Chapter 263: “really Makes My Fists Harden”
Lin Shichang laughed angrily.
“…You really have to ruin people’s New Year, huh.” He said unpleasantly.
“How is this ruining things for people.” The guy blocking the door didn’t admit it, “The leader said we have to pay attention to comrades’ personal issues too, especially the older ones.”
“?” Lin Shichang was nearly knocked flying.
“Older ones?” He gritted his teeth.
“…The leader said it, I’m just the messenger.” The young man in military uniform had a solemn expression.
Lin Shichang was speechless to the extreme, angrily turned around, and found a quiet corner to sit down.
If Zhaozhao and the others found out he was forced to go on a blind date, they would definitely burst into deafening laughter.
What was going on?
The person involved wasn’t cooperating, so Lin Shichang naturally didn’t find a match.
His leader specifically called him to the office and stared at him for several minutes.
“What are you staring at? Did I say I wanted to go on a blind date and you signed me up? You’re really annoying.” Lin Shichang had a face full of irritation.
The leader who was called annoying: “…”
Troublemaker.
“Your parents said last time that your eyes are bad, and asked the organization to introduce someone to you. Who are you calling annoying?”
Lin Shichang’s expression paused slightly, staring at him half-believingly, “My parents?”
“My parents would say that to you? Nonsense.” He didn’t believe it.
His parents had no time to care about his private matters, and they clearly said he could make his own decisions.
No, that wasn’t the point. Who had bad eyes?
“You still don’t believe…” The leader laughed angrily at the troublemaker, “If you don’t believe me, write to your parents and ask if it’s their exact words.”
Lin Shichang ignored it.
“I came because you told me to. Let’s drop this. Don’t come to me with this kind of thing again.” He had a face full of resistance.
“Fine fine fine, won’t call you. Go be a bachelor your whole life. You don’t give female comrades any face, they wouldn’t even want to look at you.” The leader gave him a look.
Lin Shichang didn’t care at all.
Whatever.
“Nothing else? I’m leaving.”
The person at the wide desk didn’t want to say another word and waved his hand.
Lin Shichang walked out, muttering softly, “New Year’s, what kind of social gathering is this, total waste of time…”
The middle-aged man looked at the closed door, wanted to get angry but had nowhere to vent, so he took a deep breath.
“Brat!”
Still not enough training.
Increase the training another day!
Lin Shichang still didn’t know the consequences of his muttering. As he went downstairs, someone suddenly jumped out.
“Lin San, what did Old Fan want with you?!” The other sized him up with a roguish grin, “Don’t tell me… he’s forcing you to go on a blind date?”
“Get lost!” Lin Shichang pushed away his comrade and strode forward.
Another person popped up from nowhere, “We guessed right?!!”
Looked like he was enjoying the drama.
Lin Shichang stopped, “Am I some kind of golden egg? Forcing me on a blind date? Don’t female comrades have any face? Stop talking nonsense.”
“Yo yo yo…” The young comrade looked at him teasingly.
“Suddenly so tender toward women, have you got your eye on some comrade?”
Several teasing friends surrounded Lin Shichang with jokes.
Lin Shichang: “I don’t have those thoughts. My heart isn’t set, dating would just waste someone else’s time, no need.”
One of the comrades saw this was his sincere words, his expression paused slightly, and said: “Maybe the girl is willing to wait.”
Lin Shichang waved it off, didn’t hold that hope, and felt it wasn’t a responsible attitude.
“Forget it, being single is pretty good.”
Truth be told, he wasn’t ready to start a family yet.
Seeing his friend really had no intention of dating or marrying, the comrades didn’t say more and bumped his shoulder.
“Want to eat dumplings?”
Lin Shichang’s eyes lit up, “Where?”
Before the words were out, another person came walking toward him.
“Lin San, come help, your package.”
Hearing this, Lin Shichang jogged over, took the huge package, felt the weight, and was a bit surprised.
“So heavy…” He blurted out.
“Who sent it?”
The male comrade who helped retrieve Lin Shichang’s package said: “Your younger sister sent it.”
The few who had been teasing Lin Shichang earlier had their eyes light up.
One of them hooked his shoulder.
“Lin San, when rich and noble…?” Halfway through, his clear eyes fixed on him, just waiting for him to say the next few words.
Lin Shichang: “…”
One drama queen after another.
If he didn’t say it, he couldn’t leave, so he could only say expressionlessly: “…do not forget.”
“Can we go back now?” Lin Shichang asked flatly.
The young men got the confirmation, took the big package from his hands.
“We’ll do it. How can we let our food and clothing parents expend stamina? That would be too inconsiderate.” The comrade who knew how to handle things said.
The others gave him scornful looks, only you know how to act properly.
Muttering complaints, but their arms honestly went to lift the package.
“It’s really heavy. Wonder what’s inside?”
Should have meat, right?
The food-greedy little comrade had a face full of expectation.
To find out sooner, the group walked very fast. Lin Shichang had empty hands and in the end even had to jog to catch up with the greedy bunch.
Lin Shichang opened the dormitory door. His comrades put together the table, placed the package on it, got scissors for the one with scissors, and the most attentive one brought over a stool to “serve” him to sit down.
“Need help opening it?” He even asked considerately.
Lin Shichang felt speechless arriving home after speechless opened the door.
He sighed helplessly and resignedly opened the package.
On top were two cured sausages.
“Cured sausages!!!” The youngest soldier got excited and yelped.
Another said: “Meat again! Lin San, your younger sister is really generous to you. No wonder you keep sending stuff home every few days. If it were my younger sister, I’d be willing to send too.”
“Lin San doesn’t just send stuff, he sends allowance too.”
They all lived in the same dormitory, comradeship where they could entrust their backs. Everyone knew each other’s family situations clearly.
“Too chatty.” Lin Shichang found these guys long-winded, “My own younger sister, how could I treat her badly? Listen to you all.”
The few dark-faced soldiers laughed.
“We’re not saying don’t be good to our younger sister. What we mean is, next time you send stuff to our younger sister, call us along.”
Lin Shichang glared at them.
“That’s my younger sister. Go wherever it’s cool.”
The comrades acted shamelessly, “It’s freezing winter, nowhere’s not cold. We’ll stay in the dormitory.”
Lin Shichang really had no way with these guys, took out the two cured sausages, then took out a smoked chicken, then several pounds of flour.
“Go to the canteen for a little private feast, going or not?”
The comrades saw him take out all that meat, their eyes went straight.
“So much meat… all of it?” Someone asked in shock.
“What else? It’s New Year’s, eat openly!” Lin Shichang said.
This was also Zhaozhao’s intention.
His younger sister’s caring words from the letter surfaced in his mind, making Lin Shichang’s heart warm.
The young men didn’t move.
They bumped each other’s shoulders, winked at each other.
“…This isn’t great, right? Your younger sister sent it to you. If she knew we took all the benefit, she’d curse us to death.”
Lin Shichang stood firm, eyed them with a face full of being offended by something.
“Enough already. Now you act distant. You didn’t hold back on the meat sauce my younger sister sent me.” He complained.
“Hurry up.” Lin Shichang walked out, “If we don’t dawdle, we can still whip up a New Year’s Eve dinner.”
At the door, he added: “My younger sister said in the letter, there’s a share for you all.”
It really was Lin Zhao’s exact words. She imagined it and felt her third brother eating New Year’s Eve dinner alone would be too miserable.
Hearing Lin Shichang’s relay, they rushed out and hooked his shoulders.
“…We’re not holding back then. After eating the grain our younger sister sent, next time you send stuff back, you have to call us, or you’re done for!”
Lin Shichang pretended to be surprised looking at them, “That’s a given. You guys want to take advantage of me?”
The others: “…” Who wanted to take advantage?!!
Listening to Lin San talk really made fists itch.
…
Dongfeng Brigade.
The Lin family’s New Year’s Eve dinner was eaten slowly, the family chatting and laughing.
Lin Heling dug out his own brewed peach blossom wine, poured a little for each adult, and they clinked glasses.
“Last year our family had several big events. First, your dad got better…” Song Xiwei said, “Second, we found the fourth son, your dad and I got two good grandsons. Third, Zhaozhao got a good job, we built a new house. Fourth, the eldest and second sons both got jobs. Fifth…”
The second son got divorced and lived a peaceful life.
New Year’s, no need to mention the unlucky stuff.
“The rest, I won’t say.”
Song Xiwei glanced at the eldest son’s wife and said: “Hope in the new year, the eldest family’s smooth delivery, our family all smooth sailing. Cheers!”
She raised her glass boldly.
Lin Zhao was the first to join in, Lin Shichang and the others followed.
The children at home saw this, held up their bowls of soda with both hands, stood up, leaned forward, trying to join the toast.
The dragon-phoenix twins had short arms, hard to reach. Lin Heling and Song Xiwei picked up their grandson and granddaughter to help them clink.
Xi Bao deliberately pretended she couldn’t reach, her pleading eyes toward her dad.
“Dad, I can’t reach.”
Lin Shichang could see the mischief on his daughter’s face but indulged her, picked her up with one hand to stand on the stool.
“Can reach now?” He asked.
Xi Bao let out a string of crisp laughter.
“Can, can.”
Lin Shisheng asked his two daughters, “Can you two reach?”
Acting like he could help too.
The little sisters dodged back, eyes full of childishness.
Lin Zhao drank her parents’ peach blossom wine. It was soft on the palate, a bit like a beverage, with a faint peach flavor, very fragrant.
“Dad, this wine is really good. Got more?” She asked unabashedly.
Lin Heling’s expression was doting, “Yes, there’s still a small jar. Take it back after New Year.”
Lin Zhao’s mouth curved up.
“Little drunkard.” Song Xiwei said, “Drinking leads to trouble. Drink less, just a sip at a time.”
Lin Zhao made a face, “How about a drop per chopstick each time?”
“Don’t argue.” Song Xiwei’s expression softened, not the least bit unhappy.
Seeing Lin Zhao sipping wine, she picked meat into her bowl, “Eat some food. Don’t drink the wine like soda.”
“When did I.” Lin Zhao said unconvinced, “I’m savoring it.”
Song Xiwei was helpless. Zhaozhao and her dad were cut from the same cloth, both typical hedonists.
If not for the current social conditions, she couldn’t imagine how extravagant this father-daughter pair would live.
Yes, extravagant, not exaggerating at all.
After dinner, the family huddled in one room to stay up for the New Year.
Several grown men sat around the table, chatting and laughing. The topics started normal but soon the world was in their hands.
Lin Zhao’s mouth twitched, she turned on the radio to listen to the only program.
“Mom, tonight my younger brother and I will sleep with second uncle.” Yu Bao sat cross-legged on the kang, playing with his younger brother and sister.
Lin Zhao: Great.
“Sure.” She had no objection. No one hogging her bed, she was thrilled.
“Qian Bao, Yao Bao, what about you two?” Lin Zhao stroked the dragon-phoenix twins’ soft little chins, smiling as she asked them.
Qian Bao had a calm temperament, but was essentially a clingy-mom kid too.
He pointed at mom.
“Sleep with me? Sure.” Lin Zhao agreed with a smile.
“And Yao Bao?”
Yao Bao looked at grandma and grandpa, then at mom, finger to chin, thought for a bit, finally pointed at grandpa and grandma.
Lin Zhao wasn’t worried her parents would refuse to help watch the kids, totally at ease, “Yao Bao likes grandma and grandpa, wants to sleep with you. Parents, help me watch her for one night.”
The Lin family’s several grandsons and granddaughters had never slept in the same room as Lin Heling and Song Xiwei. It wasn’t that they weren’t willing, no one had suggested it.
“Good.” Lin Heling agreed gladly.
He picked up Yao Bao and said to Song Xiwei: “Should we find Zhaozhao’s cotton cushion from back then?”
Song Xiwei: “Yes, we should.”
What if she wets the bed?
Lin Zhao was stunned for a few seconds.
“My cotton cushion? From when? Why don’t I know?!”
Song Xiwei went to rummage through the box, heard the question and looked back at her, “Of course you don’t know. You used it at one or two years old.”
The Lin couple both doted on their daughter. They had only this one daughter, bought everything new for her. After Lin Zhao used it, they kept it, never gave it away.
Lin Zhao got it instantly and didn’t ask more.
No television at home. To pass time, only radio and chatting. The radio had set channels, after that time it was just decoration.
Time dragged on terribly.
Yao Bao was the first to not hold out, head tilted, nestled in the corner snoring away.
Xuanxuan and the others yawned too.
Song Xiwei spoke up: “Can’t stay up? Go back to your rooms. No need for formalities.”
The three girls really couldn’t hold out, eyes red, each went back to their rooms.
“You?” Song Xiwei asked Lin Zhao.
“I’m not sleepy yet.”
Song Xiwei: “Slept so long this afternoon, of course you’re not sleepy.”
Lin Shisheng couldn’t help laughing, “Not all because of mom and dad spoiling. Zhaozhao’s been like this since little, made it a habit.”
In previous years, all the New Year’s prep was the brothers’ job.
If Zhaozhao was in a good mood, she’d come over with hands in pockets to “guide” a bit. No mood, she’d sleep or draw.
Whenever Lin Shisheng talked about the past, it was for Meng Jiusi to hear.
The more he knew about before, the better for the little brother to integrate into their big family.
Just past midnight, Lin Zhao picked up Qian Bao whose head was nodding and went back to her own room on time.
She thought she wouldn’t sleep, but holding Qian Bao’s soft body, she fell asleep soon after.
Slept soundly all night.
The next day, before dawn, crackling firecrackers went off.
Lin Zhao groggily reached out to cover Qian Bao’s ears.
Her voice a bit hoarse from just waking.
“Firecrackers. Don’t be scared.”
Qian Bao blinked a few times, his black eyes clear and bright.
He reached out to cover mom’s ears.
“Mom, don’t be scared.” His tone serious.
Lin Zhao’s eyes and brows softened.
“Not scared. No one’s scared.”
Qian Bao curved his eyes, turned his head to look outside.
The curtain had a gap, could see it wasn’t fully light out yet.
“Dark.” Qian Bao said.
“Yeah, still early. Sleep more?” Lin Zhao asked.
“Mm.”
“Want to pee?”
Qian Bao shook his head, “No.”
