The old party secretary carried two bottles of wine, a pack of braised mutton, and walked slowly and leisurely to the door of Shuihua's house with his hands behind his back and the cigarette rod still attached.
"Uncle?" Li Laoshuan was quite surprised to see the old party secretary.
Although the old party secretary did not dislike him, he had little contact with him. Li Laoshuan knew what he was like, so he would not go to the old party secretary to find trouble.
"Why are you here!"
The old branch secretary moved his hands behind his back in front of him, and the wine and two oil paper bags in his hands naturally caught Li Laoshuan's eyes.
"Let's have a drink with you and talk about something!"
Li Laoshuan's eyes lit up when he saw the two bottles of wine, and he swallowed subconsciously. Before he could smell the taste, the glutton in his stomach had already been aroused.
"Uncle, come and sit in the room! Sit in the room!" Li Laoshuan enthusiastically bowed slightly to welcome the old party secretary into the room, and the wine and meat that the old party secretary was carrying naturally came into his hands.
"Where's Splash?"
The old party secretary glanced across the courtyard, but Shui Hua was nowhere to be seen.
Li Laoshuan said with a smile: "In the kitchen, about to cook."
"Shuihua, your uncle is here, fry some cabbage and steam some more steamed buns!" Li Laoshuan shouted towards the kitchen.
As soon as Li Laoshuan finished speaking, Shui Hua had already walked out of the kitchen and greeted the old party secretary: "Uncle."
"Yes!" The old party secretary nodded slightly in response, with a kind smile on his face, and took the initiative to explain: "I want to talk to your father about something, and I can deal with him at your house by the way!"
A smile appeared on Shui Hua's pretty face. She was also surprised to see the old party secretary. Especially when she looked at the wine and two oil paper bags in her father's hand, she couldn't help but feel a little doubtful in her heart.
Why did the old branch secretary who had never had any contact with their family suddenly come to visit, and it was neither early nor late, but it was after An Yongfu from Kushui Village asked a matchmaker to come to the door.
In an instant, Shui Hua had already thought a lot in her heart, and she even felt a little bit of expectation.
"It's too late for my father and I to be happy that my uncle can come!"
"Uncle, it's cold outside. Go sit inside and talk to my dad for a while. The meal will be ready soon!" Shui Hua also said with a smile. She was really happy for the arrival of the old party secretary, and she felt it from the bottom of her heart. welcome.
The old branch secretary said: "This is the beef and braised mutton that Wang Zhong, the coward, treated me with. Please heat them up!"
"Uncle, you came as soon as you came, why did you bring something with you!" Upon hearing the word Wang Zhong, Shui Hua couldn't help but feel ripples in her heart.
"How can I come to the door empty-handed!"
Li Laoshuan quickly stuffed the two oil paper bags into Shui Hua's hands, "Okay, okay, hurry up and heat it up! Don't keep your uncle waiting too long."
As soon as he finished speaking, he walked in with the old branch secretary.
The big kang was warm, and the two of them sat opposite each other. Before the dishes were ready, there were two bottles of wine, two bowls, and two pairs of chopsticks on the kang table.
"I heard that a matchmaker came to your house yesterday?"
While Li Laoshuan was pouring wine for the old party secretary, the old party secretary took advantage of the situation and spoke first.
Li Laoshuan smiled and poured a bowl for himself: "There is indeed such a thing. There is a young man named An Yongfu in Kushui Village. He said that he has fallen in love with my Shuihua and wants to marry Shuihua."
"An Yongfu?" The old party secretary thought for a while, but really had no impression: "How about that little guy?"
"I heard that he is a handsome young man, and he is also a good hand in tending the fields! He is a good person, has a good character, and is filial to his parents." Li Laoshuan didn't know the purpose of the old party secretary's visit, but he couldn't help but be happy because the An family was willing to make a promise A water cellar, chickens and ducks and other betrothal gifts.
"The life of Kushui Village is better than that of our Yongquan Village!" The old party secretary nodded slightly. This is not a compliment. Kushui Village is closer to the water source than Yongquan Village. In Xihaigu, water means a harvest, and life is certain. It would be much easier.
Of course, this is only relative. They are all in Xihaigu. Even if the life in Kushui Village is better than that in Yongquan Village, it is not much better off.
Those who had some connections all ran to the county town early and went outside. Those who stayed in the valleys to make a living could only work hard on the fields. But these days, with the situation like this, no matter how capable they are, , just relying on the little output from farming is enough to make ends meet.
This is the first time that someone like Wang Zhong has returned to the mountains and valleys from a big city.
"It seems that this man named An Yongfu will not marry your water flower!" the old party secretary said with emotion.
That is a water cellar. Having a water cellar is equivalent to having an extra lifeline for the family. In times of famine, it can be a life-saving thing.
"Then what do you think?"
The old branch secretary understood that the key to this matter was not the splash, but Li Laoshuan.
The smile on Li Laoshuan's face was still there, and he held up his bowl of wine to respect the old branch secretary: "You must be careful about marriage matters! I am just a woman like Shui Hua, and Shui Hua's mother left early. I have worked hard all these years alone. It's not easy to bring her up so big. We, father and daughter, depend on each other, so I must find a good family for her."
What he said sounded like what his father said, but just listen to it. If Li Laoshuan really wanted the water to be good, he wouldn't have opened his mouth to ask for a water cellar.
The old party secretary was very clear-minded and didn't bother to expose Li Laoshuan, but said directly: "You mean it's not decided yet?"
Li Laoshuan said: "Marriage matters cannot be explained clearly in one or two meetings. We must talk about it slowly!"
After all, it must be because of the issue of the bride price. Ernst Yongfu is young, and seeing Shui Huahua's good looks and good figure, he said he would not marry anyone other than Shui Huahua, but his parents and uncles have to consider the future, a water cellar, and There are so many colorful gifts, which one can be decided in one bite.
If Wang Zhong hadn't intervened, it would have been like in the original work. The two families discussed slowly, talked back and forth, each gave in a little, and finally made a decision.
But now that Wang Zhong is back, things are of course different.
The old branch secretary didn't bother to beat around the bush with Li Laoshuan and said straight to the point: "Then I won't beat around the bush with you. I came here this time because I was entrusted by that bastard Wang Zhong to marry you, the water flower in your house. .”
Li Laoshuan's eyes lit up instantly, but then he frowned: "Wang Zhong? He also likes my water flower?"
He also thought about recruiting Wang Zhong as his son-in-law, but he was afraid that Wang Zhong was from the city and would not look down on his family.
The old branch secretary said angrily: "If you don't take notice, how could you be so generous as to send food and drink to your family!"
Even Wang Zhong's little thoughts and a little bit of discernment can be seen.
Shui Hua asked Shui Hua to help with the cooking, but every time he brought rice, flour, grain and oil. Shui Hua was a serious person and did not want to take advantage of Wang Zhong, but Li Laoshuan was a money-seeker. How could he let go of the benefits he got? .
Many people in the village complained about this matter and were very envious.
But he couldn't bear to read Wang Zhong's life-saving grace. For this reason, even if others were envious, they couldn't find an excuse.
You can't stop others from repaying your kindness!
Besides, Wang Zhong didn't take care of Shuihua's family. The old party secretary received more care. Even Li Dayou went to the old party secretary's house from time to time to enjoy the autumn breeze.
The old branch secretary put down his wine bowl, looked at Li Laoshuan and said: "Wang Zhong, this kid, has incredible abilities. He can bake bricks, burn tiles, build houses, and be a carpenter! He has been a soldier and has seen the world. , with all your abilities, let alone our Yongquan Village, from all over the country, if you search hard enough, can you still find the second one?"
Li Laoshuan nodded with deep understanding. He had seen all this. Wang Zhong's house was almost built by Wang Zhong alone. The main house has three large blue brick houses with tiles, which is both solid and elegant. , who in the entire Yongquan Village would not be envious after seeing it.
With Wang Zhong's skills, no matter what he does, he will definitely not worry about making money.
In the past six months, Li Laoshuan had noticed how Wang Zhong was living. If he married the woman to him, he would definitely not be poor and live a miserable life.
"The cabinet he bought last time was taken to the county. Did you know it was sold for a lot of money?" The old branch secretary knew who Li Laoshuan was, so of course he had to prescribe the right medicine.
Li Laoshuan shook his head, but moved his head forward curiously, and asked, "How much did it cost?"
"One thousand two hundred yuan!" said the old branch secretary: "He took Debao and Shuiwang for more than ten days and sold it for one thousand two hundred yuan. Excluding the money to buy wood, he earned seven to eight hundred yuan!"
"In just ten days, you have earned more than 700?" Li Laoshuan's eyes widened with disbelief on his face.
He knew that the set of modular cabinets sold by Wang Zhong made money, but he never expected that he could make so much money.
"Didn't he earn more than a thousand in that month?" Li Laoshuan felt that his forehead was a little congested, and for a moment, his mind became blank.
More than 1,000 yuan a month would become a household worth 10,000 yuan a year. Li Laoshuan did not dare to think about it anymore.
"No wonder this boy lives such a prosperous life, eating white flour, eating meat and drinking wine all he wants."
The old party secretary didn't mean to stop, "Absolutely. Recently, he has set up a decoration team with the big boss in the county. He is only responsible for coming up with ideas, and he can get 10% of the money. After the New Year, our village will Those eight young people can go to the city to work and make money.
Who among these ten miles and eight villages doesn’t want to work in the county to earn money? Why do they want the young people from our Yongquan Village? It was because of his face that the big boss agreed. This is just the beginning. When the scale of work increases in the future, as long as there is slack time, more people can work to earn money.
The more jobs he takes, the more money he makes! Think about it, what kind of life your Shuihua would be like if she got married! "
Wang Zhong has no intention of hiding his money from the villagers. If he doesn't make any achievements, how can the villagers trust him and how can he establish prestige? Without prestige, if he can't respond to everything he says, no one will listen to him. , then there is no point in taking Yongquan Village out of poverty and becoming rich.
"Wang Zhong is so capable, why do they like my water flower?" It's not that Li Laoshuan has no confidence in his daughter, but that Wang Zhong is too good.
"Then you think that Wang Zhong's broken child will only live a good life outside in the big city, so why does it have to come back to our mountains and valleys?"
"I have not forgotten my roots. Besides, girl Shui Hua, although she is a girl from our country, she is no worse than those girls from the city!"
Regarding this point, the old party secretary had asked Wang Zhong clearly a long time ago, and Shuihua was indeed excellent, otherwise how could Li Laoshuan have the confidence to ask for such a high betrothal gift.
"That's true. If nothing else, I can't find anyone as good as my Shuihua from all over the country."
Although the old branch secretary disdained Li Laoshuan, he still recognized Shuihua.
Li Laoshuan was indeed moved, but he still hesitated a little, and the calculation in his heart started again: "What about the bride price?"
The old branch secretary already had a plan in mind, but after hearing Li Laoshuan's words, he couldn't help but feel contempt in his heart. He really couldn't look down on Li Laoshuan's short-sightedness.
He glanced at Li Laoshuan and couldn't help but said angrily: "You are stupid, but you are really stupid!"
Li Laoshuan was immediately confused by what the old party secretary said. He looked at the old party secretary blankly, wondering what he had done wrong.
The old branch secretary slowly picked up the bowl and took another sip. He smacked his lips with a look of enjoyment on his face, and then he said calmly: "Let me ask you, what are the conditions of Ernst's family? How many people are there in his family?" ?How many brothers and sisters do you have?”
"The matchmaker said there are six people. In addition to parents, there is a grandmother, a brother, and a sister!" Li Laoshuan said truthfully, but his heart was pounding. He didn't know what the old branch secretary meant by suddenly asking this.
Looking at Li Laoshuan, who was still confused, the old party secretary shook his head helplessly and said: "An Yongfu's parents are still here, and there is a grandma. There are six people in the family. If Shuihua marries her, there will be seven people. , his younger brother will definitely get a wife in the future. When the time comes, do you think Ernst & Young will help or not?
In this current situation, if Shuihua really gets married in the future, what do you think the future will be like? "
Li Laoshuan didn't say anything, he smiled, his eyes were a little dodgey, he felt guilty, he didn't think about it at all.
The old party secretary didn't mean to stop, and continued: "Also, have you ever thought about what you will do when Shui Hua gets married? You are just a woman like Shui Hua. If Shui Hua gets married, it will become a bitter water village. You are now a member of the An family. You are still young and can still do activities, but what about the future? What will you do when you get old? "
Li Laoshuan was stunned by what the old party secretary said. He really had not considered this. When the old party secretary said this, he immediately became worried.
"But Wang Zhong's baby is different!"
Li Laoshuan instantly understood what the old branch secretary meant.
"The only one in the old Wang family is Wang Zhong. His grandfather and father are both martyrs. He has a good foundation and is capable. You said that if Shui Hua marries him, he will have a few children in the future. The two of them will Kouzi is busy outside, who can take care of their baby?"
Li Laoshuan now feels like a master in martial arts who has been opened up to the second line of Ren and Du, and has seen a different world.
"If the two of them get married, you will be the only elder in the future. If they don't respect you, who else can they respect?"
"Then what did Wang Zhongna say?" Li Laoshuan was very excited. The old party secretary's words had already touched his heart.
The old party secretary said: "If he didn't give me the truth, would I dare to say this?"
"The baby said that if you are willing to marry Shui Hua to him, then he will take you over and live with him and Shui Hua. He will treat you as a filial father and will take care of you until you die."
Li Laoshuan was very moved, but he still asked: "What about the bride price? What did he say?"
The old branch secretary frowned. Although he was a little unhappy, he still followed Wang Zhong's words: "The baby said that he will pay double the amount the An family will pay!"
"Double?" Li Laoshuan was so excited that he almost stood up and looked in disbelief: "Did he really say that?"
"You don't believe me?" The old party secretary didn't have a very good impression of Li Laoshuan. If you marry a woman, you should marry a woman. Parents want their women to live a good life in the future. The entire Yongquan Village, only Li Laoshuan Lao Chuan, for one, clearly marked the price of his daughter, saying that he wanted to marry her, but there was no difference between that attitude and selling his daughter.
It's Shui Hua, the girl, who strives for her own success. She is diligent, capable, smart and sensible. No matter how good-looking she is, she meets Wang Zhong again. Otherwise, there is no telling what will happen in the future!
"No, no!" Li Laoshuan was glared at by the old party secretary, and he felt an invisible sense of oppression coming over him, and he immediately withered.
The old party secretary has been the village party secretary for many years, and his prestige in Yongquan Village is unmatched by anyone. Especially the old party secretary himself is senior to Li Laoshuan and is the elder of the Li family. How dare Li Laoshuan do that? What did he say in front of the old man?
"What do you think? Give me a sure message and I can explain to that guy when I get back!"
Li Laoshuan chuckled, but he was already happy in his heart. He couldn't hold back the smile on his face: "As long as he can do what he says, then I will definitely agree!"
The old party secretary nodded, looked at the door, and said, "Shui Hua, you've been hearing this for so long, what do you mean?"
Shui Hua, who was standing at the door, walked in with a blushing face, holding two bowls of beef and mutton that had been heated. She put the meat on the kang table. Shui Hua did not dare to look directly at the old party secretary.
"What can she mean by her parents' orders and the words of a matchmaker? Besides, a good young man like Wang Zhong can't be found even with a lantern. How can she be unwilling?" Before Shui Hua could say anything, Li Laoshuan said I couldn’t wait to answer first.
"I didn't ask you!" Upon hearing this, the old branch secretary immediately glared at Li Laoshuan with a straight face. Li Laoshuan quickly shrank back and did not dare to say anything more.
The old branch secretary looked at Shui Hua again and asked softly: "Shui Hua, this is your lifelong event, what do you mean?"
Shuihua's heart had been racing like a deer for a long time. She took a few deep breaths and suppressed the complicated and joyful emotions in her heart. Her eyes flickered and wandered away for a while. Then Shuihua calmed down and looked up at the old party secretary. Asked: "Uncle, I...Brother Wang Zhong really wants to marry me?"
"Of course it's true. That boy almost got anxious when he heard that a matchmaker came to propose marriage to you. He ran to the county town to buy wine and meat at noon, urging me to come over!" Seeing Shui Hua's appearance! , the old party secretary’s worries were mostly relieved, and a smile appeared on his face.
"What do you think? Do you like that coward?"
"Uncle!" Shui Hua's pretty face that was still red just now has gradually returned to normal, and she mustered up the courage to say: "Tomorrow evening, I will cook some good dishes, and you ask Brother Wang Chong to come to my house. There are some things I want to say. Ask him face to face!”
"Okay!" Although the old party secretary didn't understand, he still knew how to read people's words. Shui Hua didn't mean to be unhappy at all, but Xianza was young and different from them back then. Although the old party secretary was older, he still Thoughts are not so feudal.
"I'll ask him to come over tomorrow!"
"Uncle!" Li Laoshuan held the wine bottle rather arrogantly, refilled the half-empty bowl in front of Lao Zhishu, refilled it for himself, and said with a smile: "Drink! Drink!"
"Uncle, dad, you eat first, and I'll get some cabbage!"
Tonight's dinner is quite sumptuous, including braised mutton, beef with soy sauce, cabbage, and steamed buns made from cornmeal brought by the old branch secretary.
But what made Li Laoshuan feel even better was the news brought by the old branch secretary.
Wang Zhong actually fell in love with his daughter. Although Li Laoshuan had planned for a long time to marry her to Wang Zhong, he was worried that Wang Zhong would not like Shui Hua and would not pay the betrothal gift, which would make him a joke in the end. .
Unexpectedly, Wang Zhong really fell in love with Shuihua.
Li Laoshuan suddenly felt a little grateful to the matchmaker and to An Yongfu, who had taken a liking to his family.
In a good mood, his appetite naturally followed suit. Li Laoshuan took the old branch secretary and drank one bowl after another. By the end of the meal, two kilograms of white wine had entered their stomachs.
Li Laoshuan immediately passed out drunk, and the old party secretary was staggering too drunk. He could not walk steadily. Shui Hua was worried that the old party secretary would go like this. After taking away the kang table, they let the two of them sleep on the same kang. , covering the two of them with quilts.
The night was getting darker, Shui Hua was lying on the kang, the room was dark, and the sound of snoring could be heard one after another.
As expected, Shui Hua once again had insomnia.
