sjar Chapter 88: Holding hands with Lin Mei for the first time
Chapter 88: Holding hands with Lin Mei for the first time
After selling wildcat pelts and splitting the profits with Li Guaizi, Li Ju'an received a profit of 1733.33 yuan. He gave Li Guaizi a 1-cent share. He deposited the money he received from the bear bile sale last time and the money he received from the wildcat pelt sale into the Postal Savings Bank, allocating some of it for his daily expenses.
Last time, he found a carpenter in the county town and asked him to make several wooden cabinets. He went to check on the progress. The carpenter called the brigade headquarters, asking him to come and pick up the finished pieces.
The large wardrobes popular in the 80s were all handmade, with each chisel, rivet, adze, and plane meticulously crafted. When he entered the shop and found the carpenter, Old Zhang was just finishing up the main and secondary cabinets and installing the drawers.
"After you're done, settle the bill first, then take it away."
Li Ju'an paid the bill readily, saying, "Alright! Zhang Gong's craftsmanship is excellent, I'll definitely come back to you next time I need a cabinet made."
Old Zhang, the carpenter, looked at him and thought to himself, "This young man got married quite early." Old Zhang had assumed that all those wardrobes and cabinets he was making were for his wedding, with seventy-two legs.
When he heard the young man say that he wanted to beat the cabinet again next time, his eyes widened immediately, and he said seriously, "Young man, once you've established a romantic relationship and are getting married, both men and women must take responsibility, support each other, and make progress together. You can't be thinking about beating seventy-two legs again next time."
Li Ju'an finally understood what the carpenter Zhang was thinking. He was both annoyed and amused: "What are you thinking, Mr. Zhang? This set is for my mother to improve her life."
Zhang was about to launch into a long lecture, lecturing the young man about the strong sense of responsibility people must have towards their families and society, and how marriage should still be a simple and romantic affair despite limited resources. But before he could finish, he heard Li Ju'an say it was a cabinet he had made for his mother.
He immediately lowered his gaze, showing great respect for Li Ju'an, and gave him a thumbs up: "He's filial. It's not easy for such a young man to shoulder the burden of his family and know how to care for his mother."
He rounded down the price and even gave Li Ju'an a brand new enamel double happiness basin. He helped Li Ju'an load the cabinets and wooden cabinets onto the delivery truck before waving and calling out, "Young man Li, next time you get married, call us. We'll make the cabinets for you in advance! No need to wait."
"Alright, Uncle Zhang!"
……
The Li family's old house has new furniture! Previously, there wasn't enough room for many storage items. The family's money was always spent on food and clothing, so they couldn't afford to buy new wooden cabinets. Now, large wardrobes, large wooden cabinets, and cupboards have greatly improved the home's storage. Having these large pieces of furniture in the house makes one feel more at ease.
My mother, Song Lanhua, was washing clothes in an enamel basin, using alkaline water and scrubbing it vigorously with a brush. The basin was over ten years old; the paint chipped off easily when it was bumped, and it looked old and worn.
When Li Ju'an returned home, he led people to move the large wooden cabinets into the house and called out to Song Lanhua.
"Mom! What are you busy with?"
Mother Song Lanhua shook her icy hands, wiped them on her apron, and stood up to take a look. Several large wooden cabinets and cupboards filled her with excitement and emotion, and she was speechless for a moment.
Li Ju'an handed over a new enamel double happiness basin, cheerfully coaxing his mother, "Mom, fill two kettles with boiling water at home, boil some hot water to wash your hands, they're so cold."
He called his younger sister, Li Xiao, and stuffed two fruit candies he had brought back from the county town into her mouth, coaxing her, "What score did you get on the test? If you do well, you'll get a tub of cookies."
His younger sister, Li Xiao, surrounded him with laughter and chatter, while his mother's joyful and fuzzy voice murmured, grumbling about his wasteful spending on impractical things. All these sounds made Li Ju'an feel incredibly warm and at home.
Aunt Zhang's son from next door came back, bringing a secondhand black-and-white television set from the city. Many villagers gathered around to watch, pointing at the little figures playing on the black-and-white television with delight and laughter.
Li Xiao, his younger sister, stuffed a cookie into his mouth. Her doe-like eyes widened, sparkling and adorable: "Brother, let's go to Aunt Zhang's house next door to watch TV. Aunt Zhang's grandson is so cute, chubby and he loves to call me 'sister'."
"Alright, let's go take a look together."
The village was bustling with activity tonight, as all the villagers gathered around the Zhang family's house to watch a black-and-white television. Back then, televisions needed a pole erected outdoors to receive a signal, and the screen often had static; people had to hold the antenna with their hands to get a signal.
Sometimes the Zhang family has to pat the back cover a few times before it can be used normally.
A black-and-white television with a telescopic antenna was the most expensive luxury item in the early 80s. In the following years, black-and-white televisions entered ordinary households, becoming an important indicator of a family's standard of living at that time. While girls today value a house and a car when looking for a partner, in the 80s, the groom had to provide a television for marriage. A black-and-white television cost over 400 yuan, requiring almost a year's salary saved without spending a penny on anything else.
Li Ju'an remembered that "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" would be released in a few years, and he was thinking of asking someone to buy a TV to improve his family's life so that his younger sister, Li Xiao, wouldn't have to go to the Zhang family's house every day to watch TV.
The Zhang family had the first television in the whole village, which made them very prestigious.
Aunt Zhang's son, beaming with pride, stood at the courtyard gate calling out to the villagers, shouting so loudly that the other neighbors soon heard. That evening, the villagers finished their dinner early and came over with their stools.
The Lin family had just finished making dumplings. They took out a bamboo mat strung with a saucepan and placed the dumplings on it; they didn't stick at all. Lin Mei finished making dumplings and followed her parents to see the village's first black-and-white television. The television screen, with its static, was showing the news. Lu Jinyang, his sister Lu Wenqian, and several children from the Sun family also came to watch the excitement.
孙家胖娃儿不知道从哪里听来的，带着流氓语气的话，笑嘻嘻地和陆文倩说“男人不坏，女人不爱嘛！”结果孙家胖娃儿被陆锦扬掐着脖子揍。
Li Ju'an stood behind his younger sister Li Xiao, who stood next to Lu Wenqian, with Lin Mei beside her.
For some reason, when Li Ju'an heard this, he subconsciously looked at Lin Mei.
Lin Mei looked especially beautiful tonight, wearing an embroidered jacket, with two neat braids, big, bright eyes, and long, fluttering eyelashes like butterflies.
Then, he reached out and pulled Lin Mei into his arms. Lin Mei gently closed her eyes, feeling Li Ju'an's hand inadvertently touch her fingers.
At that moment, Lin Mei felt as if she had been struck by an electric current, and her heart raced instantly.