Back to my 1980s

Hongguang Village.

Villagers watching from afar.

"Whose child is that?"

"I don't know, has anyone heard of it?"

"I've heard of it, it seems to be from Shuanghuai Village. I've been to the village twice."

"Really? What's your relationship with Qiangzi's family? Why are you teaching him to ride a bike?"

"I heard he's Qiangzi's friend."

"How could he find a friend with a car? How old is this young man?"

"I don't know, I've never ridden a bike here before, maybe it's new?"

"That's a great friend. He's already showing off his brand new car. Shall we go check it out?"

"Let's go, let's go take a look. We've only ever seen bicycles riding around in front of us, but we've never gotten a close look at them."

"Hey! I think your third daughter is almost of marriageable age. Why don't you invite her to come and see her? Just for fun."

"Ugh, their kid, why should I worry about that? Why don't you go first, and I'll just mention it?"

A few minutes later, more and more villagers gathered at the threshing ground. There were men and women, young and old. The wheat had just been harvested and the seeds had just been sown. It was the quietest time of the year.

Zhao Hua glanced at the villagers watching and noticed that many middle-aged women weren't looking at the bicycle, but were secretly staring at him. When he looked closely, he found that everyone was staring at the bicycle.

He looked at Song Xueping, who was chatting and laughing with the women in the village; everything seemed perfectly normal.

He licked his lips, staring at Song Zhiqiang. As Song Zhiqiang passed by, he stepped forward and said, "Alright, no need to push anymore. Get on the bike, and I'll hold it for you from behind so it doesn't tip over. Pedal half a circle at a time, don't ride too fast. Learn to ride a little distance without tipping over first."

There were too many onlookers, so he couldn't talk to Song Xueping. He decided to teach Song Zhiqiang how to ride a bike seriously. When Song Zhiqiang heard that he could actually ride a bike, he excitedly responded.

After a moment, Zhao Hua steadied the bicycle and let Song Zhiqiang ride forward little by little. After more than ten minutes, Song Zhiqiang was able to ride wobbly for more than ten meters.

As more and more people gathered around, including the children who had called him "brother," Zhao Hua worried about bumping into them and said, "Alright, that's enough for today. You'll get the hang of it after a little practice next time."

Upon hearing this, Song Zhiqiang reluctantly let go of his bicycle, then glanced at the onlookers around him before immediately going to brag to his friends.

Zhao Hua wasn't familiar with the people around him. Seeing Song Zhiqiang and Song Xueping talking to the villagers, he smiled slightly, waved to the children he had previously shared candy with, got on his car, and went back to the Song family first.

By this time, Song's father had already returned home from the fields. Seeing Zhao Hua pushing the cart through the door, he smiled and said, "Why are you the only one back? Where are the two siblings?"

"They're behind us, with the villagers. Uncle, what are you doing?" He parked the car in the yard and looked towards Song's father, who was piling up old wooden planks in the yard.

"Hmm? The brigade notified us before the New Year that each household could raise more pigs than the assigned pigs, and the extra ones wouldn't have to be handed over. I figured I'd raise one or two pigs anyway, and since I just finished harvesting the wheat and have some extra money, I'd like to expand the pigsty."

Zhao Hua twitched his lips. In the past, the girls in his family had to cut pig feed to earn work points. Now that they don't have to earn work points anymore, before he could even breathe a sigh of relief, the number of pigs they raised had increased again, and he still had to cut them to death.

He chuckled and said, "So you're planning to raise a few more next spring?"

Father Song shook his head and said, "Raising one more is about right. A piglet costs twenty yuan, and we can't afford to raise several. Qiangzi, have you learned how?"

"Almost there. You can ride a few steps, albeit wobbly. With a little more practice over the next few days, you'll basically get the hang of it."

"That's great! I was so busy last time, but now that things are a bit quieter, I'll have Qiangzi buy some more wine when he gets back. We're going to have a good time tonight." He looked at Zhao Hua's bicycle.

Zhao Hua smiled and said, "No, I have to go back soon. It's such a long way, and I haven't gotten familiar with the road yet. I'll drink it after I've gotten more familiar with it." He had already met the person, and there was plenty of time in the future. Anyway, he had an excuse to teach driving, so he didn't want to stay any longer.

But Mr. Song was unwilling to agree. He hurriedly piled the wooden planks he was carrying in the corner of the yard and said, "How can that be? No way! I haven't had time to properly entertain you the last few times I've come. How can you just go back like this? At least stay and have lunch before you leave."

Upon hearing this, Song's mother hurriedly came out of the kitchen and said, "What? You're not staying for dinner? No way! I've already washed the rice and specially cooked some white rice to treat you today. How can you leave without eating? Eat before you go!" As she spoke, she wiped her hands and went forward to carry his fish basket into the house.

She came out again, grabbed Zhao Hua's arm, and dragged him into the main room. Zhao Hua was both amused and exasperated. She hadn't said she was leaving now, and he couldn't forcefully pull away, so he could only refuse while following Song's mother's lead towards the main room.

Before the two even entered the house, a cacophony of footsteps and the sharp cries of children suddenly came from outside the courtyard. Zhao Hua turned to look outside, and when Song's father and mother saw him turn, they also looked out.

Soon after, Song Zhiqiang's boasting could be heard. Song's mother released Zhao Hua's arm and listened intently to the commotion outside the courtyard. Song Zhiqiang and Song Xueping slowly appeared at the door, followed by a large group of people.

Seeing so many people arrive, the elderly couple exchanged a glance, and Song's mother greeted them with a smile.

Zhao Hua didn't recognize these people and didn't know where to go for the time being. He glanced at the courtyard and saw Song's father standing by the wooden plank watching. He simply took a few steps forward and stood with him.

Once Zhao Hua had stopped, several girls who were familiar with Song Xueping escorted her into the courtyard. They kept their eyes straight ahead and chatted happily with Song Xueping, which seemed perfectly normal. Zhao Hua smiled.

These girls probably don't understand that everyone is openly or secretly observing him, and not looking at him directly is the most abnormal thing.

After the group of girls went inside, several middle-aged men went into the yard and approached Song's father. They offered Song's father and Zhao Hua a cigarette and stood aside chatting about building a pigsty. The rest of the men and the middle-aged woman stood outside the yard with Song Zhiqiang and Song's mother, looking at Zhao Hua and talking quietly.

A few middle-aged men chatted for a bit about building a pigsty, then suddenly changed the subject, looked at Zhao Hua and laughed, "Where is this young man from? He's quite handsome."

Seeing that Zhao Hua didn't speak, Song's father chimed in with a smile, "They sent over two fish from Shuanghuai, and also came to visit Qiangzi."

"Oh, Shuanghuai, I went there once years ago. It's not close to here, but it doesn't take long to go back and forth by bicycle. Is this bicycle his?"

When Mr. Song returned home, he had already heard Mrs. Song talking about it, and now he knew a bit about the situation, so he nodded and smiled, "Yes, it's his. I heard he just bought it not long ago."

Several middle-aged men nodded and chuckled, "This car must cost a lot, right? And you need a ticket to buy it, right?"

"Of course, who would sell you a ticket if you didn't have one? And even if you had a ticket, it's not like you can just buy one whenever you want."

"Young man, did you buy this yourself?"

The others then steered the conversation back to Zhao Hua, and since they couldn't keep relying on Song's father to answer for them, Zhao Hua could only smile and say, "Yes, I bought it myself."

"So young and already able to afford a bicycle? That's great! Are you buying it for your wedding?"

Zhao Hua sensed that something was amiss; these people seemed to be looking for a son-in-law! But he dared not speak carelessly and ruin his reputation, especially since Song's father was standing right there.

He could only force a smile and quickly distance himself, saying, "No, no, I haven't even been on a date yet, so what kind of marriage would I be getting?

"Still not married? You're of marriageable age, aren't you? Are you overwhelmed by all the choices? Young people should settle down and start a family early. Don't be so picky, just someone you can live with is enough. Have you found a girl you like?"

His heart skipped a beat. How could he dare say he had a girl in mind in front of Song's father, especially not Song Xueping? He sucked hard on his cheek and said, "I don't have anyone in mind. I'm just a fisherman. I have to sell my fish before dawn, and then I have to go back to catching fish. I don't have time to think about those things."

Upon hearing that he was a fisherman, the group's attitude immediately cooled, their smiles faded, and the atmosphere became tense for a moment.

However, one of them glanced at the bicycle and hesitated, saying, "Living on a boat? Then we won't get any land or farmland this time, will we? We'll just be drifting around everywhere."

Before Zhao Hua could speak, Song's father, seeing the crowd's indifferent expressions, clicked his tongue and said unhappily, "Why didn't they get any? Didn't we say they're from Shuanghuai Village? Their roots are on the shore, they have fields and land, why didn't they get any?"

Still seemingly unsatisfied, she continued, "Where did it just drift around? People over there live by the river, and their kids are ambitious. They make a living by getting a small boat and catching fish in deeper waters to sell. A small boat can earn two or three hundred yuan!"

Zhao Hua had stepped in to help with the wheat field issue, and he never came empty-handed. He already felt he hadn't been treated well, so how could he be willing to see Zhao Hua being treated coldly now?

Upon hearing this, the men's faces immediately broke into smiles again, and they said, "Oh, that's great! We farmers still need land; only with land can we have roots."

"Life would be much easier then. Even if you don't farm, having a piece of land there would give you peace of mind."

"That's right. There's no big river around here, otherwise I would catch fish and sell them. It's much better than toiling in the fields for a living."

"That's not how it works. Planting just a little bit in the ground is enough to eat. Catching fish on top of that is just making a profit, isn't it?"

"With fields and land to cultivate, how can one person manage to catch fish?"

"Yes, we've already bought a bicycle, and now we need to find a wife and have a few kids. That's what it means to live a proper life."

Zhao Hua chuckled inwardly, seeing that the group had steered the conversation back on track. They didn't want to stay there and be treated like monkeys anymore. Right now, everyone felt that land was the foundation, but in the future, when everyone went to work in the city, the land at home would be left to lie fallow piece by piece.

Song Xueping had already gone inside, along with her friends. He didn't feel comfortable going in, and there was no point in standing there any longer. More and more people were gathering outside the courtyard to watch the spectacle. He smiled and said, "Uncle, I'll go back first. I'll come back tomorrow. I have to go back and get busy."

Seeing this, Song's father couldn't stop him any longer and said, "Alright, then you go back and get busy. You must come tomorrow!"

He knew in his heart that all the families in front of him had daughters of marriageable age, and when they saw a handsome young man with a bicycle, they all came to inquire about him.

Every household had no savings by the end of the year from farming. A minor illness or disaster could bankrupt a family. Many families also had unmarried sons. To make matters worse, their area was close to the county town, and the standards for weddings and funerals in the county town had spread over, making it impossible for them to afford to get married.

If she could get close to such a young man, not only would she not have to worry about getting sick or having a fever, but her son's dowry would also be secured. It's not that she doesn't want to marry into the city, it's just that it's too difficult to marry into the city. Her child's household registration would change to a rural household registration with his mother, and she doesn't know how many favors she would have to use or how many cold shoulders she would have to endure after marrying into the city.

Even if a family has only daughters and no sons, those girls get up early to collect manure, then cook breakfast for the whole family, then cut pig feed. There are endless farm chores and dishes to wash. Food and drink are given priority to the fathers at home, and the rest is shared equally with the sisters. If they are sick, they have to endure it on their own. No one cares or pays attention to them.

In addition, some lucky girls who marry into the city return to their villages in grand style, while the villagers toil day after day, year after year, working hard all year round, yet they can't afford a decent meal or a new piece of clothing. Such a life seems endless.

In this situation, when a handsome, single young man suddenly appeared in the village, not only riding a bicycle, but also being good-looking, Song's father dared not imagine what would happen if he forced Zhao Hua to stay.

There weren't many people in the courtyard. The middle-aged women were still waiting outside. He went into the house and could vaguely hear Song Xueping talking to someone. He didn't disturb her, but carried the two fish baskets out of the courtyard and hung them on his bicycle.

After saying goodbye to the Song family, he planned to go home first. This time, Song's mother didn't stop him, and the people outside the courtyard parted to let him pass. However, they couldn't stop staring at him. He smiled, pushed his bike out of the courtyard, said goodbye to Song's mother again, and then rode home.

Once outside the village, Zhao Hua breathed a sigh of relief. He vaguely remembered a road that could bypass the county town and lead directly home. He had taken it when he and Song Xueping visited her parents' home in middle age. He fumbled his way back to that road, having already informed his family in advance that it wouldn't be a problem to return a little later.

I made my way home by feeling my way along the way. It was a much shorter route than to the county town. It took me quite a while to find my way, but it only took me an hour to get to the town.

However, he still plans to take the county road in the future. This road is a bit remote and is mostly used by tractors. He is afraid that he might be robbed by highway robbers one day. It is safer to take the county road. There are many residents on both sides of the county road, and many cadres ride bicycles to and from the road.

Following the cadres is never a bad idea. After passing the township government, he suddenly heard someone calling his name. He turned his head and glanced at the scene. Xu Qian was standing at the entrance of Old Man Xu's grocery store, hopping and waving to him.

He was secretly annoyed. He should have pretended not to hear it, but since they were already face to face, he had no choice but to turn his bike around and ride past.

"Why did you call me?"

Where have you been?

"Selling fish, I guess."

"Why are you selling fish every day? Where do you sell them?"

Zhao Hua sniffed and asked, "Going to the county town? Why?"

Xu Qian looked at his face, giggled, and said, "Nothing, why aren't you tanned even though you catch fish every day?"

"Because I'm not stupid, I wear a hat." Before he could marry Song Xueping, Zhao Hua would subconsciously wear a headscarf and a straw hat every time he went out, since it was windy by the river and he wouldn't feel hot wearing them.

"Oh, you've sold out of fish?"