I was married off to a disabled hero in lieu of marriage; my in-laws doted on me and I aspired to gr

Qiaoqiao was preparing to return to Dashui Village, so Luo Meiyun took out the remaining meat and vegetable coupons from home and took Qiaoqiao on a shopping spree.

"It's too hot, I can't buy too much meat. Sister Liu, could you buy me a few ribbonfish? I'll fry them at home and take them home."

"Take a few pieces of kelp; it'll make a delicious soup."

"We'll buy two jin of peanuts and some broad beans; my dad likes to eat them with his drinks."

"Cakes don't keep well, let's buy some peach shortbread instead."

...Summer has arrived, and the weather is getting hot, so I had to buy more dried goods, which cost me over twenty yuan.

Luo Meiyun and Qiaoqiao went to the supply and marketing cooperative again. Qiaoqiao carefully selected and bought two pure cotton baby clothes, which were for Fenglin, who was due to give birth in two months.

"Qiaoqiao, why don't you buy two pieces of clothing?"

Luo Meiyun saw colorful short-sleeved shirts and wanted to buy them for Qiaoqiao. She was getting old, but she liked to see Qiaoqiao wear them.

"Mom, I don't want it anymore. I have plenty of clothes. Please buy one. That blue shirt is nice."

"No, no, Mom is too old, she can only wear white and khaki."

"Mom, you're not old at all, buy one!"

Luo Meiyun, who always prefers to wear white and khaki, bought a blue shirt at Qiaoqiao's strong suggestion. The fabric was silky smooth and made her look very young.

"Qiaoqiao, Mom's outfit looks a bit awkward."

"Mom, it's so beautiful, I'll buy it."

"Oh well."

Back in the military, we wore grass-green uniforms and white overcoats all year round. I had never worn such a vibrant color before.

Luo Meiyun was a little awkward, and Qiaoqiao was also very awkward when she first wore nice clothes.

Qiaoqiao bought brown sugar and biscuits for her grandma, three bolts of cloth for her mother, an aluminum steamer, and two enamel basins, because with more people in the family, the basins needed to be bigger.

I bought two cartons of cigarettes and two bottles of Lao Bai Gan liquor for my dad and grandpa.

Looking at all the supplies from the supply and marketing cooperative, Qiaoqiao wished she could move them all to Dashui Village, but unfortunately she didn't have enough money.

Luo Meiyun kept saying that she should buy whatever she needed, but Qiaoqiao still only picked out the things that the family urgently needed.

After my mother-in-law was promoted to director, she earned 180 yuan a month, and my father-in-law earned more than 200 yuan. However, they still owed my younger brother a lot of money and kept sending money to the Soviet Union to pay off the debt. We couldn't spend their money.

Wenhui's salary also increased by 102 yuan. With high household expenses, he has to be frugal.

It cost a little over a hundred yuan in total. Qiaoqiao and Luo Meiyun had so many bags and packages that they almost couldn't carry them all home.

When Qiaoqiao and Zhou Xiaowei returned to Dashui Village, Hu Xiaomei, as their nanny, insisted on going with them. Her main job was to take care of the children, and she wanted to follow them wherever they went.

If Zhou brings his nanny back to Dashui Village, the villagers will surely curse the Zhou family as landlords. Qiaoqiao disagrees, but Hu Xiaomei can't live without Xiaowei, so the two are at an impasse.

"Qiaoqiao, take me with you. Besides taking care of the children, I can also cook and work in the fields," Hu Xiaomei pleaded.

"That won't work either. Grandma and I can cook, and Xiaowei doesn't need to be taken care of. The new house is built, and he has friends in Dashui Village. It's such a big place, he can play by himself."

Children in the countryside grow up playing in the mud. If Xiaowei goes to the countryside, he will have to follow the rural way of life.

"If you don't let me go, what will happen to Xiaowei who cries tonight?"

"Sister Hu, it's okay. You're tired from playing, so you'll just lie down and fall asleep. There's no time to cry. You stay home and tend to the vegetable garden with Yu Fu. There are so many vegetables to make pickled vegetables, and the eggplants and green beans need to be dried. There's a lot to do."

"Is that even a big deal? Yu Fu could finish it in a day."

Seeing that Hu Xiaomei really couldn't bear to be apart from Zhou Xiaowei, Luo Meiyun felt a pang of sympathy: "Qiaoqiao, just say she's my cousin and she'll come with you to Dashui Village. Not only does she want to go, but I want to go too. Since becoming the vice dean, I have so many things to manage, it's become inconvenient for me to even go out."

Thinking of Qiaoqiao and Xiaowei going back to their hometown, leaving the house cold and deserted, Luo Meiyun felt a pang of sadness.

"Thank you, Dean Luo. I'll go pack my clothes now."

Luo Meiyun spoke up, and Hu Xiaomei hurriedly expressed her gratitude, fearing that things might change.

The next day, Zhou Wenhui accompanied his company car to take Qiaoqiao back to her hometown. The once lively house suddenly became quiet. Luo Meiyun had to go to work, leaving only Yu Fu.

"Xiaowei, if you don't find the countryside fun, come back early, and Uncle will make you a rocking horse."

Yu Fu held Zhou Xiaowei tightly, reluctant to part with her.

Without hesitation, Zhou Xiaowei broke free from Yu Fu, threw herself into Hu Xiaomei's arms, and said fluently, "Ride in the car, ride in the car."

Hu Xiaomei smiled happily: "Yu Fu, there's a lot to do at home too. Dry the eggplants and green beans, and remember to make some spicy and sour cucumbers for us to eat when we get back."

"Yes!" Yu Fu pouted.

The car started moving, leaving Yu Fu behind in solitude.

"Sister Hu, the countryside is just like cabbage and radish, you have to be mentally prepared."

"I'd be willing to eat dirt."

Sitting in the front row, Hu Xiaomei hugged Zhou Xiaowei and said with a smile.

Qiaoqiao looked at Zhou Wenhui helplessly, and Zhou Wenhui smiled and said, "Because of you, Dashui Village has become a place to yearn for."

"Really? It was my parents who went to pick me up back then."

"Qiaoqiao, it's not good to bring up old grievances. Don't do it again."

"It is shameful to forget history."

"I... to make up for my mistake, I plan to stay with you in Dashui Village for ten days."

"Aren't you going to work?"

"I have annual leave."

"Isn't the university poetry and prose competition very busy? Can you take a break?"

"Sure, we haven't finished compiling the list yet. We plan to announce the winners on September 1st. Besides the first, second, and third place winners, there will also be one hundred honorable mentions. Gu Tong'an is extremely busy every day, cleaning up manuscripts and replying to one hundred readers' letters," Zhou Wenhui laughed.

Is Gu Tong'an capable of this role?

"Of course he can. He seems to really enjoy that summer job. Even after everyone else has left, he's still working. Several times I've told him to go home early, but he says he has nothing to do at home anyway, so he might as well do more."

"Among our group of four, Gu Tong'an is the best student."

"Yao Xing is the smartest, but it's a pity his parents wanted to take shortcuts. If he had studied hard at home, he might have been able to get into university this year."

"It's the college entrance exam again. I heard this year's exam is much harder than last year's."

"You only have one chance to get into university, and you're lucky you seized it." Zhou Wenhui looked at Qiaoqiao with doting eyes.

"That's because you have good judgment. If you hadn't forced me, I would never have passed the exam, no matter what."

Qiaoqiao held Zhou Wenhui's hand, looking very happy.

"So, is there still any grudge from the postpartum period?"

"No, that's all settled. In other families, it's the parents who urge their children to study; in our family, it's the husband who urges his wife to study."

"Is there a problem? Growing together as a couple is the secret to a stable marriage. Look at my parents, they encourage and support each other's growth."

"Zhou Wenhui, you are so outstanding, and the main credit goes to your parents. They set a good example."

"Not necessarily. Once you meet my brother, you'll understand. Family education is one aspect, but personal character is another."

"Is your brother different from you?"

"Yes, it's very different."

What kind of person is Zhou Wenjing, the younger brother I've never met?