The 1970s: Married First, Fell in Love Later-Chapter 33 - 32: Something Not Boring

The eldest sister-in-law carried in a basin of pork and cabbage stew with glass noodles. The second sister-in-law brought half a basin of braised chicken with potatoes, along with half a bowl of braised pork belly.

When they came in and saw that Xue Yue and He Lang had already arrived, they greeted them warmly.

"Xue Yue, you two got here early."

"First Sister-in-law, Second Sister-in-law," Xue Yue called out. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

Guo Jinfeng put down the dish she was carrying and glanced at the other food on the table. Mrs. He was in the kitchen and hadn’t brought out her dishes yet, so only the three dishes Xue Yue and He Lang had brought were there.

"Xue Yue, I’ve got to hand it to you, you really know what’s good. You even sprouted your own bean sprouts?"

"I sprouted a few," Xue Yue replied.

"I still have some soybeans. I should sprout some myself another day. You know, it’s actually a great idea to have some bean sprouts during the New Year to cut through all the rich food."

Gao Cuiyun set down her dish, shot a look at the one Guo Jinfeng brought, and sneered, "First Sister-in-law, your family of four is coming to eat, and this is all you bring? I can barely see any pork in that basin. You really know how to pinch your pennies."

Guo Jinfeng’s face flushed with embarrassment. On their way over, He Nan had already complained that she wasn’t bringing enough. She had figured that since every family was contributing, no one would care who brought more or less. She never expected Gao Cuiyun to call her out on it.

"Second Sister-in-law, we’re not like your family. The second brother earns a salary. As for us, we have to stretch every penny."

Gao Cuiyun loved it when people mentioned her husband was a worker. Hearing this, she just assumed Guo Jinfeng was envious, and she proudly lifted her chin, refraining from any further mockery.

During the meal, Gu Yuwei also arrived, carrying a package of mung bean cakes and a jar of meat sauce.

She was dressed in a striking outfit: a red sweater, a long black woolen skirt, and a pair of small black leather shoes. The moment she entered, everyone was momentarily dazzled by her clothes.

She handed the items to Mrs. He and said with a smile, "Auntie He, this is just a little something. I hope I’m not intruding on your New Year’s celebration."

Mrs. He accepted them with a smile. "It’s no intrusion at all. You paid for your meals, so of course you should eat with us."

With that, she had Gu Yuwei take a seat.

Both Gao Cuiyun and Guo Jinfeng sized up Gu Yuwei’s attire, their eyes filled with envy. Gao Cuiyun even reached out to feel the fabric.

"Xiao Gu, your clothes are beautiful. They must not have been cheap, right?"

Gu Yuwei smiled and nodded. "My mother bought them in Beijing City and mailed them to me a few days ago. She said they cost several dozen yuan."

After receiving the clothes a few days ago, Gu Yuwei had been waiting for tonight to wear them and stun everyone. She glanced out of the corner of her eye at He Lang on the kang, but he was busy talking to Tuanzi and didn’t even look her way. She felt a pang of disappointment.

But when she saw the clothes Xue Yue was wearing across from her, she proudly straightened her back again.

"Heavens, several dozen yuan for clothes? I wouldn’t dare buy them even if my life depended on it. Xiao Gu, your family is really rich."

Gu Yuwei smiled at Gao Cuiyun. "It’s alright. A lot of people in Beijing City dress like this."

He Ziqing, sitting next to Xue Yue, asked in a low voice, "Third Aunt, would you ever spend that much on clothes?"

Xue Yue chuckled softly. "Not right now. But maybe I would once I have the money."

’People are not born equal. Some are born into wealthy families and can buy nice things and get a good education. For people like her, the biggest dream growing up was simply to have enough to eat and warm clothes to wear. Now that she had achieved that dream, Xue Yue was very content.’

Seeing that the whole family had gathered, Mr. He said with a smile, "Tonight is New Year’s Eve. Our family is all together, healthy and happy, sharing this reunion dinner. I hope the coming year will be a bountiful one. Let’s eat."

Because there were so many people, they couldn’t all fit on the kang. So, the men and children sat on the kang, along with Mrs. He.

The others sat at a separate table, and the dishes were divided between the two.

The three dishes Xue Yue brought were the most popular; even the bean sprouts were snatched up in no time.

Xiao Yang pouted at He Lang. "Third Uncle, why are you fighting with us for Third Aunt’s cooking? Don’t you get to eat it every day?"

He Lang’s lips curved into a smile. He patted Xiao Yang’s head. "Kid, my wife made this, so I’ll eat it if I want. If you’ve got what it takes, go get a wife and have her cook for you."

Xiao Yang then turned to He Ze and said, "Dad, when can I get a wife? I want my wife to make me delicious food too."

He Ze froze for a second, glanced at He Lang, then said to his son, "Don’t listen to your third uncle’s nonsense. Do you think your mom’s cooking is delicious?"

Xiao Yang thought about it. That’s right, his mom was his dad’s wife, but her cooking wasn’t delicious at all.

"Then can I marry Third Aunt when I grow up? Her cooking is delicious."

He Lang’s mouth twitched. Gritting his teeth, he grabbed the back of Xiao Yang’s neck. "You little rascal, trying to steal my wife? You’ve got some nerve!"

Xiao Yang yelped, "Grandma! Grandma! Third Uncle is hitting me!"

Mrs. He scolded laughingly, "He Lang, don’t bully the boy."

The commotion on the kang drew the attention of those eating at the other table, who watched He Lang horsing around with the child.

Guo Jinfeng said with a smile, "Don’t be fooled by his age. Our third brother is like a child sometimes."

Xue Yue turned to look and her gaze met He Lang’s. They shared a smile.

Watching them, Gu Yuwei felt a bitter pang in her heart.

They had to stay up for the New Year’s vigil, but Xue Yue had taken a nap at noon, so she wasn’t sleepy now.

With nothing else to do, she sat in the main room and listened to them chat.

She heard Mr. He bring up the three newcomers.

"The old couple are husband and wife, both in their sixties. That cowshed is drafty all over; it’s no place for people. The village chief and I went to take a look. We’re afraid the three of them might freeze to death. But there’s no spare housing in the village. We’ll have to wait until spring to repair the cowshed. The production team gave them some grain, but I’m afraid it won’t last them until the next distribution."

He Nan asked Mr. He, "Dad, did the village chief say anything about who these three are or what they did?"

Mr. He shook his head. "No. I don’t think he’s very clear on it either. The order came from above."

He Ze, however, seemed to know a little. "I heard they’re all people who’ve done bad things, and that’s why they were sent here."

Mr. He was silent for a moment before instructing them, "In any case, stay away from the cowshed. Just don’t have any contact with them."

Xue Yue sat in the main house for a while longer before heading back to her own room. Since they were holding a vigil anyway, it didn’t matter where she did it.

She sat on the kang, cracking melon seeds, and picked up her book again to read.

"Didn’t you already finish that?"

Xue Yue looked up and saw He Lang had also returned.

"I did, but I was a little bored, so I’m reading it again."

He Lang bent down, leaned close to Xue Yue’s ear, and asked in a low voice, "Want to do something that isn’t boring?"

Xue Yue looked up at him. "What kind of not-boring thing?"

He Lang stared at Xue Yue’s lips and murmured, "This kind." He slowly lowered his head.

"Mmph—" Xue Yue raised a hand to push against He Lang’s chest, but he caught it and guided her arms to wrap around his neck.