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墨書 Inktalez
The command of the parents and the words of the matchmaker, this sentence is given to us in the textbook, and it is also the most common scene in our lives for marriage arrangements. It is like drawing lots, appreciating each participant, their appearance, money, character, or family background, title, and connections. These various factors are mixed with the different thoughts of each participant.
The boy in front of me, named Li Shaohua, is handsome, and his poetry and essays flow effortlessly from his mouth, showing both ease and depth in his words. His clothes and shoes are filled with the scent of money. Although Shaohua does not want to get close to a woman at this critical moment in his career, he has no choice but to follow his father's orders.
"Why aren't you saying anything? Uncle is here to see how you perform. What's going on?" Fu Zhonghua's face darkened, his eyes showing a hint of hostility, clashing with Fu Qiyue's similarly hostile gaze, making him feel annoyed. "Uncle, don't be angry. Maybe it's his first time here, right?" Shaohua quickly lit a Beigang brand cigarette, temporarily cooling down the atmosphere in the room.
"It's okay, if the child doesn't want to talk, we can't force it. Although it's like this, getting along is always the young people's business," Li Zhongwen patted his old comrade's shoulder, smiling with satisfaction on his face. The woman in front of him fits his assumptions about his son's future.
From the brief understanding just now, Fu Qiyue's caution and thoughtfulness are rare qualities that Li Zhongwen has seen in many second-generation officials' daughters. "Girl, have some tea, don't be like your father," Li Zhongwen showed a look of seeing his future daughter-in-law, overflowing with joy.
The exchange of conflicting gazes between the two young people seemed as if they had come to a toll booth with US dollars and found that this road was impassable. Unlike Wang San, Shaohua had long followed his father, serving as a student cadre during his school days, a real campus celebrity. Thanks to his father's genes, he also inherited a handsome face, admired by countless female classmates. So, he was very calm about the sudden arrival of Fu Qiyue.
"It's about time, since you're all here, how about having a meal?" Li Zhongwen stood up, and Shaohua walked to Fu Zhonghua's side. "Let's go, Uncle." Fu Zhonghua and his old comrade chatted happily, not having seen each other for many years, and being old comrades in life and death. It's only natural to gather when meeting. Fu Qiyue on the side looked awkwardly at the Deputy Secretary, seeming not to want to eat this meal. "Is this a betrothal meal? If I eat it, then..." Thinking of her promise to another boy, she didn't hear the Deputy Secretary's words.
At this first meeting with two members of the opposite sex, and with the nature of a betrothal, Fu Qiyue, who had rarely interacted with the opposite sex, was in a dilemma. On one side was the boy commanded by her parents, and on the other was the boy she inexplicably had feelings for. Agreeing to this matter would hurt her uncle's good mood, and this dilemma also brought some worries to the newlywed Sun Shaoan.
The machines roared incessantly, and the sounds of the assembly line continued. The work of testing the robots was proceeding as Brother Dau had expected. With a sneeze, Wang San instinctively pressed the emergency stop, startling Zhang Xu. "What's wrong, San Er?"
Wang San raised his hand to signal that he was fine, but the feeling from the other night flashed through his mind. He briefly explained a few words, brushed off the dust on his body, released the emergency stop, and continued the testing.
"Are you thinking about that girl?" Zhang Xu seemed to read Wang San's mind, glanced at his watch, "It's almost time for a break. Remember to stop the machine, brother Dau will get the food later, come smoke with us later." Zhang Xu pulled Liu Shuai and, after confirming the stability of another robot, set the robot speed to zero, turned the mode key, switched to manual control, and left the robot work area.
Wang San remained silent in place, guessing what his brain wanted to express. Amidst his speculation, he completed the final test before lunch. The results were good, and he stopped the robot as required. Wang San also took out a cigarette box, preparing to find his companions.
The noise in the smoking area of the factory had become much calmer. People gathered in small groups, each holding their own phones, chatting about various things, or relaxing while smoking, perhaps winning the first joy beans of the day, or seeking a brief relaxation among the diverse and fragmented beauties. There were also old employees chatting about their daily lives, including Wang San and his two friends.
In their early twenties, just as the scorching sun was about to rise, the hormones seeking survival between the confinement of school and family gave birth to our longing for girls. If such emotions were harbored in one's heart, it was both surprising and joyful, yet also uncertain how to face it. Perhaps Wang San's worry was whether he could meet the person he had promised this time, while the person he had promised was eating a sumptuous but not delicious feast with complex emotions.
A toast to the hometown, another to the past. Amidst the clinking of glasses, the two old comrades exchanged their long-hidden thoughts. They say that after drinking, the truth comes out. Li Zhongwen's satisfaction greatly pleased Fu Zhonghua. Although it seemed that his stubborn niece remained silent, the satisfaction of the old comrades also made Fu Zhonghua feel proud and relaxed.
"Old comrade, making dumplings is not something you can rush. You have to be meticulous. Look at how people make dumplings, it's a slow and delicate process. Only then can they be delicious. How's my wife's skill?" Li Zhongwen couldn't contain his joy, and Fu Zhonghua thoroughly enjoyed the meal.
"Even better than my wife's skill, the taste is excellent." Fu Zhonghua's response surprised Li Zhongwen. Today, the two young men were acting out of character, and even their son, who usually had a good appetite, sat aside without picking up his chopsticks, watching the two men reminisce without knowing what to do.
Seeing this scene, Li Zhongwen didn't continue to force the two young men. "You two are full and satisfied. Do you want to go to the study? Watching the two old men chatting here might be boring." With implicit meaning in his words, the Deputy Secretary understood and, seeing Li Zhongwen nod, immediately had someone pull the two young men out.
Indeed, he did have a unique love for poetry and literature, but his sweet talk was so destructive. Although not as sincere as plain words, it did make girls who had never been in contact with it tremble. These scenes of the male lead charming people, only seen in idol dramas, were now happening to Fu Qiyue for the first time in reality.
"Graduating from college is indeed great. Every word you say is so eloquent." She greeted him with a somewhat unwilling smile, praising the handsome man in front of her. Although saying this made Fu Qiyue feel embarrassed, tradition tells us that regardless of success or failure, face is always important. At this moment, getting involved with her uncle, she would probably not have peace for a while.
"Thank you for the praise. I also like reading, but the beauty described in words is always turned into a bony reality by a powerful father. Perhaps our meeting is just like that." Li Shaohua seemed to understand Fu's thoughts, speaking carefully, with a relaxed expression but still retaining a hint of seriousness. This unexpected meeting and Fu's behavior made him uncertain about what was going on in Fu's mind.
"The book says, 'Parents' orders and matchmakers' words.' Perhaps it's that, or perhaps it's an arrangement, but it's not just the family, it's fate. Maybe I won't necessarily be pushed away by an invisible hand, or maybe I'll be pulled away by a visible hand, or maybe I'll stay in place and get nothing." After finishing speaking, Fu Qiyue's expression relaxed a bit, the furrowed brows softened, and the facial muscles no longer tightened. It turned out that this stranger boy understood her.
"Zhonghua, my friend, let me advise you, don't be discouraged. Heaven does not bring cold because of people's evil in winter, and the earth does not become distant because of people's evil. These are the words of our ancestors. If things really happen, that's another story. Let's talk about it later." Although Li Zhongwen liked his niece Fu Qiyue very much, from the moment she entered the room until now, apart from a few greetings and pleasantries, she hadn't said a word. Although he was quite dissatisfied, he still had someone send a set of books. These were banned foreign goods, a book printed in traditional characters, telling the story of the 1990s.
After the initial exchange between the two young people, Li Shaohua somewhat remembered this person who he had been so sure about from their first meeting. Although he didn't know where the stranger's path lay, or how far he could go, and although he wasn't in a hurry to do what his father expected of him, there was a saying in the book, "Objective laws are not subject to human will."
Following the Deputy Secretary's pace, Fu Qiyue arrived at the study. This was something Li Zhongwen had arranged. Both parents nodded, and things had to move forward. Next to the Deputy Secretary was the landscape painting of rivers and mountains that Fu Zhonghua had presented.
In the painting, an elderly person with white hair stood at the rushing river, playing a melodious tune on a flute, his hair fluttering in the wind as he gazed into the distance. Though old, his song never ceased. Born in the picturesque rivers and mountains, he stood by the riverbank with his flute, sighing about the boundless life.
"This..." Fu Qiyue took the book, stunned. Although the Deputy Secretary had explained the situation, she didn't want to take this book. However, no matter how things proceeded, the gift also took into account the friendship between the two families. If she refused, her uncle would also blame her. So she lowered her head and fell silent once again.
The two old comrades drank heavily and fell asleep at the table. Li Shaohua also prepared some desserts and placed them on the table. He sat at the farthest position from the person who remained silent in front of him, working on his own documents. Perhaps business was the most important thing for Li Shaohua now. Under the leadership of the boss Li Hexin, he was engaged in a huge business.
It seemed that he also wanted to find a girl to share his achievements. This was a two-million-dollar project: it could fully buy a "New Era" improved villa in the city center, a super mansion of over 300 square meters. This was the dream of many girls.
The silent girl in front of me seems to have little interest in money, houses, or anything measured by currency.
Yes, when one is first falling in love, taking a girl out to eat, drink milk tea, or go shopping are all ways to show off, but paying is an exception. Many people have tried, but how many have truly won a girl's heart with their monetary contributions?
And the contact with Wang San on that day, for the first time, made this silent girl's heart fluctuate as intensely and chaotically as the Battle of Stalingrad, perhaps in some ways, the two had already begun to cross the quagmire of war in search of reconciliation.
"So you're worried about this? You really gave me a scare," Zhang Xu laughed heartily after hearing Wang San's description, dismissing it as a minor issue. He mentioned that he had pursued many girls, so these problems were trivial.
"You see, since it's possible to face family arrangements, if you push through the opposition in the war, even if Paris stands firm, it will still fall under the white flag faster than the resolute French. If the war reaches a stalemate at this time, and the decision-makers hesitate, there needs to be someone standing firmly on their side to take action. Do you understand, San Er?" Zhang Xu continued to explain the World War II history he had just read, looking meaningfully at Wang San, his good friend who was skilled with computers.
"Alright, you've said so much, you can't even stop for a smoke," Liu Shuai laughed heartily, calling Zhang Xu a typical "motherly" figure. Like most kids during their student days, upon learning that a friend had set his sights on a girl, they couldn't wait to help him win her over, even if it was a city as impregnable as Stalingrad.
Suddenly, brother Dau let out a crisp cough, and the group snapped out of it. The voice from a TV drama echoed in their minds: "We forgot!" It turned out that the three of them had been chatting so animatedly that they forgot to pick up their meals.
brother Dau came back carrying several large bags, containing boxed meals, rice, pickled vegetables, chopsticks, and even the punctual Lao Tian.
The group cleared the table and sat around it, exchanging pleasantries and listening to Lao Tian tell stories. This suggestion from brother Dau piqued the interest of the three interns. Beyond the mundane tasks of operating machines, Lao Tian recounted stories about the Liaoshen Campaign movie.
"As the army headed south, the Secretary heard that the enemy was advancing from both east and west, and he started thinking about turning back to attack Changchun. When the telegram arrived, guess what Xibaipo said?" Lao Tian downed a mouthful of water and immediately became serious.
"How about it, Lao Tian, if you're too slow, there won't be any food left," brother Dau pretended to take away the food, but Lao Tian stopped him. "The Secretary, after being scolded by Xibaipo, got off at the train station. When Xibaipo's behind-the-scenes heard this, they crumpled the telegram and threw it on the ground."
After the meal, the stories were vividly told by Lao Tian, "The three of you, does Lao Tian's mouth suit crosstalk? Go and exchange a few words with Xiaopengpeng." Brother Dau led the way in initiating a vote, and all three raised their hands, but this did not hinder Lao Tian from continuing the story, "The secretary was scolded, and finally persuaded by the political commissar and the chief of staff to make up his mind to fight a major battle that had never been fought before, to meet the great changes, and thus suppressed five regiments in Jinzhou."
Everyone listened attentively, and Lao Tian's storytelling was lively, as if traveling through time. The process of the secretary issuing the attack order to Jinzhou, the back and forth struggles, and finally making up his mind to do it, all tell the two confused people to be firm in their choices.
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