pjbooks Chapter 16 You're here to raid my house, aren't you?
Chapter 16 You're here to raid my house, aren't you?
Chen Weihong rushed over and picked up the certificate, looking at it again and again.
Chen Weiguo brought out the dishes and, seeing her staring at them intently, couldn't help but laugh: "What are you doing?"
Chen Weihong exclaimed excitedly, "This is a certificate of merit from the ministry! Tomorrow I'll go to the stationery store to buy a frame, frame it, and hang it on our wall!"
"What's so great about framing a certificate of merit?"
"What do you mean 'what's so great about framing it'!" Chen Weihong exclaimed anxiously. "Brother, don't you understand? This is an award from the ministry! Who else in our alley has a ministry award certificate? Only our family has one!"
As she spoke, her eyes reddened.
"If only you had come back a year earlier... Mom and Dad would have been so happy to see it."
Chen Weiguo gently stroked his sister's hair and said softly, "It's alright. If we live our lives well now, Mom and Dad will be happy in heaven."
Chen Weihong nodded vigorously, regaining her composure. Her gaze suddenly fell on the bicycle ticket next to the certificate of merit.
"Brother, is this also a reward from the factory? Didn't you just buy a 28-inch motorcycle? Doesn't this receipt mean you have an extra one?"
Chen Weiguo looked at her beaming face and laughed: "What, you have something in mind?"
Chen Weihong smiled sheepishly, "You have a bicycle now. But I still have to walk a long way to school every day."
Chen Weiguo smiled indulgently and said, "Okay. I'll pick one out for you this weekend."
"Yay!" Chen Weihong jumped up with joy.
The next day was the weekend, and early in the morning Chen Weiguo took Chen Weihong to the department store.
Chen Weihong chose a brand new Flying Pigeon bicycle. It was smaller than a standard 28-inch bicycle, perfect for a girl to ride.
When Chen Weiguo rode his old-fashioned bicycle and Chen Weihong rode her Flying Pigeon bicycle back to Daxing Hutong, all the neighbors gathered around.
"Oh my, Weiguo bought another car?"
"I bought it for Weihong, since she goes to school far away."
"Tsk tsk tsk, buying a car for your sister, Weiguo, you're such a good older brother!"
Chen Weihong pushed the new cart, her cheeks flushed.
His chin was practically pointing to the sky.
……
At noon, Chen Weiguo and Chen Weihong were having lunch at home.
I had just put down my chopsticks when Aunt Wang came over.
"Weiguo, your aunt has succeeded in speaking for you."
Chen Weiguo was taken aback: "What did I say?"
"A potential partner!" Aunt Wang slapped her thigh. "You forgot? Didn't I ask you to keep an eye out for someone last time? I specifically found one for you. She works at the supply and marketing cooperative, her name is Sun Xiaoxia. She's good-looking, has a good job, and her family background is fine. You should go meet her this afternoon."
Chen Weihong's eyes lit up: "Aunt Wang, is it Sun Xiaoxia, the one I mentioned last time? The one who graduated two years ago from our school!"
"Yes, yes, that's her."
Chen Weihong immediately grabbed Chen Weiguo's arm: "Brother, you should go see him, you don't have anything to do this afternoon anyway."
Chen Weiguo thought about it and agreed.
These days, there's really no other way to find a partner without introductions.
Since Aunt Wang has made the introduction, let's go and meet her.
"Okay, I'll go see him."
Aunt Wang smiled and said, "Then it's settled. Three o'clock this afternoon, at the entrance of Beihai Park. The girl will be holding a copy of 'People's Pictorial'; you'll recognize her at a glance."
……
At 3 p.m., Chen Weiguo rode his old bicycle and arrived at Beihai Park on time.
From afar, I could see a girl standing at the door, dressed in a Lenin suit, holding a copy of "People's Pictorial".
Well, she is indeed quite pretty. My sister is right, she is quite good-looking.
Chen Weiguo walked over confidently and said, "Hello, are you Comrade Sun Xiaoxia? I am Chen Weiguo. Aunt Wang introduced me."
When Sun Xiaoxia saw him pushing the brand-new old-fashioned bicycle, her eyes lit up immediately: "You must be Chen Weiguo? Hello, I'm Sun Xiaoxia. Come on, let's go inside and take a look."
The two entered the park and strolled along the lake.
Sun Xiaoxia asked, "Aunt Wang said you're a veteran and now work at the Yanjing Machinery Factory?"
"right."
"What level of worker?"
Level 6.
Sun Xiaoxia asked in surprise, "You're so young and already a level six worker? How much do you earn a month?"
"Seventy-six pieces."
Sun Xiaoxia's eyes lit up again: "Seventy-six yuan!"
These days, an average worker only earns around thirty yuan a month, so seventy-six yuan is definitely a high wage.
Sun Xiaoxia became even more enthusiastic, "Who else is in your family?"
"I only have one younger sister, who is in high school."
"high school?"
Sun Xiaoxia frowned: "Why do girls need to study so much? Wouldn't it be better to start working early? It would lighten your burden a bit."
His words revealed his disdain for his sister.
Chen Weiguo felt uneasy.
Sun Xiaoxia didn't notice his expression and continued, "I'm quite satisfied with you. You're a level six fitter, you earn a high salary, and you even have a bicycle—you're a pretty good catch. But there are some things I need to make clear to you beforehand. If you want to be my girlfriend, you have to agree to a few conditions."
"First, when you propose, you have to give my family at least one hundred yuan as a betrothal gift. With your high salary now, one hundred yuan shouldn't be a problem for you, right?"
Sun Xiaoxia spoke as if it were perfectly reasonable.
Chen Weiguo almost laughed out of anger.
A hundred yuan gift?
You really dare to talk back!
These days, one hundred yuan is equivalent to three months' wages for an average worker.
In the city, the bride price for a bride is only five or ten yuan.
What right do you have to ask me for a hundred yuan?
Do you deserve it?
"Go on, tell me what else you want to say." He was curious to hear what other outrageous requests this girl had.
Sun Xiaoxia continued, "Secondly, I have two younger brothers. When they get married, you, as their brother-in-law, will have to help them out."
Chen Weiguo was completely speechless.
Damn it, I shouldn't have come on this blind date with you.
How can there still be such an outrageous woman these days?
You want me to take care of your two younger brothers?
If I marry her, will I ever have a good life?
Sun Xiaoxia continued, "Third, after we get married, you must hand over your entire salary to me for management. I'll only give you five yuan a month for pocket money."
She spoke with such confidence that she didn't think her demands were unreasonable at all.
Chen Weiguo was so angry he laughed: "What about my family? I have a younger sister in school. Who will take care of her tuition and living expenses in the future?"
Sun Xiaoxia said without hesitation, "Your sister will get married someday. Isn't it a waste to spend so much money on her education? Letting her start working early will help you save some money. That's all for now. If you can agree to these, we can start dating. If you can't, then forget it."
Chen Weiguo was no longer angry.
It's not worth getting angry with a woman like that.
After all, this woman wasn't here to live with him; she was here to raid his home.
I don't think we're a good match.
Sun Xiaoxia was taken aback: "What's wrong with it?"
"Nowhere is suitable."
Sun Xiaoxia's face changed: "Which of my requests was excessive? I'm good-looking, have a good job, and am a permanent employee of the supply and marketing cooperative. It's not unreasonable for me to be paired with a machine factory worker like you, is it?"
Let me tell you, I have plenty of suitors. I only agreed to meet you because I thought you were an honest person. Otherwise, I wouldn't have wasted my time. Why are you so stingy? Are you just unwilling to spend money?