Sorry, My Beloved Is The Motherland - Chapter 19.2 - To Dedicate One's Self To The Country

“It’s not that I’m jealous of you! The canned peaches were bought by me and Du Qingquan together!” he defended himself. “What I meant was other people…”

This gossip king of Tulaga banner, second only to Aunt Ma, mysteriously lowered his voice and leaned closer to Ning Fu, saying, “Liang Huixue is also sick!”

He glanced at Ning Fu, as if announcing some important secret, and said with a hint of pride: “That day, after Xu Cuicui was beaten back, she just lay low. Some say it was from anger, while others say she just couldn’t face people anymore. Anyway, we haven’t seen her for several days.”

He sighed and nodded towards the table full of get-well gifts for Ning Fu, “Just think about it, both are sick, but the difference in treatment is so obvious. How can she not be jealous? It’s enough to make her heart sour like pickled garlic!”

“Liang Huixue used to be the artistic talent among the educated youths in our Tulaga banner, you know that,” Cui Guofu said, shrugging his shoulders. “She was supposed to be the person in charge of our gathering! It’s because she said she was sick that the secretary asked me to take over.”

“The secretary said that you, as the top student, must come up with a performance!”

He chatted for a long time before finally getting to his true purpose.

Ning Fu also did not hesitate, “I’ll sing a song.”

Cui Guofu let out a big sigh of relief.

He was afraid that Ning Fu would become foolish from studying too much and was unwilling to participate in such a seemingly meaningless gathering.

After all, in the midst of the enthusiastic celebrations throughout Tulaga banner, Ning Fu, the person who had become the top student, seemed a bit too calm.

Ning Fu smiled and gave him a sidelong glance, “I’m not a robot; I have flesh and blood, and emotions. Do you want me to write a poem praising the moon and love to prove to you that I’m human?”

Cui Guofu then realized that he had actually said all he was thinking out loud in front of Ning Fu just now!

He pretended to slap himself and then quickly slipped away.

Anyway, task completed!

*

Many years later, at the dinner table, entrepreneur Cui Guofu was asked about his youth as a young intellectual.

“Was it very hard for all of you back then ah? Did any romantic events happen?”

This man, who was gradually becoming a greasy middle-aged man, loosened his belt that was tight around his beer belly and then drank another glass of baijiu*.

T/N: *white liquor, a type of Chinese spirit.

The hosts catered to his preferences, knowing that he had once been sent to the countryside in Inner Mongolia, and specially brought in ‘Mendao Lv’.

Actually, Cui Guofu’s experience as a young intellectual was quite dull.

He is clever, sweet-talking, and resourceful; in reality, he hasn’t endured much hardship.

When the college entrance examination was just reopened, he already knew he wasn’t cut out for studying. Later, he found a way to return to the city and became a skilled worker.

After the reform and opening up, he also seized the opportunity to venture into business and is now a businessman with some wealth.

He can barely be considered a successful person.

In fact, he rarely mentions those times of that period in Tulaga banner to others.

Today, for some reason, perhaps it’s because the alcohol is getting to him, or maybe it’s because this liquor is from the grasslands—

Cui Guofu began to recall many things from the past; they flashed through his mind just like scenes from a movie.

But in the end, he just sighed and replied: “Actually, there really weren’t any romantic events. However, I was fortunate enough to meet a true romantic.”

After he finished speaking, he tipped his wine glass, a glimmer in his eyes.

*

After eating the canned yellow peaches and drinking dandelion water, Ning Fu’s heatiness was also cured.

The delayed New Year celebration in Tulaga banner grandly kicked off.

Here, ‘grand’ refers to the scale of the celebration and the number of participants, both of which are unprecedented.

After all, this year, some of the intellectual youths are starting to return to the city, and in the future, there will surely be fewer and fewer people remaining.

Although the local residents of Tulaga banner usually look down on these city kids, the performances they rehearsed are still quite well-received.

The young intellectuals from the city are more knowledgeable about new things. Furthermore, there are those who were once the cultural backbone in school, able to sing, dance, and play instruments; this is precisely the moment to show their skills.

The bonfire has been lit, and the fat from the lamb sizzles and drips into the fire, filling the entire courtyard of the station with the aroma of charred meat.

Everyone threaded corn onto sticks and roasted them, while the children jumped around in the crowd like it was the New Year, until one hit and tripped over a stool and was finally pressed back into their seat by their parents.

As long as there were no urgent matters at home, everyone from the whole village crowded in; those who arrived later could only lean on the courtyard wall to watch.

Even the fool in the village came.

With many people watching him and not allowing him to get burned by the bonfire, they simply let him wander around the courtyard.

The lively atmosphere and the aroma of food confused the fool. He even thought it was the New Year! He greeted everyone with ‘Happy New Year!’——

Because of this, he could get a small piece of sweet potato or a few peanuts, just like the other children.

After Lao Zhuo’erqin’s erhu performance, the host Cui Guofu jumped onto the stage.

“——Next, everyone please give a warm round of applause to welcome our top scholar—Comrade Ning Fu!”