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

Yang Zheng went to the workshop to collect summer supplies, a full five catties of mung beans and five catties of white sugar, which were rare and good things in Dashui Village.

It's a pity that the soda bottles need to be returned and the popsicles melt easily, otherwise Yang Zheng would have taken them back to his hometown for his grandparents and parents to try.

Yang Zheng was off work today, so he planned to put his things back in the dormitory and go to the supply and marketing cooperative. Besides getting a white shirt for Zhao Jintao, he also wanted to buy some clothes for his parents and grandparents.

Clothes from the supply and marketing cooperative require cloth coupons. I've saved up some over the past two months, but I don't know if it will be enough.

As soon as I arrived at the factory gate, I ran into Liu Dabao.

"Hey, hey, Yang Zheng, you're back?" Liu Dabao jogged over and greeted him happily.

"Yes, I came back yesterday. I'm off today to collect supplies." Yang Zheng smiled, carrying two bags of things, looking quite embarrassed.

"I'll take it back for you."

"No, you're at work."

"It's okay, someone's watching over things. The dorm's just a few steps away, it'll be there in no time. Here, let me bring you some mung beans."

Liu Dabao was so enthusiastic that Yang Zheng couldn't refuse.

"Come to my house for the Mid-Autumn Festival," Liu Dabao invited.

"No, no, my sister and I made plans to go back to our hometown for the holiday. I haven't been back for half a year, and I miss home very much," Yang Zheng said truthfully.

"That's right. Since you're home, I won't force you. Yang Zheng, you're amazing! I heard you've been promoted to class monitor of Class 3."

"It was quite unexpected; I only found out when I went to report to the factory today."

"You have a bright future ahead of you, but don't forget your brother," Liu Dabao joked.

"No, aren't you the class monitor too?"

"I've been the class monitor for three years now, and I don't know when I'll be able to get promoted," Liu Dabao sighed.

"There's definitely a chance."

As they talked, they quickly arrived at the single dormitory. After putting down the mung beans, Liu Dabao didn't leave but said seriously, "Yang Zheng, you should have noticed, right? My sister really likes you. What's your attitude?"

No matter how you try to escape, you will eventually have to face reality.

Yang Zheng's face turned bright red, and he stammered, "Brother Liu, really? I...I..."

With a quick twitch of her eyes, she concocted a lie her master had taught Lu Han: "Brother Liu, I have someone in my heart, someone from our village. But because my family is too poor, I've never confessed my feelings. Xiaocao is smart and capable, and she even has a government job. I've always treated her like a younger sister."

"No, Yang Zheng, you're going to find a girl from the countryside? With your current status, you'll be a director in a few years," Liu Dabao asked incredulously.

Yang Zheng felt inexplicably disgusted and muttered, "My sister is also a country girl."

"No, that's not what I meant. Yang Zheng, it's very troublesome to have one person with an urban household registration and another with a rural household registration. Grain, meat, and vegetable coupons are only issued to one person. In the future, the child's household registration will follow the mother, and how will you live on your salary alone?"

As a friend, this is the truth. Yang Zheng couldn't resolve his wife and children's household registration issues, and even temporary workers in the city were hard to find. A large number of educated youth returning to the city had nowhere to go.

However, Yang Zheng need not worry about it; it's just an excuse.

"I...I didn't think that far ahead, Brother Liu. Thank you for your kindness, but I still can't let her go."

Liu Dabao chuckled: "I can understand. Men, when they fall in love with a girl for the first time, they can't help themselves."

"Brother Liu, is it because you have someone you like that you haven't found a girlfriend yet?" Yang Zheng asked, seizing the opportunity.

"I...she's like a dazzling star, no matter how hard I try, I can't catch up with her." Liu Dabao said with some sadness.

"Who is she? You should confess your feelings, maybe she'll agree."

She said she would never like me, even if it meant death.

After saying that, Liu Dabao seemed to realize something and quickly stopped talking: "Why are you asking me about your business? It's not that I'm not looking for someone. Someone introduced me to a kindergarten teacher, and we're dating. I was thinking that you could come to my house for dinner during the Mid-Autumn Festival and meet her. Since you're going back to your hometown, let's do it another time."

"Really? Congratulations, Brother Liu."

"I have to go to work now. I've been talking to you for a while. Let's chat again later."

Liu Dabao waved and hurried off to work.

Was "I'd rather die than like you" the reason Liu Dabao lost control?

Kong Qiange has a strong personality; she would probably say something like that.

It's terrifying that someone would be killed just because of a single sentence.

This relationship, which could hardly be called a love affair, has finally come to an end.

Yang Zheng also wondered if Liu Dabao would like Liu Xiaocao if he had nothing to do with Kong Xiange's death.

Perhaps? The Liu family's concern for Yang Zheng was a timely help, and Yang Zheng will always be grateful for the bowl of noodles that night.

Despite the scorching heat, Yang Zheng still went out on the street.

After arriving in Huailin City, Yang Zheng spent most of his time at the factory, except when visiting his sister's house. He would either go to work or visit the cultural center to read.

The supply and marketing cooperative is very close; just turn right and walk two miles.

It was very hot outside, but the supply and marketing cooperative was very cool, with several large ceiling fans blowing loudly.

Yang Zheng arrived at the clothing section and stared blankly at the rows of shirts and dresses.

Qiaomei would definitely look good in a skirt. Yesterday, she wore a white short-sleeved shirt with blue flowers that she bought herself, and it looked great on her.

A light blue, solid-color women's long-sleeved shirt made Yang Zheng stop in his tracks; his mother would probably like it.

Yang Zheng's mother was only fifty years old, but she looked as old as a seventy-year-old woman. In Yang Zheng's memory, his mother was always wearing that black coarse cloth coat.

Yang Zheng asked timidly, "Comrade, how much did that blue shirt cost?"

The salesperson looked at the clothes, used a clothes fork to cut them off, placed them on the glass counter, and said, "Made of Dacron fabric, this year's most popular style, 13 feet of fabric coupons, six yuan."

Yang Zheng could afford six yuan, but he needed too many cloth coupons.

"How much money is it without cloth ration coupons?"

"This garment requires fabric ration coupons to purchase. Otherwise, would you like to look at other styles?"

Most of the other styles are white with floral patterns, which are not suitable for my mother who is older.

After looking at it again and again, Yang Zheng said, "Take a medium size."

"Okay."

We also need to buy Zhao Jintao a white shirt. Grandpa, Grandma, and Dad can buy it for us next time.

Men's white shirts cost ten yuan each without cloth coupons. Yang Zheng used his extra cloth coupons to buy two pure cotton vests for four yuan each, one for his grandfather and one for his father.

I bought Grandma another undershirt, which cost 1.3 yuan.

At least each person had at least one piece of clothing.

I bought the clothes for 21.3 yuan, and I've used up all the cloth coupons I saved.

With 120 yuan left, Yang Zheng decided to keep 100 yuan to buy materials for making a prosthesis and give his mother 20 yuan for household expenses.

My salary was too low, and even with frugal living, I couldn't save much money. But now my salary has increased, and Qiaomei gave me some meal tickets, so I can save 40 yuan a month.

Yang Zheng would be very satisfied if he could give his parents 200 yuan during the Chinese New Year.

In previous years, the whole family would work and only have about 200 yuan left over by the end of the year. They would buy medicine for their grandmother, some New Year's goods, and that would cover the family's expenses for the year.

Things will get better and better, Yang Zheng is full of confidence in the future.