Mingdong survived the crisis and was assigned a two-bedroom apartment. The family finally felt relieved after a year of worry. When Guihua went to Anbei to live, Old Lady Li and Wang Sufen packed a lot of things for her. Li Muwu helped to send them to the train and even went to the post office on the street to call Mingdong and asked him to pick her up at the train.
Mingdong's matter was settled, and Mrs. Li finally put her worries to rest. She had a smile on her face all day long. She even asked Wang Sufen to cook two delicious dishes and decided to have a drink in the evening to celebrate. But when the wine was poured, Mrs. Li picked up the wine cup and looked at Mingnan who was eating opposite her with his head down. She suddenly thought that Mingnan was not young anymore, so why didn't he have a partner yet
Mrs. Li immediately became worried again, and she even lost the mood to drink. She put down the wine cup and looked at Mingnan meaningfully and asked, "Mingnan, you have been working for two years now, right?"
Mingnan scooped a large spoonful of braised tofu into the rice and stuffed it into his mouth: "Yes, it's been exactly two years since I joined the factory."
Seeing his careless look, Mrs. Li was immediately furious: "Why haven't you brought a girlfriend home yet?"
"..." Mingnan was so frightened by these sudden words that he almost choked to death. Zhenzhen handed him a glass of water. Mingnan drank three big gulps before he recovered. Wiping the tears from coughing, Mingnan looked at Mrs. Li with grievance: "Grandma, you jump to different topics too quickly. Can you choose a different time next time? I almost choked to death."
Old Mrs. Li was so angry that she laughed. She stood up and took the bowl and chopsticks in front of him aside and said, "Tell me, do you have a girl you like? If you don't, I won't let you eat."
Mingnan picked up a green cucumber, dipped it in soybean paste, and took a bite. "What do you mean?"
"What else can I say?" Old Lady Li gave him a cold look. "If there is a suitable one, you should take good care of it. When the time comes, you can see what the girl wants when she gets married, so that you can prepare it in advance. If you haven't met a suitable one, grandma will quickly arrange something for you and see which girl is diligent and take you to see her."
"Really?" Mingnan's eyes lit up. He was so excited that he didn't even eat the cucumber. He looked at Old Lady Li with shining eyes: "Then grandma, can you help me take a look?"
When Mrs. Li saw his expression, she became worried: "You really haven't found a suitable one in the past two years? There are so many girls working in the same factory, why can't you find a suitable one?"
Mingnan's face turned red. He scratched his head a little embarrassedly and said stutteringly, "Actually, there is someone I like, but I'm not familiar with the person and I'm embarrassed to tell her. Grandma, can you see if you know anyone from that family? Then we can meet each other when the time comes."
Old Mrs. Li was so frustrated by her grandson that she handed the chopsticks and bowl behind her to Mingnan and said unhappily, "Why didn't you say so earlier if you had this idea? Isn't this just wasting time?"
Mingnan touched his nose and said with embarrassment: "I'm just embarrassed to say it."
Old Lady Li sneered: "She seems quite capable at ordinary times, but she fails at the critical moment. Tell me, which family is this girl from? I will go and find out for you."
Mingnan chuckled, "She's a nurse at the Hydrolysis Plant Hospital named Meng Xiaoxi, three years younger than me. Her father works at the Hydrolysis Plant Winery and his name is Meng Zhiyuan."
Zhenzhen chuckled and nudged Mingnan with her shoulder, winking at him and laughing, "Third brother, you know everything."
Old Lady Li took a sip of wine and looked at Li Muwu: "The winery must get grain from your grain station. You can ask around when they come next time." Afraid that Li Muwu might let something slip, Old Lady Li taught him sentence by sentence: "When they come, tell them about Mingnan's situation and ask them to introduce a girl of similar age. If they mention the Meng family, ask them how they behave. None of our family members have bad intentions. You should look for kind and honest relatives so that you can live comfortably in the future."
Li Muwu nodded: "Okay, we just brought back a lot of sorghum, and it's time for the winery to place an order. I'll ask later." Li Muwu looked at Mingnan and nodded with satisfaction: "Mingnan has a good eye. It will be convenient for me to buy wine with a father-in-law who works in a winery."
Wang Sufen rolled her eyes at him as soon as she heard this: "This is not the point. You can't just be so careless just because you want to buy wine. You need to find out more."
"I know, I know." Li Muwu nodded repeatedly: "My classmate Lao Li is familiar with the winery. I will go to him and ask him tomorrow."
When Mingnan heard that the thing he had been looking forward to was progressing so quickly, he was so happy that he didn't know what to do. He lowered his head and ate a few mouthfuls of food, then suddenly looked up at Grandma Li: "Grandma, then quickly find someone to make me the kangqin for my wedding. I like the paintings drawn by my eldest sister-in-law's mother. Can you ask her to help me draw some flowers or grass on it?"
Zhen Zhen laughed out loud: "Third brother, why are you just like my second brother, staring at my eldest sister-in-law's kangqin, as if you have never seen anything good."
Mingnan laughed happily: "Among the kangqins in our house, my eldest brother and his wife's are the best looking. They look festive at first glance. I want something like that when I get married."
Old Lady Li looked at Mingnan anxiously: "Are you marrying because you like the girl or because you want the kangqin?"
Mingnan chuckled: "It won't interfere with anything. Besides, when you get married, you have to make the whole house beautiful."
There was nothing wrong with what he said. Old Lady Li rolled her eyes at him and turned to ask Wang Sufen, "What was the situation at Guihua's house when you secretly delivered food to her mother last month? Was she being watched closely
Wang Sufen shook her head. "Her family lives in the Forestry Bureau. The road is difficult to get to and it's far away. We didn't have a lot of trouble here. The guards all went to the officials' homes, and no one went to the Forestry Bureau. Guihua's father has been very honest and has not caused any trouble in recent years. Guihua's mother is very capable and manageable, and she is popular in the Management Bureau. I heard that the Management Bureau just said a few words of criticism and struggle every day, but in fact, life went on as usual. I saw that her house was newly renovated, and two more were built not far away. I heard that they wanted to find a wife for Guihua's brother."
Mrs. Li nodded and said, "In that case, you can send the quilts that we replaced. The cotton inside is only two years old and is still warm. The quilt covers are all used and not eye-catching. You don't know that her family is living a hard life now, so no one finds fault with them. If they catch someone's attention, they might get into trouble."
"That's right." Wang Sufen said, "Guihua's mother said the same thing. We couldn't build a house with all the wood on the mountain. It was only this year that the people from the management office couldn't bear it and helped to arrange the house."
Old Lady Li drank the last sip of wine in the cup and said, "Go again tomorrow and tell them that Guihua has gone to Anbei. Then, when you are not working in winter, ask her if she is willing to come home and help paint the kangqin."
Wang Sufen looked uncertain. "Last time I asked her to come to our house to see the meat buns and bean buns, she refused to come. She said her family background is not good and she was afraid of causing trouble for our family. I guess she would be embarrassed even if she came to paint the kangqin. She was afraid of causing trouble if she came, and she was afraid of offending our family if she didn't come. It's difficult for her to do so. I think we should just forget about it. What does it matter if a kangqin has flowers or not? Mom just spoils Mingnan."
Old Lady Li nodded after thinking for a moment: "You are right. I am old and confused about this matter. We can't make Guihua's mother unhappy for our own sake. Then you should send the quilt to her tomorrow and then chat with her. Don't mention anything else."
Wang Sufen responded, and Mingnan kept silent when he heard that painting a kangqin would cause trouble for others. Zhenzhen knew that Mingnan had been thinking about the kangqin all these years, so she came over and whispered to him, "Don't worry, I will get you a few nice paintings later, and you just need to buy some glass to frame them."
Mingnan smiled and pulled her pigtails: "How old are you, little girl? You're still into painting." Mingbei finished a bowl of rice and went to get another one: "I heard from classmates that those who can paint don't dare to paint anymore, saying it's a decadent capitalist lifestyle. I saw some of my classmates posting big 'character' posters criticizing this."
Wang Sufen was shocked when she heard this: "What about the paintings on the kangqin? Do we have to keep them?"
"That's okay. Every household has a kangqin, and most of them are painted with flowers and birds. If we remove the paintings, we'll have to smash the glass above, and no one would be willing to do that." Mingbei explained, "Besides, we all know each other well in this area, and no one would go to another's house to cause trouble."
Wang Sufen curled her lips and said, "Other families are all okay, but Zhang Defu's is not a good thing. Luckily, Zhang Defu was caught stealing wine from the hydrolysis plant last year and was locked up for undermining socialism. Otherwise, Zhenzhenzhen would come in and out all day long. I would be really worried, for fear that he would carry our child away and sell him."
Zhenzhen almost spit out a mouthful of rice. She looked at Wang Sufen with a dark face: "Mom, you forget that I am always strong. To be honest, if we meet, we don't know who will win or lose. He may not be able to carry me, but it's no problem for me to throw him out."
Wang Sufen didn't like to hear this: "You are getting older day by day, so stop saying this everywhere. If people knew you were so strong, who would dare to marry you? If this happened in a war, you would beat the man to death."
Zhenzhen looked helpless: "Mom, don't worry, I won't get married before I'm 25. Besides, there's no one I like in our area. Your daughter is so pretty and cute, who can be a good match for me, right?" Seeing that Wang Sufen wanted to say something, Zhenzhen immediately blocked her words: "Mom, don't think about me, it's too early for me. How about you think about my fourth brother? He will graduate in a year, don't be like my third brother, who worked for several years before talking about a partner."
Zhenzhen and his siblings all knew that Mingbei had liked Yu Wanqiu two or three years ago, and it was a romantic love at first sight. In order to see Yu Wanqiu more often, Mingbei went to the hydrolysis plant frequently and even worked hard to get into the No. 1 Middle School of the hydrolysis plant. However, he did not mention this at home, and none of his siblings told him the truth.
Mingbei saw Zhenzhen turned her attention to him, his face was sweet and worried: "Oh, don't worry about it. I won't be like my third brother, stupid and silent when I like someone."
Mingnan laughed at him: "It's as if you made a sound."
Mingbei was speechless after hearing this. Old Lady Li looked at Mingbei and laughed. Mingbei's hair stood up. He rubbed his goose bumps and promised: "I will tell them when I graduate from high school. I won't let you worry about me."
Only then did Mrs. Li nod in satisfaction: "Okay, as long as you know the answer yourself."
Seeing that her four grandchildren have grown up, Mingdong, needless to say, and Mingxi, who knows what unit he went to, has been gone for two years and there has been no news except that he would send a generous allowance home every six months. When Grandma Li heard the amount on the withdrawal slip for the first time, she was shocked and thought that someone had read it wrong. Later, she calculated that Mingxi's monthly salary was 98 yuan, which was comparable to the eighth-level worker in the hydrolysis plant.
Even if she wanted to worry about Mingxi's marriage, she couldn't. She could only put her efforts on Mingnan and Mingbei. Mrs. Li weighed her own house and discussed with Li Muwu and his wife: "Do you think we should build a few more rooms? Although we don't know when Mingdong can be transferred back, we should not touch the back room since it has been given to them. Mingnan and Mingbei are getting married soon, so we have to build a house first and then buy things. We can't decide on the marriage and then think about the house, right?"
Wang Sufen went to see Li Muwu when she heard this. Li Muwu was a little undecided: "Mom, it will cost a lot of money to build a house. Mingnan and Mingbei will have to pay a gift when they get married. How can our family afford that much money?"
Old Lady Li crossed her legs and picked up her pipe: "Over the years, we have basically not spent any money on food and vegetables. You have saved a lot of money from your salary. Besides, your eldest brother and your younger brother send me money every month."
Wang Sufen waved her hands quickly: "The money my eldest brother and the fourth brother gave you is for your retirement. How can you spend it on them? That's not allowed."
"If I don't have this money, won't you support me in my old age? If I get sick, won't you pay for my medical treatment?" Old Lady Li looked at Wang Sufen and Li Muwu. Seeing them shaking their heads, she smiled and said, "This means that all the money should be used first. Muwu's salary is in my hands anyway, and I have the final say as the head of the family."
Since Old Lady Li had made the decision, the family decided to build a house after the grain store sold all the autumn grain. They would also have to inform the street office and apply for a piece of land in the next few days.
A few days later, when the winery came to the grain station to buy sorghum rice, Li Muwu hurried over to pass on the message. Lao Wang, the purchasing agent of the winery, immediately mentioned several suitable girls and finally said, "We have a winemaking master named Meng. His eldest daughter is exactly three years younger than your third son and works as a nurse in the hydrolysis plant hospital."
Li Muwu waited for a long time and finally heard this sentence. He clapped his hands excitedly and said, "This is good. Being a nurse is steady and not tiring. How about introducing this to us?"
Lao Wang said with a smile: "Okay, I'll talk to Master Meng for you. If Master Meng is willing, he can bring the two children to meet them."
Meng Xiaoxi is pretty and efficient. Although she has only worked in the hospital for half a year, many people have introduced her to potential partners. Meng Xiaoxi went to meet a family a few days ago, but she was frightened when she saw more than a dozen children in the house. She sat for a while and then went home with her mother.
At dinner that night, Master Meng said with a smile, "The purchasing agent, Mr. Wang, said that there is a third boy from a family named Li in the grain store who is about the same age as our Xiaoxi, and he wants to match them up."
"What does his third son do?" Aunt Meng asked without raising her head as she placed the dry food on the table and distributed it to the children.
After pouring a cup of wine, Master Meng took a sip before saying, "He's from our hydrolysis plant power station. He graduated from high school and got in. His name is Li Mingnan, and he's three years older than our Xiaoxi."
Meng Xiaoxi was scooping porridge. When she heard this, she was distracted and accidentally got scalded. She cried out, put down the bowl quickly and rinsed with cold water from the faucet.
"Why is your face still red when you hear the name? How about you know him?" Aunt Meng stretched her head to look at Meng Xiaoxi, and seeing that her face was a little red, she couldn't help but ask.
After drying her hands with a towel, Meng Xiaoxi sat on a stool and nodded slightly: "At the end of last year, a senior engineer from the power station was hospitalized, and Li Mingnan took care of him for a while."
Aunt Meng was delighted when she heard this: "You two have been in love for a long time? Why didn't I hear you say that?"
"What should I say?" Meng Xiaoxi bit her lower lip and said, "He didn't show that intention. After the old master was discharged from the hospital, I didn't go to see him again."
"I guess the boy is too embarrassed to say it." Aunt Meng laughed, "Otherwise, with so many people in the grain store, he would have to come to the hydrolysis plant to look for it, and specifically asked the people in our winery."
Master Meng slapped his head and suddenly realized: "No wonder Lao Wang said that when he first mentioned several houses, Lao Li didn't respond, but when he mentioned Xiaoxi, he immediately agreed to see her. It turns out that he came here for Xiaoxi."
While drinking porridge, Aunt Meng asked Xiaoxi about Mingnan. Xiaoxi told her everything she knew. When Aunt Meng heard that Mingnan was a handsome and neat child, she liked him very much.
Seeing that the girl liked him very much, Master Meng did not delay and gave a reply the next day, making an appointment for a blind date at Lao Li's house on Sunday.
After raising four sons to this age, it was the first time that a girl came to visit her. Wang Sufen was so nervous that she wiped the house inside and out with a rag and even went to the street to buy some candies, oranges, etc. She seemed even more nervous than Mingnan.
On Sunday, Mingnan dressed himself up in the morning and rode his family's big bicycle to meet the people halfway. Mingnan jumped off the bicycle, his ears red with nervousness: "Auntie Meng, Nurse Meng."
Meng Xiaoxi blushed and nodded. Mingnan felt relieved when he saw that Meng Xiaoxi looked a little shy. He introduced the situation along the way while walking. When he arrived at the door of his house, before he could call for help, Mrs. Li and Wang Sufen came out to greet him.
As she let the people in, Mrs. Li looked at Meng Xiaoxi. She was of medium height, with an oval face and big, bright eyes. She looked very likable. "This is your daughter, right? She's really pretty." Mrs. Li smiled and took Meng Xiaoxi's hand. "I heard you're a nurse. Are you tired from work?"
"Not tired. I'm used to it." Meng Xiaoxi smiled, revealing two dimples, which pleased Old Mrs. Li, who clapped her hands and praised her.
A table had already been placed on the kang in the east room, with candies, fruits, and biscuits on it. Wang Sufen invited everyone in, went to the kitchen to make a few bowls of honey water, and brought them over. She smiled enthusiastically and said, "This is the wild honey that we collected in the forest. It tastes very pure. You can try it."
Aunt Meng looked around the Li family's house and saw that everything was clean and tidy. It was obvious that they cleaned it regularly. There was a large radio on the cabinet, which looked like a Shanghai brand. In addition, the bicycle Li Mingnan rode was the best model. Aunt Meng saw that the Li family had good living conditions. They raised chickens and planted a lot of vegetables in the yard. They looked like a family that could live a good life.
The hydrolysis plant was not far away, so Wang Sufen chatted with them for a while and then went to the kitchen to prepare lunch. Just as she soaked the mushrooms picked from the mountain, Zhenzhen quietly came into the house carrying four or five crucian carps and a pheasant.
Zhenzhen washed her hands and came into the house to say hello. When Aunt Meng saw Zhenzhen, her eyes lit up immediately and she asked Old Lady Li, "Is this your granddaughter? She's so pretty."
"This is my little granddaughter, her name is Zhenzhen." Upon seeing Zhenzhen, Mrs. Li couldn't stop smiling: "I'm not praising my granddaughter, she's not only pretty but also smart. She speaks and acts like a little adult, which makes me worry less."
Aunt Meng nodded in agreement and said with a smile: "Aunt Li is blessed. She will just have to wait for her children and grandchildren to enjoy her blessings in the future."
Old Lady Li said quickly: "I don't ask for anything else. I will be satisfied if I see all my grandsons get married."
Aunt Meng smiled knowingly. Just at this moment, the sound of frying pans came from the kitchen. Aunt Meng smiled and pushed Meng Xiaoxi: "Go and help your aunt cook."
When Mrs. Li heard this, she was delighted: This is possible.
After meeting the parents, the Meng family had no objection to this marriage. The Li family saw that they valued their children very much. On the day of the wedding, they had pheasant and braised crucian carp in sauce. It was a good time for the New Year, so the daughter would definitely live a good life after she got married. After lunch, Mrs. Li did not hide anything and said directly, "Actually, Mingnan has liked Xiaoxi for a long time, but the child is too shy to speak up. If we hadn't asked about it, he would still be in the dark. A few days ago, Mingnan's father and I also discussed that we will build separate houses for Mingnan and Mingbei brothers in the spring of next year, and then buy new furniture for them. After the marriage, they can come to our house to eat, or they can live on their own. We will not interfere. Do you think Xiaoxi's mother has any other ideas?"
Aunt Meng was so happy that she couldn't close her mouth: "Your family has thought of everything, what else can I say? I am also very satisfied." After saying that, she turned around and looked at Xiaoxi: "What do you think, my daughter?"
Xiaoxi lowered her head with a flushed face, and nodded slightly at Mingnan's expectant eyes.
The author has something to say: I think blind dates in the past were very interesting. I even asked my grandma about her blind date story. Because my grandpa is very handsome, and my grandma is very ordinary, I asked her, how did you two meet? My grandma said, he came to my house for a blind date, and I told him that if I liked him, I would get married immediately, and if not, I should tell him in advance so as not to delay me from finding the next one. I laughed and cried at that time~~~
The red envelopes for the first two chapters will be sent out tomorrow morning. Good night, little angels.
Thank you all for the overlord tickets, muah!
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