Five years of marriage, always separated [1970s]

Regardless of whether Tian Xiaofeng's husband applied for demobilization because he was afraid that Geng Zhiye would take revenge on him or because something happened at home and he had to demobilize at this time, Ye Fan decided to take the initiative.

Ye Fan asked Geng Zhiye: "If he changes his job, will there be someone to drive him?"

Geng Zhiye: "There are still a few pilots."

Ye Fan: "Then don't worry about it. By the way, where is he going?"

Geng Zhiye: "I heard that he still wants to stay in the south. The political commissar asked him to ask which factory nearby needs a driver."

Ye Fan couldn't help but say, "It better not be a cannery."

Geng Zhiye shook his head: "Impossible! Canned food is expensive and hard to sell. We don't need to ship it every day, so there shouldn't be a shortage of drivers."

Ye Fan: "Let's eat first. I made this especially for you since you weren't at home during the Mid-Autumn Festival."

Geng Zhiye looked at the table and was immediately angry and amused. There was a plate of cold dishes, which were picked from her own yard, a plate of steamed stone crabs, a plate of boiled shrimps, and a braised fish. Three cold dishes and one hot dish, and she had the nerve to say "specially".

Geng Zhiye said meaningfully: "Thank you, Fanfan. Accountant Ye has worked hard."

Ye Fan accepted it with a smile: "You are not welcome to be polite when we are family. Eat it." He gave him a crab and said, "Dabao, Erbao, what do you want to eat?"

The two treasures pointed at the prawns together.

Ye Fan put the shrimp in front of Geng Zhiye: "Let Dad peel it. Dad peels it quickly."

Geng Zhiye smiled and shook his head: "Dad can't do that. Dad is clumsy. Mom can knit sweaters. She is skillful."

Dabao glanced at the two of them, helplessness showing on his little face. He reached out and took two, peeled one for his sister and one for himself, not forgetting to dip them in garlic juice.

As parents, they finally felt a little ashamed. Ye Fan took care of Erbao, and Geng Zhiye took care of his son.

After dinner, Geng Zhiye washed the pots and dishes and turned on the stove to boil water. Ye Fan washed the faces and hands of the two children and let them go out to play for a while.

The days are still long and the nights are short. It's not dark yet after six o'clock. Zhuang Qiuyue saw Ye Fan standing by the gate and came over to chat with her, asking her if she could finally take a few days off. Ye Fan nodded: "If the capital needs us, send us a telegram. It just so happens that the island's stock is almost empty."

Zhuang Qiuyue: "I heard about it. It's almost time to harvest the rice."

Ye Fan couldn't help but ask, "Hasn't it been harvested yet? Winter wheat is already being planted in my hometown. Su Yuncheng told me that he saw many people plowing the fields on his way back a few days ago." He couldn't help but sigh, "The difference between the north and the south is really huge."

Zhuang Qiuyue: "I heard from the fishermen a few days ago that the capital doesn't need seafood for the time being, and they are just harvesting crops. They also asked me to ask you if you want rice straw."

I've been very busy lately, and Ye Fan is in no mood to hug leaves: "You can order any."

Zhuang Qiuyue: "Give me the sack later and I'll help you fill it."

Ye Fan nodded: "Sister-in-law, let me ask you something."

Zhuang Qiuyue laughed: "You tell me. Why are you being so polite?"

Ye Fan asked her if she had seen Tian Xiaofeng in the past two days.

Liu Guihua flashed out from behind the two of them: "I've seen it."

They were both startled.

Liu Guihua laughed.

Zhuang Qiuyue was speechless: "Did you do this on purpose?"

Liu Guihua usually doesn't speak softly, and she doesn't twiddle her hands and feet when she walks. The two of them didn't find her in time because she deliberately walked on tiptoe: "Xiaoye, is Tian Xiaofeng looking for you again?"

Zhuang Qiuyue had a speechless expression again: "Your ears. Xiaoye asked me if I had seen Tian Xiaofeng, it must be because she hadn't seen her. Besides, Xiaoye has been very busy these days. I was ready to go to bed two days ago, but the lights were still on in her house."

Ye Fan: "Just that one time. After dinner, Dabao and Erbao were running around and I couldn't count them. I only had time for them when they fell asleep."

Liu Guihua saw that the food factory really didn't need anyone these days, so her interest in the food factory waned. She asked, "What do you want from Tian Xiaofeng?"

Ye Fan shook his head: "I'm fine. I heard from Dabao's father that her husband is going to change his job. At this critical moment, I don't know if it's because I'm too concerned, but it always feels a bit coincidental."

Zhuang Qiuyue asked without hesitation: "Are you afraid that Captain Geng will take revenge on you? He is just a pilot, so why would Captain Geng do that? Old Liu——" Turning his head, he saw that Liu Guihua was not in a good mood, "You, are you?"

Liu Guihua shook her head: "No, I didn't choose this time to change my job intentionally. That's not right either, it has something to do with Captain Geng and Xiao Ye, but it's not because of what happened that day."

Zhuang Qiuyue couldn't help but look at Ye Fan, wondering what had happened in the past few days.

Ye Fan told the truth: "I asked my sister-in-law because I didn't know. It seems that sister-in-law Guihua knows."

Liu Guihua looked embarrassed, not knowing whether she should say it or not.

Zhuang Qiuyue pinched her arm and said, "If you keep hesitating, don't ask Xiaoye to help you carry things."

The sea breeze was strong, and within a few days, Liu Guihua's daughter's face became chapped. Zhuang Qiuyue asked Liu Guihua to apply Maxam or Pechoin to the child. Liu Guihua had clam oil at home, so she asked her if it was okay. Zhuang Qiuyue scolded her, saying that hand wipes could not be applied to a child's face.

The supply and marketing cooperative was five or six miles away. Liu Guihua could not drive a three-wheeled motorcycle or ride a bicycle, so she hesitated and did not want to go. Ye Fan said that Su Yuncheng and Su Duofu would definitely go to the supply and marketing cooperative when they arrived in the capital, and the Haidian supply and marketing cooperative had everything. Liu Guihua asked Su Yuncheng to bring her a bottle of floral water, two bottles of wind oil and a few bags of Meijiajing.

Liu Guihua had been looking for an opportunity to tell Ye Fan, but when Zhuang Qiuyue threatened her, she immediately lowered her voice and said, "On the day when Xiao Ye divided the money, someone from the headquarters came two days ago."

Zhuang Qiuyue looked at Ye Fan: "It's impossible that Captain Geng didn't know."

Liu Guihua shook her head: "Captain Geng doesn't know. The three men went straight to the logistics department as soon as they landed on the island. I saw them when I went there that day, but I thought they were our people and didn't pay much attention to them. I only found out yesterday that they were from the headquarters."

Zhuang Qiuyue was very curious: "Who are you looking for?"

Liu Guihua glanced in the direction of Tian Xiaofeng's house: "Tian Xiaofeng secretly wrote a letter a few days ago to accuse Xiaoye of speculation and profiteering. Captain Geng protected her. We must not look for-"

Zhuang Qiuyue gasped in shock. Seeing Liu Guihua looking at her, she quickly covered her mouth and said, "Go on, go on."

Liu Guihua looked at Ye Fan, who just frowned and didn't mean to interrupt her. She continued, "The food factory is not Xiaoye's personal property. Besides, the army can't interfere in local internal affairs. Not to mention the army's inspection department, the commander can't get rid of Xiaoye without the consent of the local authorities. There is no such thing as a wall that is impenetrable. That's why I know. Tian Xiaofeng's husband must be afraid that it would be awkward to meet Captain Geng after they know about it, so he took the initiative to propose to transfer to civilian work." She comforted Ye Fan, "Don't think too much."

Zhuang Qiuyue: "Who told you that? Wasn't it Tian Xiaofeng?"

Liu Guihua shook her head: "I threatened her a few words when she had a fight with Xiaoye, and she has been looking at me with disdain these past few days."

If she hadn't mentioned it, Zhuang Qiuyue would have forgotten: "What did you mean that day?"

Liu Guihua looked at Ye Fan subconsciously.

Ye Fan: "It's related to me? What did Tian Xiaofeng say about me?"

Liu Guihua wanted to say something but was embarrassed because Tian Xiaofeng was too foul-mouthed.

Seeing this, Ye Fan said, "Don't mention this. Tell me who told my sister-in-law about it."

Liu Guihua looked towards the Liao family and said, "My neighbor, Captain Gao's wife, Liu Qing, lives behind your house. It's Liu, not Liu. She is best friends with Tian Xiaofeng. Tian Xiaofeng told her. She also said that she was leaving soon and she wasn't afraid of people knowing."

Zhuang Qiuyue felt something was wrong: "That's it?"

Liu Guihua: "Tian Xiaofeng also said that officials protect each other."

Zhuang Qiuyue nodded: "That's right. How could she not take the opportunity to say something else?"

Ye Fan frowned: "No! Calculating the time, Liu Qing told Sister Guihua about this right after meeting Tian Xiaofeng. She is so... Sister-in-law, has Liu Qing ever told you about me before?"

Liu Guihua shook her head subconsciously: "What's wrong?"

Zhuang Qiuyue reacted immediately: "Tian Xiaofeng used to talk about Xiaoye behind her back a lot? Liu Qing didn't learn to tell you at that time, so why did she tell you everything after Tian Xiaofeng left? Besides, Tian Xiaofeng hasn't left yet."

Liu Guihua suddenly realized: "Do you know that I will tell you sooner or later? Damn it, you dare to use me as a gun!" After saying that, she turned and left.

Ye Fan subconsciously stopped her. Zhuang Qiuyue was a little slow, and told her to "wait", and then persuaded her: "Calm down first and listen to what Xiao Ye has to say."

Liu Guihua: "Xiao Ye, don't try to persuade me. I hate people who say one thing to your face and another behind your back."

Ye Fan: "Give Captain Gao some face. Just be careful when talking to her next time. Everyone knows about this incident. Captain Niu and Geng Zhiye are embarrassed to see Captain Gao."

Zhuang Qiuyue nodded: "I think Tian Xiaofeng's husband proposed to change his career because he felt embarrassed when he saw Captain Geng. He can say that Tian Xiaofeng is embarrassing, which shows that he has brains and is not the same kind of person as Tian Xiaofeng."

Liu Guihua sneered: "There are two kinds of people sleeping in the same bed."

Zhuang Qiuyue also agreed with this: "It's hard for a soldier who has never been to college and has no special skills to find a partner. Her lover must think that he is just a pilot, and it's enough for a woman who knows how to live and has a decent appearance to be willing to be with him." Looking at Ye Fan, "If the college entrance examination hadn't been stopped, Xiao Ye might not have been able to fall in love with Captain Geng."

Ye Fan smiled: "I didn't plan to find a soldier at first. Geng Zhiye said that I would be the head of the family in the future, and he would do the laundry and cooking, so I thought I could look around. After two years of dating, he didn't urge me to get married. Every time he came home to visit, he would buy me a lot of things and wanted to live in my house. My mother said that was enough."

Liu Guihua couldn't help but ask: "Captain Geng really knows how to wash clothes and cook?"

Zhuang Qiuyue: "You haven't seen it? Captain Geng is the one who buys groceries, cooks and washes clothes at home. To be honest, Xiaoye is more virtuous than me."

Ye Fan glanced into the house.

Zhuang Qiuyue lowered her voice and asked, "In the house?"

Ye Fan: "He should be taking a shower."

As soon as he finished speaking, the door of the main room opened, and Geng Zhiye went to pump water with a bucket. Liu Guihua quickly changed the subject and asked Zhuang Qiuyue what Miaomiao would do after graduating from middle school.

Ye Fan really likes this sensible little girl: "Study hard first. I'm planning to teach Su Yuncheng how to do accounting recently, but he doesn't know how to use an abacus."

Zhuang Qiuyue and Liu Guihua both knew Su Yuncheng, especially Liu Guihua, who wanted to find an opportunity to thank him. Liu Guihua was surprised: "Isn't he the secretary's nephew?"

Ye Fan: "A distant nephew. His grandfather and Su Yuanhang's grandfather have the same great-grandmother."

Zhuang Qiuyue: "Out of the fifth mourning period?"

Ye Fan didn't know how to calculate the relationship: "He felt that there was no point in graduating from junior high school, so he didn't study hard. He didn't study foreign languages ​​well either. Although the teacher's language was not standard, he at least knew it. As a result, he is only at the elementary school level now."

Zhuang Qiuyue nodded: "It's time to study hard. What should we do now?"

Ye Fan: "Su Yuanhang gave him extra lessons. He is the only one among the ten brigades who is his age and has not yet been engaged and graduated from junior high school. There are also some who have attended high school. But they are all like Su Yuanhang, with elderly parents and young children. It's okay for them to work as temporary workers in the food factory. But they can't take the bus to the capital often."

Zhuang Qiuyue thought that if Su Yuncheng couldn't continue studying, maybe she could ask her daughter Miaomiao to take over in two years. Once she had this idea in her mind, the more she thought about it, the more she thought it was feasible. When Miaomiao was taking a bath, Zhuang Qiuyue sat beside her and nagged her to study hard.

Liao Miaomiao wanted to say that she was only twelve years old: "Mom, the food factory doesn't need so many people."

Zhuang Qiuyue: "Not at the beginning. When you make money to buy machine-processed food, Ye Fan will be too busy to take care of it. You decide if you need it. The higher-ups can't ask Captain Geng to stay here forever. Ten years at most. In ten years, you'll only be twenty-two!" He poked her forehead in anger, "Don't look at what's in front of you! Look at what's in front of you. In three years, you'll only be fifteen. If you want to go to the countryside, people will think you're too young."

Liao Miaomiao: "Then I will go to Aunt Ye's house often to watch her teach Erbao how to use the abacus?"

Zhuang Qiuyue nodded: "That's right."

Liu Guihua, who has never been fond of playing tricks, also has some little ideas for her children.

The next morning, she saw Ye Fan washing clothes in the yard and Erbao, a child, catching insects and pulling weeds by the vegetable patch, so she went over to help Ye Fan pump out the water.

Liu Guihua is not good at pleasing people. Ye Fan could tell at a glance that she was just looking for him to kill time because she was bored. "Sister-in-law, what happened?"

Liu Guihua was stunned for a moment and shook her head: "No, it's okay."

Ye Fan: "There is only Erbao here, and he doesn't remember anything yet. Just talk without worry."

Liu Guihua smiled embarrassedly: "That's it..." She stammered, "You know a lot, and I want to learn from you. When Lao Niu's salary is not as high as it is now, I can do something. I don't know anything, and when people want to take care of Lao Niu and arrange a temporary job for me, I can't do it."

That's right. Ye Fan nodded: "But I don't know how to teach you."

Liu Guihua: "You don't have to teach me specifically. Just tell me when you go to the food factory and I'll help you."

Ye Fan said the ugly words up front: "I have no money."

Liu Guihua shook her head: "No, no, the two kids are in school, and I'm just sitting around doing nothing."

Ye Fan nodded: "Maybe it will take a few days."

"I know." Liu Guihua thought that since the Mid-Autumn Festival had just passed, every household was not greedy and was reluctant to spend any more money.

Indeed, few people in Haidian and Xicheng supply and marketing cooperatives asked if they had cheap kelp, seaweed, dried shrimp, etc. However, when the news that Haidian and Xicheng had brought in several truckloads of seafood spread to Dongcheng, the director of the Dongcheng supply and marketing cooperative was not happy. They thought that they were both in the imperial city, so why did they favor one over the other?

During a meeting, when leaders of many state-owned units such as stores, supply and marketing cooperatives, etc. met and greeted each other, Director Dongcheng learned that the seafood was sourced by the owners themselves and was not delivered to their homes.

The director of Dongcheng asked the director of Haidian to send a telegram to Ye Fan, who told him to wait for a few days and give him 30% when Haidian and Xicheng needed to purchase goods in early September. The director of Dongcheng said he would get him a truckload and distribute it to state-owned restaurants, department stores and other units.

Ye Fan didn't have to go door to door to sell. In early September of the lunar calendar, Ye Fan arranged a truck for him, which contained 40 boxes of canned oranges. These 40 boxes of canned oranges were produced at the beginning of this year, and the canning factory planned to sell them at a special price in a few days. Hengshan Food Factory helped the canning factory sell them at the original price, and the canning factory leader was very happy, so he paid for the truck transportation fee.

Two more batches of goods were shipped in mid-September and late September. If it weren't for the canned goods and ready-to-eat dried fish, there wouldn't be enough space on the truck. At this time, no one complained that the food factory wanted his products but not his.

During this period, Su Yuanhang was not idle as the food factory had nothing to do. Ye Fan asked him to go to the department store to ask if he needed cotton clothes.

In mid-September of the lunar calendar, autumn has arrived in the south of the Yangtze River, and thick clothes are needed. Su Yuncheng and Su Duofu brought back half a truckload of cotton-padded and autumn clothes from the capital.

Winter clothes are expensive, and the department stores in Ningbo and Hangzhou can't afford them, so they want to pay half the money first. Ye Fan expected this, so he asked Su Yuanhang to pick up the car and then sign a contract with the store manager.

Bound by the contract, Su Yuanhang went to the city in early October to get the balance.

Even though they hadn't shipped any goods in early October, they were still paid. The fishermen were even more excited than the first time they got their share of the money and talked about it for days.

Ye Fan was so busy that he shipped out three batches of goods a month and also sold a batch of cotton-padded clothes and autumn clothes to stores, and completely forgot about Tian Xiaofeng's family.

The tangerines on the mountain were ripe. On the fourth day of the tenth month of the lunar calendar, Ye Fan held Erbao in his arms, while Zhuang Qiuyue took Dabao and their own children to the foot of the mountain to pick tangerines. On the way, they met Liu Guihua, who told Ye Fan that Tian Xiaofeng had moved away.

Ye Fan: "So fast?"

Zhuang Qiuyue: "It's been more than a month. Don't you know?"

Ye Fan explained: "That's not what I meant. What I meant was that even if Geng Zhiye and the political commissar agreed to his transfer that day, he still had to hand over to the factory. He had to settle down first, and then Tian Xiaofeng could bring the children over. In this way, more than a month would pass quickly.

Zhuang Qiuyue thought about it and thought that it was more than two months from the time she heard that Political Commissar Liao was transferred to the island to the time she moved here: "It was very fast. But it's better for her to leave. That woman is a troublemaker." Liu Guihua: "She thinks it's inconvenient to go in and out of the island, and she is annoyed by everything she sees. Xiaoye slapped her in the face, and if she doesn't leave, she might cause trouble again."

Liao Miaomiao broke an orange and gave half to her mother and half to Ye Fan: "Don't talk about her. Eat the orange. The ones from this tree are sweet."

Ye Fan: "Find a piece of straw rope to mark it. Then plant sweet crops instead."

Liu Guihua: "It would be better if the skin was thin and without seeds."

Ye Fan nodded: "I'll make a note of it. I'll tell Su Yuanhang some other day."

The next morning when Ye Fan arrived at the office, he saw Su Yuanhang and handed the matter over to him.

Su Yuanhang had never seen a seedless orange tree before, and couldn't help but complain: "You're giving me a hard time."

Ye Fan: "Ask the agricultural experts in the city or province. Isn't there a teacher who was sent down here? Ask his classmates and colleagues. If people are sent down to other places to feed cattle and grow rice, bring them here to take care of the fruit trees. Ask your father to do this. You can't do anything about it."

Su Yuanhang: "The better our business is, the uglier my father looks."

Liu Guihua was watching Erbao playing in the yard at the door. When she heard this, she said into the house, "The old secretary came a few days ago, on the day when the money from selling clothes was distributed. I heard people say that he was mumbling that the food factory couldn't sell clothes. The members waiting for the money on the roadside said that he was old and talking nonsense. We didn't sell any clothes at all. We brought them for the store out of kindness. That little money was given to us by the store as a reward for our hard work."

Ye Fan smiled and nodded: "That's it."

Su Yuanhang couldn't laugh: "But——"

Ye Fan: "Your father ignored you and asked your uncles and brothers to come forward. By the way, are your father's elders, your uncles and aunts, still alive?"

Su Yuanhang was enlightened and said excitedly: "I'm going home now."

Ye Fan stopped him: "Wait a minute. Tell your uncle to wear patched clothes and walk with a cane, and then go to him and tell him that life is hard. It would be best if you shed a few tears."

Su Yuanhang couldn't help but sympathize with his father, but it only lasted for a second before he drove away with a smile.

Liu Guihua asked: "Is this the hand tractor of their brigade?"

Ye Fan nodded, "We used to rent it by the hour, but recently it seems that the members of their brigade have agreed at a meeting that as long as Su Yuanhang drives, we just need to pay for the gas." He paused, "Sister-in-law, I don't have anything to do these two days, why don't you go and do it. I'll pick up Dabao from school later."

Liu Guihua just heard from Su Yuanhang that the goods will be shipped in two days, half a truck of oranges and half a truck of seafood: "Then I will come over in a few days. By the way, didn't Dabao ask you to pick it up?"

The little brat said one thing and meant another. A few days ago, Ye Fanmang didn't go to pick him up, and told Liao's eldest brother to come back with him. When she got home, the child was so angry that he complained that she lied, saying that she was not busy, but she didn't come home after dark.

Ye Fan smiled and said, "Children have an idea every day. You can't take it all seriously, but you can't take it lightly either."

Liu Guihua didn't understand, and she felt that Ye Fan spoiled the child too much. But Geng Dabao was already in the first grade before he turned five, so it didn't hurt to spoil a child like that.

Liu Guihua reached out to Erbao: "Auntie wants to hold you?"

Auntie didn't smell as good as Mom, Erbao grabbed Mom's hand and climbed onto her. Ye Fan picked her up helplessly: "Can't you walk by yourself?"

Erbao bent his knees and reached out to hook his feet: "It's broken."

Ye Fan chuckled and ignored her. Er Bao felt bored and sat down obediently.

Oranges are not like kelp that is rolled into a bunch. They will not go bad no matter how you throw them. On the day of shipment, Ye Fan asked Su Yuanhang to watch over the loading.

Before departure, Su Yuanhang reminded the two of them to take the trouble this time as the train would stop for a long time at a major station, so they should get off the train, open the door and get some fresh air.

When they were transported to the capital in this way, very few of them were damaged by being crushed, bumped, or snagged.

Oranges are only one cent more expensive than locally grown apples and pears, and can be kept for ten days or half a month, so the old men and women in Xicheng and Haidian buy them as if they were free, and carry home five or ten kilograms of them.

Su Yuncheng couldn't help but sigh again: "The people in the capital are rich."

Just then, an old lady passed by him and said with a smile, "That's money now."

Su Yuncheng: "Ten kilograms."

Auntie: "Two per person per day, they're gone in a few days."

Su Yuncheng subconsciously asked: "How many days do you want to eat it?"

The aunt was puzzled: "Why don't you buy enough for a few days at a time? Do you buy it every day?"

Su Yuncheng nodded subconsciously.

The old lady couldn't help but say, "It's not a big deal." She recalled something, "We don't grow oranges here. Once they're sold, they're gone." She recalled something else and shook her head, "We had them before, but they were expensive. One pound could buy three pounds of these."

Not knowing how big the difference between the north and the south is, Su Yuncheng decided to keep quiet. At this moment, an old lady stopped in front of the two of them on her bicycle and asked them if they were Su Yuncheng and Su Duofu. The two nodded, and the old lady handed them a package and a letter, the recipient of which was Ye Fan.

Seeing that she looked like Chen Xiaohui, Su Duofu called her "Auntie" and asked her if she was not Ye Fan's mother.

Tao Chunlan smiled and asked, "Has Fanfan ever told you about me?"

Ye Fan rarely talked about her family. Su Duofu still didn't know what Ye's father did for a living, or what Tao Chunlan did before she retired. Su Duofu smiled and nodded to change the subject: "Aunt, is there anything else?"

Tao Chunlan was worried before because she didn't know what Jiangnan was like. These days, she often sees people from the south, and she feels more relieved. She shook her head and said, "It's okay. You guys go ahead and do your work."

Su Yuncheng waited until he was far away before asking, "Last time you asked Chen Xiaohui to bring it over, why did you come here by yourself this time?"

Su Duofu didn't understand either: "They had a fight. Just pretend you don't know. Keep the letter and put the things in the director's office first. There are too many people here, don't lose them."

Su Yuncheng first looked at Chen Xiaohui, and after making sure that she had not come out, he sneaked into the director's office.

Ye Fan also found it strange. If Chen Xiaohui didn't tell her mother or something happened at home, Geng Zhiqin would tell Su Yuncheng. Why write a special letter?

Ye Fan distributed the money from selling oranges and opened the letters only when he had nothing to do in the afternoon.

Erbao grabbed her hand and tilted his head to look. Ye Fan handed it to her: "Do you know him?"

"Mom, look!" Erbao returned it to Ye Fan.

Ye Fan held her on his lap and hugged Erbao while reading the letter.

Erbao asked curiously: "Mom, grandma misses Erbao?"

When Ye Fan saw the three words "Chen Xiaohui", he automatically changed to Geng Erbao: "Yes. Grandma misses Erbao very much and asked us to go back to celebrate the Spring Festival."

Tao Chunlan's letter was to ask Ye Fan when he would return to the capital. But if Geng Zhiye was not on duty during the Spring Festival, Ye Fan would have to stay on the island alone with her and her two daughters, which made Tao Chunlan feel distressed.

Tao Chunlan has no time to feel sorry for Ye Fan recently because Chen Xiaohui has given her a lot of trouble.

Haidian Supply and Marketing Cooperative has good business and a lot of bonuses. Chen Xiaohui goes to the second-hand market after receiving the bonuses. The Ye family's house is a standard quadrangle. Because there are few people, the south side has a few empty rooms, which are now filled with various furniture by Chen Xiaohui.

Tao Chunlan got a headache every time she saw the door open, or when she went out to buy groceries and saw the rooms on both sides were full of junk.

Chen Xiaohui didn't smoke and drink like a blind drifter, nor did she spend money recklessly, and I didn't hear that she sent money to Shanghai. Tao Chunlan advised herself to be content. Unfortunately, Ye Fan was too obedient in the past few years, and Tao Chunlan couldn't help comparing Chen Xiaohui with her.

Ye Fan also reminded Tao Chunlan that Chen Xiaohui's brain problems were not her fault, but Chen Kuanren and Zhao Ruping's. But Tao Chunlan didn't dare to blame Chen Xiaohui, and her daughter-in-law was not at home, so she could only write to Ye Fan.

After reading her mother's letter, Ye Fan wanted to grab Chen Xiaohui and control the water in her head.

If you like old things, old pocket watches, old jade pendants, you can buy anything. You can put them in your pocket and make a fuss if someone sees them, or you can just throw them down the drain or into a rat hole. How can you hide so many old furniture?

Ye Fan sighed.

Erbao hugged his mother's face and said, "Mom, don't be sad. Erbao loves you."

Ye Fan was at a loss whether to laugh or cry: "Mom is not sad. Let's go see if brother has finished school."

Carrying Erbao to the intersection, Ye Fan heard the bell for the end of get out of class. He waited for a few minutes, and Dabao, Liao Dadi and Liao Xiaomei came over, along with Deputy Captain Niu's two children.

Liao Xiaomei said something like, "Dabao, your mother is here to pick you up."

Dabao ran over quickly.

Ye Fan stretched out her hand: "Are you tired? Mom will help you."

Dabao handed over his schoolbag and stretched out his hand to his sister: "Come down and walk by yourself."

Erbao came down and held his brother's hand: "Brother, let's go to grandma's house."

Dabao turned around and asked, "Grandma is here?"

Ye Fan: "Grandma wrote to me. We will go to her house on the 20th of the twelfth lunar month and come back on the 10th of the first lunar month. But Dad doesn't know yet, so we need to discuss it with him."

Geng Zhiye disagreed and asked her to go back after the New Year's Eve in the south.

Ye Fan said that a batch of goods was being shipped from the north before the Chinese New Year, and if she followed the truck, Su Yuncheng and Su Duofu would not have to go.

Geng Zhiye asked: "How can they settle the accounts and divide the money if you are not here?"

Ye Fan: "Su Yuanhang graduated from high school and still can't settle the accounts? Besides, if we send it over earlier, maybe we can make another shipment by the end of the year."

Geng Zhiye nodded: "I'll be back on the sixth day." Before Ye Fan could refuse, he said, "It's cold in the north, it's a pain to go out and play. If you don't think about yourself, you have to think about Dabao and Erbao."

Ye Fan nodded: "Then twenty. I'll ask Su Yuanhang to help me ask for train tickets."

Dabao couldn't help but say, "Mom, there are still many days."

Ye Fan: "I'll set a time so I can write back to grandma."

Ye Fan did not mention Chen Xiaohui to Geng Zhiye, otherwise he would complain, "Chen Xiaohui is not your daughter, let my mother-in-law worry about it herself. Who told her to name you Ye Fan? You deserve it!"

While cooking dinner, Ye Fan burned the letter when Geng Zhiye was not paying attention.

The next day, Ye Fan finished writing the letter and gave it to Su Yuncheng, who then gave it to Chen Xiaohui when Su Yuncheng went to the capital to deliver oranges.

Ye Fan did not mention Chen Xiaohui in the letter, but said that he would be in the capital before the New Year. The tacit understanding between mother and daughter over the years made Tao Chunlan know what Ye Fan meant by this sentence, and she would talk about everything after she came back.

Dabao thinks there are still many days left, but in fact it is not too late at all.

All the oranges on the mountain have been sold out, and half a truckload of fresh lotus roots has been sold. After the accounts have been counted and the money has been distributed, it’s Laba Festival.

Ye Fan asked Su Yuanhang to hold a meeting with ten teams and prepare three truckloads of goods before the New Year.

Su Yuanhang couldn't help but say, "Not that many."

Ye Fan shook his head: "Don't worry, there will definitely be one."

Su Yuanhang thought to himself, "I just counted it a few days ago." But Ye Fan was too sure, so Su Yuanhang could only swallow his words.

The next day, the team leaders held a meeting in the office of the supply and marketing cooperative. After asking, they found out that they could produce three trucks by the end of the year. Su Yuanhang was shocked: "Don't you sleep? Go out to sea to fish at night?"

The leader of the Shanxi Brigade lowered his head and said, "A few days ago, my mother-in-law sent us a bag of kelp and asked us to help sell it." He coughed awkwardly, "Accountant Ye saw it. Accountant Ye didn't say anything, and I thought it was okay, so I asked my brother-in-law to send another basket over." Seeing Su Yuanhang's face change, he hurriedly explained, "It's not just my family, some members did this before. I asked them what happened, and they said that their relatives couldn't finish eating it. What can I say about this?"

Su Yuanhang sighed: "Three cars, at most three cars. If you have too many things, others——"

The leader of the Shanxi Brigade said: "I told you, first give 10 kilograms to each family. If we can't get enough for the car, we can use the relatives'."

Su Yuanhang: "That's about right. I estimate it will take about half a year."

The leader of the Lotus Brigade said: "I heard that several brigades near the sea are also planning to build food factories."

Su Yuanhang: "Since everything is clear, let's adjourn the meeting. I'll notify everyone when I get a telegram from the other side."

The money in the account of Haidian Supply and Marketing Cooperative was enough to buy a truckload of goods. The director also thought that it was cold in winter and the fresh fish could be kept until the end of the year, so he asked Su Yuanhang to deliver the goods early to prevent heavy snow at the end of the year that would make the roads difficult to travel on.

On the 15th day of the twelfth lunar month, Su Yuncheng and Su Duofu went to the capital. On the 20th day of the twelfth lunar month, Ye Fan and Dabao and Erbao followed the car. Su Yuanhang, Su Yuncheng and Su Duofu saw the three of them off to the car.

After getting off the car, Tao Chunlan and Yu Wentao took the two children away, and Ye Fan followed the goods to the supply and marketing cooperative.

There was already a long queue in front of the supply and marketing cooperative, waiting to buy cheap seafood.

The director complained with a smile: "Look at the abalone too."

The old men and women waved their hands and took Ye Fan to ask about his health. Some asked why he had become darker, saying that the south of the Yangtze River was not good for health. Some asked if he had become thinner because he was not used to the local climate.

The old men and women were too welcoming. Ye Fan was not used to the quiet life on the island for half a year, so he said he had something to do with Chen Xiaohui.

The affairs between Chen Xiaohui and Ye Fan were known to the idle old men and women who were just asking around, but since it was not a good idea to get involved, they just let Ye Fan go.

Ye Fan first asked Chen Xiaohui if she was used to it.

Chen Xiaohui nodded.

Ye Fan asked again: "The New Year is coming soon. Have you prepared the rice, flour and oil? Do you want to buy a few pounds of abalone and make abalone stewed with braised pork?" Chen Xiaohui said she had bought it and had eaten it once. There are still a few pounds of meat coupons at home, and she will make it after Dabao and Erbao come back.

Ye Fan pondered for a moment and asked if anyone had bought new clothes.

Even though Chen Xiaohui was slow to react, she could tell that Ye Fan had something to say and asked her to talk in the backyard.

There was no need to worry about being heard when talking in the courtyard, but Chen Xiaohui was not her daughter, so Ye Fan couldn't just criticize her for being stupid, so she asked, "What do you think about Shencheng?"

"Mom asked you to ask?" Chen Xiaohui suddenly realized: "I, I plan to send them twenty yuan."

Ye Fan couldn't help rolling his eyes any longer.

Chen Xiaohui habitually wanted to say something hurtful, but she didn't know it before, and now she should know that Ye Fan was not looking down on her, but on the matter. "I know I shouldn't give them money. But you don't understand them. I just think giving money saves trouble."

(End of this chapter)