Spring Breeze Twenty Years

Chapter 1226 Someone Else's

After handing Beibei over to Wang Guifang, Xiaowei and Xiaohong took some wine to visit Secretary Li, but he wasn't there, so they went to the Xia family instead.

The Xia family home was quite lively today; Old Xia had set up twenty tables in his large courtyard. The house was packed with distinguished guests.

Old Xia also jumped on the bandwagon and stopped accepting gifts.

When Xiaowei and Xiaohong arrived, the drinking had already begun. The strong smell of alcohol could be smelled from a distance. People were everywhere, inside and outside the courtyard and houses, men and women, young and old, all dressed in formal attire, chatting and laughing. There were firecracker scraps scattered all over the front gate of the courtyard.

Whether it was from happiness or from drinking, Old Xia was beaming, wearing a new suit with a small red flower pinned to his chest. He was talking with Secretary Li and several other county leaders, while Xia Qiu and Liu Xiaodong sat to the side resting, whispering to each other.

Xia Qiu wore a red suit jacket, and Liu Xiaodong also wore a suit, the same brand he usually wore, but in a darker red.

Xiao Wei and Xiao Hong entered the yard hand in hand. Liu Xiaodong turned his head and saw them, then stood up with a smile: "Why are you so late?"

Xiao Wei said, "I was delayed for a while taking care of Beibei, is this all done?"

Liu Xiaodong came over and handed Xiaowei a cigarette: "All done, almost killed me, my legs feel like they're not even mine anymore. Aren't you two going to eat?"

Xia Qiu hugged Xiao Hong and touched her belly: "My goodness, you've gotten yourself into big trouble without making a sound."

Xiao Hong said, "Hurry up and find a place to sit down and rest for a while. Aren't you tired? You're still all puffed up."

When Secretary Li saw Xiao Wei, he stood up and waved, "Xiao Wei, come, come sit down and let's talk for a while."

Xiao Wei walked over with a smile: "I just got to your office, thinking of trying to bribe the boss, but he wasn't here." He then showed off the bottle of liquor he was carrying.

Old Xia said, "Have you two eaten yet? Why are you here so late?"

Xiao Wei placed the two bottles of wine in front of Secretary Li, pulled up a chair and sat down, saying, "It's still late. I specially drove back from Kyoto, heading back early this morning."

Secretary Li asked, "Going to Kyoto? On business?"

Xiaowei said, "They set up a branch office over there, with a few projects. After that, Xiaohui and I went to Renmin University to study for a year in the business school."

Old Xia said, "You're good at learning things, but you haven't studied enough. Otherwise, you're fine. Secretary, how about we split it in half when we meet?"

Secretary Li moved the two bottles of wine closer to himself: "Dream on! Xiao Wei, how could you miss out on this?"

Old Xia said, "If it's baijiu (Chinese liquor), it's alright. I'm not interested in this. It's like drinking soda."

Xiao Wei said, "Uncle Xia, you should drink less baijiu in the future. You're not young anymore. Even my dad and father-in-law are controlling their intake. They say wine is good for your blood vessels."

Old Xia said, "People should live comfortably. What's the point of making money if you can't do this or that? If you're destined to live a long life, you can smoke, drink, and visit prostitutes and still live to ninety. If you're not destined to live, you can't do anything and just focus on health all day. I don't believe in those things."

Xiao Wei offered cigarettes to the leaders at the table and asked, "Uncle Xia, when are you going to the city?"

Old Xia said, "They'll come to pick us up. It's not far anyway, so it'll save you the trouble of going back and forth. You and Xiao Hong can stay home. You'll leave with the wedding party the day after tomorrow morning. After all, you're part of the bride's family."

Xiao Wei said, "Okay, we're just here to freeload anyway, so we'll follow your arrangements."

Xia Qiu walked over and said, "Dad, let Xiao Hong and Xiao Wei find a place to eat first. You can talk after you've eaten."

Secretary Li said, "Yes, yes, let's eat first. You young people go and have some fun. You don't need to keep us old men company."

Xiao Wei stood up and followed Xia Qiu to a table inside with Xiao Hong. This table was mostly filled with family members, including Xia Qiu's mother and aunts, and there were five or six people sitting there.

Xia Qiu said, "Mom, Auntie, these are Xiao Hong and Zhang Wei, do you know them?"

Xia Qiu's mother said, "I know them, they've all been here before. Please sit down." She stood up and handed them bowls and chopsticks, asking, "What would you two like to drink?"

Xiao Wei said, "I don't need a drink, I'll just have some food. Auntie, don't bother, we're not strangers."

Xia Qiu asked Xiao Hong, "Xiao Hong, you don't have any dietary restrictions, do you?"

Xiao Hong said, "No, I have a great appetite."

Xia Qiu's mother then noticed Xiao Hong's belly: "Oh my god, she's pregnant? How many months along?"

Xiao Hong said, "It's been more than four months, and I'm fine. I haven't had any reactions. I'm healthy."

Xia Qiu's aunt stood up, moved the dishes that everyone hadn't touched much closer to Xiao Hong, and said, "This is Station Master Wang's daughter, right?"

Xia Qiu's mother said, "Hmm, you have a good memory. It's not Station Chief Wang anymore; Wang Jianshe is all the rage now."

Aunt Xia Qiu glanced at the table of county leaders and said, "They got promoted? I didn't see them there."

Xia Qiu's mother said, "He's gone to the provincial level, a department head, and if he moves any further, he'll be at the provincial governor level. Xiao Hong, if you want anything to eat, just tell the kitchen to make it for you."

Xiao Hong said, "No need to bother, it's enough, everything tastes good."

The group sat down to eat again, and Xia Qiu, holding a bowl of rice, squeezed next to Xiao Hong: "You were starving and exhausted all day on your wedding day too, weren't you?"

Xiao Hong said, "This is nothing. You'll know what it's like the day after tomorrow. My advice is to get a good night's sleep the night before, eat a full breakfast, prepare a pair of flat shoes, and preferably don't wear a skirt. Always keep something to eat with you. Let me tell you, it really is only once."

Xiao Wei said, "It's really tiring. Try not to wear high heels; you'll suffer after a day in them."

Aunt Xia Qiu whispered to Xia Qiu's mother, "Are you serious, Wang Jianshe?"

Xia Qiu's mother nodded and said, "It's true, how could you make this up? He went to the Provincial Construction Department, and after a few years, he rose through the ranks in no time. That's just his luck."

Aunt Xiaqiu said, "I never would have guessed before. If you have connections, why have you stayed in this small county town all these years?"

Xia Qiu's mother gestured towards Xiao Wei with her lips: "Your son-in-law is capable. Everyone knows who he is, what connections he has."

Aunt Xiaqiu looked at Xiaowei: "Where are you from?"

Xia Qiu's mother said, "The honeycomb is so dense. His mother and Wang Jianshe's wife have a good relationship. They've been related since they were little. Back in '88, right? Wang Jianshe brought him out of the village. He even worked on our construction site for more than two years, laying bricks."

Later, Xiaohong was admitted to Northeast Institute of Technology. The two of them went together. I don't know how it happened, but suddenly everything went up, and both families moved to Fengtian, and Wang Jianshe was transferred there too.

Aunt Xiaqiu asked, "What do you do?"

Xia Qiu's mother said, "They do business, build buildings, and open shopping malls. Last year, when they got married, Lao Xia went and came back saying that all three provinces in Northeast China were there. The officiant was from the central government, and all the secretaries and mayors from the cities and prefectures in Liaodong were present. He said it was like a big meeting, all of them were there."

Aunt Xia Qiu's eyes widened: "Really?"

Xia Qiu's mother nodded, glancing at Xiao Wei with a hint of jealousy and envy. "Someone else's child, huh?"

(End of this chapter)