Return to 1983 Hunting Xing'an Mountains

Chapter 558: Meeting Xu Pao's sister-in-law and brother-in-law again

There are many large shopping malls in the provincial capital today, such as Gongbin Department Store in Xiangfang, Dongqing Department Store in Pingfang, and the Second Department Store in Daoli, and there is basically a small shop on every street.

Although the variety of products in small shops is not as wide as that in large shopping malls, it is mainly convenient for the people. If they want to buy some daily necessities, they can basically find them in small shops, and the prices are naturally a little higher than those in large shopping malls.

As time was running out and he had no time to spare for other things, Xu Ning did not choose to go to a large shopping mall. He drove and stopped the car when he saw a store sign on the roadside. Then he went into the house with Meng Ziyan, Guan Hua, Wang Hu and others.

This small shopping mall has two rooms. The outer room is filled with various goods, and the inner room is a chess and card room. You can clearly hear someone cursing in the room, who is obviously very angry because of losing the game.

Meng Ziyan and Guan Hua stood in the small shop and looked around. Then they walked to the shelf with snacks and grabbed hawthorn rolls, White Rabbit candies, biscuits, rice candies, etc. They also picked up two large bottles of soda. They were not from the Arctic Ocean brand. Although they were produced by a small local factory, they all tasted similar. There was orange flavor, peach flavor...

Xu Ning was looking for toys. There were a few green tin frogs hanging on the shelf with a price tag of 1 yuan. This toy was definitely expensive, but he had to buy a few more. He took down four and followed Wang Hu's gaze to see a plush toy. This toy was quite rare. The plush toys in the mall included Donald Duck and Mickey Mouse, but this plush toy was a little tiger, a bit like a pillow, but also like a hug pillow...

The price of 1 yuan made Xu Ning think for a moment, but he still took two and put them on the counter. Before paying the bill, Xu Ning asked the boss to get two packs of Yingchun cigarettes, two bottles of Wuliangye, two canned foods, and two bottles of malted milk. These things were enough, and the total consumption was 2 yuan.

The boss was very considerate and specially brought two net bags for Xu Ning to put the canned food and Wuliangye liquor, and also put the snacks into paper bags. Then Xu Ning and the others left.

When going out, Xu Ning glanced at his watch. It was 15 minutes to 10 o'clock. He was a person with a good sense of time and would not be late easily unless there was something urgent.

Urging everyone to get in the car, he drove quickly towards Xu He's house.

Before 10 o'clock, he drove to the entrance of the alley and saw Xu He and Xu Pao standing in the shade against the wall.

Seeing Xu Ning's face, Xu Pao immediately smiled and waved, "Come on, man!"

Before getting out of the car, Xu Ning laughed excitedly in the car: "Hahaha, sir! I miss you so much."

Then he opened the car door and heard Xu Pao say, "Missing me, why didn't you come yesterday?"

"Oh my god, sir, how can you come to visit your elders in the dark?"

"I don't care about that! Get out of the car quickly. Your aunt heard that you were coming and started preparing food last night, hoping that you could eat at home last night."

Xu He continued, "When I got home yesterday, your uncle didn't even look at you and scolded me."

"Haha, sir, it has nothing to do with Brother He. I was really busy yesterday."

Xu Pao smiled and nodded: "I know, isn't it just a group of people blocking the road with guns that were arrested?"

At this time, Xu Ning jumped out of the car empty-handed, followed by Meng Ziyan and Guan Hua. Li Fuqiang and others who were sitting in the back car carried things and walked around from the rear of the car to the front.

Xu Ning casually threw the car keys to Dazhi, then turned around and introduced them.

Xu Pao came to the provincial capital at the end of last year, so he had never met Meng Ziyan, Guan Hua and Guan Lei. After a brief introduction, Xu Pao said, "Come in quickly! Your sister Xiao He has been here for quite some time. She is making mutton dumplings at home. Would you like to eat some?"

"Why wouldn't you like to eat the mutton filling? I'm so happy to eat it! Uncle, wait a moment."

Xu Ning turned around and said to Dazhi, "You two should go to the mall to buy things and wait here around 1pm."

"Well, let's go, sir."

Xu Pao was stunned for a moment and said, "Don't leave, both of you come into the house too. We are already home, how can we..."

Xu Ning stopped him and said, "Uncle, they have to go to the mall to buy some things for their family. Don't worry about them, just eat!"

Hearing this, Xu Pao smiled and said to the two of them, "Then drive slowly, both of you."

Li Fuqiang was holding cans of cigarettes and alcohol and asked quietly, "Brother, where are your things in the car?"

"What the hell is that? A gun! Oh my god! Clean up the house! Don't walk around with guns. What if we get caught?"

After Xu Pao finished speaking, he asked with a sidelong glance: "Did you bring my old stalk?"

"You have to bring it here! Huzi, go put the stuff in the sack and let our uncle have some fun with his old brother."

Hearing this, Xu Pao raised his head and laughed: "Hahaha, you are the one who said this. This gun is not my old brother."

Xu Ning turned around and asked himself, "What is that? My young wife?"

"Hahaha! It's absolutely true, she is my young wife! Haha..."

Xu He watched carefully from the side. Since his father came to the provincial capital, when has he ever laughed so happily? He was laughing heartily, not like he was forcing himself to laugh.

"Dad, Erning is the best at chatting. Look at how funny these two or three sentences made you laugh. I can hear your laughter from two miles away."

Xu Pao suddenly put away his smile, stared at him with a stern face, raised his finger and said: "If you know how to chat, then talk more, if not, then shut up! Why are you so annoying, get lost!"

“Hahahaha…” Xu He was not angry, but laughed even more wildly.

After a moment, Wang Hu took off the sack containing the gun, waved to Dazhi and Scarface, and followed the crowd into the depths of the alley. Dazhi drove with Scarface out of the alley entrance and headed south.

Xu Pao currently lives in three bungalows instead of a building. Why didn't he live in a building with Xu He? First, it's inconvenient for the parents-in-law and daughter-in-law to live together. Second, Xu Pao and Aunt Gao's living habits make them unable to accept living in a building. In Xu Pao's words, there are stairs outside the door. What's wrong? Do you want me to go down step by step on this road of life? Going upstairs is difficult, and going downstairs is hard...

Besides, Xu He has a child who needs to study after school. His grandfather feels a little bit uncomfortable watching his daughter-in-law disciplining the child at home.

That's how Xu Hecai found a bungalow for the old couple. Xu Pao felt much more comfortable living in the bungalow. He didn't have to rush back to the village. It was convenient for him to go out for a walk every day. There were also many old men and women in the alley, so it was convenient to chat and relieve boredom...

"Uncle, how are you doing here? Are you used to it?"

Xu Pao shook his head: "If it weren't for my grandson, I would have returned to the village long ago. Everything in this shabby place costs money!"

"Hahaha, my brother He can earn money, so you should enjoy yourself too. You lived frugally when you were young, so you should spend more when you are older, right? You should also show some filial piety to my brother He."

"That's true, but your aunt and I are used to spending every penny carefully. Sometimes we really don't want to spend it. Last time I drank a cup of coffee, it made me feel so sad! If I had known it was so expensive, I would have bought a bag of eggs. Eggs can last more than half a month, but coffee is gone in two sips."

"Hey, stop being so picky, uncle. Think about it this way. There are so many people in the village who have never had coffee, but you and my auntie have experienced it first. No matter whether it tastes good or not, we are ahead of the young and old men in our village."

Xu Pao's eyes lit up when he heard this, and he clapped his hands in applause: "Oh my god, this makes perfect sense! That's the truth."

He turned to Xu He and said, "Look at how Er Ning advised me, and then listen to what you said. I was almost mad to death!"

Xu He muttered, "I'm not very good at persuading you. Besides, I'm your own son. How can you still find fault with me?"

"Oh, get out of here. Erning, let's go. The one with the stone standing in front is..."

Xu Pao pulled Xu Ning's arm and walked forward, throwing Xu He aside. Li Fuqiang, Meng Ziyan and others followed behind him, listening to Xu Pao chattering and wanted to laugh.

Along the way, two or three people greeted Xu Pao, and he greeted them with a smile and said: Ah, my nephew came to visit me from his hometown...

When they reached the gate of the courtyard, they saw Aunt Gao, Xu He, and a man and a woman running out from the outer room to greet them.

Xu Ning greeted Aunt Gao and Xu He first, and Xu Pao introduced: "This is your sister-in-law, your brother-in-law! Your brother-in-law was supposed to go to work, but when he heard that you were coming, he asked for leave." The brother-in-law was not tall, about 1 meters, with a round face and a flat head, and he looked blessed.

He smiled and said, "Ah, Dad, I don't have much to do at work. I always heard Xiao He talk about Er Ning before. Now that you're here, I must meet him."

Xu Ning raised his hand and stretched it out, saying, "Brother-in-law, you really give me face!"

"It's just like what your sister said. It's hard to find such a handsome guy in the whole village."

"Hahaha, brother-in-law, I praise you."

Afterwards, Xu Ning introduced Meng Ziyan and Guan Hua to Aunt Gao and the others. Guan Lei smiled and said, "Auntie, I was in a hurry to come here and didn't bring anything good."

Aunt Gao looked at the things in everyone's hands and said, "Why did you come all the way here to buy such things? Hurry up and go inside! I told Erning last time not to waste money all the time..."

Xu Pao glared and curled his lips: "Hey, look at you, these things were not bought by Erning, Yan paid for them himself! Look, what good things did Erning give me, you idiot!"

Xu Ning said with a smile: "Auntie bought these snacks for the children. I brought these two saplings from the mountains. They are all 17 or 18 years old, perfect for making wine."

"Oh my god, Erning is so thoughtful, come in quickly! Today we are all family members, and Auntie didn't prepare anything good. He, quickly make tea for Erning and the others, and make the Tiannv Sanhua..."

Xu Pao grinned and said, "That's called Jasmine Snow!"

After everyone entered the house, the brother-in-law took out a pack of Shilin loose cigarettes, but Xu Ning waved his hand to refuse and looked at the furnishings in the house. Xu Pao seemed to notice his gaze and said with a smile, "What are you looking at?"

"I look at this room, it seems to be similar to my home, uncle, are you homesick?"

Xu Pao slapped his thigh and said, "How can I not think about it! I've lived in the village for most of my life, and now I'm in trouble. I'm in a place where I'm not familiar with. Ah!"

"Then you will come back with me in two days?"

Xu Pao glanced at Xu He and said, "I will go back with your brother He on the 3rd. There is no room for many people in your car. When will you go back?"

"I was thinking of leaving tomorrow, but after all the effort of coming here..."

My brother-in-law continued, "Not at all. We finally came here, so why not spend two more days here before leaving? The road conditions are bad right now, and it's very time-consuming and exhausting to come here. Otherwise, why don't you go to Sun Island for a stroll tomorrow, and I'll arrange a sightseeing boat for you..."

Xu Ning saw that he was not being polite and said, "Then I'll trouble you, brother-in-law."

"What's the trouble? They are all family members."

There were cigarettes, alcohol, cans of candy, and snacks on the floor cabinet, but there was no child. Xu Ning asked, "Why didn't you see the child?"

Xu Pao said, "I went to school this morning. Tomorrow is Saturday, so the school asked us to go there a day early on Friday to pick up books and other things."

"Then you won't be back at noon?"

"Come back, I'll ask your brother-in-law to pick you up later."

At this time, Xu He came into the room carrying a teapot and said, "Erning, how about you try this tea?"

"Hey, my aunt is still making dumplings. Yan, you and Hua, don't just sit there, go and get busy in the outer room..."

Aunt Gao said, "No need! We'll be done soon. Let them stay in the room."

Xu He smiled and asked, "Yan Na, have you and Er Ning gathered all the things you need for your wedding?"

"Yes! I bought everything in the city last time. This time I came to the provincial capital to buy them for Hu Zi and Hua."

Xu He stopped Meng Ziyan and Guan Hua who were going to help in the outer room, and pushed them to sit at the end of the kang. She sat between them without moving, holding their hands and chatting about family matters.

Xu Ning, Xu Pao, Xu He, and his brother-in-law had a lot to talk about. They started with carrying a club into the mountains, and talked about hunting roe deer and black bears, which made Xu Pao's blood boil...

When it was about 11 o'clock, my brother-in-law went out to pick up the children. Xu He sat on the edge of the kang and said, "Can I take a look at these two ginseng seedlings?"

Xu Pao glanced at it and said, "Just keep an eye on it, don't ruin it for me."

"I can't..."

Xu He untied the red rope and peeled off the bark to take a closer look. Xu Pao, Xu He, sister-in-law, and Aunt Gao also came over.

"Why is it so small?" said my sister-in-law.

Xu He raised his head and frowned: "What do you know? This little thing is only worth half a month's salary for me. Two seedlings is a month's salary!"

"Oh my god! It's so expensive..."

Xu He said with a smile: "Erning, don't listen to your sister-in-law's nonsense, she has never seen this thing before."

"It's okay. My sister-in-law is also quick-witted."

Xu Pao stared at the wet dirt on the mallet skin and said, "Should we wash the dirt off the surface?"

"Of course it has to be washed. Since you're going to make wine at home, don't worry about the appearance. It won't hurt to wash it even if the whiskers break."

"Okay, I'll get you after you get married. The ginseng wine you brought me last time was pretty good. How about trying wild ginseng wine this time?"

"Okay! You can stay at home with my aunt for a while, and I will send you back when the time comes."

Xu Pao said, "Your aunt and I have almost adapted to this place. What if we stay at home for a long time and don't want to come back? Let's wait until you get married, and then we can come back with your brother. Who will heat the kang in my house?"

"My brother and sister-in-law light a fire when they have nothing to do. The house is very clean and there is no dust on the counter."

Aunt Gao was stunned: "Did Da Laba and his wife clean it up? Oh my god, Guoxing is really kind."

"I told him about it before I left, but he took it to heart. My nephew didn't take it to heart, eh, this kid..."

This was said by Yang Dong. In terms of relationship, Xu Pao was definitely closer to Yang Dong, but since the old couple Xu Pao passed away, Yang Dong had never been to Xu Pao's house. Instead, Da Laba, with whom he had a very ordinary relationship, often went there to heat the kang, and Zhang Guifang also often went there to clean. If it weren't for the two of them helping to clean, the kang and the countertops would have been covered with dust long ago.

Xu Pao looked up and asked, "How are the Qinglangs?"

"Very good! They are now a lot bigger than before you left. I went to Wanye a while ago, so I didn't take them for a walk in the mountains."

After Xu Ning finished speaking, he thought for a moment and said, "Master, I really have something I want to discuss with you."

"What's the matter? Tell me."

(End of this chapter)