Five years of marriage, always separated [1970s]

Chen Xiaohui may have only heard that anything that can be solved with money is not a big deal. She forgot that money can move people's hearts.

Ye Fan sighed: "What about paying now?"

Chen Xiaohui said without thinking: "Let's do this for now."

Ye Fan wanted to scratch her head: "You just arrived here this year, and Chen Kuanren and Zhao Ruping can understand that you are given 20 yuan for the New Year. Next year, during the Dragon Boat Festival or Mid-Autumn Festival, Zhao Ruping asked you to go back to celebrate the festival, and you said you were busy, shouldn't you express your gratitude?"

Chen Xiaohui: "I won't give too much, so that they will think I am stupid and rich."

Ye Fanxin said you are not stupid.

Ye Fan took a deep breath and asked again, "You live and eat at home, right? You're not married. You can save ten yuan out of fifteen yuan a month. Will Zhao Ruping believe you when you say you have no money?"

Chen Xiaohui: "But I have to keep some for myself."

Ye Fan nodded: "Then let me ask you, you don't need money. How do you answer?"

"Why is it not needed?" Chen Xiaohui frowned.

Ye Fan: "Buy clothes and shoes from Pechoin, toothbrush and toothpaste and drink Coke? With Zhao Ruping's personality, will she say that you don't know how to live? Will she think that you have become a bad person? Then she will take a car to find you."

"I——" Chen Xiaohui wanted to say that they were busy. Both husband and wife were retired, and even if they had grandchildren to take care of, Chen Kuanren could take care of them for two days. If you take the express from Shanghai to the capital, you can leave today and arrive tomorrow.

With Ye Fan's personality, he would not give them a cent, angering the two old guys, and he would take the opportunity to break up with them. But this was Chen Xiaohui's business, and if she didn't say so, who would dare to make the decision for her? Ye Fan pondered for a moment: "If you want to honor them, just buy them clothes and shoes. Don't give them a cent."

Chen Xiaohui frowned slightly: "Good clothes and shoes are not cheap."

Ye Fan was speechless: "...What good things can you buy if you don't have money? If Zhao Ruping wants to ask about money, just buy clothes. If Zhao Ruping says that she asked someone, the clothes only cost so much. You can say that your parents are biased and don't give you a penny. You spend all your own money on food and clothing. You might as well go back to Shanghai."

Chen Xiaohui's eyes widened. What was she saying?

Ye Fan's patience ran out, and he couldn't help but frown: "Listen to me, you don't have a job in Shanghai, right? Zhao Ruping and Chen Kuanren have to pay for your meals and bowls of rice soup? They definitely don't want you to go back. Who will buy them clothes when you go back?"

Chen Xiaohui suddenly woke up as if from a dream. How could this be possible?

Ye Fan: "Chen Kuanren and Zhao Ruping instigated you to quarrel with your parents, so you said Ye Fan was powerful and you didn't dare. Besides, temporary workers have low wages and are boring, so ask them to find you a job with a higher salary and you can go back to Shanghai."

"But what will they think of you?" Chen Xiaohui was very confused. Didn't Ye Fan know that once she said that, Chen Kuanren and Zhao Ruping would make dolls and curse her every day.

Ye Fan nodded: "So what? Will they stop scolding me now? Do they dare to yell in front of me? I am their child, I can't hear them scolding me, but they can hear it, are they scolding me or themselves? I am a bastard, what are they?"

Chen Xiaohui wanted to say something, but found herself speechless.

Ye Fan: "Are you afraid that they will come looking for you? They are also afraid that you will go back now. In ten or twenty years, they will need someone to serve them by their bedside. If you don't go back, they will send you three telegrams a day to urge you. In ten or twenty years, won't you get married and have children? By then, you will need money to raise the children. The children are young and need to be taken care of. What can they do to you?" He paused and added, "If they dare to go to your house and make trouble, are your parents-in-law easy to bully? Unless you stop them, they will not argue with them for your sake. But they will just take advantage of you."

The more Chen Xiaohui thought about it, the more she felt it made sense, but how could she know how to use her husband's family to deal with her own family: "You, the Ye family and the Geng family are like, only your mother-in-law is more powerful, right -"

Ye Fan interrupted, "No, my mother-in-law just has a sharp tongue. My father-in-law earns more than Dabao's father, she has a pension, and Xiaoqin occasionally gives her a few dollars. She is richer than us. When she takes Dabao, Erbao or Geng Zhiye's nephews and nieces to the Friendship Store, she never asks the price."

"Then how do you know so much?"

Ye Fanxin said I was twenty-five, not fifteen, and wanted to say I was not you: "Desire is insatiable! Did you graduate from high school?"

Chen Xiaohui looked grim: "You you——"

"My words are harsh." Ye Fan interrupted, "Zhao Ruping wrote to ask you how you are doing here, just say this. Don't worry about it getting to your parents' ears. Even if Zhao Ruping swore in front of the supply and marketing cooperative, no one would believe her. Because she has bad behavior!"

Chen Xiaohui: "What if she hits her head against the wall and hangs herself?"

"She dares?" Ye Fan sneered, "It's not that I look down on her, but Chen Kuanren dares to die, but she doesn't. Chen Kuanren dares to die not because he is brave, but because he is brainless and impulsive." The more he talked, the more he couldn't understand, "What are you afraid of with such a person?"

Chen Xiaohui wanted to say, I am not you. But she is in the Ye family, why can't she be like Ye Fan? Chen Xiaohui was annoyed and slapped herself on the head.

"What are you doing?!"

Chen Xiaohui was startled by the exclamation. She turned around and saw that it was Geng Zhiqin. She breathed a sigh of relief and asked, "Why aren't you in front?"

Geng Zhiqin pulled Ye Fan back and said, "Why are you going crazy in broad daylight?"

Chen Xiaohui quickly explained: "No, I, I was angry at myself."

Geng Zhiqin looks at Ye Fan, is that true?

Ye Fan nodded, probably.

Geng Zhiqin couldn't understand: "You can't hit yourself on the head even if you're angry. If something happens to you, my sister-in-law can't explain it even if she has a mouth full of words."

Chen Xiaohui subconsciously said: "No - forget it, leave me alone, leave me alone."

Geng Zhiqin dragged Ye Fan away, fearing that she would hurt herself again. People who didn't know would think that her sister-in-law forced her to do it: "If you don't mind, just say it. We can help you find a solution. Three cobblers are better than Zhuge Liang."

Ye Fan knocked the little girl on the head.

Geng Zhiqin said hurriedly: "I am a cobbler, and you are Zhuge Liang."

Ye Fan: "Chen Xiaohui, remember that you have only been here for half a year, you haven't been officially hired yet, and you have no money. Each person should have one set of clothes. The fabric doesn't have to be too good, just what ordinary workers wear will do."

When Chen Xiaohui saw that she was about to leave, she asked hurriedly, "Where are your shoes?"

Ye Fan wanted to roll his eyes again. How many times did she need to say: "You have no money!"

Chen Xiaohui nodded subconsciously.

Geng Zhiqin couldn't help asking when he got to the front store: "Where's her money? Although she hasn't been hired yet, this month -"

Ye Fan: "She wanted to give money to Shen Cheng and asked me how much I should give her. I told her to pretend she had no money."

Geng Zhiqin blurted out: "Is she really sick?"

Ye Fan wanted to laugh: "A little bit, it looks like there is still hope."

Geng Zhiqin couldn't help but look back. Chen Xiaohui had changed from standing to squatting, hugging her knees with her hands, like a poor little girl that no one wanted. "There must be something hateful about pitiful people."

Ye Fan: "Chen Kuanren and Zhao Ruping are guilty. By the way, how is business?"

Geng Zhiqin nodded: "I said this is the last carload before the New Year. The old men and women who are waiting for a special price are afraid to wait any longer. Sister-in-law, is this the last carload?"

Ye Fan: "There is another truck." He stopped when he saw the people buying things. "The goods from the supply and marketing cooperatives in West City and East City are not shipped here."

Geng Zhiqin: "Two families, one car?"

Ye Fan nodded: "There are only so many on the island."

As soon as Ye Fan finished speaking, the customer next to him didn't bother to be picky. He just grabbed a handful of candy, paid for it, and walked out.

Ye Fan chuckled upon seeing this.

Geng Zhiqin was puzzled: "What are you laughing at, sister-in-law?"

Ye Fan shook his head: "Nothing. I barely slept at night. Please drive me back."

Geng Zhiqin turned her head to look at her expression. Her sister-in-law was not tanned, but her face was sallow because she hadn't slept all night. "Why didn't you say so earlier? Come on, get in the car. Oh, and put on your scarf and hat."

Ye Fan fell asleep as soon as he got home, and slept until the evening when Chen Xiaohui got off work. Ye Fan woke up and went out. Chen Xiaohui was washing vegetables in the yard, and Tao Chunlan was rolling noodles in the kitchen: "Where are Dabao and Erbao?"

Tao Chunlan couldn't help but complain: "Your mother-in-law took her away."

Ye Fan raised his eyebrows: "If she wants to pick you up, just ask her to pick you up?"

Chen Xiaohui couldn't help but look towards the kitchen, because she had wanted to ask the same question just now.

Tao Chunlan: "She said your father-in-law missed Erbao, and it's okay for Erbao not to go back, so she sent your father-in-law over. What does she mean? Your father-in-law is in poor health. If he gets sick again, how will others see me? I think she did it on purpose!"

Chen Xiaohui nodded, Yu Wentao did it on purpose.

Ye Fanxiao: "You didn't take any clothes or shoes?"

Tao Chunlan was surprised: "Did you forget? I asked you where Dabao and Erbao's clothes were, and you said they were in your bag."

Ye Fan had no impression at all: "Maybe I was too sleepy."

Tao Chunlan: "I'll take you back."

Ye Fan quickly refused: "How will others see me if you are sick? If you want to take care of the child so much, you can take care of the child for half a month, and I can have some free time."

Tao Chunlan was rejected again and was very unhappy: "I will go to Geng's house tomorrow!"

Ye Fan nodded: "You go. You can stay here. Geng Zhiye and I have our rooms empty, so it's just right--"

Tao Chunlan interrupted: "Go away! Don't bother me here!"

Chen Xiaohui was so scared that she dropped the vegetables she had just picked up into the basin. She hurriedly looked at Ye Fan, who turned and left, calm and composed as if it had nothing to do with him. Chen Xiaohui wanted to ask, "Aren't you angry at all?" Ye Fan floated past her and went to the main room to get the thermos, pour water, wash his face and brush his teeth.

Chen Xiaohui wondered why she was so open-minded.

Even if she didn't recognize Chen Kuanren and Zhao Ruping, she knew she wasn't born by Tao Chunlan. How could she not mind at all?

Because Ye Fan was no longer Ye Fan, it was Tao Chunlan who arranged her marriage, took care of her children and her, and it was Ye's father who paid. No matter what happened, in Ye Fan's heart, there was only one pair of parents.

Unless the Ye family doesn't want her.

Tao Chunlan walked towards Chen Xiaohui and asked, "Is the food ready?"

Chen Xiaohui retracted her gaze: "Okay, okay."

Tao Chunlan was curious: "What are you looking at?" There was no one in the main room.

Chen Xiaohui felt guilty for some reason, so she said, "Won't Erbao make a fuss when he's so young?"

Tao Chunlan was surprised: "Really? No way. Erbao knows Fanfan is here. If he misses her, he can come over and see Fanfan."

As expected of Ye Fan's daughter, she is as carefree as she is at such a young age. Chen Xiaohui was impressed: "Erbao is really well behaved."

Tao Chunlan nodded: "Go back to the house and wait."

Chen Xiaohui went with her to the kitchen to get three sets of bowls and chopsticks, and Tao Chunlan carried the pot.

Ye Fan put away the towel and wash basin: "Mom, sister-in-law won't be back tonight, right?"

Li Mingyue's parents' home is close to her workplace, so she usually goes back to her parents' home when she doesn't want to live at the workplace. She will come back if the weather is good and it's Sunday. A few days ago, she heard that Ye Fan had recently returned, and Li Mingyue missed Dabao and Erbao, so she wanted to come back on the weekend. It was freezing cold, and Tao Chunlan was worried that she would get cold while riding her bike, so she asked her to come back after the Chinese New Year.

Tao Chunlan knew why Ye Fan asked this: "Lock the door. I'll go to Geng's house tomorrow."

Ye Fan was helpless: "Go, who's stopping you from going? Do you want me to accompany you?"

Tao Chunlan served her a bowl of noodles: "You don't go. If you go, you will be left behind."

Ye Fan laughed: "Geng Zhiye is my husband——"

Chen Xiaohui couldn't help but interrupt: "Mom is right!"

Tao Chunlan smiled proudly: "Did you hear that? Listen to Xiaohui."

Ye Fanxin said that Chen Xiaohui is different from you. She thinks Geng Zhiye has someone else in his heart and will divorce me sooner or later.

Ye Fan had never asked Geng Zhiye about this, but after careful observation, he knew that there was definitely no one in Geng Zhiye's heart. Besides, given Geng Zhiye's personality of preferring to be alone rather than marry someone who was not suitable for him, if there was such a person, he would never marry him. Unless his father was running out of time and forced him to get married.

But when she and Geng Zhiye were dating, he was 26 years old, which was not considered late for a soldier. Geng's father just couldn't bear the worry and was still far from death.

Chen Xiaohui also seemed stubborn, and once she made up her mind, no one could change it. It would be a waste of time to explain to her. Besides, she knew how she lived her life, so there was no need to explain to others. Ye Fan smiled and said, "I'll listen to you."

Tao Chunlan smiled, but when she turned around and saw Chen Xiaohui, her smile froze.

The next morning, just as Chen Xiaohui left for work, Tao Chunlan dragged Ye Fan to open the two doors on the south side and said, "Look, Fanfan, our house has become a scrap collection station."

When Ye Fan walked in, a strong strange smell hit him in the face. No wonder the old lady was so angry. The cave she lived in was cleaner than this one.

Ye Fan patted her arm and said, "Go out first. I'll see what's there."

Tao Chunlan complained at the door: "It's either tables and chairs or cabinets. There are also jewelry boxes. What do you mean by antiques? Even if they are all antiques, gold, silver and porcelain are worthless. Who would sell broken furniture to? Besides, look at that long table. The legs are so thin. What can you put in it?"

Ye Fan looked along the old lady's hand, and it looked like a long table used by ancient people to practice calligraphy, which could hold the four treasures of the study. But she couldn't be sure, as she had only seen it when she lived in a traditional Chinese style homestay in her previous life: "It's just for display."

Tao Chunlan complained: "I can't even eat enough, who has the mood to watch these?"

Ye Fan: "Is the library still open?"

Tao Chunlan shook her head: "I don't know. What are you doing?"

Ye Fan: "Then I'll go to the flea market to see if there are any books introducing these furniture. Even if you throw them away or chop them up for firewood, she has to be willing. For example, if you say she was cheated, you have to produce evidence, right?"

Tao Chunlan went to push the cart: "Do you want to go first or take a shower first?"

Ye Fan: "Go ahead. We'll wash in the afternoon."

The flea market was far from Ye's house, and Ye Fan arrived exhausted and sweating. The flea market looked run-down, and there was nothing but junk inside. Some things were piled in the yard, and some were piled in the house. There was only one person looking after it. When Ye Fan entered, she was sorting the goods, and when she saw Ye Fan, she took a glance and said, "Pick whatever you want to buy."

Ye Fan: "Just you?"

The lesbian nodded: "The others are out."

Ye Fan: "I'm looking for some books. How do you sell them?"

Female comrade: "Weigh by the pound."

Ye Fan pointed at things inside and outside the house and asked, "Are they all weighed by kilogram?" The female comrade nodded.

Ye Fan finally understood why Chen Xiaohui brought things home every day. Even if they were fake, it would be worthwhile to chop them up and use them as firewood.

Ye Fan searched the entire flea market, but he was exhausted and couldn't find any books that specifically introduced ancient furniture. Ye Fan could only pick some books that looked a bit old, hoping that they would mention the characteristics of ancient furniture, or have furniture in the illustrations.

"Three cents." The female comrade weighed it and handed it to Ye Fan.

Ye Fan was surprised: "But I--" He didn't dare to bring too much money, but unfortunately the smallest denomination was one cent.

The middle-aged female comrade impatiently came into the room to give change: "Would you like to pick a few more?" Looking at Ye Fan's clothes, army green pants and jacket, a red scarf around his neck, a thick cotton hat, and his hands didn't look like they had ever done heavy work, "You young people like painting, and you also like poetry. Over there, those boxes are all full of them."

Ye Fan: "Is there anything else in the box?"

The female comrade nodded: "There are some other ornaments. I collected them a few days ago. It seems that my family needs money. I don't want to buy them. If the leader finds out, he will scold us for collecting things indiscriminately. If you want them, I will give them the original price."

Ye Fanxin said, "I hope you won't encounter a real antique."

Ye Fan opened several boxes against the wall under the eaves. They looked like incense burners, but they weren't. They looked like ancient jars, but they didn't look like jars. Ye Fan picked one and weighed it. It looked like iron. If he bought it back, the old lady would be anxious again.

Ye Fan looked at the middle-aged female comrade, who nodded repeatedly with an eager look on her face. Judging from the female comrade's appearance, she was not well-educated and had to rely on many connections to get this job. Ye Fan sighed, "Sister, please help me find a bag."

The female comrade responded happily and went back to the house to find the sack.

Ye Fan's pupils were dizzy and the old lady was furious.

"No, it doesn't have to be that big."

The female comrade pushed Ye Fan's hand away: "It's not worth much. You can use these to light coal briquettes after reading them." She stuffed a few scrolls into the bag, which looked like paintings. Ye Fan saw her cracked fingers and frostbite on the back of her hands, turned his face away and said helplessly: "Put it away, put it away."

When the female comrade saw that she was looking at something else, she took the opportunity to stuff a handful of miscellaneous things that were difficult to recycle and could only be used as firewood. Finally, she put a few bundles of books. Before Ye Fan could finish reading a few books, the female comrade tied the bag.

The female comrade put it on the scale: "Comrade, you have copper here, I will give it to you at the price of iron?"

Ye Fan nodded: "Okay."

The female comrade saw how many kilograms it was and couldn't help but smile: "Five dollars and sixty cents, five dollars and fifty cents is yours."

Ye Fan really wanted to tell her that I was an accountant, the former accountant of Haidian Supply and Marketing Cooperative, and I dealt with scales every day. It was obviously not five dollars and forty. Ye Fan gave her five dollars and fifty and said, "Help me tie it up."

"Okay." The female comrade had already prepared the rope.

Ye Fanxin said that I was treated as a fat sheep.

I hope the old lady has gone to look for Dabao and Erbao.

Ye Fan arrived at the door of his house, sweating profusely and feeling weak in the legs and feet. When he saw that the door was locked, he was no longer tired. He took out the key, opened the door, pushed the things in, and took out the things in the sack.

Seeing the scattered things inside, Ye Fan suddenly wanted to curse. This female comrade is really bad. If you say she is bad, she will take everything when she sees people in trouble. If you say she is a good person, she will catch you and make trouble for you.

Ye Fan picked out the books and sorted out the other things. They might be valuable in the future, but now they could easily become trouble. Ye Fan hesitated for a moment and looked south, wondering if he could stuff them into Chen Xiaohui's furniture.

Ye Fan shook his head. Forget it. He finally listened to her advice and decided not to give Zhao Ruping money. He would buy her clothes instead. If she found out what he had done, she would start to have wild thoughts.

Ye Fan walked towards the utility room next to the kitchen. There was a camphorwood box in it, which contained her middle school and elementary school textbooks, as well as her childhood toys. The people who destroyed the four olds had come to her house before to make sure that there were no old things in her house, so they probably wouldn't check again.

Ye Fan took out the things and put the things she bought in, still placing her childhood textbooks and toys on top.

The door of the utility room was closed, and only a sack and a few bundles of old books were left in the sack. Ye Fan felt relieved.

Ye Fan felt that her mother would be back soon, so she flipped through the three bundles of books and found that only five of them mentioned furniture. Ye Fan picked out these five books and put the others under the desk in her room. Just as she put them away, the door was pushed open.

Ye Fan was flustered, like a thief. Then he thought about how everything was put away, took a deep breath, and went out calmly: "Mom, where are Dabao and Erbao?"

Tao Chunlan was so angry that she cursed: "You two ungrateful bastards. You said that grandpa and grandma's house is good."

Chen Xiaohui pushed the cart in and said, "No. Dabao said there are people playing at grandpa and grandma's house. It's Xiaoqin's second brother's child."

Ye Fan: "You went too?"

Tao Chunlan felt uncomfortable: "I am used to taking the road to the supply and marketing cooperative. When I saw Xiaoqin at the door, I remembered that I didn't need to turn to the supply and marketing cooperative to go to Geng's house."

Chen Xiaohui: "Xiaoqin and I arrived at Geng's house and her mother hadn't left yet, so I rode my bike to bring her back."

Ye Fan said helplessly, "My mother-in-law wanted to take them out to show off, but you asked for them before she showed off. It's strange that she could give them to you. Dabao and Erbao can't stay in the house. She and my father-in-law are tired of them, so they will ask Xiaoqin to bring them here."

Tao Chunlan was unhappy that she had made a wasted trip and didn't want to listen to her daughter's words. She just said a perfunctory answer and went back to the house.

Chen Xiaohui couldn't help but say: "She——"

Ye Fan interrupted: "Don't worry. I'll go cook."

Chen Xiaohui wanted to ask, "Just let her be alone and sulk?" Before she could finish her words, Ye Fan went into the kitchen. Chen Xiaohui was annoyed and thought, "What does it have to do with me? Why should I care about this?" After thinking this, she felt relieved and went back to her room to rest.

There are very few green vegetables in the north in winter, so Ye Fan uses an electric rice cooker to cook red date porridge, heats up a few mixed-flour steamed buns, makes a dish of pickled cabbage on the stove, and stir-fries shredded radish with lard.

Chen Xiaohui was surprised that Ye Fan's cooking was delicious. She thought Ye Fan had gone to school, worked and had children, so she had no time to learn how to cook. She was just a young lady who had never done housework, so Tao Chunlan was worried about her joining the army.

Ye Fan saw Chen Xiaohui looking at her and asked, "Is the food not to your liking?"

Chen Xiaohui shook her head: "No. Radishes don't have moisture."

Ye Fan: "I didn't release any fluid. Mom, is it too hard?"

Tao Chunlan's fragrance disappeared when she smelled the vinegar-fried cabbage, but she was still unhappy: "I can eat it, but your father-in-law can't."

Ye Fan smacked his lips: "Why bring it up again? The day after tomorrow, the day after tomorrow I'll go pick them up and come back to celebrate the Little New Year, okay?"

Tao Chunlan: "You mean you will spend the Spring Festival at your father-in-law's house?"

Ye Fan: "Isn't it like this in previous years? I come here on the first day of the new year and stay until the fifth day?"

Tao Chunlan was reluctantly satisfied: "I'll go back on the 28th."

Ye Fanxin asked why you didn't ask me to go back on New Year's Eve: "I'll listen to you. Let's eat."

After dinner, Ye Fan packed up and went to take a shower, not wanting to hear her mother cursing her in-laws.

After Ye Fan left, Tao Chunlan remembered that she was so busy arguing with the two ignorant people in the Geng family that she almost forgot the main business. When Ye Fan came back, Tao Chunlan pointed to the house in the south and asked Ye Fan to find time to persuade Chen Xiaohui not to buy anymore. When she went to buy vegetables in the morning, the neighbors around her joked that tomorrow was Sunday, and Xiaohui would go to the second-hand store again.

Ye Fan nodded: "I'll tell you tomorrow."

The next morning, Tao Chunlan found a random excuse to go to her neighbor's house. Ye Fan was sweeping the floor with a broom, and saw Chen Xiaohui going to the south. Ye Fan pretended to be curious and followed her: "This room is also dirty - why are there so many things?"

Chen Xiaohui turned around and smiled proudly, although she seemed to be trying her best to control it.

Ye Fan: "Did you buy it?"

Chen Xiaohui nodded. She knew that there was a revolution going on outside at that time and she couldn't let anyone hear her. She whispered, "They are all Ming Dynasty furniture, antiques."

Ye Fan wanted to find out why she wanted to buy furniture: "The antiques were sold to you?"

"I need money urgently. No one is willing to spend money to buy these. They are very cheap now." Chen Xiaohui pointed at the long table, which Ye Fan said was displayed: "Five catties of national food coupons."

You didn't spend any money? Ye Fan didn't know what to say for a moment: "Aren't you afraid that the neighbors will say you're nostalgic?"

Chen Xiaohui didn't think too much about it. She thought that since there were no words or obscene paintings on the furniture, it would be okay if the Revolutionary Committee saw it: "I - what should I do? Throw it away?" She couldn't help but feel the pain in her heart.

Ye Fan: "Just say that you have been in the countryside for a long time and like these old things. Pick out a few usable ones and put them in your room to prove your point."

Chen Xiaohui wanted to think about what to do if it breaks, but it seemed like there was only one way: "Then use this long one."

Ye Fan helped her carry it to the side room: "It's just the right place to put books and pens."

Chen Xiaohui couldn't help but say, "Why didn't I think of that?" Put the books you don't read on it, and it won't get damaged if you don't touch it.

Ye Fan: "I just checked, the south room seems to be full. Don't buy any more. Too much is as bad as too little."

Chen Xiaohui also realized that she was too hasty: "No, no - I forgot, I made an appointment with someone to go and see it next weekend, for the last time. How about if the neighbors ask about it, just say that you like the old one too?"

The 22nd day of the lunar calendar this year, and the 29th day of next weekend? Ye Fan had a bad feeling: "Are you sure it's next weekend? The next day is New Year's Eve, and even families with little clothes to wear should prepare New Year's Eve dinner."

What does Ye Fan mean? Chen Xiaohui wanted to ask: "He won't lie to me. I helped him."

Ye Fan: "Seeing injustice, drawing your sword to help?"

Chen Xiaohui's face turned red with anger: "You-I don't want to quarrel with you. You don't understand him."

But I know you, you are a fool! Ye Fan couldn't help but complain in his heart, and nodded slightly: "Tell me about it."

Chen Xiaohui felt that she was upright and could speak freely about anything: "His child wanted to eat candy, and he stole some from the supply and marketing cooperative. I happened to see him, so I secretly reminded him to put it back and bought him some more. He was very grateful to me. Hearing that I liked old things, he searched for a long time before helping me find a store that was willing to sell them at a low price."

Ye Fanxin was tired: "Was he particularly ashamed when I reminded him?"

Chen Xiaohui nodded: "I don't think he wants to do that, he's just being poor."

Ye Fan: "Shame will only make people hate you. Because you saw his unbearable side. When you say you are grateful, it's not gratitude for you buying candy, but gratitude for not sending him in. Forget it, I will go with you when the time comes."

Chen Xiaohui blurted out: "No need."

Ye Fan didn't waste time talking to her and went back to his room to brush up on his knowledge of antiques.

Chen Xiaohui thought Ye Fan agreed.

The next day, as soon as Chen Xiaohui left, Ye Fan asked her mother to move out Chen Xiaohui's old furniture. Tao Chunlan was very anxious: "Fanfan, you can't throw it away."

Ye Fan was speechless: "Who threw it away? Take it out so I can see how much stuff there is. You can wipe it with a dry cloth to avoid a strange smell when you open the door. How did she get it here?"

Tao Chunlan: "She asked someone to deliver the big stuff. She brought the small stuff back on her bike."

Ye Fan was speechless. Really amazing! I don't know what kind of people the educated youth who went to the countryside with her are. They turned a simple and innocent student into a fool.

"Go get the broom and rag, I'll move the small items out. Finish packing before 11 o'clock, and I'll go pick up Dabao and Erbao."

When Tao Chunlan heard that Dabao and Erbao were coming back, she immediately became very motivated. The mother and daughter packed up the things in several rooms at 10:30. Ye Fan went in again to take a closer look, roughly memorized all the furniture styles, changed clothes, packed up and went to her parents-in-law's house.

Geng Zhiye's father wanted to keep Ye Fan for dinner, but Ye Fan said she would come on the 28th, and only then did her father-in-law agree.

On the afternoon of the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month, Ye Fan took the two children back to his parents-in-law's house. Chen Xiaohui became more and more convinced that Ye Fan believed that she had not made a mistake. The next morning, Chen Xiaohui had just finished her meal when Ye Fan came in pushing a bicycle. Chen Xiaohui was stunned.

Ye Fan asked knowingly, "Not going?"

Chen Xiaohui didn't dare to tell the truth. She saw that Tao Chunlan didn't approve of her collecting old furniture, so she made up an excuse to leave the house. On the way, she chatted with Ye Fan about this and that, saying that she listened to Ye Fan and sent the two sets of clothes she bought for Chen Kuanren and Zhao Ruping. Including the shipping fee, it was less than fifteen yuan, and it should arrive today.

Ye Fan nodded and said nothing, "See, it's more cost-effective than you paying me."

Chen Xiaohui started talking about something else, saying that her family had bought meat and would make braised pork on the first day of the new year.

Ye Fan asked: "Are we almost there?"

Chen Xiaohui turned into the alley, passed two houses, stopped and shouted into the yard: "Brother Ren, are you home?"

The door opened and Ye Fan looked inside. It was a large compound, no wonder.

Then a man came out. He was about the same height as Chen Xiaohui, with a pointed face and monkey cheeks. Ye Fan frowned, and the man spoke first: "Accountant Chen, what is this?"

Ye Fan: "My neighbor Xiaohui. I'm curious, so I came with her to take a look."

The middle-aged man named Ren smiled and said, "What's your name, comrade?"

Ye Fan said first: "The surname is Geng."

Chen Xiaohui couldn't help but frown when she heard the word "Geng". Ye Fan couldn't let her speak, so he asked again: "In the courtyard?"

Comrade Ren saw that she was very curious and pointed to the front: "This one. I'll take you there."

Chen Xiaohui drove the car closer to Ye Fan: "You still don't believe it?"

Ye Fan smiled and said, "You'll know whether you believe it or not in a moment."

Three minutes later, the three of them walked into a courtyard that was a circle smaller than the Ye family's. The male owner of the courtyard looked to be in his early 40s. He introduced his things with a cigarette in his mouth: "These are all left by the old generation. If I didn't need money, I wouldn't sell them no matter what kind of relatives you are of Xiao Ren." After saying that, he opened the door of the wing room.

Comrade Ren pointed at the furniture in the room and said, "Accountant Chen, look, this square table and this altar are all made of mahogany. I'm not kidding you, am I? They are all from the Ming Dynasty."

Chen Xiaohui nodded, looked at Ye Fan, and couldn't help showing a proud expression, I didn't lie to you.

Ye Fan walked over and touched the altar: "This patina looks like an old item. But it's not from the Ming Dynasty."

Comrade Ren's smile froze, and then he smiled and said, "These are all clear goods. Comrade, only Ming Dynasty furniture is like this."

Ye Fan smiled and said, "Who said that Qingshui goods can only be Ming Dynasty furniture?" He looked at the owner of the furniture, "At first glance, it does look like Ming style. But it's a pity that it's from the Qing Dynasty, or after Yongzheng. The furniture of the Kangxi Dynasty is similar to that of the Ming Dynasty, with a simple style." Pointing to the carvings around the altar, "Ming-style furniture doesn't look like this. It's so luxurious and complicated, it's most likely from the Qianlong period. It looks like it might be from the time of Cixi." Having said that, he looked at the man surnamed Ren, "And this short square table, the four legs are so thick, the tabletop is heavy, it also had it in the Ming Dynasty, but it's a pity that there are carvings on the edges of the four sides, with a Huizi pattern, right? You two can also say that I am ignorant. But we don't have to have it. Xiaohui, let's go."

The furniture owner subconsciously shouted: "Accountant Chen, no, Accountant Chen, I asked you to look at it because you said you wanted me to. This man——"

Ye Fan looked at the man surnamed Ren: "You knew Xiaohui at the supply and marketing cooperative? Then you should know that there was an accountant in the supply and marketing cooperative before, right?"

The man surnamed Ren was speechless: "You, you are Ye Fan? Didn't you leave?"

Ye Fan nodded: "I am Ye Fan, I am back again." He said to the furniture owner, "If you insist that we buy it, I will find a history professor and an archaeology expert tomorrow to come over and take a look. If it is really Ming Dynasty furniture, I will give you as much as you want! If not, it is a fraud in partnership. See you at the Public Security Bureau!"

(End of this chapter)