Five years of marriage, always separated [1970s]

A few days after the news in the newspaper came out, Chen Xiaohui brought her daughter to Ye Fan's house. It happened to be the weekend and Erbao was at home. She put her daughter into Erbao's arms and asked, "Where is your mother?"

Erbao was stunned for a moment and subconsciously looked towards the study.

When Chen Xiaohui arrived at the door of the ear room, she wanted to push it open, but she was worried that she would see something she shouldn't see, so she knocked on the door and asked Ye Fan to come out.

Ye Fan was looking up information and paying no attention to what was happening outside. Chen Xiaohui knocked a few more times before Ye Fan heard it. The study was very messy, with professional books and various quotations on the recliner and desk, so Ye Fan did not invite her in.

Ye Fan closed the door and asked her to go to the living room.

Chen Xiaohui looked at the other side room: "That's the collection room, right?"

Ye Fan nodded: "Want to see your antiques again?"

Chen Xiaohui hesitated to speak.

Seeing this, Ye Fan couldn't understand how a diligent office worker like her could get into trouble, so he simply asked, "What's wrong?"

"Come in first, and talk later." Chen Xiaohui motioned to Ye Fan to open the door.

Ye Fan asked her to wait a moment, the key was in the bedroom. Ye Fan got the key and opened the security door first and then swiped the card. Chen Xiaohui was very satisfied with the security measures.

The collection room had a door but no windows, so it was dark even when the door was open. Ye Fan turned on the light, and Chen Xiaohui opened the drawer, and was relieved to see that the things were still inside.

Ye Fan was getting more and more confused as he approached: "Isn't it just a crystal glass?"

"Remember what you said before?"

When Chen Xiaohui bought the crystal cup, she insisted that it was an antique. Ye Fan saw that it was modern craftsmanship, so he was not willing to be cheated - the seller asked for 10,000 yuan, which was simply treating Ye Fan as a fool.

Ye Fan returned the amount to two thousand with a sarcastic look on his face.

Ten years ago, most of the rich were nouveau riche. Nouveau riche would buy cars and watches instead of antiques. This business is complicated and nouveau riche have a lot of money and are not stupid. In addition, there were few foreigners in those days, and antiques were priced but not sold. The seller was in a hurry to use the money, so he gritted his teeth and sold it to Ye Fan for 2,500 yuan.

Chen Xiaohui was very excited. Seeing that she was about to rob him, Ye Fan didn't want to visit her in prison, so he could only pay her.

To this day, Ye Fan still feels that he made a loss.

Chen Xiaohui took out a newspaper from her bag: "Look here."

Ye Fan looked in the direction of her finger, and found a crystal cup on the list of restricted items to leave the country. Ye Fan blinked, confirming that it was a crystal cup, and was incredulous: "You mean, this?" He looked at the crystal cup and pointed at the newspaper. Everything in front of him was easy to understand, but Ye Fan's head was confused and his throat was tight, "How did they know, how did they know that I had a crystal cup?"

"How could they possibly know you have it?" Chen Xiaohui laughed, "The things that are restricted from leaving the country must be different from what you bought. But if they can't buy that kind, don't they have to use a substitute?"

Ye Fan suddenly realized: "I understand. If this crystal cup was worth 100,000 before, and it was restricted by the higher-ups, then the value of mine might skyrocket?"

Chen Xiaohui nodded repeatedly: "I didn't lie to you, did I?"

Ye Fan calmed down: "The premise is that this is really an antique."

"Of course it's an antique! I've studied it." Chen Xiaohui picked up the crystal cup and said, "Look at the manufacturing process. How does it look like it was made by a machine? It must have been polished bit by bit by a person."

Ye Fan asked: "So you came here today to take it back?"

Chen Xiaohui paused for a moment, very unhappy: "Who do you think I am? Besides, my room full of expensive furniture is missing a crystal glass from you."

"So you came here just to tell me this?" Ye Fan asked.

Chen Xiaohui nodded: "Of course. You have always refused to believe that this thing is real. If someone who knows this finds out and says a few good words to you, wouldn't you give it to him for free?"

"Am I that stupid?" Ye Fan rolled his eyes at her.

Chen Xiaohui: "You are not stupid, you are loose."

Ye Fan opened his mouth and said, "I-I admit that I am loose-handed, but it depends on who you are and what you are doing."

Chen Xiaohui shook her head and smacked her lips: "I didn't see that."

Ye Fan didn't want to pay attention to her immediately: "You made this special trip, is it really just for this?"

"There's also this." Chen Xiaohui handed her the newspaper, "Read it carefully."

Ye Fan hadn’t paid much attention to the details before: “Is there anyone here who cannot leave the country?”

Chen Xiaohui: "How would I know if there is any? Half of the things in your room were bought by you. Just check them one by one."

Ye Fancai was too lazy to compare them one by one: "Just leave the newspaper here, we'll talk about it later."

"Don't you want to see if there are any restrictions on leaving the country?"

Ye Fan: "I don't plan to cash it out, so what does it matter whether I have it or not?"

That makes sense! Chen Xiaohui envied: "It's great to be rich."

Ye Fan nodded, it was amazing.

Chen Xiaohui was choked up and couldn't speak: "I really shouldn't have come here to remind you."

Ye Fan: "Then why are you here?"

Of course, I was afraid that Ye Fan would not know how to sell the crystal cup at a low price. Chen Xiaohui did not want to admit this, so she asked, "Do you keep these things like this?"

Ye Fan said, "I'm not a dealer in antiques who buys low and sells high. Why not donate them to a museum? But the museum doesn't lack them. If there's one from the Western Zhou Dynasty or pre-Qin period, it's worth donating."

"That's right." Chen Xiaohui nodded, "Just consider it as an investment. But it's more cost-effective than buying a house for investment."

Ye Fan didn't think so: "It's better to cash in on a house. If I were you, I would stop messing around with this and buy a house when I have money. The rent will be enough for you to pay for your children's tuition."

"A house costs hundreds of thousands of yuan, I can't afford it." Chen Xiaohui can't make much money from selling antiques now, and she plans to sell them in a few years. But her salary is spent on antiques, apart from raising her children and herself, so how can she afford to buy a house?

Ye Fan asked: "Does your company have no welfare housing?"

Chen Xiaohui woke up as if from a dream and exclaimed: "Yes!"

"Go borrow some money from dad first." Ye Fan closed the door after she left: "Jingjing is not here?"

"Write the test paper at home." Chen Xiaohui saw her daughter holding a table tennis racket and hurried over to ask: "Where did you get it from?"

The child looked at Erbao: "It's my sister's."

Erbao came out of the kitchen carrying a small dining table, placed a row of candies in the middle of the table, and said to his little cousin, "The winner has one."

The kid didn't want to play with the ball, and his eyes lit up when he heard that.

In fact, the child doesn’t eat candy much, but the candy wrappers look pretty, so she wants to get her hands on them when Erbao puts them out.

Ye Fan reminded: "Erbao, slow down."

"How old am I? How can I still bully her?" Erbao laughed, "Mom, are you done with your work?"

Ye Fan: "Let's see it tonight."

Nanny Xiao Wang asked Chen Xiaohui if she wanted some water.

Chen Xiaohui said no. Ye Fan asked her to go to the living room and took out the box at the bottom of the coffee table: "Tea, coffee?" "Tea! Dad said your black tea is the same as the one you use to entertain foreign guests. Is that true?" Chen Xiaohui looked curious.

Ye Fan: "How would I know? I've never received a foreigner. You might as well ask Erbao instead of asking me."

Chen Xiaohui looked outside and saw Erbao squatting at the other end of the small table playing ball with her daughter. Her daughter was very happy and she didn't want to disturb her, so she looked away: "Actually, there is one more thing."

Ye Fan raised his eyebrows, looking as if he had expected this.

Seeing this, Chen Xiaohui laughed: "I didn't plan to tell you. But no matter what, I feel that I should tell you. I have no other intentions, so don't bully me like you have poison in your mouth."

Ye Fan nodded and walked towards the water dispenser.

Chen Xiaohui waited for her to come over with the hot water and sit down before saying, "The old house received an express letter a few days ago."

Ye Fan nodded: "I'm listening."

"From Shencheng." Chen Xiaohui said and stared at her expression.

Ye Fan was stunned for a moment. She really didn't expect that after so many years, the people of Shencheng still remembered her. "Looking for me?"

Chen Xiaohui thought about the content of the letter: "Looking for you and me."

Ye Fan: "Is he sick over there or do you have to attend the funeral?"

Chen Xiaohui: "You can't believe everything in the letter, but I feel the real situation is similar to what you said. Mom meant to send 2,000 yuan. Big brother said if there is a first time, there will be a second time, so it's better to pretend that you didn't receive it."

Ye Fan: "Have you sent the money?"

Chen Xiaohui said: "My mother asked me to send it today."

Ye Fan thought for a moment, "Wait a minute." He went to the bedroom and took out an envelope with four thousand yuan in it. "Write clearly in the letter that this is all I have. Leave the address of the old house."

"Although the salary in Shanghai is not low, ordinary technicians can't save that much even if they live frugally all year round. Will they think you are rich?" Chen Xiaohui was worried. "It's different now than before. In the past, when you were making revolution everywhere, they didn't dare to make a big fuss. If they come and find out that you value reputation when running a company, I'm afraid they will ask for too much."

Ye Fan sighed: "You've been back for so many years, why are you still acting like a nobody?"

Chen Xiaohui expected that she would not be able to spit out ivory, so she was not surprised to hear this: "What do you mean?"

"If I don't seek death, I won't die." Ye Fan said.

Chen Xiaohui's expression was indescribable.

Ye Fan raised his eyebrows: "Don't believe it?"

"No, why are you so naive? Have you forgotten that 'a tall tree attracts the wind'? No one dares to sabotage it yet?" Chen Xiaohui wanted to laugh, "Believe it or not, if they come here today, the people who want to poach your employees tomorrow will report that you don't recognize your relatives."

Ye Fan rubbed his forehead and said, "Not to mention that I have a good relationship with the municipal government, just based on Dabao's uncle, which newspaper would dare to publish this story?"

Chen Xiaohui was stunned.

Ye Fan sighed: "Only those without any background are afraid of being bullied. What should I be afraid of? Chen Xiaohui, you are the child of a high-ranking official. Don't always think of yourself as a petty citizen. Otherwise, your daughter will be raised by you!"

Tao Chunlan and Ye's father have been retired for many years, and they are no different from the old men and women in the park. Chen Xiaohui's job does not require her to be versatile and deal with many things. After living in a simple environment for a long time, Chen Xiaohui regards herself as an ordinary person.

Seeing her complicated expression, Ye Fan said, "Although I said they exchanged you and me maliciously, there is no substantial evidence, and everything is just speculation. If they really want me to take care of them in their old age, I won't respond even if they go to court. Why don't you come to me? Do you have a change of heart and are too embarrassed to see me? You have been in the Chen family for so many years, are they so kind? It's because they believe in 'people should not fight officials' and are worried about implicate their children and grandchildren." Pause, "They didn't dare before, but they dare now? Unless they are penniless and have no way to make a living, the barefoot are not afraid of the ones wearing shoes."

Chen Xiaohui couldn't help but nodded when she heard this.

Ye Fan said, "Two thousand yuan is not a small amount. If they were laid off in the past two years, their lives would be tight. They would definitely want to ask for more money when they see the money. Four thousand yuan is enough for the whole family to support themselves for a year. As long as they can live well, they won't be willing to fight to the death with me."

Chen Xiaohui understood: "Then I will send it this afternoon?"

"How are you going to send it with the child? I'll take you there." Ye Fan poured her a glass of water.

Chen Xiaohui drank some water and went out to wait for her.

When she got to the post office, Chen Xiaohui borrowed a piece of paper from someone, bought an envelope and stamps, and sent it together with the letter.

More than a month later, on May Day, Chen Xiaohui brought Liangliang and her daughter to Ye Fan's house to play, and told Ye Fan that the letter and the money had fallen into oblivion.

Ye Fan sneered: "Not surprising. Never mind, just look for it. Anyway, I did what I promised. By the way, keep the receipt the post office gave you."

Chen Xiaohui nodded: "Put it in the study, so they won't recognize it in the future."

Ye Fan asked her to put the child on the ground: "Don't hold her all day. That's not how a lady from a noble family is raised."

Geng Huihui happened to be there today, and she said, "Yes! Look, Erbao has the same skin as Dabao, who can say she is not from a wealthy family? It all depends on her temperament and behavior."

Chen Xiaohui couldn't help but look at Geng Huihui.

Geng Huihui raised her chin: "Yes, me too!"

Yu Wentao passed by her and laughed when she heard this: "How can you brag like this? You have no shame!"

"Grandma, what are you doing?" Geng Huihui saw her grandma come into the house. "It's cool in the house, let her sleep outside."

Yu Wentao was holding a child who was less than one year old in her arms, and that was Geng Huihui's daughter.

Yan Weining was very disappointed on the day the child was born. When his mother went to the hospital to see Geng Huihui, he complained that the gene for ugliness was strong.

His mother could hear the implicit words and felt that she had given birth to an ugly child. She was so angry that she scolded her unfilial son in public. Geng Huihui thought that the old woman was dissatisfied with her because she gave birth to a daughter, but she couldn't blame her directly, so she used the trick of indirect criticism.

Geng Huihui did not swallow her anger. She couldn't scold her mother-in-law, so she could scold her mother-in-law's own son.

Fortunately, his sister and his sister-in-law didn't know the truth, and comforted him that many people feel a little abnormal after giving birth, and he just needs to be patient. Yan Weining didn't collapse because of Geng Huihui's disgust.

When the child was one month old and had grown up, the Geng family went over. Geng Huihui's mother-in-law held the child and said to Ye Fan, "How can this not be beautiful?" Then she scolded her son for not understanding anything.

Geng Huihui felt guilty and ashamed that day and didn't even dare to meet her old lady.

The child's nose, mouth and face shape are like her father's, very delicate. Her eyebrows and eyes are like Geng Benben. As soon as Geng Huihui saw her daughter's eyebrows and hair, she wanted to shave them off because they were too thick and dense.

Once I mentioned this in a joking tone and was severely scolded by Yu Wentao. Since then I have never dared to have such an idea again.

Yu Wentao didn't listen to her: "How can a child be left in the sun? It's cold in the house, so why not put a hat on her and cover her with something thicker?"

Geng Sensen came out from the backyard: "Grandma, she doesn't know how to take care of a child at all, don't listen to her."

Geng Huihui: "Isn't it possible that I can take care of her so that she won't starve to death?"

Geng Sensen said: "Everyone knows that there are two nannies for one child, and your mother-in-law often goes to look after him."

Geng Huihui couldn't refute: "Isn't it me who is leading the school now?"

Geng Sen Sen: "Whose arms is my little niece in? Look carefully first!"

Ye Fan saw the child moving a few times and said, "Keep your voice down. You two woke me up."

The child really woke up, and Yu Wentao handed her to Geng Huihui, who subconsciously asked, "Are you hungry or have you peed?"

(End of this chapter)