Back to 80: My literary life

Chapter 67 New Year’s Gift (please collect and vote for further reading)

The New Year is getting closer and closer, and people in the workplace are not interested in working and are busy doing things at home.

Fang Minghua had nothing to do at home and came to work on time. Although there was nothing to do at work.

Yesterday, I went to Western University to take a correspondence course. Zhao Hongjun said that we would continue dancing together after the Chinese New Year holiday.

Compared with last year, there are more and more young people dancing in the ancient city. It is gradually becoming more open and there is no need to be as secretive as last year.

There are people dancing in the parks and by the city walls, but of course there are still no commercial dance halls.

To be honest, Fang Minghua really doesn't have much interest in dancing, but you can't refuse Zhao Hongjun if he says this.

But will he meet Song Tangtang again?

Will Song Tangtang come back from visiting relatives during the Spring Festival?

Fang Minghua doesn't know.

Since leaving southern Xinjiang, Fang Minghua has had no news about the girl.

Unexpectedly, the girl wrote a letter.

Today is the 24th of the twelfth lunar month, and the wind is biting. Early in the morning, Zhang Baofu brought several letters, one of which actually came from southern Xinjiang!
  Looking at the beautiful handwriting on the envelope, Fang Minghua knew it belonged to Song Tangtang.

I quickly opened the envelope and found a photo inside.

oh. Wrong, it's a postcard. There are four words "Happy New Year" written on it.

Postcards were very popular in the 82s and s, but now in early , they are still very rare, and they are always postmarked and sent directly, usually not in envelopes.

Song Tangtang not only sent a postcard, but also a letter inside.

In the letter, the girl first wished him a Happy New Year and said that not long ago, the cultural troupe went to Greentown, the capital of Guangxi Province, to perform a show. When she went to the post office to buy envelopes in her spare time, she suddenly discovered that such cards were sold inside. The salesperson told her that they were called postcards and that she could send them directly. As a New Year's card.

"I couldn't come back from visiting relatives during the Spring Festival this year, so I bought four. I sent one to my parents and one to my cousin. I also sent one to you by the way. Doesn't it look good?"

It's quite beautiful.

Fang Minghua admired this postcard. On the back was a picture of a green peacock opening its tail, which reminded Fang Minghua of the way the girl danced under the moon that night.

Finally, Song Tangtang asked if he had written any novels or poems recently? If it is published, tell her which magazine it is from and she will buy a copy and have a look.

Hey, I'm sorry, I've been fishing recently and haven't written anything yet.

When a girl writes a letter, Fang Minghua will of course reply and tell the truth.

More importantly, when someone gives you a gift, you can't just write "Happy New Year" on the letter and everything will be fine, right?
  Come and don't go indecent.

What to send?

Have you bought any postcards in Xijing now?
  At noon the next day, Fang Minghua finished his meal and braved the cold wind on his bicycle to rush to the Bell Tower Post Office. After asking the salesperson, he found out that there was no such thing in Xijing.

So what to buy?

Fang Minghua was in trouble.

After going home in the evening after dinner, he saw the little girl listening to the radio and humming around the coal stove. Fang Minghua was moved and asked: "Little sister, you said it's the New Year, what is the most appropriate gift to give to girls?"

"Ah? Brother, have you got a girlfriend?" Fang Mingli was a little surprised when she heard this. Even her mother, who was sewing on the sewing machine next to her, stopped working and looked at Fang Minghua.

"No, didn't I tell you, that female soldier from the Southern Xinjiang Art Troupe, Song Tangtang." Fang Minghua quickly explained: "She wrote me a letter asking me if I had written a new novel, and by the way, she sent me a postcard. I think it would be better to give them a gift."

As he said that, he took out the postcard and showed it to his sister.

Fang Mingli had never seen this thing before, so she held it in her hand and looked at it freshly.

"It's pretty, bro."

"So I'm going to send someone a gift."

Fang Mingli heard her brother talk about collecting folk songs in southern Xinjiang, and also heard the name Song Tangtang. After hearing what her brother said, she replied:
  "In our school, gifts from boys to girls are usually pens, diaries, and, by the way, books! Some boys also give their girlfriends cream, pechoin, and the like. Brother, you don't want to give this, do you?"

"Of course not." Fang Minghua said.

The fountain pen diary and the like are too ordinary, the cream and so on are a bit too much, and she is not my girlfriend. It seems that I can’t get any good answers from my sister.

At noon the next day, he cycled to Minsheng Department Store again and went shopping. But he couldn't find anything suitable, so he simply bought a pound of White Rabbit toffee and mailed it with a letter.

It was 10 days after Song Tangtang received the toffee from Fang Minghua. Three days ago, she had received a letter from the other party, saying that he had sent candies as a New Year's gift.

When she saw the cute White Rabbit candy in the bag, she couldn't help but smile.

This Fang Minghua is also very original.

Today is already the third day of the Lunar New Year, and the troops are also celebrating the New Year.

There are so many candies that I can’t even finish them all.
  She thought for a while, then took out the candies and distributed them to the sisters in the dormitory: "Everyone has a taste of the candies you sent me."

"Wow White Rabbit Milk Candy! This is my favorite." A girl with an oval face took a piece and peeled it off and opened it in her mouth. Her name is Meng Hongxia, and she has a relatively good relationship with Song Tangtang.

Several other girls also took the toffee and started chattering among themselves.

"Tangtang, who sent you the candy? Your parents?"

"No, it's a friend of mine, the Xijing writer who came to collect works this summer." Song Tangtang told the truth.

"Is it him? Fang Minghua, the author of "Youth"!" Meng Hongxia said immediately.

"it's him."

"Why did he send you candies? Are you here?" Meng Hongxia immediately asked.

Several girls nearby also looked at Song Tangtang, with the fire of gossip burning in their eyes.

"We are just ordinary friends." Song Tangtang explained.

"Isn't it right? How can an ordinary friend send such a sweet thing? Isn't there a song about it?" Meng Hongxia said with a smile.

"Sweet job, sweet job is infinitely better, hello?" A girl next to me immediately started singing.

"No! It's this one!" Meng Hongxia sang softly.

甜蜜蜜 你 笑 得 甜蜜蜜

It seems that the flowers are blooming in the spring breeze
  Open in the spring breeze
  Although it is strictly forbidden to sing popular songs from Hong Kong and Taiwan in the military camp, the girls still love this song and secretly sing it in private.

"Yes, I've seen you somewhere
  Your smile is so familiar
  I can't remember for a while
  ah in a dream
  Several girls actually sang together, and Song Tangtang's pretty face turned red.

She didn't think about it that much.

I guess Fang Minghua didn’t think that much, right?

Fang Minghua really didn't think so much at first. He really couldn't find a suitable gift, so he bought something very affordable.

Today is the third day of the Lunar New Year. On the first day of the new year, the whole family went shopping. On the second day of the second day, I went back to my grandma and grandpa’s house with my parents and sister. On the third day of the third day, I worked at work for a day.

He was on duty at the unit at this time.

But there is someone else who is also in his dormitory, Zhao Hongjun.

The two of them were warming themselves by the fire and cracking melon seeds.

"Minghua, I asked you to dance last night, but you didn't come." Zhao Hongjun complained: "Is it because Song Tangtang didn't come back?"

Fang Minghua glared at him: "Don't talk nonsense, I'm really not interested in that stuff."

However, it seems that there is also this factor?
  "You, you are only in your early twenties, why don't you like dancing? Look, there are dancers everywhere now, especially disco, which is so popular." Zhao Hongjun said, lighting a cigarette.

When Fang Minghua heard this, he took a look at Zhao Hongjun's attire. Although he was still wearing a military coat, he was wearing a suit underneath, jeans, and pointed leather shoes. His hair was permed into the most fashionable curls, and he also wore a toad mirror.

He really doubted that he could enter and leave the provincial government as a national worker in this outfit? According to him, he was just promoted to section chief!
  In future generations, would you not wear a navy blue or pure black jacket with small lapels, a white shirt underneath, always black trousers, and a serious expression to show that you are "in the middle of the situation"?
  But in this era, these things mean being conservative. What matters now is fashion, and leaders are starting to wear suits!
  But that's it.
  Next year will be 83!
  "I say Red Army, just play it easy, you are a national cadre." Fang Minghua advised.

"Look what you said, it's just a dance." Zhao Hongjun disagreed.

Fang Minghua smiled and said nothing.

(End of this chapter)