1977: The beginning of the blind date with the daughter of the king

Chapter 656 Li Changhe's Valuable Assets!

"What's going on today? Why are you in such a rush?"

As soon as she got home, Shen Yuxiu was pulled into the kitchen and looked at Liu Shuwan with great curiosity, asking her a question.

She had barely caught her breath after getting back when Liu Shuwan came in carrying a large bag of vegetables.

Then I pulled her into the kitchen and we started working.

"What is it? Good news!"

"I'm telling you, you're going to be a grandma!"

At this moment, Liu Shuwan said triumphantly to Shen Yuxiu.

Shen Yuxiu's hands, which were washing vegetables, froze in place.

"Really?"

"Linlin is pregnant?"

At this moment, Shen Yuxiu asked Liu Shuwan with a mixture of belief and doubt.

Liu Shuwan smiled and nodded: "Why would I lie to you? I just took Linlin to Peking Union Medical College Hospital for a checkup today, and she's pregnant!"

"It just so happens that Changhe is back today too. Isn't that a coincidence? I felt it was about time today, so I took Linlin to the hospital."

“He wasn’t back before we went to the hospital, and he didn’t say he was coming back. By the time Linlin and I got home, he was already home.”

"They even brought back a new car. Don't you think this is fate between them, father and son?"

Liu Shuwan said with a happy expression.

The new era does not advocate feudal superstition, but sometimes, such amazing coincidences still make them more willing to believe in some auspicious traditions.

"Now that you put it that way, it's true."

"Sigh, now that Linlin is pregnant, I'm finally relieved. Otherwise, considering they're both so old..."

Shen Yuxiu then happily started chatting with Liu Shuwan while they were busy in the kitchen.

When Li Changhe and Zhu Lin entered the house, they saw the whole family chatting and drinking tea in a lively atmosphere, with seven or eight sumptuous dishes already laid out on the table.

"Dad, Mom, this is fruit I bought for you!"

At this moment, Zhu Lin, carrying a bag of fruit, spoke to Shen Yuxiu.

"Oh, Auntie bought bananas! I want to eat bananas!"

The little girl saw the bright orange bananas and immediately shouted with joy.

In those days, bananas from the south were definitely considered high-end fruits in Beijing. Ordinary families simply couldn't afford to eat them, given their high price.

The bananas Li Changhe bought cost 1.5 yuan per jin (500g), so this bunch cost more than 10 yuan.

"Okay, Grandma will break it for you in a bit!"

Shen Yuxiu took the net bag, then looked at Li Changhe and scolded him irritably, "Don't you have hands? You made Linlin carry such a small thing?"

"You're a grown man, can't you carry something?"

Li Changhe was stunned when he saw the two large bags he was carrying in each hand!
No, how heavy is that bag of bananas?

"Mom, it's okay. Look how much he's already taken, I'll just help him carry some."

"Come here, little girl, let me peel a banana for you."

Zhu Lin smiled and defended her husband, then took her daughter to peel bananas.

"Oh right, sis, I bought braised beef and cucumber. I'll mince some garlic, can you make some braised beef for Linlin?"

Li Changhe was too lazy to argue with his mother, so he turned to his older sister, Li Xiaojun, and said...

"Okay, give me the stuff and I'll take care of it!"

Li Xiaojun reached out to take those things.

"It's okay, I'll mince the garlic for you!"

Li Changhe figured his mother would still find fault with him outside, so he simply followed her into the kitchen.

"Changhe, is Linlin really pregnant?"

Li Xiaojun entered the kitchen, taking things out of the mesh bag while asking Li Changhe a question out of curiosity.

"Yes, I went to the hospital for a checkup today, and they said I'm pregnant!"

"This is great news, but you'll have to be careful for the first two months, make sure Linlin doesn't get hurt."

In the kitchen, Li Xiaojun carefully gave her younger brother some instructions, while Li Changhe listened attentively.

That night, Zhu Lin was truly pampered like a princess at home.

"Mom, please stop adding food, I really can't eat anymore!"

Finally, looking at the bowl full of food, she shook her head and said firmly.

She's already eaten quite a lot tonight; the bowl is still full. If she eats any more, she'll gain a lot of weight.

"You're not alone anymore, you need to keep up with your nutrition, you need to eat more from now on."

At this moment, Liu Shuwan patiently gave her some instructions.

"Don't eat too much, it's hard to digest."

"I'll go to Tongrentang later and ask a doctor to prescribe some medicine to calm my nerves and nourish the fetus. I'll also take some ginseng and bird's nest to help with recovery."

Seeing Zhu Lin's troubled expression, Li Changhe took the initiative to speak.

In this era, women only eat well when they give birth, especially during their postpartum period, so many women gain a lot of weight after their postpartum period.

In essence, it's also about restoring the vitality of production.

However, for Li Changhe, he didn't need Zhu Lin to suffer like that. The reason for eating so much was that there was a shortage of food and clothing in those days, so eating more supplemented nutrition, but his family didn't lack any.

He figured he could easily afford to consume ginseng, bird's nest, deer antler, and lingzhi mushrooms—all things that nourish qi and blood—for a long time, and he didn't care about the cost. So there was no need for his wife to suffer like that.

"Yes, I almost forgot if Changhe hadn't mentioned it. Tomorrow I'll go to Tongrentang and ask Old Tang there to prescribe some tonics. We're not short of money anyway, so let's give Linlin some extra nourishment!"

Liu Shuwan suddenly realized what was happening and hurriedly spoke up.

How could she have forgotten about Tongrentang?

"Okay, then tomorrow Changhe will take you there. We'll see if we can buy any medicinal herbs you need, or at least some good ones."

"By the way, Aiguo, isn't your older brother at the state-owned forest farm over there? There are a lot of medicinal herbs in the mountains around there, right? If necessary, we can ask him to help us find some. Anyway, we're not short of money, so we can just give him a little extra."

Shen Yuxiu then spoke to Chen Aiguo.

The Chen family's area is located at the foot of the Greater Khingan Mountains, where there are quite a few ginseng, lingzhi, and the like.

Shen Yuxiu had a pretty good impression of Chen Aiguo's older brother, mainly because he would send her things from time to time. Although they weren't particularly high-end items, she appreciated the favor and had a fairly good impression of him.

"No need to rush, Mom. Let's go to Tongrentang first. Besides, what kind of medicine does Tongrentang have?"

Li Changhe said speechlessly at this moment.

Liu Shuwan, standing to the side, shook her head: "You know what, your mother's idea is right."

"Tongrentang does have good medicines, but you may not be qualified to use them. For example, there are limited quantities of century-old ginseng. How could an ordinary cadre be qualified to buy and use it?"

"It's easy to get prescriptions over there, but we can't be sure that they can provide us with all the good medicinal herbs. It would be good to have your brother-in-law ask around. They have a large output and many herb gatherers over there, so we might be able to get quite a few on the side."

At this moment, Liu Shuwan spoke earnestly to Li Changhe.

Having worked in the healthcare system for so many years, she knows all too well the ins and outs of it.

“It’s alright, Changhe. I’ll send a telegram to my elder brother and ask him to help me find it. Oh, and my third uncle too. He’s the one who found out about your ginseng. I’ll send him a telegram to him as well.”

At this moment, Chen Aiguo spoke decisively.

He was always very grateful to his in-laws. He had originally thought that he would be treated coldly when he came to their home, after all, the status of a son-in-law had always been that of a son-in-law since ancient times. By coming back with Li Xiaojun, he was, in effect, a son-in-law.

Unexpectedly, the Li family treated him very well, and he didn't suffer any prejudice against them. They even arranged a job for him and resolved his household registration and identity issues.

So deep down, he always wanted to repay the Li family.

However, given his limited abilities, the Li family lacks nothing and has no need for him, so he has no opportunity to contribute.

Now that he finally had the chance, he naturally agreed without hesitation.

Li Xiaojun, who was standing to the side, did not refute. If it were up to her, she would never want to associate with the Chen family again in her life.

But now that it involves her own younger brother and sister-in-law and unborn nephew or niece, she feels it wouldn't hurt to use them. At worst, she can just send her sister-in-law a few more new clothes.

"Let's go to Tongrentang tomorrow and see for ourselves. We shouldn't make a fuss about this yet. If there really is a shortfall, we can deal with it later."

Li Changhe didn't care much; in fact, when it came to connections, he had stronger connections over there.

Putting everything else aside, Haiwen served as a cadre there for so many years, and now he's a student at Peking University. People he knew there before still have to give him some respect.

Moreover, many of his classmates have connections in Northeast China. For example, Yang Yuanchao's family came from the Northeast Railway Bureau, and their family's old connections are all over Northeast China.

In those days, the railway was undoubtedly the dominant force, and its status was undeniable, making it incredibly easy to smuggle goods from Northeast China.

Li Changhe simply didn't want to make such a big fuss.

Moreover, he knew about Li Xiaojun's relationship with the Chen family.

After dinner, Zhu Lin went upstairs with Liu Shuwan and the others to help her parents pack some things, while Li Changhe took Li Xiaojun to his former bedroom.

"Sis, I think your husband will definitely contact the family later. Why don't you send them some things while you're at it?"

"Let's not let them do this for nothing!"

Judging from Chen Aiguo's posture, Li Changhe knew that he was definitely going to send a telegram. To put it bluntly, Chen Aiguo was bound to make a contribution since there was finally a chance to do so.

Li Changhe couldn't very well refuse to let him do it, as that would be blatant disrespect, so he took the initiative to talk to Li Xiaojun about it.

"It's alright, I'll buy them for them, you don't need to worry about it!"

Li Xiaojun shook her head and said softly.

"Let's buy a watch. Sister, take these foreign exchange certificates to the Friendship Store and see if you can find a Roman watch or something to send back to his older brother. Also, send them some foreign exchange certificates as a token of our gratitude."

"Actually, his older brother and sister-in-law are quite a character. They used to look down on you, but now they're eager to curry favor with you. They've really shown their snobbishness to the fullest extent."

"But in the end, he has sent a lot of things to our home over the years, and we have eaten quite a few of his things, so giving him a little something in return is nothing."

"Furthermore, I think if you actually send their boss a Roman watch back, your village will be even more gloating."

"You know, people are more concerned about inequality than scarcity. When no one gets any benefit from you, no one will be angry."

"But if there are three brothers in a family, and one of them gets the benefit, the one who doesn't get the benefit, along with his parents, will be so angry that they won't be able to eat for several days."

"This is the best way to deal with them."

Li Changhe said to Li Xiaojun with a grin.

After listening, Li Xiaojun looked at her younger brother with great surprise. What kind of thoughts did he have?
She could imagine that once the Roman watch was sent back, her in-laws and third son in the village would be furious with it.

However, on the other hand, Li Xiaojun recalled her sister-in-law's arrogant attitude towards her third brother and in-laws.

When the time comes, her sister-in-law will naturally stand up for her in-laws, since they are the beneficiaries.

"Alright, then I'll go to the Friendship Store tomorrow and pick out a Shanghai watch. Giving me a Roman watch would be too wasteful."

Li Xiaojun said softly at this moment.

Li Changhe shook his head: "It's not much difference in price. The cheapest Roman watch is only about a hundred yuan more expensive than a Shanghai watch, but the feeling they give is completely different. One is domestic, and the other is imported. Think about the impact that will have."

"Don't try to save that little bit of money, and don't make us look stingy!"

It was all to save face for his older sister. Li Changhe wouldn't care about a hundred or two hundred yuan, or even a thousand or eight hundred foreign exchange certificates.

"Fine, I know you're a big shot, I won't try to save you money, okay?"

"You don't need to worry about this. Go upstairs and help Linlin. I'm going to the Friendship Store tomorrow."

Li Xiaojun is also a senior in college now, so she has plenty of time.

After Li Changhe left, Li Xiaojun looked at the foreign exchange certificates he left behind, then counted them; they totaled more than two thousand.

After thinking for a moment, she took out four hundred-yuan bills, three hundred of which she would use to buy a Roman watch at the Friendship Store the next day. She remembered that a regular Roman watch cost 260 yuan.

Send the remaining 100 yuan back to them so they can go shopping at the Friendship Store in Harbin.

Li Xiaojun plans to give the remaining thousand or so to Zhu Lin tomorrow.

However, just as she was about to put it away, she thought about it and took out another hundred.

Forget it, let's give them two hundred foreign exchange certificates. Just like Changhe said, we can't lose face for the Li family. Anyway, it's not like we're missing out on a little bit.

If I bought a Roman watch and added two hundred dollars in foreign exchange certificates, I could probably cause a huge uproar in the Chen family!

Thinking about the chaos that would ensue at Old Chen's house, a smile crept onto Li Xiaojun's lips.

Meanwhile, Li Changhe also went upstairs and helped his father-in-law and his wife put their things in the car.

There's not much to put there, just a few clothes, since we have all the other necessities in the house over there.

"Old Zhu, are you heading out?"

As I went downstairs, I saw my upstairs neighbors returning from their walk. Seeing them carrying large and small bags, I curiously greeted them.

"Uncle Wang, I'd like to invite my parents to stay with me for a few days!"

Zhu Lin said to Grandpa Wang with a smile.

"Oh, I see a black cab coming downstairs. I was wondering whose it was. Turns out it's Changhe's unit that changed vehicles again?"

At this point, Grandpa Wang asked again, full of gossip.

These days, cars are a rarity, and they all belong to the government. Grandpa Wang had never really thought about owning a car.

"Yes, sir, it's a car that just came to the unit from the Japanese. I'm just taking it out to break it in."

Li Changhe also said with a smile.

After saying that, he was about to pick up his things and leave when Grandpa Wang spoke up again.

"Changhe, wait a minute."

"Here's the thing, old man, I'm begging you for a favor. My nephew is getting married in a few days, and I wonder if you could drive your car over to give him some face?"

My older sister died young, leaving behind this nephew.

Grandpa Wang was still a little embarrassed and was about to explain to Li Changhe.

Li Changhe smiled and readily agreed.

“It’s no big deal, sir. Just tell my brother-in-law Chen Aiguo the time, and I’ll have him drive you to get married.”

"However, this car isn't quite right; it's a new car and inconvenient. Can I have him use that van instead?"

Borrowing a car is no big deal for Li Changhe, especially since the van was empty.

"Sure, no problem. That car is great, and it can hold a lot of people. Changhe, thank you so much, sir. You have to come to our wedding banquet."

Grandpa Wang wasn't dissatisfied at all. Having a car was already a big favor; he was just a poor teacher, and it was already very kind of him to be able to give his nephew this much face.

"Alright, sir, you go ahead with your work. Don't worry, it definitely won't delay your nephew's important matter!"

Li Changhe said readily.

Borrowing a car is no big deal.

After all, those who can live in this courtyard and upstairs are not just ordinary people; they all have to be at least full professors.

These are all valuable assets for Li Changhe in the future!
(End of this chapter)