Back to my 1980s

The sun was already very strong at nine o'clock in the morning.

The wheat only needed to be dried, so after working for a while, Mr. and Mrs. Song, along with Zhao Hua and Song Xueping, hid in the shade of the trees to cool off, only needing to occasionally shoo away the birds.

Zhao Hua and Song Zhiqiang squatted together, smoking and chatting. Song Xueping was not far away, and a faint fragrance wafted over from her when the wind blew.

Zhao Hua wanted to get closer to her and talk to her more, but he was afraid of being too forward, since they had already made contact.

It's not yet time for the blind dates of her past life, so she's unlikely to be snatched away. Therefore, even if Zhao Hua thinks about it day and night, she has to restrain herself for now. If something goes wrong because of her recklessness, she'll have nowhere to cry. She can't just be forcibly tied up.

However, girls are naturally more sensitive to that kind of gaze, so how could she be completely oblivious to the many times Zhao Hua had looked at her?

Song Xueping was almost twenty years old and would occasionally discuss marriage with her girlfriends. She was a sensible and understanding woman. She had some guesses about Zhao Hua's many times of intense gaze. She didn't dislike him. Zhao Hua was quite good-looking, otherwise they wouldn't have gotten married after just one meeting in her previous life.

Although his gaze was intense and direct, he was also reserved in every way, not daring to say much or look at her too closely, which made her a little confused.

After chatting with Song Zhiqiang for a while, Song's mother called Song Xueping and Zhao Hua home, leaving Song's father alone there to chase away the birds.

Walking along the road, Song Xueping walked ahead, arm in arm with her mother, while Zhao Hua and Song Zhiqiang lagged behind. Song's mother turned to Zhao Hua and smiled, "Little Zhao, I heard you're fishing at home to sell?"

Upon hearing Song's mother's question, Zhao Hua hurriedly stepped forward and replied, "Yes, I'll catch some small fish and shrimp at home."

Song's mother glanced at Song Zhiqiang and then smiled, "I heard from Qiangzi that you're making quite a bit of money. It's so nice that you live by the river; you can eat fish whenever you want. Here, we have to pay to buy fish if we want to eat it."

Zhao Hua smiled and said, "It's alright, how can you be so sure? But we have a lot of fish where I live. In the past, it was common for fishing boats to catch dozens or even hundreds of kilograms in one net. If there were a lot of them, they would be worth some money when piled up."

Upon hearing this, Song's mother raised her eyebrows and smiled, "That's true, but it should still be better than farming. Our brigade has a lot of people and little land. Our family of four was allocated a little over three mu of land. After working ourselves to the bone to pay the grain tax and levies, and then deducting the costs of seeds, pesticides, and fertilizers, what's left is just enough to eat. If we plant some soybeans, we can earn about sixty or seventy yuan a year."

Zhao Hua was shocked and didn't speak for a while. He really had no idea how much money he could make from farming. After hearing what Song's mother said, that with two harvests a year, the whole family could only earn about 60 or 70 yuan a year? No wonder so many people left their land uncultivated and went to work elsewhere.

Thinking this to himself but not daring to show it on his face, lest the Song family think he was looking down on them, he forced a smile and said, "It's all the same. Every time I go down to the river to catch fish, my arms are so sore I can't even lift them when I get back."

Song's mother smiled and said, "You are a good young man. It's good that you are capable, but don't push yourself too hard. If you feel tired, take a break. Your health is the most important thing."

Song's mother wasn't stupid. Although Zhao Hua didn't directly say how much she would earn, she had heard Song Zhiqiang mention it before, and she knew the prices of poultry and fish when she went to the market to buy groceries. After hearing Zhao Hua's explanation, she could make a rough estimate.

The group chatted and laughed as they walked home. When they arrived, Song's mother saw the cans of tobacco and alcohol on the table and knew that Zhao Hua had brought them. She quickly pulled him aside and scolded him, "Don't bring so much stuff next time. You're a young man, how can you afford to spend so much? Earning money isn't easy, you can't waste it like this."

This time, Zhao Hua wasn't asked to take it back and return it. Perhaps they knew that the amount of money wasn't much for Zhao Hua, or perhaps it would seem too distant to keep pushing it back and forth. They just felt sorry for him and reminded him a few more times not to bring anything next time.

After giving his instructions, he turned around, gritted his teeth, took out some money, and said to Song Zhiqiang, "Go find Old Butcher and buy half a pound of pork."

Seeing this, Zhao Hua quickly stepped forward to stop Song Zhiqiang. He had never farmed before, spending his days hanging out with friends, eating whatever fish and shrimp he caught was enough for a dish. He never imagined that even a good harvest from farming would only earn him sixty or seventy yuan a year. Now that he knew, he dared not let him buy meat. He quickly smiled at Song's mother and said, "No need to be so polite, Auntie! I'll eat whatever I want!"

Song's mother forbade it and kept sending Song Zhiqiang to buy it. Song Zhiqiang was a glutton and didn't care about anything else. He left in a flash.

Zhao Hua had initially planned to go with him, even if it meant paying for it herself, but then she changed her mind and stopped. She waited until Song Zhiqiang was a little further away before feigning reluctance and saying, "Never mind, thanks, ma'am. I haven't had pork in ages; it's always fish or shrimp. I'll have to try it today!"

Mother Song smiled and nodded, saying, "Oh, oh! Although I don't have anything fancy at home, I can manage to get you some pork. Just go sit down and wait for your meal."

Zhao Hua glanced at the room and smiled at Song's mother, "Alright, I've been squatting and sitting all day, I need to stretch my legs." Then she turned to Song Xueping and smiled, "Why don't you take me to find your brother and see what he bought? I still don't know your name, did I hear Auntie call you Xiaoping last time?"

Mother Song laughed and said, "What are you going to do now? You should be back soon. But it's good for you to get some exercise. This is my little girl, three years younger than Qiangzi, her name is Song Xueping." After saying that, she turned around and went into the inner room to busy herself. Before leaving, she said to Song Xueping, "Take Xiao Zhao to find your brother. Keep an eye on him and make sure he gets plenty of fatty meat. Don't bring me back a skewer of lean meat. Go early and come back early."

Song Xueping glanced at Zhao Hua, then said to her mother, "I understand, Mother!"

Then she led Zhao Hua outside. Zhao Hua was incredibly excited. He had just followed Song Zhiqiang, and he had no chance to have this opportunity again. Seeing Song Xueping start to walk out, he quickly followed.

"Your name is Song Xueping?"

Song Xueping nodded and said, "Yes, is your name Zhao Hua?"

Zhao Hua, standing beside Song Xueping, nodded and said, "Yes, your name is really beautiful!"

Song Xueping smoothed her hair, whispered her thanks, glanced at Zhao Hua, and asked, "Can I ask you a question?"

Zhao Hua stood tall and smiled, "Ask away, I'll answer everything I know."

Song Xueping nodded, then glanced at Zhao Hua and said, "Why do you always secretly look at me?"

Zhao Hua stumbled, stammering, "You know?"

Song Xueping smiled and said, "I knew it from the first time I saw you. You always have that kind of look in your eyes. It feels so strange."

Zhao Hua's heart skipped a beat: "Aren't you angry?"

Song Xueping shook her head and said, "I'm not angry. I can sense that you meant no harm. I just don't understand why you were looking at me like that."

Zhao Hua's Adam's apple bobbed, and for a moment he didn't know how to answer.