Five years of marriage, always separated [1970s]

Of course Ye Fan did not forget, and promised her mother-in-law to find partners for Chen Xiaohui and Geng Zhiqin.

Speaking of this, Ye Fan is innocent.

No one mentioned Chen Xiaohui and Geng Zhiqin's personal problems on the first day and the next day of their arrival in the capital. Tao Chunlan felt sorry for Ye Fan's darkening and thinning, and wanted to nourish her. She asked Geng Zhiye to take Dabao and Erbao to Geng's house because Geng Zhiye's father wanted grandchildren.

Geng Zhiye laughed out of anger. His mother-in-law has been as unpleasant as ever for the past ten years!

When I was dating Ye Fan, I finally managed to squeeze in a few days of home leave. When I went to Ye Fan's house to pick him up for a movie or a park, Comrade Tao Chunlan would often ask what we were having for lunch, when we would be back, etc. Before we even left the house, Geng Zhiye wanted to ask if his family was poor or if he was stingy and didn't want to treat Ye Fan to a meal at a state-owned restaurant.

Once, it was winter, the days were short and the nights were long. When he sent her back at 4pm, Comrade Tao Chunlan said it was too late and said sarcastically that she thought she would not come back at night. At that time, they were still a few months away from getting married, and he was anxious but could not let Ye Fan have a reputation of living together before marriage.

Other parents worry that their children's feelings will fade after being married for a long time and they may end up getting divorced, but his mother-in-law probably wants him to get divorced.

It's been seven years. Is the old lady idle or does she simply dislike him?

When Ye Fan saw that Geng Zhiye looked upset, he said he would stay at Geng's house for a few days before coming back. Tao Chunlan said she would stay there first and go back in a few days. Chen Xiaohui was still encouraging him. Ye Fan was worried that Geng Zhiye and Chen Xiaohui would quarrel, so he just brushed it off.

However, the next morning, Tao Chunlan quietly bought a bunch of food. It was too hot to keep it for long, and the small refrigerator at Ye's house couldn't hold it all, so the family of four could only stay for one day.

The next morning, Geng Zhiye got up and blocked his mother-in-law's way, saying that they would go home after breakfast.

After breakfast, the family of four took the bus and left. Tao Chunlan had some free time and thought that Chen Xiaohui was the same age as Ye Fan, Dabao was already in elementary school, and Chen Xiaohui still had no partner. People who didn't know would think that the Ye family didn't care about Chen Xiaohui.

Chen Xiaohui was annoyed by Tao Chunlan's nagging when she came back for lunch at noon. After get off work in the afternoon, she went to Geng's house first, called Ye Fan to the door, and asked Ye Fan to persuade Comrade Tao Chunlan.

After Ye Fan sent Chen Xiaohui away, Yu Wentao asked Chen Xiaohui what she wanted to talk to her about. Ye Fan was worried that Yu Wentao would have wild thoughts and cause trouble, so she told her mother that she was urging Chen Xiaohui to go on a blind date. Yu Wentao remembered that Geng Zhiqin was 22 years old. When Ye Fan was Geng Zhiqin's age, Dabao would have been gone.

When Geng Zhiqin heard her sister-in-law mention "blind date", she felt that she was doomed, so she put down the watermelon and left. Yu Wentao quickly grabbed her back and pointed at her forehead and scolded her: "Where are you running to?"

Geng Zhiqin said that it was not that she did not want to get married, but that there was really no suitable one. If her mother could find a suitable one, she would not hesitate.

Most of the people who were a few years older or younger than Geng Zhiqin had only graduated from junior high school and did not have any technical skills. They relied on their relatives and friends to work as temporary workers in factories, and their jobs were unstable. There were almost no decent jobs for the educated youth who returned to the city, and Yu Wentao looked down on them. Ye Fan did not say a word, and Yu Wentao asked her to find a partner for Geng Zhiqin. It would be fine if there was an officer with a promising future in the army, and she would feel at ease with Ye Fan.

Ye Fan was dumbfounded on the spot. She had always thought that her mother-in-law was reluctant to let Geng Zhiqin marry far away.

Yu Wentao used to look down on Hengshan Island. There was nothing wrong with going there to take a look. Tao Chunlan was willing to let Ye Fan follow the army, so why should she be reluctant?

Ye Fan forgot to refuse for a moment, and Yu Wentao thought she agreed.

Geng Zhiye said on behalf of Ye Fan that excellent military officers were as rare as braised pork. Ye Fan found out today and planned to match them up tomorrow. Maybe they would get engaged tonight. Yu Wentao thought Geng Zhiye didn't want Ye Fan to worry about it, so she said in a very easy-to-talk manner that she was not in a hurry. It would be fine if there was a suitable one by this time next year.

Geng Zhiye didn't want his sister to get married casually, so he could only accept it with a pinch of his nose.

After staying at Geng's house for a few days, Ye Fan returned to Ye's house. After dinner, Ye Fan chatted with her mother. Tao Chunlan said that Xiao Hui was 28 years old and it was difficult to find a partner in the city. Unless she had bad character or her family was very poor, there were no gay men of her age. There were many gay men in the army, which made Ye Fan worry.

Ye Fan said to ask her father, Old Ye, to intervene - Old Ye knows many people. Tao Chunlan does not want Chen Xiaohui to find a man of equal status, because she will be bullied by her husband's family, and the Ye family will help her, which will only result in both sides being hurt. Geng Zhiye's second brother is good, his parents do not need to be powerful, as long as they have a pension, he has a good temper, is good at technology, and has no intention of bullying Chen Xiaohui.

Ye Fan thought to herself that you are really good at picking. Among the three brothers in the Geng family, only the second brother has a good temper. At night, when she was sleeping, Ye Fan told Geng Zhiye that her mother actually liked the second brother the most. Geng Zhiye thought that his mother-in-law really disliked him.

Living in his mother-in-law's house, next door to Chen Xiaohui, Geng Zhiye was worried that his mother-in-law would suddenly come and knock on the door. He was also afraid that walls might have ears, so he didn't dare say a bad word about Tao Chunlan, and asked Ye Fan what his plans were.

Ye Fan just said one word - delay.

Geng Zhiye didn't live long enough to know that by this time next year, the government had decided to resume the college entrance examination. Chen Xiaohui and Geng Zhiqin both wanted to go to college. He worried about Ye Fan from the capital to Hengshan Island, from the north of the Yellow River to the south of the Yangtze River, and from yesterday to today.

Ye Fan was puzzled: "I'm not anxious, why are you anxious?"

Geng Zhiye: "You can delay it today, but not tomorrow."

Ye Fan: "Let's put it off until the end of the year. Next year, Xiaoqin will be 23 and can find a partner. If Chen Xiaohui makes some progress in the next six months, we won't even need to introduce her. By the way, this Spring Festival——"

"No!" Geng Zhiye interrupted, "If you're not tired, then Dabao and Erbao are."

Dabao and Erbao were tired from playing in the capital these days, so they did not go out today. The brother and sister lay on the bench with their heads together, crossing their legs and reading the comic books that Geng Zhiqin gave them.

Ye Fan glanced at the two children and saw that they seemed not to have heard him, so he knew that they didn't want to go back: "Dabao, Erbao, are you tired from the car ride?"

The brother and sister nodded their chins.

Ye Fan: "Then let's not go back. Write a letter to grandma later and tell her that we will go back at this time next year."

Geng Zhiye said quickly, "Write it after Laba Festival."

Ye Fan was speechless: "Are you afraid that your mother-in-law will have time to come pick us up in person?"

Geng Zhiye nodded without hesitation.

"That's enough." Ye Fan rolled his eyes at him and left.

Geng Zhiye followed subconsciously: "Where are you going?"

Ye Fan said helplessly: "I can't run away. Cook!"

Geng Zhiye: "I bought steamed buns and washed the vegetables."

"What's the dish?"

Geng Zhiye raised his chin to let her see for herself.

Ye Fan looked over and saw two cucumbers, two tomatoes, and a big round eggplant.

These vegetables were sent by Zhuang Qiuyue. Before Geng Zhiye went on vacation, Ye Fan asked Zhuang Qiuyue, Liu Guihua and Wan Siqin to help her water the vegetables, and pick them when they grow up. She probably picked them before watering the vegetables the night before yesterday. Yesterday afternoon, Ye Fan got home and found that the tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplants, etc. were very small and could not be eaten until two days later. However, before Ye Fan went to the vegetable market, Zhuang Qiuyue sent her family 7 or 8 kilograms of green peppers, purple eggplants, green cucumbers, and bright red tomatoes. Putting them together was particularly appetizing. Zhuang Qiuyue also explained that her children had big appetites, so she picked all the vegetables for Ye Fan's family.

Ye Fan: "Smashed cucumber, fried tomato and eggs, braised eggplant?"

Geng Zhiye nodded: "I want to steam rice, and Dabao wants to eat steamed buns. Geng Dabao, didn't you eat enough at grandma's house?" he shouted towards the living room.

Dabao waved his hands and didn't want to talk.

Geng Zhiye: "He was so energetic on the train, running from one car to another, as if it was his first time riding a train. How come he turned into a bug when he got home?"

Dabao sat up and said, "Dad, I know you are unhappy, and I won't argue with you. However, my patience is limited, so I advise you to quit while you are ahead!"

Geng Zhiye sighed, "This is incredible. Geng Dabao, do you know what it means to quit while you are ahead?"

Ye Fan: "When will you join the army?"

Geng Zhiye: "There are still three days of vacation left. Just be patient for another three days."

Ye Fan rolled his eyes at him and said, "Cook porridge and heat up the buns."

Geng Zhiye added cold water to the steel pot: "Just drink the water."

Ye Fan stared. Geng Zhiye grabbed half a handful of rice, poured out some of the water in the pot, and turned on the stove to cook porridge. The aroma of rice wafted out, and Geng Zhiye put the sieve on to heat the steamed buns. Ye Fan started to cook.
First, smash the cucumber, then make scrambled eggs with tomatoes. Finally, I didn’t make braised eggplant. Instead, I cut the eggplant, steamed it, and poured Geng Zhiye’s all-purpose sauce on it.

The weather on Hengshan Island was very hot. Dabao and Erbao were sweating after dinner. Ye Fan was worried that the sticky sweat would make them uncomfortable and they would scratch, so he and Geng Zhiye gave the two children a bath.

Feeling refreshed, Dabao and Erbao finally perked up and ran out to find their friends.

Ye Fan and Geng Zhiye took a bath and went to find them to sleep. The two kids were sweating again. However, Ye Fan did not bathe them, but wiped them with a warm towel.

The next morning, the family of four was doing everything as usual. Geng Zhiye cooked, Ye Fan went to the market to buy fresh produce, and Teacher Dabao's Tai Chi class started again.

This time, Dabao was not in the yard—there was no room for too many children, nor did he go to the alley to sneak around as if he was afraid to be seen. Dabao was at the door of his house, among the flowers, practicing Tai Chi with the children and adults.

Deputy Captain Niu was holding a bucket and a carrying pole, cursing - the naughty kid didn't know how to help with housework at such a age, and asked him, the father, to fetch water, etc. When they arrived at Ye Fan's house, a group of children were cutting watermelons. Deputy Captain Niu wanted to make a joke, but when he saw Dabao standing in the front with a chic and graceful movement, he immediately thought it was interesting. After watching the end carefully, he heard Dabao ask to do it again, so Deputy Captain Niu threw away the bucket and carrying pole, stood behind Liao Miaomiao and followed the gesture.

Dabao checked from front to back, and when he saw Deputy Captain Niu, his eyes widened. Deputy Captain Niu said "hush" and pointed at himself, meaning don't say anything yet, wait and see what I, Old Niu, can do.

Dabao was precocious, sensible and rational, but he was only eight years old, still a child. How could he dare to teach Deputy Head Niu, who was a few years older than his father? Even if he thought he was great enough to be Niu Dayong's teacher, he still felt a little embarrassed.

Dabao didn't dare to point fingers, so he stood beside Liao Miaomiao and motioned Niu Dayong to follow him. Dabao taught his sister some experience and deliberately slowed down the movements. Because it was not fast to begin with, Niu Dayong was sweating after the practice and couldn't help complaining: "This thing is too tiring, it's not suitable for me."

Geng Zhiye came out of the yard and said, "You should temper yourself a little bit."

Niu Dayong pointed his thumb at himself and said, "I, Old Niu, call this——"

"Have you cooked?" Geng Zhiye didn't want to hear him "fart" so early in the morning.

Niu Dayong saw the bucket that fell to the ground and said, "It's broken!" He ran to the yard with the bucket in his hand. His two children didn't know what happened and were very worried: "Uncle Geng, what happened to my dad?"

Geng Zhiye: "Your mother was waiting for him to fetch water to wash vegetables, but he started playing with you guys. Do you think Tai Chi is boring?" Hearing the sound of the water pressure well, he said, "Niu Dayong, slow down! My water pressure well can't stand your damage!"

Deputy Head Niu was carrying two buckets of water and looked at the shoulder pole with disdain: "What kind of shoulder pole are you using?" He told his child to take it home, "If it breaks, I'll take it with you!"

If digging a well wasn't so difficult, Geng Zhiye really wanted to object, why not dig one yourself.

Deputy Head Niu stopped in front of Dabao and said, "Teacher Dabao, I will come to practice with you tomorrow."

"Ah?" Dabao opened his mouth in shock. Deputy Headman Niu left with two buckets of water.

Dabao was so anxious that he grabbed his father and asked, "Dad, what did Uncle Niu say?"

Liao Miaomiao: "Captain Niu is practicing Tai Chi with us." She couldn't help but frown as she spoke, "We are just having fun, why is he interfering?"

Captain Niu's son nodded: "Want to do something bad on purpose? Uncle Geng, my dad is the deputy and you are the chief, so my dad has to listen to you, right?"

Geng Zhiye was speechless but wanted to laugh: "He is not that free."

Liao Dadi: "Does he really want to practice Tai Chi with us?"

Geng Zhiye nodded: "Maybe he was dissatisfied with the slow movements during practice just now, and he couldn't help getting impatient. He realized that he shouldn't be like this, so he wanted to try to temper his temper. This is my guess, you all pretend you don't know, so as not to embarrass him." Pointing to his face, "Adults are very concerned about their reputation."

Dabao couldn't help but ask: "Dad, does that include you?"

Geng Zhiye flicked him on the forehead. Dabao cried out in pain, covered his forehead and kicked his father.

Ye Fan asked loudly: "Geng Dabao, what are you doing?"

Dabao didn't even turn his head and said, "Dad bullied me!" Then he chased after his father, "You are not allowed to run!"

Geng Zhiye turned back as he walked and asked, "Did I run away? I was clearly walking. Geng Dabao, your legs are too short to talk nonsense."

Dabao clenched his fists: "A gentleman can be killed but not humiliated!"

Ye Fan had a frown on his face, all because of his idleness: "Okay, let's go home." He said to the group of children, "It's time to wash your face and brush your teeth. By the way, have you finished your summer homework?"

The children of the same age as Dabao's looked changed instantly, as if they just realized they had summer homework, and ran home with bitter faces.

Seeing that Liao Miaomiao was not in a hurry at all, Ye Fan asked: "Graduated from junior high school?"

Liao Miaomiao nodded: "My mother said I would go to the countryside in two years." The thin little girl couldn't help but sigh, her face full of sadness that didn't belong to her age.

Ye Fan comforted her that she still had two years left and she should cherish these two years. But when he thought of Liao Miaomiao completely abandoning her books and returning all the knowledge she learned in junior high school to her teachers in the college entrance examination next year, and that she might never go to university in this life, Ye Fan felt a little bit sorry.

Even if you raise a wild cat for two years, you still hope it has a comfortable home. Ye Fan said, "You can read more useful textbooks when you have nothing to do. Maybe the army logistics department will recruit people in two years."

Liao Miaomiao nodded: "My mother meant the same thing. My mother also said that the Mid-Autumn Festival is coming soon and the food factory is very busy, so she asked me to follow Aunt Liu to help you."

Ye Fan: "If you don't mind the crowds and the hassles, you can go there next Monday, September 6th."

Liao Miaomiao thanked him happily.

Ye Fan asked her to go home and help her mother cook, and then took Erbao home.

Four-year-old Geng Erbao doesn't understand complicated things: "Mom, why is Sister Miaomiao unhappy?"

Ye Fan: "Because she will leave her mother in two years. Just like her father will leave his father to work here."

Erbao thought about how long he had been away from his mother and said, "Mom, I don't want to leave you!"

Ye Fan: "Mom won't leave Erbao either."

Erbao seemed to have received a guarantee, so he let go of his mother's hand and ran into the house: "Dabao, Dabao——"

Geng Dabao came out: "Who are you calling Dabao?"

"Brother!" Erbao was unhappy when he saw his brother, "I call you brother, but you don't know who Erbao is calling you."

Dabao asked angrily, "How many brothers do you have? Geng Erbao, if you dare to call me by my name in the future, I will beat you!"

Ye Fan: "You are so angry, but you have never hit your father before?"

Dabao exclaimed, "How old am I?" Thinking of his father, he didn't dare to hit his mother, "Mom, am I your baby?"

Geng Zhiye sneered, put his hands in his pockets and walked closer to his son: "Your treasure? Are you sick of it, Geng Dabao?"

Geng Dabao: "I'm not talking to you. Don't talk!"

Ye Fan touched his son's little head and glared at Geng Zhiye: "Are you free? You tease him so early in the morning. People who don't know will think that the adults in our family are quarreling and the children are crying. And you, Dabao, won't it be okay if you ignore him? Look at Erbao, you never pay attention to your dad. It's no fun for your dad to tease her. When has he ever teased her?"

Dabao couldn't believe it: "Is it my fault?"

Ye Fan opened his mouth and said, "--My fault. I didn't explain it clearly. Let me give you an example. I want your dad to cook and wash the pots and dishes, and I will wash your faces and teeth for you two?"

Although mom didn't beat dad, at least she didn't let him do nothing. Dabao was reluctantly satisfied: "If you don't need to wash your face and brush your teeth, I will be in the third grade when school starts again."

Ye Fan nodded, handed a bag of fish, turtles, shrimps and crabs to Geng Zhiye, and picked up Erbao: "I'll wash Erbao."

After dinner, Ye Fan went to the food factory, while Geng Zhiye stayed at home to look after the child. Geng Zhiye didn't want to make the child scream, so he went to the food factory to annoy Ye Fan, and turned into a kind old father again.

When school started, Geng Zhiye registered his two children, holding the younger one and holding the older one, then came back to pack his luggage and stay in the army for the next week.

On Monday, September 6th, Ye Fan saw that Liao Miaomiao really wanted to learn something, so he gave her the account book and asked her to take possession of it.

The food factory collects the fishermen's goods first and then pays them, because there is no money in the account. In the past, the fishermen would be worried if they didn't get paid for a day. Now it's not the case. Ye Fan has never lost a cent. But he is worried about Liao Miaomiao. Liao Miaomiao writes it down, and they have to ask again whether it is a certain amount of kilograms.

By the afternoon, Liao Miaomiao's voice became hoarse.

Liu Guihua was practicing using the abacus in her room. Her children had taught her, but there were many chores to do at home, and she was afraid that someone would come to her and ridicule her for learning how to use the abacus, which would become a topic of conversation, so she would hide in Ye Fan's office to learn.

She didn't know the situation outside, so she thought Liao Miaomiao was sick, so she poured half a tub of hot water and told her to drink it and go home.

Liao Miaomiao put down the account book: "Aunt Ye, nothing is easy."

Ye Fan went out to see why she sighed like that: "It's not easy for you. They don't trust you. Didn't Chen Xiaohui hear someone saying in the bathroom that I was treating the fishermen like my grandsons when she came over that time?"

Liu Guihua knew that Chen Xiaohui had said, "What's wrong?"

Ye Fan: "There are so many people on the island. If I'm too easy to talk to, people will come to me at any time of day or night. They come to sell things and they will argue with me if the scale is a little low. It's not like now, if it's half an ounce more, they can just let it go. If I were you, Su Yuncheng would weigh it and then leave. He wouldn't ask if it was written down, so as not to make a mistake. Sometimes I'm alone and the scale is outside. They will weigh it and tell me, put the things in the warehouse and leave. I don't even have to go out." He paused, thought for a moment and said, "Sometimes when I'm not here, they put down the things and tell the market staff what their names are, and wait for me to come back to weigh and record them."

Liao Miaomiao: "No wonder you work four hours a day, two hours in the morning and two hours in the afternoon, and there has been no trouble for almost two years."

Ye Fan: "Don't copy me. I started this food factory. They have no objection to anything I say. It's useless to yell at them, cry or make a fuss."

Liu Guihua nodded: "Miaomiao, you may not do this in the future. First learn how to deal with people to avoid being cheated in the future."

Liao Miaomiao nodded repeatedly: "I understand."

Ye Fan told her to go to the health center to get some Sterculia lychnophora or Monk Fruit, take care of it at home for two days, and come back in a few days.

Liao Miaomiao didn't tell her mother that the fishermen selling seafood didn't trust her. Her throat was tired from talking too much all day. Zhuang Qiuyue thought she was very tired, so she bought two big fish to nourish her body.

In Zhuang Qiuyue's opinion, the work in the food factory was so easy that even Liao Miaomiao couldn't handle it, and going to the countryside to farm would make her collapse from exhaustion. So every two or three days, Zhuang Qiuyue would buy two big fish, one for soup and one for steaming or braising.

A few days passed like this. One evening, Liu Guihua came out to digest her dinner. She saw Ye Fan burning paper at the intersection again. She hurried over and whispered, "Why are you burning paper again?"

Ye Fan whispered, "It's the seventh day, is it time to come back and take a look?"

Liu Guihua wanted to ask whose seventh day was coming, but suddenly she remembered someone she had heard about a great man who had passed away a few days ago: "Should I - should I burn something too?"

Ye Fan gave her a stack of them. Liu Guihua squatted down and said hesitantly, "There's nothing to do on the island, and no one to talk to. I forgot about it."

Ye Fan: "Don't blame yourself. I have the habit of reading newspapers. There are newspapers in the vegetable market, and I often go to the vegetable market recently because of receiving goods. I read it in my free time. Otherwise, I wouldn't know."

"No wonder you--" Liu Guihua suddenly thought of the first half of the year, "What about your Qingming before?"

Ye Fan nodded: "But it's the supply and marketing cooperative that has these things. Otherwise, it would be useless even if I have the intention."

Liu Guihua: "Is there any supply and marketing cooperative?"

Ye Fan shook his head: "I can't bear to throw it away. No one dares to buy it except me. I didn't dare to sell it last time. Seeing that nothing happened after I burned it, this time I was asked to take it all away."

Liu Guihua: "With such a big incident, should Captain Geng continue to be on duty?"

Ye Fan nodded: "Just in case. Even if the other side doesn't dare to come over to cause trouble, it doesn't mean that there are no people from them on the island. If someone takes the opportunity to cause trouble, by the time Geng Zhiye runs to the scene from home, it will be too late."

Liu Guihua shook her head: "We are not so conscious. A few days ago, Lao Niu suddenly returned to the army. I thought the political commissar was sick and asked him to take over. It's also Lao Niu. He usually has a loud voice, but when something big happens, he becomes mute."

Ye Fan: "It shows that their regiment has strict discipline. A person like Captain Niu can be so careful that he can be reused in the future." Seeing that the paper money was burned, "Let's go too. Let's rest early. After the seafood is delivered to the capital, we can collect the duck feathers and goose feathers. If nothing goes wrong, someone will have to come to collect them at the end of this month."

Liu Guihua stood up suddenly. Ye Fan was startled and leaned back. Liu Guihua held her back and asked, "Can duck and goose feathers really be sold for money?"

Ye Fan nodded, and seeing her complicated expression, he asked, "You didn't throw away the fur you saved last year, did you?"

(End of this chapter)