Chapter 92: Heart-thumping

"It is what you think it means." Song Xiwei turned her head to look at her, pushed the bowl that was too close to the edge of the table inward, and then said: "Zhaozhao asked me to ask for your opinion."

Before the rest of the words were spoken, Yuan Xiang's mother hurriedly said: "Meet!"

"Arrange for the two to meet!"

Song Xiwei choked, "Don't be impatient, listen to me finish first. You don't even know what kind of person the other party is."

"You are Xiangxiang's aunt, if you mention it... it means the young man's conditions aren't bad, I trust you." Yuan Xiang's mother's eyes were trusting.

"......" Song Xiwei had nothing to say.

After a moment of silence, she said: "Xiangxiang's marriage, you still have to be the one to decide."

Except for Lin Heling and Lin Zhao's affairs, she was too lazy to care about other things.

Yuan Xiang's mother heard her younger sister's implication and didn't force it, urging: "Tell me about the young man's situation."

Song Xiwei didn't waste words, going straight to the point, and clarified the man's situation in two or three sentences.

Of course, it was what Zhaozhao told her, the relatively general basic situation.

Yuan Xiang's mother's face showed a smile one moment and a frown the next, changing as Song Xiwei spoke.

After listening, her tone was emotional, and there was even a hint of regret: "The conditions are good, it's just... why are his legs problematic."

Song Xiwei raised her eyelids, and the glance she cast was slightly sharp.

She said bluntly: "If there wasn't a problem with his legs, he would be a proper city youth, with a job and a house. He would have been fought over long ago, so how would it be Xiangxiang's turn."

"That's true, I thought too much." Yuan Xiang's mother smiled awkwardly.

She didn't dislike the person, just felt it was a pity.

"I still say the same thing, let the two meet."

Song Xiwei said: "Meeting is fine, you tell Xiangxiang about this first, ask for her opinion. If she is even a little bit unwilling, then forget it. Can't make my Zhaozhao difficult, she still has to continue getting along with her colleague."

She was worried that Xiangxiang had just had her engagement broken and had no mind for matchmaking.

Marriage should be a happy thing, one cannot marry just for the sake of marriage.

"I know, I'll go ask her now." Yuan Xiang's mother thought of the gossip in the village and couldn't sit still at all. She told Song Xiwei and turned to find her daughter.

At this time, a low cough came from inside the room, as if someone was covering their mouth with a cloth, but still leaked a few hoarse gasps.

Song Xiwei stood up abruptly and rushed into the inner room in two or three steps.

"Why are you coughing again, are you uncomfortable?" Her tone was concerned.

Lin Heling suppressed the cough at his throat, his eyes apologetic, "Disturbed you."

"Why say that." Song Xiwei didn't like hearing him say things that were like strangers. She casually lifted the lid of the enamel cup, removed the soft stopper of the thermos, poured hot water into the cup, and walked to the bed with the cup, "Drink some water."

Lin Heling's smile was gentle. He took the enamel cup and drank some water, and the discomfort in his chest eased a bit.

His body had suffered quite a bit of hardship when he was young, so he couldn't be cold, couldn't be hot, couldn't be hungry, and couldn't be full. He had problems every three days even when he was well-cared for.

Song Xiwei had taken him to see many doctors, all of whom said this was a rich man's disease and needed to be well-cared for.

If it weren't for his wife protecting him all these years, the grass on his grave would be several feet high!

"Ask the doctor about the wild ginseng Chenghuai sent over another day, see how it should be used. The weather will be cool soon, raise your health in advance." Song Xiwei sat on the edge of the bed, her face smiling, but her eyebrows couldn't help but frown, filled with worry.

Every winter was hard for Lin Heling.

"Okay." Lin Heling responded warmly, "You've worked hard."

Song Xiwei didn't agree at all, "What hard work! If you calculate so much in living, can you still live?"

She took the enamel cup from Lin Heling's hand, put it on the cupboard, and held Lin Heling's hand. Feeling the man's hand was a bit cold, her face tightened, and she rubbed her hands together several times.

His hands were long and symmetrical, with distinct knuckles but not gaunt. Under the vigorous rubbing, they looked a faint pink.

"You were snatched home by me. I know your situation. You have never been a burden to me." Song Xiwei comforted her husband's emotions.

On the surface, she contributed the most in this family, but in reality, Heling also tried his best to treat her well—

Teaching her to read and write.

Knowing she wasn't good at needlework, he learned it himself. The clothes she and he wore were all made by him, and even the bedding was.

When she was pregnant, she couldn't eat anything. The man tried every possible way just for her to eat one more bite. Knowing she felt comfortable eating sour plums, he went to learn specifically.

When she gave birth to her first child, the child was too big and almost couldn't be born. He gave her the life-saving medicine he had hidden and couldn't bear to eat.

The children in the family were brought up by him, and their enlightenment education was also him. Marrying a wife for his son, Zhaozhao getting married, he also contributed a lot...

Item by item, it couldn't be counted.

This family must have Song Xiwei, but Lin Heling was also indispensable.

Hearing his wife's words, Lin Heling seemed not to understand why she thought he was snatched home by her, and a look of surprise appeared on his face.

A helpless smile appeared in his eyes, and he said warmly: "I am willing to be with you, not snatched by you."

"Hmm?" This was different from what Song Xiwei thought.

"If I weren't willing, I'd rather be a broken jade." Lin Heling smiled.

Before meeting Xiwei, his world was a dark wasteland burned by a big fire, where nothing grew, and even the moon shone as if covered in smoke and bones. She was the only passionate flower that broke through the soil in his barren land.

How could he not want to move toward her?

Song Xiwei's heart shook, and she looked up at him, "Really?"

"Otherwise?" Lin Heling asked back with a smile, but the emotion on his face couldn't be more serious.

He sighed lightly, "How failed am I, we have been together for more than thirty years, and I didn't even let you see my sincerity, too failed."

They met when they were not yet twenty, walked through the most difficult war years, the old system was broken, the new system was rebuilt, the children were already married, and even grandchildren had them. Didn't expect there would be such a misunderstanding.

Lin Heling smiled helplessly.

"Failed what, I just never thought..." Song Xiwei always felt Lin Heling was forced by her.

She still remembered the first time she saw Lin Heling clearly. Such a clear and elegant teenager, even if covered in dirt, couldn't hide his outstanding temperament, making people unforgettable.

Because she had great strength and knew some martial arts, she was lawless since she was a child. It was rare for her to take a fancy to someone. After saving him, she carried him away without thinking.

Lin Heling had a delicate heart and saw his wife's thoughts at a glance, smiling: "Do you know what my mood was when I first saw you?"

They hadn't talked about this topic. Song Xiwei felt their beginning wasn't decent, avoided it at first, and later felt that living the present well was the most important, so she deliberately avoided it.

Now.

The two had lived most of their lives, and there was nothing they couldn't say.

"What is it?" She was truly curious.

"I thought at the time, where did this female general come from, truly dashing, and even a bit envious..." Lin Heling leaned back, relieving the cough that was about to reach his throat.

"Envious?" Song Xiwei was slightly stunned, "You envy me?!" She was very surprised.

"What's there to envy about me, I didn't even know characters before meeting you, running around the mountains like a wild monkey..."

Lin Heling shook his head in disagreement, his voice as clear as yesterday. He smiled, and his gaze toward his wife was incomparably soft, "No, you don't know how dazzling you are."

Dazzling?

Song Xiwei knew what this word meant, but she had never linked herself to this word.

"The vigorous vitality in you, the infectious smile, the confidence that nothing can defeat you, are all dazzling." Lin Heling said seriously.

What he didn't say was that the scene of witnessing her flying three bandits who were killing, burning, and looting appeared in his dark world like a light.

Every step of her approach had his push.

Song Xiwei was happy in her heart, her whole body was light, and she looked several years younger.

She said uncomfortably: "We're old, what dazzling."

Lin Heling still disagreed, "In my heart, you haven't changed at all."

In his eyes, his wife was forever that fiery red girl who made his heart thump at first sight.

Song Xiwei smiled, and the laugh lines accumulated at the corners of her eyes were stained with the taste of happiness.

If someone were there, they would be able to see that her smile at this time was somewhat similar to Lin Heling's.

People who love each other have been together for a long time, and their expressions inevitably become the same.

Lin Heling supported the edge of the bed and got out of bed. When he got up, the lines of his shoulders and neck tightened slightly, like a slowly pulled bow, and his movements were slightly slow. He had a low fever last night and didn't sleep well all night, making him feel powerless.

"Why did you get down, want to go to the bathroom?" Song Xiwei reached out to support him.

She had great strength, her arm muscles bulging, and she could easily lift a man. When they were together at first, they often had awkward blunders, such as Lin Heling suddenly leaving the ground with both feet, and being picked up by her bending over... Under the man's awkward and helpless persuasion, she learned to restrain herself.

This time, she was just providing leverage for Lin Heling, not lifting him off the ground.

"Lying down is uncomfortable, isn't the ointment for hands gone? I'll go make new ones for you." Lin Heling moved his body, and after feeling comfortable, walked out side by side with Song Xiwei.

His head was injured, and he forgot where his home was and what relatives he had, but the knowledge he learned hadn't been forgotten. The things in his brain were mixed and messy, and he remembered things he could use one after another.

Hand ointment was just one of them, and there was something for the face.

He fiddled with things when he had nothing to do, and Song Xiwei supported him in everything, helping him find materials. If it weren't for Lin Heling's various fiddling, the couple wouldn't be at least ten years younger than their peers.

"It's not too late to make it after your body is better." Song Xiwei worried about her husband's body.

Lin Heling rubbed her fingers with his fingertips, his smile warm, "I know what I'm doing, if I can't hold on, I'll stop."

Song Xiwei wanted to say something, but saw her eldest sister.

Lin Heling nodded to Xiangxiang's mother, "Eldest sister."

"Hmm." Xiangxiang's mother had just come out of the backyard and saw her sister and brother-in-law holding hands, discussing something. There was no room for half a person in between. She wanted to sneak back to the backyard, but didn't expect to be called by the two sensitive people.

Oh my.

Her younger sister and brother-in-law's affection was as good as it was decades ago, her teeth were almost sour!

Song Xiwei calmly let go of the hand she was holding with Lin Heling and asked: "Eldest sister, have you asked for Xiangxiang's opinion?"

Lin Heling patted his wife's arm and went straight to the kitchen.

"Xibao..." Song Xiwei just called the name, Xibao snatched the words: "Grandma, I'll go help Grandpa!"

As she spoke, the happy figure disappeared into the kitchen, and a vibrant voice sounded, "Grandpa, I'll help you light the fire!"

Outside the courtyard.

Song Xiwei lay on the bamboo chair under the jujube tree, took the fan from the side of the chair, fanned herself, and asked her eldest sister: "What did Xiangxiang say?"

Xiangxiang's mother looked at her younger sister's comfortable and relaxed appearance, and her mood suddenly became complicated.

Life really isn't the same with whoever you live with.

This thought flashed through her mind, and she came back to her senses, saying: "Xiangxiang said she wants to meet."

"Does she know that the young man's legs are bad?" Song Xiwei asked the point directly.

"She knows, Xiangxiang said she is willing." Xiangxiang's mother said.

At this time, Xibao came over with two bowls.

Xiangxiang's mother hurriedly stood up to take them.

In the bowl was mung bean soup that had been boiled soft and glutinous, with a few lily petals floating in it.

"...... Grandpa asked me to send it."

After putting it down, she ran back to the kitchen with a "da da da" sound.

"Boiled early in the morning, eldest sister, drink some too."

Xiangxiang's mother didn't stand on ceremony, and after taking a sip, smiled: "And added sugar."

"The mung beans and sugar were sent by Zhaozhao, saying she was afraid her father and I would get heatstroke." Song Xiwei said with a smile.

"It's hard for Zhaozhao to think of you when she has good things. She is filial and didn't let you down." Xiangxiang's mother said.

She knew how good her younger sister and brother-in-law were to their only daughter. She used to worry that Zhaozhao would be spoiled and become a heartless white-eyed wolf, but now it seems okay.

Song Xiwei smiled without saying a word.

"Ding ling ling ling!" The bicycle bell rang outside the door.

Then came a clear male voice.

"Little Aunt!"

The two women in the courtyard looked at each other.

"Coincidence, just let Yuncheng help pass the word." Song Xiwei said with a smile, and shouted to the kitchen: "Xibao, get another bowl of mung bean soup and bring it out."

Xibao's vibrant voice came out, "Got it! Know it!"

After twelve o'clock, the sun was more dazzling, baring its fangs and brandishing its claws, as if it wanted to roast everything on the ground.

Song Yunjin bought the soda and rode back to the Supply and Marketing Cooperative, his forehead covered in sweat.

Before reaching the Supply and Marketing Cooperative, he saw Lin Zhao's figure at the corner.

She was wearing a wide-brimmed hat, standing in the shade, carrying a small bamboo basket in her hand.

"Sister!"

Lin Zhao looked up. Under the natural light, the exposed skin was white and dazzling, bright and moving.

"Sister, what are you doing outside? What if you get heatstroke!" Song Yunjin jumped off the bicycle, his expression anxious.

What was she doing? Buying movie tickets, and by the way, taking two catties of meat from the storage ring, intending to let Yunjin take it back.

Lin Zhao stepped forward, stuffed the basket into his hand, snatched the bicycle, and said: "Got two catties of meat, take it back. You're so greedy, I don't even want to know you."

Her strength followed her mother's. With a light push, Song Yunjin was forced to leave the spot.

The teenager carefully lifted the cover, saw the fresh meat with good color, his pupils shrank, and he was speechless, "Sister, where did you get the meat?"

And two catties at that!

"None of your business, take the meat back. I'll come again when I'm about to get off work." Lin Zhao couldn't explain, so she had to dismiss him with an impatient look.

Song Yunjin was used to his sister's temperamental mood and didn't dare to press further. While hanging the basket on the handlebars, he said: "Sister, I don't want it, you take it back for the four cubs to eat. My mom and dad said, I have to understand you, if I take things from you again, they'll beat me."

After finishing speaking, he wanted to run, but was grabbed by the back of his collar by Lin Zhao.

"......"

Song Yunjin kicked his legs, unable to walk half a meter forward.

He turned his head helplessly, looking like he was begging for mercy, and said: "Sister, let me go quickly, it's embarrassing to be seen by others."

Lin Zhao let go, stuffed the basket into his arms again, and threatened: "If you dare to push it away again, I'll beat you up right now!"

"Do you want Uncle and Aunt to beat you, or do you want me to beat you? Think clearly."

Song Yunjin: He wasn't stupid, okay? Mom and Dad beating him together wouldn't hurt as much as his sister beating him alone.

"Sister~!" Song Yunjin shouted aggrievedly.

He drooped his eyebrows, his eyes drooping, looking like a large dog wronged by its owner.

"Don't pretend to be pitiful!" Lin Zhao patted the teenager's head and said fearlessly: "Just say I forced you to take it. If you don't take it, I'll be angry. Uncle and Aunt won't beat you."

Song Yunjin's whole face lit up, and he said: "Then I'll take it?"

Lin Zhao looked at him without speaking and pushed the bike away.

Just as she was walking, a few students appeared in front, their eyes as sharp as hawks, scanning everything suspicious.

Lin Zhao felt familiar with these people.

Looking closely, they were the ones who had stopped her and Gu Chenghuai before, questioning if they were messing around with men and women, ordering them to take out their marriage certificate, and finally being shouted away by Gu Chenghuai with a "get lost."

Song Yunjin's face changed slightly when he saw these people, and he hurriedly stepped forward, wanting to block in front of his sister.

But he saw those people just glance at them faintly and then turn to leave.

Damn, the fierce star's wife!

Run.

"Eh?" Song Yunjin was dumbfounded.

"Strange." His voice was extremely low, and something was flashing in his eyes.

"Those few people just now are the most fierce group in our school. They want to dig even the mouse holes in the corners to see if there are any bad elements hidden inside. I didn't expect them to be so easy to talk to today."

Lin Zhao said: "Your brother-in-law and I met them on the road and were stopped by them."

"What happened after you were stopped?" Song Yunjin blocked the slanting sun for his sister and asked curiously.

"Your brother-in-law is a soldier who has seen blood, how could he be scared by a few little brats? He said 'get lost,' those people made way, and we left." Lin Zhao said with a smile.

Song Yunjin imagined that scene, his whole body ignited, his breathing deepened, and his bright eyes were like two small flames.

"Stay calm." Lin Zhao flicked her finger, gave him a flick on the forehead, and mocked: "Your brother-in-law is a soldier who has experienced big storms and waves, he's not afraid of those brats messing around. If you dared to say 'get lost,' your legs could be broken."

Song Yunjin's consciousness returned, and he smiled awkwardly.

"I know how much I weigh, I didn't want to be stupid." He said.

"Better that way. Go back quickly, put the meat away when you get home, be careful it stinks. I still have to work, I'm going in." Lin Zhao left this sentence and left the spot.

Past one o'clock in the afternoon, Li Fen's husband came to the Supply and Marketing Cooperative again, bringing the money for the 500 matchboxes, and also bringing new materials.

Lin Zhao thanked him and accepted the money and materials.

This money and the materials for gluing matchboxes would be sent over when Gu Chenghuai delivered the two stones in the evening.

Don't know if the cub's dad has been to his eldest sister's house yet?

The Wei family.

Wei Xiang Dong returned from the mountain and learned that the two stones had been taken away. He raised his eyebrows and didn't say anything, his view of the Gu family's third branch completely changing in his heart.

He leaned over to splash water on his face, his sweaty coarse cloth shirt sticking to his body, revealing clearly defined muscle lines.

"Eldest sister-in-law came today." Gu Chan said suddenly.

Wei Xiang Dong raised his head abruptly, his eyes sharp, "What did she come for? She didn't bully you, did she?"

"She wanted to hit me, fortunately Chenghuai came to see me..." And helped me vent my anger.

She didn't have time to say the second half of the sentence. The man wiped his face, threw the water in his palm, strode across the threshold, and rushed straight toward the Wei family's old house.

As soon as he entered the door, he picked up the shoulder pole leaning against the wall and smashed it against the door of the Wei family's first branch, shaking the window lattice and causing dust to fall.

Amidst the splashing wood chips.

Wei Xiang Dong's voice, filled with thick anger, sounded, "Get out for me!"

Wei Dasao didn't dare to breathe and shrank in the corner of the room, playing dead.

"You, you, look at what you've done." Wei Dage was irritable and complained.

His own wife had made her own death, and he didn't dare to go out either. The second brother was angry and didn't recognize anyone; he didn't care if he was his own brother, he would just beat him up.

"Don't play dead, I know you're in the room. Get out quickly, otherwise I'll tear down your house!" Wei Xiang Dong said murderously.

Wei Dasao cared most about these rooms. On impulse, she opened the door, blocked in front of the room, and said: "You dare!"

Wei Xiang Dong was too lazy to talk nonsense, picked up the broom next to him, and swung his arm. The broom flew accurately and correctly onto her face.

First there was a "bang," followed by a "pat" sound.

The broom made intimate contact with Wei Dasao's face, then fell to the ground.

Wei Dasao's face was burning with pain. She reached out to wipe it, and there was bright red blood on her fingers.

She lay on the ground, raised her head and howled: "Ah, someone is hitting people, Wei Xiang Dong is hitting his own sister-in-law——"

A few heads popped up on the left and right earthen walls; they were neighbors curious about what the Wei family was arguing about again.

The Wei family's old couple woke up from their sleep and hurriedly ran out.

"Xiang Dong, what is this again?" Wei Laotai glanced at the eldest daughter-in-law on the ground and didn't go to help her.

"Mom, you ask her. She took advantage of my absence to try to hit my wife. If I don't beat her, who do I beat?" Wei Xiang Dong's anger was very high.

Wei Laoyezi didn't want his family to be laughed at, so after driving away the neighbors watching the fun on the left and right walls, he said: "If you have something to say, tell us old couple, why do it directly..."

Before he could finish speaking, he was interrupted by Wei Xiang Dong, "Can Dad control her, or can Mom control her?"

The Wei family's old couple: "......"

"I won't talk about the past. Now that the family has split, if she dares to come to my door again and find trouble with A Chan, I'll come to beat her again."

As soon as Wei Xiang Dong's words fell, Gu Chan arrived late. She called out to her parents-in-law, didn't look at the sister-in-law on the ground who was howling and demanding compensation, and pulled her husband away.

The couple left the Wei family's door.

Gu Chan vaguely heard the sensible mother-in-law scolding Wei Dasao.

"Stop howling, you deserve it. Knowing that the second brother protects A Chan the most, you still dare to find trouble with her, you are really sick!"

After Wei Laotai finished scolding the eldest daughter-in-law, she stepped forward and knocked on the door of the first branch with a "bang bang bang."

"Eldest, are you dead in the room? Get out quickly, manage your wife, she's not young anymore, how can she be so useless! Your father and I aren't cowards, how did we give birth to such an incompetent thing..."

Wei Dage's face turned red.

He sat up abruptly, rushed out, grabbed his wife's wrist, and pulled her back to the room.

Before long, the sound of "pitter-patter" rang out, and the couple started scolding each other, scolding very ugly things.

Lin Zhao didn't know about these things for the time being.

Near three o'clock, she seemed to hear a few familiar childish voices.

"My cubs are here." Lin Zhao looked toward the door.

The next instant.

Two identical little faces popped out.

The little brothers were wearing new clothes and new sandals, their hair had grown out, fluffy, their little faces were pink and white, their eyes were clear and spirited, looking clever and cute.

Two pairs of eyes quickly scanned the counter, and after focusing on Lin Zhao's figure, they instantly became bright, and they ran in with a "deng deng deng."

"Mom!" Seeing Seeing Dazai shouted happily.

Seeing Mom at work for the first time, the child was both novel and proud, his face flushed.

"Mom, are you getting off work soon?" Second Cub grabbed the counter, trying hard to stand on tiptoe, raising his little head, his eyes full of anticipation and excitement.

Lin Zhao looked at her watch for the time; there were two minutes left.

"Soon."

"Where's Dad?"

Seeing Seeing Dazai answered his mother's question in a matter-of-fact way: "Dad is at the door, Third Cub, Fourth Cub, they are all at the door." ===== CHAPTER 93 =====