Back to my 1980s

"Hey! Here it comes!"

Song Zhiqiang hurriedly put a shoe on one foot and came out of the house to greet them, his face full of joy.

"What brings you here today? Aren't you busy catching fish to sell?"

"We caught them. We just brought them to the county town to sell today, and we're also bringing two over for you to eat." Zhao Hua saw Song Zhiqiang come out, turned around and went back to push his bicycle.

"Huh? Sell it in the county town? Go that far?" After saying that, Song Zhiqiang looked at Zhao Hua's hands in confusion. Seeing that his hands were empty, he looked around on the ground a few times but didn't see any fish. Seeing Zhao Hua walk out, he followed him a few steps.

Just as I reached the gate, I saw Zhao Hua pushing his bicycle into the yard. I swallowed back the words I was about to ask him about transporting the fish.

He took a few steps forward in a daze, then turned around blankly and followed Zhao Hua into the yard. Only after Zhao Hua parked his bicycle did he come to his senses and exclaim in surprise, "Is this your bicycle?"

Zhao Hua glanced at his reaction and wasn't surprised. Since returning from Hongguang Brigade last time, he had taken the time to learn about the current income from farming.

All the villages had just started the household contract responsibility system, which included grain tax, three levies and five unified taxes, pesticides, and seeds. After all that, plus daily expenses, most farmers' savings were practically gone by the end of the year.

They wouldn't starve, but they weren't well-fed either. If the harvest was slightly worse, they would have to live beyond their means. The most crucial issue was that rural residents had no legitimate channels to obtain various ration coupons.

Therefore, the appearance of a bicycle in the countryside at this stage is not much different from growing crops in saline-alkali soil, so it's no wonder that Song Zhiqiang was surprised.

After parking the car, he scooped the two fish out of the bamboo basket and said with a smile, "Yes, I just bought them not long ago."

Song Zhiqiang did not take the fish. After listening to Zhao Hua's words, he bent over and kept circling the bicycle, his eyes scanning every corner.

Zhao Hua looked up at the sky. Luckily it was daytime and he had a bicycle. If it were nighttime and he had to take the bicycle away, Song Zhiqiang's current actions and expressions would be perfect for a lesson in how to portray a possessed character.

He smiled, tossed the fish onto the kitchen floor, then walked over to him and asked, "Where's Auntie?"

Song Zhiqiang finally straightened up, but his gaze was still fixed on the car. He said, "My dad, my sister, and I went to work in the fields. The beans were just planted, and we're digging drainage ditches."

Zhao Hua sighed inwardly. His family's farm work had been finished long ago, but he hadn't made it. In mid-May, they harvested rapeseed, and after that, they rushed to plant sweet potatoes in the rain. He woke up in his grandmother's side room right after planting the sweet potatoes. As for Song Xueping's family, every time he visited, they were busy with farm work.

However, he was unwilling to go back just because he came here for Song Xueping.

He thought for a moment and said, "How about we go to the field and call someone back to process the fish? They won't stay fresh if we leave them out too long."

Song Zhiqiang waved his hand and said, "No need, I can handle it. I'm not bragging, but when it comes to handling food, I'm an expert." He then began his long-winded explanation.

Zhao Hua rubbed his head, gave him a thumbs up, interrupted him, and said, "Impressive, impressive. But I haven't bought a bicycle lock yet. I also need to buy a lock for the small boat. You'll have to take me to a place that sells locks."

Upon hearing this, Song Zhiqiang's eyes widened suddenly. He circled the bicycle, but couldn't find a lock. He turned to Zhao Hua and said, "Brother, you're really something else. You bought a bike and it doesn't even come with a lock."

He smacked his lips and continued, "Okay, let's go. First, let's call someone back to kill the fish, then I'll take you to buy a lock. We're close to the county town, and we can find almost anything there in the village."

Zhao Hua chuckled to himself, unloaded the fish basket, and pushed his bicycle outside. If he had known Song Xueping was also outside, he wouldn't have brought her inside.

The two left the courtyard, and after Song Zhiqiang closed the gate, he got into the car and called to Song Zhiqiang, "Get in!"

Song Zhiqiang immediately stood still, staring expectantly at Zhao Hua. Zhao Hua, puzzled, said, "What are you doing? Get in the car!"

Instantly, Song Zhiqiang chuckled a few times, took a few steps forward and sat in the back seat, laughing, "I thought I misheard, but it really is letting me get in the car, hehe."

Zhao Hua pursed his lips. It seemed he wasn't completely shameless after all. He hadn't expected to have to climb into the car as soon as he stepped out the door. He casually replied, "Sit tight."

Seeing that he was already seated, Zhao Hua rode directly towards Songjiatian. Fortunately, the rain had stopped, and there wasn't much standing water on the road. There were also many weeds growing by the roadside, so he rode along the grass and didn't get too muddy.

Villagers working in the fields along the road straightened up and stared at the two men as they saw them. After they walked away, they started talking about them right there in the fields.

Zhao Hua saw Song's parents and Song Xueping from afar, and a smile involuntarily crept onto his lips, his legs suddenly filled with strength.

Song Zhiqiang had already started shouting from afar, and the Song family members in the fields heard the familiar voice and put down what they were doing to look over.

Upon seeing who it was, Song's mother beamed with joy and quickly walked from the field to the ridge to greet them, while Song's father and Song Xueping watched them from afar in the field.

"The road is all muddy. Why aren't you staying at home? What are you doing running around in the fields? Don't get your bicycle dirty." Song's mother walked towards Zhao Hua with a happy smile.

Zhao Hua parked the car and before he could speak, Song Zhiqiang jumped out and said, "Zhao Hua came to the county town to sell fish today, and he left two big fish for us. Who can go back and clean them? I want to go with him to buy a car lock."

Mother Song frowned and said, "Oh dear! Why didn't you keep it to sell? What's the point of sending it here? It's such a waste. A fish can sell for quite a bit of money."

Zhao Hua put his feet on the ground and chuckled, "It's alright, I caught them myself. Fish are easy to catch in the rain. I caught over a hundred pounds yesterday. Bring a couple over to try, it doesn't cost any money."

"You silly child! You always bring things back with you. I feel so bad about it. You should keep them and sell them yourself."

Song Zhiqiang waved his hand impatiently and said, "Mom, didn't you see that they've already bought bicycles? What's the difference between those two fish and us? Hurry up and go back to clean the fish. They're still lying on the kitchen floor. We're going to buy a bicycle lock."

Song's mother immediately stepped forward and slapped Song Zhiqiang several times, scolding, "You take whatever I give you! You never think anything is too expensive, and you want to eat everything! Xiao Zhao has bought a bicycle, what have you bought?"

Zhao Hua ignored the mother and son and took the opportunity to steal a glance at Song Xueping. Song Xueping was also looking at Zhao Hua, and her bright eyes, which seemed to be misty with clear morning dew, came into Zhao Hua's view.

She hurriedly lowered her head to avoid Zhao Hua's gaze, then suddenly raised her head again, glaring at him fiercely with her beautiful eyes.

Seeing Song Xueping's little expression, Zhao Hua felt a surge of joy.

After not seeing her for several days, her figure was still so slender and thin. Zhao Hua felt both heartache and joy at the prospect of seeing her again.