mtl008 Chapter 218 If you truly care about her, you should...
Chapter 218 If you truly care about her, you should...
“Brother Ma… Brother Ma,” Wang Ergou quickly said, “Brother Xiangyang and I have been hunting in the mountains for so long, we can handle rats like the back of our hand.”
Seeing that Wang Ergou had finally found the confidence to speak, Li Xiangyang nodded slightly to the side.
Indeed, the task of pest control at the grain depot was perfectly suited to them.
Ma Qiang was clearly very interested in this topic: "That's wonderful. The country is currently developing a robust grain reserve system. In our district alone, four large grain depots are being built. Last year, grain losses due to rodent infestations alone accounted for five percent of the total storage. That number may not seem like much, but you have to consider how much grain a single depot can store!"
Li Xiangyang's heart stirred.
This is indeed an opportunity, and a win-win opportunity at that.
“Comrade Ma,” Li Xiangyang began, “we can discuss this in detail. For example, regarding environmental control, maintaining hygiene and regular cleaning will naturally reduce the number of mice. Or, chemical control—you are experts in that—while Er Gou and I can mainly help with physical control, such as improving the mousetraps.”
"How can this be improved?" Ma Qiang asked in surprise.
Li Xiangyang nodded: "Well, the main area for improvement is the sensitivity of the mousetrap, which Er Gou excels at..."
Seeing that Li Xiangyang spoke logically and persuasively, Ma Jianguo and Wang Shufang nodded repeatedly in agreement.
They originally thought that their daughter would suffer a bit if she married into the countryside, but they never expected Wang Ergou to have this ability.
If I can help my son, then I'll have hope for the future.
"That's great!" Ma Qiang said excitedly. "Let's try it out tonight. If it works well, we'll be contributing to the country!"
And so, what should have been a serious marriage proposal became relaxed because of Ma Qiang's arrival.
The two discussed the details of the wedding while also talking about their future work plans.
"By the way," Ma Jianguo suddenly asked, "when are you planning to hold your wedding?"
Ma Hongxia glanced at Wang Ergou and whispered, "We were thinking, after the autumn harvest..."
“That’s perfect,” Ma Qiang interjected. “The new granary should be finished by then. After you two get married, I’ll come pick you up for a visit.”
Wang Shufang shook her head with a smile: "You silly child, how could someone have time to watch over the grain depot after getting married?"
"That's true. After getting married, we'll be busy having children, but it would be good to take some time to visit."
"Comrade Ma, I suggest you don't rush this. Try it out at your own warehouse first to see the results. If it works well, then report it and, once you've achieved some success, then promote it to other warehouses."
Ma Jianguo nodded: "That makes sense. You've only just joined the company, so it's understandable that you're eager to prove yourself, but don't let people think you're impractical."
Hearing this, Wang Shufang's smile deepened; this person was genuinely thinking of her son's best interests.
“Hongxia,” Wang Shufang turned to her daughter, “what do you think?”
Ma Hongxia glanced at Wang Ergou, then at Li Xiangyang, and said with a smile, "I'll listen to Ergou and Brother Xiangyang."
"Then it's settled," Ma Qiang decided. "My brother-in-law will help me out tonight and see how it goes."
As they were talking, Wang Shufang got up and went to the kitchen, and soon brought out a large bowl of steaming dumplings.
"Come on, have a taste," Wang Shufang said with a smile. "Ergou, eat more."
Wang Ergou was a little embarrassed by the friendly greeting, but at Ma Hongxia's urging, he picked up a dumpling.
Wang Ergou ate his dumplings, a happy smile on his face. Ma Hongxia sat beside him, occasionally putting food on his plate. The heartwarming scene brought smiles to everyone's faces.
After a few rounds of drinks, Li Xiangyang checked the time and said softly to Li Xiaoyun, "We should go to your house now."
“Yes, yes, yes, this is my first visit, I can’t let you stay.” Ma Jianguo quickly said, “I won’t insist you stay today, you can come over for dinner another day.”
Wang Shufang smiled and said, "Yes, we'll come over for dinner another day. Hongxia, you see them off."
……
After saying goodbye to the Ma family, the two held hands and walked for about two hours before arriving at Li Xiaoyun's house.
Li Xiaoyun pointed to a large brown iron gate in front of her: "This is the courtyard."
Pushing open the creaking iron gate, a courtyard of moderate size comes into view.
Several elderly women were washing clothes around a water vat, while a few children were playing around.
A row of clotheslines hung with clothes of various colors, covering most of the yard.
"Isn't this Xiaoyun?" An elderly woman who was wringing out clothes looked up.
"Hello, Aunt Liu." Li Xiaoyun greeted politely.
“This is…” Aunt Liu’s eyes darted around.
"This is my boyfriend, Li Xiangyang."
"Oh, is that the young hunter?" another older woman chimed in. "He's quite robust."
The courtyard suddenly became lively, with a cacophony of voices discussing the matter.
"Did Master Li's daughter bring her boyfriend?"
"I heard they're from the countryside..."
"What's wrong with the countryside? They're quite capable; I heard they can earn tens of dollars a month hunting."
Li Xiaoyun pulled Li Xiangyang along and quickly walked towards the west wing.
Reaching the end of the road in front of a single-story house, Li Xiaoyun took a deep breath before calling out, "Dad, Mom, we're back."
The door creaked open.
Mr. Li stood at the door, still wearing his work clothes stained with machine oil, clearly having just returned from the factory.
Upon seeing the two, Mr. Li smiled broadly and stepped aside to let them through the doorway: "It's good to be back. Come in quickly, your mother just started cooking."
The house was filled with the aroma of food. Mother Li was busy at the stove when she heard the noise. She turned around, a smile on her face: "You're back! Come, sit down, sit down. My braised pork will be ready soon."
As soon as he entered the house, Li Xiangyang put down his backpack and took out a gift. "Uncle and Aunt, this is a small token of my appreciation for you both."
Just then, footsteps sounded in the courtyard, and a shrill female voice called out from outside, "Big brother, are you home?"
Upon hearing the voice, Li Xiaoyun's expression changed: "It's Third Aunt..."
The door was pushed open, and a middle-aged woman carrying a vegetable basket came in.
Upon seeing Li Xiangyang inside, she paused for a moment, then beamed with a smile: "Oh, Xiaoyun's back? Perfect timing, perfect timing! Auntie has something to tell you."
"What is it?" Mr. Li asked, frowning.
“It’s like this,” Auntie San put down her shopping basket, “Xiaoyun, do you remember your classmate Zhang Xu? His family asked me to be a matchmaker. Let me tell you, the old security chief of our Chuncheng Machinery Factory has retired, and his dad has a very high chance of getting promoted. Think about it, if this goes through, not only will he be transferred back to the city, but he’ll also be allocated a company-provided apartment.”
At this point, Auntie San glanced at Li Xiangyang, her tone turning sharp: "It's still better than following the rural farmers to work the land."
Mother Li's face immediately darkened.
The aunt, oblivious to the situation, continued, "Um, Li Xiangyang, right? You're a sensible person; you should know that if Xiaoyun marries into a rural family, her life will be ruined. If you truly care about her, you should..."