Spring Breeze Twenty Years

Chapter 77 Xiaowei and Xiaohong

Xiao Hong said, "We don't eat this every day. We just make some when people come over. We don't usually have late-night snacks. Xiao Wei and I are the type who can eat whatever we want and not gain weight, hehe, we can eat whatever we want."

Chen Xiao sighed, put her chopsticks in the chopstick holder, and said, "I just can't do that. I gain weight easily, so I don't dare to eat too much of anything delicious." She paused, then asked, "Where did you move to? How did you meet Chen Hui?"

Xiao Hong smiled and said, "I moved here before school started, and I happened to run into him that day. He's such a helpful guy; he helped us move and even found someone to buy us bicycles and stuff. We got to know each other pretty quickly. My Xiao Wei is actually quite picky about people, but it's unexpected that he and Chen Hui get along so well. You didn't see it, did you? We were moving that day, and Chen Hui was riding a big motorcycle, acting all high and mighty. I thought he must be a difficult person to get along with, but he's actually a really nice guy, quite honest and kind, not at all like other kids from official families."

Chen Xiao lowered his voice and asked, "What does his father do?"

Xiao Hong lowered her voice, glanced at the door, and said, "The provincial bureau chief is a deputy, and he's supposed to be a full-fledged department head. Anyway, he's much higher up than my dad. My dad is only a section chief; he'll be lucky to even reach the rank of section chief in his lifetime."

Chen Xiao widened her eyes, pouted, and raised her eyebrows, saying, "Wow, a full-fledged official! No wonder he has such a strong presence. My dad, a mere deputy section chief, is nothing to him. No wonder he's worthy of a duke. Impressive. I really didn't see that coming. I thought the children of high-ranking officials would be arrogant and conceited."

Xiao Hong laughed and said, "No, I only found out yesterday. He never talks about his family. He gets along well with ordinary people like us. He's a very reliable person."

Chen Xiao asked, "What's your son Xiaowei's family like?"

Xiao Hong smoothed her hair and said, "He's a farmer. My uncle hurt his back working in the team a few years ago, and now it seems he can't do any heavy work. I was thinking of taking him to the city hospital for a checkup when I go back during the holidays, but he never goes to the hospital because he doesn't want to spend the money. He just endures it."

Chen Xiao asked, "Where did you get the money? That camera wasn't cheap, it cost several thousand."

Xiao Hong said, "I don't know, I haven't asked yet. A few days ago, they bought me a tape recorder that cost 980 yuan, and the chef's class cost 1600 yuan. They've spent a lot of money lately. Xiao Wei earned this money himself. He used to be a bricklayer, a master craftsman, a building builder. He made about 1000 yuan a month from all sorts of odd jobs."

Wang Lu asked from the side, "Then why didn't he give his dad money to go to the hospital?"

Xiao Hong said, "His parents don't want him to buy a house in the city. His parents are very stubborn. Xiao Wei usually doesn't dare to talk back. Don't be fooled by how fearless he seems outside. When he comes home, he's like a little cat. Haha, he doesn't even dare to talk back when his brother scolds him."

After chatting and laughing, the three of them washed up, dried their hands, and left the kitchen.

Outside, a group of people were chatting animatedly, all talking about their own hometowns. Except for Xia Maosheng, none of them had ever been out much, so they were all particularly interested in other people's places. They were currently discussing going to Xia Maosheng's house, and Luo Qinghe also suggested that everyone go there.

Xiao Hong laughed and said, "Why are you going to your house or his house? Let's figure out where you're going to sleep tonight."

Xiao Wei said, "How are we going to sleep? We'll just squeeze in and make do for one night. We can't go back now, the doors are all locked."

Xia Maosheng said, "You can climb in. There's a section that someone has extended out from the back. You can climb up to the second-floor platform by stepping on that wall, and then jump in through the window." The windows on the second floor of the Cultural Palace aren't vertical; there's a platform more than a meter wide. Once you go up, you can walk around the entire Cultural Palace along the platform.

Chen Hui waved his hand and said, "Forget it, it's the middle of the night, don't let someone mistake you for a thief and arrest you. Besides, it'll be so late if you walk back. Just make do here, I'll take you to our bureau's guesthouse for the night. They have rooms, but the conditions are a bit poor."

Xiao Wei said, "Are the conditions worse than our dorm? It's a large shared bed with thin blankets. Old Xia is covered in several layers and still complains of being cold."

Yang Tiebin said, "I had to buy another bed to be able to sleep. One layer is really too thin. Old Xia is the happiest person there now."

Xiao Hong asked, "Is there no heating over there?"

Chen Xiao said, "Nowhere else is connected. Only your area has it, and we won't be able to get it until the end of October."

Chen Hui said, "Then there won't be any problems here. It's better than your dorm, so let's go and let them get some sleep. Come on, Chen Xiao, I'll take you two back first, and then I'll take them to the guesthouse."

A group of people got up with a bang and walked out. Because there were so many people, they didn't change their shoes before coming in, which was convenient.

Chen Xiao said to Xiao Hong, "I'll be going now, Xiao Hong. I'll come find you to play again sometime. If you want to listen to tapes in the future, just tell me and I'll get them for you. You don't need to buy them."

Xiao Hong saw him to the door and said, "Okay, come over whenever you have time. We happen to have similar schedules, so I won't see you off."

Chen Xiao said, "Alright, let's go back. It's awfully cold when you open the door."

Xiao Hong agreed, but still stood at the door with Xiao Wei watching everyone come downstairs. Xiao Wei said, "Slow down, be careful. Come over and play with Lao Li and the others another day."

As they went downstairs, the group mumbled a noisy reply.

After everyone left, Xiaowei closed the door, went over and fiddled with the camera. Xiaohong sat down next to him and asked, "What brand is this? How much did it cost?"

Xiao Wei glanced at Xiao Hong and said, "Minolta, it's from Japan. This set cost over four thousand."

Xiao Hong's eyes widened as she exclaimed, "Over four thousand?"

Xiao Wei nodded, while Xiao Hong frowned and said, "Isn't it too expensive? How much money do we have to afford this? How much have we spent in less than a month in Fengtian? Seven or eight thousand, right? Can't we even go back?"

Xiao Wei said, "It's okay, just focus on your studies. You don't need to worry about anything else. We have enough money, and besides, I'll be earning money soon."

Xiao Hong was still a little worried about the money. She frowned as she looked at the camera, and after a while said, "Where are you going to earn that money? Go cut potatoes for someone?"

Xiao Wei was taken aback. He looked up at Xiao Hong, and the two of them laughed together. Xiao Hong tugged at Xiao Wei's arm and said, "Xiao Wei, can we not spend money like this anymore? What difference does it make if we don't have it? It's so expensive. How many things can this money buy? It would be better to use it to pay for my uncle's medical treatment."

Xiao Wei looked at the camera, then at Xiao Hong, nodded, and said, "Okay, I'll discuss it with you later. If you don't agree, I won't spend the money. I'm thinking of staying here for several years, and it's uncertain whether you'll come back after graduation. Having this thing will allow you to take some photos to show your dad and my father. I wasn't thinking that much about it. I'll buy you a pager in a couple of days, and then that's it, okay?"

Xiao Hong asked, "What's a pager?"

Xiao Wei said, "It's just a small device, like a matchbox. I can carry it with me wherever I go, and I can always find it. It's very convenient."

Xiaohong said, "Then you should buy one. I need one of those things at school every day. If you take it with you, it'll be easier for me to find you. How much does it cost?"

Xiao Wei said, "It'll be around a thousand yuan. Hui Zi said he knows someone at the post office and can get a much cheaper price. We'll see when the time comes."

Xiao Hong slumped onto the table, muttering, "Why is everything so expensive these days? Even buying a cheap trinket costs hundreds or thousands! It's so frustrating. How much money do you have on you?"

Xiao Wei hesitated for a moment, then said, "It's enough. I still have over 20,000 yuan left. I've carried all the money I've earned over the past few years with me; I haven't deposited it in the bank."

Xiao Hong was taken aback for a moment and asked, "Why are there so many?"

Xiao Wei said, "I earned less in the first six months, only two or three hundred or four hundred a month, but later it was more than a thousand, and there were bonuses." Actually, Xiao Wei didn't know that this was because Lao Xia took care of him. His salary was paid according to the highest standard for senior engineers, without any deductions.

Xiao Hong said, "Didn't you leave any for your aunt and uncle?"

Xiao Wei said, "Even if we offered it to them, they wouldn't take it. My dad glared at me and said, 'What are you going to do with my money?' My mom told me to keep it to buy a house in the city."

Xiao Hong thought for a moment and said, "Xiao Wei, you really can't spend money like this. I know you mean well, and I know there are many good things in this big city, but we're just mountain people. There's no need for this. It's their business whether your aunt and uncle don't want it or not; it's our business whether we give it to them or not. Think about how hard it is to earn money, right?"

Xiao Wei blushed after Xiao Hong's words, lowered his head and remained silent for a while before nodding: "Okay, I'll remember."