The next day, Sun Shaoping went to work on time. He drank the freshly brewed tea and tasted the beef bun with scallion that Tian Runye steamed in the morning. The skin was thin and the filling was big. He ate it and his mouth was full of fragrance.
After drinking tea, Sun Shaoping was about to start his work for the day. It was almost New Year's Day, and there were many things to do. The year-end summary, data statistics, income and expenditure settlement budget, work report, and so on. Although he did not need to do it specifically, he had to review it before reporting to the minister.
He was busy until noon when he received a call from the guard. He said that Ma Liping's woman was looking for him and asked Sun Shaoping if he wanted to let her in.
Ma Liping was Sister Ma from the policy research office of the Ministry of Coal. Sun Shaoping didn't know why she was looking for him, so he said," Let her come up."”
Ma Liping had treated Sun Shaoping quite well in the office. They chatted more often and were considered acquaintances.
"Director Sun, did I disturb your work?”Sister Ma knocked on the door. Sun Shaoping's door was already open.
"Big Sister Ma, it's cold outside. Hurry up and come in!”Sun Shaoping came out from behind his desk.""What Director Sun? Sister Ma loves to joke.”
"Aren't you Director Sun now?" Ma Dajie said with a smile. Did I call you wrong?"
" Call me what you used to call me, it sounds better." Sun Shaoping poured a cup of tea for Sister Ma. It's cold outside. Drink some water and warm up first."
" You are the God of Fortune who holds the money bag. I don't dare to be indecisive." Big Sister Ma took a sip of tea and said,""The office environment in your unit is really good. The difference in treatment between the ministries is too big.”
Sun Shaoping smiled and said," The God of Fortune you mentioned is in the Ministry of Finance. I'm just an accountant. Compared to that, my place is small. Oh right, why do you have time to come and sit with me today?”
"You don't know about our department. We don't usually have much to do, but we've been a little busy these past few days. We've been worrying about how to write the year-end summary.”Sister Ma took out two letters from her bag and said,"This is your letter. I saw it when I took the newspaper today. I don't know how long it's been there. It's at the bottom.”
Sun Shaoping took a look. One of the letters was written by Hao Hongmei, and the postmark date was one and a half months old. The other letter was written by his eldest brother, and it was also one month old.
Seeing that the matter was done, Sister Ma got up and said goodbye. Sun Shaoping asked her to stay for dinner, but she declined. She said that she had to rush back to work in the afternoon and could not be delayed. Sun Shaoping did not force her.
In Sun Shao 'an's letter, besides asking about Sun Shaoping's recent situation, he also asked about his family's matters. He also asked if Sun Shaoping would be able to come back when he got married and that he needed to use the money Sun Shaoping had left for his family.
Sun Shaoping laughed after reading it. This big brother really didn't say much about him, but he still wanted to settle things with his younger brother. He couldn't go back because Tian Runye was here. Sun Shaoping wouldn't be at ease if he went back and left her in Beijing.
Hao Hongmei's letter was still a piece of paper, and it was still about what happened in school. It mentioned Tian Xiaoxia, Jin Bo, Gu Yangmin, Yu Chao, and Zhang Xiaoying. They had joined some publicity team, and it also mentioned her studies. The most difficult thing for her was mathematics, physics, and chemistry. She said that she often went to ask the teachers questions, and the teachers were very welcoming of her.
Sun Shaoping remembered that in the original novel, these two students weren't in the publicity team. It seemed that he and Hao Hongmei didn't participate. They would make up for this team. It didn't matter if the world was missing someone. He was just himself, not the protagonist of this world. This wasn't a novel but reality.
Sun Shaoping first wrote a letter to his family, saying that he wouldn't be going back. He was busy with work and didn't have time. He wished his eldest brother a happy marriage and said that he planned to send 330 yuan to his family. 200 yuan was a gift for his eldest brother and sister-in-law, 100 yuan was for his parents to celebrate the new year, and 30 yuan was for Lan Xiang and his two nephews.
Sun Shaoping had to reply to Hao Hongmei's letter. He had agreed to it. How could he reply to Hao Hongmei? By the time the letter reached the school, she might already be on vacation. She remembered that the last letter said that an old man who made a report came to their Hao Village and "remembered" her grandfather's matter. It seemed that her home was in the Hao Village. Sun Shaoping knew that the Hao Village was in the Liucha Commune when he was in the County Revolutionary Committee. Then, he would send it to her home.
Sun Shaoping first explained why he had replied so late and apologized. He told them some of the methods he had learned by himself and left the address and phone number of his new unit. Finally, he wished them a happy new year.
In the afternoon, Sun Shaoping got off work early and went to the post office to send a letter and send money. He was a little worried when he left the post office. Should he tell Sister Runye about his brother's marriage?
In the end, Sun Shaoping decided not to say anything. It was good that she didn't know. Anyway, nothing could be changed. After a long time, it didn't matter if she knew in the end.
Today was the winter holiday of the former West County High School. Hao Hongmei went to the reception room again, but she still didn't see Sun Shaoping's reply. Since she calculated the date of the reply, she went to the school reception room every day. The old man in the reception room was annoyed by her, but she still went every day. A few days ago, Hao Hongmei even went to the post office to ask, but she didn't see Sun Shaoping's reply. Why didn't she reply to his letter for so long? Hao Hongmei couldn't figure out why the second letter didn't come back after she replied to the first one. Did he forget to reply because he was busy? Or did he reply, but the letter was lost on the way? No matter what the situation was, it made her very sad.
Sometimes, she wanted to write another letter to ask him, but she was afraid that Sun Shaoping would be annoyed. Besides, the cost of sending a letter was not low for Hao Hongmei. An envelope cost five cents, a stamp cost eight cents, and a piece of paper cost eight cents. She spent four cents to buy five pieces, so the cost of a letter was fourteen cents. She felt that it was very expensive, so she had to put a lot of words on a piece of paper and write smaller words. She didn't want Sun Shaoping to know about her poverty, so she bought paper. Sometimes, she wanted to use other paper to write a few more pages, but in the end, she gave up.
Hao Hongmei read Sun Shaoping's first reply almost every day. The moment she received Sun Shaoping's reply, she was so happy. That day, she felt that the black kaoliang bread tasted better than the white bread. In the letter, she wrote about the interesting things he had encountered in Beijing. She said that he had eaten a stinky soybean milk in Beijing called bean juice. She also told him about his neighbor's interesting things. She said that there was a shameless woman who kept him awake at night.
Every time she saw this, Hao Hongmei blushed. How could he say this to her?
Sun Shaoping wanted to play a prank on this timid girl, but he still used the spring and autumn style to brush it off. He didn't describe it in detail, or he would really become a hooligan.
Hao Hongmei's family was rather tight on accommodation. She had known about these things since she was ten years old, unlike Tian Runye, who was twenty-one years old and didn't know anything.
Back home, Hao Hongmei saw the lifeless courtyard and put down her worries. She first went to the mountain to get a bundle of firewood, then came back to help her mother cook. No one spoke at home, and their footsteps were so heavy, but she was already used to it.
His father was coughing violently again. Hao Hongmei went into the house to pour some hot water for him. This family did not need words. The tired and oppressive life made it tiring to talk. There was nothing to say except eating and drinking.
In the village, Hao Hongmei's entire family lived in trepidation. They never spoke in crowded places, afraid that others would remember that their family was the landlord. However, when it was time to remember, they would never forget.
Hao Hongmei's parents only had one daughter, so they had placed all their hopes on her. The old couple gritted their teeth to support their daughter's education, hoping that she would marry someone else and escape this misery. Their family would also have some hope. Fortunately, their daughter was good-looking, and no girl in the village could compare to her.
The busy life made Hao Hongmei have no time to think about other things. Originally, there was nothing to do in the farmland in winter, but who in the county and the Commune would let these members idle? The battle of farmland infrastructure began again. The terraced fields were renovated, and the "agricultural village" could not be relaxed.
Hao Hongmei would think about Sun Shaoping every night before she went to bed. It was just like the " early request, late report " from a few years ago. Sometimes, she would avoid her parents and take out the letter to secretly read it.
On this day, Hao Hongmei was pulling soil at the construction site. The heavy frame car made her legs weak.
"Hongmei! Hongmei!"
Hao Hongmei heard someone calling her name. It turned out to be Secretary Hao Youxiang.
Hao Hongmei's face was a little pale. Was there another meeting at the construction site tonight? Was she going to criticize her father again? Did she still need to listen? When would these days end?
Hao Youxiang ran until he was out of breath." Doll, your letter! Your letter! From Beijing!"
Hao Hongmei was stunned for a moment and immediately ran over to snatch the letter from the secretary. Usually, she didn't even dare to talk to the brigade secretary.
Looking at the familiar handwriting on the envelope, Hao Hongmei felt her heart beating fast. She quickly stuffed it into her pocket. She planned to find an empty place to read it slowly at noon.
"Doll, what kind of place is this 'Ministry of Foreign Trade of the Celestial Kingdom'?”Hao Youxiang asked tentatively.
Hao Hongmei looked at the envelope again. Why did the address change? Did he get transferred to another job? It didn't matter anymore. It was good that his letter had arrived.
Hao Hongmei, who was so excited that her face was a little red, said embarrassedly,"I don't know either. He didn't tell me.”
Hao Youxiang could be the secretary of the brigade, so he was a shrewd person. How could he not see the point? He smiled and said,"Doll, hurry up and go back. Look at how tired you are. You worked very hard today. After all, you went to school. You're not like those rough women.”
Hao Hongmei forgot to thank the brigade secretary and ran home. Seeing Hao Hongmei leave, Hao Youxiang wondered how this landlord girl could have such a big shot. She must have met this girl when she was studying in the county. At that moment, Hao Youxiang made up his mind to send his doll to the county to attend high school.
Hao Hongmei returned home. When she entered the house and saw that her mother was not there, she took out the letter from her pocket and kissed the envelope gently. She carefully tore open the envelope and took out the letter inside...
In this letter, she only remembered that she had forgotten to help her mother cook when she saw her mother calling her for dinner.
Hao Hongmei ate the rice porridge, the steamed bread, and a few pieces of pickled radishes.
The mother looked at her daughter's smile from time to time and couldn't help but feel a little worried. She asked," Hongmei, are you okay?”
Hao Hongmei knew that her mother had noticed her abnormality. She blushed and said,"I'm fine."
His father was literate. He saw Hao Hongmei reading a letter when he entered the house just now, but Hao Hongmei was too engrossed to see him.
"Who sent the letter?" His father asked with concern.
"My classmate." Hao Hongmei panicked.”
" Oh." His father stopped talking.
In the afternoon, Hao Hongmei didn't have to work, so she went to the mountain to chop some firewood. She sat on the pile of firewood and took out the letter to read. She felt that it wasn't enough.
At night, during dinner, his father said,""I heard from Hao Youxiang today that you received a letter from the capital.”
" Mm." Hao Hongmei blushed.
Her parents had been through this before, so how could they not see through her daughter's thoughts?
"Your classmates are from Beijing?" his father asked.
Hao Hongmei felt that there was nothing she couldn't say to her family." He doesn't go to school now. He works in the Ministry of Foreign Trade.”
"He's a public official? Still in Beijing? How long have you been together?" His mother was very surprised.
"It's been almost a year. He's also from our county." Hao Hongmei said with a red face.”
Her mother anxiously said,"Baby, but I'm in the capital now!"”
"I'll go to Beijing too. He'll wait for me!" Hao Hongmei said stubbornly.”
"Hey!" His father held his head in pain.
"Child, why should I wait for you?" His mother slapped her thigh.”
How could Hao Hongmei not know what her parents were talking about? She just forced herself not to think about it and kept telling herself that he would wait for her in university.
She was afraid that this colorful dream would burst like a bubble, even though she had never admitted that it was a dream.
Her mother's words were like a knife stabbing into Hao Hongmei's heart. Yes, why should she make him wait? There must be many girls in the capital who were prettier than her. He was such a high official and so handsome. Moreover, he had never said anything that made people blush. She had never said that she liked him, but she believed that he would understand her heart. University? University? She didn't even know when the college entrance examination would resume, let alone whether she would be able to pass it. However, she wouldn't give up no matter what, as long as he still liked her...
Hao Hongmei's stubbornness convinced herself again, but now she had to face the pressure from her parents first.
Hao Hongmei smiled and said," Mom, don't worry. I still have to go to college after graduating from high school. We agreed to go together."”
His father raised his head and said," I heard that you have to rely on recommendations to get into university. Our family's ingredients are definitely not good enough. Child, you'd better not think about it. It's good for you to stop thinking about it."
He Hongmei frowned in pain and said to her father,"Dad, I know that. He just told me to study hard and go to university together. He's a good official in the government office now. He should have a way.”
"Oh my God! You said that this kid is an official in the government council? Eh, didn't you just say that he's in the External Affairs Department?”
Hao Hongmei thought for a moment and said," The Ministry of Foreign Trade of that country is a department of the government office. It's like…the relationship between our brigade and our team."”Hao Hongmei didn't know either. She was just guessing. It was fine as long as her father believed her.
Hao Hongmei's father was starting to believe her. It was a big deal to be an official in the government council. Perhaps a word from him could turn their family from a landlord to a poor peasant. Then, if he helped them, Hongmei could be recommended to a university.
At this moment, the mother also understood that if her daughter could go to university in the future, all her problems would be solved. She was also happy and asked,"Didn't you say that the child is also from our county? Why did he run to the capital and become an official?”
Hao Hongmei said happily," His name is Sun Shaoping. He lives in Shuangshui Village of Shigejie. His family is in the same predicament as ours. It's just that his family is well-off. At that time, we were in the same class, and we were not willing to interact with students from good families. That was how we met. Two months later, for some reason, he went to work in the county revolutionary committee. After another half a year, he was transferred to the coal department of the government office. Now, he is transferred to the foreign trade department.”
Hao Hongmei's words were simple, but the old couple were very surprised because this change was too sudden.
His father was a little puzzled and asked,"This child is already such a big official now. Why does he still have to go to school?"”
Hao Hongmei didn't know how to explain it. Sun Shaoping's original words couldn't be said. She thought for a moment and said,""He just said that he wanted to go to university with me. He didn't say anything else.”
The old couple looked at each other. They didn't expect Sun Shaoping to like his daughter so much. In order to go to school together, he even gave up his official position. He didn't dare to let his daughter delay him.
"Did the child say he would be back for the New Year?" asked his mother. If she came back, she would let her come to the house.”
She planned to tell Sun Shaoping to let her daughter go to school alone. She wanted him to be an official and not delay his bright future.
A trace of disappointment flashed across Hao Hongmei's blushing face. She smiled and said,"He was busy with work and couldn't come back, but he sent us a letter wishing us a happy new year.”
Although her mother was disappointed that she could not see her future son-in-law, she still said,"This child is really sensible."
Seeing her parents happy, Hao Hongmei's heart felt heavy. She had never lied since she was young. Today, she lied one after another, almost believing it, but what could she do…
When Hao Hongmei fell asleep at night, her mother said to her father,""We don't dare to spread this matter. If it succeeds, that's fine. If it doesn't, my reputation will be ruined if people find out. It'll be difficult for me to find a husband in the future. There's still a year before I graduate.”
His father rolled over and said,"I know.”
This book comes from：m.funovel.com。