Chapter 209

Liu Guangqi was bent over, watching his little daughter squatting on the ground playing with a few smooth, round pebbles. Hearing the soft, yet still hesitant footsteps approaching, he didn't turn around, but just looked at the child, a knowing smile appearing on his lips: "Something on your mind?"

Liu Guangtian hurried a few steps and crouched down beside his elder brother, following his example. He tilted his head slightly, looking at his elder brother's half-profile silhouette outlined by the lamplight under the eaves. His throat moved, and the words reached his lips, but then seemed to be blocked by something.

He knew perfectly well what was going on. Given his father Liu Haizhong's temper and calculating nature, expecting him to willingly part with sixty-six yuan as a bride price was like the sun rising in the west. Sixty-six yuan! He, Liu Guangtian, was currently just an eighth-grade clerk, earning a meager thirty-three yuan a month, plus miscellaneous subsidies, barely enough to scrape together forty. That amount would first have to be deducted from the bicycle debt he needed to pay off, then a monthly contribution to his family for food, leaving him with a meager ten yuan or so if he could manage that. Even if he tightened his belt and didn't eat or drink, it would take him more than half a year to save up sixty-six yuan for the bride price.

If it weren't for his older brother's approval and support, it would be considered an unprecedented act of kindness for his father to pull out ten or twenty yuan.

"Big brother..." Liu Guangtian finally spoke, his throat tight and dry without him even realizing it.

Liu Guangqi turned his head and glanced at his face, which was filled with gratitude and unease. His smile deepened: "Between brothers, what can't you say directly? Doesn't it hurt to keep it to yourself?"

"Then...the sixty-six yuan..." Liu Guangtian scratched the back of his head, looking somewhat embarrassed, but then couldn't help grinning and chuckling twice. "I knew it! It was definitely your idea, right, brother?"

Liu Guangqi knew exactly what was going on.

Without my intervention and support, this matter would never have been accomplished.

Liu Guangqi neither nodded nor shook his head at this, but just smiled and said, "Although the old man is a bit biased, he is actually not bad to you guys."

"Even if I don't say anything, he will arrange your marriage with the third brother sooner or later."

That's true.

Based on Liu Haizhong's usual disdain for Liu Guangtian, didn't he also plan to marry Yu Haitang from the factory to Liu Guangtian in the original story?

"I see!"

Liu Guangtian grinned, finally relieved of the heavy burden that had been weighing on his mind.

"Okay, I understand."

Liu Guangqi nodded, then, as if suddenly remembering something, added, "Where will you live after we get married? Do you have any plans?"

Upon hearing this question, Liu Guangtian's smile immediately froze.

Where will you live after marriage?

Liu Guangtian hadn't completely given up on the idea.

From the perspective of a technical cadre, he naturally hoped to be allocated a unit-owned house as soon as possible.

Why do people say that labor is the most glorious thing these days?

It's simply because behind labor lies a job, a contribution, and tangible benefits.

To put it bluntly, what was he after when he became a technical staff member at the steel rolling mill?

Isn't it just that job, that quota, and most importantly—the qualification to be allocated housing by the work unit?

Logically speaking, as a vocational school graduate, he should have been able to expect to be allocated housing as soon as he joined the Hongxing Factory.

But no one can say for sure when this will actually be implemented.

In this era, housing allocated by work units did not mean that the houses became private property once they were given to you. Rather, they were provided as a welfare benefit, reflecting the treatment you received from the factory.

Getting married can definitely help you move up a spot on the waiting list.

Besides marital status, there are also hard criteria such as job grade and length of service.

Liu Guangtian now holds the prestigious title of technical cadre, but in reality, he is still an intern who hasn't been officially hired yet.

You have to work diligently in the workshop for a full year, get promoted, and become a full-fledged employee before you are eligible to submit an application to the logistics department.

But does submitting an application mean you've received the key?

It's not that easy!

Hongxing Factory is now a large factory with nearly 10,000 employees. The number of people waiting for housing ahead of Liu Guangtian could probably stretch from the factory gate all the way to the end of the workshop.

His girlfriend, Zhou Juan, had been working at the factory longer than him and had started earlier, so she might be able to get her application approved sooner.

But the thought of this made Liu Guangtian feel suffocated.

What kind of man am I, crammed into a house allocated to me by my partner?

Live-in son-in-law!

Just thinking about this word made Liu Guangtian's face burn and his whole body feel uncomfortable.

But after getting married, it really wasn't appropriate to stay in our hometown any longer.

Liu Guangfu will graduate and come back next year, and his elder brother and sister-in-law will also occasionally come back to stay in the courtyard.

This house is simply too small for us to live in.

Seeing Liu Guangtian remain silent for a long time, his face turning red, Liu Guangqi knew exactly what was going on and couldn't help but smile slightly:

"You need to think this through carefully yourself."

"Now that you're starting a family, you have to shoulder your own responsibilities and not always rely on others to pave the way for you."

"A house is a big deal. If we don't settle on one soon, what will the girl think? She married you for a stable life, and you can't even provide her with a place to live?"

The words weren't harsh, but each one struck Liu Guangtian's heart like a hammer blow.

"Big brother, I understand."

Liu Guangtian nodded, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "I'll be officially promoted and assigned a grade in a few months, and then I should be able to get a place in line for housing."

As he said this, he glanced at Liu Guangqi a few times, his mind racing. He wanted to ask his older brother to put in a good word for him at the factory so that they could get the house allocated to them sooner.

But the words stuck in his throat.

Seeing his expression, Liu Guangqi said nothing more, only a faint smile flashed in his eyes.

Young people being thin-skinned and having strong self-esteem isn't a bad thing.

But as the eldest brother, he couldn't just watch his second son worry about this and lose sleep over it.

In fact, he had already made plans.

When they hold their banquet, reserve a seat for Old Wang at the table.

There was no need to spell it out; with Old Wang's sharp mind, he would naturally understand what he meant.

By doing this favor, I not only saved face for myself but also relieved my brother's anxiety.

The housing allocation is pretty much settled.

The next day was the weekend.

Liu Guangtian got up early in the morning. The grocery store opened at eight o'clock, and he planned to go early to pick out some fresh vegetables.

He stood in front of the mirror, smoothed out the blue work clothes he usually couldn't bear to wear, dipped his fingertips in water, and combed his hair until it was perfectly neat.

Once everything was in order, he pushed his gleaming old bicycle out the door.

Zhou Juan said she would wait for him at the entrance of the grocery store.

When he arrived, she was already there. Liu Guangtian felt a warmth in his heart, grinned, and propped up his car.

The two didn't say much, but they understood each other's meaning with just a glance.

Upon entering the store, Liu Guangtian was unusually generous this time.

Ultimately, he learned it by looking at his older brother.

He can't lose face.

Zhou Juan watched from the side, a smile playing on her lips, her heart melting like a piece of candy.

Besides cigarettes and alcohol, Liu Guangtian also specially ordered a package of neatly squared rice cakes wrapped in kraft paper—a rare and sought-after item these days.

Two bulging nets hung on the handlebars, with cigarettes on the left, alcohol on the right, and snacks nestled in the middle.

He felt exceptionally at ease as he stepped into the car.

These days, this is a respectful and appropriate gesture when visiting a girl's home for the first time.

The two rode their bikes side by side through the street, Liu Guangtian pedaling very fast, while Zhou Juan chuckled softly behind him.

Not long after, as agreed beforehand, Liu Guangtian went to the Zhou family first to make preparations, followed by Liu Haizhong, Second Aunt, and Liu Guangqi.

It was nearly nine o'clock in the backyard of the Liu family's house.

The family had just finished breakfast and stepped out of the yard when they saw Yan Bugui holding a long broom, casually sweeping the ground outside the door.

Upon seeing Liu Guangqi come out, Yan Bugui immediately leaned on his broom and went over to him.

"Hey, Guangqi! The whole family's out so early this morning, is it for Guangtian's marriage proposal?"

"Good morning, Uncle." Liu Guangqi smiled and didn't say much, just nodded, then got into the car with his parents and instructed the guard to drive to the address Liu Guangtian had given him.

The car gave a low growl and slowly drove out of the alley.

Yan Bugui was still standing there, craning his neck, his face full of thought.

Judging from this, it seems that the second son of the Liu family is really going to get married this time?

The Volga drove along the streets.

Zhou Juan's family lived in a two-courtyard siheyuan, which housed twelve families.

Although it's not as grand as the three-courtyard houses in Nanluoguxiang, it has a good location and is close to the Hongxing Factory.

As soon as the car came to a stop, Liu Guangqi glanced at it and immediately had a pretty good idea of ​​what was going on.

Although the courtyard was full, it was kept neat and tidy, unlike the messy scene of many large tenement courtyards.

On second thought, Zhou Juan's parents were both employees of the Hongxing Factory, and with Zhou Juan herself, the family of three were all workers—a very comfortable situation by today's standards.

No wonder my father couldn't stop smiling whenever he mentioned this marriage.

Even Liu Guangqi couldn't help but nod in approval: the second son had good judgment this time, knowing to find a good marriage for himself.

I just don't know what kind of people Zhou Juan's parents are.

In the Zhou family's living room, Zhou's father silently stood up, picked up the teapot to refill his younger brother's water, his attitude respectful yet cautious.

He both respected and feared his younger brother.

Zhou's father was named Zhou Weidong, and his younger brother was named Zhou Weinan; both names carried the unique flavor of that era.

Unlike his brother, who was a factory worker, Zhou Weinan worked in the Ministry of Foreign Trade as a deputy section chief at the 18th administrative level.

In Zhou Weidong's eyes, these were people who had government jobs and a respectable status.

Zhou Weinan picked up the teacup, but instead of drinking it, he brought it to his nose to smell the aroma of the tea, his posture composed.

This kind of air might not seem like much in the ministry, but it carries significant weight when it comes to factory workers.

Zhou Weidong's heart tightened, and he cursed himself for being foolish: Why did I invite him? Isn't this like inviting a deity to cause trouble for my future son-in-law?

What if he starts putting on airs later? How will we handle the situation then?

But it's too late to regret it now.

He had no choice but to tentatively speak:

"Second brother, Xiaojuan's boyfriend and his family are coming to discuss marriage later. You... be a little more reserved, don't embarrass them."

"Brother," Zhou Weinan said without even lifting his eyelids, gently blowing away the foam on the rim of his cup, "you don't need to worry about this."

He was just too honest. Having spent his whole life fiddling with machine parts in the workshop, he always lacked a certain tact in dealing with people. The young man who was about to visit—his niece's fiancé—he had never met in person, but his ears were already filled with all sorts of stories about him.

I heard he was a vocational school graduate who went straight to the Hongxing Factory as a technician after leaving school. Before he even officially changed grades, he was already riding a brand-new Forever brand bicycle. Back then, a bicycle cost more than half a year's salary for an average worker. If you didn't have a wealthy family, you couldn't even dream of it.

From this perspective, the young man's qualifications are acceptable, barely enough to match the Zhou family's daughter. However, being a good match is one thing, but smoothly stepping through that door is another matter entirely.

Today's meeting is one I must teach him a lesson. First, I need to deflate that young man's arrogance and make him understand that the Zhou family is not some nobody, so he won't dare to slight Xiao Juan in the future. Second, I also need to personally test this young man's abilities to see if he truly has substance or is just an empty shell.

……

Seeing his younger brother remain silent for a long time, the eldest brother of the Zhou family became anxious and took another step closer, saying, "Second brother, that kid is really good. He works at our factory, and everyone calls him Technician Liu. You'll be satisfied when you meet him."