On the big Kang, young men and women sat opposite each other. On the Kang table in the middle was freshly cooked mutton stew. The aroma of the mutton filled the room.
Shui Hua took the wine bottle and poured a bowl for Wang Zhong and a bowl for herself.
Holding the wine bowl in both hands, Shui Hua still had a smile on her face. Bi Ming looked at Wang Zhong and said, "Brother Wang Zhong, drink!"
"Can you drink?"
Shui Hua shook her head: "I'm happy today!"
"Hahaha!"
Wang Zhong laughed loudly and held the wine bowl in both hands: "You're right, today is indeed a happy day!"
"I did it! You can do whatever you want!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the wine bowl was brought to his mouth, he raised his head slightly, and with a swallowing sound, the full bowl of wine was drank down in one gulp.
The spicy alcoholic drink stimulated his mouth and esophagus, but Wang Zhong also had a smile on his face.
Shui Hua also followed Wang Zhong's example and took a sip, but was so spicy that she coughed several times and almost spit out the wine in her mouth.
"so spicy!"
Seeing Shuihua sticking out his tongue, breathing heavily, and fanning his mouth with his palms, he smiled unkindly.
“Not only is it spicy, but it’s also bitter!”
Wang Zhong said: "An ancient person once said: wine is a poison that penetrates the intestines!" The color is a steel knife for scraping bones. Wang Zhong did not say this.
"Then why do so many people like to drink it?" Shuihua asked doubtfully.
In Yongquan Village, there are many people who like to drink. During festivals or happy events, a banquet may be held. The food may not be sumptuous, but as long as it is on the table of men, there will always be wine.
"That's just a one-sided statement. Drinking alcohol in moderation is not only harmless to the body, but it can also repel cold and keep warm." Wine is also a double-edged sword, but it just depends on how you use it.
Shui Hua nodded: "It's indeed warm."
The wine enters the abdominal cavity, and warmth comes out from within.
Wang Zhong smiled and said: "Tomorrow I will go to the county town, buy some things and come back. I will choose a good day and let my uncle be the matchmaker and come to your house to formally propose marriage! What do you think?"
Shui Hua didn't expect that Wang Zhong would change the topic so quickly. She could only lower her head a little shyly and responded like a mosquito whispering. Her pretty face was covered with red clouds. She didn't know whether it was because of shame or because of the drunkenness. Smoked.
Seeing Shui Hua's shy look, Wang Zhong felt inexplicably happy. Somehow, an idea suddenly appeared in his heart, and he immediately said: "How about we go together?"
"Ah?" Shuihua didn't expect that Wang Zhong would suddenly invite him. She felt surprised, but she couldn't help but feel happy in her heart.
"Shall we go together?" Wang Zhong said with a smile again.
"Would it be..." Shui Hua hesitated: "Wouldn't it be bad! After all..."
"After all, we...don't have that yet!"
As he spoke, Shui Hua turned his head away, and his pretty face became even redder.
Wang Chong said with a smile: "This is not the past!"
"Besides, these things are sold to you. If you go together, you will definitely know which ones are more suitable to buy."
Wang Zhong's directness made Shui Hua a little confused, but Wang Zhong never strayed from his words, but Shui Hua couldn't help but feel happy in her heart.
Shuihua, who has always been strong and brave, inevitably showed her little daughter mentality at this moment.
Seeing Shui Hua's appearance, Wang Zhong had an idea in his mind and said: "Then tomorrow morning, after breakfast, I will call you. If you call Mai Miao, I will call De Bao too."
"Ah?" She was also stunned for a moment, and then Shui Hua raised her eyes and looked at Wang Zhong's smiling face, and instantly realized that although the matter had been decided, it had not been announced yet. Wang Zhong was a grown man. Naturally, I am not afraid of what others say, but as a big girl, the most taboo thing about me is those gossips.
And if others knew that she was going to marry Wang Zhong, those jealous people might say something unpleasant.
Shui Hua was already smart and thought a lot in one moment.
"Well, then I'll go find Mai Miao later!" Shui Hua also wanted to spend more time with Wang Zhong.
"Then it's settled!" Wang Zhong was in a good mood, while Shui Hua picked out a large piece of mutton from the pottery urn, handed it to Wang Zhong's bowl, raised the corner of his mouth with a slight smile, and then lowered his head to nibble on the bun.
Wang Zhong's appetite was greatly increased. He grabbed the mutton bun with one hand and the mutton with the other, eating it slowly, bite by bite.
Seeing that there was no wine in Wang Zhong's bowl, Shui Hua poured another bowl for Wang Zhong: "Don't drink it after finishing this bowl. As you said, drinking in moderation is good for the body."
"I listen to you!" Listening to Shui Hua's caring words, Wang Zhong felt as sweet as honey.
The smile on Shui Hua's face became even brighter.
A dinner that was exceptionally harmonious.
In the evening, when Li Laoshuan came home smelling of alcohol, Wang Zhong had already left, and Shui Hua was washing dishes in the kitchen.
Li Laoshuan leaned against the door frame of the kitchen, his eyes a little hazy. One of the two bottles of wine Shuihua bought and a pound of meat were given to Li Laoshuan, and he went to his uncle's house to drink with him.
"Hungry~~~"
Li Laoshuan burped and asked, "Shui Hua, where is that coward Wang Zhong?"
"We're back!" Shuihua saw Li Laoshuan standing at the door and said quickly: "Dad! It's cold outside, you go back to the house first."
"It's okay! It's not cold!" Li Laoshuan waved his hands and said with a smile, "How are you talking to Wang Zhongna?"
"He said he would go to the county tomorrow to buy something as a betrothal gift, and then pick a good day for his uncle to bring him over to propose marriage."
"You agreed?" Li Laoshuan was overjoyed immediately, with a strange color in his eyes.
"Um!"
Shui Hua nodded and responded, moving her hands faster, looking down at the wooden basin, not daring to look at her father.
"Hahaha!"
Li Laoshuan couldn't help laughing: "Okay! Just agree!"
"Wang Zhongna is a capable man. I'm relieved that you can marry him." Although Li Laoshuan loves to take advantage, there is only a daughter like Shui Hua, so how could she not care about Shui Hua at all.
He asked for such a high betrothal gift, and although he was driven by greed, he also hoped to choose a richer family for Shui Hua, so that Shui Hua would not have to continue to endure hardship after marrying her.
"Don't tell outsiders about this yet!" Shui Hua suddenly raised his eyes and looked at Li Laoshuan and warned.
Li Laoshuan was stunned for a moment, and asked puzzledly: "Why can't you tell me?" If his water splash could find such a good home as Wang Zhong, Li Laoshuan would like to shout all over the village and tell the world.
"Dad! Just listen to me once!"
"Okay! Dad listens to you!" Although Li Laoshuan was puzzled, he still nodded after seeing Shui Hua's persistence.
Early the next morning, the sky was just getting dark. The heavy snow that had been falling all day and night finally stopped. As soon as it was dawn, Ma Debao couldn't wait to come to Wang Zhong's house and urged Wang Zhong to hurry up. Wang Zhong asked him to call Mai Miao and go to the village entrance with Mai Miao. Take your own turn.
"Would Mai Miao go too?"
Debao's eyes lit up instantly when he heard this. That boy didn't have a white moonlight in his heart, and Mai Miao was the white moonlight in Debao's heart.
"Idiot!" Wang Zhong slapped him on the forehead angrily: "Today I am happy to choose a gift for you two!"
The words "young couple" directly made Debao's face turn red.
"Brother Wang Zhong! What a young couple, don't talk nonsense!" With that coy look, she looked like a boy, but she was definitely a big girl.
"Okay, let's go quickly!"
Debao rushed to Bai's hometown in a hurry. Wang Zhong shook his head, turned around and walked under the shed, tied the prepared pole and two rattan frames to the bicycle, and then pushed the bicycle out.
"Mai Miao!"
"Mai Miao!"
When he ran outside Teacher Bai's house, Debao shouted at the top of his lungs.
"Hey!" In the room, Mai Miao heard Debao's voice and ran out. Also running out at the same time was Teacher Bai who heard the voice.
Teacher Bai wears glasses and an apron, looking like a housewife cooking.
"Debao?" Teacher Bai knew it was Debao's voice as soon as he heard it, "What are you doing with Mai Miao this early in the morning?"
"We invite Mai Miao to go to the county seat with us!"
"Are you going to the county seat too?"
Teacher Bai immediately frowned and asked doubtfully, when a water flower came to see Mai Miao yesterday, he said that he wanted Mai Miao to accompany him to the county town to buy some things, and asked Mai Miao to help him choose.
Thinking of the Chinese New Year, Teacher Bai didn't bother Mai Miao and gave her two yuan to buy something she liked.
"That's right! Brother Wang Zhong said he was going to the county town to buy some things. He asked me to call Mai Miao and help him together. He invited us to eat!"
When it comes to fried cakes, Mai Miao's eyes instantly lit up. Although fried cakes are common, they are not cheap. At their age, life is usually difficult, and this is when they love to eat these things.
Teacher Bai nodded thoughtfully and told the two of them: "Then you go there early and don't make them wait too long. Remember to come back early after buying things! Don't play for too long!"
"Don't worry, Dad, aren't there brother Wang Zhong and sister Shui Hua?"
Mai Miao said happily.
Teacher Bai did not forget to warn: "Don't cause trouble to Wang Zhong and Shui Hua, you know!"
"knew!"
When the two and a half-year-old children came out of the house, they were like wild horses that had escaped the reins and could no longer be tethered. They ran happily towards the entrance of the village.
"Be careful on the road, don't fall!"
Teacher Bai stood in the courtyard, stood on tiptoes, raised his head, looked at the direction his daughter was leaving, and shouted loudly.
"knew!"
Mai Miao's voice became smaller and smaller, her words filled with happiness that could not be concealed.
When Teacher Bai saw his daughter and Debao disappear around the corner, he withdrew his gaze, with a smile on his face, shook his head gently, and murmured with emotion: "This child!"
But then he thought about the news that had just come out in the village two days ago that a coal woman came to Shuihua's house and that a man named An Yongfu from Kushui Village proposed marriage to Li Laoshuan and wanted to marry Shuihua.
She couldn't help but secretly wonder: Could it be that Shui Hua didn't have sex with that guy named An Yongfu, but instead had sex with Wang Zhong?
It's a pity that these are all teacher Bai's own guesses, and at this time, another figure appeared in Teacher Bai's mind. It was none other than Debao's eldest brother, Ma Defu, his childhood sweetheart and childhood sweetheart.
Why!
"That's it! That's all! Children and grandchildren will have their own blessings!"
In the past, Teacher Bai could still have done a good job in it. After all, Ma Defu is now a student in an agricultural school. After graduation, he can be directly assigned to work in a government unit. His future is much brighter than that of a teacher from a small village like him, and it is also better than that of a teacher from a small village like him. Then the settlement in Kushui Village has more prospects.
But thinking of Wang Zhong, Teacher Bai couldn't help but sigh.
Compared with this boy, Ma Defu, who was originally excellent, seemed a bit mediocre.
Teacher Bai didn't have much contact with Wang Zhong, and he didn't know much about them. However, these few contacts made Teacher Bai feel deeply.
Digging kilns to bake bricks, making tiles to build houses, these are nothing. What really surprised Teacher Bai was the knowledge and cultivation revealed by Wang Zhong when chatting with him, as well as his accomplishments and accumulation in literature.
Not only that, Wang Zhong can talk about fields and farming with the farmers in the village. He can also talk about education and literature with himself. In the county, he can even talk about cooperation and business with those businessmen who have no profit and can't afford to start early. The folks in the village are looking for a way out and planning for the future.
Moreover, Wang Zhong is a descendant of martyrs and has been a soldier himself. It may be difficult for others to change careers, but Wang Zhong, Teacher Bai sighed, is such a capable and capable young man who repays his fellow villagers and elders, Ma Defu is a Even though a kid who grew up in a poor mountain village has been admitted to an agricultural school, he is still somewhat inferior.
Whatever! Whatever!
Teacher Bai sighed and murmured helplessly: "Children and grandchildren will have their own blessings. What's the use of thinking so much!"
In Teacher Bai's heart, every student he has ever taught is no different from his child.
At the entrance of the village, Wang Zhong was holding a bicycle, Shui Hua was holding a basket, and wearing a scarf, they were standing by the low wall.
Debao and Shuihua came running all the way. When they saw the two from a distance, they couldn't help but wave happily and say hello.
"Brother Wang Zhong!"
"Sister Shuihua!"
The two excited people ran in front of them. Wang Zhong kicked the bicycle's stand back and said hello, and the four of them ran towards the county seat together.
As the New Year approaches, many people in the village also go to the city to buy things one after another. Those whose families are in a better situation, cut up more than ten or twenty kilograms of mutton and buy a few bags of flour. Those whose families are in a worse situation are also gritting their teeth. Cut a few kilograms of mutton and buy some white flour, and prepare to make some dumplings for the Chinese New Year.
Although the snow was not thick, it still had some impact on everyone's journey. The journey that originally took less than two hours actually took two and a half hours to arrive.
In the county town, the New Year atmosphere is fuller on the streets. There are stalls hanging with couplets and lanterns everywhere, and the flow of people on the streets is much more than usual.
The four of us didn't have much to eat in the morning, and they were all hungry after working on the road for so long.
Wang Zhong found a noodle shop and ordered five kilograms of noodles, a plate of mutton fried with green onions, half a stir-fried chicken, and four or five heads of garlic. Debao and Mai Miao immediately turned into gluttons, devouring the noodles, mutton, and stir-fried chicken. chicken.
After I was full, I asked for a few more bowls of free noodle soup.
When they came out of the noodle shop, Debao and Shuihua held their bloated bellies and burped from time to time. This was because they were full.
Shui Hua was a little restrained at first, but looking at the three people feasting, she was almost full in the end.
"Brother Wang Chong, where are we going?"
"Go buy some clothes for your sister Shuihua first!"
As soon as Wang Zhong finished speaking, Sister Shuihua immediately refused: "No, I have clothes!"
Wang Zhong looked at her and said gently but domineeringly: "Listen to me today!"
Shui Hua felt her heart tremble, and then she was pulled by Mai Miao and went straight to the clothing store.
But after entering the clothing store and asking about the price, Shui Hua shook her head repeatedly and refused to take anything, and her attitude was still very determined.
Wang Zhong knew that Shui Hua really didn't want it and felt it was a waste of money. He felt helpless. Shui Hua had been frugal since she was a child. Even if he did buy it, she would definitely not be able to bear to wear it, so he complied with Shui Hua's wishes.
I ran to the market with Shui Hua and watched Shui Hua bargaining with the bosses and bought cotton cloth, cotton, several large balls of wool, and shoe soles.
Especially the soles, size 44, Wang Zhong's size.
Then he went to buy a lot of dried longans, red dates, wolfberries, two slaughtered sheep from the market, and a lot of other miscellaneous things, filling the two large boxes that Wang Zhong brought.
As for Debao and Maimiao, Wang Zhong gave each of them a new pair of Jiefang shoes.
The two little guys were very happy as if they had found a treasure.
Two days later, Wang Zhong, under the leadership of the old branch secretary, brought the two sheep he bought as well as dried longans, red dates and other dried fruits, as well as ten live chickens that Wang Zhong bought one after another, two hundred I loaded up a cart full of flour and took it to Shuihua's house to formally propose marriage to Shuihua.
As soon as this news came out, it caused quite a stir in the entire Yongquan Village.
No one thought that Wang Zhong would actually fall in love with Shui Hua.
The old party secretary and Li Laoshuan came together. The old party secretary wanted to postpone their marriage until after the new year, so as to free up more time for preparations, but Li Laoshuan insisted on hurrying up. The battle needs to be decided quickly. It should be done quickly, preferably before the end of the year.
Finally, he asked Wang Zhong and Shui Hua for their opinions. Shui Hua said that she listened to Li Laoshuan. The father-in-law insisted, and Wang Zhong had no objection, so the matter was settled.
The day was set for the twenty-fourth day of the twelfth lunar month, and Wang Zhong set up a banquet, invited the whole village to have a meal, and served tea to Li Laoshuan, and the matter was settled.
Early the next morning, Wang Zhong got on his bicycle, carrying Shuihua, and headed straight for the county Civil Affairs Bureau.
After paying the cost of the work, taking photos, swearing an oath, and stamping, the relationship between the two was officially settled.
On the twenty-fourth day of the twelfth lunar month, Ma Huashui helped with the arrangements. As for the old branch secretary, Wang Zhong invited him to be his chief quilt and followed Li Laoshuan to accept tea from the two of them.
The etiquette is also very simple, even the worship of heaven and earth is omitted. The main thing is to toast, and the couple toasts at the table.
A total of twelve tables were set up, with more than a dozen people at each table. People from the entire Yongquan Village were here. They were packed and the dishes were simple. One table had a pot of mutton stewed with potatoes, a pot of cabbage, and a pot of white noodles and noodles. There are two kinds of steamed buns made of cornmeal, and on the men's tables, there are also two bottles of white wine on each table, both in one pound bottles.
When they arrived at the penultimate table, as soon as Wang Zhong and Shui Hua walked to the edge, Ma Defu stood up, looked at the two people with smiles on their faces, took a deep breath, showed a somewhat forced smile on his face, and picked up the He held the wine bowl and said to the two of them: "Brother Wang Zhong, Shuihua, congratulations!"
"I wish you will always be united, have a happy marriage for a hundred years, and have a son soon!"
After saying that, he raised his head and drank a bowl of wine.
Wang Zhong gave a thumbs up and said with a smile: "Okay! Brother Defu is a good drinker!" As soon as he finished speaking, he picked up the wine bottle and poured a full bowl: "Brother Defu, thank you for your blessing, I won't say anything. What’s wrong, it’s all in the wine, done!”
As he spoke, Wang Zhong started drinking, drinking the entire bowl of wine without spilling a drop.
"Drink less! Are you saying that drinking too much wine is harmful to your health!" Shui Hua tugged on Wang Zhong's sleeves and warned in a worried voice. Wang Zhong had already drank almost a pound when he came all the way.
Wang Zhong, however, remained calm and said, "Don't worry, I know it in my heart. Today is our wedding day. It's only this time in our lives. It doesn't matter if you drink more."
Seeing this scene, the look in Ma Defu's eyes quickly dimmed a bit.
After the guests were sent away, everyone helped clean up the mess and returned the tables, chairs and benches brought by each family. The old branch secretary patted Wang Zhong on the shoulder and glanced at the two of them, with an unstoppable smile on his face.
"Treat Splash well from now on!"
"Uncle, don't worry!" Wang Zhong solemnly assured the old party secretary.
Send the old party secretary to the door, watch the old party secretary leave, close the fence door, and the sky is getting dark.
"Are you hungry?" Shui Hua looked at Wang Zhong and asked with concern.
Wang Dian nodded: "You must be hungry too!"
At the end of the day, the two of them just went about greeting the folks, and they didn't eat much at all.
"I just went to check it out. There is still some mutton stewed with potatoes in the pot, and there is also a drawer of steamed buns."
"Just in time, let's do it to save money!"
"You go back to the house first, and I'll bring it over!"
"Let's get together!"
"Um!"
The couple brought the mutton and steamed buns to the main room, sat on the warm Kang, soaked the steamed buns in the soup, and started eating.
By the time the two of them finished eating and put away their dishes, it was getting dark.
Wang Zhong closed the doors in the main room and bolted the door.
Shui Hua was sitting on the kang. Under the bright red cotton-padded jacket on her body and the candlelight, her pretty face, which had not been put on makeup but was already flushed, had a charm that had never been seen before.
Wang Zhong stood in front of the Kang, and for a moment, he looked a little crazy.
Seeing that Wang Zhong had been motionless, Shui Hua looked up at Wang Zhong in confusion, and happened to see Wang Zhong swallowing his saliva, his Adam's apple surging, and his heart suddenly pounded like a deer, and his heartbeat suddenly accelerated.
Wang Zhong walked to the kang, took the kang table aside, and looked at the water splash with a smile on his face.
"It's getting late, we should get down to business!"
Shui Hua's pretty face turned even redder. Although she was an inexperienced girl, she didn't know anything about men and women.
Shui Hua took out a white silk handkerchief from the big red quilt embroidered with mandarin ducks, opened it and placed it on the bed.
This operation stunned Wang Zhong for a moment, and then the smile on his face became even bigger. He sat in front of Shui Hua, but he was not in a hurry to do it. Instead, he looked at the white silk handkerchief and asked: "Who taught you this? "
Shuihua pretty blushed so hard that she could almost bleed: "It's... it's aunt!"
Seeing his beloved wife in such a state, an unspeakable heat surged up from the Dantian in his lower abdomen, instantly sweeping through his internal organs and filling the spiritual platform.
Wang Zhong leaned forward and knocked Shuihua down.
The thick masculine breath hit his face, and the water splash was almost lost. He quickly put his arms on his chest to stop Wang Zhong's movements. Even his voice was a little more charming than usual: "Blow out the candles!"
Wang Zhong turned to look at the pair of brightly burning red dragon and phoenix candles on the table, turned back to look down at the water splash, and said softly: "These candles are dragon and phoenix, don't blow them out!"
"Is there any other way to say this?"
"Of course!" Wang Zhong vowed, and at the same time his hands were not idle. He had already taken Shui Hua's hand away, with their palms facing each other and their fingers interlocked.
