Chapter 69: Chapter 0069 Shopping 1_1 Chapter 69: Chapter 0069 Shopping 1_1 Lu Jiang borrowed a bicycle from a comrade who had transferred to the city. The bike, a Phoenix, was nearly identical to the one Feng Qingxue had bought, only older. It had been well-maintained, so it was still shiny, virtually indistinguishable from a new one.
Affixed to the back seat was a brand new, double-breasted military coat, with a face of pure wool trousers fabric, attracting a lot of attention.
Lu Jiang walked over to the bicycle, picked up the military coat, and draped it over Feng Qingxue.
“It’s cold outside; wrap up to stay warm,” he said.
He then gave Feng Qingxue a still-new Lei Feng hat he had received recently while putting on an older one himself. He pulled out a pair of leather gloves from the pocket of his own military coat and gave them to Feng Qingxue to wear.
Wang Zhengguo and Miao Fengqin, seeing this, felt reassured, gaining a more intuitive understanding of Lu Jiang’s abilities.
None of these items were ones that an ordinary person could easily obtain.
Like the military coat – there was nowhere to buy it, even if you had the money.
Lu Jiang rode the bicycle with Feng Qingxue sitting sideways behind him, making sure there was a cushion of fur underneath her; it wasn’t uncomfortable at all.
As they left the Wanglou Brigade, Lu Jiang rode his bicycle and told her about the origin of the new coat, “The coat was given to me by Commander Zhao, who also gave a pair of new shoes issued to his sister-in-law in the army. I’ll give them to you tomorrow.”
“Thank you, it’s very warm!” Feng Qingxue’s eyes crinkled as she laughed, the dimples under her scarf subtly revealed. Unfortunately, Lu Jiang couldn’t see it.
Despite being fully equipped, it wasn’t cold on the bicycle.
The road was not completely flat; it was mostly dirt. They reached a rough and bumpy stretch, where even with the fur cushion, the ride was quite jarring. Feng Qingxue immediately spoke up.
“Brother Lu, this section of the road is too bumpy and uncomfortable. Let me get off.”
“All right, hold tight, I’ll stop.”
Upon stopping the bike and allowing Feng Qingxue to dismount, Lu Jiang strolled alongside her, bicycle in tow.
By that time, they were a long distance away from Dawn Commune.
If they crossed the Red Flag Commune, they would reach the county town.
The current hierarchical system from low to high was: production team, production brigade, communal, county, city, province.
The Caohu Production Team where Feng Qingxue was based, and the Wanglou Brigade managed by Wang Zhengguo, were both production brigades, part of the Dawn Commune, each comprising twelve production teams, with a team leader for each.
“I’ve discussed with my dad, and we’ll come to acknowledge the relationship in a few days. We’ll finalize the marriage before my home leave ends.”
Times have changed, the process of matchmaking and formalities had been simplified, and many young men and women considered it settled after acknowledgment.
Despite accepting the current trend, Lu Jiang attached great importance to wedding etiquette and wanted to acknowledge the relationship first followed by a formal engagement ceremony. He didn’t want to be perceived as uncouth.
“However, I’m a soldier; we can get married only once I’ve reported back and passed the political review.” Lu Jiang frowned as he said this, “Being a soldier ties you down. Even after passing the review, there’s no telling when my next leave will be.”
Obviously, they would have to wait until next year’s home leave to get married.
“Okay, I’ll wait for you.” Feng Qingxue did not object, instead, she chuckled.
Her joy came from Lu Jiang’s regard for her.
Lu Jiang’s plans reflected his heart; he did not simplify the wedding process due to the hardships of the era.
Compared to his time at the Wang family, Lu Jiang was far more talkative outdoors. After all, it was inconvenient to talk about many things at the Wang’s place. Seeing Feng Qingxue’s response, he knew she understood his intentions, and his smile beamed more brilliantly than ever.