60s: I have a store

Chapter 571 shocked the whole village
The "clatter" sound of the truck running over the stone road at the entrance of the village startled Aunt Wang, who was sewing shoe soles under a locust tree, so much that she pricked her hand with the needle.

When security guard Lao Wu rushed over holding a red tasseled rifle, the dust raised by the front of the vehicle had not yet dispersed. He squinted his eyes to look at the big vehicle with shiny blue paint, and the barrel of his rifle unconsciously knocked on the wooden stakes blocking the road: "Didn't you receive any notification of a transport mission today?"

"Uncle Wu! It's me! Dafu!" Zhou Dafu leaned half of his body out of the car window, and his baseball cap was blown to the back of his head by the wind.

He grinned, revealing two rows of big white teeth, and had a brand new Hero pen tucked into his work clothes pocket - he had prepared it specially for meeting his parents.

When Old Wu saw who was coming, he immediately moved the wooden stake away, scolding and laughing: "You kid! You brought back such a piece of iron, it almost scared me to death!"

The sound of the truck slowly driving in was like throwing a stone into a boiling oil pot.

The man who was drawing water from the well put down his bucket, the children holding corn cobs ran away, and even the old ox in the threshing ground pricked up its ears.

When the red ribbon on the front of the car came into everyone's sight, the whole village became boiling with excitement, and the repeated "Yo Ho" sounds startled the sparrows under the eaves.

Chow Tai Fook learned his lesson this time. He stepped firmly on the pedal, reached out to hold the edge of the truck bed, and rubbed the soles of his leather shoes on the metal steps before landing neatly.

The sound of the truck door closing was as crisp as firecrackers. He straightened his collar, turned around and reached out to pick up Chen Shumin.

The girl was wearing a moon-white dacron shirt that she had changed into specially. Her fingers were still a little cold when they rested on his palms, but she still straightened her back and walked out of the truck, her pigtails swaying slightly with her movements.

On Li Xiulan's side, Zhou Dazhong had already squatted beside the truck bed, like a gentleman in a movie: "Be careful with the steps."

The warmth from his palms was transmitted through his cloth shoes, easing the girl's originally nervous mood a little.

The two of them looked at each other and smiled. Aunt Zhao in the crowd saw them all. She shouted at the top of her voice, "Oh my! Dazhong's wife is as pretty as a doll in a New Year painting!"

"Da Fu! Da Zhong! What's going on?" Third Uncle squeezed through the crowd and came over unsteadily, leaning on a jujube wood crutch, his pipe banging loudly on the bluestone.

His cloudy eyes swirled around the two girls, and suddenly he slapped his thigh: "Did they secretly hold a wedding?"

These words were like a bomb, instantly triggering a new round of discussion.

Zhou Dafu held Chen Shumin's hand tightly, and felt the girl's fingertips trembling slightly. He took a deep breath and said loudly: "Yes! This is my wife Shumin!"

In the sunlight, the red cover of the marriage certificate was particularly eye-catching in his other hand.

Zhou Dazhong also held up the marriage certificate and said in a loud voice: "Xiu Lan is my wife! We met at a blind date in the city!"

These words were like thunderclaps out of the blue. The crowd was first so quiet that one could hear the sound of leaves falling, and then they broke into thunderous cheers.

Aunt Li rushed over, wiping her tears: "What a sin! You didn't tell me about such a big thing in advance!"

She held Li Xiulan in her rough hands and looked her up and down: "Look at this delicate skin and tender flesh, don't get tired!"

Brother Zhang punched Zhou Dafu and said, "Good fellow! You hid it well enough!"

Chen Shumin's originally tense shoulders gradually relaxed, and the warmth from Chow Tai Fook's palm made her feel at ease.

She looked up at the courtyard with blue bricks and gray tiles in front of her. The faded spring couplets on the door lintel swayed in the wind. Suddenly, she heard someone shouting, "Big Fortune Lady! Come out quickly! Your boy is back with his wife!"

The crowd automatically made way for him, and Zhou Dafu's mother rushed out wearing a blue apron, her hands stained with flour.

She stood there in a daze, looking at the graceful girl next to her son, and her eyes suddenly turned red: "Come in! Come in!"

She grabbed Chen Shumin's hand, turned around and grabbed Li Xiulan: "You are all my good daughters!"

At this time, Li Feng walked down slowly from the cab, holding the Fenjiu that Chow Tai Fook had stuffed into his hand.

He smiled and nodded to everyone. Zhou Dafu quickly introduced: "This is my master! Thanks to him for driving us back!"

"Da Fu! Your father is working on the south slope, go and call him back quickly!" Da Fu's mother's voice was trembling, and there were tears in the corners of her eyes.

She held Chen Shumin's hand, the calluses on her palm gently caressing the girl's delicate skin. She turned around and enthusiastically pulled Li Feng's arm: "Master, please come in and sit down! Sorry for letting you follow me!"

The eight-immortals table in the main room was polished to a shine, and the doll holding a carp in the New Year pictures on the wall was smiling happily.

Da Fu Niang lifted the porcelain jar covered with red cloth, scooped out two balls of golden honey with a wooden spoon, and carefully poured them into a coarse porcelain bowl.

The moment the warm water was poured out, a sweet fragrance filled the air. She held the bowl in both hands and handed it over: "Shumin, Master, you must be exhausted from the journey, right? Drink some water to moisten your throat."

Chen Shumin held the bowl, feeling the warmth of the porcelain bowl with her fingertips. Before she even tasted the sweetness of the honey water, her eyes became hot.

She stood up to help at the stove, but was stopped by Dafu Niang: "No, no! It's not right for a new bride to start working right after she gets married! Sit down and take a rest. I'll make you something delicious!"

As she spoke, she lifted the wooden board of the cellar and took out a jar of bacon and a few eggs wrapped in straw. The flour on her apron fell off as she moved.

On the other side, the gate of Dazhong's house was pushed open with a creaky sound.

Da Zhong's mother had just walked in with a hoe on her shoulder, her forehead still stained with grass debris. When she saw her son standing in the yard holding the hand of a pretty girl, the hoe fell to the ground with a clang.

She rubbed her eyes and looked at the scene in disbelief.

"Mom! This is Xiulan, your daughter-in-law!" Zhou Dazhong stepped forward quickly, his face filled with unconcealable joy.

Da Zhong's mother pulled her son to the corner and asked in a low voice: "Da Zhong, what's going on? Don't do this just to deal with me..."

She stole a glance at Li Xiulan who was standing under the locust tree. The girl was looking up at the bird's nest on the tree, and the ends of her hair were glowing softly in the sunlight.

Zhou Dazhong quickly told the whole story of the blind date, especially mentioning Zhou Yimin's help.

After hearing this, Da Zhongniang's eyes instantly turned red: "Thanks to Yimin..."

She turned to look at Li Xiulan, her eyes full of heartache and joy. She took two steps at a time and took the girl's hand: "Xiulan, come in quickly! Let me take a good look!"

As they were pulling Li Xiulan into the house, Da Zhong Niang suddenly remembered something and turned to Zhou Da Zhong and shouted, "Da Zhong, go and call your sixteenth uncle to come for dinner! Tell him that there are distinguished guests at home!"

Zhou Dazhong responded and ran outside. His cloth shoes made a "clacking" sound on the bluestone slabs, which startled the old hen in the yard and made it flap its wings and hide under the table.

In the kitchen, Da Fu Niang had already lit a fire. The flames licked the bottom of the pot, reflecting the rosy glow on her face.

As she added water to the pot, she kept muttering, "We have to get the best out of it..."

On the chopping board, Chen Shumin secretly rolled up her sleeves to help pick vegetables, but Da Fu Niang patted her hand gently: "Go away, sit outside, don't get exposed to the fumes!"

On the terraced fields on the south slope, the sun was blazing, Dafu Dad was bending over to add soil to the corn seedlings, sweat running down his back and leaving dark marks on his blue shirt. "Dad!" Zhou Dafu's shout pierced through the heat, startling the grasshoppers that were nibbling on the corn leaves and making them fly away.

The villagers working in the fields straightened their backs, curious looks appeared under the brims of their straw hats, and the handles of their hoes hit the ridges of the fields with a dull "bang bang" sound.

When Dafu Dad stood up, he heard a "cracking" sound from his lower back.

He narrowed his eyes and watched his son stride across the field, his overalls still stained at the knees with foam from this morning's car wash.

"Da Fu, when did you come back?" He reached out to wipe the sweat off his face, and the dirt on his palm left dark marks on his forehead.

Zhou Dafu leaned close to his father's ear and deliberately lowered his voice: "Dad, there is a big surprise when we get home!"

His eyes were sparkling, as if hiding two flickering flames.

Dafu looked at his son suspiciously, then turned to look at the unfinished work in the field, but he couldn't resist his son's pulling and tugging, so he waved to his fellow workers and said, "You guys do it first, I'll go back and take a look!"

The two walked home on the hot dirt road, and Chow Tai Fook's bicycle bell made a dinging sound in the wind.

As soon as he entered the yard, Dafu's father saw a stranger standing at the door of the main room - Li Feng was leaning against the door frame smoking, with half of a shiny wrench sticking out of his work clothes pocket, and a faint smell of diesel on his body.

"Dad, this is my master!" Zhou Dafu stepped forward quickly and patted Li Feng on the shoulder. "Thanks to my master for teaching me how to drive, otherwise I wouldn't have this ability!"

Dafu’s father hurriedly wiped his hands on his collar, stepped forward and shook Li Feng’s hand, his rough palm full of calluses: “Master, thank you for accepting Dafu as your apprentice! This kid is tough, if he doesn’t listen, just scold him!”

Li Feng laughed heartily, shaking off cigarette ash onto the bluestone slabs: "Dafu is very clever, he learned to drive faster than I did back then!"

He flicked the ash from his cigarette and glanced across the main room. He saw Chen Shumin standing beside the eight-immortals table, her fingers unconsciously twisting the ends of her braids, and the honey water in the blue and white porcelain bowl still steaming.

Zhou Dafu followed his master's gaze and suddenly straightened his back, his chest almost reaching his chin: "Dad, this... this is your daughter-in-law!"

These words were like a stone thrown into a calm lake, startling the swallows under the eaves and making them fly around in panic.

Dafu's father opened his mouth, his Adam's apple rolling up and down, and after a long while he managed to say, "Dafu, what did you just say? Did I hear it correctly?"

"Really?" Zhou Dafu took out the marriage certificate from his arms. The red cover shone glossily in the sun. "I met you at a blind date in the city. I just brought it back today for you to see!"

Dafu's father took the marriage certificate with trembling hands, looked closely with his cloudy eyes, and suddenly slapped his son on the back: "You kid! You hid it well enough!"

He turned and rushed into the inner room. When he came out, he was holding a wine jar wrapped in red cloth in his arms, and the yellow mud on the mouth of the jar had not been scraped clean.

At the same time, Zhou Dazhong stood in front of Zhou Yimin's house, his fist hanging on the carved wooden door, and did not fall down for a long time.

After taking a deep breath, he knocked heavily on the door. The sound of the copper door knocker startled the thrush in the yard and it chirped.

The door opened a crack and Zhou Yimin stuck his head out.

"Uncle Sixteen!" Zhou Dazhong grinned, revealing his two fangs. "My mother wants you to come to her house for dinner!"

He rubbed his hands, then suddenly seemed to remember something and bowed: "Thank you again! If you hadn't told me about the blind date, I wouldn't have been able to get married so soon!"

A smile flashed across Zhou Yimin's eyes: "So that's how it is! Let's go, I want to meet my niece-in-law too!"

He turned and went into the house, took a straw hat and put it on his head, and the two walked towards Zhou's house side by side.

Amid the sound of cicadas, Zhou Dazhong chattered on and on about the interesting things that happened at the blind date, even bringing up the embarrassing incident when Chow Tai Fook fell over, which made Zhou Yimin laugh.

As soon as I entered Zhou Dazhong's yard, Li Xiulan was squatting by the well washing a rag. She looked up when she heard footsteps.

The moment she saw Zhou Yimin, the rag in her hand fell into the wooden barrel with a "click" - the man in front of her was only in his early twenties, with a tall and straight figure, not like the white-haired elder she had imagined.
"Xiu Lan, this is Uncle Sixteen!" Zhou Dazhong stepped forward quickly, his eyes full of gratitude, "If it weren't for Uncle Sixteen, I would still be digging for food in the fields!"

Li Xiulan stood up in a hurry and wiped her wet hands on her apron: "Hello, Uncle Sixteen!"

Zhou Yimin smiled and looked at the girl in front of him. Seeing that she had a neat braid and clear eyes, he nodded with satisfaction: "Dafu, I didn't expect that you and Erzhu are so destined. Erzhu's wife is also called Xiulan!"

An enticing aroma had already wafted from the main hall of Dafu's house.

The eight-immortals table was filled with large bowls of dishes. The fat from the braised carp was shining in the sauce-colored soup, and golden egg dumplings were piled up like a small hill in the white porcelain bowl. There were also plates of juicy pickled cucumbers and red chili sauce, which made the coarse earthenware wine jars look majestic.

Dad Dafu tremblingly opened the mud seal of the wine jar, and the rich aroma of wine instantly filled the whole house.

"Master, you must try my treasured wine!" He held the coarse porcelain wine bowl in both hands. The edge of the bowl was still stained with kiln-fired spots during firing. He filled the bowl with wine. "You taught Dafu how to drive. You are our family's great benefactor!"

Li Feng took it with a smile. When the edge of the bowl touched his mouth, Chen Shumin quietly tugged at the corner of Chow Tai Fook's clothes.

Dafu picked up the wine jar again and filled his bowl with it. The wine almost overflowed, and a few unfiltered sorghum grains could be seen in the turbid wine.

"Come, Master! I toast you!" He tilted his head back and drank it all in one gulp. His Adam's apple rolled violently. At the end he stuck out his tongue to lick his lips, and the wine dripped down his chin onto his blue shirt.

"Uncle, please slow down!" Li Feng quickly put down the wine bowl and reached out to stop him.

Dafu's father had already filled two more bowls and patted him on the shoulder with his rough palm: "I'm happy today! My son brought his wife home, and I met a good master!"

His eyes sparkled in the candlelight, reflecting the steam from the dishes on the table. "When Dafu's mother got married, it wasn't even this lively!"

Chow Tai Fook picked up the fattest piece of fish and put it into Chen Shumin's bowl, but his eyes were fixed on his father's blushing face.

Normally when there were guests at home, my father would just take two sips of wine at most, but today it seemed as if he wanted to melt half a lifetime of gratitude into the wine.

"Dad, drink less..." Before he could finish his words, Dafu's father glared at him and said, "Go! Pick some food for your wife! I have to drink the master's wine with you!"

After three rounds of drinking, Li Feng was a little drunk from drinking so much, and his face was very red.

Dafu's father opened up completely, and talked about the embarrassing incident when Zhou Dafu fell into a mud pit when he was learning to ride a bike as a child. When he was moved, he picked up the bowl and said, "Master, Dafu is ignorant, and you will have to bear with me in the future!"

The wine in the bowl shook violently, spilling a few drops onto the tabletop and being quickly absorbed by the wood grain.

Chen Shumin quietly got up to add more tea. The aroma of warm jasmine tea mixed with the smell of alcohol filled the room.

She looked at her husband's wrinkled face and listened to his gratitude with a down-to-earth flavor, and suddenly she felt warm in her heart.

(End of this chapter)