Return to 1983 Hunting Xing'an Mountains

Chapter 403: Two Idiots, Stability is Important

Dark clouds were looming and outside the window there was a continuous drizzle. After a while, snowflakes mixed with the rain fell and turned into water on the ground.

Steam was rising in the outer room. Wang Shujuan was rushing around the two stoves, adding firewood to them. Han Fengjiao was cutting cold dishes. Wu Qiuxia was wiping the edge of the pot in the west room. Yang Shuhua and Liu Lizhen were calculating how many dishes to prepare and whether the prepared ingredients were enough.

It was past four o'clock when Xu Ning came back. They were just about to start a fire. They thought that simply preparing a few dishes would be enough for the crowd, but unexpectedly Sun Lianfang came back with them and announced that she and Guan Lei were dating. Then, as the eldest aunt and second aunt, Liu Lizhen and Han Fengjiao had to worry about it and prepare a few more dishes to show their attention to her.

What's more, Xu Ning just came out and whispered to them that Sun Lianfang's uncle and aunt gave Guan Lei a big red envelope containing fifty yuan, which should be taken even more seriously. After all, their relationship has been confirmed, so Liu Lizhen and Han Fengjiao should also give a red envelope to express their gratitude.

After a final discussion, the two decided to each pack 30 yuan and give it to Sun Lianfang when she was about to leave. If they gave it to her now, it would seem that they were just completing their task and were not particularly welcoming to her.

Liu Lizhen listened to the noise in the room, and her cochlea buzzed, as if there were gongs, drums and bronze drums ringing in her ears. Although she was a little impatient, after listening to the sound of Sun Lianfang skipping rubber rope with Xu Feng in the room, she swallowed the urge to slap.

"Feng'er has finally found a companion." Wu Qiuxia said.

Han Fengjiao said with a smile: "Not bad, they can play together."

Ever since Xu Feng came in and saw Sun Lianfang, he and she hit it off right away. The Xu family was like a sparrow's nest had been disturbed, with chirping sounds spreading through the east and west rooms, making people feel uneasy and gnashing their teeth.

However, no one dared to say anything. Why? Because Sun Lianfang was a new guest and could not disturb her interest.

Guan Lei wanted to speak up to stop them, but was rejected by Xu Ning's eyes. He could only sit on the edge of the kang or pass a cigarette to Sun Liansheng.

At first, Sun Lianfang, Xu Feng and Li Jinyu did not make too much noise. They just picked up snacks at the end of the kang, picked out a small bag of snacks, opened one, and shared it equally with everyone in the room.

But later, Sun Lianfang took out a rubber band. Xu Feng's eyes widened when she saw the rubber band. She wanted to go to the courtyard to play immediately. However, it was drizzling outside, so she had to give up. She rolled her eyes and looked at the not-too-big-or-small space in the east room, and immediately pulled Sun Lianfang and Li Jinyu into the room to play skipping rubber band.

Sun Liansheng said a few words, but his words were not enough, and Xu Feng was in high spirits and wanted to play, so no one paid any attention to him. Only Li Jinyu looked at her uncle worriedly. However, seeing Xu Ning's smiling face, she felt a lot more at ease. After all, her uncle didn't say anything, so it should be possible to play.

They danced for about ten minutes. When it was Sun Lianfang's turn, she hugged Xu Feng and Li Jinyu and said, "Feng, Jinyu, let's go out and dance tomorrow when the weather is clear. I have to stay here for a while anyway."

Xu Feng was a little unsatisfied, but when she saw Xu Ning's half-smile, she suddenly understood and nodded, "Okay! Sister Fang, you have to be sure."

"Okay!" Sun Lianfang grinned.

After Xu Feng put away the rubber band, she went to the west room to do homework with Li Jinyu and Li Mantang. Wang Biao and Liu Tianen also jumped off the kang appropriately. In their words: sitting on the kang is like squatting on a fence, which is very uncomfortable.

Sun Lianfang came close to Guan Lei and blinked at him twice, but Guan Lei was not used to it and said stiffly: "I thought you would play until midnight."

"Oh, how could that be possible? How could I not have some tact? She's my sister-in-law, I have to maintain a good relationship with her no matter what."

The two of them spoke quietly. Xu Ning and the others who were sitting at the head of the kang were chatting, so they didn't hear their mumbling.

Just now, Sun Lianfang was immersed in the name of "Sister Fang". This was the first time someone called her that. In addition, Xu Feng's little mouth was too talkative, which made her stunned. Sun Lianfang felt a little bit inferior and inferior to others.

However, she is the sister-in-law. She has achieved what she has today thanks to her mouth and her status as the only daughter of the Sun family. Naturally, she does not need to please everyone like Xu Feng, so it is normal that her skills are not as good as Xu Feng's.

The house became quiet, and Liu Lizhen and others in the outer room felt relieved. They thought the children would play until Xu Laonian came back, but they didn't expect Sun Lianfang to be so considerate.

Previously, Liu Lizhen, Han Fengjiao and other elders didn’t think highly of Sun Lianfang. Why? Because she was unstable!

The word "stable" may seem simple, but it holds a high status in the hearts of parents in Northeast China.

If you suddenly see a child from your friends or relatives' family who looks average, has average height, and average abilities, they will all say: This child looks promising!
So stability is important! This is the bottom line for praising someone.

However, Liu Lizhen and Han Fengjiao now think that Sun Lianfang is becoming more and more stable, for no other reason than that she and Guan Lei are dating.

Since the matter has been settled, the elders will not say anything. After all, Liu Lizhen and Han Fengjiao have never been willing to interfere in their children's affairs. Everything is up to them to choose on their own, and the elders just need to support them.

It was drizzling outside, and the chirping noises started again in the west room.

But Liu Lizhen didn't care because Xu Feng, Li Mantang and Li Jinyu were arguing about serious matters and studying math problems.

At this time, two people were standing outside the door in the rain, smoking cigarettes. They tilted their heads and looked at the Dongfanghong 140 tractor loaded in the rear compartment of the Dongfeng 28.

With excitement and joy revealed in his eyes, Wang Erli clapped his hands and cheered. Even when the raindrops extinguished the cigarette in his mouth, he ignored it.

"Brother! My second nephew is really capable. Look! He bought a tractor as soon as he said it would. Can an average person do that?"

Xu Laonian was happy in his heart, but he showed no emotion on his face. He just said, "What good is it? Who knows where it was put."

"This is a new tractor. Look at the paint! And there's no dirt on the engine."

"Hey, come inside, you're standing here like an idiot."

Xu Laonian threw away the extinguished cigarette in his mouth and walked into the house with his arm around Wang Erli's shoulder.

Liu Lizhen held a long-handled spoon in her hand. She saw through the glass that the two men stood at the door for a long time before entering. She muttered, "What a pair of idiots."

"Jane! Is that the tractor my old son bought?"

As soon as he entered the door, Xu Laonian called out affectionately, confusing Wang Erli who was about to ask.

"What are you buying? Can you afford it? It's rented from the farm machinery station. It's the eldest son of the Hu family in Taiping who helped me."

"Ah, then my son is quite capable too." Xu Laonian said with a grin.

Liu Lizhen didn't ask any questions about his abnormal expression. She was happy to see the harmonious relationship between father and son.

Wang Erli opened his mouth but didn't ask in the end. He planned to ask Xu Ning directly later, so he said, "Sister-in-law, are there guests at home?"

"Yeah! Lei Zi and Lian Fang are dating. The Sun family should have agreed."

Xu Laonian frowned: "Why is it developing so fast?"

"Why are you meddling in the affairs of the child? Stay out of my way."

"I'm his uncle, so I have to help check things. What do you know, right, brother?"

Wang Erli covered his mouth and whispered, "They gave you several cartons of cigarettes, so you've passed this test."

"Cough..." Xu Laonian was choked and almost retched. He quickly pounded his chest, glared at Wang Erli angrily, and went into the house at Liu Lizhen's urging.

As soon as the two men walked into the house, Sun Liansheng and Sun Lianfang stood up and greeted them warmly.

It was the first time that Sun Liansheng met them. He did not use Xu Ning to introduce himself. Instead, he took two steps forward, stretched out his hand to shake hands with Xu Laonian and Wang Erli, and introduced himself.

"I know. The last time you came here, your uncle and I were working at the forest farm. You have to stay a little longer this time, right?"

Before Sun Liansheng could open his mouth, Sun Lianfang spoke first: "Uncle, I will definitely stay for a while! Please don't find me annoying..."

"What are you mad about? I just like the hustle and bustle! The more people at home, the better! Liansheng, sit down!"

Sun Liansheng took out cigarettes and distributed them to the people in the room, and during this time, Xu Laonian couldn't help asking about the four-wheeled vehicle. Xu Ning gave a general idea and didn't tell his father in detail, which made Xu Laonian feel anxious and secretly cursed this little bastard for being inconsiderate. Your father asked so anxiously, but you still hid it.

But since Sun Liansheng was in the room, Xu Laonian did not pursue the matter and just chatted with Sun Liansheng about family matters.

Twenty minutes later, Li Fuqiang and Liu Daming came to the door. They were together today because Liu Daming, Da Laba and Lao Jiang went to the lumberyard to do odd jobs. Before they came back, they happened to meet Li Fuqiang and Lao Lin driving to refuel, so they gave the food down to the three of them.

"Hey! What happened to the winning streak?"

"It's just around four o'clock. Brother Qiang just got off work."

"Yeah, this is our uncle..."

Li Fuqiang never considered himself an outsider and directly introduced Liu Daming behind him.

After Sun Liansheng and Liu Daming greeted each other, everyone exchanged a few words.

Li Fuqiang couldn't help it, and asked while smoking: "Brother, what's going on with that four-wheeler outside?"

Xu Ning said with a smile: "How should I put this? Let me start from the beginning."

"Just say it. It's time for dinner soon, and this is a good opportunity to liven up the atmosphere! Right, uncle?" Li Fuqiang said with a smile.

Xu Laonian curled his lips and said, "I just asked a question, but no one responded to me. Maybe they are tired."

"Hey, uncle, don't be picky. My brother is definitely waiting for everyone to gather before he speaks."

Xu Ning said: "Not bad, otherwise I would have to say it twice. It would save a lot of saliva if I say it once when everyone is present."

"Erning, tell us quickly, how did you get the four wheels?" Wang Erli was also anxious.

Then, Xu Ning started talking about the trip to the city. When Li Fuqiang heard that Yang Yusheng bought him a set of clothes, his face was a little surprised. Then he happily tried on the new clothes while turning his head to listen to Xu Ning's story.

After hearing that Yang Liguo and Hu Zhibin helped find the owner of the brick factory and used their connections to help Xu Ning repair a four-wheeler, Xu Laonian, Wang Erli and others fell silent, but they were a little happy in their hearts, after all, the four-wheeler was really repaired.

What they are struggling with is that the rented four-wheeled vehicle is definitely not their own, and they have to pay 480 yuan in rent every year. The pressure must be quite great. If the deal is not approved and there is a lawsuit, that would be a bad thing.

"Can this be accomplished?" asked Xu Laonian.

"Sure! Brother Bin will be the guarantor, and it's better to rent a four-wheeler than to buy one! Besides, after leasing it for 16 years, this four-wheeler will be ours."

Wang Hu said: "Second brother, it's actually ours now."

Li Fuqiang grinned and said, "It's not a big deal. Now that it's in our hands, it's ours. Let's just play with it!"

Xu Laonian and Wang Erli looked at each other, and for a moment, they felt that they seemed to have really grown old.

If they were asked to do this, they would definitely not dare to do it! Why? Because they are afraid!

How many people would dare to do something as bold and reckless as Xu Ning? Those who don't have some capital background would not dare to do it.

At this time, Wang Biao and Liu Tianen carried two tables into the house, and Wang Shujuan, Wu Qiuxia, Xu Feng and others had already brought bowls and dishes into the house.

Xu Laonian also turned around to look for good wine. Xu Ning pointed to the Wuliangye on the ground and asked them to drink this first tonight. Xu Laonian looked at the Wuliangye and grinned and said, "Why did you buy this older one?"

"Isn't this honoring you?"

"Hey, look at this chatterbox, I'm really touched by him!"

Xu Laonian walked to the dining table carrying two bottles of Wuliangye and asked Sun Liansheng to sit next to him. "How much can Liansheng drink?"

Sun Liansheng held up a finger. Before he could say anything, Wang Erli said with a smile, "Drink all the time? Haha, then I will drink endlessly!"

"Hahaha...Second Uncle, I also learned this from Hu Zi and Lei Zi. Isn't this learning on the spot?"

"..."

At this moment, everyone in the room had taken their seats, and there were two tables with identical food.

Since Yang Shuhua was the chef herself, the dishes were all delicious and there were ten in total.

Fried elm mushrooms, prickly ash mixed with douzi meat, cucumber mixed with pig ears, braised roe deer meat...

There's nothing new about these dishes; they're all dishes that the Xu family eats often.

Everyone was picking up food and drinking wine. Although they were chewing, they were not idle. They kept talking about four-wheeled vehicles, building houses, and opening a business.

Just as Xu Laonian and the others were chatting happily, Xu Ning suddenly said, "Dad, you can't say that we bought this four-wheeler when we go out. Just say that we borrowed it from someone else. Don't even mention the farm machinery station."

Xu Laonian glared at first, then he understood the reason and nodded: "Of course, this matter can only be known by our family."

Wang Erli asked: "Then we should start digging the foundation in two days, right?"

"Well, I'll go check out the land planning first, and then I'll find someone to dig the foundation. The house will be built in two months."

Xu Laonian said, "Two suites with five rooms, can they be completed in two months? Stop talking nonsense, it will be good enough if they can be completed before autumn."

"It will definitely be completed. It's almost the end of May now. Wouldn't it be August when it's completed?"

"Whatever you say makes sense... Lian Sheng, I'll have to trouble your dad about the situation, okay?"

Sun Liansheng raised his glass quickly and said, "Uncle, this is not a big deal. My dad said it's a piece of cake. Besides, my dad and Uncle Yang have always had a good relationship. This is nothing."

Xu Ning smiled and said, "Brother Sheng, let's take it slow."

"Okay!"

In fact, what Sun Liansheng said was of average level, and it was nothing more than a forced repetition. Do Sun Jishan and Yang Yusheng have a good relationship?

Previously, the two of them were just ordinary colleagues, and they just had some tacit understanding in a few meetings. Later, it was through asking him to do things that Sun Jishan and Yang Yusheng got in touch. Otherwise, how could Yang Yusheng have any feelings for Sun Jishan?

However, the two are indeed strategic partners now, and there is nothing wrong with what Sun Liansheng said.

“Why don’t you take the four wheels off?”

Xu Laonian was a little anxious because he wanted to drive around a few times and wander around the village, to put it bluntly, to show off.

Xu Ning said: "It's raining now, so we can unload it tomorrow."

(End of this chapter)