In the past few days before moving, Li Mu and his parents frequently traveled between Haizhou and Jinling to buy various household appliances and home furniture. Li’s parents’ current consumption concepts have been greatly improved compared to before. In this regard The concept of saving money has been given up. Everything in the new home has been purchased from scratch. All the furniture and appliances in the old house have been kept and will not be moved away.
The three of them worked together and finally moved into a new house on the 24th day of the twelfth lunar month. On the day of the move, Li's mother and Li Mu's aunt cooked a big meal at home and invited relatives to the house to cook the bottom of the pot to celebrate the move. Early the next morning, Li Mu drove his GL8 and took his parents back to his hometown in the countryside.
The family had a reunion dinner at the second uncle's house. Because of Dad Li, the living situation of the second uncle has changed dramatically. The two aunts also started a small business with the help of Dad Li, and they also have a happy life. A very obvious improvement.
During the dinner, Uncle Er and Li drank some liquor. It was obvious that he was in a very good mood. He pointed at his two children and said, "When Fenfen gets married after the new year, I will be able to think about everything." Make more money to build a new house for Xiaobin, and when he gets married, I will complete the task!"
The whole family at the dinner table had similar views. No one thought it was inappropriate for Li Fen to marry so early. In their view, Li Fen had dropped out of school and stayed at home. Girls in the same village who were about her age and did not go to school or work outside were basically married. She has already been married or has a good relationship with her husband's family, so Li Fen naturally can't delay it. What's more, her future husband's family is very famous in the town. They have a flour mill at home, and their family background is quite prosperous. They are well-known in the town. .
Li Mu paid attention to Li Fen's expression and found that when everyone was talking about her upcoming marriage, her expression was not happy or shy at all, but only a trace of sadness between her eyebrows, which seemed unwilling.
Li Fen is only one year younger than Li Mu. She has pretty good looks and a good personality. She is a very down-to-earth girl. In my impression, she only went to school until the first year of high school. She worked in the county town for a year, and her family After opening the wholesale department, she came back to help. If she followed the trajectory of her previous life, she did not go home, but went to the south to work with her fellow villagers. She did not get married until she was in her early twenties. Because of her own interference, her life trajectory was in the Things changed last year. It was precisely because she stayed at home to help that the family came up with the idea of finding her a husband. It was also precisely because the second uncle's business was booming recently that the Qi family, who owned a flour mill, chose her as their future husband. daughter-in-law.
If Li Fen was satisfied with the marriage, Li Mu might not interfere, but he could clearly see that Li Fen was reluctant, so he couldn't let himself go. All this had come to this point because of his own secrets. Influence, I should be responsible for her future.
So, when the family was discussing what dowry to prepare for Li Fen, Li Mu suddenly asked Li Fen: "Fenfen, what do you mean?"
Li Fen raised her head and glanced at Li Mu. She was not very familiar with her cousin. The two of them didn't meet each other a few times a year, so they were still a little familiar when they met. But it happened to be this cousin who was a little familiar today. When she came home, she gave herself a laptop that she had never dreamed of. Li Fen was flattered and thought she was dreaming several times. She knew that her cousin went to university in Yanjing, and it was the famous Renmin University. , and also knew that his cousin was very capable. It was said that the clothing store opened by the uncle and aunt was opened after he made money, so Li Fen admired Li Mu who was only one year older than him.
At this moment, when she heard her cousin ask her what she meant, the suppressed grievance in Li Fen's heart was suddenly aroused by Li Mu's words. When the family was discussing this matter, they hardly asked for her opinion. She was too soft-tempered and did not dare to disobey her parents, so her attitude was always vague. The family thought she had acquiesced, so they worked with the Qi family to advance the marriage step by step and become more mature, waiting for her to refuse. Only then did I realize that I had missed the best time to refuse.
In recent times, no one has asked her about her inner thoughts. This sentence was suddenly asked by her cousin. After hesitating for a long time, Li Fen finally mustered up the courage to say: "Actually, I don't really want to get married. Want to go out and have a look..."
After Li Fen said this, she lowered her head nervously. When Li Mu's second aunt heard this, she waved her hands casually and said, "What else can we do besides working? Look at the girls in our village who go out to work. How many of them are living well? The Qi family's family conditions are so good. If you marry into their family, you won't have to worry about anything in the future. Your father and I will also support you so that you won't be looked down upon in your husband's family. When the time comes, You must have the best life among these girls."
Li Fen whispered: "But I really want to go out and see. I have only been to Jinling once in my life, and I have never been to any other place. I don't want to get married so early..."
As Li Fen spoke, tears of grievance fell involuntarily. The relatives at the table looked at it and were a little overwhelmed. The second aunt was embarrassed for a moment, and hurriedly smiled and smoothed things over: "It's okay, it's okay, she just thinks that in the future I'm going to marry into someone else's family. I feel uncomfortable thinking about it. A girl from that family must not cry a few times before she gets married. It only takes a few months for her to get married."
Li Fen's tears instantly burst into tears, and her voice became choked with sobs: "Mom, I really don't want to get married, and I don't like that Qi Dayong either..."
Li Mu's second aunt frowned and asked her in an angry tone: "Why didn't you tell me earlier that you didn't want to get married? Now that things have come to this, you said you didn't want to get married, and all the bride price from the Qi family was given to your father. We’ve invited the master chefs who will prepare the banquet, so why don’t you just say you won’t get married?”
The second aunt's scolding instantly solidified the atmosphere at the dinner table. After being scolded by the second aunt, Li Fen did not refute or explain, but just lowered her head and cried non-stop.
Li Mu said at this time: "Second Aunt, don't get angry first. Fenfen must have her own ideas when she says she doesn't want to get married. Why don't we let her talk about her own plans first and what she wants to do if she doesn't get married."
The second aunt looked at Li Mu, her tone calmed down a little, and said, "Xiao Mu, you don't know this girl Fenfen. She doesn't say anything when she wants to. She is just meat, very meaty..."
Li Mu said: "Let her talk about her plans."
The second aunt then asked Li Fen: "Then tell yourself, what do you want to do if you don't get married?"
Li Fen raised her head and said, "I want to go out to work."
"Work?" The second aunt refused without hesitation: "The family doesn't need you to go out and earn a few hundred yuan now. What's the point of running out alone?"
Li Fen said: "I just want to go out and have a look, I don't want to get married in such a hazy way."
The second aunt looked very ugly and slapped her chopsticks on the table: "You damn girl, are you deliberately trying to embarrass me and your father in front of so many relatives?"
Li Fen was stimulated by the second aunt's words and walked out. Her brother Li Bin was about to chase after her, but Li Mu stood up and said, "I'll go, you eat first, and I'll persuade her."
After saying that, Li Mu took two steps quickly, walked out of the gate and chased out of the yard, calling out to Li Fen who was still wiping tears while walking in front.
Li Fen stopped and Li Mu walked up to her and asked her, "Why don't you even eat?"
Li Fen wiped away her tears and said, "My mother and I can't make sense at all."
Li Mu then advised: "The reason why it doesn't make sense is that we haven't found a solution that is acceptable to both of us. If you don't want to get married, it goes against her will. Going out to work is even more unacceptable to her."
Li Fen said angrily: "You can make money to supplement your family income by going out to work. My classmates can earn five or six hundred yuan a month when they go out to work. The factory provides food and accommodation, and they can send three or four hundred yuan home a month. They asked me to marry Doesn’t Qi Dayong just like his family’s money?”
Li Mu smiled and said: "Now that your wholesale department's business is so prosperous, why are your parents willing to let you go out to work? They don't lack the little you earn. They don't want you to get married because of other people's money, they just want to get married. To make your life better, didn't your mother say that after you get married, in order to prevent your husband's family from looking down on you, she and your father will have to continue to subsidize your life."
Li Fen said with red eyes: "But I really don't want to get married..."
Li Mu nodded and said, "You can't always just say that you don't want to get married, but at the same time you can't come up with a truly effective solution. If your parents agree to your request and don't force you to get married, how will you go forward? "
Li Fen hesitated for a long time and whispered: "I don't know, I just want to go to the south to work. If my family didn't open this wholesale department, I might have gone to the south with my classmates. After opening this wholesale department, I came back to help, no To think that they were planning to get me married so early."
Li Mu sighed helplessly, and one thought became more firm in his mind: Nothing could make Li Fen marry prematurely unwillingly.
At this moment, he suddenly thought of some special colleagues he met in the workplace in his previous life. An idea formed in his mind, and he asked Li Fen: "Then do you want to go to school?"
"Going to school?" Li Fen looked at Li Mu in surprise: "I left school before finishing my first year of high school. What school can I go to now? Go back and start from the first year of high school?"
Li Mu shook his head and said, "Go directly to college."
"College?" Li Fen was even more confused. How could he possibly go to college in his situation
Seeing her confused look, Li Mu said: "Many private universities do not require you to take the college entrance examination or pay money. They say they are universities, but in fact they mainly provide training for adults to take the college entrance examination. However, the model is the same as that of normal universities. There is not much difference. You can also experience university study and life. If you study hard in school, you can also get a nationally recognized adult education diploma. Even if you fail the exam, with these experiences, you can hold a diploma from a private university. , you can also find a job in a company, which is much better than going out to find a job with a junior high school or high school diploma."
Li Fen once had a deep longing for college, but her family conditions were very poor. After she dropped out of high school early, she completely gave up all her longing and hope for college. However, Li Mu's words gave her a glimmer of faith again. Although She had heard that private universities were not very reliable, but what Li Mu said was very pertinent. Although the school was not a formal university recognized by the state, it was not much different from other universities in terms of form. If she worked hard, she could get An adult education diploma will be of great use to you in the future.
Li Fen, who was instantly hopeful, soon realized a serious problem. She said, "If I go to school, the tuition, miscellaneous fees and living expenses will be too high, and my parents will definitely not be willing to do so."
Li Mu smiled slightly: "I will pay for all the expenses for your schooling."
(End of chapter)