The Role of Women in Novels
Chapter 82

Most of the time, the cities that the rural people hear about by the educated youth are the home of their dreams. There are wide streets, tall buildings, and bright and clean classrooms. Where every man is learned and civilized, it seems like a holy land.

But in fact, outside the Holy Land, as long as there was still ordinary people's firewood, rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar and tea, fig leaves that were originally covered with educated youth would gradually disappear.

The poor here could be even poorer than the people in the countryside. Since they did not even have a piece of self-sufficiency land, every grain of rice, every plate of chopsticks, as long as they ate one more bite, they would face starvation in the future.

The child was wearing ill-fitting clothes, and it seemed like the older brother and sister above had worn them. Some of them were running around in the alley, and some were hiding in a corner and noticing these two very strange looking strangers.

When Ma Xiuzhen left here, they were still very young and had not started to remember many things.

"I think it's good. There were poor people everywhere, and there were rich people everywhere. We just have to live our lives. "Li Sanhu brought twenty catties of rice, ten new catties of flour, There were also five kati of soybeans and peanuts, and, and a bag of nets filled with fruits and vegetables in their hands.The freshly picked cucumbers from the ground still have hard spines that look green.

Ma Xiuzhen smiled and asked him: “Are you tired?”

“Not tired.” Li Sanhu shook his head, straightening his back.

“Nona Xiuzhen?” The little girl who walked towards Ma Xiuzhen from the small alley called out to him excitedly upon seeing Ma Xiuzhen.

"This is Xiaofang, he's so tall?" Ma Xiuzhen laughed. This is the neighbor's son who lives in the same hole in the wall with him. When he jumped over the queue, he was just in elementary school. Looks like a big girl .

“Are my parents home?” Ma Xiuzhen asked him.

"Uncle Ma is not home, and Aunt Ma is lighting a coal furnace in the yard. Fellow Brother Jianguo is here today. "The little girl smiled and spoke to Ma Xiuzhen, silently looking at Li Sanhu who was standing behind her, and whispered: "This is......?"

"Your sister-in-law." Ma Xiuzhen said lightly, turned to look at Li Sanhu, and said with a slight smile, "This is the first time he has come to our house." "Sister Xiuzhen, is

you actually settled in Guang'an County?" Xiaofang Looking at Ma Xiuzhen, then at the simple-faced man behind him, he frowned.

The boys in town don't look like this. Most of them are tall and thin because they do not eat enough. Only a few cooks who worked as back cooks at state-owned restaurants looked fatter to no avail.

“Yeah, I've calmed down.” Ma Xiuzhen nodded, and continued: “Come to my house to play for a while, and I bring back food.” Girl

the little one nodded and left, walked a few steps, then turned to look at Ma Sister-in-law whom Xiuzhen introduced to her narrowed her eyes and smiled.

Li Sanhu's tanned face turned red, and even the tip of his ears were red.

"What ... sister-in-law what ..." Li Sanhu stuttered slightly even as he spoke, happiness came too quickly, he felt his face hot and hot, and he was a little incoherent.

"Aren't you here to propose for marriage when you came to my house? After we apply, aren't we just going through formalities? "Ma Xiuzhen lowered her head and said slowly, her household registration is currently already in their production team Well, at that time, Li Sanhu, the head of the production team, said, must open a cover letter for both of them to receive a marriage certificate.

Ma Xiuzhen could not help but laugh, he stopped in front of the small doorway, Inside the dark doorway was a small canopy made of plastic tarpaulin, and there was a briquette, and there was a briquette, a tattered enamel pot, and several benches with broken legs piled up on the doorway.

After passing through this small canopy, there is a cement terrace outside, where several rows of clothes are dried.

Ma Xiuzhen walked in and saw a middle-aged woman leaning over a coal stove.

“Bu, I'm back.” Ma Xiuzhen ducked under the clothesline with his head bowed, seeing his mother come to his brother.

Brother Shen Lai was dumbfounded, raised his head and looked at Ma Xiuzhen, the clamp in his hand trembled, and asked in surprise, “Why are you back?” Today was her son's first time

Ma Jianguo brought the couple home, and she went to the vegetable market to buy more.After buying some vegetables, I gritted my teeth and bought two catties of meat, planning to make vegetable and meat dumplings.

Their family conditions were average, Ma Jianguo had been apprenticing at the factory for three years, and she had reached an age where she could talk to someone, she said, but he had only found a girl to go home to now.also twenty-five years old, he was still a military officer, and if he could have a crush on Ma Jianguo, he was still a military officer, it would be like smoke billowing from the ancestral graves of the Ma family. According to the rules of late marriage and late birth of children in the city, if both talk about it and feel suitable can immediately get a marriage certificate, but the family of the other party has the condition, if the family is, may the family not have a sister-in-law. Ma Xiuzhen had written a letter and said that he was talking to the locals about his partner, so the Ma family kept the matter a secret, thinking that even if the other girl's family knew about it, it would be safe for her, Ma Xiuzhen will not return to the city anyway Well, after the raw rice is cooked, this matter will be finished. But who knew that Ma Xiuzhen would be back today. He did mention that he would be back in the previous letter. It is believed that they just received it. How could he hope he would come back so soon? "Xiuzhen ..." Brother Shen Lai glanced at Ma Xiuzhen, then at the man standing behind him, and frowned. Perhaps because I have been a city dweller for a long time, I have always felt that even though I died of poverty, I still have an urban household and can eat food supplied by the state, he said, so I have a disgust for the farmer... Ma Xiuzhen could see the contempt from Shen Laidi's brows, but he still said nonchalantly: "This is Sanhu, I mentioned it to you." "Hello, Auntie!" Unload the items on the bed, put them on the ground and say: "This is something produced on my family's private land. Xiuzhen said that when there was a shortage of supplies in the city, he told me not to buy anything, but to bring some grains and vegetables. You can save it if you like it .”

The thing on his back was heavy, and it looked heavy.Brother Shen Lai saw him put it down, and there were cucumbers, eggplants, stump nuts, and peppers inside the net bag beside him. Looks like they just picked, still fresh! "Then this ..." Brother Shen Lai looked at the two people standing in the courtyard and the items they had placed. He hesitated a little, and heard his son Ma Jianguo shout inside: "Mom, is your new stone stove burning? Haiyan and I have already spoken to each other. Dumpling fill is ready, have you come to make dumplings?" The conditions of the Ma family were not good, and they could not eat several dumplings throughout the year, but it was clear that the dumplings today were not made to welcome Ma Xiuzhen. Brother Shen Lai frowned, and said anxiously: "Xiuzhen, do you have any money? How about you stay in the dorm for tonight?" Ma Xiuzhen saw his mother's mouth open repeatedly, but finally said calmly: t open the cover letter when I return, so I can't stay in the guesthouse." " Then ..." Brother Shen Lai was really anxious, his brows furrowed, and he continued: "Otherwise, when I'm done, I'll take you with me." Go to our factory guest house ..." Li Sanhu, who was standing at the side, understood that the Ma family clearly did not want Ma Xiuzhen to enter! He only knew that their families valued boys more than girls before, but he didn't know that patriarchy is so important? There was also a reason why the princess who had been away from home for several years came home, but was not allowed to enter? Although Li Sanhu had a good temperament, but as a man he still had blood, he took a step forward and grabbed Ma Xiuzhen's hand and said, "Xiuzhen, he's still got blood, let's go and stay at my uncle's house." There is always room to live . "Hey ..." Brother Shen Lai was really in a dilemma, Ma Jianguo's partner was in the room, if he found out that the Ma family had lied to him, then the marriage would be ruined. Everything is here, and both families are preparing to meet ... "Xiuzhen, you'll be back tomorrow, today is really uncomfortable."

Li Sanhu could not see her anymore, he did not want Ma Xiuzhen to be persecuted, so he stopped in front of Ma Xiuzhen and said, "Auntie, we will not come tomorrow, we will not come tomorrow, and today these items are my engagement gifts. for Xiuzhen, less I will make up for it later, Xiuzhen is my partner, because this family does not welcome him, I still have family."

Ma Xiuzhen did not speak the entire time, but when he raised his head, his face was already covered in tears. He raised his hand to wipe the tears on his cheek, and said to Brother Shen, "Mom, then I'll go ..." "

Xiuzhen ..." Brother Shen's heart froze, he looked at her and frowned and said, "Mother has no other choice ..."

Ma Xiuzhen had calmed down by now, and not answering Shen Lai's words, he turned to Li Sanhu and said, "Sanhu, let's go." The small alley was still the entire time we came here, Ma Xiuzhen

walking slowly forward, Li Sanhu silently followed behind, both of them always keeping a distance of one meter.

"You've seen my family too. It's too late for you to regret it now. "After graduating from school with good grades but mobilized to go to the countryside by his parents, Ma Xiuzhen was completely sober. But sometimes his heart would succumb to the affection of the family and make him tender-hearted, but from now on, he would not do so.

"What do I regret? I'm sorry I just found out about your family's situation right now, and let you suffer all this time." Li Sanhu lifted his head and looked at Ma Xiuzhen. After thinking about it, he suddenly frowned and said, "I just sent your mother If you offended me, you wouldn't blame me, would you? What should I do, then you won't be able to come back again?" Ma Xiuzhen felt funny

looking at Li Sanhu's silly face, no matter how much hatred he had, he simply sighed Saying: "Didn't you just say that I have another house, no matter what, what are you doing here, let's go!" Eye

Li Sanhu sparkled, and he followed behind Ma Xiuzhen, and suddenly saw the man Turning his head again, he looked at him and said, "Captain Li, please open the marriage cover letter for me

when I get back to the production team." He nodded and said, "Okay .. It just so happens that I also want to drive myself!"