"Alright, Iâll go back and ask the girl what she thinks. If itâs good, we can set a time to meet."
"Thanks for the trouble, look at you with that belly, itâs not small, you have to be careful. Is the baby behaving?" Fang Xin said, as she gently touched Tan Aixiangâs belly and asked with concern.
"I was just telling them that the baby is lively. Aunt, youâre too kind. We want to see Bo Jun find a good girl and settle down quickly, give you a big grandson."
"Oh, I do love to hear that. I really hope he can give me a grandson soon."
...
"In this icy and snowy weather, the cold wind on the road is biting. Lin Mei, wear an extra layer," Brother Huang reminded Lin Wan, who had asked him a few times before about catching a ride. He had warned her then about the cold on the oxcart and advised her to dress warmly.
Lin Wan was not only wearing a cotton-padded jacket and pants today but also a military overcoat. She was also wearing cotton shoes that Grandma made especially for her.
She had on a knitted earflap hat and a scarf, almost only leaving her two eyes uncovered.
Even so, after sitting on the cart for a while, she felt the wind cutting through her.
Brother Huang, who was driving the cart in front, glanced back at Lin Wan and chuckled, "Lin Mei, I wasnât lying to you, was I? But Iâm used to it with all the driving I do. Here, Iâve got a cotton quilt that my Saozi prepared. If you donât mind, drape it over yourself and cover your head, itâll help block the wind."
"Thank you, Brother Huang. This winter really has been hard on you," Lin Wan said as she felt the biting cold wind for the first time.
"What are you saying, Lin Mei? If it wasnât for you, we would still be working ourselves to death for work points this year, and we donât get much. We canât even eat our fill all year round. Itâs different this year. Besides delivering some fish and shrimp to you, we can also take some dried goods, fish, and shrimp to the morning market to sell. Every household has earned some food tickets and cloth tickets. This year is a bountiful year. Hehe, but as my uncle said, our team will probably disband next year. By then, every household will be able to get land. With our land, we wonât have to worry about going hungry."
"The disbandment is a good thing, self-reliance will make us prosper. Itâs a good era. With the opening up of policies, Brother Huang can also start some small business. Life will just keep getting better."
"My Saozi and I have discussed it, weâll contract all the fish ponds in the village."
"Contracting that river is a good thing, I support Brother Huangâs contracting efforts. Fish ponds are profitable."
Chatting with Brother Huang all the way, it didnât seem as cold. Two hours passed.
Brother Huang suddenly stopped, and Lin Wan peeked out from the quilt with just her eyes to see that a military vehicle had stopped by the roadside.
"Han Yi?" Lin Wan called out uncertainly. To her surprise, it was indeed Han Yi who had come to pick her up.
"Lin Mei, is he your husband?" Huang Dashan asked uncertainly.
Lin Wan nodded excitedly, jumped off the cart, and ran towards Han Yi.
"Slow down, the road is slippery... Are you cold?" Han Yi was dressed in a military overcoat, with a fur military hat on his head, and military boots below. His hands werenât very warm either, it looked like he had been waiting for a while. Seeing Lin Wan come over, he quickly tightened her coat.
"Iâm okay." Lin Wan said, holding his hand, smiling and shaking her head, "This is Brother Huang Dashan, from this village. Brother Huang, this is my husband, Han Yi."