Chapter 32

For the next hundred days or so, Chen Lanjun focused completely on studying.

I concentrate on reading every day and ignore everything outside the window.

I went back home just before the Chinese New Year.

Because we are in the graduating class, the winter vacation is very short, only seven days.

Although the time was short, the students packed their textbooks and other materials and planned to take them back to read.

Xiaonian used oil paper and hemp rope to tie up the books tightly. Turning back, he found that Chen Lanjun, who was about to go out, was carrying only a bag: "You don't take the books back to review?"

"Who said I didn't bring any?" Chen Lanjun said, "I did bring the College Entrance Examination Outlines for each subject. They only last a few days. If I brought too much, I wouldn't be able to finish reading them. It would be tiring to carry them all."

Xiaonian thought about it and realized that this was the truth, so he picked out a few more books.

Before the holiday, Teacher Qin repeatedly reminded us: "You are all graduates now, don't go out and run around, remember to read every day, otherwise you will forget what you have learned after a few days."

After leaving school, Chen Lanjun went to a grocery store first, bought some White Rabbit milk candies, biscuits and other things, hung them on the handlebars of her bicycle, and rode all the way home.

When I rode to the village, I saw a group of people gathered together, among whom was a familiar little head.

"Little sister, what are you doing?" Chen Lanjun asked.

The younger sister turned around and saw her elder sister. A sweet smile appeared on her face. She raised the aluminum basin in her hand and said, "Sister, we just slaughtered the New Year pig and are dividing the meat. We have pig slaughtering dishes to eat today!"

Chen Lanjun's eyes lit up.

The pig-killing dish is a feast in the countryside at this time. The freshest pork and pig offal, whether fried, stewed or boiled, can make people eat three bowls of rice in a row. Especially when paired with the sweet potatoes, pickles and bacon that people have eaten for many years, the taste of the pig-killing dish is even more memorable.

Because there was a new furniture factory in the village this year, the villagers had an extra salary in addition to the income from farming, so they generously slaughtered two more pigs for the New Year.

At this moment, two strong men opened the door and on the chopping board was freshly cut pork.

"Share the pork!" Someone shouted cheerfully. The villagers rushed forward, waving the basins in their hands, and they wanted to stick to the pigs.

Because the younger sister was talking to Chen Lanjun, she walked a few steps outside the team, and was now completely pushed to the outside by the crowded crowd.

She said with some annoyance: "I have waited for a long time and I want to share some good fat meat."

Chen Lanjun comforted him, "It's okay. There are so many. You can always get them."

As the two sisters were talking, a part-time butcher who was distributing pork inside was sharp-eyed. He saw that it was Zheng Mei's child and quickly stretched out his hand to greet them: "Alan, Azhu, come over and divide the meat."

When they saw the two sisters, the two or three aunties in the front row willingly made way for them. After all, without Zheng Mei, there wouldn't be two more pigs. "Come on, come to the front."

Just as my younger sister was about to step forward, she heard someone say something sarcastic: "Why, the children of the cadres in the commune can get the pork first? I'm the deputy team leader, and I'm also lining up here!"

The younger sister was stunned for a moment and turned to look at Chen Lanjun.

Chen Lanjun was a little confused about what the deputy captain was saying, but she didn't want to embarrass her mother, so she said righteously, "Of course, my mother has always reflected on herself by 'serving the people'. Even when she was the factory director, she got the same salary as everyone else. How could she have taken the good pork? We must carry forward our style and wait until everyone else has taken theirs before we take ours!"

These noble words were applauded by the villagers.

"Well, well said!"

"Director Zheng is a good educator!"

The deputy captain snorted coldly: "You only know how to speak nice words."

"They also do good things." The butcher who was refuted by him sneered, "Why don't you also show your style and share in the end."

The deputy captain said nothing, only yelling: "Hurry up, the firewood at home has been burned, otherwise it will all be wasted later."

Because of the shortage of oil and water these days, everyone has a different definition of good meat. The first thing to be taken away is often the fattiest pork lard, followed by pork.

Finally, it was the turn of Chen Lanjun and her sister. They filled half a basin with pork offal and some lean meat. The butcher felt bad for it, so he used his own small basin to fill with pig blood.

"This soup is also good!"

A large pot of pork was placed on the back seat of the bicycle, and my little sister helped push it.

After returning home, Chen Zhisheng was lighting a fire in the kitchen, while Chen Lanjun and her younger sister helped Zheng Mei prepare the pig dishes and clean the pig's large and small intestines with an old toothbrush.

While working, Chen Lanjun mentioned the pork distribution: "Does the deputy captain have a grudge against my family?"

"Him? Don't pay attention to him." Zheng Mei sneered, "He has no ability, but he has a bad temper."

It turned out that a notice had been issued from above that after the New Year, the grassroots organizations in the villages would undergo a reform. The communes and brigades were renamed as town governments and village committees.

The organizational structure was changed, and the cadre team was also changed. It happened that the captain of the brigade was about to retire, so the vacant leadership position was targeted.

The deputy captain had more seniority and was a cousin of the captain, so he always claimed to be the next captain.

As a result, Zheng Mei suddenly appeared. She had a good reputation to begin with. After the village furniture factory was established, she won unanimous praise from everyone. This made the deputy team leader jealous.

"So, mom is going to get a promotion?" Chen Lanjun joked.

"What kind of official position? That's so funny." Zheng Mei laughed, "But if it works, it will be more convenient for me to do things in the future."

The meal was ready while we were chatting and laughing.

The main dish is a large pot of slaughtered pig soup. The pig intestines, liver, kidneys, etc. are sliced ​​and chopped, the lean meat is cut into foam, and then cooked together with solidified fresh pig blood. A little salt is added and the taste is very good.

On New Year's Eve, in addition to the pig-killing dishes, there are also rice cakes. They are made from the newly harvested rice in the village. They are sweet and crispy. They are fried in lard until the skin is bubbling, and they are crispy and chewy.

After the New Year’s Eve dinner, everyone sat together to rest, and my younger sister set off firecrackers in the yard.

Chen Lanjun played one or two songs, then sat and watched her younger sister. After sitting for a long time, she felt it was a bit monotonous, so she said, "If there was a TV, it would be lively to play the Spring Festival Gala as background music."

"What Spring Festival Gala?"

Oh, she forgot that the first Spring Festival Gala would not be held for another three years.

However, even with the Spring Festival Gala, people here don’t really like to watch it. At most, they play it as background music. The most important thing is to play cards, mahjong, poker, whatever.

For fear of disturbing Chen Lanjun's studies, Zheng Mei seldom went out to pay New Year's greetings during this festival. Even if there were guests who came to visit, she would just chat and laugh and sit with them for a while, and would never play cards with them.

Chen Lanjun enjoyed the quiet time, sitting in her room all day studying, accompanied by the sound of firecrackers.

"Lan Jun, your friend is here."

"Hey, here they come." Chen Lanjun put down her book and walked out, a little confused. Zheng Mei would not specifically call her when ordinary relatives came, and she didn't know who was coming.

When I went out, I saw a little girl in the main room putting a scarf on Zheng Mei: "Auntie, this color is perfect for you."

If not Ajing, then who else?

Ajing came to pay New Year's greetings and brought many homemade things, and insisted that Chen Lanjun accept them.

"I must accept it. You've helped me so much. If I don't even accept this small gift, my grandma will definitely scold me when I go back." Ajing insisted.

Chen Lanjun had no choice but to accept it: "Sure, your aura has changed now."

She led Ah Jing to her room, closed the door, and asked in a low voice: "Are you still doing business now?"

Ah Jing nodded: "Yes. I feel better now."

Perhaps because it was the end of the year, the rural markets that had been banned for a long time became lively again. Due to various factors, the authorities chose to turn a blind eye, and Ah Jing took advantage of this opportunity to knit some red scarves and gloves that were suitable for the occasion, and ran to the markets to sell them.

Chen Lanjun was happy to hear this: "In this case, you don't have to worry about money. How about coming back to school next semester?"

Ah Jing shook her head, looking somewhat embarrassed.

After hesitating for a moment, she said, "Sister Lan, I actually want to take grandma away from here. After my aunt heard about my grandma and I, she wrote a letter and scolded my dad. She also said that if I wanted, I could take grandma to her."

"That's a way of thinking," Chen Lanjun said. "Even if your father doesn't beat or scold you, he certainly won't be in a good mood to you. Are you worried about something?"

Ah Jing sighed: "Yes, my aunt's family conditions are not very good. She married to a small fishing village in the south."

Chen Lanjun raised her eyebrows: "What small fishing village?"

"It seems to be in a county called... called," Ah Jing thought for a moment and said, "called Baoan. I heard that it is even poorer than our county."