Daily Life of the Post-80s Generation

Chapter 2 Meeting

Xu Ningyu raised her head and looked at Xu Xinning. Xu Xinning suddenly smiled and poked her brother’s white face with her finger: “My little brother is so cute.”

　　Xu Ningyu felt a little uncomfortable. Being pinched on the face by a little girl, even though she was his own sister, still made him feel uncomfortable.

　　Fortunately, Xu Xinning was usually very quiet and would not always make a move. After she fed Xu Ningyu the egg custard, she took her brother back to the bed and sat him down. She also surrounded him with a quilt to prevent the child from climbing and falling off the bed.

　　”Little brother, you play with building blocks obediently while your sister goes to work, okay?” She took out a square wooden box from the bedside table and placed it in front of Xu Ningyu. The box was filled with building blocks painted with colorful paint and made into cubes, cylinders and other shapes. Building blocks are very high-end toys. The Xu family was well-off before, and they spoiled their children. They were willing to spend money on such things that they could not eat or drink for their children.

　　”Okay.” Xu Ningyu could not help, but she would not drag her feet either, so she nodded obediently. Xu Xinning went to the kitchen and stepped on a stool to wash the pots and bowls. The little girl, who was only a few years old, was already very good at doing housework, which made Xu Ningyu feel distressed.

　　After wiping the stove clean, Xu Xinning carried a large basin of dirty clothes to the public bathroom in the middle of this floor. There is a public bathroom in the middle of each floor of the family building. There are two taps installed on the cement washbasin outside. One of the taps is connected to the ground with a leather pipe. Residents on the first floor will go there to wash clothes. The house is small and it is easy to get water all over the floor.

　　Xu Ningyu stared at the small wooden block in front of him for a while, sat cross-legged for a while, then leaned back and lay on the quilt blankly. His mind is very confused now, full of all kinds of complicated thoughts.

　　When he opened his eyes again, he found that he had been taken off his cotton jacket and trousers without knowing when, and the whole person was stuffed in the warm quilt. It was dark around, with only a little light coming from under the wooden door.

　　There was a lot of noise in the living room outside. The soundproofing of the family building was very poor. Xu Ningyu clearly heard a woman yelling, “Sister-in-law, marry Xiao Xu and you will enjoy a good life. Apart from anything else, their technical staff’s salary is more than ten yuan higher than that of ordinary workers.” Her voice was as loud as a quarrel, although they were just chatting normally.

　　It seems that his father and stepmother have returned.

　　Getting married is not uncommon. Remarrying, and marrying a rural girl, is barely news. In this era of lack of entertainment, when encountering a strange thing, everyone is reluctant to leave easily. The red plastic fruit plate of the Xu family was filled with a shallow layer of melon seeds and wedding candies, which had been eaten long ago. The neighbors were still chatting at the Xu family and did not leave until dinner time. However, after many neighbors went home, their voices that seemed to never be lowered could still be transmitted through the thin walls.

　　Xu Ningyu listened to everyone’s discussion for a while, and pushed the quilt aside with difficulty and sat up. The door was pushed open again, and the room suddenly became bright. A man walked in and sat down beside the bed. His voice was very gentle: “Xiaoyu, did I disturb you?”

　　Xu Ningyu opened his eyes wide and stared at the newcomer without blinking.

　　This young man was his father, Xu Jianbing. Xu Jianbing was just 30 years old this year. His hometown was in Xujiadian Village, more than 40 miles away from Xiqiao Town. He was the most promising of his generation. He was admitted to the Huaishui Mining Bureau Technical School and was also a highly educated talent in their village.