Chapter 98
October 3rd, the shuttle bus running between the county and the town began operation.
The first driver to depart from the town side was Master Song.
When Master Song drove over, he saw from afar that besides many people waiting for the bus, there was a drum and gong troupe at the station. Seeing his bus, the drums started beating, the cymbals clashing, and the wind instruments playing.
The people waiting for the bus cheered: “It’s here, it’s here, a real bus has come!”
It was lively and boisterous, just like a wedding procession.
Master Song: “…”
He pulled into the station and parked. As soon as the door opened, people rushed up and carried him down.
They draped a red sash over him and pinned a big red flower on his chest. A man who looked like an official shook his hand, gripping it tightly and shaking it up and down: “Are you Master Song?”
Master Song looked confused: “Yes, yes I am!”
“Oh, we have been looking forward to this bus for a long time. We only just found out it was starting, so it’s all a bit rushed and we weren’t prepared. Master Song, these small gifts are a token of our town government’s appreciation, please don’t mind them.”
A ham, a bag of rice, a bottle of oil, and two pairs of labor gloves.
It wasn’t shabby; for a driver, it was quite generous.
And it was a windfall from the sky.
Master Song took the gifts, realizing they were for him, and his mouth stretched from ear to ear in a grin.
As for the town’s request, Master Song patted his chest and guaranteed: “As long as I, the one surnamed Song, am driving, there will never be any delays. Rain or shine, everyone just watch the time; you won’t have to wait out in the cold!”
Qiao Wei held Yan Xiang behind the drum and gong troupe, secretly amused.
Switching to the bus for work meant her work hours would now align with everyone else’s in the county.
This wasn’t a big deal; compared to later generations, the schedule was still very relaxed. Not to mention she had no nightlife now and woke up at the crack of dawn every day.
The morning time was a bit tight, but now that she had a bicycle, she could ride to the market to buy groceries, which was faster than walking.
Overall, considering the cold winters and harsh weather with wind, rain, and snow, switching to the bus made her commute easier and the quality of life higher.
Especially since after the bus entered the county, it would stop right in front of the County Government, so she barely had to walk after getting off, and after work, she could just hop on the bus right at the door.
After the holiday, she only had to work two days before the weekend.
Although the holiday was only one day, there was no need to make up for it, and no need to work such long stretches. Qiao Wei really wished the people who planned holidays in the future could see how their predecessors did it.
On Sunday, Director Lu of the Supply and Marketing Cooperative, who was Lu Manman’s father, brought Lu Manman over to visit, carrying a bunch of gifts.
Lu Manman’s blind date was a success.
She was now seeing the Captain that Yan Lei had introduced to her.
Yan Lei was both the introducer, the matchmaker, and the male party’s superior officer. So Director Lu brought Lu Manman over for a visit.
The two men sat in the courtyard smoking and chatting.
“I’ve introduced so many people, but as soon as I saw Captain Li, I knew you, Regimental Commander Yan, were truly putting your heart into it.” Director Lu sighed, “Manman’s mother originally didn’t want to find a soldier, but when she saw Captain Li, she nodded like a chicken pecking at rice.”
Captain Li was a man of talent and appearance, and his conversation was open and generous. Although his family was from the countryside, he had finished primary school and was very motivated in the Military Unit, with a masculine and bright demeanor in his every gesture.
Lu Manman’s mother fell for him at first sight!
So, being a fan of good looks wasn’t an attribute that appeared out of thin air. It must have been inherited from someone.
Director Lu had started as a purchaser for the Supply and Marketing Cooperative, traveling north and south, and had seen all kinds of people. He knew at a glance that this young man would have a bright future.
When he asked, he found out the young man had several older brothers. According to custom, parents in the countryside would live with the eldest son, so it wouldn’t be Captain Li’s turn. Lu Manman wouldn’t have to wait on her mother-in-law in the future.
He earned a Grade 20 salary, 72 yuan a month. That was equal to about two and a half months of an ordinary worker’s salary. He had volunteered that he would send ten yuan home every month.
That still left 62 yuan for him to spend.
Director Lu was satisfied with this distribution ratio.
Turning back to look at the mother and daughter, they were just giggling at the young man.
Lu Manman’s mother liked him more the more she looked. If she had been able to find a man as good-looking as this back in the day, her daughter’s face could have been even prettier.
But that didn’t matter; with such a son-in-law, her future grandchildren would be born good-looking.
Lu Manman couldn’t even walk when she saw Captain Li; she just wanted to get married on the spot.
He was a younger version of Regimental Commander Yan!
He was exactly what she wanted!
Thank you, sister!
Qiao Wei and Lu Manman talked privately in the room for a long time, taking the opportunity to educate the younger sister on some physiology and hygiene knowledge.
Lu Manman listened, her face turning bright red, but she nodded repeatedly: “Okay, I know, um, um!”
Outside the room, Lu Manman’s father’s voice rang out: “Manman!”
The two of them came out.
Outside, Director Lu held Yan Lei’s hands with both of his: “Brother Yan, I’ll leave it to you then!”
Yan Lei said: “Don’t stand on ceremony.”
Director Lu called to his daughter: “Let’s go, let’s go, time to go home!”
He seemed a bit anxious.
Qiao Wei politely asked them to stay, but they didn’t, leaving in a rush.
Qiao Wei asked: “What’s the matter?”
Yan Lei said: “I suggested they get married this month. He went home to discuss it with Lu Manman’s mother.”
Qiao Wei: “Huh?”
Qiao Wei was a bit confused: “How many days have they known each other?”
Yan Lei looked at her: “We also got our marriage certificate after knowing each other for a week.”
Qiao Wei paused.
Really, that was true.
They met on a blind date, gave an answer in three days, and after confirming, he took some time off, and the two of them got their marriage certificate and took photos.
Usually, for a blind date marriage, people would give it a few months. Mainly because the woman needed to prepare a dowry, make new clothes, sew a quilt, etc., which took time. The man would tidy up the new house and prepare furniture; a decent setup was the “36 legs” (a set of furniture), and once that was ready, they could get married.
But like Qiao Weiwei, she was all alone, her maiden family was gone, and no one was there to manage her dowry.
Especially since her house was in the employee Residential Compound, she didn’t have property rights to it. Although her whole family lived there before, it was actually owned by the factory. If she had taken over her father’s job, she could have continued to live there, and the factory wouldn’t have taken it back.
But she couldn’t do the job, so the factory came to talk to her.
If she couldn’t do the job, she couldn’t live in the house either.
Previously, three generations of the family lived there without issue, but now that she, a non-employee, was occupying it, and there were so many people waiting in line to apply for housing, who would tolerate an orphan girl hogging several rooms?
Qiao Weiwei chose marriage, got her marriage certificate a week after her blind date, packed her luggage, and was picked up by her new husband from Lin City to Xiahekou Town.
Qiao Wei reviewed this memory, paused, and said: “Then don’t stick your neck out and meddle in other people’s business.”
Yan Lei hesitated.
Qiao Wei noticed and asked: “Is there a situation?”
Yan Lei looked at Qiao Wei’s expression and said carefully: “A house in the Residential Compound is about to become vacant. It’s… the one from that person who was dismissed… Not many people know about it yet. If Captain Li can get married this month, I can help him push for it…”
Housing was limited, and that battalion commander involved in the leak would definitely have to pack up and go home. His house would become vacant. Not many people knew about it yet. If he acted now, Yan Lei was confident he could secure it.
If you miss this village, you won’t find this shop.
If they missed this one, Lu Manman and Captain Li would only be able to apply for the old houses in the old district.
“Getting married for a house…” Qiao Wei felt a mix of emotions.
It sounded a bit pathetic. But that was how life was. The objective conditions were just like that.
You couldn’t compare it to the demands for love and marriage in the prosperous society of the future.
“Fine, we are only making suggestions anyway.” She said, “Whether they get married or not is up to Manman and him, right?”
“Right, in the end, it’s their own decision.” Yan Lei brightened up, “We are only making suggestions.”
Hearing this, Qiao Wei felt a little better.
After all, you cannot decide other people’s major life events.
But she glanced sideways at Yan Lei: “What were you nervous about just now?”
Regimental Commander Yan tightened his face: “Nothing, why would I be nervous.”
Qiao Wei rolled her eyes at him.
“The house has already been given up, and you’ve already played the good guy, so you might as well see it through to the end. You can’t stop halfway; you have to see things through. Otherwise, the previous effort will have been for nothing.” She turned and walked into the house, “Don’t worry, I live very comfortably in this house now and don’t want to move.”
Regimental Commander Yan followed her, acting very sycophantic: “Yes, I know you are a woman of great awareness.”
He was even buttering her up.
Qiao Wei’s mouth twitched slightly.
She wouldn’t dare compare her level of awareness with people of this era.
When facing good things, she would definitely fight for herself.
But Yan Lei’s persona of having high awareness was already established. No, no, he was naturally high-minded, not just establishing a persona, but from Qiao Wei’s perspective, the practical benefits had already been given up, and the persona was already established. In the long run, this was definitely politically correct for his career.
There was no need to ruin his previous hard work for a red brick house.
The families in the Residential Compound didn’t have their own toilets; there was a communal toilet. It was also a dry latrine, no difference, and if you had an upset stomach in the middle of the night, you still had to go out to do your business. It wasn’t as convenient as the private dry latrine in her own yard.
Running water wasn’t piped into the houses either; it was in a public area, which wasn’t as convenient as her own hand-pumped well.
If running water could be piped into the house, Qiao Wei might have considered it, but as it stood, there was no need, absolutely no need.
She was just still thinking about Lu Manman’s matter: “Will they really get married so quickly?”
Introducing someone is one thing, but suddenly having the two people you introduced get their marriage certificate after three days of knowing each other is another.
It was quite a bit of pressure.
On the road, Director Lu told Lu Manman what Yan Lei had said: “Don’t go around talking about this; nobody knows about this house yet. If you run your mouth and spread it around, and someone else snatches it, you’ll have nowhere to cry.”
Lu Manman’s face heated up and her head spun: “Really, do I really have to get married?”
Director Lu said: “If you miss it, it’s gone. That Residential Compound has red brick houses with tiled roofs, and there’s a nursery right outside the door. After you give birth, you can just drop the child off there, and it won’t delay you from earning your wages. There’s nothing more convenient than that.”
Lu Manman stammered: “But… but don’t I need to discuss it with Li Aiguo? What if… what if he doesn’t want to get married so quickly?”
Director Lu was amused by this silly girl: “He doesn’t want to? If you tell him about this, he’ll want it more than anyone.”
Introduced by a leader, the daughter of the Supply and Marketing Cooperative Director, not ugly, and she was a broadcaster at the Town Committee Broadcasting Station herself. If they got married immediately, the leader would help him get a house.
If Li Aiguo wasn’t stupid, he would be wishing he could get married overnight.
“I just didn’t expect…” Director Lu walked with his hands behind his back, sighing as he walked, “That Regimental Commander Yan’s own house is like that…”
The topic shifted, and Lu Manman steadied herself and said: “I didn’t expect it either.”
Qiao Wei was such a capable person who knew how to manage herself, and as a spouse of a regimental-level officer, Lu Manman had imagined before going that Qiao Wei’s home must be very impressive. The result… yellow mud adobe house?
It was true that she had heard the old family quarters were all built with old houses and were not very good.
She had heard that when the new Residential Compound was completed, how many people fought openly and secretly, pulled strings, used backdoors, and blocked leaders to cry and sell misery over the matter of housing allocation… The people in the town had seen quite a show.
But she really didn’t expect the houses in the old district to be like this.
Lu Manman felt a bit heartbroken for her Sister Wei.
“Otherwise… let’s not apply for it.” She said, “Since there is a house coming up, let’s leave it for the two of them.”
“Don’t be silly.” Director Lu said, “Since Regimental Commander Yan told us about this, he wouldn’t have gone to apply for it himself.”
The yellow mud house did look a bit heartbreaking on the outside, but Director Lu had sharp eyes; the courtyard was kept neat and tidy, the room had clean white walls, and all kinds of furniture and utensils were complete. Although the house looked shabby on the outside, it was clear that life inside was comfortable.
“He became such a big official at such a young age, don’t you think he knows what he’s doing?”
“You just need to accept this favor.”
