usatvline Chapter 130 The 60s (15)
Chapter 130 The 60s (15)
Sometimes, Wangyou would take the children and Zhang Qiling to the elderly living alone in the village to help them with what they could and listen to their stories or the stories of their children.
They were forced into arranged marriages, had children, and then sent them off to the battlefield. Every day, they would stand at the village entrance, hoping to see their children return. But in those days, only a few could return. Most people didn't even know if their children were alive or dead, yet they waited there day after day.
Wangyou had lived through that war-torn era, so he knew that most of the children who went out had died on the battlefield. Wangyou knew this, and the old people knew it too, but for them, no news was the best news.
Sometimes Wangyou would learn some embroidery techniques from the village elders. Although her hands didn't seem to be suited for embroidery, no one looked down on her. At least she was happy embroidering.
Sometimes, when doing things, you don't need to pursue the result; just be happy!
Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, it was 1976. In that year, many people who had been imprisoned in cowsheds were exonerated and brought back home.
When Wangyou received the news, the group of people who had been jumping around were suppressed, and a new leader had taken power. The situation was no longer one of widespread panic.
The children who followed Wangyou in their studies back then are now all capable of standing on their own. Their perseverance in studying finally paid off. The news of the resumption of the college entrance examination in 1977 spread throughout the streets and alleys, and countless people wept tears of joy.
"Sister Wangyou, we will get into a good university and come back to bring you honor!"
"Good luck to you guys!"
That year, Wangyou was almost 27 years old, while Zhang Qiling's age remained a mystery. However, their ages seemed to have been frozen in time, and their appearances remained unchanged even after ten years.
"Little Zhang, when are you and Wangyou getting married? The whole village is waiting to drink your wedding wine, why haven't you made any moves yet!" That day, Captain Chen secretly pulled Zhang Qiling aside and asked.
"See what 'Forget-Worry' means!"
"Forgetting worries is one thing, but you can't just leave without any gesture, can you? You have to prepare the betrothal gifts and such. It's the man who should take the initiative in these things!" Captain Chen said, exasperated.
"Uncle Chen, I understand. I've been secretly saving up my own money to buy a dowry for Wangyou!" Zhang Qiling touched the pocket money Wangyou had given him. He had hardly ever spent it and had been saving it all up!
"You still have some secret stash of money?" Captain Chen patted his pockets, which were completely empty, and felt envious.
"The pocket money that Wangyou gave me!"
"Do you still have pocket money? How much?"
"One yuan a day!" Zhang Qiling said, holding up one finger, looking very happy.
Captain Chen did the math. Five years ago, this guy went to the steel factory and found a job as a technical consultant. He earned at least eighty yuan a month. Even if he handed it all over to Wangyou, that's one yuan a day. In seven years, he would have more than two thousand yuan in savings.
The captain was thinking about whether he could ask his wife to increase his allowance when he got back, because one cent a month was simply not enough to live on!
"Then you'd better hurry up, kid. The policies have all opened up now. You'll probably be leaving after the college entrance exam. We old folks really want to drink your wedding wine!"
"Uncle Chen, what do we need to prepare for the marriage proposal?"
"We need to find a matchmaker first. Once the matchmaker says the relationship has been reconciled, we can exchange gifts. You'll need things like a watch, a radio, and a bicycle. You also need to give a bride price, which you can decide for yourself. But Wangyou's dowry can't be too low, otherwise it won't be good enough for her!"
"Uncle Chen is right!" Zhang Qiling listened attentively, thinking that he still didn't have enough of his own money and was considering earning some extra cash.
"Just so you know, hurry up!" Captain Chen said before getting busy.
Zhang Qiling pondered for a moment, then secretly went to the deep mountains that night. Around midnight, two large wild boars appeared in the black market. In the following days, the people in the black market kept receiving all sorts of large goods, but this only lasted for a few days.
After Zhang Qiling had enough money, he stopped hunting. After all, he needed to give the prey in the mountains a place to live. He only killed the biggest and fiercest ones.
A few days later, while Wangyou was enjoying the cool shade under the grape trellis, the matchmaker came to her door.
Looking at Zhang Qiling squatting in the corner picking at the wall plaster, Wangyou was helpless. Why was he still so easily embarrassed? Wangyou thought that there were probably very few people her age who were still unmarried in this era.
After seeing the matchmaker off, Wangyou called Zhang Qiling over and, after questioning him repeatedly, learned that it was Captain Chen who had given him the idea.
"Next time, just tell me directly!" Wangyou often forgets things; she won't remember them unless someone tells her.
"Uncle Chen said that if we get married, I can live with you openly and without any problems!"
"Aren't you living with me openly and legitimately now?!"
"We'll be sharing a room!"
"and then?"
"Then I can stay in your room all night without getting kicked out!"
Wangyou patted her chest silently, thank goodness, the naive young man knew nothing.
"Can we get married?" Seeing that Wangyou remained silent, Zhang Qiling asked cautiously.
"sure!"
"real!"
"Of course it's true!"
"Okay!" Zhang Qiling happily ran out, then after running around for a while and not knowing who to look for, he went to find Captain Chen.
"Uncle Chen, Wangyou and I are getting married. Which day would be auspicious?"
"Wow, so fast! We'll have to choose a date carefully!"
"Then I'll go buy a gift for Wangyou!" Zhang Qiling went straight out the door.
After that, Zhang Qiling spent a long time at the supply and marketing cooperative because he already had many of the things at home. In Wangyou's words, buying useless things would just take up space, such as a sewing machine.
Finally, after hearing the salesperson mention several imported watches, Zhang Qiling carefully selected a suitable one and paid for it. Before leaving, he bought a lot of candy because he knew that wedding candy was a traditional gift.
The wedding date was set quickly, just the day before the college entrance examination. All the elderly and children in the village attended the wedding, but they didn't drink much alcohol, since they had to send the village children to the examination hall the next day!
The couple held a traditional ethnic wedding, and their wedding attire was prepared with the help of the village elders; it was simply very beautiful.
That evening, Zhang Qiling moved his belongings directly into Wangyou's room and successfully got half of Wangyou's bed.
Looking at the sleeping Wangyou, Zhang Qiling suddenly felt an indescribable sense of satisfaction. He felt that everything about her was good and very attractive to him. He also felt increasingly hot, and his Qilin tattoo even came out from the heat.
Finally, the man ran into the yard and took a cold shower to recover.
The next day, Captain Chen, who had escorted the children to the examination hall, was stopped by Zhang Qiling on his way back.
Because Zhang Qiling felt that his reaction last night was very abnormal, and thinking that Captain Chen was knowledgeable and experienced, and based on the principle of asking questions when he didn't understand, he came to ask him.
After hearing Zhang Qiling's description, Captain Chen was both amused and exasperated, and finally burst into uncontrollable laughter!