Chapter 70 Tang Wan's mother-in-law came demanding money.

These past two days, Wang Yuqing has been collecting snails every day. In her spare time, she teaches Ji Meimei to sing, count, and draw. Occasionally, she also tells her a story from Journey to the West.

Ji Xuening seemed to be working with more and more energy, after all, Wang Yuqing had been preparing all his food and drinks for the past two days. Wang Yuqing said, "I need to take good care of your stomach!"

Ji Xuening went home with the other villagers at 6 p.m. today because today was the day for the announcement of the militia company commander's appointment and the militia recruitment meeting.

That's why he didn't work the night shift.

Before dinner was even finished, the brigade headquarters' loudspeaker blared, summoning all commune members to a meeting in the brigade headquarters' courtyard to discuss the re-establishment of the militia company.

Ji Xuening immediately put down her bowl and chopsticks, stood up, and said, "I'll go first."

Grandma Ji said, "Let's eat first. Why are you in such a hurry? The other production teams won't be here anytime soon. Our house is so close to the brigade headquarters."

Because the brigade headquarters was located in Niushiwan Production Team, it only took about ten minutes to get there. The brigade had a total of six production teams, with a population of over a thousand. The other five production teams were a bit further away.

It will take at least half an hour for everyone to arrive.

Wang Yuqing gestured with her chin towards the large bowl of sweet potato porridge in front of him: "I ate it!"

With just two words and a very ordinary tone, Ji Xuening obediently sat down to eat, as if she had received an order.

Grandma Ji smiled and said, "Fourth son, you've changed in the last half month. You're much more easygoing now, unlike before when you were like an ice block."

After hearing what Grandma Ji said, Ji Xuening seemed to realize that she had indeed changed a lot.

All three children nodded in agreement.

Ji Xiaoming, biting his chopsticks, said, "I saw Dad secretly laughing yesterday."

Ji Meimei asked innocently, "Then what is Daddy laughing at?"

Ji Xuening blushed and said in a deliberately fierce tone, "Hurry up and eat, do you want to get beaten up?"

Wang Yuqing raised an eyebrow and looked at Ji Xuening: "When we first met, you always seemed to have a cold face and didn't like to talk to me. But recently you've been much warmer towards me. Why is that?"

Ji Xuening met her gaze for a moment, then immediately looked away and stood up: "I'll go first."

Wang Yuqing was displeased: "You haven't answered my question yet!"

Ji Xuening organized her thoughts, forcing a serious expression on her face, and said in a detached tone, "Because you are my family."

For some reason, Wang Yuqing felt a little disappointed. She lowered her eyes and fiddled with her chopsticks, saying, "Go on, then."

Ji Xuening nodded and left.

Wang Yuqing and Grandma Ji were not considered commune members, so they didn't need to attend the meeting. However, Ji Meimei, Ji Daming, and Ji Xiaoming were children, and they insisted on going along to join in the fun.

They said they wanted to see their father become the militia company commander with their own eyes.

Ji Xiaoming proudly said, "My dad will be the militia company commander in the future. When I grow up, I want to be a militiaman too."

We live in an era that reveres soldiers. People prefer military uniforms to red dresses. Many who cannot serve in the military join militia organizations, and it is an honor to become a militia member.

In those days, there were no police stations in townships, so the security and emergency response of the commune production brigades were handled by the militia.

If you managed to become a militia company commander, you'd be incredibly powerful, like a celebrity.

Ji Xiaoming told his classmates that his dad was going to be the militia company commander! He was the militia company commander's son! From now on, everyone at school would follow him around.

Grandma Ji couldn't stop smiling. She sighed, "I forced him to come back back then, which prevented him from continuing his military service. Now that he's the militia captain, I feel a little better, and he feels a little better too."

Wang Yuqing learned from Grandma Ji that Ji Xuening wanted to join the militia for another reason: to make up for his regret that he had always hoped to protect his country.

After all, militiamen are soldiers too!

Many more people join the army simply to escape rural life.

Wang Yuqing asked curiously, "Grandma, after soldiers are discharged from the army, aren't they all able to be recruited as workers or promoted to cadres?"

Grandma Ji nodded: "Yes, four years ago, the fourth son returned from the army. He could have become the militia company commander, but suddenly the militia was abolished."

Wang Yuqing thought of Peng Hong, the person Tang Wan liked, and asked, "Wasn't there a militia company commander four years ago?"

After hearing this, Grandma Ji whispered, "Back then, I remember the Party Secretary came to our house and said that Peng Hong was not qualified to be the company commander and should be dismissed, and that the fourth brother should take his place. Later, the higher-ups suddenly decided to cancel our brigade's militia company."

Wang Yuqing thought about it and wondered if it was possible that Peng Hong knew he was going to be dismissed back then, which is why he was so eager to go to foreign aid, firstly to avoid looking bad, and secondly to prove himself.

Could she also interpret this as Peng Hong actually loving himself more? Or caring more about his image?

Of course, this was just Wang Yuqing's guess, since she didn't know the specifics.

About ten minutes later, Wang Yuqing was changing the water for the snails at the door when Tang Wan's mother-in-law, Zhang Cuihua, suddenly ran over with a gloomy face. She said, "Granddaughter-in-law of the Ji family, you've been using this old bicycle of mine for many days. Shouldn't you return it to my family?"

“My daughter-in-law is an honest and kind person. She always lends things to anyone who asks. So, fine, she lends them to you. But you’ve been asking for them for way too long.”

“If you really like this old-fashioned bicycle, why don’t you buy one? Didn’t you make a lot of money selling snails? You owed a lot to my old-fashioned bicycle back then.”

Grandma Ji hurriedly said, "Child, quickly return the bicycle to its owner."

Wang Yuqing remembered that the bicycle was ridden by Tang Wan from her parents' home, and Tang Wan had lent it to her. However, since Tang Wan was now someone's daughter-in-law, and the old woman had come to ask for it back, she couldn't very well refuse to return it.

Wang Yuqing pushed the bicycle in front of Zhang Cuihua and said with a smile, "Thank you... for your Tang Wan."

Zhang Cuihua pouted, but didn't leave. Instead, she said, "I heard you made more than ten yuan last time? Your family used to earn that much money in half a year, right? My old bicycle was a great contributor to that."

She ignored Wang Yuqing and went straight to Grandma Ji: "Auntie, your daughter-in-law is really capable. She earned more than 10 yuan for you as soon as she arrived, and she even borrowed my old bicycle."

“Whenever other people need something and want to borrow it, they’ll feel a little embarrassed and give me something in return… Look at your granddaughter-in-law, she’s from the city, she doesn’t seem to understand social etiquette.”

After hearing this, Grandma Ji nodded: "Yes, yes, I have to do you a favor. How about I weave a dozen baskets here and you can take two home?"

Zhang Cuihua glanced at it and said disdainfully, "Everyone has these. Didn't your family earn more than 10 yuan by playing with my old-fashioned bicycle? You think you can just get rid of these two scoundrels?"

Wang Yuqing frowned: "Just tell me directly, what do you want?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Cuihua grinned and said, "Didn't you give my daughter-in-law brown sugar and red dates last time? They were quite nice. Could you give her some more? Just a pound of each kind."

"No way!"

Wang Yuqing refused outright.