Yes, yes, we were wrong, we were wrong."

"The squad leader is right. Everyone, stop talking and let's drink."

Several classmates quickly begged Zhen Rongrong for forgiveness, but He Dazhuang's face was extremely ugly.

He then realized that Zhen Rongrong liked children.

Chen Xiaoling walked over to Li Ye, quietly kicked his chair, and gave Li Ye a look.

Li Ye understood immediately, found an opportunity to leave his seat, and followed Chen Xiaoling to a quiet corner.

Chen Xiaoling said in a low voice, "Were you just arguing about the child? Is there anything else?"

Upon hearing this, Li Ye knew something was wrong, so he told the truth: "He Dazhuang was crying to everyone about his family misfortunes, so he hopes we can introduce him to a suitable wife. What, he's contacting you too?"

Chen Xiaoling said mysteriously, "He hasn't contacted me directly, but lately he's been inquiring about Rongrong's situation intentionally or unintentionally."

Li Ye sighed and said, "I noticed that too. That guy kept saying he wanted to find someone he knew well, someone he knew inside and out. He was practically saying he wanted to find the class monitor."

Chen Xiaoling said with a look of disgust, "He Dazhuang is really good at scheming. His father-in-law just retired, and he divorced his wife. Now he wants to be transferred to Beijing, and he's got his hands on you and Rongrong."

Li Ye asked in surprise, "He's after me? How could that be?"

Chen Xiaoling said in a low voice, "Anyway, all he does is ask about Rongrong and you, so be careful and don't be fooled by his nice words."

Li Ye said incredulously, "Really? There are dozens of classmates in the class, he shouldn't be asking me, right?"

Chen Xiaoling curled her lip and said, "Do you think he's still the same stubborn He Dazhuang from before? He's become very shrewd and adaptable now. As long as it's useful to him, he'll call you grandpa without a problem."

"."

Li Ye returned to the banquet with a feeling of "utter absurdity," only to find that He Dazhuang was gone, and everyone else looked constipated.

Li Ye asked curiously, "What's going on? Why are you all suddenly so depressed?"

Sun Xianjin whispered, "He Dazhuang went out with the squad leader."

"So what if he went out? We're not drinking just because he's not here? Come on, let me offer a toast."

Li Yecai didn't believe that He Dazhuang and Zhen Rongrong could spark a romance!
Even if an older single woman is looking for a second marriage, that's something that happens after she's 34 or 35, okay?

Zhen Rongrong is only twenty-nine years old this year, and she has returned from studying abroad. Her thinking is somewhat more avant-garde than that of people from the mainland, so Li Ye believes that He Dazhuang will definitely back down when faced with difficulties.

But a few days later, Li Ye's eyes were opened.

(End of this chapter)