Chapter 27: Brother's Lifetime Matter

  The winter vacation has arrived.

  It's true that one person can conquer another. Xu Yijie was particularly obedient in front of Liu Xiaomei, who had a very good temper and spoke softly, never getting angry. She was also very efficient at work. Han Qing'e had already seen Liu Xiaomei's photo and was overjoyed, unable to close her mouth. If it weren't for Xu Lan's intense studies, she would have come to the provincial city long ago.

  Xu Shaojie often went to the construction site, where Liu Xiaomei's cooking was very much to his taste. Recently, Liu Xiaomei had made a lot of pickled vegetables, which were great with rice, so whenever he had time, Xu Shaojie would run to the construction site. Later, this secret was discovered by Ma Jianhua, Du Yuxin, and Sun Yong, among others. On Sunday, a group of people took Xu Shaojie to the construction site just to eat Liu Xiaomei's cooking.

  Xu Yijie and Ma Jianhua had also become familiar with each other. Everyone knew about Xu Yijie's situation, and there were no opinions on the matter. One time, Sun Yong got drunk and scolded those officials' children, saying they were worthless. It was because of these small things that Xu Yijie's mood gradually brightened.

  At first, in front of his classmates, Xu Yijie felt a bit awkward and inferior. Later, as they became more familiar, he opened up, and it often happened that they would take turns pouring wine for each other. Du Yuxin had a lower tolerance for alcohol and was often made to speak nonsense, causing everyone to burst out laughing.

  Sun Yong suffered the most, and the reason was his broken loudspeaker. After drinking, Sun Yong loved to sing loudly, but everyone couldn't bear it, including Xu Yijie. Xu Yijie thought he had no musical talent, but in front of Sun Yong, he still had confidence. So, everyone worked together to get Sun Yong drunk, with the goal of shutting him up.

  Xu Shaojie walked out of the school gate when Zhang Shaocai was waiting outside.

  As the year-end approaches, Zhang Shaocai becomes increasingly busy, with countless places to visit. The Spring Festival is the best opportunity for New Year's visits, of course, it can't be done in the first month, so it starts in December. It's not about asking for lucky money, so Zhang Shaocai doesn't have a chance to return home. Some leaders are too busy and can only visit in the first month; relationships must be maintained, and business people can't do without these things. Construction site work also needs to span the year-end, and workers will return home during the Spring Festival. Therefore, it won't officially resume construction until after the 15th of the first month. Taking this opportunity, Xu Shaojie asks his brother to bring Liu Xiaomei back to the county town to meet their mother. Xu Yijie was initially hesitant, but Zhang Shaocai, Yan Yuhuan, and Xu Shaojie all insisted, while Liu Xiaomei felt embarrassed but didn't object.

  Xu Shaojie knew that his brother Xu Yijie and Liu Xiaomei's relationship had already stabilized, so it was no wonder that things were moving so fast. This had a lot to do with Yan Yuhuan, and also because Xu Yijie really cared about Liu Xiaomei. So, there wasn't much of an issue with this matter anymore. Xu Shaojie also knew that Xu Yijie and Liu Xiaomei had already crossed that boundary - a single man and woman spending a long time together without any issues would be strange indeed.

  Today is the day to leave the construction site and go home, Xu Yijie drove back, Liu Xiaomei agreed to follow him, so he drove because Xu Yijie still had to go to Liu Xiaomei's house for New Year's greetings.

  "Brother, Sister Liu, are you ready?"

  "Alright, Xiaomei always says to bring more stuff, it's really troublesome. She is still packing things."

  "Brother, don't forget to prepare a good gift. When you go to Liu's sister's house, the gift can't be too shabby."

  "Shao Jie, I almost forgot. Xiaomei said that their local customs are similar to ours here. When visiting the girl's family for the first time, I can't go alone, and there needs to be a representative from our side. After thinking about it, I think you're the most suitable person. So, during Spring Festival, you'll have to come with me to Xiaomei's hometown."

  Xu Shaojie was stunned, he really didn't know such etiquette. In fact, in rural areas, doing such things is very complicated. Liu Xiaomei's family conditions are not good because she is away from home, so they don't pay much attention to these things. However, when the family found out that Liu Xiaomei could settle down and start a family in the provincial city, they were also very happy. This time, Xu Yijie went to pay his respects, which was actually a formal visit, where the bride's family formally acknowledges their daughter's partner. Such rituals are taken seriously in rural areas, so Liu Xiaomei's family had long been prepared.

  Before getting on the car, Zhang Shaocai stuffed 2,000 yuan into Xuyijie's hands.

  "Go back and tell mom, I won't be able to return for Chinese New Year. Help me burn more paper money in front of dad's grave, the firecrackers are already prepared. I estimate you'll arrive tonight. Take this money back home for the new year. I know you still need to go to Xiaomei's house, Xiaomei's family is not well off, buy some more things, don't be stingy. I know Yijie's temper, don't know how to buy things, ask Xiaomei more questions. There's 1000 yuan in there, it's for mom and little sister."

  At 11 o'clock in the evening, a small car entered the county committee's courtyard. At that time, there were not many sedans in the county, and many people in the county committee knew that Xu's two sons, one studying at university in the provincial capital and the other making a lot of money in the provincial capital, were quite enviable. Seeing the two brothers driving back in their small car was even more impressive. Everyone's discussion was that Old Xu must be blessed by heaven to have such glorious sons now.

  Han Qing'e didn't sleep at all, waiting for the whole time. Today is a big deal, Liu Xiaomei is coming home, and everything has been prepared in advance. A separate room was prepared for Liu Xiaomei, Xu Lan and her mother will live together, and the two brothers will share one room.

  Xu Lan was the first to see Liu Xiaomei, she waited at the gate of the county committee compound after self-study in the evening. The small car was familiar to her, Xu Yijie had opened it halfway, and Xu Shaojie tried to drive it. After entering the county town, there were no people on the main street, so Xu Shaojie continued driving. When Xu Lan got in the car, she found that Xu Shaojie was driving, Zhang Shaocai hadn't come, and she was a bit surprised.

  Xu Lan pulled Liu Xiaomei into the house, while Xu Shaojie and Xu Yijie followed behind, carrying large and small packages.

  As soon as she entered the door, Han Qing'e pulled Liu Xiaomei, Liu Xiaomei's appearance was elegant and completely matched Xu Yijie. When Xu Shaojie and Xu Yijie entered the door, Han Qing'e didn't notice them.

  Early in the morning, Liu Xiaomei got busy preparing to wash clothes, Xu Shaojie's changed bed sheets and clothes, etc. Han Qing'e wouldn't let Liu Xiaomei do it herself, but in the end, she couldn't persuade her otherwise. For the next few days, Liu Xiaomei cooked and washed dishes, doing everything, and even when Han Qing'e was sleeping, there was a smile on her face.

  Liu Xiaomei is a high school graduate, and she has something to say to Xu Lan. The two quickly became familiar with each other. Xu Lan is straightforward and calls Liu Xiaomei "sister-in-law". At first, Liu Xiaomei was a bit shy, but later got used to it. Han Qing'e is particularly fond of Liu Xiaomei. Liu Xiaomei's body is relatively thin, and her family conditions were not good when she was young. After arriving in the provincial city, she did not intentionally make up for nutrition. Han Qing'e prepared many delicious dishes, mainly pork, fresh fish, and chicken. The small county town only has these things. Every time they eat, Liu Xiaomei is asked to eat a little more. Liu Xiaomei habitually gives food to Xu Yijie, which makes Han Qing'e happy in her heart.

  During the Chinese New Year, Han Qing'e gave Liu Xiaomei a pair of bracelets that had been passed down from her ancestors. Originally, this pair of bracelets was meant to be kept for Xu Shaojie, but since Xu Shaojie's conditions were better than Xu Yijie's, and considering how sensible Liu Xiaomei was, Han Qing'e decided to give them to Liu Xiaomei instead. At that time, Han Qing'e had already made up her mind to go to the provincial city, thinking that Liu Xiaomei's health wasn't very good, and in the future when she got married and had children, she would definitely suffer. It was better to go to the provincial city to take good care of herself.

  According to the rules, on the second day of the first month, Xu Yijie had to go to Liu Xiaomei's home. Liu Xiaomei's home was in a rural area, more than 600 miles away from the small county town, and he had to set out early in the morning. The gifts were already prepared, and Xu Shaojie handed over 2,000 yuan to his mother, Han Qing'e, without keeping any money for himself. There was still money for daily expenses. Han Qing'e personally ran around for three days to buy gifts for Liu Xiaomei's family. Rural people value practicality, so Han Qing'e mainly bought essential items. Liu Xiaomei repeatedly advised against buying too much, but the more she said it, the more enthusiastically Han Qing'e shopped. Later, Liu Xiaomei simply stopped saying anything.

  The car set off at 6 o'clock in the morning and will return on the fifth day of the first month.

  Han Qing'e almost instructed Xu Yijie in the middle of the night, telling Xu Yijie what to pay attention to. Xu Yijie nodded and agreed to everything. Han Qing'e thought that such a good daughter-in-law must succeed no matter what.

  On the way back, Xu Shaojie, Xu Yijie and Liu Xiaomei were all wearing new clothes, driving a small car. Liu Xiaomei's home was in the countryside, and such a grand entrance would definitely cause a stir in the village. Moreover, Xu Shaojie was a university student, and villagers had great respect for educated people. Therefore, Liu Xiaomei had a satisfied smile on her face all the way back. This time, they also planned to get their marriage certificate in the village, as both of them were already eligible by age. As for when the ceremony would take place, it was still undecided, but at least not until after Xu Lan graduated from high school.

  When the car entered the village, the whole village was stirred up. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, it was rare to see such a sedan in rural areas. Many units in the county were still using Jeep cars, and only high-ranking officials in the county would ride in such a car. Liu Xiaomei's father, mother, and brother-in-law were all waiting at the village entrance. Xu Yijie drove the car, while Xu Shaojie and Liu Xiaomei got out of the car. Liu Xiaomei's parents got into the sedan to experience the feeling of riding in a car.

  Xu Shaojie's trip to the countryside this time made him realize the difficulties of rural areas.

  Liu Xiaomei's home was clearly temporarily tidied up, but after entering, it was still possible to feel the difficulties. The house had earth walls and one of the rooms had a thatched roof, which is rarely seen in the county town. There was no decent furniture in the house, only a square table in the main room, with almost invisible paint on the door. Mud could be seen in the corners of the walls. In rural areas, the main room is used to store farm tools. Inside the house, except for an old-fashioned cabinet bed, nothing else could be seen. In one room that Liu Xiaomei might have lived in, there was a table with a glass top and several photos underneath, including a group photo of Zhang Shaocai, Yan Yuhuan, Xu Shaojie, Xu Yijie, and Liu Xiaomei, which stood out particularly.

  What Xu Shaojie felt most deeply was the toilet and kitchen. The toilet and kitchen were adjacent to each other, almost without any separation. In the kitchen, a foul smell could be smelled, and the toilet was semi-outdoor, with the mountain slope visible behind it. Using the toilet in such a place was like returning to nature.

  Upon entering the kitchen, the first feeling was darkness, as everything around was black, including the walls, ceiling, and floor. In the middle of the kitchen was a large earthen stove that Xu Shaojie had never seen before, with a big iron pot on top. Next to the stove were firewood and dry straw, which was where meals were cooked.

  Next to the kitchen was the dining room, also black, with only a few chairs and empty space. In rural areas, when guests come to visit, they eat in the main room. Xu Shaojie discovered that there was burned firewood in the middle of the room, and Liu Xiaomei explained that this was where the family ate meals and warmed themselves by the fire during winter.

  Liu Xiaomei's parents, older brother and sister-in-law are all peasants. There are also two brothers who have gone out to work. The family's land is entirely dependent on the older brother and sister-in-law for farming. Liu Xiaomei's four nephews are at home, with the oldest in junior high school and the youngest still crawling on the ground. Among the gifts brought by Xu Yijie, there were many milk candies. At this moment, the smallest nephew was chewing a milk candy with his mouth open wide, his face dirty, and snot flowing into his mouth.

  Xu Yijie and Xu Shaojie both brought gifts, Liu Xiaomei knew the situation, these gifts, all the people at home worked hard for a year, but couldn't earn that much, the gifts were all for Liu Xiaomei's parents, three brothers, 200 yuan per family, all sealed red envelopes, Xu Yijie originally prepared 400 yuan, Han Qing'e also supported, but Liu Xiaomei strongly disagreed, she knew that the Xu family had already spent a lot of money.

  At mealtime, the woman did not come to the table because Liu Xiaomei's status was different. She sat next to Xu Yijie, while Xu Shaojie sat alone in one direction. Liu Xiaomei's father and brother both had humble smiles on their faces, as Xu Shaojie was a university student, and Xu Shaojie and Xu Yijie were both city people.

  Xu Shaojie was shocked for the first time. He and Xu Yijie went to the village primary school to take a look, which can be described as miserable. There was no wall around it, just a few earthen houses, a broken washbasin hanging from a tree, and the thin film on the classroom windows had already been torn apart. The wind blew in waves, making a rustling sound. Inside the classroom, the floor was uneven, with large pits and small holes. A wooden blackboard, propped against an earthen wall, had poor quality and still showed faint chalk marks that couldn't be erased. The most unbearable sight was the desks and chairs, which were rickety and looked like they might collapse at any moment, as if they were weak patients who could fall to the ground at any time.

  All that can be seen around are earth-walled houses, and it is rare to see stone-walled houses, let alone brick-tiled houses. Liu Xiaomei's family has always been reluctant to use electricity. Xu Shaojie heard that their home had just been connected to the grid because Xu Yijie was getting married, so they gritted their teeth and connected the power line. Since no one used any electricity, the village electrician still had some opinions.

  Liu Xiaomei's older brother was very relieved this time. After Xu Yijie and Xu Shaojie arrived, the electrician would not dare to speak randomly again. The prestige of Xu Yijie and Xu Shaojie was seen by everyone around, and the cigarettes they smoked were also noticed by the electrician, who was shocked and said that he had never smoked in his life. Because the two men smoked Chinese cigarettes, which is a sign of wealth and status. During the New Year's celebrations, both men would smoke good cigarettes.

  Xu Shaojie's mood was a bit heavy, he couldn't think that there were still such difficult places, and the situation was different from what he had learned and heard in peacetime. The countryside is too bitter.