Zhou Qiqi slept well yesterday, and woke up at the crack of dawn the next day. Hearing the sparrows chirping in the trees outside the window, she simply jumped up.
Thinking that Shen Huaichuan, the patient, had been getting up early to go to the cafeteria for meals these past few days, she decided to get up early and go as well today.
She pushed open the kitchen door to get her lunchbox, only to find Shen Huaichuan squatting on a small stool with his back to her, holding a rough porcelain bowl overturned over with steamed buns in his hand.
"Awake?"
His voice was hoarse from just waking up as he pushed the aluminum pot towards the stove. "The goat milk just boiled. Let it cool down a bit before drinking it so it won't be too hot."
Goodness, soldiers really do get up early; she can't compare at all.
As Zhou Qiqi bit into the hot bun, she suddenly felt that the goat milk in the rough porcelain bowl was sweeter than usual, and even the floating milk skin seemed to glow with a warm light.
After eating and drinking to their hearts' content, just as they were about to get their painkillers, Shen Huaichuan handed them to them.
In addition, he also wrapped two extra pieces in a small paper bag for her to put in her breast pocket.
Zhou Qiqi felt a little embarrassed, as if she were the one who was recuperating at home.
At the west gate, Zhao Damei was already waiting there, loading flowers and plants onto the donkey cart with Wang Dasao.
Yesterday, flowers and plants sold like hotcakes, so Sister Wang brought out another batch overnight. Chrysanthemums, begonias, asparagus ferns, and aloe vera were laid out all over the ground, filling almost half a truck.
Zhou Qiqi stared wide-eyed at the overflowing pile of flowers and plants.
"So many? Sister-in-law Wang, you're incredibly quick!"
She crouched down and touched the petals of the begonia; they were soft, like silk.
Wang Da Sao was a little embarrassed by the praise. She lowered her head, pursed her lips, and reached out to tuck a stray strand of hair from her forehead.
"Hey, how could I possibly manage all this by myself? My grandmother saw that I could make money, so she helped me tidy up last night."
As she spoke, she stuffed another pot of asparagus fern into the bamboo basket, making the basket creak under the weight.
"old lady?"
Zhou Qiqi was somewhat stunned.
"Didn't the old lady say we were wasting our time, that we would never sell anything, and that we were making a big deal out of it? How come we're helping her out now?"
Sister-in-law Wang covered her mouth and laughed out loud, the fine lines at the corners of her eyes all bunched up.
“I asked her that last night too! The old lady lay on the kang (heated brick bed), glared at me, and said, ‘When did I ever say that? You must be mistaken!’”
The old lady was acting like a rascal, which amused all three of them.
After exchanging a few more words, Zhou Qiqi and Zhao Damei set off.
Zhou Qiqi sat on the homemade cushion as usual, looking at the flowers and plants beside her that swayed steadily with the donkey cart, and couldn't help but admire them.
"You made a really sturdy wooden frame."
Zhao Damei, who was driving the carriage ahead, looked back at the frame and her eyes crinkled into crescent moons with laughter.
“My father-in-law made this overnight. He used to be a carpenter when he was young. All the furniture, toys for the children, and toy cars in the house were made by him.”
Zhou Qiqi recalled the old man she had met before and couldn't help but sigh, "Your father-in-law is quite thoughtful."
Zhao Damei looked at the dirt road ahead, her voice softening with a touch of nostalgia.
"Yes, my mother-in-law passed away early, and my father-in-law helped raise our two children. When he was still clear-headed, the two of them would fight over the work in the fields and at home, and he never let me worry about anything."
She cracked the whip, and the donkey's hooves made a "clattering" sound on the dirt road.
Zhou Qiqi then noticed that although Zhao Damei's face was tanned dark, her hands had no calluses, and her eyes did not have the numbness common among farmers. It seemed that she had lived a comfortable life in the past.
After her husband passed away, she couldn't bear to remarry and stayed with her father-in-law and baby.
The donkey cart slowly swayed into the city. Zhao Damei had picked a large bunch of wildflowers today, saying she wanted to give them to the customers who bought flowers.
Seeing how brightly the wildflowers were blooming, Zhou Qiqi picked out a few and held them in her hand as she got out of the car.
Zhao Damei hurriedly said, "If you like it, I'll pick some more for you when I deliver the goat milk tomorrow. It's inconvenient for you to carry it while you're busy with important business right now."
Zhao Damei's thoughts were thoughtful, but Zhou Qiqi shook her head.
"No need, no need. Sister-in-law Wang came to my house today to help plant flowers. There's almost no room for flowers in the house. I brought these few branches to give to Deputy Factory Director Zhang."
Zhao Damei frowned immediately, a hint of disdain in her voice. "He's such a strange person, how could he like flowers?"
Zhou Qiqi tilted her head and thought for a moment.
"He must like it. I went to his office a long time ago and saw a shiny jar on his desk with a few flowers in it, but they were all withered. I just happened to see it and brought him a few new ones. It's no trouble at all."
Clutching a handful of wildflowers that exuded a faint fragrance, Zhou Qiqi stepped lightly into the gate of the First Garment Factory.
At the entrance, there is still a large cement relief five-pointed star embedded in the wall, and colorful glass mosaics at the top, with the words "First Garment Factory" written in Song typeface below.
Although it's been around for a few years, the five-pointed star and the glass are still very clean.
But as soon as Zhou Qiqi stepped inside, she sensed something was wrong.
Usually when she comes, Zhang Guoqiang would wait for her in the guardhouse, but today not only was he nowhere to be seen, but even the old man guarding the gate was absent.
When I opened the door and looked into the yard, I was even more surprised.
The entire courtyard was deserted, without a single person in sight. The usual roar of the machines and the shouts from the workshops were all gone, leaving an eerie silence.
Zhou Qiqi hurriedly ran to Master Ma's workshop, where she saw Master Ma and her two apprentices making sample garments at the sewing table.
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