Rebirth in the 50s: The Couple with the Hidden Space novel Chapter 235

Chapter 235: Chapter 171: Brothers Reunited (Part 3)

Lin Shanshan nodded, "Mm, they have a very good relationship. Zhao Chuan Guang cried with excitement seeing Brother Zheng. You might not have noticed, but there’s a military coat on the car—it’ll be washed when we get back." She finished speaking and winked at her.

Cheng Hongli, without any intention of mocking Zhao Chuan Guang, earnestly said, "That’s because you don’t understand the place Brother Zheng holds in our hearts. Next time Brother Zheng goes to see the leader, you’ll see, he’s our pride.

If everyone hadn’t heard that he’s in the county, you’d have seen the influence Brother Zheng has. Do you believe if they knew, they’d rush over overnight? He’s our brother, and we’re his family.

All these years, everyone thought Brother Zheng’s child was in Beijing. Not just Zhao Chuan Guang; everyone who went to Beijing tried to visit you and the child. I don’t know where the misunderstanding came from; not everyone is as clueless as Zhao Chuan Guang."

Lin Lishan listened, puzzled, and said, "But I’ve never encountered anyone looking for me, and no one told me when I got back. The point is, I didn’t spend many days in Beijing each year; sometimes, I wouldn’t come back for two years in a row."

Cheng Hongli shook her head, "Your eldest brother’s daughter should know. Never mind, don’t think about it. What’s past is past, and now your family’s reunion is what matters."

Who doesn’t have a household with its own troubles? Just leaving the child with the grandparents for 17 years without seeing them is heart-wrenching to think about. Cheng Hongli doesn’t believe the Lin Family and Lin Lishan didn’t think about this at all—perhaps it’s because Brother Zheng treats her well that everyone turns a blind eye. Didn’t you see when the five of them came, they just greeted briefly? Only because it’s not easy for her to speak up; if Yizhihua came, she’d definitely stand up for Brother Zheng and scold her.

Aunt Zuo gently nudged Cheng Hongli’s leg and whispered in her ear, "Is it that your Brother Zheng doesn’t have a good relationship with the family, or why didn’t anyone think the child might be with the grandparents?"

Cheng Hongli nodded slightly and whispered, "It’s a long story; I’ll tell you when I get the chance." After saying that, she noticed Zhang Guoqiang nearby and quickly said, "Xiao Wu Second Brother, oh, I’ll call you ’Old Second,’ Old Second, pour some wine for the aunts, especially your Aunt Zuo. It’s better to talk about things with Aunt Zuo than Uncle Zuo; Aunt Zuo is the boss both inside and outside the home, haha."

Aunt Zuo patted her, playfully scolding, "No wonder they call you Red Pepper; you’ve really got a sharp tongue. Old Second, don’t listen to your Aunt Zhao’s nonsense, whether there’s something or nothing, come by often. We’re like family with your brother’s family. Your Meili father-in-law is an old buddy of my man; your eldest sister Meili and her husband both work at the textile factory. We all know each other, so don’t feel restrained. Once you start work, if there’s anything, go to your Uncle Zuo."

Zhang Guoqiang poured the fruit wine for them and smiled, "Mm, I’ve heard about Uncle Zuo from my brother-in-law’s dad. Aunt Zuo, if there’s anything in the future, just call me and treat me like the younger generation."

Cheng Hongli joked with a chuckle, "Sister-in-law Zuo, with nearly 2000 people in the whole factory, you big busybody, can you remember the names of everyone below? Can you manage it all?"

"Not as busy as you; I heard Old Zuo saying he’s going to another province for a meeting in a few days. Is there another document coming out?" Aunt Zuo shot her a glance and said.

Cheng Hongli finished the fruit wine in her cup, poured herself another, and also poured for Aunt Zuo and Lin Lishan, put down the crock, and said, "You’re asking the wrong person; you should ask Shanshan for the latest news. Her sister-in-law is in the Women’s Federation above. By the time the news gets to us, it’ll be too late."

Lin Lishan thought for a moment and shook her head, "Nothing special. This time we went back to transfer Jiao Jiao’s residence registration, handled by my sister-in-law. Didn’t hear her mention anything important. But I did hear from my mom that next year they plan to fully implement ration coupons; it’s still under discussion and not confirmed yet."

Cheng Hongli, begrudgingly and amused, patted her, "You heard such news and still didn’t move. Didn’t mention it in the afternoon. If I didn’t ask, you wouldn’t say it?"

"How can I talk about something that’s not confirmed? Who knows what the result will be? Besides, we all have jobs, so what’s the hurry? You can’t buy anything with foreign exchange certificates." Lin Lishan said, puzzled.

Cheng Hongli shook her head and smiled wryly with Aunt Zuo, "She doesn’t know the cost of firewood, rice, oil, or salt. If there really need to be ration coupons, it’ll be fixed amounts. My family with Old Zhao has so many relatives; life will be even harder."

"In the past few years, without grain tickets, you could buy fine grain if you had money. Now the ration quota on the supply booklet is rigid. If the ration coupon is really implemented, our union would be in chaos. Ever since the cloth ticket came out, we textile factory workers have been weaving our own cloth, yet the kids at home still don’t have clothes to wear. With the coal ticket out, my yard is big with many people; the children are all married and settled, and we can’t all squeeze on the heated brick bed in winter like before. I found many people to adjust and only managed to gather 500 pounds in coal tickets. Now, I have people daily delivering firewood, fearing it won’t be enough. Hongli, should we check the market at the end of the year? We need to prepare more."

"Sure, there’s a big market in a few days. If Shanshan hasn’t gone back, let’s all go and have a look. There are many intricately made embroidered shoe pads."

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