Chapter 251 A new life
What you want when taking a bath in the dog days of summer is a refreshing sensation. A bath in boiling hot water can drive away the cold and dampness, and seem to force out the depression in your bones.

This is the case with my brother-in-law Chang Youguang. When stimulated by the hot water, the blood circulation in his body accelerated and his face finally showed a hint of color.

"I never thought I would have to live such a hard life in my life!"

"We would wake up before dawn and work until sunset. There was always work to do. For one meal, we would have two cornmeal steamed buns and a spoonful of cabbage and potatoes. There was no more. We were never full."

"I get up earlier than a chicken, eat less than a dog, and work more than a donkey."

There was steam in the two bathtubs in Guan Tang, but Wang Deming could still see the expression on his face clearly.

Although there was some color on his face, his expression was still miserable. He kept muttering about his reformed life on the farm, regardless of whether Wang Deming opposite him was willing to listen or not. He just kept talking, as if he wanted to get rid of the suffering of the past few years in one breath.

"We lived in a large dormitory, and no matter how clean the quilt was, lice would crawl into it within two days, biting us and leaving red spots all over our bodies."

"Summer and winter are both hard in their own ways. In the summer, the whole house is filled with the smell of urine, smelly feet, and sweat; in the winter, hey, there's not even a stove in the house because they say they're afraid we'll get poisoned."

"Fortunately, we were given regular bathing schedules. In the summer, it was better to use cold water to keep cool. But in the winter, it was a pain. When it was our turn to go to the bathhouse, there always seemed to be a layer of something floating in the big pool. So we worked really hard."

"These are not so bad. The hardest part is when you first start to get addicted to opium. They tie your hands and feet and throw you into a small room with only a small window. No matter how you shout or yell, no one will pay attention to you. When you are tired, they will give you some water to drink."

Chang Youguang kept mumbling to himself, saying whatever came to his mind, "But there are also good things. The soldiers guarding us never beat or scolded us. They organized us to work during the day and study and read newspapers at night."

"Now I really understand how wrong I was in the past. Am I not a parasite of the country? Apart from eating, drinking and having fun, I have never worked with my own hands, never made any contribution, and even looked down on the working people."

"Deming." Chang Youguang's tone suddenly became very serious. He looked at Wang Deming firmly through the steam and said solemnly: "I can endure any hardship and do any work now. I will definitely support Baozhen and her mother with my own hands in the future."

"Well, brother-in-law, I believe you!" Wang Deming's ears were almost callused from listening. He fully understood Mr. Lu Xun's words: The sorrows and joys of life are different, I just feel it's very noisy.

"Brother-in-law, I'll call the master to come and give us a bath."

"No, why spend that money? Let's rub each other's hands. I rub each other's hands with my fellow workers on the farm."

"Well, brother-in-law, just give me a back rub."

"Okay, me too."

The two men stood up from the bathtub. At this time, Chang Youguang's eyes were more lively. Looking at Wang Deming's still strong body, his eyes showed envy, and he exclaimed: "Deming, you are still playing wrestling? Wow, you have muscles all over your body."

"Hey, it's simply because I'm busy giving people massages at work all day long." Wang Deming laughed and evaded the question.

It was Wang Deming's turn to rub Chang Youguang's back. His bones were jagged and he looked skinny. He could no longer see the delicate skin and tender flesh of Mr. Chang, who was full of fat a few years ago.
Chang Youguang was quite proud and said, "Deming, although I am thin now, I am full of strength. When I went to repair the reservoir, I could carry a load of 200 kilograms by myself."

I didn't hire a pedicure technician, and I even declined the offer of a pedicure. In Chang Youguang's words, you can go home and cut your toenails yourself with scissors, don't waste money. There's no need for a haircut, what's the point of having a buzz cut?

Hezhe's labor reform this time was very successful and it really made Chang Youguang turn over a new leaf.

You have to know that Chang Youguang was a person who pursued enjoyment. No matter how poor his family was, he would not give up when it came to enjoying himself.

If you don't have money, just sell your belongings.
Yan Baozhen prepared new clothes for Chang Youguang and his two daughters. She packed up their old clothes and quilts and sold them to a second-hand clothing dealer in Dong'an Market for a few dollars.

The new clothes were all made by Yan Baozhen herself, using coarse blue cloth and in the styles of Zhongshan suits and Lenin suits. In her words, wearing silk clothes now would be too eye-catching.

The welcoming banquet was held at Fengze Garden. Although Cuihualou in Wangfujing is also good, the first meal of my brother-in-law's family must be grand and important. Wang Deming grasped these small details very well. When dishes such as scallion-fried sea cucumber, casserole fish belly, braised skirt, mullet eggs, and dry-fried large crucian carp were served, the old lady Ma Xiuqin's tears fell like raindrops.

He held Yan Baozhen's hand and refused to let go, patting her repeatedly, and said with emotion: "Baozhen, our Chang family is grateful to you and Deming, otherwise I would never be able to eat such delicious food in my life."

On the other side, Chang Yourong was in tears and said to Wang Deming: "Deming, I don't know how to thank you. I can only..."

"Don't worry!" Chang Yourong's statement almost frightened Wang Deming so much that he jumped up from his chair. He waved his hands repeatedly, "We are real relatives, we don't deserve your thanks!"

Wang Deming was very afraid that Chang Yourong would say: "I have nothing to repay you with, so I can only promise you my body."
Not to mention that Wang Deming looked down on her when she was still somewhat pretty in the past, let alone the fact that she has now become a typical yellow-faced woman.

Chang Youguang sighed and said, "Alas, we have a long time to live. Deming and Baozhen are both great benefactors of our family. If it weren't for the two sisters, father and father..." As he spoke, tears began to fall.

"Woo."

When Chang Youguang suddenly mentioned the old head of the Chang family, Chang Xusheng, the old ladies Ma Xiuqin and Chang Yourong cried even harder, and Yan Baozhen also shed tears with them.

"Old lady, Sister Yourong, and my brother-in-law, we are finally reunited. I believe that Uncle Chang will be as happy as we are in heaven. Especially since my brother-in-law has turned over a new leaf, Uncle Chang will definitely be even more pleased."

Wang Deming was the first to raise his glass, "Let's toast to the old man's spirit in heaven."

I finally got the dinner party back to normal rhythm. I was so tired.

They devoured the food like a whirlwind. In the end, Chang Youguang and his two daughters ate all the soup from the dishes with their steamed buns. The dishes they left behind were cleaner than the ones they had washed, and the light was dazzling.
The mother and her two daughters finally slumped in their chairs, unable to stand up. They held their stomachs and groaned. The old lady squinted her eyes and said, "Ouch, the food has reached my throat. Even if I die immediately after eating this meal, it's worth it."

Chang Youguang and Chang Yourong nodded at the same time.

Wang Deming's forehead was full of black lines. Was the transformation so thorough? All the feudal superstitions in him were transformed away.

You have to know that the Bannermen are particularly worshipful of gods and Buddhas. Rich families would have special rooms as ancestral halls to worship their ancestors; even those who were poor would place a niche on the west wall of the main hall to worship their ancestors.

There will be tablets of ancestors and colored paper inside, which must be offered as sacrifices during festivals.

In the past, shops in the capital specialized in making a kind of cake called honey offering, which was placed on the ancestral tablets or in the Buddhist temple at home like a pagoda. In many cases, the wealth of the bannermen's family could be distinguished by looking at the honey offering.
Please ask the Fengzeyuan staff to clean the table and bring hawthorns and tea.

It was two full hours later that Wang Deming took them to No. 95 Nanluoguxiang.

"Hey, Baozhen, this is your husband, right? Hello, hello, I'm the manager of the courtyard, my last name is Yan, my courtesy name is Bugui, and I'm Baozhen's real relative. If you have anything to say, just talk to me."

"Thank you very much."

"What's your name?"

"There is always light."

"Always have light?"

"To!"

"."

(End of this chapter)