flstandardbreds Chapter 804 60 Yaozu Sister Control Group 41
Chapter 804 60 Yaozu Sister Control Group 41
Of course, Hu Xuan temporarily stored everything he found in his space, as leaving it outside would be too conspicuous, especially since Jia Bao was still living in their house.
Soon it was spring again, and when Xiao Yun was six months pregnant, Qin Yuanfeng and Xiao Huandi were getting married.
They were originally planning to get married last December, but because Li's parents wrote to say they would come to attend the wedding, it was postponed to the following spring.
Otherwise, even if people came, they might not be able to reach the commune. Last year, the snow was particularly heavy, and the road from the county to the commune was cut off, let alone the villages in the mountains. They were completely isolated from the outside world. Jiabao was trapped in the village for more than a month when he went back to celebrate the Lunar New Year. It was Jiaduobao who pulled him out on a sled.
Through more than two years of communication and phone calls, Qin Yuanfeng also gained some understanding of Li Guangyuan's parents.
At first, the elderly couple disagreed with his relationship with Huandi, but he didn't let things remain at an impasse. Instead, he would send letters home from time to time, bringing local specialties and sharing anecdotes about the Xiao family, all of which highlighted Huandi's admirable qualities in her character and conduct.
As the saying goes, parents can never win against their children, especially when they only have one son.
Furthermore, because Xiao Yun was keeping them in check, two years had passed and the two still hadn't gotten married. In Li's parents' eyes, this meant their son was waiting for their approval, which greatly satisfied their desire to control their child. So when Qin Yuanfeng called back this time to say he wanted to marry Huan Di, the couple agreed.
However, there are conditions: we have to wait for them to come and attend the wedding, and then we'll take time off to go back with them to hold a ceremony. We can't have our only son getting married without our family and friends knowing.
The wedding date here is set for the third day of the third lunar month, a day considered auspicious for marriage, betrothal, and travel. Actually, the ninth day would be even better, as it's auspicious for all activities, but the Li family can't make it that day, so they have to choose this one.
Now there are no holidays like Chinese New Year, let alone other holidays. They had to ask relatives to temporarily cover for them so they could stay away for such a long time.
The Li family lives in the central region, more than 2000 kilometers away. At the current train speed, it would take at least ten days to half a month to get there. A round trip would take almost a month, not to mention time needed to attend the wedding.
The villagers were gossiping about their impending arrival, saying that the third son of the Xiao family wasn't as valued by his in-laws as the fourth son. They pointed out that the fourth son, who lived much further away, had come to attend his son's wedding, while the Zhuo family's parents hadn't come.
Although it wasn't said to the Xiao family in person, it still reached their ears to some extent.
Xiao's mother was also a little suspicious, so she came over to ask Xiao Yun if her son-in-law hadn't told his family about their marriage, and if the gifts he sent before were just to fool them, the elders.
Xiao Yun showed the package that had been sent to her mother, and then told her about Zhuo Yiheng's previous amnesia and his less-than-close relationship with his family.
Xiao's mother was relieved, as long as it wasn't kept secret from the family. Although arranged marriages are no longer strictly followed these days, if the elders in the family disagree, there will be a lot of trouble after the two young people get married, since it's too easy for the husband's family to make things difficult for the daughter-in-law.
Although Xiao Yun was already in her second trimester, her figure hadn't become bloated; only her belly had grown big, and she hadn't gained much weight anywhere else.
Because she took good care of herself, she didn't experience any adverse pregnancy reactions during these six months, and no spots appeared on her face. Of course, it would have been strange if she had, since she had taken restorative medicines and pills, and her body was absolutely healthy.
She originally wanted to go back to her parents' home in advance to help with the preparations. Even if there was no banquet, the house still needed to be tidied up, since her in-laws were coming, and it couldn't look too shabby.
However, her family was afraid of offending her, so they didn't let her go back. They only told her to wait until Li's parents came before she could go back.
The walls were plastered again about a month in advance, using mud mixed with wood ash. It's smooth and looks much better than before. All that's left is to cover it with newspaper, and it'll be all done.
The roof was also renovated, with a new layer of thatch, and even the rat holes underground were filled in. In fact, after Xiao Yun went to the commune, she didn't let the little rats go to her house. They stayed in various houses in the village to lie in wait, and then she would have Old Gray go over and share the information with her after she had gathered it.
With Jia Duo Bao (a popular Chinese herbal tea brand) at home, she wasn't worried at all.
Actually, the family's savings are more than enough to rebuild, even just enough to build a brick house. We're just planning to build it when Xiao Jiabao gets married, otherwise it will be old again by then.
Jiabao will be eighteen next year. Although there have been matchmakers for him in the past two years, the Xiao family is not in a hurry. They don't like any of the girls in the village. Jiabao will soon become a worker, and if he marries a worker, it will be a dual-income family.
Hu Xuan had indeed started working on arranging a job for him. He originally wanted him to go to the furniture factory in the county, where the deputy director was his comrade-in-arms, and the two of them had transferred to civilian jobs together.
Ke Jiabao wanted to stay by his side, feeling that he could learn more from his third brother-in-law. So Hu Xuan planned to make him an officer of the Tail-Cutting Association, but he would have to wait until next year because he was too old now.
As for the quota at the furniture factory, it wasn't wasted either. They directly introduced their brother-in-law, Zhang Fuyun, to the factory. It's good to keep the good stuff in the family. Moreover, he became a full-time employee right away. The main reason is that his skills are excellent. If he had more seniority, he could have become a master craftsman.
The Zhang family came to thank the couple, and made two sets of furniture for them. One set was placed in the courtyard of the commune, and the other set was sent to the Xiao family, which conveniently replaced their old furniture.
Xiao Yun really liked this furniture because the set was specially made for her and it all had hidden mechanisms. Whether it was the dressing table, the five-drawer chest, or even the kitchen cabinet, they all had them in places you would never expect. You wouldn't find them unless you smashed the cabinets to pieces.
When the Li couple arrived, Qin Yuanfeng and Xiao Jiabao picked them up from the county. They were riding a sidecar tricycle, which Hu Xuan had obtained through a comrade-in-arms connection from the county. It was a tricycle that the local public security bureau had discarded; it had originally been imported from the Soviet Union.
Four vehicles were applied for in total. Two were given to the law enforcement office, and the tail-cutting association kept two. They were almost scrapped, but Xiao Yun directed Hu Xuan to repair them.
Of course, this made Jia Bao admire him immensely, and he insisted that his brother-in-law teach him. Fortunately, Hu Xuan's divine soul was strong and he remembered it after just one lesson, otherwise he would have been embarrassed.
However, this taught Jiabao to ride it, and now it's come in handy. It's perfect for him and Qin Yuanfeng to each ride one to pick people up, and they can each carry one while also putting their luggage on the side.
After picking up Li's parents, Qin Yuanfeng and Xiao Jiabao took them back home.
Along the way, Li's parents looked at the scenery and kept marveling at how different this place was from their hometown. It was already March, and they were still wearing cotton-padded clothes; in some shady spots, there was even snow that hadn't melted. Back home, they were already wearing short sleeves.
They went straight back to Baijiatun Brigade, where the Xiao family warmly greeted them at the door.
Despite being heavily pregnant, Xiao Yun greeted the guests with a smile. Li's parents were quite surprised to see the newly furnished house and brand-new furniture in the Xiao family home.
I didn't expect the Xiao family to be so well-off. I was already surprised when I saw the sidecar motorcycle before, but I didn't think much of it when I found out it belonged to my daughter-in-law's brother's workplace.
After passing the commune and going further and further into the remote area, my heart was in my throat again. When I arrived at the village, I was even more on edge. The houses were all made of mud bricks with thatched roofs. The first house in particular had a side wall that was collapsing outwards, and it was propped up by a single piece of wood.
The yard was a complete mess, and there was a strong odor that could be smelled when passing by the gate, so you can imagine what it must be like inside.
The thought of my son living in such a place made my heart ache. Fortunately, the houses behind were not like that, and I felt much more at ease when we arrived at the Xiao family's house.
When they met Xiao Huandi, they understood why their son insisted on marrying her. Her looks and figure were exceptional, even among city girls. She spoke to them with confidence and poise, which made them even more satisfied.
They gave a large red envelope containing eighty-eight yuan, which is one of the highest dowries in the area, not to mention the three turns and one sound included in front of it.
Qin Yuanfeng also told his adoptive parents about the three turns and one sound. He said he bought them with the money they had sent him over the past two years, as well as the money he had earned here. He said he had earned it by hunting with Jiabao before, but stopped after the crackdown.
Li's parents were extremely worried at the time, fearing that their son would be discovered. They were only relieved when they learned that their daughter-in-law's brother-in-law was the director of the local tail-cutting association.
It's good that someone is protecting them; at the same time, it overestimates the Xiao family. With such connections, they're no ordinary farming family.
When we had dinner that evening, Hu Xuan also came over, and everyone sat together, having a lively time.
The Li family parents and the Xiao family had a very pleasant chat and were even more satisfied with Xiao Huandi.
After a few rounds of drinks, Li's parents were arranged to stay in Jiabao's room, Qin Yuanfeng returned to the educated youth settlement, Xiao Yun stayed in the same room as Huandi, and Jiabao rode back to the commune with Hu Xuan in three rounds.
The wedding was on the third day, so things really got busy on the second day. Relatives and people from the village who were on good terms with him came to help, and a few educated youth from the village also came who got along well with "Li Guangyuan".
Two more groups of educated youth have arrived in the past two years, especially this year, with seven people arriving as soon as spring began, the most in recent years. The educated youth settlement is now too small to accommodate everyone, and they are preparing to build a new one.
The former educated youth settlement also needs to be renovated and turned into a village primary school.
Yes, with Hu Xuan's help, the village primary school was finally approved, and the application to have educated youth as teachers was also approved. Among them was "Li Guangyuan". Because he was the son-in-law of Baijiatun, he was specially appointed as the vice principal, while Xue Shuanglin was appointed as the principal.
He had also attended high school and originally wanted to find a job, but there were no other factory managers in the commune. Even those in the county or local areas had to pull strings, let alone him. So he remained a scorekeeper in the village.
Now, his diploma has finally found a use.