The winter in Peking is cold, the ground is covered with snow, the bare branches are covered with frost, and the pedestrians on the street are wearing thick cotton clothes, cotton hats, scarves, neck curling, and hands twisted in their sleeves.

In the distance, a group of students walked up, holding high the banner of "Return my rivers and mountains", shouting the slogan of "resisting Japan and saving the country" in their mouths, leaflets flying in the air, their voices getting closer and closer, getting louder and louder, rolling like thunder, the common people are no longer surprised, because with the continuous deterioration of the situation in the northeast, as the criminal iron hooves of the Japanese army have broken through the Shanhai Pass, such demonstrations have become more and more frequent, and the momentum has become more and more huge. However, life still has to go on, and most people suppress the anxiety and fear in their chests and maintain the normal order of life.

Just like the Zhou family compound in the suburbs, but a wedding is in full swing, this is the marriage of Zhou Ruian, the eldest young master of the Zhou family, naturally it is grand and festive, Mrs. Zhou has been looking forward to this day for many years, and there are still more than ten days before the wedding. The rickshaw dragged Mrs. Zhou on the dirt road, followed by another car, carrying a girl and a cart full of large bags and small bags.

The scenery of the suburbs is even more bleak, the fields are plain white, only the wild grass sways back and forth in the cold wind, adding some dry yellow color to the surroundings, and among a few small villages, there is a rather imposing manor with gray tiles and white walls, the most striking thing about this manor is the pair of half-man high door drums at his door and the three pairs of households under the eaves.

The rickshaw stopped in front of the bright vermilion gate, and Mrs. Zhou slowly came to the hall with the support of the subordinates, and Mr. Zhou lit his pipe, took a puff of cigarette, and said with a smile: "Are you done?" There was a joy in his brow.

Mrs. Zhou sat down and thumped her legs, but sighed softly, frowned and said, "It's almost, there is a commotion on the street, those students are marching again, cough, it's really eventful." I guess Ruikang is among those people. ”

"I told you to watch him a little earlier, but now the situation is so chaotic, and you still let him run around." Master Zhou complained about his wife with some worry.

When Mrs. Zhou saw her husband complaining about herself, she was dissatisfied: "Then what do you want me to do?" He's such a big man, do you want me to lock him up? At the beginning, you also supported him to go to college, but now he is studying so wildly, you blame me. ”

Master Zhou shook his head and didn't speak, burying himself in the smoke, Mrs. Zhou thought about it, gently pushed him and said with a smile: "I went to Ruifuxiang in the morning and bought some good materials, and when the girl from the Mei family passed the door, I will make her a few new clothes." ”

"Hmm" Master Zhou nodded and said, "Yes, our family Ruian is like this, and he has wronged this girl." When she crosses the door, we'll treat her well. ”

Mrs. Zhou nodded and said, "I heard Mrs. Zhang say that this girl is not only good-looking, but also docile, but her family is a little poor." ”

"The most important thing is to have a good temperament, it doesn't matter if you are poor, our family is not bad for her dowry, I heard that her ancestors are also scholars. That's not too much of a disparity. Master Zhou picked up the teacup on the table and took a sip of tea, and said slowly.

Mrs. Zhou took the teacup handed over by the next person, blew two sips into the cup, and drank two sips in succession before saying: "Someone in the ancestors has been lifted, and then the family fell in the middle of the road, the mother died early, the father remarried a room, and gave birth to a girl. According to the matchmaker, that girl is also literate and can write and draw, which is very suitable for our family Ruian. ”

Hearing that the old man was quite satisfied this week, he smiled and said: "This is excellent, the two have a common hobby, and in the future, the two will write and draw together, and they will naturally be able to cultivate feelings." ”

"yes!" A smile appeared on the corner of Mrs. Zhou's mouth, but it was quickly replaced by a worried look, and sighed: "Our Ruian has a hard life, and his body is not good, I have always been worried about his marriage, and the famous family will naturally not marry our daughter to our Ruian, and we can't look down on the illiterate and polite people in the small family, and the appearance is not good, with the talent of our family Ruian, he must not like it, so Mrs. Zhang said that this girl from the Mei family is the best candidate." In my heart, I finally have a settlement, and when she passes the door, everything will be in order. ”

Master Zhou nodded with a smile and reminded, "There is also Ruikang." ”

Speaking of her youngest son Zhou Ruikang, Mrs. Zhou's face showed a proud and smug look, and she smiled even brighter, and said: "Our family Ruikang doesn't have to worry, this threshold is about to be stepped on by the matchmaker's door, and several families have asked me, let's pick it slowly." After a pause, his brows furrowed slightly and said: "However, after this child went to college, I am indeed a little worried about the freedom of love, freedom of marriage, and revolutionary liberation." ”

Master Zhou was not worried, he felt that his son's remarks were just book theories promoted in the school, and it was just a matter of talking, in reality, he still had to follow the ancient rites, the orders of his parents, and the words of the matchmaker, so he did not answer Mrs. Zhou's words, but spit out a cigarette and said with a smile: "Ruikang has been recruiting girls since he was a child, by the way, the brothers and sisters of the Cheng family who came to our house to play last time, what is the name of that sister, it seems that I like our family Ruikang very much." ”

Mrs. Zhou glanced at her husband with some amusement, and said with a smile: "It's called Cheng Jiaqi, yes, that girl is running around behind our family Ruikang, she looks very good, she is also generous, and her family background is also good, she is an ideal candidate." After Ruian's marriage is completed, I will touch Ruikang's heart, if he also has a heart, we will go to Cheng's house to propose, wouldn't this be the best of both worlds? He's not going to say that our parents were tyrannical or anything. ”

Master Zhou laughed happily twice, very satisfied with his wife's plan. Before the laughter fell, a young man of eighteen or nineteen years old walked from the door, with a tall figure, a handsome look, dressed in a straight Mao suit, holding a book in his hand, and said loudly as soon as he entered the door: "Is the marriage of the eldest brother really so decided?" ”

As soon as Mrs. Zhou saw him, a smile of appreciation and satisfaction appeared on her face, and she smiled gently: "Yes." Looking at her youngest son Zhou Ruikang, she is extremely comforting and proud, he is too outstanding, and it is precisely because of this son that the second elder of the Zhou family can find some comfort from the misfortune of his eldest son Zhou Ruian.

Zhou Ruikang seemed to be a little angry and threw the book on the table, and said: "Dad, mother, your thinking is too feudal and backward, love and marriage should be a free choice, have you ever asked that girl if she is willing?" Is Big Brother willing? They haven't even seen each other, they are going to get married and stay together for the rest of their lives, if they can't get along, then how painful will they be in this life? ”

Mrs. Zhou was a little puzzled about where her son's anger came from, and said: "Ruikang, that girl's family naturally discussed with that girl, so she accepted our employment, your eldest brother, if you didn't drum up those trendy ideas for him all day long, he wouldn't have objected." You've already made your eldest brother dizzy, Ruikang, please, this marriage is already an ironclad thing, so don't mess around anymore. ”

Zhou Ruikang didn't care about his mother's words, and said quickly: "I only talked to my eldest brother about this last night, and he was very worried about the future. Does that girl know about the eldest brother? If she doesn't know, then she regretted it after getting married, how can this marriage be maintained? ”

Mrs. Zhou also wanted to say, Master Zhou knocked twice on the table with a cigarette stick, and said: "Ruikang, just give a speech in school with those trendy ideas of yours, we are feudal and backward, you don't know the situation of your eldest brother, how difficult it is to find a good family." Now that you've finally found the right person, don't mess around here. ”

Ruikang took two steps forward and said: "It's because of the eldest brother's situation that I'm more worried, now this girl hasn't seen the eldest brother, in case she knows the true situation of the eldest brother after getting married, she regrets it, so what should I do?" I always felt that before that, I had to let the girl know the situation of the eldest brother clearly, and let her decide whether to marry or not. That's fair. He looked very excited, as if he was going to make a revolution at home.

Mrs. Zhou's temples were swollen by his chattering, and she shook her head in annoyance: "Ruikang, don't be so ignorant. Daddy is already very upset about your eldest brother's family affairs. Don't get mixed up. ”

Master Zhou was also angry, raised his voice and said: "I really regret letting you go to any university, my mind is full of inexplicable thoughts, and I don't think about your eldest brother." When that girl saw your eldest brother, how could she be willing to marry him? As soon as the words came out, Master Zhou immediately stopped, knowing that he had said the wrong thing, and Mrs. Zhou hurriedly glanced at him.

But Zhou Ruikang reacted quickly, and immediately grabbed his father's words and said: "Look, even you know that you are cheating on that girl, such a marriage is cruel and wrong." ”

"Did you say enough?" Master Zhou slapped the table and stood up, pointed at his son with a cigarette stick, and said, "You go back to the room for me now, we don't want to hear you say this, let me out." ”

Ruikang still wanted to argue, but Mrs. Zhou hurriedly stepped forward and pulled him out of the door, and said, "Ruikang, you go back to the room first." Stop off your dad. ”

Ruikang puffed out his cheeks angrily, took the textbook, and went back to the room helplessly, leaving the second elder of the Zhou family to shake his head upset, and the heart that was originally full of joy began to worry again, although they firmly believed that their decision was correct, but the younger son's stormy questioning still made them have some doubts.