Chapter 8

Du Hongmei first rushed into the grain depot to buy some grain. Her first choice was coarse grain. Looking at the grains of white rice, she struggled for a long time before finally buying one catty.

After coming out, Xia Chenxi hugged the bag of rice and said to Du Hongmei, "Mom, where are we going later?"

Du Hong's beautiful eyebrows knitted together, appearing somewhat anxious. "Go buy cloth and make a new set of clothes for your big brother. Otherwise, when people come back to see him, he won't even have a new set of clothes. Won't he be laughed at?"

"Mom wants to find a wife for Big Brother?

When? Why didn't I hear you mention it at home? "

Xia Chenxi was a little surprised. She didn't expect that Du Hongmei would want to find a wife for Xia Zhiyuan.

However, when she thought of Xia Zhiyuan's quiet personality, Xia Chenxi couldn't help but be a little worried. "Mom, have you told Big Brother about this?

Which family is the girl from?

I'm afraid that Big Brother will hide and not see her. "

"He wouldn't dare!"

Du Hongmei raised her voice. She turned to look at her daughter's smiling face and reminded her, "When we go back, don't tell your brother. Don't tell your second brother either. This matter hasn't been decided yet."

"I promise I won't tell anyone!" Xia Chenxi said resolutely and decisively. She almost raised her hands to express her stance.

Everyone would know about this sooner or later, so Du Hongmei didn't keep her in suspense. "I've already asked someone to find out about your brother.

If everything goes well, he'll be able to marry into the family next year. "

Xia Chenxi saw her happy face when she talked about getting a daughter-in-law and smiled. "That's great. I'll have a sister-in-law. In the future, there'll be someone to share the burden of the family."

After saying that, Xia Chenxi winked, making Du Hongmei unsure whether to laugh or not. "You've only been working hard for a few days and you're already annoyed?"

Xia Chenxi chuckled. "I'm just joking. When my future sister-in-law marries into the family, I'll definitely build a good relationship with her. I won't be that annoying sister-in-law."

As a village girl, housework was a necessary skill. Even if the original owner of the body was lazy in the past, she still knew how to work in the fields. Xia Chenxi had barely gotten used to the stove in the village these days. Although her life was poor, at least she wouldn't starve to death unless there was a famine.

Du Hongmei was also amused by her. Looking at her daughter's new appearance, Du Hongmei could not help but sigh. "You're also a big girl now. Take advantage of being a girl at home to learn more. When you go back to your in-laws' house, you won't be looked down upon."

Xia Chenxi quickly waved his hand and said, "Mom, I'm still young. Don't think of marrying me off so early."

Xia Chenxi was extremely nervous when she thought of how most village girls married early. There were even girls who married at the age of 15 or 16 in the village.

"You're not capable enough. Even if I want you to marry, I'm afraid that if you go to someone else's house, they'll say that I didn't teach you well.

Let's not talk about the work in the fields. Just learn how to make tea and cook at home first. "

Du Hongmei looked at her and shook her head. The work in the fields was a mess and she couldn't even look at it. Even the work at home was only so-so at best. If she got married like this, she was afraid that she wouldn't be marrying into someone else's family.

"Thinking back, when I was your age, I was good at both inside and outside. Who in the village didn't praise me?

You still have a lot to learn. "

Xia Chenxi had also been learning seriously these days. She thought that she had learned well, but she didn't expect that in Du Hongmei's eyes, she was still far from enough.

Xia Chenxi looked down at her hands with a dejected expression. Her fingers were long and slender. Although they weren't delicate enough, they were very white and clean. There were no calluses in her palms. They didn't look like hands that were used for work at all.

Xia Juan used to be very lazy and had been spoiled since she was a child. She could get whatever she wanted at home. Her life could be said to be better than some girls in the city.

Sigh, it was a pity that she was born with the body of a young lady, but she was a village girl.

Xia Juan's face was very beautiful by Xia Chenxi's standards. She had a standard oval face, big eyes, cherry lips, and very white skin. Because she didn't do much work, her body was well-nourished. If she were to dress up, she would be a proper beauty.

However, her appearance didn't conform to the mainstream aesthetic now. A round face was the mainstream.

Xia Chenxi mumbled, "I still don't want to get married …"

"What are you mumbling about behind my back?" Du Hongmei heard her mumbling but didn't hear clearly.

"Nothing. I'm saying that I will work hard and study seriously in the future. I will definitely not embarrass Mom." Xia Chenxi was able to lie without blushing or skipping a beat. She was full of sincerity.

Du Hongmei was a competent mother. Even if her daughter had been lazy in the past, she had never scolded her daughter for being a "money-loser" just because she was a girl.

It was just that the child was too lazy and didn't want to learn anything. Du Hongmei's mouth was getting hot all day long.

"Mom, when you have time, teach me how to sew shoes and insoles. Zhou Mei gave me a pair of newly sewn insoles two days ago. It's not good for me not to return the gift." Xia Chenxi was a little embarrassed when she said this.

In this era, it was very common for sisters to give each other handkerchiefs and insoles. However, Xia Chenxi didn't know how to do this, and the original owner didn't have the patience to learn these things. Xia Chenxi received other people's gifts, but she didn't know how to return the gift.

Xia family's cloth shoes and insoles were all made by Du Hongmei at home in her free time. Xia Chenxi didn't have the face to continue enjoying the fruits of others' labor.

Du Hongmei smiled and said, "You still know how to learn. In the past, when I asked you to learn, you couldn't sit still.

You can't compare to Zhou Mei. "

Xia Chenxi didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "Mom, I know I can't compare to her. You don't have to hit me again and again.

Everyone has their own strengths. I can't do this, but it doesn't mean I can't do other things. "

Xia Chenxi was going to start doubting her life if she continued to be disliked like this.

Xia Chenxi only dared to think about it in her heart. She was at most a junior high school dropout. Her standards were so low that Xia Chenxi didn't even want to talk about it.

Unfortunately, it was only 1974. There were still three years before the college entrance exam was reinstated. She had to endure until the college entrance exam. She couldn't get married so easily.

The sales auntie of the department store had a cold face. She ignored the customers and was too lazy to greet them. She held a small mirror and fiddled with her hair.

There were only a few colors of clothes nowadays. Xia Chenxi quickly wandered around the store and saw a few pairs of women's leather shoes in the shelves. If it was in the past, she wouldn't have liked to wear them. But now, leather shoes were rare.

Probably because her gaze was too focused, the woman guarding the shelves looked at her contemptuously. She munched on melon seeds and said, "Little comrade, if you can't afford it, then move aside. Don't block others."

She said this very loudly, so Xia Chenxi naturally heard her.

A pair of leather shoes cost more than 20 yuan. Not many people could afford them. Most people just looked at them with longing and looked away when they saw the price.

Xia Chenxi was standing in front of the counter. There was no one around, so the tall sales auntie was talking to her.

Xia Chenxi pursed her lips. She looked at the sales auntie who was wearing a nice floral shirt, a blue khaki jacket, and a pair of black high-heeled leather shoes. She was dressed like a city dweller. She immediately outshone the people around her.

Xia Chenxi didn't know whether to laugh or cry. She calmly looked away and said softly, "It's a pity. No matter how well-dressed you are, your heart is still not beautiful."

When the sales auntie heard this, she suddenly became angry. She said arrogantly, "If you can't afford it, then don't look. It's not embarrassing to be poor."

Based on the way the sales auntie was dressed, it was obvious that she couldn't afford it. With her sharp eyes, she could tell at a glance who was poor. Greeting the poor was a complete waste of time.

However, the sales auntie's temper flared up. Xia Chenxi raised her eyebrows. "Yes, I really can't afford it.

But this is a government-run department store. Who said that I can't even look at it? "

Xia Chenxi felt annoyed when she saw this woman who spoke in a strange tone, despised the poor, and was protective of the poor. She didn't want to pay attention to her.

She got on board.

"Little comrade, you have a sharp tongue. If you have the ability, then pay for it. You're blocking others by just standing here."

Xia Chenxi didn't feel inferior because she was poor. Anyway, in this day and age, except for those who were fed by the government, everyone's life was the same. It was just the pot calling the kettle black.

This person was harsh with her words, but after being rebuked, she still looked fierce as if she wanted to eat her up.

Du Hongmei was looking at the cloth at the side. In a moment of distraction, her daughter wasn't by her side. She thought that it was rare for her to come out, so she just wanted to take a look. Who knew that in the blink of an eye, she would start arguing with someone.

There were many people in the department store at this time. Although most of them only asked questions and didn't buy, or were purely curious, everyone knew that these sales aunties were indifferent. Even if they were scolded, it didn't matter. After all, they were fed by the government.

It was also a novel thing for a little girl to suddenly appear and argue with a sales auntie. Everyone slowly gathered around.

Du Hongmei quickly walked over and glared at her daughter. She quickly smiled apologetically and said, "I'm sorry, auntie. She's still a child and doesn't know any better. Please don't lower yourself to her level."

"Oh, you're her mother?

How did you teach your child? She can still talk back after scolding her. Her mouth is really sharp. "

Xia Chenxi frowned deeply. When she saw Du Hongmei smiling apologetically and saying sorry, but the sales auntie refused to let it go, she was a little angry.

She came forward and held Du Hongmei's hand and said, "Mom, why are you apologizing to her?

This person's eyes are in the sky. She looks down on us farmers. She's fed by the government. What's so great about her? "

"Oh, you little girl, your mother is here. What right do you have to speak?"

The tall sales auntie was very unhappy. She had been here for so many years, but this was the first time she met someone who dared to speak to her like that.

"Why is it that you're the one who has the final say?

I've entered your department store, and I can't even say a word?

What's so great about your sales auntie? You're so rude to people.

Is this how your leaders educate you? Why do you look down on us poor and middle-class farmers?

Even the great leader said to let the masses of intellectuals go to the countryside to be re-educated by the poor and middle-class farmers. You look down on us poor and middle-class farmers?

You don't even care about our great leader's words. You're openly provoking our great leader. You're completely ignorant. How did someone like you become a sales auntie?

Call your leader out. I want to ask him, what does he mean by looking down on us poor and middle-class farmers? "

Xia Chenxi was not afraid of her. If there was something to say, then there was something to say. If there was something to say, then there was something to say. This person had not humiliated her enough, now she wanted to bully her mother. If she could tolerate this, what could be tolerated?

Xia Chenxi was not a shy girl. She was not the kind of girl who would blush when talking to others.

Xia Chenxi knew that she was young. If she let this woman continue, others would say that she was in the wrong.

Oh, you want to fight, right? I'll label you as looking down on poor and middle-class farmers. Let's see how you argue.

There were many people in the store who were the type of poor and middle-class farmers that Xia Chenxi called poor and middle-class farmers. Although poor and middle-class farmers had high status, they were not poor. However, they had a good reputation and a large base of support.

With Xia Chenxi's shout, the others suddenly remembered that every time they came, they would be treated coldly by this sales auntie. In the past, they just did not care about it.

Now that someone had started this, no matter what the reason was, the people who felt the same way all came out to criticize the sales auntie.