Widow Remarries in Sixties

Jiang Mingchuan kept his word. When the weekend came, he deliberately took Jin Xiuzhu to the department store in the county.

The watch counter was on the second floor, and there were quite a few people looking at it, but not many were buying. There was only one young girl trying on a brown watch with her parents.

As Jin Xiuzhu approached, she heard the girl’s father saying, “In the countryside, you’ll be doing farm work. Buying such an expensive one is a waste of money. Let’s get a cheaper one instead. This silver one looks good.”

He pointed to another silver watch.

The girl’s smile faded when she heard this, and her enthusiasm diminished.

The woman behind her frowned. “Why are you saying this? Let the girl like what she likes. She’s going to the countryside, can’t she have something nice?”

“Buy it, Mom will buy it for you.”

The girl became happy again and coquettishly said, “Mom is the best.”

Jin Xiuzhu lowered her head to look. There were so many watches, all kinds of styles. She quickly asked the salesperson to take out a golden barrel-shaped watch with a brown strap. When the salesperson saw her interest in buying, he introduced, “This one uses an imported movement. If you use it carefully, it can last a lifetime.”

Jin Xiuzhu nodded and then also took a liking to an oval-shaped one, asking the salesperson to show it to her.

The salesperson praised, “You have a good eye. This one is imported from Country R. We only have two in our store, and the other one was sold yesterday.”

Jin Xiuzhu smiled and didn’t say anything, trying on the other watches she fancied.

Jiang Mingchuan stood by, waiting. Father and son, one big and one small, looked practically indistinguishable.

Only Fu Yanyan, curious, craned her neck to look. When Jin Xiuzhu turned her head to ask Jiang Mingchuan which one was better, Jiang Mingchuan awkwardly replied, “They’re both nice.”

Jin Xiuzhu couldn’t be bothered to deal with him. It was her daughter who pointed at the chubby little hand and said, “The gold one looks better.”

Jin Xiuzhu also thought the gold one looked better, but she also liked the other one with the diamonds. Holding one in each hand, she hesitated, not knowing which to choose. If it were before, she would have probably bought both.

Finally, she asked the shop assistant, “How much are these two?”

With a smile, the shop assistant replied, “The gold one is one hundred and eighty, and the black one is one hundred and twenty.”

There was a difference of more than sixty yuan.

After hesitating for two seconds, Jin Xiuzhu chose the more expensive one.

Expensive must mean it’s better.

After making her choice, she turned to Jiang Mingchuan.

Jiang Mingchuan didn’t have any opinions. After all, he had brought her here to buy a watch, so he deliberately brought along some extra money.

“It looks very nice. Let’s go with this one.”

Jin Xiuzhu nodded in satisfaction and immediately put it on.

Jiang Mingchuan stepped forward to pay for it along with the ticket.

The person next to them, who was still looking at their watch, showed some envy on their face, greatly satisfying Jin Xiuzhu’s vanity.

But only their whole family knew that the money used to buy the watch was all borrowed.

On the way back, Jin Xiuzhu happily looped her arm through Jiang Mingchuan’s and sweetly praised, “I’m so happy today. I used to envy others for having watches while I didn’t. You don’t know how much I longed for one. Indeed, the man I chose is the best. He’s willing to buy me such a nice watch. Look, even other fathers hesitate to buy their daughters one. Compared to them, you’re still the best. Oh, I’m so lucky.”

“Sometimes people really can’t be compared. Look at you, not only handsome but also good to your wife and children, and you can earn money. How did I manage to meet such a good man? It seems like I’m blessed.”

Although Jiang Mingchuan knew she was coaxing him, he couldn’t help but feel happy hearing these words.

Perhaps it was the effect of being too immersed in her sweet words, he blurted out, “We’ll get another one at the end of the year.”

Jin Xiuzhu laughed happily, “Really? That’s great! I know you’re the best.”

Seeing this, He Yan also happily said, “Dad, you’re really great. I want one too.”

“…”

Jiang Mingchuan regained his senses and cleared his throat, “Boys don’t wear watches. It’s useless for you to buy one.”

“Why? But I just saw some uncles wearing them.”

“They bought them for their families.”

“Oh, I see. Then I’ll buy some for Mom and Sister in the future.”

Jiang Mingchuan nodded, while Jin Xiuzhu beside him covered her mouth and laughed.

Only Fu Yanyan rolled her eyes at him.

Seeing this, He Yan covered his mouth and quietly said to her, “I know Dad is lying to me. He’s just too poor to buy me anything.”

Fu Yanyan smirked, thinking to herself that he wasn’t any better. He’d be even poorer when he grew up.

Back at home, Qian Yufeng specifically came over to ask Jin Xiuzhu what she bought.

Jin Xiuzhu was originally afraid of making her envious and didn’t want to say, but unexpectedly, her son had a big mouth. He said to Wu Xiaojun, who came over to play with them, “Dad bought Mom a watch. It’s so pretty!”

Jin Xiuzhu had no choice but to roll up her sleeve to show it to her.

On her slender wrist, she wore a delicate and exquisite gold watch, which made her fair skin even more radiant.

Qian Yufeng couldn’t help feeling a bit jealous after seeing it. She couldn’t help but say, “Your man is really good to you. This thing must have cost a lot, right? My husband always says he’ll buy me one every year, but it’s never happened. He just talks big.”

The more she talked, the more uncomfortable she felt. “Your man treats you so well, unlike my husband, Lao Wu. His heart is always with his mother. He doesn’t know how to care for me. He even said yesterday that I didn’t teach the child well, always getting into fights and performing poorly in exams. He doesn’t even look at himself, yet he expects our son to be smart?”

Jin Xiuzhu wanted to laugh when she heard this, but she bit her lip and tried to hold it in, afraid that Qian Yufeng would think she was mocking her.

She gave her a reproachful look and said with a hint of annoyance, “Sister-in-law, you’re really straightforward. If Chief Wu says he’ll buy you something, are you really going to wait for him to remember to buy it himself? I had to pester him for it myself.”

“I’ll teach you a trick. Next time Chief Wu says he’ll buy you a watch, you spread it around outside so everyone knows he’s going to buy you a watch. Then see if your man still doesn’t buy it for you. He won’t be able to face anyone if he doesn’t.”

Qian Yufeng was stunned. She hadn’t thought of it that way.

Jin Xiuzhu didn’t think there was anything wrong with what she said. If she promised someone something, she had to follow through.

It was the father and son in the room who fell silent after hearing this. Fu Yanyan glanced at Jiang Mingchuan, her eyes carrying a hint of sympathy.

***

In early July, school was out for vacation.

He Yan came back with three certificates: third place in Chinese, first place in math, and one for being an excellent student.

The certificates were hand-painted by the teachers, very beautiful. He Yan cherished them and after showing them to the whole family, he didn’t let them be put up, saying he wanted to hang them on the wall of the new house.

Jin Xiuzhu agreed and helped him carefully put them away in a box.

With He Yan at home, Jin Xiuzhu and Jiang Mingchuan felt much more relaxed. After Jiang Mingchuan finished making breakfast in the morning, He Yan would take his sister to the riverside to wash their clothes. He carried the bucket while his sister held the washboard and soap.

After returning home to do homework, he would only go out to play after Jin Xiuzhu came back. At first, Fu Yanyan stayed at home, but later she also went out to play with him, going up the mountain to catch birds and down to the river to catch fish.

In just a few days, the two children turned as dark as charcoal.

However, the food at home became more abundant. Sometimes they brought back wild rabbits or chickens, and sometimes it was a few fish and a basket of shrimp.

Seeing them playing happily, Jin Xiuzhu didn’t bother about it.

If they got tanned, they got tanned. They could recover their fair skin in the winter.

It’s unclear whether it was inspired by Jin Xiuzhu, but Qian Yufeng really started spreading the word outside as she said, claiming her man was going to buy her a watch. Every time she saw one, she would mention it, praising her man as if he were extraordinary.

So, before moving, Captain Wu, with some free time on the weekend, took her to the county town to buy one.

The first thing Qian Yufeng did when she came back was to find Jin Xiuzhu and say, “Your method really works! Look, he actually bought it for me.”

Qian Yufeng couldn’t contain her smile. She was beaming, showing Jin Xiuzhu her wrist with a silver watch on it. It was evident that she really liked it; she hadn’t even removed the protective film from the watch.

Jin Xiuzhu was happy for her. “It looks great! Remember to praise brother-in-law more.”

Qian Yufeng cautiously touched it and, without hesitation, said, “Why should I praise him after buying the watch? What’s there to praise about him? Lazy to death, even the thought of praising him makes me sick.”

“…”

Alright, as long as she’s happy.

After discussing with Jiang Mingchuan, Jin Xiuzhu decided to move on July 25th.

In fact, people started moving at the end of June, but Jin Xiuzhu took her two children to the new house to take a look and found that there was a slight smell in the house. They decided to air it out before moving.

Their new house belonged to the second batch, which was slightly larger than the first batch. Because some residents had complained about the insufficient space, the second batch of houses had an additional small room.

During this month and a half, Jin Xiuzhu often took time to bring her children over to clean and decorate. To be fair, the children’s rooms were also decided by drawing lots.

He Yan didn’t have much luck and got the small room facing the north. However, he didn’t mind. Having his own room already made him very happy.

Using her own salary, Jin Xiuzhu had someone make a small table and four stools. The tables at home were all old and ugly, which she didn’t like. She covered the table with a white floral cloth and placed a broken glass bottle in the middle.

She had taken the bottle from the cafeteria, originally meant for honey, but after it got chipped, the staff planned to throw it away. Instead, she brought it home and filled it with dried flowers she made herself.

In the children’s room, desks were added, and new beds were also arranged, along with cabinets and other furniture. Jin Xiuzhu had saved up her wages for so long, and she had spent almost half of it on these furnishings. Occasionally, they added a few more items. The originally empty room gradually started to resemble a home.

On the day of the move, both children were very excited and got up early. Jiang Mingchuan packed the things they needed to take with them, such as bedding, clothes, shoes, and the children’s belongings, using old bed sheets as makeshift bags.

He Yan and Fu Yanyan took the initiative to sweep the room with a broom. They didn’t have breakfast that morning because the kitchen had been tidied up the night before, waiting for Jin Xiuzhu to bring them something to eat.

Jin Xiuzhu returned home a little after 8 in the morning. She had already become acquainted with the kitchen staff, so if she needed to leave, she just had to inform them. She took out breakfast from the basket: pan-fried dumplings, fried breadsticks, and yam cakes she had made.

The two children washed their hands without being reminded, and Jiang Mingchuan told them to eat first. Jin Xiuzhu and the two children ate breakfast while watching him pack clothes.

After finishing breakfast, Jiang Mingchuan went out and borrowed a bicycle to move the larger items. Since it was a borrowed bike, he wanted to return it early, so he left all the items downstairs and planned to move them upstairs after bringing everything over.

Jin Xiuzhu asked the children to watch over the items while she stayed at home to tidy up. After all the items were moved, Jiang Mingchuan returned the borrowed bike. Many people were moving recently, so many borrowed bicycles were in use.

Jin Xiuzhu took the smaller items upstairs first.

Jiang Mingchuan, being a soldier, was indeed capable of carrying several large bags at once.

It was summertime, scorching hot outside, and after making two trips, Jin Xiuzhu was sweating profusely. Today, it wasn’t just their family moving. Regardless of gender, everyone was laden with bags and packages.

Jin Xiuzhu looked at the two small pouches in her hands and heard Jiang Mingchuan panting heavily ahead of her. She felt a bit anxious.

So, when they reached the apartment after climbing the stairs, fearing that Jiang Mingchuan might think she was slacking off, she deliberately breathed heavily too.

Jiang Mingchuan wiped the sweat off his forehead and glanced at her. “You rest first, I’ll handle the rest.”

Jin Xiuzhu, still catching her breath, looked at him worriedly. “Are you sure you can manage?”

Jiang Mingchuan nodded. “It’ll be quick.”

Jin Xiuzhu didn’t argue further. After watching him descend the stairs, she unpacked and organized the things they had already brought up.

Perhaps hearing the commotion, the door opposite theirs opened, and a young woman stepped out. Seeing Jin Xiuzhu, she paused for a moment, then greeted with a smile, “I didn’t expect us to be neighbors. Need any help?”

Jin Xiuzhu smiled back. “What a coincidence, Teacher Fang. I didn’t expect you to be living next door. I’ve been coming over quite often lately and never ran into you.”

Fang Min explained, “It’s quite a coincidence indeed. We just moved in after drawing lots. But I recently went back to my hometown for a visit and only returned yesterday.”

Just then, voices could be heard coming from the stairwell, gradually getting closer. It was Jiang Mingchuan and Qian Yufeng’s voices.

Fang Min also heard it and smiled at Jin Xiuzhu. “I’ll go downstairs and throw away some garbage first.”

Knowing that Fang Min didn’t like to interact with people, Jin Xiuzhu asked her to take her time.

Jiang Mingchuan and Qian Yufeng came up. Qian Yufeng helped carry a package of things, with a piece of preserved fish in one hand.

Jin Xiuzhu quickly stepped forward to take it, pleasantly surprised. “How come you’re here?”

Qian Yufeng, whose family was busy with farming recently and hadn’t seen anyone for several days, chuckled heartily. “I planned to come over today to help you move, but I had something this morning that delayed me. This is from my family’s place. Just steam it, and it’ll be ready to eat.”

Then she couldn’t help but ask, “I saw Fang Min just now. Does she also live in this building?”

“Yeah, she lives next door. I just found out.”

Qian Yufeng couldn’t help but envy. “That’s great. I was thinking of moving into the apartment early, but when I moved in, I found it inconvenient for everything. The kitchen is so small that I can hardly move around, and the living space is small too. There’s nowhere to go, unlike before when there was a yard. The only advantage is that it’s not as damp, and the house is brighter.”

Her house was on the second floor of the building on the far right, some distance away from Jin Xiuzhu’s house. It wouldn’t be as convenient to visit each other as before. They probably wouldn’t be able to taste whatever delicious food Jin Xiuzhu cooked as frequently in the future.

Thinking about this, Qian Yufeng became even more envious of Fang Min.

Jin Xiuzhu frowned. “The way you say it, it feels like the previous house was better.”

“Don’t doubt it. You’ll know once you live here.”