Chapter 349： engagement

Chapter 349 Engagement

The kerosene lamp was turned on again in the main hall of the Zhao family. Zhao Hongbing was wrapped like a ball and sitting at the corner of the table. Chen Lianmi, who was also wearing three clothes inside and three outside, picked up the kettle and handed the water to Huo Lang and Zhao Hongbing asked:

"Alang, your uncle said you came to see me for something, what exactly is it? You're here so late, and you don't even have a light in your hand."

"I have good eyesight and can see at night, so it doesn't matter." Huo Lang smiled calmly, blew on the water in the cup and took a sip. After thinking for a long time, he looked at Chen Lianmi and said, "Auntie, I came here this time for It’s not about other people, it’s about me and Si Zhiqing.”

“You and Si Zhiqing?” Chen Lianmi was stunned for a moment, then looked at each other with Zhao Hongbing, then asked: “Tell me, tell me about this, what do you want my aunt to do?”

As if she had anticipated what Huo Lang was going to say, Chen Lianmi had an obvious look of joy on her face, which actually made Huo Lang feel a little embarrassed.

 Chen Lianmi and Zhao Hongbing were very kind to Huo Lang, and they could be regarded as half of their elders when they got along with each other. Huo Lang rarely felt shy in front of his elders. Of course, with just that moment, Huo Lang regained his usual courage and calmness:

"Si Zhiqing and I are dating. We have discussed it ourselves and plan to settle the matter first."

 Huo Lang rubbed the prickly short hair on his head, "This should be done by the elders in the family, but I have a special status and there are no elders here, so I wanted to ask my aunt to help me make peace."

Holang's matter has always been a worry for the Zhao family and his wife.

In the past, Chen Lienmi introduced couples to Huo Lang and arranged blind dates. Huo Lang always excused herself with various things, and she never went there once. Chen Lienmi was very worried about this matter until the autumn of the year before. Later, Huo Lang showed off his cards with them and said that he fell in love with Si Ningning, which indirectly reassured Chen Lianmi.

But a long time passed in between. Two nights ago, while lying in bed, Chen Lianmi chatted with Zhao Hongbing about why Huo Lang had been silent for so long and whether he could marry Si Zhiqing back home.

In short, Chen Lianmi was not at peace in her heart and had already made up her mind. If Si Ningning didn't want to marry Huo Lang, she would have to hurry up and look for a girl from a good family. She was not even older than Huo Lang. Smaller.

Originally, he had taken a fancy to the two children of his comrade-in-arms, and they moved thousands of miles away to take care of them. This was a matter of great love and righteousness. If the two little ones of the Chen family really delayed Huo Lang, Zhao Hongbing might feel unhappy. It's comfortable, but actually it's okay, but Chen Lianmi is different.

She is the married daughter of another branch of the Chen family. Going back to the relationship, she is still a cousin and nephew to Hegu and Sanmiao of the Chen family.

Hearing the latest news between Huo Lang and Si Ningning, Chen Lianmi breathed a sigh of relief and was so happy that she almost lost her sight.

She checked with Huo Lang carefully: "What does this mean to settle the matter? Is it an engagement?"

Huo Lang scratched the back of his head, as if he was stunned. When Chen Lianmi asked, he nodded and answered: "Yes!"

Chen Lianmi sat next to Zhao Hongbing, thought about it carefully, and said emphatically: "Marriage with two surnames is a big deal, and engagement is the first priority that should be taken seriously. This is not something we can do just by saying it. We have to talk to the woman's elders in advance. A chat..."

Thinking that Si Ningning was an educated youth from a big city and his family was also in a big city, Chen Lianmi asked Huo Lang: "You two are dating, Si's educated youth's family should know, right?"

Si Ningning is a humble person and knows how to get into trouble when it comes to politeness. At first glance, she is a girl from a good family, a good tutor, and a good family. After Chen Lianmi asked her, she felt that she was talking too much. Everyone in the Si family must know this.

So he took a breath and asked again: "What did Si Zhiqing's family say? Did Si Zhiqing tell you?"

Unexpectedly, Chen Lienmi would ask about the cheese family. Huo Lang was stunned for a while and was urged by Chen Lienmi twice. He thought about it and finally told Chen Lienmi and Zhao Hongbing what he learned. Said:

"Her mother left home, and her father found her stepmother. The two elders were not very friendly to her, and some trivial things happened when she went home to visit relatives this time."

“Ning Ning’s household registration has been transferred here. What she means is that we can take care of our own affairs and don’t need to worry about the capital city.”

Huo Lang unconsciously patted the big table with his big hand and said, "I respect Ning Ning's wishes. She can do whatever makes her feel comfortable and happy."

"You stupid boy." Zhao Hongbing said "tsk", and said seriously before Chen Lianmi could speak: "How old is the young master, Si Zhi? Even if he usually handles things smoothly and well, he is relatively young, and in some places he will Inadvertently, I was too naive or lacked foresight. I think this matter needs to be discussed again. "

Holang's brows were knotted, and his expression looked very conflicted.

Chen Lianmi was afraid that he would think wrongly, so she explained: "Your uncle has no other meaning in saying this. He is just worried that Si Zhiqing is young and has a bad temper in some places. If you allow her to be happy now, your descendants will be able to think better when they reach middle age." I feel more relaxed, thinking that it is my mother who lives in that city after all. I am not saying that I will have trouble with you, but there will always be a knot in my heart because of the things I did when I was young, and I will feel guilty and uncomfortable thinking about it day and night... When the time comes... It doesn’t feel good to see your wife like this, doesn’t it?”

Holang's brows relaxed and he nodded slightly, "What do you mean, auntie?"

Seeing that Huo Lang had listened to what he said, Chen Lianmi felt relieved and said, "Your uncle wants you to communicate with Si Zhiqing properly and see how this matter is handled. I think that should be the case. Even if Si Zhiqing Educated youths are really determined not to have any contact with their families. At most, you should reduce or stop going there, but regarding marriage, you must send letters there. "

"Firstly out of respect, secondly to seek blessings from the elders, and thirdly when Si Zhiqing gets really old, only then can Si Zhiqing live a stable life with ease and a clear conscience without any regrets or guilt in his heart. "

After all, Zhao Hongbing and his wife have been here before, and what they said was reasonable and well-founded. They were all considering the future of Huo Lang and Si Ningning. Huo Lang understood and understood, so he nodded and said:

“I’ll talk to her about this in the next two days.”

After saying that, he looked at Zhao Hongbing and Chen Lianmi cautiously and asked: "Besides this, is there anything else that needs attention? For example, what to buy? Si..."

Probably because he felt that calling Si Ningning "Educated Youth" at this time was a bit unfamiliar, Huo Lang stuttered and said: "Ningning means that you don't need to be too grandiose, do as the Romans do, and just follow the understanding here."

"In the past, there were a lot of things to pay attention to when getting married and engaged. There were big and small festivals, such as the Dragon Boat Festival and the Mid-Autumn Festival, where you had to give cakes and other things to the close relatives of the woman's family. Now that we have reformed and opened up, it's hard to pay attention to many things. Just keep everything simple." Chen Lianmi and Zhao Hongbing summed it up and continued: "Now the engagement is just a matter of the elders of both parties choosing a date. The man comes to the house with tobacco, wine, and pork. If the conditions are better, he will prepare more for the girl's family. They wear decent clothes, go over to eat, chat, and recognize each other and that's it. That's what an engagement is all about."

Huo Lang nodded, but before he could speak, Chen Lianmi said again:

"Si Zhiqing's parents are not here. You should go over and discuss it with her first and see what she thinks. Anyway, her parents are not here. You don't need to prepare cigarettes or alcohol when you come to the door. Watch Buy some pastries, and if you have money, buy Si Zhiqing two more clothes to wear... tobacco, alcohol and other things. If she is willing to reveal this news to her family, just be polite and buy the things and send them over. "

"We don't know exactly what is going on in the Si family, so it's hard to say, but I'm afraid that there may be misunderstandings about many things. Auntie is afraid that you are young and will regret for half your life if you do something wrong, so I want Si Zhiqing to get along with the family. No, it’s okay for you to do it openly, but you have to find out the truth of various situations in private.”

"If it's a misunderstanding, you have to find a way to reconcile it. If it's not Si Zhiqing's fault, then the relationship will be broken off."

Huo Lang nodded, and Chen Lianmi continued: "Your uncle and I don't know a few words, so there isn't much we can tell you. Anyway, we did it with a clear conscience, so that's about it."

Huo Lang nodded again, and Chen Lianmi seemed to have opened up her chat box. She had endless words to say, but she all gave sincere instructions:

"The fact that you chose Si Zhiqing shows that you have feelings for him. No matter what happens in the future, you must remember that the night you asked your elders to marry me, you begged your elders to marry him back. Everything can be discussed easily. , but you can’t hit anyone, otherwise don’t blame me and your uncle for not protecting you.”

"Auntie, what did you say? How could I..."

Horang looked stiff and weird for a while, and before he finished speaking, he was interrupted by Zhao Hongbing who added:

"Your aunt is right, but you are from a military family and have read books, so your ideological consciousness must be high. We farmers who have crawled in the fields for most of our lives know that men cannot hit women, so you should even more You know this. Moreover, Si Zhiqing's family is not harmonious, but she can do this well. It shows that she has suffered a lot that you can't imagine. When you marry someone back home, you should take more care of her. not easy."

 Zhao Hongbing's words fell into Huo Lang's heart. What Si Ningning had experienced seemed to appear in front of his eyes in a moment, and Huo Lang felt distressed for no reason.

The embarrassment faded from his face, and Huo Lang kept his deep arched eyebrows in silence for a while, then suddenly nodded vigorously and made a promise:

"I understand, uncle, aunt, from now on... I will fulfill the responsibilities of a man, run my own small family, love and respect my wife."

Zhao Hongbing and Chen Lianmi had not read many books, and they were both conservative in their thinking. Although they told Huo Lang to respect and care for Si Ningning, they really thought that Huo Lang had said the words "love and care" so harshly. When they heard the words, they felt inexplicably ashamed and panicked.

However, it was shameless to see the changes in Huo Lang now and in the past, and Zhao Hongbing and Chen Lianmi felt very happy.

Looking at each other without embarrassment, Chen Lianmi laughed "haha". She looked at Huo Lang, and the smile on her face became more sincere and sincere. Finally, she waved her hands and said, "Okay, we already know what you mean. Let's go back today." Well, tell us after you have discussed it with Si Zhiqing. Don’t choose the engagement date too close. You don’t know a lot of things. I have to make preparations in the meantime. "

Chen Lianmi's words settled the matter, and Huo Lang finally showed a comfortable smile, said "Hey", and thanked him several times. Finally, amidst the scolding voices of Chen Lianmi and Zhao Hongbing, he smiled with a smile on his face. Went home smiling.

The door of Zhao's courtyard was opened and closed, the kerosene lamp in the main room was turned off, and the couple returned to the room. As they were taking off their clothes and going to bed, Zhao Hongbing muttered:

“I’m used to seeing this kid’s calmness, but suddenly I saw him as flustered as a young boy, with his hands instead of his hands and his feet instead of his feet. I’m really not used to it. Speaking of which, I think it’s funny.”

Chen Lianmi laughed at him and said, "What's so funny? No matter how mature he is, he's still a human being. He's still a young boy who hasn't experienced the three major joyous events in life! Do you still have the nerve to laugh at him? Remember when you and I fell in love with each other. , I was so embarrassed that I almost couldn’t walk. Later, I heard from my mother-in-law that you were so happy that you fell into a ditch when you came home. Why didn’t anyone laugh at you? "

 Chen Lian pulled the quilt and rolled it up on both sides of her neck, pressing it tightly. She sighed and said with a smile: "How dare you laugh at others!"

In the darkness, Zhao Hongbing's old face turned red, red and black again. Finally, he pulled the quilt to cover up his embarrassment with anger: "When did that happen? I have forgotten it. Don't talk nonsense!"

Zhao Hongbing rolled up his quilt and faced the inner wall. Chen Lianmi had been sleeping on the same pillow with him for decades. She knew his temper very well. He usually looked like a tough guy with a bad temper, but in fact, he was actually quite shy!

Chen Lianmi saved some face for Zhao Hongbing and stopped teasing him. Instead, she changed the subject and said:

“This is a good and happy event, whether it’s about friendship or blood, we should do something.”

"How many dollars do we still have at home? How many feet of cloth coupons? You said that while you are not busy these days, you go to the town to pull a few feet of cloth and come back. How about I nail two pairs of thousand-layer bottoms to Si Zhiqing?"

"There are old clothes at home. Look at which ones can no longer be worn. Can't they be made into shoes by taking them apart? Why do you have to tear the cloth? If you have the money, wouldn't it be better to buy some for them?"

“Tsk…that’s what you said.”

Chen Lianmi rolled her eyes at Zhao Hongbing in the darkness.

If it weren't for the fact that this matter related to Huo Lang, Chen Lianmi really didn't want to deal with Zhao Hongbing, an ignorant and stubborn donkey.

“How can old principles apply to wedding celebrations? Not to mention that it doesn’t look good outside, it doesn’t sound good even when you listen to it!”

Looking at Chen Lianmi starting to nag again late at night, Zhao Hongbing quickly relented:

"Okay, okay, you have to look at this matter. Calculate how many feet of cloth you need. When Song Zhiqing returns to the team tomorrow and the day after tomorrow, I will take the time to go to the town... There are many happy events around the year, and I don't know if I can I can’t buy it!”

“Then let’s go and take a look first!” Chen Lianmi said.

There hasn’t been a happy event in the family for a long time. Chen Lianmi usually didn’t think about these things. Now she suddenly took over this matter. Thinking that there was no elder behind Huo Lang, Chen Lianmi became even more worried:

“Tomorrow I will get up and go to Houshanjiao to have a look. There were cypress trees and honey locust trees there a few days ago, but I don’t know if they are still there now.”

(End of this chapter)