Chapter 725: 725 lively
After they were full from the meal, the five of them asked around and split up; the men went outside to privately buy some things, while the two girls went to the supply and marketing cooperative.
Zeng Hongling had to talk it over and over, and even then Su Yuanyuan used her national food tickets to buy three pounds of dried mushrooms.
However, this stuff is dry, so although it’s light in weight, it’s bulky.
Wei Guangxiang and the other two also bought five pounds from an individual, and when they combined the eight pounds, oh boy, it filled up an entire bag.
Once they got to the post office, both Zeng Hongling and Zeng Yixin wrote letters home, and sent them off before returning to the hotel.
Since they wouldn’t leave until tomorrow, Su Yuanyuan and Zeng Hongling went out for a stroll.
The local customs here are quite robust, with both men and women being quite tall and strong. Zeng Hongling and Su Yuanyuan were like petite girls here. She was actually just a bit shorter than Su Yuanyuan, but from playing crazily at the beach during the summer, she got tanned. She looked like she had been starving.
The two of them walking along the road still attracted a lot of attention.
However, they didn’t mind, for Su Yuanyuan actually liked it here, liked the simplicity of the place.
They wandered outside for a while. Honestly, there wasn’t anything particularly special, since the big climate is like this, there wouldn’t be anything unique outside.
"Yuanyuan, Islam is allowed here?"
"It’s an individual belief issue. Just like how Daoist Zhan is into Taoism."
"Yuanyuan, I’m thinking of buying some ginseng from the mountain people to send back to my grandpa and dad."
"Why not? If we don’t have the luck, we still have to buy it; when we get to the foot of the mountain, we still need to contact the people there to handle the purchase for us. You can’t have too much of this stuff."
"I have money on me."
"Mm, I plan to lend my money to Daoist Zhan."
Both laughed. From somebody who started with no worldly desires when descending the mountain, Daoist Zhan really has changed a lot now by earning his own living.
Su Yuanyuan began gossiping, "Hongling, do you no longer like Daoist Zhan?"
"I like him, but he doesn’t like me, and anyway, I don’t have plans to settle down, I just like him."
"Never thought about being together?"
Zeng Hongling rolled her eyes at Su Yuanyuan, "Didn’t I say? He doesn’t like me, and my grandpa and dad definitely wouldn’t agree either."
"So obedient?"
"Don’t you know? I’m actually really obedient, definitely well-behaved.
What’s with that look in your eyes? I’m telling the truth, okay?"
"Alright, alright, you’re telling the truth. I thought you would pursue Daoist Zhan."
Zeng Hongling shook her head, "I just like Daoist Zhan’s looks. And that clean aura, I really don’t plan on getting married in this life. If it’s possible, finding a man to have a child is okay. Marriage? Forget it, I don’t want to harm anyone."
"How come? Actually, you don’t need to think like that."
"Yuanyuan, that’s just what I think, my dad has blamed himself all his life, he always says why wasn’t he the one who got retribution, but instead, my mom passed early.
So I think the same way, I’m even considering about a child, if the child gets into trouble, I’d blame myself for a lifetime. What’s so bad about being alone?"
"Will your family agree?"
"I can sway my dad. It’s hard to say with my grandpa, if I told the truth, he would definitely blame himself."
Zeng Hongling was really clear about her thoughts. But there’s still a long way to go, her brother still has four more years, she had much more freedom than him, as her grandpa didn’t impose any demands on her.
"You really have thought it through."
"It’s necessary to think it through.
Yuanyuan, my brother Yixin likes you. Does he have a chance?"
Su Yuanyuan glared at Zeng Hongling, "I have a husband. And a child."
"But you haven’t found them yet? Yuanyuan, do you plan to spend a lifetime looking for them?"
"Yes, I just want to find them, I have a feeling I’ll certainly find them."
"So my brother has no hope at all? Poor guy, he even fought for five years of time with my grandpa, still has four years left."
"Tell him not to waste his time on me."
"My brother is really good, I’m curious what kind of person your husband is. How much better is he than my brother?"
"That’s not important, mainly I don’t have that kind of thought."
"I’ll go back and talk with Yixin." Actually, Zeng Hongling already had this feeling since seeing those leaders in the Capital, including Shao Hongming and Wei Guangxiang, they were all the same.
But Su Yuanyuan kept a distance from any male.
The two girls didn’t want to return to the hotel and were thinking of a second round when they saw many people running and shouting.
"Something happened."
Feeling bored, the two also headed in the direction where the crowd was going.
Hearing the sounds of gongs ahead, Su Yuanyuan suddenly stopped.
"We’d better not go any further, there might be a gathering, let’s just go back quietly."
"Can’t we even watch the excitement?"
"We can. But we’re afraid of causing trouble. Let’s go, what’s there to see?"
The two girls turned around and left. No need for unnecessary matters.
Back at the hotel, they saw three aunts chat chatting. Zeng Hongling smiled at Su Yuanyuan, "Even without seeing I could know what happened, maybe even more comprehensively. Let’s go, let’s listen."
"Auntie, why is it so lively outside?"
"You two didn’t go see it?"
Both shook their heads, "We were scared."
"That’s right, as young women, best not to join the commotion.
Outside people are denouncing and exposing shady relationships. It’s a bunch of meddlesome old women and those problematic men watching, good that you didn’t go."
"Auntie, what does exposing shady relationships mean?"
"It’s when a man and woman have an improper relationship."
"Oh, that’s what it means."
"You two young ladies, when finding a man, better keep your eyes open, let me tell you, the nice-looking men aren’t trustworthy."
"Auntie, please tell me what happened?" Zeng Hongling excitedly looked at the three.
Su Yuanyuan finally understood why Zeng Hongling could quickly blend into the crowd.
"That man is from the same row as my house, the young man is really good-looking. Back then, when he wasn’t married, all the young women wanted to marry him.
Even though his family was poor, many girls were still willing.
His dad died early, so it was just him, his mom, and two brothers getting by, and this widow was enjoying her life when the sons grew up.
But she didn’t like loneliness, always dressing up flamboyantly, never seen her working, yet also never saw them hungry.
Maybe this was the influence since childhood, the eldest was good-looking. From the age fifteen or sixteen, there were girls giving him things, so he became idle, doing nothing."