Qi Shufang was almost sure that her eldest sister was Xu Hong's sister-in-law, and pretended not to care much and asked Xu Hong for more details, He Jianhong is currently a sixth-level worker, and gave birth to a daughter and two sons, daughter Xu Zhaodi and eldest son Xu Baozhu are in line with the names of nieces and nieces that He Jianguo said, one is eighteen years old, the other is sixteen years old, and the youngest son Xu Baogang should have been born after the two families broke off their relationship.

In addition to the restrictions on food and cloth in life, He Jianhong's life is very comfortable, better than her in-laws, she and her husband Xu Qing's monthly salary adds up to 100 or dozens of yuan, and the monthly expenses are very small, at least 100 yuan.

When it comes to the life of her eldest brother and sister-in-law, Xu Hong's tone is full of envy.

Bicycles, his family owned, Xu's father took tickets and industrial coupons to buy a permanent brand; sewing machines, his family owned, He Jianhong drew a phoenix brand sewing ticket in the food factory, she spent 170 yuan to buy it, she has a salary, industrial coupons are naturally not a problem; radio, his family has, red light signs, Xu Qing's colleague drew tickets and had no money to buy them, so they gave it to Xu Qing, Xu Qing himself paid for it; watches, his family has, He Jianhong and Xu Qing each have an imported watch!

Xu Hong muttered: "I don't have a watch until now, I don't have a ticket, and I don't have enough money to buy imported ones, just my dad has a Shanghai brand, and my eldest brother and sister-in-law actually have one piece of Inag, and two pieces are three hundred and sixty seventy!"

If it is said that He Jianhong and He's mother, who passed away many years ago, are patriarchal, or sell their daughters for glory, there is nothing wrong with her doing this, but according to Qi Shufang's observation and the gossip of relatives and friends, He Jianhong is a very wise and fair old man, and he has never abused his daughter from beginning to end, and many people even say that because he is the only daughter in the family, He Jianhong is very favored.

"Your family really doesn't know why your sister-in-law broke off relations with her mother's family?"

It's about time for passengers to get on the train, Xu Hong got off the sleeper, tidied up her clothes, this year's unit did not issue a railway uniform, she could only wear a coat covered with a cotton jacket, listening to Qi Shufang ask, she shook her head and nodded, "You want to ask what the reason is, I really don't know, my parents don't know." However, we have lived together for so many years, and occasionally I can hear my sister-in-law complain, she said that her parents are partial, and since parents prefer sons over daughters, then let their sons support their old age. ”

Qi Shufang's brows furrowed tightly, "Didn't you say before that your sister-in-law's family didn't treat her badly?"

"I'm telling the truth, and what my sister-in-law says isn't necessarily the truth. My parents have seen my in-laws several times, and they can lie to me, and they don't need to say good things about my in-laws. Grandma Hua, who was a matchmaker for my eldest brother and sister-in-law, used to say that my sister-in-law had no conscience, and Grandma Hua seemed to be my sister-in-law's aunt and grandmother, who passed away five years ago. I went to the radio studio and I got angry when I talked about my sister-in-law!"

Xu Hong waved her hand and left the sleeper car, Yun Bai saw Qi Shufang deep in thought, and pushed her, "What are you thinking? Could it be that Xu Hong's sister-in-law is really from your place?"

Qi Shufang nodded, "I'll clean up and get ready to rest, I have to go to work in the middle of the night." ”

This time, it was their turn to go to work in the middle of the night.

When she got off work, it happened to be January 3rd, Sunday, and she would be able to go to the finance office to receive her salary the day after tomorrow, so she bought a sewing machine with the money she had saved. The ticket was given by Li Yang, the bee card, and she didn't have the industrial coupons in Shanghai, but Mu Xuexun helped send twenty copies. The sewing machine was not assembled, and the volume was not as large as half of the package when she bought cotton clothes and quilts, which was very convenient for transportation.

"Jianguo, I have been rated as an advanced worker!" While He Jianguo was assembling the sewing machine, Qi Shufang took out the certificate of merit that had been in the satchel for several days to be admired by He Jianguo, and He Jianguo wanted to paste the certificate on the wall.

Qi Shufang hurriedly stopped, "Don't, I'll get the bottom of the box, sticking it on the wall will make people think we're showing off." She felt very embarrassed to put the award certificate on the wall, what was pasted on the main hall of their house was the portrait of the leader, and the plaster statue of the leader was on the big case under the portrait, and the certificate was pasted next to the portrait, don't die?

He Jianguo watched with a little regret as she put the award certificate into the camphor wood box specially used to hold books, "What show off? Is this a fact? How good it looks on the wall? Whoever comes to see it in the future will know that you are an advanced worker." ”

"I don't want it, it's safer to put it in a box. Closing the box, Qi Shufang clapped her hands.

At the same time, He Jianguo also assembled the desk-style sewing machine, moved it to the corner of the bedroom and stood against the wall.

Qi Shufang put the accessories of the sewing machine into the drawer, including plastic oil pots, screwdrivers, bobbin cores and needles, etc., and found an old dress that she did not wear to cover the sewing machine table to avoid dust.

After lunch, Qi Shufang asked He Jianhong, who was washing dishes, "Jianguo, have you seen the eldest sister later?"

"Eldest sister?" He Jianguo's face darkened, and he could immediately drip a bottle of ink, "What are you mentioning her for no reason? Father and mother said that she would be treated as dead, just because our old He family has no such person." ”

"Don't be angry. Qi Shufang told the story of what she heard Xu Hong say.

He Jianguo sneered: "Eccentric? Yes, grandpa and grandma are eccentric, but it's a pity that it's her, not me, my eldest brother and second brother." I heard my mother say that she didn't save her first child, and a brother died of shock just after birth, and when she was born safely, she grew up safely, and looked very much like grandma, grandpa and grandma loved her very much. So, that's not a reason for her to cut ties with our family at all!"

The more He Jianguo said, the more angry he became, "I still remember that my mother said sorry to me before she died, because grandpa and grandma were still alive when the eldest sister got married, and used half of the old elm wood in the family to make furniture for her. Later, the eldest brother and the second brother built houses one after another to get married, and grandpa and grandma passed away one after another, and the remaining half of the wood was not enough at all. ”

The reason why he got married later than most people is here, no money, no house, when he was in college, his two elder brothers had money to contribute and make a strong contribution, and they gave him cloth tickets and cotton tickets, just because they felt sorry for him, thinking that he was young and suffered the most, and there was nothing at home when it was his turn to get married. After graduating from college, he was assigned a better job, saved money for two or three years, and his father saved money for seven or eight years to build a house and ask someone to talk to the Qi family.

"Really not partial?"

"No, no, I can be sure that no father and mother are not partial to me and my eldest brother and second brother. When she got married, I remember it, and many relatives and friends disagreed, saying that our father and mother were stupid, and so many things for our daughter to marry would be someone else's family in the future. I still remember that my grandmother secretly stuffed her dowry into her, it was a pair of silver bracelets and a gold ring, and my grandfather also gave her twenty silver dollars, so that I could see it, and told our father and our mother, our father and mother said that it was the old man's thing, and the old man was willing to give it, and they had no opinion, and told me not to sue others, including the eldest brother and the second brother, and the eldest brother and the second brother don't know until now. Later, before his death, Grandpa gave all his savings to our father, uncle and others, a total of five silver dollars, how did our father and brothers divide it? This is not counting our aunt. Our father is the boss, so he took a step back and only took one silver dollar, which was later given to our aunt, and the other four pieces were given to the second uncle and the third uncle two yuan each. After the funeral, my father said that he would definitely buy silver dollars and save them when he had the opportunity in the future, and when he was old in the future, he would divide it equally between me and my eldest brother and second brother. ”

The old father was a little angry when he spoke, it can be seen that the grandfather and grandmother did this, and the old father also felt very uncomfortable in his heart, but the person who got the old man's private money was his own daughter, and he couldn't express his dissatisfaction.

Qi Shufang was very surprised, "So, my grandfather and grandmother are very biased, but I am biased towards the eldest sister? Although my father and mother are not as partial to her as my grandfather and grandmother, but they are not as partial to her, so what reason does she have to cut off relations with our father and mother? Could it be that our father and mother are not partial to her, in her opinion, they are partial to you and the eldest brother and second brother?"

"Our father and mother are not partial to her, in her opinion, they are partial to me and my eldest brother and second brother?" He Jianguo repeated, and suddenly patted his thigh, "Don't say it, it's really possible! Maybe she thinks that our father and mother should be partial to her, otherwise it will be patriarchal!"

At the same time, he remembered that after He Jianhong got married, he gradually distanced himself from his family, until the famine era completely severed relations.

"When did our mother and grandpa and grandma die? Before the famine or after the famine?" If it was after the famine, He Jianhong's character would be too bad, and his grandfather and grandmother who loved him were still waiting for rations at home.

He Jianguo said lightly: "They all died after the famine. ”

At that time, He Jiandang and He Jianjun were married, and He Jiandang's family had already given birth to his eldest son He Daorong, Wang Chunling was pregnant with He Daohua, and Zhang Cuihua was also pregnant with He Daoyang, but because they were very poor at that time, a large family lived in five old houses with chestnut powder walls, and the new houses were built later. My grandfather and grandmother died in the same year after the new house was built for my eldest brother and second brother, and my grandmother died in 63, my grandmother died first, and my grandfather died three days later, and my mother died of illness in her sophomore year of high school.

"I don't even care about my grandparents who love her the most, no wonder our father and mother said that they should not have this daughter, is this still human?"

"She's not a human! she's not a human, she's a white-eyed wolf!" He Jianguo said viciously, and then explained to his wife, "If you see her in the future, you shouldn't know her, but you've never seen her." Before her death, her mother hoped that she could go home to meet her, and asked her why she didn't care about the life and death of her relatives, but she couldn't find where the door of her house was.

Qi Shufang nodded like a chicken pecking rice.

The eldest sister with this kind of character, even if she meets face-to-face, she will pretend not to know.

Husband and wife, husband and wife, of course, have the same enemy!

"I'm going to sleep for a while. "I started to work at twelve o'clock, tiredness hit, Qi Shufang yawned, took off her cotton clothes, lay down on the big bed, closed her eyelids and fell asleep soon.

He Jianguo tucked the quilt corner for her and sat on the edge of the bed to read.

The couple selected a lot of ancient and modern Chinese and foreign masterpieces from the scrap yard, many of which are thread-bound books, mixed with books handed down from the Ming and Qing dynasties, what he is reading now is "Journey to the West", Qi Shufang, Professor Jin, and Granny Jin all like to watch "Dream of Red Mansions", he likes to watch "Journey to the West", and never gets tired of watching it.

Qi Shufang woke up and didn't see He Jianguo, but heard someone talking in the living room in the middle of the hall.

She sat up quietly, put on a sweater, woolen pants, cotton jacket, cotton pants and outer clothes in turn, trying not to make a sound, and heard Li Wei say to He Jianguo: "That...... That's it, don't forget. ”

"I can't forget it!"

He Jianguo sent Li Wei back, Qi Shufang walked out of the bedroom, "What is Li Wei looking for you?"

"Naw. He Jianguo handed her a stack of great unity.

Qi Shufang was surprised: "Where did the money come from?" Visually, there were at least several hundred of banknotes in this stack.

"Not ours. He Jianguo explained first, and then said Li Wei's request, I want to ask Qi Shufang to go to Shanghai No. 1 Department Store to buy him an imported women's watch, his marriage with He Shengnan is basically decided, both parents are satisfied, and they are also happy in their hearts, the wedding date is set on January 12th, which is the rest time for Qi Shufang and He Shengnan.

"Li Wei gave 500 yuan, which means that you and Comrade He will go to the department store together, and secretly ask Comrade He what he likes, and you will buy which import watch she likes, and if the money is not enough, you add it first, and he will make up for it when he comes back. ”

Qi Shufang: "He wants to surprise Shengnan?"

"Surprise? Li Wei's sewing machine, bicycle, and radio were all bought, two new quilts were prepared, two cotton clothes were made for Comrade He, two coats were bought, and a set of furniture was also made at home. He Jianguo remembered that the letter he received after sending his wife a watch and coat was full of surprise.

"Just a watch, nothing else?"

"If the money to buy the watch is not used up, you bring a few catties of silk cotton back, and the rest of the Li family is ready.

Qi Shufang accepted Li Wei's request, found an opportunity to go to the department store with He Shengnan, and spent more than 300 to buy a plum blossom brand watch that she liked very much, which was exactly the same as the one on her wrist.

The wedding day was Tuesday, and Li Wei did not rest, so he took a day off.

Although it was not a holiday, and the wedding was held in the office of the municipal party committee, and the time after getting off work at noon was borrowed, many people came to watch the ceremony, and the people in the municipal party committee office did not need to mention it alone, the relatives and friends of the Li family arrived, and the relatives and friends of the He family also came.

Following the common wedding ceremony in the city, the two families did not plan to do a big thing, among the colleagues, He Shengnan only invited Sister Wang, Qi Shufang, Yun Bai, Ou Mingxiang, Jin Yufeng and Xu Hong, they pooled money and industrial vouchers, and bought He Shengnan a pair of red iron thermos and two enamel basins as gifts, and each of them gave a dollar gift.

It's not that they can't come up with more money, but it's not necessary, everyone takes this number, of course they can't be different from ordinary people.

The four directors of the railway bureau, the first three deputy directors, all came, and the secretary Jiang and deputy secretary He exchanged endless greetings, Qi Shufang walked to He Jianguo's side, and saw that his face was very ugly, his eyes were gloomy, and he clenched his fists, and he didn't feel a little strange, "Jianguo, what's wrong?"

Hearing the word "founding of the country", a middle-aged woman who was greeting Li Ying not far away turned her head sharply.

looked at He Jianguo and Qi Shufang with dead eyes for a moment, and saw that the two men of their husband and wife were handsome, the women were beautiful, they were neatly dressed, and their bearing was extraordinary, and the middle-aged woman's face was still charming, and then she turned back with a smile: "Director Li, my family Zhaodi admires Director Li the most, and she and Comrade Li Xiaxia are still classmates." ”

Qi Shufang had a guess in her heart that was almost close to the truth: "Jianguo, she is ......"

Before he finished speaking, he heard Xu Hong say angrily: "Sister-in-law, what are you doing here? I don't remember that you and your eldest brother met today's newcomer." ”

He Jianhong confessed to Li Ying: "Forgive me, my sister-in-law is always so frizzy. ”

She looked helpless, as if she had suffered a lot of losses from her sister-in-law at home.