Literary Master 1978

On this morning in early April, Lin Chaoyang was outside the exit of Yanjing Station, looking inside the station.

A few days ago, he wrote a letter to his parents to inform them of Tao Yushu's pregnancy. After receiving the letter, the old couple hurried to Yanjing.

This time, Lin Erchun didn't care about the division of land. No matter how big the matter was, it was not as important as holding a grandson.

After waiting for half an hour, Lin Chaoyang saw Lin Erchun and Zhang Guiqin walking out of the station like two moving shelves from a distance.

"You moved your family here?" Lin Chaoyang went forward to help the two carry things.

Lin Erchun was sweating all over his head at this time, but he still didn't forget to scold Lin Chaoyang, "You usually call when you have nothing to do, but you write a letter about such a big thing as Yushu's pregnancy? Can you distinguish the priorities?"

"It's not that she's going to give birth soon. It's just been checked out. It's only been more than a month." Lin Chaoyang said heartlessly.

Zhang Guiqin asked with concern: "How is Yushu now?"

"Fine, he has a very good appetite these two days."

"Good appetite? I'm afraid it's a boy!" Zhang Guiqin said happily.

"Mom!" Lin Chaoyang shouted, "You can just say this in front of me. Aren't boys and girls the same as our Lin family? We don't favor boys over girls!"

"I know, I know."

Lin Erchun snorted, "It doesn't matter whether you have a boy or a girl."

"My dad is right." Lin Chaoyang felt that Comrade Erchun was not in vain as the production team leader. He still had some awareness.

"If it's a girl, let him have another one." Lin Erchun continued.

What a waste of praise!

"Dad, the country now advocates family planning, and each family is allowed to have one child."

"What's wrong with having two?" Lin Erchun glanced at him and asked knowingly.

"Having two children will incur a fine, and you won't be able to keep your job."

"You're already a writer, so it doesn't matter whether you have a job or not."

Lin Chaoyang didn't expect that Lin Erchun was more open-minded than him now, and he would just give up his job.

No, it should be said that the position of his eldest grandson in his heart is far more important than his son's job.

For some reason, Lin Chaoyang felt a little sad when he thought about it.

After picking up the old couple and returning to Mianhua Hutong, Zhang Guiqin began to take out the things she brought back from her hometown.

This time, the two of them brought more things than the first time they went to Beijing, and most of them were prepared for Tao Yushu.

Dates, brown sugar, black sesame seeds, malted milk...

At first, the things the two took out were normal, and Lin Chaoyang complained: "These things are not unavailable in Yanjing, and you don't feel tired carrying them all the way from afar."

When Lin Erchun took out a square wooden box from his bag, something was a bit wrong.

"Dad, what's this?"

Lin Erchun opened the wooden box, revealing the red cloth inside. He gently lifted the red cloth and saw a ginseng with complete whiskers and tails lying inside.

He was surprised, "Where did this ginseng come from?"

"Don't worry about where it came from. This is a wild ginseng that is more than 20 years old. It's a good thing!"

Lin Erchun put the ginseng away with a proud look on his face. He took out the things in his bag again. This time, Lin Chaoyang didn't expect it, because Lin Erchun had already predicted it to him when he left last time - deer antler.

Lin Erchun took out another mink coat.

Lin Chaoyang's expression finally couldn't be maintained, "Dad, have you emptied your family's assets?"

Ginseng, deer antler, mink coat, these are all specialties of the Northeast, but none of them are cheap!

Before liberation, even the landlords couldn't easily afford it.

"What are you arguing about?" Lin Erchun glared at him impatiently and explained to him again.

"I dug this ginseng when you were a child. It has been stored for more than ten years. This time it is finally put to good use.

I asked someone to buy the antlers for me. It was not expensive.

This mink is expensive, more than 200 yuan..."

At this point, Lin Erchun's face flashed with heartache.

"You are really willing to spend money!"

Lin Chaoyang knew his father's character. Spending more than 200 yuan on a mink was like asking for half his life.

But this cloak is really good. It has an otter collar and sable fur. Although the style is a bit rustic, it makes people feel elegant and luxurious at first glance. It is a good thing.

As he spoke, he was about to take the mink cloak to try it out, but he didn't expect Lin Erchun to slap his outstretched hand.

"It's beautiful! This is for Yushu! According to the date, she has to give birth in winter. It's too heavy to wear cotton jackets and cotton pants. This mink is light and warm, just right for her."

Lin Chaoyang felt helpless. With Tao Yushu's pregnancy, his position in the family was really precarious.

"Ginseng is a tonic. You can't give it to Yushu even if you have it."

"You say? It's for backup."

Lin Chaoyang smacked his lips and said, "The deer antler should be for me, right?"

"You're pregnant, why are you eating deer antler?"

Okay, so you didn't bring any of these baskets and crates for him, right?

In order to pick up Lin Erchun and his wife, Lin Chaoyang took a day off today. There were still two o'clock in the afternoon before get off work ended, and the old couple urged him to pick up Tao Yushu.

When he took Tao Yushu back to Mianhua Hutong, the old couple had already prepared a table of sumptuous dishes.

"Come on, Yushu, it's time to eat."

"Yushu, try this mushroom."

"Roe deer meat is delicious, Yushu, eat more, Chaoyang said you have a big appetite now."

"You're just pregnant, and you need nutrition at the right time. You have to eat more good food. Mom will cook for you in the future."

……

The dishes in Tao Yushu's bowl were all over the place, but Zhang Guiqin was still picking up dishes for her. She ate faster than Zhang Guiqin.

"Mom, I really can't eat anymore."

Tao Yushu burped as she finished eating.

"You are two people now, you have to eat more."

Lin Chaoyang said, "Mom, I really can't eat anymore. You picked up so many dishes for her. She eats more than me."

Zhang Guiqin stopped picking up dishes for Tao Yushu and said, "You must be hungry tonight. I will cook for you tonight."

Tao Yushu suddenly felt a heavy pressure.

Zhang Guiqin sighed again, "You are in a good time now. When I was pregnant with Chaoyang, I couldn't eat anything I wanted. Eggs were a rare thing..."

She flipped through the history book and finally concluded: Tao Yushu has to eat more.

After returning to the room, Tao Yushu was distressed, "I am so full!"

Lin Chaoyang teased, "Didn't you always complain about being hungry the past two days? This time it's okay!"

In the first few days after she was found to be pregnant, Tao Yushu always complained about being hungry in the afternoon and evening, whether it was psychological effect or the little life in her belly took in too much nutrition.

Lin Chaoyang brought her some biscuits to work, which could be used to fill her afternoon, and before going to bed at night, he had to make a midnight snack for Tao Yushu.

"Alas! Sweet burden." Tao Yushu sighed, and asked Lin Chaoyang worriedly: "Hey, you said I won't become a fat man?"

"You have such a slim figure, you will look good even if you gain another 30 kilograms. Besides, no matter how fat you are, you are like a fairy in my heart."

Listening to Lin Chaoyang's sweet words, Tao Yushu couldn't help but smile, "You just say nice things."

"These are all true words."

The next day was the weekend, and they didn't have to go to work. The couple got up a little late. When they got up, Zhang Guiqin had already prepared breakfast.

After dinner, seeing that the two of them were going out, Zhang Guiqin asked: "Where are you going?"

"Look at the house."

"Look at the house?"

Zhang Guiqin was full of suspicion, and Lin Chaoyang said: "I'll explain it to you when I get back."

After that, the couple left.

The bicycle went all the way south. When crossing Chang'an Avenue, Lin Chaoyang stopped the bicycle and pointed to the gate of the Cultural Bureau compound opposite.

"Look, how close is it to your workplace?"

"We're just at the intersection. How far do we have to walk to get in?" Tao Yushu asked.

"Not far, only about three or four hundred meters. You'll definitely like the courtyard after you see it."

Lin Chaoyang rode his bicycle and took Tao Yushu into Daliubukou Street. After walking a short distance, they turned into a small alley.

The gate of the courtyard faces southeast. When you enter the gate, you first see the screen wall, and then there is a back house in the courtyard. After entering the hanging flower gate, you will see the second courtyard. The courtyard is spacious and paved with stone slabs. The most conspicuous thing in the courtyard is the two sturdy French plane trees.

"This courtyard..." Tao Yushu looked at the grass and trees in the courtyard, with a curious tone.

"It's different, isn't it? This is a courtyard from the Republic of China. The second courtyard has a little French style, and the front and back are all formal courtyards. The east and west courtyards were also a wealthy family back then."

Tao Yushu looked at the east courtyard and couldn't help frowning. Compared with the west courtyard, there is indeed a big difference.

When the couple looked at the yard, Mrs. Cheng stood under the eaves of the main house and looked at them with a smile.

That day, Lin Chaoyang asked her to discuss it with her son and grandson. She ran to the telegraph building to call her son, and her son agreed to Lin Chaoyang's offer.

The price had been negotiated, and Mrs. Cheng discussed with Lin Chaoyang to go to the housing management office on Monday to handle the procedures.

Since it was the weekend today, Lin Chaoyang brought Tao Yushu to see it.

"Xiao Lin is really lucky to marry such a beautiful daughter-in-law. I heard that she is pregnant?"

Lin Chaoyang and his wife looked around the yard and walked to the main house. Mrs. Cheng asked with a smile.

"Yes, it's only been more than a month."

"Okay, this house of our family will protect our descendants. We have three sisters-in-law and gave birth to eight children, all of whom are safe and sound."

"Thank you for your good words!" Lin Chaoyang responded with a smile.

After chatting with Mrs. Cheng for a while and looking at the yard, Lin Chaoyang took Tao Yushu away.

"Feels good, right?" Lin Chaoyang asked Tao Yushu after they came out.

"Really good, how big is this yard?"

"The old lady said it's close to 2,000 square meters. I measured it with my feet that day, and it should be about the same."

Tao Yushu couldn't help but be amazed when she heard it. She felt it was a bit big when she was walking around just now, but she didn't expect it to be almost 2,000 square meters.

"It's too big, isn't it? How can we live in such a big house?"

"According to what you said, the courtyard houses should all become slums, with only a few people in a family. You can't count it that way. There's nothing wrong with living in a more spacious place. Don't you like this courtyard?"

Tao Yushu nodded, "Yes, I like it very much. When I was a child, the South Courtyard of Shuimuyuan was very similar to this courtyard, with Western-style red-roofed houses and Chinese-style courtyard houses, with the Chinese and the Western next door."

Lin Chaoyang joked, "Then this courtyard can be regarded as the fulfillment of your childhood dream."

Tao Yushu's smile was filled with some nostalgia for the past, and he said, "The only flaw is the East Courtyard, which is a bit shabby."

"It's good to be a bit shabby. This is what I thought. We can simply clean up the West Courtyard and move in, and then slowly clean up the East Courtyard.

Although this courtyard is good, the hardware facilities are still far behind those of the Overseas Chinese Apartment.

Let's spend more money to clean it up, so that we can live comfortably in the future. ”

Tao Yushu said with some heartache: "It cost 15,000 to buy it. If we demolish and rebuild it, it will cost more than 20,000 yuan, right?"

"Isn't the money earned to spend, to live a good life?"